All posts in “Weird Car News”

Koenigsegg pinpoints source of fire that flambeed a $3M Jesko Attack

The 70 or so road trippers who signed up for this year’s 6to6 European tour were looking forward to taking off from Athens, Greece, then crossing eight countries and two mountain ranges on their way to Monaco. One entrant didn’t make it out of Athens on the first day: Not long after leaving the hotel, a $3 million Koenigsegg Jesko Attack Nur Edition in raw carbon fiber with 24-karat gold accents caught fire while cruising through the city at low speed, turning into a bonfire that left little more than a pile of carbon shards melted to an engine. The Swedish carmaker had only delivered around 30 of the planned 125 Jeskos at the time. The Swedish mothership dispatched an engineer to bring the remains back to Sweden for an autopsy. In a post on Instagram, CEO Christian von Koenigsegg explained that the source of the fire was a leak in the car’s pressurized hydraulic line. 

He said the systems containing other flammable liquids were intact, those being the engine and gearbox oil systems, and fuel tank. “However,” he wrote, “there was a streak of hydraulic fluid behind the car on the road. Given this we have investigated the pressurized hydraulic system, which is the only system that contains this fluid.” Sure enough, that was the culprit, the hose found to be “compromised at the rear of the car.” 

The company’s checking the hydraulic system on every car that’s been produced as well as those that have been delivered. It’s also working on a software update that monitors hydraulic pressure and, in case of a leak, can shut the system down in less than a second. Based on the post date, that software should be on its way to cars or very close. Once the cars have been updated, Koenigsegg says they’ll be safe to drive again.

As for the two people in the car in Athens, they made it out unharmed. At the end of his post, Christian added, “We are also incredibly grateful to the owner of the car in Greece for giving us his continued support and that we will be able to supply him with a new car so he can continue his Koenigsegg journey.” Here’s a company whose customer service is almost as quick and comprehensive as its record-breaking cars.

Oh, and cue the Facebook Marketplace profiteers: Autoblog Greece (no relation) reported someone put bits of raw carbon fiber up for sale, claiming without proof they’d come from the Jesko. Which makes total sense. Because Facebook Marketplace. 

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Dealer says he sold LeBron James a Bugatti. LeBron replies: ‘LIARS!’

It’s news in the automobile chat rooms when LeBron James buys a new Bugatti.

It’s news as well when LeBron James doesn’t buy a new Bugatti.

Seems that a California high-end dealership “congratulated” the NBA legend for all to see on Instagram about his “purchase,” bragging that James was their “biggest VIP customer.’’ Turns out none of that was true — it’s the car-dealer equivalent of stolen valor.

“Stop the [cap]!! LIARS!!” James shot back on his own post, aiming his blast at the Effortless Motors dealership in Riverside. “I don’t know y’all and I don’t even have that car. CLOUT CHASERS.’’ James also shared a video posted by the dealer showing a car being loaded onto a truck. No details on that vehicle or on the supercar James purportedly bought.

TMZ Sports said it spoke with Effortless Motors owner Daniel Ubario, who admitted that the uproar was part of a marketing ploy, and that he didn’t expect the angry reaction from James … or from his legion of fans who took to social media to bash Ubario.

Ubario also said that he’d not worked with LeBron in any capacity in the past.

Zombie cars: Discontinued vehicles that aren’t dead yet

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn’t just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process.

That’s the case with the 12 cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up “new” sales with them.

There are actually more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we decided to include here. We kept this list to the oldest or otherwise most interesting vehicles still being sold as new, including a supercar. We’ll run the list in alphabetical order, starting with *drumroll* …

BMW 6 Series: 55 total sales

BMW quietly removed the 6 Series from the U.S. market during the 2019 model year. It had been available in three configurations, a hardtop coupe, a convertible and a sleek four-door coupe-like shape.

BMW i8: 18 total sales

We’ve always had a soft spot for the BMW i8, despite the fact that it never quite fit into a particular category. It was sporty, but nowhere near as fast as similarly-priced competitors. It looked very high-tech and boasted a unique carbon fiber chassis design and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but wasn’t really designed for maximum efficiency or maximum performance. Still, the in-betweener was very cool too look at and drive, and 18 buyers took one home over the course of 2021.

Chevy Impala: 750 total sales

The Impala represented classic American tastes at a time when American tastes were shifting away from soft-riding sedans with big interior room and trunk space and into higher-riding crossovers. A total of 750 sales were inked last year.

Chrysler 200: 15 total sales

The Chrysler 200 was actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, as we said regarding the Chevy Impala, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler’s footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors.

Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. And for some reason, 15 buyers decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home last year. Interestingly, Chrysler sold nine 200s over the course of the 2020 sales year, so sales were actually up in 2021 for a sedan that ended production in 2017.

Chrysler Town & Country: 4 total sales

We’re not sure how Chrysler dealers were able to log four Town & Country minivan sales last year, but here we are. Chrysler pulled the plug on its long-running minivan way back in 2016 when it was replaced by the sleek Pacifica. We hope those buyers got really solid deals.

Dodge Dart: 10 total sales

Dodge discontinued the compact Dart back in 2016, just three years after its launch. The automaker just wasn’t able to compete with the segment leaders like the Honda Civic or the sales juggernaut that is the Toyota Corolla. Despite the fact that it’s been dead for several years, Dodge managed to sell 10 Darts in 2021. A year ago, Dodge managed to move seven of ’em, so again, that’s improvement!

Dodge Viper: 4 total sales

Dodge discontinued the rip-roaring Viper after the 2017 model year, but there are still a few left in dealerships around the country. Over the course of 2021, Dodge managed to sell four SRT Vipers.

It’s interesting to think that these buyers had the option of driving home in a brand-new mid-engine Corvette, but chose to go in an entirely different direction. Something tells us they won’t be disappointed with its 640-horsepower naturally aspirated V10 engine, even if it’s mounted way out in front of the driver instead of the preferable sportscar location behind the passenger compartment.

Fiat 500: 51 total sales

Fiat hasn’t exactly pulled itself entirely out of the U.S. market, but it’s close. A quick glance at the Fiat USA website shows only one vehicle, the 500X crossover. Gone are the original 500, pumped-up 500L and 124 Spider. Let’s all collectively hope the 51 500 buyers last year opted for Abarth models.

Infiniti QX30: 1 total sale

The Infiniti QX30, a collaboration designed and built with Mercedes-Benz, ended production after the 2019 model year. Still, one single solitary little crossover was sold to a new buyer in 2021. Odd choice; we hope they got a good deal.

Jeep Patriot: 16 total sales

Jeep discontinued the Patriot in 2017 when it introduced the latest version of its compact Compass crossover. Despite the fact that it’s three full model years old, there are still some Patriots milling about on Jeep dealerships across America. In total, Jeep sold 16 Patriots in 2021, which somehow is 13 more than they sold in 2020.

Nissan 370Z: 36 total sales

Nissan axed the 370Z Roadster after the 2019 model year, with the replacement Z coming in 2023 with a twin-turbo V6 engine that spins out 400 horsepower. Earlier this year, Nissan confirmed in a statement to Autoblog that there were still a few 370Z stragglers sitting on dealership lots in 2021, with the total tally standing at 36 sales.

Toyota FJ Cruiser: 1 total sale

And now we come to the final, and oldest, new sale made by any automaker over the course of 2021. Somehow, some way, a lone Toyota dealership held on to an FJ Cruiser, a model that ended production in 2014, and sold it to a new buyer in 2021. To them we say: Congratulations. You bought the oldest new car in America (that we know of), and it’s a cool one. Enjoy.

Dodge has sold 3 new Vipers so far this year

  • Image Credit: Dodge

Like zombies, these dead cars still sell among the living

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn’t just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process.

That’s the case with the five cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up “new” sales with them.

There are actually a lot more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we included here. We kept this list to the oldest and most unlikely vehicles still being sold as new, including a couple of supercars.  We’ve ordered the list in order of fewest vehicles sold. Click on the image above to get started.

  • Image Credit: Lexus

2012 Lexus LFA: 1 sale

The first car on this list (which is mostly full of lackluster automobiles) is a supercar: the Lexus LFA. It’s an exhilarating car to drive, and is packed full of interesting technology. Lexus sold a total of 1 LFA coupe so far this year to what we have to guess is a very satisfied customer. By our count, there ought to be 4 more unsold LFAs sitting somewhere on dealer lots in America.

It’s also worth noting that Lexus only sold the LFA for two model years, 2011 and 2012, which means it is by far the oldest new vehicle on this list. It’s also one of the most soul-stirring supercars we’ve ever driven, complete with a V10 engine that revs all the way past 9,000 rpm. Let’s just say we’re jealous of the lone LFA buyer.

Lexus LFA Information

Lexus LFA

  • Image Credit: Dodge

2017 Dodge Viper: 3 sales

Dodge discontinued the rip-roaring Viper after the 2017 model year, but there are still a few left in dealerships around the country. So far this year, Dodge has managed to sell 3 SRT Vipers.

It’s interesting to think that these buyers had the option of driving home in a brand-new mid-engine Corvette, but chose to go in an entirely different direction. Something tells us they won’t be disappointed with its 640-horsepower naturally aspirated V10 engine, even if it’s mounted way out in front of the driver instead of the preferable sportscar location behind the driver.

Dodge Viper Information

Dodge Viper

  • Image Credit: Chrysler

2017 Chrysler 200: 3 sales

The Chrysler 200 is actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler’s footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors.

Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. So far, 3 buyers have decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home.

Chrysler 200 Information

Chrysler 200

  • Image Credit: Buick

2019 Buick LaCrosse

Much has been written about the American shift from sedans to crossovers, and the full-size Buick LaCrosse is one casualty of the times.

Interestingly, Buick sold 1,389 LaCrosse sedans in 2019, its last year of production. That’s certainly not a big number, but it’s not really the worst performance in the dwindling segment. In any case, there are apparently a few still left on lots around the country, because the automaker has recorded 6 total sales so far in 2020.

Buick LaCrosse Information

Buick LaCrosse

  • Image Credit: Chevrolet

2019 Chevrolet Volt: 6 sales

This one stings. We have always been fans of the range-extended plug-in Chevy Volt and the potential it offers to consumers looking to drastically cut their fossil fuel use. In fact, we liked it enough to write a eulogy of sorts.

Sadly, Chevrolet didn’t sell enough Volts to justify keeping it in production. The automaker has sold exactly 6 new Volts so far in 2020.

Chevrolet Volt Information

Chevrolet Volt

One day later, junior car thief bags his Lambo

Five-year-old Adrian Zamarripa made headlines when he boosted his parents’ SUV and set out for California from his home in Utah. With $3 in his pocket, the young supercar fan was on a quest to buy a Lamborghini. His plan unraveled, however, when Utah state police pulled him over on I-15. Or at least, it seemed to. Thoguh thwarted in his attempt to get to California, one day after his story appeared, a Lamborghini came to him.

As Fox 13 News Utah reports, local Lamborghini owner Jeremy Nevis drove to Zamarripa’s home in Ogden to give the fellow Lambo lover a ride in his matte-black Huracan. “The success principles that he displayed were magnificent to me,” Nevis said.

Oh, and Fox 13 reports that an unidentified California business has offered to fly Zamarripa to the Golden State and let him actually drive a Lamborghini (under supervision).

As his sister says in the segment, “It’s like he planned everything, which is crazy.”

The important lessons: Crime pays. And when you fail big, it’s really just a preamble to success.