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Here's why automakers roll out those Texas-themed pickup trucks

Every year, automakers with a full-size truck link make a big show of the Texas State Fair, usually involving a reveal of a new model. Sometimes they show a whole new truck, and other times a special edition centered on the Lone Star state. While some people might write this off as a quirk of the industry, others might be wondering, "What's the big deal with Texas?" As it turns out, part of the big deal with Texas is big truck sales. According to Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager at AutoPacific, Texas buys more trucks than any other state in the country. It's not a small margin either. Edmunds.com, one in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. The state also accounts for 15 percent of the country's large truck sales, which is more than twice that of California, the second largest truck market in America. Even when you break down sales only in Texas, trucks are a huge piece of the pie - Sullivan says that a quarter of new vehicle sales in Texas are trucks. One in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. But it's not just sales that make truck builders give attention to Texas. As Sullivan explained, "Pickups are life in Texas." Both he and Hugh Milne, marketing and advertising manager for the Chevy Silverado line, said that trucks are key fixtures in Texas society, as both work trucks and luxury vehicles (or Texas Cadillacs as Milne called them). Milne said Texas is so important in the truck market that if you want to be successful in the rest of the country, "you've got to be successful in Texas." As for the State Fair, it has become a prime location for reveals in part because of the importance of the Texas market and because of how big the fair is. Milne also revealed that the State Fair also hosts its own auto show, so it's an ideal venue for a vehicle introduction. So there you have it. Why do truck builders obsess over Texas? It's because Texas obsesses over trucks. When you have one market that loves your product that much, you give it the attention it deserves. Related Video: Image Credit: Donovan Reese via Getty Images Auto News Marketing/Advertising Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck f-150 texas state fair

Toyota tops Kelley Blue Book's Resale Value Awards

Kelley Blue Book announced its annual Best Resale Value Award winners, and we weren't too surprised to see the list dominated by Japanese automakers - mainly Toyota and Honda. KBB hands out the awards based on the projected residual value of mostly all 2013 model year vehicles, and Toyota skated home with a number of awards including 10 of the 22 overall categories and having five of its products in the top 10 for models with best resale value. KBB's Best Resale Value Awards were announced in the same week as the ALG Residual Value Awards, and there were many similarities between both lists, especially when it came to Toyota.
To come up with its winners, KBB measures depreciation over the first five years of ownership, and looks for the cars it expects to hold its value the best after this time; on average, the report says the 2013 model year vehicles will lose 61.8 percent of its value in five years. Of the 22 categories, 15 slots were filled by Toyota, Honda and Nissan products, while the Camaro and Porsche (Cayenne and Panamera) each took home a pair of awards. If Toyota has anything to be upset about in this list of cars, it's that categories for Hybrid/Alternative Energy Car and Electric Vehicle went to the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Volt, respectively.
The overall top 10 models for the best resale value in 2013 are, in alphabetical order:

2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustang unveiled with 730 horsepower

The last time Saleen made these pages it was to report that the firm was out of money. However, just before that announcement, the tuning specialist told us about the three Saleen 302 Mustangs it was developing at three levels - White Label, Yellow Label and Black Label, with those latter two trims to put out 640 horsepower and 565 pound-feet of torque. Well, the Black Label is here - don't let the California Sunset paint fool you - and it's more powerful than planned, with 730 hp and 600 lb-ft blasted out of a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 hooked up to a twin-screw supercharger. Saleen says it's the most powerful, refined, and advanced Mustang it has ever built. Keeping all that power on the road is the increase in downforce that comes from a body that's been extended one inch in front and two inches in the back, and the wing suspended over the decklid. The stock suspension is refitted with Saleen S4 springs, shocks, swaybars and bushings, and the 20-inch wheels on 275-section rubber hide 15-inch dimpled rotors. The interior gets the requisite frills in leather and contrasting stitches, as well as new gauges and badging. It'll take $73,214 to open the door, but just $2,015 to put down a deposit. For more info, check out the press release below. Related Video: 2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustang March 15, 2015 -- Earlier this year, Saleen Automotive released their 2015 White and Yellow Label 302 Mustangs to much fanfare. To round out their fleet, Saleen pulled out all the stops and developed one of the best Mustangs to date. This car is set to change the way pony cars are looked at from here on out. At a one-of-a-kind event in Downtown LA, Saleen raised the curtain on the latest pony car out of their Corona, CA headquarters. "Since I started building cars in 1984 my goal has always been to go above and beyond where anybody has been before", said Steve Saleen. "This will by far be the most refined and advanced Mustang we have built to date." With over 30 years of experience in both racing and manufacturing vehicles, it was only a matter of time before Saleen built a Mustang as comprehensive and technologically advanced as the 2015 302 Black Label. Power Saleen combined the reliability and potency of the 5.0L Coyote motor with a twin-screw supercharger. The pair produces the most power from a production Mustang yet at 730 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque on 91 octane gas.