Although the RideLust readership usually prefers blurbs about hot female celebrities and the equally hot cars they drive, I’ve exercised a little editorial oversight and included Gary Busy in our celebrity round-up. Although he probably looks better in a bikini than the present-day Brooke Shields, Busey and his retro Mercedes ride didn’t make the cut based on sex appeal but rather for possessing the unique distinction of “Most Likely To Rip Your Endocrine System Out Of Your Body.”

Two months before her 16th birthday, Disney Lolita Miley Cyrus has preordered herself a snow white Mercedes-Benz CLK 550 Cabriolet Convertible. According to celebrity gossip rag PopCrunch, for a meager $75,375 the pop princess specially requested a cream leather interior and optional park assist. 

Intimidation: Shelby GT500KR

The wild Texan, Carroll Shelby, has announced a new race and party to coincide with the rebirth of the Terlingua Racing Team; the first annual “Shelby Bullrun Challenge” to take place in West Texas on Sept. 25th-28th. The event includes a combination of driving events and parties for celebrities and enthusiasts that will be on the level of the ones that made Terilingua legendary back in the 60’s.

Redman’s always been a bit unconventional. It’s funny to see him turning the ultra-bling hip hop stereotype on it’s side. Apparently he has a new car for 2009/2010, it’s not a BMW sitting on 20 inch rims or diamond encrusted Escalade, it’s a Smart Fortwo, stock. Looking good, riding on the sidewalk.

Also, Redman really likes to say the curse words. Why can’t you be like Will Smith, Redman?
Beware: Deadly Explicit Language: Watch at your own risk!

1931 Daimler Double-Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe owned by Robert M. Lee. 2006 Best in Show.

For about a week every year, Monterey, California is the Mecca of rare collectible cars. The string of events will start this year, 2008, in two days, August 14th. This Thursday and Friday, they have the Concorso Italiano, which is a “celebration of Italian style”, mostly Italian cars. Saturday, they have the Monterey Historic Races, which is a loosely competitive race with all manner of historic vehicles from different years and different engine displacements all driven by their wealthy owners. And on Sunday, the big one, they have the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Kentucky Derby of car shows. That’s an expensive weekend.

If you were rich enough to drive any car you wanted, absolutely any car, and money is no object, what would you go for? A Lambo, Bugatti, Merc, Aston, how about something outrageous like a Formula 1 car.

But what if you were truly rich, not just “getting by” like that Bill Gates guy, but truly rich. The Sultan of Brunei is the richest man on earth; he is not counted on rich lists because he does not earn his money it comes from his tiny country’s oil reserves which are basically his. Estimates of his wealth pop up from time to time but the truth is no one has any idea how much cash he has.

With the most important election of our lives closing in quickly, we have to take time to reflect on the facts, to set aside the emotions and rhetoric, and get to the very core of the issues. The most important issue of all, obviously, being what cars these men of power choose to drive.

A note: I despise politicians to my very core. Politics is a game of pandering and lying and using the resources stolen from the many to help the very few who can afford lobbyists. It’s disgusting, but you have to vote for one of the major candidates, right? You wouldn’t want to throw your vote away, right? Ugh.

Anyway, let’s get this over with, here are the cars that these plastic ambition-bots drive:

Apparently, a recessive economy isn’t just hurting the little people. According to a report run by the CW11, rapper Lil’ Kim was paid a visit by the Repo Man back in late April after missing 4 payments on her silver Bentley. Declining to hand over the keys to her ride, Kim assured the Repo Man that she’d “have her accountant look into it” [read: Reality show time!]. 

After the story aired, Lil Kim’s rep [she has a representative? Ah, cute little allusions of grandeur] responded to the story by explaining that the $250,000 Bentley was in fact a gift bequeathed to her four years ago by hip-hop music producer Scotty Storch. It was Storch who apparently defaulted on the payments [guess that Brooke Hogan and Paul Wall collabo didn't hit as big as he thought it would...tough break, kid], prompting Tracy Nguyen [Kim's rep] to explain to E! news that the matter was “completely out of Kim’s hands.” 

To view full article and video footage from the CW11 expose, click “Read More”

Just more proof that we’re living in the 1970’s redux. Jack Nicholson showing off his 100% hydrogen powered Chevy, in 1978. And better than that, the hydrogen was produced using solar power. Welcome to the future. The future is now.

The first public fueling station to provide both hydrogen and gasoline opened in Santa Monica last month. Shell Hydrogen and GM combined forces to give drivers in Chevy’s Project Driveway program an LA-based location to refuel their Equinox fuel cell vehicles, which are currently being test driven by “regular foks” on Southern California’s roads and freeways.