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U.S. auto sales in April expected to drop despite big discounts

DETROIT — U.S. auto sales in April likely fell nearly 8 percent from the same month in 2017 despite big discounts for consumers, industry consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said on Thursday. For much of the past two years, the discounts offered by automakers have remained at levels that industry analysts say are unsustainable and unhealthy in the long term. April U.S. new vehicle sales will likely be about 1.31 million units, down from 1.42 million units a year earlier, the consultancies said. The forecast was based on the first 17 selling days of April. Automakers, including Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, will release April U.S. sales results on May 1. Earlier this month, No. 1 U.S. automaker General Motors said it will stop reporting monthly U.S. sales because the 30-day snapshot does not accurately reflect the market. GM will instead issue quarterly sales reports. U.S. new vehicle sales fell 2 percent in 2017 to 17.23 million units after hitting a record high in 2016. Sales are expected to drop further in 2018 as interest rates rise and more late-model used cars return to dealer lots to compete with new ones. LMC expects full-year 2018 U.S. new vehicle sales to come in at around 17 million units. "Uncertainty and unfavorable factors appear to be mounting for autos, including a volatile stock market, rising interest rates, rising oil prices and potential trade roadblocks," Jeff Schuster, LMC's head of global vehicle forecasts, said in a statement. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate of sales for April will be 16.6 million vehicles, down more than 2 percent from 17 million units in April 2017, the consultancies said. Retail sales to consumers, excluding lower-margin fleet sales to rental agencies, businesses and government, were set to decline about 9 percent in April. The level of consumer discounts, which can erode profit margins and undercut resale values, "remains the larger concern," the consultancies said. The average discount was $3,698, up $187 from April 2017. Discounts on trucks and SUVs were up $426, but down $226 on passenger cars. Reporting by Nick CareyRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Chrysler Ford GM JD Power

1979 Dodge Li'l Red Express in Generation Gap showdown with 1933 Ford Pickup

Auto enthusiasts love a good debate, whether it's Mustang versus Camaro or Ferrari against Lamborghini. But how about a battle between two very different vintages of classic pickup trucks? In this case, the fight is between a 1979 Dodge Li'l Red Express and a 1933 Ford Model 46 truck with a flathead V8.
The shootout comes courtesy of the internet series Generation Gap, and its concept is super-simple. One guy prefers classics, and the other likes newer rides. They choose a category, pick two vehicles and put them head to head. In this case, neither is exactly modern, though. The Ford is more than old enough to receive Social Security checks, and the Dodge is hardly a young whippersnapper.
Other than both being pickups, these two models were made to serve very different functions. The Li'l Red Express was basically the progenitor of today's muscle trucks, with a big V8 that made it one of the quickest new models in its day (admittedly, 1979 was a rough time for automotive performance). On the other hand, the '33 Ford was just meant to work, with little pretense for anything else. One of the hosts describes it as "the simplest, most difficult" vehicle he's driven because of the tricky double clutchwork necessary to shift gears. Scroll down to watch the video and try to decide which of these two American classics you would rather have in your garage.

2015 Hennessey Ford Mustang hits 207.9 mph

After hitting over 195 miles per hour a few months ago, John Hennessey was barely out of his personal HPE700 Mustang before he said that 200 mph was achievable. Don't doubt a man who knows a ton about taking cars to insane speeds. With the new HPE750 Mustang, he and his customers can finally surpass the 200-mph mark in their cars. "If at first you don't succeed, just add more horsepower and rpm and try again," Hennessey said in the company's announcement. Rather than the 717 horsepower and 632 pound-feet of torque from the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 in the HPE700, the HPE750 ratchets the same powertrain up to an even more potent 774 hp and 648 lb-ft. In a real show of confidence, the Hennessey team brought along Jay Leno when it returned to the Continental Tire Proving Grounds in Uvalde, TX, to set a new top speed with the HPE750. The upgrades to the Mustang definitely paid off because the pony car reached a GPS-verified 207.9 miles per hour down the straight. The run will eventually appear on a segment on the upcoming Jay Leno's Garage TV show that will air CNBC. Prices for the HPE750 start at $59,500 USD, including the base 2015 Mustang GT, but building an exact replica of this one would cost $69,374, according to Hennessey. In addition to the huge top speed, the company claims that the coupe can reach 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and cover the quarter mile in 10.9 seconds. 774 HP Hennessey Mustang Tested to 207.9 mph Jay Leno visits Texas tuner for upcoming TV series on CNBC June 2, 2015 Uvalde, Texas—On Wednesday, May 27, 2015, professional driver, Brian Smith, drove the Hennessey HPE750 Supercharged Mustang to a top speed of 207.9 mph. In the process, Hennessey's potent pony car became the first 2015 Mustang to break the 200 mph mark. Jay Leno was on hand to witness the record speed while filming an upcoming episode of Jay Leno's Garage, which will air on CNBC later this year. The run was made on the 8.5 mile high speed oval at the Continental Tire Proving Grounds located in Uvalde, Texas – the same test track where John Hennessey test drove the company's HPE700 Mustang to a top speed of 195 mph back in February of this year. During both tests, speeds were validated with Racelogic's VBox 3i GPS data logging system. "If at first you don't succeed, just add more horsepower and rpm and try again," said company founder and president, John Hennessey.