In southern California you will see the most beautiful and expensive cars in the world. Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches are just part of the urban landscape where hotrods and other monsters are paraded on sunlit boulevards.
But all of them have one thing in common; sooner or later they have to go to the car wash. The employees at one auto beauty parlour thought they had already seen just about everything there is to see when it comes to cars. But occasionally even they have to marvel, as when suddenly a Batmobile from 1966 turned up for a wash and wax. It's the fourth version of the superhero's car built by George Barris. The street-legal Batmobile is fitted with all the gadgets from the film, including an exhaust that really is a flamethrower. Take a look at the gallery, and memories of the good old days of comic-books will come flooding back.
After Barbie had already been given a pink Fiat 500 for her 50th birthday, a second life-size gift on four wheels was handed over in Malibu. In California, the star doll was given a new Beetle Cabrio during the official festivities. So now Barbie's double garage is equipped for all eventualities with two pink one-off vehicles. Many celebs were present and German super model Heidi Klum was one to admire the present.
In the case of this VW, there are also many cute little details that only Barbie can have. The engine is a one-off in terms of colour and even the dipstick is presented in a glittering shade of pink. Take a look at the gallery...and at Heidi
The most famous doll in the world turns 50 on March 9, 2009. In the Milan fashion temple "La Rinascente", Fiat will be presenting the most unusual birthday present for the doll that has always kept her youth: a Fiat-500 show car in pink. The entire body will be festooned with crystals and the B-pillars will be decorated with Barbie silhouettes.
The pink metallic bodywork colour will also run on into the cabin and the many cute accessories of this one-off will bring a dazzling smile to your face. Inside, there are Alcantara seats for Barbie's little bottie, a choice of lipstick in the glove compartment or an LED-lit mirror for scintillating makeup perfection. In bad weather, the cover (also in pink) will keep the sweet little Fiat 500 in pristine condition. This sparkling show car will be going on tour soon. Should that not include a city near you, then weep not. Summon your daughter and check out the gallery.
Amidst all the financial doom and gloom, it's the little things in life that cheer us up. In the gallery below are a fleet of vehicles that are not only cheap to build but also cost nothing to dismantle. They are also immune to fluctuations in petrol prices.
The constructor of these wonderful Lego models on a scale of 22:1 is Ralph Savelsberg from Southampton. His realistic creations range across a broad palette of international marques.
Even as adults, we still like to play with toy cars. In fact, the only thing we enjoy more is actually constructing them ourselves. And this was the thought that occurred to those nice people at PWM who normally manufacture adjustable workbenches.
Workbenches are not all that spectacular in their own right, although it's fun to dismantle them after they've been used and reconfigure them for a different purpose, which can be quite cool.
Anyway, as we were saying, workbenches are always going to lose out in any comparison with cars. But that wasn't going to deter the boys from PWM. When they arrived at the LA Auto Show, they did their best to vie with their four-wheeled competitors for public attention.
They used an array of workbench components to build a full-scale model car which certainly attracted some curious though not necessarily benevolent or admiring looks. However, what we'd like to know is, when are we going to see a full-size LEGO kit?
The GoPro Hero digital videocamera is like creating SpeedTV for the masses... without the non-stop NASCAR coverage. The three-megapixel Hero is the world's smallest on-board camera, and it sticks to anything without fuss. It has 16 MB of internal storage, but you can blow that out to 2 GB, good for about 56 minutes. It's got a self-timer, a USB and RCA cable included, works on PC and Mac, and because of its nifty plastic case, you can use it in the rain. And unlike a SpeedTV production, the Hero will only cost you $180. Can we get an "amen!"?
Ford won't be the only automaker in the U.S. to have Microsoft technology underhood for long, as Hyundai has hooked up with the software giant on new infotainment technology partnership. The first new jointly produced system will provide voice-controlled connectivity between mobile devices for Hyundai and Kia vehicles beginning in 2010. Microsoft will also work with Korea's Institute for IT Advancement to open an Automotive IT Innovation Centre in Seoul. The Korean auto giant will partner with Microsoft on auto telecommunication, telematics, navigation systems, and improving Human Machine Interface technology.
Recent developments in automotive technology show that infotainment tech like Ford's SYNC and BMW's in-car Internet systems are hot. Microsoft appears to be capitalizing on the new trend by netting a second automotive partner, while Hyundai gets the new interactive tech that customers are craving. If its cars are anything to go by, Hyundai's version of the technology will probably cost less and do more.
The Chevy Beat will hopefully succeed as GM's high-volume entry into the micro-car market, and the General's Korean design team has been tasked with making the little hatch look more expensive than it is. We were able to take a look at spy photos of the Beat on the outside back in August, and learned that a four-door version is in the pipeline. Now we're getting our first look at the production interior, and the pic is completely undisguised.
The first thing we noticed was a very unique gauge cluster. The GM design team put the main displays in two completely separate pods. On the left is a typical round speedometer, while a square display -- possibly used for testing purposes -- is on the right. The look is definitely different, and almost aftermarket in appearance.
The dash as a whole carries the exterior design theme of the concept, with flowing lines drawing our attention to the Beat's center stack. The console is far more traditional than the gauges, with a bare minimum of buttons and knobs and what appears to be some matte black low-grade plastics.
While our first glance at the Beat's interior leaves us cautiously optimistic for the little city car as a whole, we're still disappointed that the General isn't planning to bring their global micro car to the US. Then again, we see cup holders due north of the transmission. Maybe there's hope yet. Thanks for the tip, Corey!
From November 21, video games fans will have the chance to test drive New Mégane Coupé ahead of its release thanks to the latest instalment of the Need For Speed franchise which will be called Need For Speed: Undercover'.
Renault and the specialist video game publisher Electronic Arts have spent almost a year working together and sharing their passion for the automobile.
Gallery: Renault Megane Coupe
Created 14 years ago, Need For Speed evolves every year to reproduce the thrills of street racing and is considered by players as the uncontested benchmark franchise, thanks to its prestige line-up of cars and incomparable features and graphics. The game is developed and distributed by the world's leading video games publisher, Electronic Arts, which boasts a catalogue of innovative games that explore new limits in the intensity of the immersion experience.
More information on New Renault Mégane Coupé's starring role in Need For Speed: Undercover can be found at the game's dedicated micro-site www.agentM09.fr. Visitors to the site will get a chance to enjoy an 'AgentM09' New Mégane Coupé game.
Has anyone spotted a new Audi A4 without those oh-so-gorgeous LED headlights? Probably not. Or at best, very rarely. Although this awkwardly installed string of lights cost a packet, you hardly ever see an A4 that isn't sporting them. Having your car lit up like a Christmas tree is rapidly turning into the must-have feature at the top end of the segment (and, no doubt, lower down in the very near future).
Since the new 7 series and the facelift for the 3 series, BMW have added a matt illuminated eyebrow to its now famous rings
And what has been the response from Mercedes? Nothing so far. The boys from Stuttgart will have to get their act together very soon so as not to lose out on the new headlight battlefront.
All we can hope is that the (as yet) image-boosting LEDs don't end up like the BMW rings being sold in demeaning plastic packaging to DIY-happy fans fresh from the Wörthersee GTI Meet. That was the cruel fate that befell the single-frame grille. The accessories manufacturers will be rubbing their hands with glee at the new LED licence to print money. Ah well, I'm off to Lake Wörther...
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The Chevy Beat will hopefully succeed as GM's high-volume entry into the micro-car market, and the General's Korean design team has been tasked with making the little hatch look more expensive than it is. We were able to take a look at spy photos of the Beat on the outside back in August, and learned that a four-door version is in the pipeline. Now we're getting our first look at the production interior, and the pic is completely undisguised.
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