autothing.com's June 2007 News Room Archives (back)

Friday, June 29th 2007

Already Sold-Out!

We're not sure how the hell Ferrari does it, but nearly every limited-edition model they release is already bought before it's even made! Are there that many millionaires on the Ferrari email list? Well, this time around the limited run of just sixty cars is dedicated to the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Sessanta and it definitely looks handsome. It's pretty low-key actually, but compared to the Ferrari Enzo, anything they release is much more subtle.

The company presented its Sessanta (60th) Anniversary 612 Scaglietti equipped with an F1 gearbox. The package is primarily custom -- a two-tone paint scheme in black and red or black and gray -- special detailing of the headlamp and bumpers, a glass roof with three levels of transparency (via an electronically controlled liquid crystal layer embedded in the glass) and custom two-tone leather interiors.

Back to that glass roof! That stuff is awesome -- the glass can actually change tint levels by selecting a specific setting, which in-turn stimulates the crystals to allow more or less visibility. We say make ALL the glass pieces on every car include this nifty feature. You can tint the windows on-demand and then make them clear for easier nighttime driving. Heck, homes can skip the whole "curtain" thing and when you go into the bathroom, you can just flip a switch to make any windows opaque.

Screw the Apple iPhone, these windows are the real future!

Friday, June 29th 2007

Weapon Of Mass Desire

Bentley's Arnage T is probably the last vehicle most car enthusiasts consider whenever posed with the cliché question, "What car would you buy if you had a million dollars?" No worries though -- here's a quick reminder of how masculine, powerful and amazing this $275,000 luxury cruiser is. Quite the beast, right?

On a slightly different tangent, our secret little Bentley fantasy comes courtesy of the movie Fantastic Four (the first one, not the Silver Surfer sequel). Victor, the ultra-rich bad guy in the movie, owns a black Bentley Arnage with the coolest personalized vanity plate ever: VON DOOM (Victor's evil last name, lol...)

It's seven digits long, fits on real-world license plates and is available in most states. When you win the lottery and buy your Bentley, you now have the perfect vanity plate!

Friday, June 29th 2007

German Go-Kart

The all-new BMW 1-Series Coupe has debuted and should appear in the United States sometime late this year or in early 2008. With an estimated starting price of $26,000 and an appearance very similar to the new 3-Series, this car is already a great deal. Consider this: a loaded Mazda6 costs about $24,000. Add $2K more and you can get The Ultimate Driving Machine. Works for us! more...

Thursday, June 28th 2007

Looks Like A Kidnapping
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Here's a thrilling and exciting picture of Brad Pitt dropping off Pax, because these never get dull. While we think Brad is just delivering one of his recent acquisitions to school, it's possible the Dodge Sprinter he's riding in has been positioned to scout for more children he can purchase adopt. Stay tuned!

Thursday, June 28th 2007

Nice Driving, Officer...

This police chase is unreal and we don't recall ever seeing something so ridiculous. A policeman gives chase to a suspect and after a little bit of running, they find themselves in the middle of a street when another police officer hits them BOTH with his police cruiser. Thank goodness for helicopters, video and the media!

Wednesday, June 27th 2007

Drive A Porsche, Save The World!
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Hayden Panettiere, who plays the world-famous cheerleader on NBC's Heroes, drives one of our favorite SUVs, the Porsche Cayenne S (we prefer the Turbo version, but this will do just fine). Girl has good taste in her rides!

Wednesday, June 27th 2007

A Sign From The Aliens?

Sorry, it's just some dude on a cocaine-related high, who at some point decided to lead police on a chase into the corn crops. more...

Tuesday, June 26th 2007

Free At Last
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars not Driving?!?"

The Mercedes-Benz SLR that Paris Hilton was probably leasing has been repossessed so that a real enthusiast could enjoy it. No, the supercar was taken back because -- can you believe this -- Paris fell behind on the payments! If a $50,000 car has lease payments of about $400-500 per month, then owning this car costs at least $6,500 per month if you include taxes, etc. We still want one! more...

Monday, June 25th 2007

"F" Is For Finally

While we still have to wait until 2008 according to our local Lexus dealership here in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the arrival of the sweet looking Lexus IS-F here in the United States has been reaffirmed.

With a 5.0 liter V8 engine, the thing reminds us of past Ford Mustangs, so it's going to have some great power for a small four-door sedan. We feel Lexus should introduce this car in a two-door variant as well, but maybe some potential BMW M3 buyers will find the easily accessible extra space more useful.

Sunday, June 24th 2007

We Miss The Lincoln LS

Completely ignored and highly underrated, the Lincoln LS was discontinued a couple of years ago while that ugly new Navigator with the one-foot wide chrome side panels was introduced. Lincoln went crazy and completely lost their minds, we thought; of course, the product line just proved our suspicions!

Now, the spy shot of the 2009 Lincoln MKS has appeared and we can only pray it looks as sporty and luxurious and the recent LS, which borrowed some of the rough-edged hues from the 1990s generation of the BMW 7-Series. more...

Saturday, June 23rd 2007

"Only Two Segways In Town Collide"

This is something funny we found at The Onion and laughed at. more...

Saturday, June 23rd 2007

What Do YOU Think?

During the edit process, we REALLY wanted to block the BMW roundel logo on the steering wheel and ask you -- our magnificent site visitor and/or customer -- what model this interior can be found on. Well, the logo is so small that you can place your finger on the monitor and hide it while viewing the rest of the photo.

So what do you think? Is this worth the price of $70,000-$90,000? Hmm...

The gently redesigned 2008 BMW 6-Series features an essentially carried-over interior while the exterior receives most updates. Deeper side-sills, a smoother front bumper, further outward placement of the fog lights and really cool "checkerboard" LED turn-signals mounted in the front headlamp clusters. While the interior of a Ford Explorer Limited is more luxurious, BMW really loves introducing new headlight technology concepts, which shows their keen eye for details. more...

Saturday, June 23rd 2007

We Wonder Who Drove
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Run Apple run! Mommy can't catch you and you can legally change your name to something normal! Gwyneth Paltrow is spotted hopping around somewhere in Los Angeles after exiting her conservatively stylish Audi Q7.

When people use crutches, they  don't normally dress like this. One of her assistants should notify her of this using a Post-It, preferably the yellow kind.

Friday, June 22nd 2007

Got Cash? Here's A Secret...

Do you have $90,000 to spend on an automobile? Are you considering models from BMW's M-Series or Mercedes-Benz' AMG-Class? Do you want a vehicle that stands out of the crowd without "standing out"?

If the answer is yes, buy a 2008 Jaguar XKR Coupe Portfolio Edition! We swear, this car is so gorgeous that both men and women alike will swoon with delight at seeing one in person. This Jag' offers everything other luxury brands provide and lacks only one thing they don't: commonality. While everyone can get a BMW or Mercedes (thanks to their cheap lease offers), Jaguars are a rare breed. You get a car which offers the most exclusivity for the price and even here in Chicago land, we've seen more Ferraris and Lamborghinis than of Jaguar's XKR models.

For those without the $90,000+ golden ticket, just visit your local Jaguar dealership to see this car up close and personal. You will thank us! more...

Friday, June 22nd 2007

Friday Tunes

Here is Rihanna's new "Shut Up and Drive" music video. The song is a catchy Summer tune and there's a nice classic Ford Mustang here.

Friday, June 22nd 2007

We're Sure His Coffee Spilled

This accident occurred right outside of Fox Lake, Illinois, and one of our friends here at autothing took the photo on his way in to work. The Ford Econoline took a wrong turn and found itself up a steel tension wire supporting a telephone pole. Who knew those wires were strong enough to hold an automobile up in the air!

Friday, June 22nd 2007

Batman's New Ride!
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Batman is always ahead of the curve and here are the first photos of the "Batpod," assuming that is the official name. It's basically a motorcycle with huuuuuge wheels. This new toy will appear in Batman: The Dark Knight. This is the sequel to the last film, Batman Begins.

Check this out: it's a Gotham City license plate on a Lincoln Town Car! The Dark Knight is being filmed right here in autothing's hometown of Chicago, so there's tons of Batman related things going on, especially at nighttime when they close some streets for filming.

Thursday, June 21st 2007

Evolving Nicely

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (aka. "EVO") has come along pretty well after all these years. It's the direct competitor to the popular Subaru WRX, though it offers more flash than the latter model in terms of actual design work. We felt the new Lancer was a bit plain at first, but it's grown on us and we look forward to checking out the EVO edition once it hits the streets. more...

Wednesday, June 20th 2007

Better Be Worth It!

You know, that Lexus LF-A supercar is taking what seems like forever! While we won't have the cold hard cash to pick one up, we -- like any automotive enthusiast -- want to see the finished product sooner than later. At this rate, the Lexus buying demographic will have aged another twenty years and moved on to Buicks! more...

Tuesday, June 19th 2007

Our Kind Of Girl
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Britney Spears sure knows how to relax... Here she is spending some time at a go-cart track. We'll bet that somebody placed an Iced Frappuccino from Starbucks at the finish line. That's how Britney rolls when it comes to motivation!

Britney's son, Sean Preston Federline, was out in the parking lot driving his ultra-hot Cadillac Escalade. The kid has class, right?

Monday, June 18th 2007

Spy Shot: Chevy HHR SS

Check out Chevy's new PT Cruiser HHR SS, which is a turbo-charged version of the base HHR. With 260 horsepower, the car will actually have some decent kick and hopefully will include some sporty exterior upgrades. more...

Friday, June 15th 2007

My Jag Smells Like McDonalds Y'All!
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Britney Spears is an angel sent to us! Here she is exiting her sleek Jaguar XK convertible; just look at how trashy classy she looks. Please continue to pray for Britney! We will be holding candlelit vigils across the country. Stay tuned for details.

Oh, and by candlelit vigils we mean we're going to go to Arby's and gossip!

Thursday, June 14th 2007

Ford's Future Sedan

The Ford Interceptor Concept has been gaining traction at Ford as a worthy successor to the Five Hundred, which has been renamed as the "Taurus" beginning with the 2008 models. We love this concept, as it's kind of a smooth, softer looking version of Chrysler's 300, which has been selling very well since it was introduced to a market that lacked a luxurious and spacious $30,000 sedan. Ford better introduce this thing before that whole fad is over! more...

Thursday, June 14th 2007

Sooooo Embarrassing!

"I'm Stupid -- I Smoke Weed Marijuana" says Dominiq Drye, a 16 year-old child who made an incorrect decision and chose to inhale. For his punishment, he's standing at a busy intersection holding a sign with the aforementioned message.

He's going to do way more of that stuff now... public humiliation sucks! And why is he selling this crap to full-grown adults anyways? We can do whatever we want -- it's a free country or something like that! more...

Thursday, June 14th 2007

No Soup For You

The Chevy Cobalt SS will not be produced due to federal emissions regulations, Chevy has announced. This car has high emissions and all the Hummers chugging around out there don't?!? Something funny is going on here, but we don't really care to investigate this any further! more...

Speaking of Chevy Cobalts, five high school seniors were each given keys to a brand new one just for scoring a perfect attendance record. The smart ones will sell the damn thing and ride a bike to college. Long term investment, folks!  more...

Thursday, June 14th 2007

AMG & Wagons Don't Mix

We have nothing against station wagons, but when we saw the newest one -- the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon -- we had to stand up and say something! Basically, why would anyone want a station wagon that speeds? That's like buying a souped-up SUV that can go faster than a sports car. Oh wait, right... Well our point is moot! Just enjoy the linked article if you could care less about this car's wasted room and stick with the 4-door sedan versions of the hot AMG models. more...

Thursday, June 14th 2007

Check Those Lottery Tickets

One of the sexiest cars on the planet, Aston Martin's DBS, costs about $260,000 and begins production very soon. So, call your local Aston dealer, sell your home (and children if you have any) and you'll be all set to own one of the most stunning pieces of mobile architecture created this decade. It's British too, so people will think you have money and class! more...

Wednesday, June 13th 2007

Subdued Hotness: It's Too Cheap!

Car & Driver magazine pitted an Aston Martin V8 Vantage against an Audi R8 against a Porsche 911 Carrera and guess what? -- the Audi R8 came up first. We at autothing have said it before and will say it again: the R8 is too cheap! Naturally, this complaint is a very good thing for prospective buyers.

The car costs like $115,000 (not exactly your typical bank account balance), but that's $20,000-$100,000 less than competitors of nearly equal prestige. Considering only twenty will be made per day, it'll be interesting to see how Audi dealerships handle the mark-up on this baby. more...

Wednesday, June 13th 2007

Ellen Waves After Exiting SUV
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Ellen DeGeneres has just exited her Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV and proceeds to wave. God, this is going to be slow news day and a long Wednesday!

Tuesday, June 12th 2007

How Much Smaller Can It Get?

Nissan is supposedly developing a baby version of the 350Z, which is already a tight fitting vehicle if you've ever had the pleasure of riding in one. Ignoring the really low seats (or perhaps really tall doors?) and nonexistent trunk space, the car is a true blast to drive and -- dare we say it -- feels a tiny bit like a Porsche 911. Seriously.

If this is true, it's a great idea; the 350Z is expensive (for no reason) and could use an affordable sibling. We're still surprised that Nissan hasn't developed a sporty yet stylish vehicle to directly combat the Mitsubishi EVO and Subaru WRX. more...

Monday, June 11th 2007

It's Sexy Time

Move over Porsche 911 Turbo and whatever other models cost about $125,000! Aston Martin has decided they're done with cars that are so expensive, you've never even seen them on the road (we at autothing.com have seen only two Aston's in the suburbs of Chicago). Introducing their beautiful new roadster, the V8 Vantage.

This is one exceptionally hot car and although you can save a ton of cash if you go with the similar "we-swear-it's-just-a-coincidence" looking Jaguar XKR, the V8 Vantage is the most affordable way ever to have an Aston parked in your driveway. The link offers some more nice pictures, so be sure to click and visit the available photo gallery. more...

Did you know? Aston Martin vehicles have doors that swing slightly upwards to avoid curbs and allow for easy exiting.

Monday, June 11th 2007

Nicole Kidman Has Nothing On This Lady

We don't know how old this is, but it's perfect for the typical never-ending Monday. It's a video of some reporter losing her cool when there's a small car crash near her. The look on her face is amazing! We love it when robots get flustered!

And yeah, isn't it funny how finishing the news story is more important than running over and helping the injured? That's the media for you.

Monday, June 11th 2007

Red Hot Audi S5 Preview

We at autothing have a "thing" for the Audi RS- and S-Series models. They just look stunning. The funny part is that we never considered buying one. Audi is a peculiar brand where you love the cars, but then when it comes time to part with $50,000 or so, you decide that only a BMW or Mercedes-Benz really should demand that kind of money in terms of prestige and such. Recently, we've definitely grown to appreciate Audi's efforts with their underpriced exotic -- the R8 -- and the introduction of an S-Series halo edition for nearly every Audi model.

Now we see some new shots of their A5 model in the S5 configuration and it's so sleek and slippery, we just want to throw our hands out and grab the damn thing!

We mentioned a few months ago that this coupe is better looking than the new BMW 3-Series, which is a feat we never thought Audi -- of all brands -- could pull off. With the limited-edition S5, Audi has even overshadowed the BMW M3, which just doesn't look as sporty. If we had a choice right now, we would pass the BMW dealership and head straight to Audi for an S5. Time will tell if others feel the same way. more...

Monday, June 11th 2007

Lazy Lazy LAZY!

Sunday, June 10th 2007

Pay More, Get Less!

Next time you see a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster, laugh at the owner and tell them they should have bought the coupe. On second thought, don't laugh at them -- they obviously have money and can pay to make your ass disappear!

The point is that if you're going to buy one of the edgiest, sharpest looking cars on the planet, you buy the model that (A) is yellow or red and (B) has a solid roof. While the Ferrari F430 Spider matches the coupe well, Lamborghini falls short at making their flagship model translate into a convertible. We're picky, sue us! more...

Saturday, June 9th 2007

Check Out The Cute License Plate
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

"Melanie Griffin loves Antonio Banderas". It's cute like a deadly virus! Is this photo taken on planet Earth, because we didn't know California of The Milky Way Galaxy allows little heart shapes to be put on vanity license plates.

Here's Melanie and her daughter, Dakota, sitting on the hood of their BMW 760Li, which costs over $125,000 and offers a V12 engine. The interior cabin of this car is equally great looking as any top shelf Mercedes-Benz automobile, but the V12 engine kind of sucks compared to any of the latter brand's AMG division models.

Wait a second, why the hell are they sitting on the hood anyways?! Oh, we see now... look close and you'll spot a Starbuck's drink in Dakota's hand. It all makes complete sense now! Or does it?

Friday, June 8th 2007

Not Like A Bentley At All!
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Paris Hilton has been sent back to jail again! To keep the facts straight, she was sent to jail for 23 days because she was (A) caught driving on a suspended license after (B) she was caught driving drunk. So, you will hear some people saying she's getting way more time than other inmates would, but remember that this is her SECOND offense after drunk driving. In America, murderers get out of prison sooner than drunk drivers! We do feel kind of sorry and can understand why Paris feels helpless... you know what they say though, "don't do the crime if you can't do the time." Wait, that crap doesn't apply to rich people, so somebody's got it in for Paris!

Paris must have felt better when the police car passed her fan club. MUCH better!

Friday, June 8th 2007

Will Smith, Shelby & No Dumb Robots!

Will Smith's new post-apocalypse movie, I Am Legend, won't be out until December, but the trailer shows that his premier choice of transportation is none other than the spectacular Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. His previous car was a futuristic Audi in the film I Robot, but fortunately there's none of those crazy-robot-sluts in this one!

This essentially is a high-end remake of Charlton Heston's film, The Omega Man, but we need one question answered since both movies encounter the same problem... Gasoline goes bad after about a year, right? If nobody is left on the planet and no gasoline is being processed, how can you drive around and -- oh hell, you're already half-way asleep after thinking about this! Just go see the movie and give Will Smith his Oscar nomination already. more...

Thursday, June 7th 2007

Porsche Designers Not Drug-Free

But you know what? -- they're still geniuses. Just look at this damn thing... it's the special edition Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia. Slick design, but what person thought of that delightful name? They should be fired as of yesterday!

It doesn't stray far from the base Cayenne S model, but adding orange sure does kick it up a notch. Other features are meant for some serious cross-country driving, as this vehicle is designed specifically for the Rally Transsyberia 2007, which is just another excuse for some rich guys to leave their wives at home for a couple of weeks. Yeah, that sounds about right! more...

Thursday, June 7th 2007

Lock Her Up With Paris!
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

Nicole Richie has evolved far faster than the rest of mankind and she recently developed sonar capabilities. You know, like a fruit bat or something!

This girl is hiding something -- she's been spotted lately driving around Los Angeles with a towel over her head and nobody has figured out why. Of course, who really cares? She's just copying Michael Jackson's awesome ideas anyways.

Thursday, June 7th 2007

BMW Groupies Take Notice

We still can't believe that in less than two minutes, all fifty of these bastards sold out! Last Christmas, those blessed with large wallets bought the very limited edition Neiman Marcus BMW M6 Convertible for $139,000. Naturally, the package included two round-trip business class tickets on Lufthansa so the owners could fly overseas and personally meet their new babies fresh out of the BMW love canal.

The car is painted in an exclusive metallic Ruby Black color and the dates for this event were scheduled sometime in April or May of 2007. Those two months have come and gone, so keep your eyes sharp, as this M6 is out there! more...

Wednesday, June 6th 2007

First Look: Mercedes-Benz "Alubeam"

Mercedes-Benz' AMG division has designed a very limited run of special edition cars that celebrates their 40th anniversary. The 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG will be offered in the anniversary edition and painted in a color called Alubeam, which has a liquid-metal effect; it is typically used on Mercedes-Benz show cars and concept vehicles. Only forty of these samples will be made and just twenty of those will come to the United States. Visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer so they can laugh at you when you ask "How much?" more...

Wednesday, June 6th 2007

Jaguar Offers Something Neat

Future Jaguar models may offer the new JaguarDrive transmission interface, which completely removes the center shift most of the world is familiar with. Just click the link to learn more, because this stuff apparently takes three pages to explain! more...

Tuesday, June 5th 2007

Slow Day For The Paparazzi
Yes, it's another edition of "What Are Hollywood Stars Driving?!?"

"Actress Reese Witherspoon and her secret boy-toy Jake Gyllenhaal tried to have a secret rendezvous, but our snappers were uninvited witnesses to their date."

Seriously, didn't you feel yourself getting dumber as you read that, lol? We're impressed that Reese drives a Ford Explorer since nearly everybody in Hollywood drives a Land Rover Range Rover or Toyota Prius.

Sunday, June 3rd 2007

They Want $100,000 For This?

Mercedes-Benz dealers are reportedly going to ask $100,000 and up for the somewhat limited -- if you consider 500 units "limited" -- CLK63 AMG Black Series. At that price level, you can impress people way more and just go buy a Porsche 911 or even one of those cheaper Aston Martins. This car is simply way too boring to drop a cool $100K on. Don't say we didn't warn you. more...

Friday, June 1st 2007

Expensive, Subtle & Simple

While the Audi A8/S8 model variants make our heads turn every time we see one drive by, the Audi RS4 Cabriolet is... well... simple. It's kind of nice in yellow, but doesn't a car have to be somewhat exotic looking to pull it off? Perhaps any convertible can be painted yellow "just because" it's a convertible? Whatever!

The RS4 now offers some prominent aerodynamic work within the lower front fenders, but that's old news and the updates look like they were copied off the previous generation of BMW's venerable M3.

Who are we kidding, we're just hating because we can't afford the ridiculous $77,000 price tag on this Audi. more...