Back to the future: Mercedez-Benz creates bizarre concept that looks like a 19th century carraige

It bears more than a passing resemblance to an old-fashioned carriage, but Mercedes-Benz claims this roadster could be the car of the future.

Built by 150 trainees, the car combines traditional design features with the latest technology.

Honda Insight

The Insight is smaller than the Prius by 2.5 inches in both length and height, and also has a 6-inch shorter wheelbase. While the Prius is classed as a mid-sized car based on its interior volume, the Insight is a compact. The Prius has a decidedly spaceship-like feel, the Insight is slightly more conventional looking. The dashboard of the Insight looks like a blending of theHonda Civic and Honda Fit.

Insight EX models add alloy wheels, cruise control, 6-speaker audio system with USB audio interface, steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters, Honda Vehicle Stability Assist and an available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition.

Toyota Will Offer Plug-in Hybrid by 2010

The national coming-out party for the Toyota Prius was a television commercial during the 2005 Super Bowl. The narrator bragged, “Low emissions, high mileage, and you never plug it in.” In those early days of hybrids, Toyota marketers felt compelled to portray charging up your car via the electric grid as an evil to be avoided.

Three years later, Toyota announced that it would build its first plug-in hybrid by 2010. Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota, made the announcement at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The announcement represents a change of direction on plug-in hybrids for Toyota—and a victory for tech-savvy hybrid drivers who have been asking, cajoling, even begging carmakers for the ability to recharge bigger batteries via the grid. Toyota’s answer up until now essentially has been, “No thank you. Our Prius is selling like hotcakes.”

Just when Toyota thought it might rest on its 45-mpg laurels, along came someone hotter than hotcakes—a small non-profit called CalCars, which demonstrated that plug-in capability could boost fuel efficiency to 100 miles per gallon. The outfit of envirogeeks waged a public relations war by hacking Priuses, ripping out OEM control systems, adding extra hybrid batteries, thus proving the benefits and feasibility of plug-in hybrids.

Range Rover LRX (2011): the first spy photos

The first spy shots of the Land Rover-based mule for the new 2011 Range Rover LRX have been released.

The Land Rover LRX was shown as a concept car at the 2008 Detroit auto show, but the west Midlanders rapidly realised that a small, premium soft-roader was exactly what its upmarket Range Rover arm needed. So the LRX has crossed the corridor and will wear a RR badge when it's launched in 2011.

This LRX mule was only registered in the first week of September 2009 and it's already pounding the Nurburgring test track in Germany, as Land Rover engineers from Gaydon step up their work on the LRX project.

It's telling this spyshot was taken with the LRX masquerading as a baby Freelander; the two models will share the same transverse layout and the LRX will be built alongside the Freelander up in the Halewood plant in the north west of England. The capacity will be freed up as the Jaguar X-type dies.

The model testing here is equipped with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, but smaller capacities will be offered too, as befits a car with a footprint similar to a VW Golf. In the longer run, Land Rover is engineering a hybrid drivetrain for the LRX, using the electrically driven rear axle as shown on its eco concept cars.

We'll see the finished Range Rover LRX in 2010 – perhaps to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Range Rover next summer – with production starting in early 2011.

Illustrated: 2011 Ferrari Enzo II

Considered by many enthusiasts as the ultimate modern Ferrari, the limited-edition Enzo’s replacement will be a tough act to follow up for the Italian automaker. The second-generation Enzo, also named after the marque’s illustrious founder, promises to take performance – and, surprisingly, efficiency – to a new level.

Like the original Enzo, the car’s successor will be a range-topping supercar aimed at immortalizing the legendary founder of the brand. Available only to select current Ferrari owners, the next-generation Enzo will serve as the brand’s performance and technology showcase.

Based – at least in concept – on the Ferrari Millechili show car (though the production Enzo replacement won’t carry that name), the performance car will be loaded with the technology learned from years of Formula 1 experience.

Expected to be powered by a mid-mounted V8 engine, rather than the Maserati-based V12 that motivated the Enzo, power should easily exceed 700 horsepower. Though fuel efficiency is hardly a Ferrari selling point, the car must conform to more recent European Union standards, meaning a new emphasis has been placed on reducing consumption. It has been rumored that Ferrari will use twin-turbocharging to make the most out of a smaller-displacement (think under 6 liters) V8 engine.

Key to addressing the fuel economy issue is a significant weight and size reduction, which should bring the car well down from the just-over 3,000 lbs. of its predecessor; rumors out of Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters indicate that weight could approach 2,200 lbs. Improved aerodynamics, including adjustable front and rear spoilers, will not only help the new Enzo stick to the road at maximum speeds, but it will also ensure reduced fuel consumption.

Its platform could go one of two ways: Either a heavily-modified version of the FXX race car’s architecture – itself a variation of the road-going Enzo – or a slightly longer derivative of the F430’s aluminum space frame.

Production will probably be at least as limited as the original Enzo, meaning no more than 400 of the 1 million Euro-plus supercars will emerge from Maranello when it goes on sale in over a year’s time.

NFL Star Kassim Osgood’s Bentley on eBay

At first I thought this Bentley was gross but the more I look at it I'm rather impressed with the design and styling.

What is it about athletes that they have to go crazy with their cars? Does it add value in your book?

Check out the auction at eBay.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe SE

The 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe SE was shown to the world recently in New York and the stunning silver color with amazing window treatment looks simply unbelievable.

The 2010 Genesis will be a whopping 310HP and it will have the option of either a 4-cyl or V6. Whichever you choose won’t make a difference for the transmission as it comes with a six speed manual transmission on both models. The noise being talked around the release of this vehicle is the fact that it sends most of the power to the rear wheels making it super fast and great to control. It has custom Brembro brakes installed with each car. You can expect to see 19” rims on the car when you get it but that is easily customizable and will also make yours stand out amongst others.

There is no set figure for the cost of each Genesis but it has been said that it will be the cheapest 300HP coupe on the market when it hits in 2009. The engine will be able to power the Genesis from 0-60MPH in less than six seconds and the engine also uses lightweight techniques and products to make the engine more lightweight as well as thermal efficiency which helps keep the engine at a safe temperature.