mod@tech

In a previous life, I sold Lexus vehicles. My choice was more about recession-era employment than the type of vehicle, but I imagine Lexus has always been a fine vehicle to sell—after all, it wasn’t too long ago that the brand made the Germans (and Americans) take notice and up their game. Now it appears that one of the brand’s bread-and-butter may be discontinued, a reflection of an aged generation combined with a changing market.

The Lexus IS was the first of Lexus’ Bimmer 3-Series fighters. I myself never warmed up to it but, when I had an opportunity to drive one, I changed my tune. The SportCross, the shooting brake-esque that was available for 2002-05, was pretty cool, though not available with a manual transmission in the U.S.

The second-generation version, sold in the U.S. as the IS 250 and IS 350, featured the availability of AWD on IS 250 models (which also introduced a four-cylinder for the American market). Also available for several years were the IS C retractable hardtop coupe and the IS F, a nice BMW M3 competitor featuring a 5.0-liter V8 and 416 horsepower. These are the cars I’m most familiar with from my experience at the Lexus dealership. The tight rear seat and tepid performance with AWD were the biggest misgivings that I recall.

The third and current generation of the IS has been in production since the 2014 model year. Hasn’t seemed as long, right? Depending on the year, there has been an IS 200t (with a turbo-four), IS 250, IS 350, and IS 350h featuring a four-cylinder and an electric motor. The IS 500 F Sport Performance continued to use the 5.0-liter V8, now with 472 horsepower.

The market has changed a lot since 2014, and sedans (and coupes—don’t forget the RC spin-off) like this don’t sell as well as they used to. When this current generation debuted, Lexus sold over 51,000 in the U.S. for the calendar year. For 2024, it’s around 19,000 plus another 1,800 RC coupes, and sales so far for 2025 project the final tally will cut that by a third.

So when Car and Driver reported the announcement of the 2025 Lexus IS Ultimate Edition, the periodical couldn’t help but think this is a swan song to go out with a bang—in fact, when approached, a Lexus rep said the company “could not comment on future product plans,” though we’ve known that the RC was already on the chopping block. This special IS 500 model features the basic 472-horse V8 and will be available a white hue called Wind, with matte-black BBS wheels and red brake calipers. The cabin is finished in two-tone red, and all 500 built will be numbered on a plaque.

For all the misgivings about Lexus’ “spindle” grille and angular hallmarks all over, I feel the latest IS continues to wear it quite well. Unfortunately, it might be time to bid adieu to another RWD sedan/coupe in the marketplace for the moment.

Not gonna lie—when I was a kid, there were few cars that were as desirable to me as a Pontiac GTO Judge. I don’t think I preferred one year over the other, as they all have their own strengths, but the original 1969 version is the one that was seared in my mind, what with the signature Carousel Red paint, rear spoiler, pop-art striping, standard Ram Air 400 engine, and blacked-out grilles.

However, thanks to the Internet, we are able to network with others and discuss topics that interest us, if not connect with those who know more than us. This is not new, of course, but knowledge has increased exponentially due to you and me being on this particular medium. So, would it surprise you to learn that blacked-out grilles were not a part of the Judge package but, rather, were dependent on ordering one of two available Ram Air engines?

When I first heard of this several years ago from an a popular Pontiac forum, I thought it was absurd—why change the grille color for an engine option? I was not alone as a naysayer, as evidenced by this 2010 thread in the Ames Performance Years Pontiac forum. But read further and someone posted images from an assembly manual that specifies different part numbers for grilles from cars with the L74 and L67 engines, respectively known as the 400 Ram Air (aka Ram Air III) and Ram Air IV.

It appears that black grilles were only a Judge thing for 1970-71 but, for 1969, it’s clearly a Ram Air thing and not just a Judge thing.

Did you know that in the early 1960s, 16 different drivers road-tested every Lincoln Continental that was built? A magazine ad from that era called them the “Sixteen Intolerant Men.”

Those detail-oriented individuals were among the many individuals responsible for putting each new Continental through 2,000 unique tests at the Wixom, Michigan, assembly plant. “The only passing mark is one hundred percent,” Lincoln boasted. “Each Continental is more than a luxury automobile. It is an engineering triumph.”

Featured on AutoHunter is this 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible. The car is being sold by a dealer in Ramsey, Minnesota, and the auction will end Monday, May 27, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. PDT.

A four-door convertible is a rare sight, and one with rear-hinged (“suicide”) rear doors is even more special. According to the statistics presented in the listing, the car was one of just 3,138 Continental convertibles produced for its model year. A frame-off restoration was performed in the 1990s and included a respray in the car’s original Ermine White. As one would expect from a high-end car, the antenna and the retractable top are power-operated. Lincoln incorporated a “door ajar” warning lamp in the instrument cluster for added safety – given the rather unconventional arrangement of the doors.

The Rose Beige interior was redone with “new old stock” (NOS) leather upholstery during restoration, according to the selling dealer’s video. Features include power windows, a power driver’s seat, an automatic headlight dimmer and power steering. The dealer says the air conditioning does not blow cool, and the AM/FM dual-range radio is not operational.

Power for this luxo-ride comes from a 430ci MEL V8 mated to a three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. When new, Lincoln rated the car at 310 horsepower. The car comes with a maintenance journal, and the video says that the dealer has put about 50 miles on the car as part of its vetting. A 25-point vehicle inspection is available for review.

The dealer has also provided an 11-minute video showing a look at the exterior, interior, engine bay and a start-up. As an added bonus, there is some drone footage showing the car in action. It looks like a car commercial – something Lincoln’s marketing team would enjoy even today.

“Intolerant rejection of anything less than the finest, insistence on excellence in every detail, make Continental the finest car built in America. And it was the first American car to offer a total-car warranty of two full years or 24,000 miles,” Lincoln said.

It’s too bad that warranty isn’t still in effect after 62 years – but with a car as well-presented as this one, bidders can be confident in its quality.

The auction for this 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible ends Monday, May 27, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

The Classic Ford Dream Giveaway is in its final lap, and entries officially close at 11:59 PM ET on May 27. Get ready to bring home not one, but two legendary Fords and the best news is: They are both 4-speeds.

Let’s look at each of these amazing classic rides. Remember one person will score both. Click here to enter now!

Grand Prize #1: K-Code 1965 Ford Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback – This rotisserie-restored marvel began life at Sanders Motor Co. in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has since been transformed by Mustang Restorations, Inc.—the largest Mustang restoration shop on the planet. Finished in Caspian Blue with matching two-tone Pony interior, Rally-Pac gauges, floor-length console and every original K-Code option, it’s more stunning than any showroom Mustang of 1965—and rarer too. Under the hood sits the 289 ci solid-lifter V-8 and factory four-speed transmission that made this model the ultimate performance pony car, even at its original $3,866 MSRP.

Grand Prize #2: Restored 1977 Ford F-150 Custom 4×4 – From a one-owner Southwest collection comes this breathtaking F-150 Custom, dressed in Midnight Blue over Light Blue Two-Tone bench seating. Powered by its numbers-matching 351 ci V-8, a four-speed manual gearbox, two-speed transfer case, plus power steering, power brakes and tow package. Modern comforts include Vintage Air A/C, dual exhaust and a custom bed liner—ready to cruise or conquer off-road trails.

So how do you do it? How do you become the envy of your car buddies? Donate today for your chance to win both of these turnkey, stick-shift classics—and support military veterans and children’s charities in the process.

This is the first time in nearly 20 years a first-generation K-Code Mustang has headlined Dream Giveaway’s grand prize—and it’s paired with an equally stunning F-150 Custom. Don’t miss your chance to own two of the coolest four-speed Fords ever built.

ENTER NOW! Time is running out, and these classic beauties won’t wait.

Nothing becomes a classic randomly and without reason. Take the Porsche 911 as an example. Its looks, performance, and driving experience have impressed enthusiasts—and, most importantly, buyers—for decades. Another great example is a convertible, which makes spirited drives even more stimulating. Our Pick of the Day, a 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet posted on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Georgia, is both of those types of classic—with a twist.

When you read the words “classic” and “Porsche 911,” you probably envision the car in Guards Red. That’s understandable because Guards Red is a great color for a Porsche.

But one of the things that makes classics so cool is that one minor change can make them refreshingly distinctive yet comfortably familiar at the same time. Think of an oxford cloth button-down shirt in a color other than white or light blue, or a pair of Chuck Taylors in dark green leather. That’s what’s going on with this Turquoise Metallic 911 Carrera Cabriolet. Given the power-operated black soft top, you might assume it has a black leather interior, but once again, this Porsche goes a different direction – in this case, with its Marble Grey leather upholstery.

As a whole, the 993 generation of the 911 (1994-1998) was a variation of the tried-and-true formula for Porsche’s signature sports car. Although it had the same general silhouette and air-cooled engine layout as its 964 predecessor, the 993 was fitted with wider and flatter front fenders that housed polyellipsoid headlights, broader haunches with higher-mounted taillights, and a new 3.6-liter flat-six. According to Porsche, “The 993 was the first 911 with a chassis designed around the LSA concept, which stood for Light, Stable and Agile. The new aluminium chassis married lightweight materials with a complex, motorsport-derived, multi-link suspension set-up. It featured a particularly flexible fifth link that helped evolve the ‘Weissach effect’, which was found in the engineering of the Porsche 928. In the days before active rear-wheel steering, this helped manage both longitudinal and lateral forces to stabilise the car’s handling and reduce lift-off oversteer.”

Porsche remembered its history when it created the 993; the three previous owners of this particular 993 kept its history intact by hanging onto its service records from new. Those should reflect this six-speed car’s low mileage (25,568), new Hankook Ventus tires, new power convertible top hardware, and recent oil change.

Summer is almost here. If you want to cruise through it in this 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, expect to put down $96,900—then drop the top and go.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com