Bullz-Eye.com reviews the 2011 Lexus CT 200h from inside, out.

Before our test model 2011 Lexus CT 200h Premium arrived, I had not driven or been a passenger in this hot new hybrid, so I was anxious to see what all the fuss was about. I knew the car wasn’t very big, so there were some questions as to how all of this technology and Lexus luxury was going to fit into a smaller than usual package.

Exterior
The CT 200h’s designers created a unique combination of elegance and excitement. The front of the CT 200h is the new embodiment of L-finesse, expressing the perfect balance of precision and power. The grille is pushed forward of the headlamps for greater visual integration with the bumper mid-section below. It incorporates a deeper, more sculpted interpretation of the L-finesse signature arrowhead motif. The upper and lower grilles combine to form a unique ‘spindle’ shape, bringing both bold simplicity and elegant dynamism to the very apex of the vehicle. We found the overall design to be fresh and consistent with Lexus styling. Our matador red test model looked sharp and included LED daytime running headlamps with auto leveling, integrated fog lamps, rear view mirrors with built-in turn signals, illuminated door sills and 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels. In the rear of the 2011 Lexus CT 200h Premium, we found a pronounced step in the tailgate section that flows from the muscular rear wheel arch shoulders, emphasizing the wraparound rear window design which added to the aerodynamic design features.

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Bullz-Eye.com discusses the life and legacy of Carroll Shelby, the father of the Cobra.

On May 11, 2012, the automotive world lost one of its last cowboys. Carroll Shelby, father of the Cobra, passed away due to complications from pneumonia. He was 89 years old. Over his five decades in the automotive community, this chicken farmer turned race car driver turned hot rodder left an indelible mark. These are his greatest hits.

The Cobra

In 1961, Carroll Shelby learned that AC Motors (a small British sports car maker) was looking for a new engine supplier. It just so happened that Ford had a new 221 ci, and a V8 too. Shelby put car and engine together and created the Cobra in 1962.

The car would become the epitome of the hot rod archetype: light car plus big motor. The Cobra also bloodied the noses of many on race circuits around the world, such as Ferrari at Le Mans. This attracted the attention of a little company called Ford Motor Company.

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Tony Hawk knows how to celebrate his birthday the right way with a Lexus LFA. Only Tony Hawk could pull this off!

As the all new 2013 Nissan Altima starts rolling off assembly lines you know her rivals have to be getting a bit nervous. We are hopefully going to be driving this hot machine soon and if the new Altima drives as good as it looks this Altima will make a run for the top selling car in America!

From Auto Blog:

Nissan started Job One production for the 2013 Altima sedan at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant today.

Nissan has big plans for the fifth-generation Altima, which was the number-two selling car in the United States in 2011. The company is adding a third shift at Smyna, and shifting models around between this plant and its Canton, Mississippi plant with an eye toward the Altima passing the Toyota Camry as the top-selling model in America.

Toyota sold 308,510 Camrys last year, compared with Nissan's 268,981 Altimas.

"We haven't built and designed this car the way we have, and made all these changes with a goal of being number-two," said Nissan Americas vice chairman Bill Krueger. Krueger admits that the consumer will vote on whether the Altima becomes the top selling car. "But we are ready to make this car the top seller if the customer agrees."

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam chimed in on the rivalry. "We are going to give the folks down in Georgetown [Kentucky] a serious run for the money," said Haslam, speaking of Toyota's plant in the neighboring state.

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Bullz-Eye.com reviews the 2012 Toyota Prius V!

As hybrids become more popular in the marketplace the choices are also getting better for consumers. The Toyota Prius V is another breakthrough for hybrids, offering a ton of space and excellent fuel efficiency.

Exterior
You can quickly recognize the Prius V as a member of the Prius Hybrid family, and the striking Barcelona Red paint with real spoiler made this wagon a looker. While keeping air resistance low, Toyota didn’t sacrifice styling as the flush surface from the front of the vehicle through the front pillar works with side “aerocorners” for exceptionally clean airflow. Our test model sported LED headlights with auto level control, auto on/off feature front fog lamps, and power folding and heated side mirrors. The combination of the sleek design and 17-inch alloy wheels make for an attractive exterior on the 2012 Prius V.

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Bullz-Eye.com reviewed the Lamborghini Urus!

Lamborghini swore they would never do an SUV. They brushed off rumor after rumor to the contrary. They even showed other concepts to throw people off the scent. But apparently, all their statements were a smokescreen because the newest Lamborghini is here . . . and it’s an SUV. Following in the footsteps of Porsche and every other luxury manufacturer, Lamborghini just released their very own luxury SUV, the Urus. Well, they released an SUV again, that is.

Although the Urus is a shock for those expecting another supercar debut, SUVs are not new for Lamborghinis. From 1986-1993 Lamborghini produced the LM002. Originally, the LM002 was produced as a military vehicle. However, after losing the account to AM General (also known as the producers of the H1), Lamborghini sold the truck to Sheiks, movie stars, and mental ward occupants.

The Urus is not related to the LM002 in the slightest, however. The LM002 was the right kind of crazy. It had a Countach engine, was barely drivable, and was a classic example of Italian lunacy at its finest. The Urus cannot afford such eccentrics. The LM002 was built with product first, business plan later procedure. The LM002 probably didn’t make any money but was just an expensive marketing campaign for the poorly managed Lamborghini at the time. But the Germans own Lamborghini now, and they don’t take kindly too the “all play and no work” mentality; just look at the friction between them and Greece, for example. So the Urus has been designed to produce profit as well as power figures.

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Things change fast in the U.S. Auto Industry as it looks like it’s now Chrysler, Hyundai-Kia , Toyota and VW’s time to shine in 2012. GM and Ford are down in share for the year but they both have some strong product coming out that could put them back in the black when it comes to market share.

From the Detroit News:

General Motors Co.'s sales in the U.S. were down 8.2 percent for April as Ford Motor Co. reported last month's U.S. sales were down, too, by 5 percent. Meanwhile, Chrysler Group LLC said Tuesday its sales were up 20 percent last month, making for its best April in four years.

GM sales were down to 213,387 primarily due to a 25 percent drop in fleet sales that the automaker said was because of the timing of rental customer deliveries. The company said its retail sales were essentially flat. GM also pointed out that April 2012 had three fewer selling days than the same month a year ago — only the second time that has occurred in the past 10 years.

GMC posted a sales increase of 4.5 percent during the month, driven by a 20 percent increase in sales of the GMC Sierra pickup and a 9 percent jump for the GMC Terrain crossover. Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac all saw total sales fall during April compared to the same month a year earlier.

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Things are heating up again between the General and the Blue Oval as GM CEO Akerson takes a hard swipe at the slumping Lincoln brand. GM must be very confident in the new Cadillac models coming very soon and flat out unimpressed on the new Lincoln’s coming to showroom floors. It’s time both brands look at targeting the real sales leaders in the luxury market and at this point I have to say the new Cadillac XTS and ATS are good starts.

From Auto Blog:

"They are trying like hell to resurrect Lincoln. Well, I might as well tell you, you might as well sprinkle holy water. It's over."

So says General Motors CEO Dan Akerson, speaking to reporters from The Detroit News. Fightin' words to be sure, though it seems the suits at Lincoln, Ford's luxury brand that competes with Cadillac here in the United States, have declined to comment on Akerson's statement.

The dismissal of the Lincoln brand seems especially interesting given Akerson's reported take on the current state of Cadillac. Akerson is said to believe that Cadillac isn't yet where it needs to be, saying the brand needs another 12 to 24 months of gestation. By that time, there ought to be bookends to the current CTS in place in the form of the ATS (smaller) and XTS (larger, replacing the STS and DTS).

Still, Akerson doesn't expect to "blow the doors off" Cadillac's competition, saying instead that "they will be very competitive." We'd think Caddy would be aiming squarely at something more like "class leading," but what do we know?

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