They may not attract the same number of catcalls or envious stares as a classic Corvette or Jaguar, but the market for vintage SUVs is heating up.

Since 2008, the classic SUV segment has grown by 65 percent, according to Hagerty Insurance, which maintains a database of classic car values. This growth reflects the number of older SUVs that owners are driving and insuring like they would a classic car rather than one driven daily.

This compares to the regular classic car market, which has grown only 37 percent during the same period, according to Hagerty.

PHOTOS: Vintage SUVs with fastest-growing values

The vehicles in this mix include the Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Series II and III, Jeep CJ and Grand Wagoneer, Ford Bronco, International Scout and Chevy Blazer.

"We’re seeing a shift in perception of what makes a vehicle cool," said McKeel Hagerty, the insurer's founder and chief executive. "Vintage SUVs are becoming more and more collectable, and it appears that trend will...

Honda has produced, again, a terrific motorcycle. No, two terrific motorcycles. The 2013 CRF250X and CRF450X are tremendous pieces of two-wheeled engineering. As an old dirt bike guy, I fell in love with both of them.

But even after repeated outings and several hours on each bike, it's almost impossible to say which of them is the better machine.

For a start, they're very similar. They use almost the same frames, suspension, brakes, gearbox, carburetion, electric start systems and other essential elements -- down to the liquid-cooled, dual-radiator Unicam engines that power them. They even look almost identical.

They're slightly different, on paper, in the ways you'd think. The 250 weighs 15 pounds less (254 pounds to the 450's 269 pounds), and sits a tiny bit lower (though both have a seat height of more than 37 inches). The 450 has more horsepower (an unofficial 43 to the 250's unofficial 32). Sitting on them, in the showroom, you'd hardly be able to tell them apart.

PHOTO GALLERY:...

The Chinese appetite for luxury automotive brands, including Cadillac, has become so great that General Motors has won government permission to build a $1.3-billion factory near Shanghai, the automaker confirmed Tuesday.

The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission signed off on the plant, which will be located in Shanghai's Jinqiao district, GM said in a statement. Construction is to begin in June.

GM said the planned production capacity for the factory is 150,000 vehicles.

PHOTOS: What cars and trucks and SUVs are truly American made?

"We want to build where we sell. That is very important to us," said Alan Adler, a GM spokesman in Detroit.

The draw is China's continued growth as the world's biggest automotive market by sales volume. IHS Automotive Consulting says it expects sales of 20.5 million vehicles in China in 2013, expanding to more than 30 million by the end of the decade.

"If Cadillac can capture even a small share of that growth, it will be a very large number,"...

Mercedes-Benz is talking up the changes for 2014 for its redesigned Sprinter cargo van as other automakers ramp up to compete in the segment.

Mercedes-Benz says the new Sprint is slightly longer, with its radiator grill moved into a more upright and "self-assured" position, lending the new Sprinter "a more confident presence."

But the bigger changes are inside.

Photos: The most American cars and trucks

Claus Tritt, general manager of commercial vans for Mercedes-Benz USA, said in an interview that the most important difference, perhaps, was the new 2.1-liter in-line-four diesel engine.

Mercedes-Benz said it marks the first use of super-clean BlueTEC technology in the commercial van market.

Tritt said the new engine offers 161 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque at 1,400-2,400 rpm. and is 18% more efficient in terms of mpg than the old standard 3.0 liter V-6.

Tritt said the 188 hp V-6 will be available as an option.

"This the latest and greatest and best" part of the new Sprinter, Tritt said....

General Motors announced Monday it’s recalling more than 38,000 Chevrolet and Buick eAssist light hybrid cars for a potential fire issue.

The automaker said circuit boards in the trunk can potentially overheat, causing the cars’ 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on. If owners ignore the warning lights, the engine could stall and a fire could occur in the trunk, GM said.

The issue is not related to the cars’ rechargable lithium-ion battery that is part of the eAssist hybrid system.

The recall affects 38,197 Chevrolet Malibu Eco and Buick LaCrosse and Regal sedans from the 2012 and 2013 model year. Most of the incidents have occurred within the first 1,000 miles of operation, GM said.

The issue came to GM’s attention in October 2012, according to spokesman Alan Adler. The automaker briefly stopped production of the affected vehicles to make a fix in production. Thus, cars built after December 2012 are not part of the recall.

Adler...

BMW is recalling 42,000 of its model year 2002 and 2003 3-series cars because of front-passenger-side air bags that may not inflate properly in a collision, the automaker said Monday.

BMW is the latest to join a group of five other automakers that have recalled more than 3 million vehicles because of the air bag problem, which could spray shrapnel around the cabin in a crash.

"We have not had a single case of a reported failure in our cars, but it is the same problem, yes," said BMW spokesman Julian Arguelles, in an interview.

PHOTOS: Kelley Blue Book's top 10 green cars for 2013

The defect stems from faulty manufacturing in 2001 and 2002 by Takata Corp., a Japanese company that made the explosive wafers that power the lightning-quick inflation of air bags.

Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda and General Motors have been included in the recalls, which affected cars produced from 2002 to 2004.

During all this time there appeared to be only six reported incidents on the road -- four in the...

When Tesla Motors reports its first-ever profit Wednesday, much of the money will come courtesy of the state of California.

In its zeal to push electric cars into the market, the state has created a system in which Tesla can make as much as $35,000 extra on each sale of its luxury Model S electric sports sedans. That's because the Palo Alto company qualifies for coveted state environmental credits that it can turn into cash.

These Zero Emission Vehicle credits could put as much as $250 million in Tesla's coffers this year, according to one Wall Street analyst, and they are a key reason the 10-year-old automaker has survived this long. Tesla gets to sell the credits to other automakers that need them to satisfy tough California regulations.

Tesla's windfall highlights just how far California regulators have gone to promote the electric car — with a system that promotes the sale of trendy $100,000 sports sedans.

"At the end of the day, other carmakers are subsidizing Tesla," said...

Trucks are the hottest segment of the U.S. auto industry this year, as housing and construction rebound and small businesses open the purse strings to replace aging equipment.

Sales are up 11% through the first four months of this year, far above the pace of car sales, according to Autodata Corp. The gains have come even though buyers have had to choose mostly from outdated models.

But that's about to change.

General Motors will start delivering new-generation versions of its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks to dealers later this spring. Toyota will put out a new Tundra pickup in September. And Ford is traveling the country, displaying its Atlas concept truck at auto shows and other events in an effort to hold buyers' loyalty until the new F-150 goes on sale, probably as a 2015 model.

Dodge was the first to update its full-size truck, with the all-new 2013 Ram already in dealerships.

Expect a market-share battle as intense as what's happening in the family sedan market, where...

Fans of turbocharged Porsches have reason to celebrate. Fans of manual transmissions have reason to mourn.

A single car is responsible for both.

Porsche debuted the long-awaited Turbo and Turbo S variants of its 911 sports car Friday.

PHOTOS: Porsche's 911 Turbo and Turbo S models break cover

In addition to a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine and all-wheel-drive, both cars will only be available with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. No manual transmission will be available.

Previously, buyers of the Turbo could get a do-it-yourself gearbox, while the Turbo S was only available with the PDK.

Several reasons led to Porsche dropping the manual transmission. For one, few of the people actually spending money on the previous 911 Turbo actually wanted a manual, according to Porsche’s Nick Twork. The take rate for manual gearboxes steadily declined throughout the lifespan of that car, he said.

With fewer customers interested in a manual, the R&D costs became...

The golden sound of silence is not an attribute normally associated with motorcycle riding, but the sound of the Zero DS is one of its best qualities.

The DS is a high performance, dual sport, all-electric motorcycle. At top speed, and under extreme acceleration, it makes no more noise than a summer breeze.

It has no engine, which means it has no pistons, no crankshaft, no clutch, no transmission and no chain. No moving parts means no vibration, no engine heat and no noise.

All of the power from the Z-Force electric motor -- which produces 54Hp and 68 foot-pounds of torque -- goes through a drive belt directly to the back wheel. It's pure horsepower, with nothing lost along the way.

That means this motorcycle really moves. The clutchless, gear-less transfer of power is sweet and smooth, applying that torque right to the pavement and making for extremely zippy acceleration. On the freeway, at 60 mph, it loses very little time getting to its advertised top speed of 95 mph.

On a recent...

Toyota is issuing another recall of FJ Cruiser SUVs. This time, the automaker is recalling 11,489 of its model year 2007-2013 Cruisers because of a headlight problem that could blind oncoming drivers.

In March, Toyota recalled 209,000 Cruisers because of a problem with seatbelt retractors that could become detached from the vehicle frame.

The Cruisers in the newly issued recall were manufactured from Jan. 25, 2006, through Feb. 23 of this year, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

PHOTOS: Kelley Blue Book's top 10 green cars for 2013

They are equipped with the automaker's "Auxiliary Driving Lamp Kits," which are mounted to the front bumpers of the vehicles.

Documents filed with NHTSA say that the lamp assemblies include 55-watt bulbs and "due to this wattage, the combination of the upper beam headlamps plus the auxiliary lamps are too bright and exceed the maximum light output allowed for an upper beam headlamp."

The "excessively bright" lights "may...