B&m 40475 B&m Holeshot 2600 Torque Converter, 1966-91 Ford C6 on 2040-parts.com

Smart's $99 loan deal has big balloon payment at end

Hoping to benefit from the federal cash-for-guzzlers program, Smart USA has set up a $99 monthly payment for buyers who use their $4,500 rebate. But there's a catch--and a hefty balloon payment disclosed only as a note to an asterisk in Smart's press information announcing the offer. The Smart financing is for $99 a month for 36 months, with a balloon payment of $6,667 due at the end.

McLaren 12C Spider Neiman Marcus Edition. Christmas is coming.

This year’s special Christmas car from Neiman Marcus is a special edition of the McLaren 12C Spider with lunch with Ron Dennis thrown in. Last year Neiman Marcus offered the Ferrari FF but this year it’s the turn of the Brits again (the Neiman Marcus Christmas car was the Jaguar XJ in 2009) with the new McLaren 12C Spider, the convertible version of the MP4-12C (which, it appears, McLaren now want us to call just the 12C). The Neiman Marcus 12C Spider is a bog standard car (not that there’s much ‘bog standard’ about 616bhp and a 0-62mph of just 3.1 seconds) in Volcano Red, but it does come with the prerequisite of a Neiman Marcus car by offering something money can’t easily buy (although it self evidently can) – dinner with Ron.

2014 Ram 1500, 1500 EcoDiesel tow ratings announced

Chrysler has announced the gasoline-powered 2014 Ram 1500 and 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel tow ratings. The 305-hp Pentastar V6 can handle up to 7,450 lbs. Ram calls this performance “class-leading,” but there's a catch: If the consumer compares the base-level versions of the Ford F-150, GMC Sierra 1500 the Ram 1500 then it is true that the Ram 1500 edges out the competition.