by Gabrielle DeSantis

Anyone on a road trip through some American farmland is bound to see a spattering of bright orange Kubota tractors and other farm equipment. In fact, the Kubota tractor brand is a well-reputed choice for farmers all over the world. But where are these machines manufactured? Are Kubota tractors made in America?

Kubota Tractor Corp. signage | Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Is it a Japanese tractor company?

Yes, Kubota tractors are Japanese. According to Kubota, the Japanese tractor company introduced its first tractor in 1960. There are several other well-known tractor manufacturers like New Holland, John Deere, and Mahindra. Still, the Kubota brand is a global leader in the industry.

“Kubota offers a full selection of products from small to large-sized tractors for diverse applications and scales.”

Kubota

Rice planting in paddies with compact Kubota tractors
Farmers drive tractors in paddy fields | Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images

Starting off in the metal business back in 1890, the Kubota brand grew. Tractors, inspired by work in the rice paddies, became the company’s benchmark product. In 1969, the U.S. saw its first Kubota tractor. Then in 1792, 12 years after producing the first Japanese-made tractor ever, the Kubota tractor brand, Kubota Tractor Corporation, became an official entity in the U.S. market.

Where are Kubota tractors manufactured?

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Kubota tractors are among the most popular farming and other agriculture-related machines and accessories. Furthermore, the Kubota tractor brand is one of the leading tractor manufacturers. And many Kubota tractors are, in fact, made in America. The U.S. headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas.

According to Kubota USA, “approximately one-half of all Kubota branded equipment sold in the United States is manufactured or assembled in the state of Georgia.” In fact, Kubota Manufacturing of America recently underwent a massive expansion that increased U.S. production.

So, the manufacturing facility in Georgia now produces most of the Kubota tractors and related equipment. In addition, Kubota dealers sell the products across the country. There are over 1,100 Kubota dealers in the U.S.

However, according to Kubota Global there are several facilities located all over the world. The website shows a world map and respective Kubota locations. In fact, the locations include North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

How much does a Kubota Tractor cost?

Kubota tractors exhibited at an agricultural fair in rural America
A Kubota Tractor Corp. M8 tractor | Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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Kubota tractor prices vary. For example, the models range from compact farm equipment to full-scale agricultural products. According to Tractor List, or tractorsinfo.net, the models start with the BX Series Kubotas. These models start at $11,900.

However, the prices don’t stay below $20,000. As one might expect from heavy-duty equipment, many of these ag beasts don’t come cheap. The larger models, like the M6 or M7 Series tractor, easily cost over $40,000. In fact, several Kubota Tractor models have price tags near to or in the six figures.

That said, the price of a new tractor depends not only on the budget but also on the intended use. Obviously, the specific jobs will influence the type of tractor you need. In fact, Kubota also has a financial division for customers. If a job requires a certain piece of equipment, Kubota Credit Corporation, USA offers financing for tractors––as well as other Kubota machines and equipment.

The post Are Kubota Tractors Made in America? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’re not superstitious then you probably don’t know the history of actor James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder. By now everyone knows about his death in the race car, and now the 4-speed transaxle has come up for sale. Be forewarned that it will probably go for big money, and almost everything connected with the James Dean Porsche has been linked to bad luck and numerous deaths. 

Parts of the Porsche Spyder proved fatal to new owners

James Dean in the Porsche Spyder

After the insurance company sold the Spyder’s remains, pieces of the car went to racers, William Eschrich and Troy McHenry. In October 1956, both racers faced off at the Pomona Sports Car Races. Eschrich slid off of the track and was injured. McHenry lost control of his own Spyder and was killed when he hit a tree. 

Customizer George Barris purchased what was left of the James Dean Spyder. He loaned it out to the National Safety Council to display at various cities between 1957 and 1959. During that tour, a fire burned down the garage the Spyder was parked in, and it later fell off of a mount at a high school safety exhibit. Luckily, nobody was hurt. 

A freak accident killed the Porsche’s transport driver

remains of Dean Porsche
James Dean Porsche Spyder

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The Spyder ended up killing the driver of the transport truck it was riding in during a freak accident. It soon went MIA and has not been seen since. Nobody knows whether it even exists. Also around this time, two tires from the Porsche that were being used on another car blew out simultaneously. This caused the car to crash, injuring the driver.

In 1981 Porsche mechanic Rolf Wütherich, who was in the Porsche when it crashed, was scheduled to discuss the crash on a German TV show. It never happened because he was killed in a crash before he could be interviewed. 

Actor Alec Guinness had a prescient response viewing Dean’s Porsche

James Dean gassing up Porsche
James Dean with his Porsche Spyder

Maybe one of the weirdest stories has to do with Alec Guinness. The British actor met with Dean a couple of days after he bought the Spyder. Dean wanted to show Guinness his new purchase and took him to where the car was parked.

After telling Guinness that the car could hit 150 mph Guinness said, If you get in that car you will be found dead in it by this time next week.” Needless to say, he was prescient. 

At $100,000 so far the Porsche Spyder transaxle won’t be selling for cheap

Porsche wreck used for safety education
Porsche wreck was used for safety education

So, there is enough coincidence or whatever to give you pause if you are thinking about bidding on the transaxle. It is currently on BringaTrailer bid up to $100,000 so far. There are still over 10 days left to bid before the auction ends.

At some point, the transaxle was rebuilt before ending up in a wooden crate in Massachusetts. It sat there for over 30 years. The transmission has a split magnesium case and has been verified as the transaxle from Dean’s Spyder by Porsche. 

James Dean Spyder transaxle
James Dean Spyder transaxle | BAT

The post James Dean Porsche Death Car Transaxle is For Sale-You Better Know its Creepy History appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’re looking for a luxury sports coupe, then the 2021 Lexus RC 350 is a great option. It’s comfortable enough for the daily drive and long commutes, but sporty enough for a spirited jaunt through the backwoods. On top of its superb driving dynamics, the RC 350 also has a lot to offer. In addition to an array of luxury and safety features, the Lexus RC 350 also comes with a few hidden features that we found to be really cool. Here are five of them.

The instrument panel moves to reveal a new menu

Watch the instrument panel move on the IS 350. It’s the same on the RC 350. | YouTube

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While manufacturers like Audi and Mercedes-Benz gravitate toward virtual instrument panel displays, Lexus is sticking to the tried-and-true mechanical display. It still has some cool lights and graphics, but you can’t configure it too much as you can in competitor’s cars. You can, however, make the center dial move.

When you press the button on the steering wheel for the extra menu, the instrument speed readout moves to the right to reveal a separate screen for the feature menu. OK, so it’s not as cool as Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, but it’s still cool for those that are easily entertained.

The RC 350 has a hidden remote start feature

Holding the key fob up to remotely start the Lexus RC 350 | Joe Santos

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No, it can’t make you coffee in the morning, but it can start remotely so that you have time to make your own. That’s right, the Lexus RC 350 comes with a remote start feature that most buyers — and probably owners – don’t even know about.

According to Lexus, all you need to do to remote start your RC 350 is press the “lock” button on the key fob three times. Then hold the button down for the third time. The car will beep and then the lights will flash after a few seconds. Then the car will start right up.

The non-powered trunk pops open

The trunk popped open on the Lexus RC 350
The trunk popped open on the Lexus RC 350 | Joe Santos

We never really liked powered trunks on cars because it doesn’t make that much sense to put an electric motor on something so small, as opposed to an SUV cargo door. However, the Lexus RC 350’s trunk pops right up when you hit the button on the key fob without an electric motor. It’s a pretty handy feature for when your arms are full of stuff and you need to pop the trunk.

There are tweeters in the rear seats

The tweeter in the rear-seat area
The tweeter in the rear-seat area | Joe Santos

Now that you know that we’re easily amused, you can understand why we think the tweeters in the RC 350’s rear-seat area are really cool. As part of the premium sound system, Lexus craftily installed a group of speakers in the rear area of the car for the best sound possible. So in case, you happen to have any poor souls cram themselves into the back seat area, at least they’ll be entertained.

The Mark Levinson sound system is off the charts

a shot of the The Mark Levinson sound system
The Mark Levinson sound system | Joe Santos

Speaking of the premium sound system, our RC 350 tester is equipped with the Mark Levinson upgraded sound system. This upscale audio system pushes out 835 watts and has 17 different speakers to tune your favorite songs to the best listening experience possible. With this system, music definitely sounds a lot better, even if it happens to be a song that you don’t really like.

The post 5 Really Cool Features on the 2021 Lexus RC 350 F Sport appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’ve never heard of the SCG 004, you’re not alone. Unlike most supercar manufacturers, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus creates various models, ranging from race cars to off-roading SUVs. Additionally, this manufacturer is relatively small, only producing a handful of vehicles per year.

However, before any of these cars make it to production, they must undergo plenty of crash testing. That’s exactly what AMMO NYC covers in its latest YouTube video. What makes this particular test strange is that the supercar got a complete detail before getting crushed. As you’d expect, there is a very good reason why.

How much does a SCG 004 cost?

SCG 004 | AMMO NYC

Since the SCG 004 is quite the obscure supercar, let’s do a rundown of what it is exactly. For starters, the 004 line is split into three separate models, the 004S, the 004C, and the 004CS.

The “base” model is the SCG 004S with the “S” representing Stradale, or Street in Italian. As its name suggests, this street variant is meant primarily to be driven on the road. Oddly enough, it features a McLaren F1-style central seating position with two smaller seats on either side. According to The Drive, this base car starts at $460,000.

Next up is the SCG 004C, which stands for Competizione, or Competition in Italian. Building on the base car, this racecar variant is designed to compete in the LM GTE, GTLM, GT3, and GT4 racing categories. Power comes from a GM LT4 small-block V8. Since there will be many variations of this model, there’s no specific base price.

Lastly, we’ve got the best of both worlds with the SCG 004CS, which stands for Competizione Stradale or Competition Street in Italian. The interesting fact surrounding this final variant is that it can be swapped between street and race configurations. According to The Drive, this variant will start at $598,000.

Why would someone detail a car before crash testing?

An image of a SCG 004 getting washed before its first crash test.
SCG 004 | AMMO NYC

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Now that we know what the SCG 004 is let’s dive in to see why someone would detail it before a major crash. The short answer is that the detail was done as a practice test. According to AMMO NYC, customers that order this supercar will be able to pick from different finishes for the car’s carbon-fiber exterior. These different finishes will be sold as a factory option to be completed by AMMO NYC.

As you’d expect, SCG doesn’t have a fleet of these cars laying around for AMMO NYC to run tests on. This means that when a prototype featuring an exposed carbon fiber came around, AMMO NYC decided to make the most of it. This included dividing the car up into sections to test out the best ways to polish the carbon fiber and extract the various finishes.

How did this SCG 004 crash for America?

Once AMMO NYC finished the extensive detail on this SCG 004, the car went up to Canada. This is because the car needed to go through its crash testing to meet U.S. regulations to be sold here.

Oddly enough, the U.S. government doesn’t conduct these crash tests. Instead, it’s up to the manufacturer to go out and find a test facility for their vehicles. Regardless, since the SCG 004 has completed its crash tests, it won’t be long until we get to see it out on the road.

The post $460,000 SCG 004 Gets Profesional Detail Before Crashing for America appeared first on MotorBiscuit.