mod@tech

The Ford Mustang enthusiast community is far-reaching. Consider the fact that the Mustang Club of America (MCA) has over 12,000 members, as well as 170 smaller regional clubs within. In the month of August alone, there will be 18 different club-sponsored events taking place around the country.

Chances are, you could go anywhere in the country—and probably in the world—and still find like-minded people with whom to talk Mustangs. If you haven’t already had a chance to be part of the family, what are you waiting for?

Featured on AutoHunter is this 1995 Ford Mustang GT Convertible. The pony car is being sold by a dealer in Asheboro, North Carolina, with the auction ending Monday, August 4, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Finished in Crystal White over Charcoal cloth upholstery, the car is an accident-free and damage-free example that spent its first few years in Georgia and then North Carolina since 1998. Over the course of its lifetime, it was upgraded with a few things like a lowered suspension, BBK Performance air intake, 18-inch Saleen chrome wheels, and a Cervini’s Auto Designs aftermarket hood. The car shows just under 150,000 miles today.

The fourth-generation Mustang was dubbed “SN95” and was produced from 1994 through 2004 at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan, assembly plant. When it debuted, Ford’s marketing teams worked hard to tie it to the original Mustang. In fact, this commercial in particular featured photos from the first-year car and also used the tagline, “It is what it was . . . and more.”

The GT variant was introduced just one month after the base-model Mustang, and it came equipped with a V8, stiffer suspension, 3.08:1 axle ratio, dual exhaust outlets, and 16-inch wheels. The automotive media loved it, with Motor Trend naming it as its Car of the Year in 1994.

Under the hood of this pony car is the famous 5.0-liter “High-Output” V8 mated to a five-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The combination was rated at 215 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque when new.

What’s crazy to think about is that when the SN95 Mustang came out for 1994, the Mustang nameplate was celebrating 30 years of existence—it’s been another 30 years since then. It makes you wonder what kind of Mustang we’ll be driving in 2055. Hopefully, most of us are still around to experience it!

For now, here’s a great chance to make your entry into the Mustang Club of America and join for some of those August rallies.

The auction for this 1995 Ford Mustang GT Convertible ends Monday, August 4, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

When it debuted, the Bugatti Veyron—the first new Bugatti since the EB110 of the 1990s—was a statistical marvel and a freak of engineering: 16 cylinders and four turbos producing 1,001 PS (987 horsepower), enabling it to hit a top speed of over 250 mph.

That was 20 years ago. Thanks to the financial backing of Volkswagen, the Veyron’s 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine wasn’t just a spectacular one-off. In various states of tune, the W16 has lasted for two decades, reaching its end in a production run of 99 W16 Mistral roadsters. In the video below, Jay Leno drives one that belongs to the Audrain Automobile Museum as his friend (and museum consulting director) Donald Osborne rides shotgun.

Given its Chiron roots, it’s logical to assume the W16 Mistral is just a roofless Chiron but, as Osborne points out, it’s not. According to the CTO of Bugatti Rimac (the new company formed under the ownership of Croatian electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac), “The Chiron family was never intended to have a roadster model.” Creating the W16 Mistral called for extensive re-engineering of various structures and components, as well as redesigning the air intake system and the body itself.

Although it’s not an outright top-speed car, the Mistral’s W16 still generates 1,578 horsepower (1,600 PS) and is capable of reaching 261 mph. At various points during his drive, Leno gooses the throttle, causing the W16 Mistral to surge forward. Whereas a V8 sounds like a ferocious beast, the open-top Bugatti ‘s W16 truly sounds like a force of nature.

Despite its 4,500-pound weight, the W16 Mistral comes across as much lighter than it is. Leno likens it to a Mazda Miata or, in show business terms, “watching Jackie Gleason tap dance.” Where does this final iteration of the W16 rank in Leno’s standings? And what does he think of the W16 Mistral as a whole? Turn up the volume and watch below.

The community of Forest Grove, Oregon, came together for its annual Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, July 20, 2025. The event was held on the campus of Pacific University and attracted top-tier vehicles from a wide variety of genres. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Forest Grove, the Concours has become the longest-running event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest—dating all the way back to 1974. Proceeds for the event each year benefit the Rotary Club Foundation scholarships as well as various community service projects. Thanks to the Concours, the Rotary Club has returned more than $1 million to the community over the years.

This year, the Concours attracted over 3,000 patrons to the show field. When they weren’t admiring the automotive eye candy, attendees enjoyed the music, food, beer garden, and wine pavilion on the grounds. And for those who wanted to make an entire weekend of it, there was a vineyard tour and dinner the night prior to the formal show.

Forest Grove prides itself in having a diverse automotive community, and the Concours made that evident. Virtually every genre was represented. Four of the specific featured classes for 2025 included:

• 50 Years of Turbocharged Porsche (1974 through 2024)
• Air-Cooled Porsche 911 (through 1998)
• 60th Anniversary Shelby Mustang (1965 through 1970)
• Fabulous Fifties

In all, there were about 75 cars judged, and each one had a special story to tell. Some of this year’s standout participants included the following:

• Best of Show went to a stunning 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider owned by Fred Russell
• Best Classic Pre-War went to a 1931 Packard 840 Sport Phaeton owned by Dennis Gilman
• Best Open Car went to a 1962 Ford Thunderbird convertible owned by Daniel Cote
• Best Closed Car went to a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air four-door sedan owned by Keith Lerch

Stay connected to the Forest Hills Concours d’Elegance Facebook page and the official website for updates and announcements about future years events. Next year’s event will be held on July 19, 2026, so mark your calendars, because we look forward to seeing the event’s evolution.

Last September, Nissan revealed the all-new 2025 Armada. The third-generation model ditched the outgoing 5.7-liter V8 for a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 paired with a new nine-speed automatic. For the first time ever, the Armada was available in the Pro-4X off-road trim. The 2026 model year brings another first for the Armada: a Nismo variant with more power and a more athletic suspension. However, this broadening of the trim level spectrum is not new for SUVs in general.

If you’re familiar with Nissan‘s Nismo treatment, which is typically reserved for its sports cars, you know to expect an assortment of cosmetic and performance upgrades. To set the Armada Nismo apart visually from its less sporty siblings, Nismo restyles the 6,102-pound, full-size, body-on-frame SUV’s front and rear fascias, grille, side steps, and rear spoiler. Underneath the fender flares is a set of special 22-inch wheels wrapped in high-performance all-season tires.

The cabin is similarly distinctive and features Nismo-specific charcoal leather upholstery with quilted red inserts and red stitching. According to Nissan, “Other additions include adjustable side bolsters for the front seats, which help snug occupants in place during spirited driving, plus aluminum pedals and multicolor ambient lighting.”

To make the Armada more capable in the curves, Nismo tunes the electric power steering and tweaks the Adaptive Electronic Air Suspension. Long straightaways can seem a little shorter thanks to revised engine programming and finely tuned valve clearances that bump the twin-turbo six’s output from 425 to 460 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.

As odd as an Armada Nismo may seem, it’s not that surprising these days. It’s just part of manufacturers casting a wider net of specifically focused models to catch more buyers. Performance SUVs have been around for decades—remember the Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG or the Porsche Cayenne Turbo from the 2000s? Several years ago, companies started pairing sports car-like performance with sleeker, coupe-like rooflines, which explains vehicles such as the BMW X6 and Genesis GV80 Coupe. Vehicles primarily meant for carrying people on paved roads suddenly started being offered in off-road trims with more rugged styling, all-terrain tires, and other upgrades to make them more capable in difficult terrain (which is where we tested the Honda Ridgeline TrailSport). Even certain EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT, are developed for fun in the dirt. That same general trend led to the 2025 Nissan Armada Pro-4X.

We’re also seeing larger SUVs shift toward the sportier end of the spectrum. For 2023, Cadillac released V versions of the Escalade and long-wheelbase Escalade ESV with 682 supercharged horsepower. We recently reviewed a Lexus TX 350 three-row SUV with the new-for-2025 F Sport Handling package, which shares space in the Lexus lineup with similarly equipped versions of the LX 600 and the LX 700h hybrid. Yes, on-road dexterity is now a priority for some buyers of the luxed-up Land Cruiser.

At this rate, maybe SUV convertibles are next. Were the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible simply ahead of their times?

One of the rarest 1980s BMWs to find today is not an M car or even an Alpina—both of which have had a strong enthusiast audience from the time they were new. One of the most difficult-to-find 1980s BMWs is not a performance juggernaut either. It is instead the first diesel-powered BMW sold in the U.S.: the 524td. Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is a 1985 BMW 524td located in Gladstone, Oregon.

The most interesting part of the 524td is, of course, the engine. The 2.4-liter inline-6 turbo-diesel engine called the M21 D24 was the brainchild of Karlheinz Lange from BMW’s engine development department. He saw what Mercedes was doing and found their diesel offerings unacceptable designs for a BMW. He also was convinced Munich engineers could produce something better than those in Stuttgart. A partnership between BMW and Steyr-Daimler-Puch gave BMW a new factory and development center from which the new diesel power plants could be designed and built. This M21 D24 engine utilized indirect “swirl chamber” injection (IDI), whereby fuel is sprayed into a small chamber above the combustion chamber, resulting in a much quieter diesel engine than what was offered by competitor Mercedes.

My dad had one of these cars when they were new. Unlike the clattery Mercedes diesel cars many of my friends’ parents had, the 524td was something different. Not only was it much quieter than almost any other diesel car, it also was equipped with the very sporty BMW E28 chassis. It even offered decent acceleration, with the turbocharged inline-6 diesel engine capable of a 0-60 time of 11 seconds—unheard of for a diesel sedan at the time. In addition, the 524td achieved close to 30 mpg. (An interesting historical note is that the short-lived Lincoln Mark VII diesel was actually powered by this same BMW diesel engine.)

The seller describes this 524td as being powered by the aforementioned 2.4-liter inline-6 turbo-diesel, which is paired to a four-speed automatic transmission. Finished in black over a Pearl Beige cloth interior, this German sedan is offered by the selling dealer with a clean CARFAX report and clear title. It has clocked 121,000 miles, which is low for any diesel.

Many of these cars were literally driven into the ground, but this example looks to have lived a nice life. The exterior appears to be in exceptional condition, with nice paint and no evidence of any dents, rust, or other visible flaws. For a black car, this is kind of amazing—if it is a repaint, it is a good one, and if the car still has original paint, it is miraculous.

The interior is almost as good. The factory Ivory cloth seats are in unbelievable condition, with no rips or tears anywhere. They at best could use a little cleaning. The only interior flaws I could see in the photos were two small dash cracks on the driver’s-side near the windshield, and the sunroof needs new headliner cloth material. Options on this BMW include power seats, power windows, sunroof, cruise control, and air conditioning.

Under the hood everything also looks tidy; not detailed, but just clean. This really looks like a well-kept example. Recent service items include new vacuum hoses, heater fans, and belts in 2023, as well as a timing belt replacement in 2021.

The 524td was one of the lowest-production BMW 5 Series cars in the E28 era. It was not a sales success—not because it was a bad car, as reviewers at the time sang its praises, but largely because BMW was late to the party with diesel power. Fast-forward to today, and diesel-powered BMWs are the most popular models in Europe. This rare car was the one that kicked it all off and is an important footnote in BMW history.

If you think this first-generation BMW diesel is as cool and unique as I do, you will need to act fast and bid, as the auction for this 1985 BMW 524td ends on Friday, August 1, at 12:30 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

It’s hard to believe that vehicles from the late 1980s are old enough that some of them require restoration, but a lot can happen in nearly 40 years. That’s especially true for four-wheel-drive SUVs, many of which rack up loads of miles and/or get extensively modified and beat up off-road. It’s unclear what kind of life our Pick of the Day, a full-size 1989 Chevrolet Blazer V1500, led in the past, but we do know it has been fully restored, according to the dealer in Carrollton, Texas selling it on ClassicCars.com.

By 1989, the “Rounded Line” (aka “Square Body”) generation of the full-size Chevy Blazer was already more than 15 years old. It was also part of the R/V series of trucks and SUVs, which replaced the previous C/K naming structure a few years earlier. As part of a mild refresh, the ’89 Blazer received a redesigned grille, restyled side moldings, and a better paint job thanks to a new base-coat/clear-coat process. This particular Blazer has a new two-tone finish in factory colors, which appear to be Midnight Blue Metallic and Smoke Blue Metallic judging by the brochure. The Rally wheels are also new and come equipped with 31-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires, which are the right kind of rubber for such a rugged vehicle.

The most noticeable updates are inside. Behind the aftermarket steering wheel is a set of Dakota Digital gauges, which are surrounded by billet trim; the gas and brake pedals also get the billet treatment. Fresh blue leatherette covers the front buckets and rear bench seat. Cabin conveniences include power steering, power brakes, power locks and windows, air conditioning, and a locking center console with a pair of cup holders.

This full-size Blazer rolled off the production line with fuel injection but, interestingly, someone decided to retrofit its 350ci V8 with a 600-cfm four-barrel carburetor as well as a new exhaust system. That old-school-style power reaches the road or trail through a four-speed automatic and a dual-range transfer case.

If you want a Square Body Blazer, there are three main ways you can get one. You can buy a Blazer that’s been driven into the ground, hunt for a fully original one with low miles, or purchase one that’s already received a ton of work and updates, such as this this 1989 Chevrolet Blazer V1500. If you choose to go that route, the first step in your journey to ownership will be paying the $49,900 asking price.

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