1986 Chevy Silverado Truck on 2040-cars

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Worldwide, Nissan Leaf has outsold next two competitors combined

Nissan may not be meeting some of the more optimistic prognostications with sales of its Leaf electric vehicle, but it's certainly kicking the competition's butt. EV Sales is tracking global sales of plug-in vehicle models and estimates that Nissan has sold almost 172,000 units of the Leaf worldwide. That's more than the two next-best-selling plug-ins combined. Globally, EV Sales estimates, the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in has moved about 88,000 units, while Toyota has sold about 71,000 of its Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles worldwide. Fourth-place Tesla Model S is close behind at about 66,000 units. Among automakers, Nissan is also by far the lead dog, but Mitsubishi has leapfrogged Chevrolet among plug-in vehicle makers, as the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid continues to sell well. Impressively, the relatively new BMW i3 has moved almost 23,000 units since its debut in Germany last year. As for Nissan, company chief Carlos Ghosn said at the New York Auto Show earlier this month that the company could sell as many as 50,000 units a year of the Leaf in the US, provided that charging infrastructure throughout the country improves. Earlier this year, cumulative US Leaf sales moved past 75,000 units since its late-2010 launch. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: EV Sales Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric volt

MotorWeek Retro Review revisits 1984 Corvette

MotorWeek's Retro Reviews are always a great glimpse into the cars of yesteryear. However, the newly uploaded look back at the 1984 Chevrolet Corvette is an absolute treasure trove for any auto history buff. This is a full episode of the show from the '80s, and it's dedicated to all of the details about the newest 'Vette to hit the market at the time. Beyond just the usual drive and an in-depth walk around, one of the major highlights here is a brief look at some on the concepts that eventually resulted in the fourth-generation Corvette of 1984. The C4's shape harkens back to sketches from 1978, and there even shots of early clay models that led the way for the design. MotorWeek also takes a tour through the Bowling Green, KY, factory for a detailed inspection of the entire production process. John Davis repeatedly calls the Corvette "the plastic fantastic" during the episode, and he can't find too much negative to say about being behind the wheel of the then-new coupe. See how it stands up to your own memories in the clip above.

Tuning shop plans to turn C8 Corvette into a supercar homage to Cadillac

In March 1902, Henry Ford walked away from his Henry Ford Company investors, leaving his former financial backers to dissolve the concern. The engineer brought in to appraise the old equipment, Henry Leland, convinced the investors to form a new car company and back him instead. Hence, six years before Ford gave the world the Model T, he inadvertently gave the world the Cadillac Automobile Company in August 1902. That makes 2022 the 120th anniversary of the brand that once called itself "The Standard of the World." We don't know if Cadillac has anything planned for the year, but U.S.-based tuner Competition Carbon does. As Carscoops picked up on, the aftermarket shop specializing in Corvette and Lamborghini mods intends to turn a current C8 Corvette into a supercar homage to Cadillac called the C120R. There will be two versions of this creation, one of them a V12 roadster. All we have are Instagram captions and photos to go on at the moment, one of those photos tagged with a list of Competition Carbon's partners in the project. One of the names is Kasim Tlibekov, who specializes in creating body kits for all manner of cars, another is Group A Motoring, which makes and sells body kit parts for six Japanese automakers. In a post on the Group A Instagram page, a Competition Carbon caption informs us the C120R is its "2022 SEMA project! Inspired by [2002] Cadillac Cien Super Car Concept (100 Anniversary), we redesigned and updated to our modern world after 20 years." On the same post, Group A writes that this bodykit is "prob the first complete rebody C8 project, already at 3D Printing." So, yes, despite the name, the body kit is worked up in SLA resin, not carbon. As for the kit's looks, the rationale for its intensity makes sense after looking at the Cien. The twin-duct hood dipping below the vectored front fascia, the reshaped side intakes, the flying buttresses over bulked-up and squared rear fenders, all come straight off the Cien, pictured below. The adjustable rear wing and the roof scoop are new. That scoop would be one of two engine cover treatments for the car. The first has eight cutouts, and we suspect the car that Competition Carbon brings to this year's SEMA show will use the Corvette's 6.2-liter V8. However, another of the tagged names is Hartley Engines, a small engine builder out of New Zealand. There's apparently another C120R already planned for the 2023 SEMA show, that one packing an open top above and a V12 behind.