Lexus IS-F

After establishing itself as equal in terms of luxury to BMW, Audi and Mercedes, Lexus has taken the next step in its development with the IS-F.  Just like each of the Bavarian automakers has in-house performance upgraded models (M-BMW, AMG-Mercedes, S/RS-Audi), the IS-F represents an impressive first example of the Lexus maturation as both a luxury and performance brand.   

Rumors of a new Mercedes supercar called the SLC have been around for a while now, but just recently, Drive.com.au caught some spy shots of a prototype with is gullwing doors open.

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. 

On this day, 133 years ago in 1875, Ferdinand Porsche was born.
By 1905, when he was only 30 years old, he was already a famous engineer in Europe because of his work with Jakob Lohner & Company. For years after that he worked for various different firms, always responsible for the cars that dominated racing. He eventually worked for Austro-Daimler and Mercedes-Benz, built the Mercedes-Benz SSK and the prototype for the Volkswagen Beetle.

Redesigned 2009 Mercedes E-Class

Apparently receiving a thumbs-down on their idea for roadhead simulation devices, Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to introduce new technology designed to keep drivers awake and attentive behind the wheel. After conducting internal research, Mercedes Benz revealed that about 25% of serious traffic accidents are caused by exhausted drivers and that drowsy driving causes more accidents than drunk driving. Aiming to reduce those numbers, in March 2009, the new Mercedes E-Class will offer “Attention Assist”, a driver monitoring system that follows in the footsteps of Volvo’s Driver Alert Control system [which, we would like to note, Volvo has been offering since 2005]. Merc’s technology will take cues from Volvo’s, which currently uses advanced Delphi camera systems and MobilEye image recognition software to monitor minor steering errors followed by larger corrections, lack of response to other vehicles, and changes in eye movement.

Mercedes AMG CLK63: Black Edition

Despite a long racing heritage at Mercedes-Benz, a friend of mine once told me that in his mind, BMW’s were designed for young guys and Mercedes were for old men with lots of money.  I don’t know if that is or was ever completely true, but if there were any questions as to performance ability the racing arm of Mercedes, AMG, is putting them to rest with the CLK63 Black Series. 

Some car companies get it, some don’t, but the ultimate key to developing a vehicle’s image is successfully targeting the appropriate demographic [there's a reason why you don't see many 21-34 white males driving station wagons]. As was the case with the following companies [and one surprisingly "hip" government agency], the 5 commercials that made our list are the funniest, most perfect examples of the success one single smartass in your marketing department can create. We still might not want to buy the car, but at least they’ve earned themselves a little cred with the masses.

1. SEAT Panda

An oldie but goodie, this ad from Spanish auto company SEAT was banned from television and makes our Number 1 spot for flagrantly violating our commonly held ride-law that the guy with the hotter car always wins.

A question that man has feverishly wrestled with since the dawn of time: ”How can I score with that hot chick?” Pick-up lines are overrated and have a higher failure rate than an inner-city high school, and date-rape drugs have the potential to get you 5-10 w/o parole - so whatever is a horny guy to do?

Well looks will got you pretty far, and personality even more so, but if you’re bankrupt on both, a surefire way to get lucky is to drive a sweet ride. So on behalf of RideLust, I have taken it upon myself to compile a list of the top 10 surefire “panty peelers” - rides so undeniably lust-able, any man behind the wheel is guaranteed to score at least one piece of quality ass [by "quality" we mean anything from a 7 to a 10; below a 7 and forget a Lambo, you could score that with a Corolla].

1. Lamborghini Gallardo

Although less expensive [and slightly less powerful] than the Lamborghini Murcielago, the Gallardo is Lamborghini’s best selling sports car - and thus the most recognizable [well, subtle exterior colors like "Epilepsy Orange" and "Reflective Traffic Vest Green" help a little, too]. The Lamborghini Gallardo is a fool-proof way to score, we guarantee it.

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.