There are times in life when you just need to ask yourself the question: Why? All to often in the automotive world customizers and tuning companies try and strut their stuff to see if they can improve on what the manufactures put out. Some succeed and others fail miserably. Choosing the car to put under the knife is an even bigger challenge as some car companies produce automobiles that are so good that they really don’t need any improvements.

Take the Rolls-Royce Ghost, baby brother to the Phantom and all around stunner. This is a car that needs nothing except a nice tush to fill the drivers seat. The car is truly beautiful from every angle and has an air of opulence around it that makes the world around it stop and take notice.

HOWEVER – and this is huge, why would you take such a beautiful car and completely ruin it by transforming it into one of the most gaudy and ostentatious things to ever roll on four wheels. Swiss tuner Mansory has done just this with their version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Ok fine, they’ve given it more power, but that may just be to help the new owners get as far away from civilization as possible. I mean blue and gold? Really? Mansory calls it “self-assured coloring”. My opinion – if you’re driving this mess around you must REALLY be compensating for something.

In the end you may just want to tell Mr. Winky that you had no choice and that your new purchase really isn’t a reflection on him.

Source: Autoblog.com

Unveiled at the Geneva International Auto Show the Bentley Continental Flying Star is one hell of a head turner. The custom fabricated uber-wagon was build by Italian Car maker Touring Superleggera at the request of one very persuasive customer and the end result is simply stunning. I love this thing… it’s big, muscular and in your face with the power to back up the attitude. Don’t believe me? How does 560 hp / 479 lbs. tq. grab ya’.

This car is a hammer, pure and simple. It was made to go like hell while carrying you, four friends and their golf clubs to any course on the planet in style. Cars like this are why car guys are car guys. It’s different, with thinking and design that’s completely out of the box. I have a feeling that the Bentley Continental Flying Star will be one of those rare beasties that will gain quite a cult following over the years. Problem is, they’re only making 20 of them per year, so you guys best get your orders in now.

And yes… they’ll be expensive.

Source: Autoblog.com / Zercustoms.com

This next list is not a listing of who’s who in the art world. It is more so a list of artists who present us with their amazing visions of what the automobile is to them. Now take a look at some very cool visuals and make sure you pay their sites a visit because this is only the tip of their creative icebergs.

1. Christophe Desse

http://www.xtrm3d.com

2. Kane Rogers

http://www.kanerogers.com/

3. Le Morris

http://www.lemorris.com/site/

4. Brent Hale

http://www.brenthale.com/

5. Camilo Pardo

http://www.camilopardo.com/camilo.html

6. Michael Irvine

http://www.michaelirvine.com

7. Michael Leonhard

http://www.michael-leonhard.com/

8. Janne Kutja

http://www.jannekutja.com/homepage_pics/

9. Terry Ross

http://www.speed-still.com: I am simply blown away by the fact that someone was able to take multiple artistic visions like this and turn them into three dimensional sculptures. These are simply astonishing.

10. Thom Taylor

http://www.hotrodthom.com

With a face like that, I hope she can cook.

Remember when Lincoln was the stodgy, conservative branch of FoMoCo? The brand preferred by bankers, accountants and tax attorneys everywhere? Here’s a front pic of the 2011 Lincoln MKT wagon / crossover; sadly, the Skeletor theme continues with their 2011 MKX, the Lincoln equivalent of the Ford Edge. Did anyone in management sign off on this look? What the hell is your styling department thinking?

Note the family resemblence

Sure, it would fit right in if I were going to a Halloween party dressed like the Predator. Perhaps I could rent it out as a parade float for Mexico’s “Day of the Dead” festivities, but where would I hide it the rest of the year? Seriously, that thing gives me the creeps just looking at it.

Hide this from the kids; it'll only scare 'em.

Here’s a message for car designers: different, for the sake of being different, doesn’t equal good. Have you learned nothing from the Edsel?

Answering the question, “What kind of Hyundai can I get for $60k”, here’s the Hyundai Equus on display at a local auto show. Despite the state of the US economy, Hyundai still has plans to bring in their BMW 7 series fighter by year end.

Impress your friends! Confuse your neighbors!

Hmm, wonder if hood ornament delete option is available?

Currently available in Hyundai’s home market, China and the middle east, the Equus features a front engine rear drive layout and is built on the Genesis sedan platform. Want something more to impress the neighbors? The Equus (called the Centennial in South Korea) is potentially available in limousine and armored versions as well.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Blitzed to the public during the 2009 Super Bowl, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe represents a significant effort on the part of the Korean automaker to improve their brand image. Previous efforts from Hyundai, such as the S’coupe and Tiburon, could be called “sporty entry level coupes”; they could not be called sports coupes.

When the Genesis Coupe concept was unveiled in 2007, it was clear that Hyundai intended to target a different audience and buyer. Initially aimed at the Ford Mustang, Hyundai appears to have set their sights higher by targeting the performance luxury market. The Genesis Coupe is now squared off against the Infiniti G37 and the Nissan 370Z.

How did they do? According to Edmunds, Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver, Motor Trend and others, quite well. The Genesis has kicked ass and taken names; in fact, The Truth About Cars claimed the Genesis Coupe’s steering was actually more precise than a BMW M3. Talk about setting the bar high.

Front view is clean, not cartoonish.

What do I think? I’ll give you road test impressions in a future article, but I’ve got to say I was VERY impressed with the comfort, fit and finish of the Genesis. The seats are the best the company has ever produced, and rival those from Infiniti and BMW for comfort and support. Both seat and side bolstering is perfect; not intrusive for daily driving (like the VW R32), but not lacking for spirited driving. The quality of material used in the interior is impressive, with soft touch vinyl offset by aluminum painted panels. Yes, I know it’s plastic, but so is the fake aluminum in a BMW 3 series. It makes for a pleasant interior, especially in a car with sporting intentions, and I prefer it over the acres of plastic used by the competition (like the new Camaro or the older Nissan 350Z).

Seats feel as good as they look

Controls fall to hand, where you’d expect them to be, and the leather wrapped steering wheels feels just the right diameter. Look close enough and you’ll realize that the Genesis is still a price point built car: seat leather quality is good, and on par with Acura, but no match for BMW. Interior quality is good, but spend enough time looking and you’ll find exposed bolts and screws. Carpeting looks too shiny and thin to be of high quality.

Instruments and controls; no surprises here

Still, these are minor points. Where is the Achilles heel of the Genesis Coupe? The back seat, or lack thereof. I’ve sat in the back of the Infiniti G35 and G37, and it’s not bad for those under six feet. You wouldn’t want to spend hours back there, but a cross town trip in the G series coupes wouldn’t require a chiropractor’s intervention. Not so on the Genesis; those taller than about 5 foot 8 need not apply. Your options are to fold yourself sideways, across the seat, or to tuck your head back under the hatch’s glass. Neither is particularly comfortable for more than a minute or two at a time. Even pets will resist climbing into the back, unless they’re the type of dog that routinely gets its ass kicked by cats.

So here’s my 1/50 of a dollar: if you’re shopping for a sports coupe like a 350Z or a G37, and your family consists of two persons only, drive the Genesis Coupe. It’s comfortable, it’s stylish, and it’s damn hard to tell you’re sitting in a Hyundai. Besides, the $5k to $10K you’ll save over competitive models pays for a lot of rental cars in case you need to haul more than one friend at a time.

The Delta Wing Racer Indy car concept soared into the Chicago Auto Show this week riding currents of outrage rising off Indy Car racing fans. It’s been called heretical, toy-like, Batmobile, and just plain ugly. But I think it’s amazing. Here’s why:

1. It looks like a spaceship.

I’ve been waiting for a chance to fly a Wipeout-style antigravity racer since the ’90s and the Delta Wing is probably as close as I’m gonna get. And those spectacular spaceship looks serve a purpose. The thing is designed like an aircraft for extremely low drag and tons of downforce just where you need it. See how the back end is shaped like the space shuttle? That puts maximum downforce on the middle of the car, providing supreme stability at speed. The shape is so slippery and stable it can conceivably hit 236 miles per hour at Indianapolis Speedway.

2. It weighs less than a bicycle.

Not quite. But the Delta Wing only weighs 1,000 pounds wet. That’s half the weight of current Indy race cars, which means lightning fast reflexes and stellar acceleration and braking. The Delta Wing engineers accomplished this with liberal use of carbon fiber and recycled polyethylene. That means the Delta Wing is just as fast as current Indy cars even though it has half the horsepower (300 horsepower) and uses half the gas.

3. It’s cheap.

It looks like a government-contract stealth fighter made with $1,000 bolts, but the Delta Wing will sell for half the price of current Indy cars. That means I just might be able to afford to rent one for a flight around a track. It also means more races and more opportunities for up-and-comming drivers.

4. It looks like a spaceship.

Seriously. The Delta Wing is a major aesthetic leap forward in race car design. It’s like one of Daniel Simon’s arresting concept vehicles brought to life. Some say the Delta Wing is taking racing in the wrong direction, that race cars should look like real cars so people can relate. I don’t think so. I think the Delta Wing delivers a crucial injection of sci-fi futurism to a sport that is and always has been about technology. I sure as hell would watch a few dozen of these things battle it out at 236 miles per hour around a track. Especially if they held night races. And the cars were festooned with electroluminescent logos.

Lets start out with the Italian Design Firm, Pinninfarina, which will debut an Alfa Romeo Concept Based Roadster, with design cues that mirror the BMW Z4. This is to cooincide with Alfa Romeo’s 100th Anniversary, and should follow recent Pinninfarina designs such as the Maserati GranTurismo, and the Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano. Rumors that this concept will become an actual production of an Alfa Romeo Roadster, set to make it over here in the US. We are all hoping for that.

Setting the sports car world upside down, Ferrari is set to unveil a Hybrid. Yes, a Hybrid Sports Car, that will be based on the Ferrari 599GTB. Rumors swirl around this particular car, including the fact that it may be AWD. This is an effort by Ferrari to keep up with ever tightening efficiency standards both in Europe and in North America. Much like Porsche, who took a different road to profitability with the SUV, this car should appeal to both the Ferrari aficionados as well as the Hollywood Green Fashionistas, and should help generate enough funding so that Ferrari can keep producing real Sports Cars.

Two Mazdas will make their world debut at Geneva, the facelifted Mazda 6, and the redesigned Mazda 5. All I have to say is this: It’s a whole lotta Meh!

Finally, there is the debut of the Audi A1. This is a model that never made it accross the Atlantic to North America, but Audi promises that this time, market conditions make it right to export this little rocket to the states. News coming from Europe states that this Mini fighter will have a Hybrid system, but we hope that a conventional powertrain will be offered.

Photo Credits: Car & Driver,

There are some cars at auto shows that just stand out as the preverbal “Nice Car”. They have a blend of styling, presence and overall appeal that targets the masses, not just one segment of the buying populous. Buick, has tried time and time again to do this with cars like the Regal, Lacrosse and Lesabre.

Here we see what looks like an entirely plausible Buick GS concept clad in a pearl white paint. The car itself is actually quite nice looking, that is however if they make it JUST LIKE THIS! You see what generally happens is that a manufacturer will introduce a car at a show… it’ll look great, as they will have chosen the best wheel and tire combo, paint, body treatments, etc. Then they’ll give us notice that it’s going to be put into production and we’ll all sit like lemmings waiting for it to materialize.

Then of course when it does come out, BLAMMO!! It looks nothing like the concept that everyone fell in love with. Well, here’s hoping that the penny pinching weenies over at Buick actually decide to build this car as you see it. It’s good looking, has a broad appeal and makes me thing back to the good ole’ days when Buick built performance cars. Hey Buick… how’s about building another Grand National or GNX? Whatcha think?

I’ve never really been a big fan of diesels. Not because I don’t like them, but simply because I really don’t have any real world experience with them. Hell, the last diesel experience I had was way back in 1981 with my Dad’s diesel powered Buick Riviera. I was 9 years old and only remember my Dad constantly cursing the thing – I won’t lie, it left an impression.

Fast forward 29 years, (holy crap I’m getting old) to the Washington, DC International Auto Show. I was handed the keys to a brand new 2010 Audi A3 TDI with 614 miles on the clock… seriously, I even took a picture for you guys… like I said earlier, it’s cool being press. By the way, nice gauge cluster right? A big analog tachometer and speedo are clearly visible behind the steering wheel, along with a temperature and fuel gauge. Note the tachometer with the 4500 rpm redline… remember it’s a diesel. These suckers don’t rev.

Let us talk about the car first and then we’ll get into driving impressions and performance. Now remember that the A3 is the baby of the Audi family. It’s the little brother to the A4 and grandson to the A8. What that means is, it’s small, not like Miata small, but more like Ford Focus small. To its credit though the little A3 does make good use of the space it has available by taking advantage of every last nook and cranny. On the outside Audi has managed to give the A3 a burly stance. The front end comes at you with bravado that makes the A3 seem bigger in attitude than in actual physical size – more bark than bite so to speak.

Climb into the A3s cabin and you’re greeted to a sea of gray – like everywhere… except for maybe the vent bezels… those are silver. Everything else though, was gray. It’s really not all bad, but I mean how about a little splash of color? How about some aluminum around the dash or navigation system… just something to break it up a little. The interior was also decidedly German meaning there was everything you need and nothing you don’t. Cup holders were not splattered all over the place nor were little things like change compartments and such, it was really pretty basic. Fit and finish is top notch and there is no question that the A3 uses top quality materials throughout. The leather seats, plastics and the overall interior build quality really are superb.

Climate controls are easy to use and within arms reach, as are the controls for the radio and navigation system. Speaking of which… I would probably bypass the ole’ navigation on the options sheet. It’s like 2 grand and will probably be behind the technology curve in 3 years. Buy a TomTom or Garmin instead for like $99, then go take a vacation someplace with the $1900 you saved… or you can just send a portion to me for saving you all that cash.

The seats are pretty comfy with support in all the right places and do a good job of holding you in when you throw the Audi into the corners. Leg room was simply “Ok” for me… remember, 6′4″ here… so what that means is when I sit up front, there is no way in hell anyone is sitting behind me. My right leg was also butting up against the center console. This is no big deal for short runs of say an hour or less, but if you were road tripping this thing, you’d probably go insane. Headroom was just “ok” as well. My take – if you are over 6′ tall, you may find the A3 a bit cramped. Rear seat room was just like the front – cramped. This should be of no surprise because after all it’s an A3 not an A8. Take heed though, because if you plan on putting some extra bodies in the back, they may be a bit squished.

As we head to the ass end of the A3 we’re greeted to a high-opening hatch back… and this is good, because odds are you won’t crack your head open when you are taking out the groceries. Space is actually quite ample back here. I’ll be honest, I have no idea how many cubic feet of space this thing has, nor do I give a damn, I talk about real world applications here. What I do know is that you can fit like 2 BIG duffel bags or suitcases side by side and a few small backpacks on top. Or fold down the rear seats and throw in 4 biggies and a few little ones on top and around the edges. Just a note though, when the rear seats fold down, they don’t fold flat… you’ve been warned.

Ok, now that we’ve summed up the interior, fit finish and cargo room; let us talk about what this little bugger is like to drive. Keep in mind, this is a diesel, not a conventional gas engine, so performance and power delivery are completely different to what most people are used to. The A3 is powered by a 2.0 liter turbo diesel that delivers 140 hp and 236 lbs.-tq.. Power is transmitted to the front wheels, as there is no Quattro available yet with the diesel… WTF? I mean one main reason you buy an Audi is for the Quattro system.

I have to say that if the automotive layperson got into this thing they would have no idea it was a diesel-powered car – it’s quiet. Gone are all remnants of the billowing black smoke engines of yesteryear. These things are not only quiet but they burn remarkably clean as well. Put your foot down and the Audi jumps to life, power delivery is linear and shifts are VERY quick, behaving almost like you’re short shifting it. This actually takes awhile to get used to. Once underway the A3 drives just as you’d imagine an Audi would. The ride is firm with a decidedly sporty feel, but is in no way uncomfortable. Acceleration however is lacking. In fact with a few people in the car it seemed like forever to get up to 70 mph. Stats show the A3 clock in a 0-60 time of about 9 seconds with a top speed of about 130 mph and I believe it… as it feels pretty slow. The car does weigh in at a chunky 3300 lbs., which is high for a small car. That means that that 140 hp and 236 lbs.-tq are really working to get this little chubby chub moving.

Throw the car into a corner and the A3 is definitely rewarding. The front wheel drive has a tendency to plow when pushed hard, but for everyday spirited driving I don’t think I would complain. Brakes are great and provide a firm, yet planted feel when you stomp on the pedal… no real drama here. Mileage is where the clean diesel really shines and is really the only reason I would opt for this engine. How does 30 city / 42 hwy sound… nice right? Combine that with the 15 gallons fuel the A3 holds and you’re talking a minimum of 450 miles per tank in city driving – that, ladies and gentlemen is what the diesel is all about.

The big question at the end of the day is… would I actually buy one? Unfortunately, the answer is no and not because of the reasons you’d think. At $36,000 as equipped, this is not a cheap car and aside from the mileage and “mystique” of owning an Audi, you really don’t get that much extra for your hard earned dollar. So, what would I consider as an alternative you might ask? How about a VW Jetta Sportswagon TDI. You get more room, the same engine and transmission as the Audi and pay almost $10,000 less. Now, if you need that Audi mystique then go for it, you WILL enjoy the car, however if you’re feeling a bit on the frugal side, hit up the VW dealership and make your wallet happy.