For sale on eBay, for a reasonable “Buy It Now” price of $30,000, is this extensively modified 1951 Chevrolet pickup. Equipped with pontoon outriggers and a driveshaft-driven propeller, the truck is a replica of one used by escaping Cuban refugees in 2003. Not authentic enough for you? It’s built by the same guy who built the original.

Front view. How’d you like to see THAT looming behind you in traffic?

Side view, showing the included all-weather canopy. Authentically distressed pontoons add a nice element of realism.

The business end. Note the massive propeller, which probably makes the truck good for a steady 5 to 10 knots in the water.

You’re all but guaranteed to have the only one of these in your neighborhood, and the possible uses are endless. Start your own ferry service! Deliver beer to thirsty boaters! Start a charter fishing business! Terrorize snobbish yacht club types!

Here’s the best part: if the U.S. economy continues to get worse, you can always use it to sneak INTO Cuba. They’re only 90 miles south of Key West, and I’ll bet the truck is an easy sale in downtown Havana.

We all could use a break from the daily grind of getting to and from the Amazonian village where we do our missionary work. All that arboreal congestion and humidity really makes the commute a drag. The iFly project wants to make your life a little easier by constructing you a Maverick flying car (more like a buggy, really) that will carry you far above the rat race and off to your tropical destination.

Packing an uber-reliable Subaru mill making around 128 HP, a parafoil wing and a huge rear-mounted propellor, you won’t be mistaken for a Camry. Maybe a bloated sandrail. Weighing around half a ton, the lightweight Maverick can rumble along on the highway or do some light offroading, and then convert to become flight-capable in about 10 minutes. You can even attach floats to cross rivers!

The Maverick (and the iFly project) are part of iTec, the Indigenous People’s Technology and Education Center. It’s a group that is trying to use technology to make remote indigenous peoples’ lives easier, as well as making it easier to conduct missionary work. That being said, iTec is not opposed to the notion of selling their products more broadly, say to law enforcement or hobbyists, in order to achieve an economy of scale. We could take or leave the missionary aspect, but the technology is very cool, and we’ll be on the lookout for more Maverick news to bring your way.

[Source: ITEC]

If you fancy a lift, bring coal and lithium-ion batteries!

You’ve seen steampunk laptops, steampunk guitars, steampunk iPods, pretty much everything under the sun. But how many steampunk vehicles have you seen outside of Howl’s Moving Castle? Slap on your goggles, work up a head of steam, and take a gander at these 10 steampunk vehicles, ranging from modestly altered to completely bespoke.

1. Tom Sepe’s Whirlygig Emoto

Boiler is aft of the seat.

First up is Tom Sepe’s “Whirligig Emoto.” Crafted out of ‘67 Tote-Gote scooter and packing a 15kW electric motor, a steam generator, and an unknown quantity of brass applique, this two-wheeler fits the bill for anyone looking to recreate an Akira-style biker gang with steampunk bikes.

No caption could possibly describe what's going on here.

This one gets our Anachronistic Seal of Approval for being electric, producing superfluous steam, and sliding around in the video below in true steampunk-hoon style. And for more on the build, see Mr. Sepe’s website.

[Source: TomSepe.com, Steampunkworkshop]

2. Chicara Nagata’s Motorcycles

No boiler but we approve nonetheless.

Our own Vito dug this amazing find up not too long ago, and we simply couldn’t leave them out. While many in the steampunk world like making things on their own, Mr. Chicara takes the craftsperson angle to a whole ‘nother level. The “1939″ Chicara above, for example, uses an authentic ‘39 Harley-Davidson U-motor, along with other period parts, combined in a unique and beautiful way.

The 1966 moped. Hipsters, start saving up.

Of course, the price reflects that – each of Chicara’s unique creations sells for a cool million USD. Still, if you have that kind of dough to throw around, we’re sure you could work with the artist to produce a steam-powered model out of oak.

[Images: Chicara Art]

3. Leyat Helica

It sure LOOKS steampunk!

Steampunk objects are usually a fusion of something modern, and something old. The Helica is just plain old – it was steampunk before you even needed to mix-n-match temporal categories. Both technologically advanced and also strangely carriage-looking, the Helica seems to have sprung from an alternate reality where having a whirling propeller motivate your vehicle seemed like a good idea.

Almost looks like it could float, too.

That being said, you have to give Msr. Marcel Leyat some credit despite his bad timing. Had he lived long enough to see Burning Man, he might have sold these as desert runabouts to the sunburned masses.

[Source: roadabletimes]

4. Il Tempo Gigante

This is a full-size replica of Il Tempo Gigante, the star of the completely nonsensical film Flåklypa Grand Prix. It was built to promote the movie, which apparently became the most successful Norwegian film of all time (in Norway), playing in theaters for 28 years. Not exactly an Oscar contender. Il Tempo Gigante (The Big Time?) was an enormous brass car with two engines of appropriately indeterminate make. At nearly 22 feet long and covered with all sorts of piping and nonfunctional flair, this would be welcomed to any steampunk art show or peyote-eating session in the world.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, no useful details about the real life vehicle exist. Perhaps that’s for the best, as the creators of this insane but decidedly steampunk-esque vehicle were likely eating some psychotropic herring at the time.

[Source: Some crazy Norwegians.]

5. Legway: The Steampunk Segway

The future of personal transportation from yesterday!

This made its way around the Internet a while back but it’s worth including on our list today because, well, it never fails to make us laugh. Both brilliant and almost completely impractical, it also oozes with steampunk style. Just look at the thing! Impossible to turn, slower and more difficult than walking, and though it’s very existence a biting piece of social commentary. Good work sir, good work.

Instant steampunk cred.

Plus, as its creator says, it’s actually “green” – no pollutants for all you eco-conscious steampunkers out there. Unless you count the inevitable blood on the pavement as a pollutant. Check out the video below as its creator miraculously doesn’t fall flat on his face immediately.

[Source: Indestructibles and Buildlog]

6. The Neverwas Haul

Holy pith helmets, Batman!

Completely insane. It’s a Victorian house on wheels. Clearly the product of altered mind states, or simply lots of wood and Red Bull, this creation of The Berkeley Academy of Unnatural Sciences could only have been created for one purpose: to be the best Burning Man vehicle of all time. Fair to say, it’s succeeded.

Words cannot describe the insanity.

No word on how many rooms there are, what they contain, or how on earth the entire thing holds itself together, but we’re guessing magic is involved. Steam-based magic. Power (or should we say lack thereof) is provided by an anemic 10 HP 1 cylinder diesel motor, but the Neverwas Haul has been spotted being, ahem, hauled by vintage steam-driven tractors.

Plus you can rent it for weddings or haunted houses! How cool is that? Just bring goggles and a sense of whimsy!

[Source: Flickr, Neverwas Times]

7. Neverwas Haul’s Steam Runabout

It slices, it dices, it steams your hotdogs!

As sweet as the Neverwas Haul is, their runabout is just as cool. Born in ‘06, this little beast runs on propane firing a Lamont-type boiler to produce steam at about 100PSI. We assume the steam whistle is so that pedestrians using their wooden iPhones or wrought-iron Blackberries don’t get crushed under those unforgiving carriage wheels. No word on top speed, and the tricycle undercarriage likely produces pretty poor skidpad numbers, but it’s a cruiser, not a driver. See it in action at the video below:

Plus, it’ll make you a mean hotdog! Note that the preferred nomenclature here is “Steam Bohemian,” not steampunk. Treat them nice and they may make you one.

Neverwas Steam Cooked Hot Dogs from Scott Beale on Vimeo.

[Source: Youtube via Laughing Squid]

8. The Brass Lion

Need to bike in a charity event but have a bad back and need a steampunk aesthetic? We might have the bike for you! It has everything a discerning anachronistic biker would need in a recumbent cycle – elk-hide wrapped controls, working kerosene coach lamps, and a trunk (an actual trunk) for your long-distance jaunts.

The coachlamps are ignited! Ready for the foggy London night.

Steuben’s Wheelmen (Eric and Alan) are the creators of this awesome beast, and it gets points for looking very cool but also maintaining a high degree of functionality. Maybe sweet trikes like this will replace those asinine fixie-style machines so popular these days.

[Source: Steampunkworkshop]

9. The Hubbard Steamcycle

Built as a one-off from a ‘56 Maico and converted to steam power (yes, steam power) by one Bud Hubbard of Connecticut in the early 70s, this is almost ur-steampunk in both construction and cool factor. The best part is, despite the late build date, Mr. Hubbard was using plans dating back from 1918!!!

All the mechanicals were hand-made by Bud himself, and he thankfully used a lot of brass rather than a less showy metal. It makes about 6 HP, runs at nearly 700 PSI of superheated steam, and is able to run for around 2 hours with the condenser installed.

[Source: CAMA]

10. Jake von Slatt’s Victorian Bus

The bus' Grande Salon.

Mr. von Slatt is one resourceful dude. After scrounging up this ‘89 Thomas Saf-t-Liner retired school bus for around $2000, he gutted it and turned it into a Victorian-themed motorhome. It gets the steampunk nod for several reasons: first, it’s a Victorian RV! Secondly, Mr. von Slatt’s website led me to a lot of these finds, so credit where credit’s due.

Woodwork and ironplating to come?

Certainly his ride might have the most wrought-iron-clad-cojones here, with a 10.4 liter CAT diesel making around 400 ft-lbs of torque. While it won’t win any drag races, when the boiler goes out or your dirigible needs a tow, this bus might be the one to call.

He got nearly everything inside from the dump.

[Source: Steampunkworkshop]

We hope you’ve enjoyed this mad exploration of the fanciful vehicles of the steampunk genere. Subscribe to RideLust for quicker access to all our amazing content.

We’ve been ridelust-crazed for months now in anticipation of the 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor SVT finally hitting the market, but speculation over the price tag has continuously placed a significant damper on our amorous affections. Dangling juicy morsels like “6.2L BOSS V8″ and “400 horsepower” in front of our face, Ford made sure we were good and seduced before dropping the buzz-killing bombshell: the price. According to the official release, the 2010 Raptor will begin with a base price of $38,995, which includes the standard 320-horsepower, 390 lb-ft of torque, 5.4L Triton V8 engine and all the promised desert-hauling goodies. To get their hands on the 400-horsepower, 400 lb-ft of torque 6.2L BOSS V8, SoCal baja bro-skies will have to shell out $41,995, which doesn’t include the $1,995 luxury leather seating package, the $1,075 exterior graphics package, or the $395 interior accent package. What both the $38k and $41k models do include, however, are 35″ of BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA/KO 315/70-17 tires and custom built Fox Racing shocks (capable of 11.2″ of travel in the front, 13.4″ rear) that effectively make the 2010 Raptor the first production pickup to ever come outfitted with position-sensitive internal bypass shocks.

We say: if our budget wasn’t already so tight that we can only afford to put as much gas in our tank as we have quarters in the ash tray, we’d snap up a Raptor in a heartbeat.

Souce: Ford

The all new 2010 Land Rover Range Rover debuted at the New York Auto Show today, and despite the fact that we secretly (ok, openly) deem the Range Rover unworthy of living up to the utilitarian, rough ‘n’ ready promise of the Land Rover nameplate, if we have to cover the debut of one more 50-horsepower micro compact, the next piece of news you’ll hear about the NY Auto Show will involve the NYPD Crisis Negotiation Team attempting to talk us down from the ledge of the convention center – so the 2010 Range Rover it is.

Unveiled alongside the Range Rover Sport, the new 2010 Range Rover represents a fairly drastic change for the über luxury SUV and, we must say, a marked improvement. The exterior modifications are relatively subtle and don’t venture too far beyond the traditional “update” most automobiles receive every 5 years or so – because the real changes were made where it counts. Beneath the hood, the 2010 Range Rover receives two new, powerful engine options designed by Tata to provide both the road-hugging performance of a Jaguar with the rugged off-road capability of a Land Rover. The first of the new engines is a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8, conservatively rated at 375-horsepower (280kW) and 375 lb-ft (507Nm) of torque and allegedly capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds. The second powerplant is a supercharged variant of the 5.0L V8 and boosts engine output to a staggering 510hp (380 kW) and 461 lb-ft (624Nm) while simultaneously cutting the Range Rover’s 0-60 mph time down to a mere 5.9 seconds. For those owners who actually use their Rover for the purpose with which it was intended (all 3 of them), the 2010 Range Rover also comes with a highly advanced Terrain Response system that electronically adapts both the traction control and suspension system to deftly maneuver any surface, be it a treacherous mountain range or sandy desert.

Source: Land Rover

Let me be perfectly clear, then, on what needs to be done: the Old Media journalists need to be taken out to the back forty and Old Yellered as soon as possible.

I’m not kidding, either. The whole lot of them need to be rounded up and off-loaded onto a remote island with no Internet access and no access to cars. I would even go so far as to say that they are to blame for the problems in the automotive industry today.

Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the general populace’s opinions with regards to two vehicles. They are direct competitors, but really couldn’t be much more dissimilar: the Toyota Venza and the Ford Flex.

2009 Ford Flex

2009 Toyota Venza

One magazine, action-packed with the oldest of Old Media types, was practically gushing over the Venza. They struggled to find a description for it, calling it (over the course of the article) a low, car-based, two-wheel-drive family-oriented crossover utility vehicle. Come on, let’s face facts, it’s a station wagon, and not a very nice one. They called it “handsome”, “stylish” and “edgy”, the latter primarily due to its available 20-inch wheels, which gave it “street cred”. But then, on their website, they gave it a 2/10 “enthusiast rating”, which basically boils down to how appealing the car would be to people who like cars.

The Globe and Mail, similarly, sang the Venza’s praises, speaking of how it was “civilized”, “comfortable once you’ve settled in”, and “smooth”. They even praise it for being “bland”, saying that Toyota really understands what the public wants.

By contrast, let’s look at what Old Media has to say about the Flex. The Globe and Mail said that the Flex was a warning that car designers “should always be supervised by responsible adults. Which in this case apparently didn’t include the Ford management team that signed off on the vehicle.” I’m not kidding, those are their words. The author admits that his thinking may be dated, but he’s believed for 50 years that cars should be things of intrinsic beauty, not “blinged-out boxes on wheels”. I’m sorry? I wasn’t around for the ’50’s and 60’s, but I’ve seen the cars that resulted. I’m aware of the huge fins that were tacked onto the rear fenders. And I liked them. He grudgingly admits that it attracted a lot of positive attention and was widely admired wherever he took it, and almost reluctantly admits it was very pleasant to drive, with an excellent interior, great features, and good on-road driving dynamics. And then he closes, wondering if it will be another Edsel.

Motor Trend, meanwhile, was not hesitant about mocking the Flex’s daring style, saying it was the 2009 equivalent of the old Country Squire station wagon.

These are the kinds of reviews that are going to end up foisting another thirty years’ worth of bland, vanilla-flavoured snooze-boxes on us. If we keep telling the public how wonderful the boring Toyota cars are, and how questionable and quirky any cars that dare to be a bit different are, automakers are going to stop taking risks.

Automotive journalists have a big responsibility, particularly those journalists who write for the magazines and newspapers with massive circulations. They need to actually love cars, to be passionate about them, and to genuinely be willing to call a spade a spade. Let’s boil it down. Yes, Toyota makes very good, reliable, sturdy cars. But they’re by-and-large boring and ugly. When the current-generation Camry was introduced, where were all the articles that actually said what every car lover said the first time they saw it? Specifically, “Kill it! Kill it with fire! It’s so ugly, it burns my eyes!”

Ford should not be let off the hook either. Their new three-bar grille is a terrible styling move, and in fact the Flex and the next-gen Taurus are the only vehicles on which it hasn’t looked ridiculous.

So why isn’t anyone saying it? Simply put, most of the people writing for these established magazines are well-established writers. That’s a polite way of saying they’re fat, tired old men who have long ago lost their true passion for cars. These are people who are more interested in copying the stats into their notebooks than with really pouring over the beauty of the car, or savouring every moment of the enjoyment of driving it. I don’t care if the 0-60 time is 5.4 seconds or 6.2 seconds; how does it feel to drive it?

I was speaking with a marketing representative for Aston-Martin in Canada; when I identified myself as an automotive journalist, he tried to conceal a heavy sigh, and handed me a sheet with all of the car’s stats on it. I looked at it curiously, threw it in my bag, and asked to go look at the car. We then spent ten or fifteen minutes pouring over the beauty of the DB9, and discussing how Aston really understands the concept of passion in automotive design. As I was leaving, he warmly shook my hand, and told me I was unlike any auto journalist he’d met so far.

Why? That’s just wrong. Every auto journalist should be like that. The stats are numbers that can fill space in your article. It’s the emotion the car inspires that should determine whether the car deserves praise or derision.

If these tired old paper-pushers continue to write half-hearted articles about vehicular appliances that will be inoffensive enough to continue to persuade advertisers to pay their bills, we will continue to get more vehicles that are lacking in soul, style or substance. And it is for that reason that I say again, it’s time to bring in the new breed.

I won’t cry a single tear if magazines like Car & Driver continue to lose readership to websites like RideLust or Jalopnik. I stopped buying their magazines years ago, restricting myself to car and evo who are unafraid of speaking their minds.

It’s time for a shakeup, ladies and gentlemen, and it needs to happen now, before more Toyota Venzas are allowed to go into production. We, the automotive enthusiasts, need to start reminding the car-buying public that your vehicle can, in fact, be a joy to drive, not only an appliance to move you from one place to another.

So grab your torches and pitchforks, folks. It all starts with you.

Unlike most production-ready models, the new 2010 Subaru Legacy is almost a carbon copy of the Subaru Legacy Concept that debuted back in January at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, which may or may not be a positive thing. During the months preceding the event, rumors were running wild that the as-yet-unidentified concept vehicle Subaru would be towing to the 2009 NAIAS would be the long-awaited Toyota/Subaru Celic/STi mashup. Obviously, it was not. Instead, Subaru’s mystery concept was a prototype version of the next-gen Legacy which, as we learned today, was a fairly accurate representation of the production variant. As expected, some of the more “futuristic features” like the digital touch-screen interior door handles got the axe before heading to the assembly line, but the structural aesthetics remained largely unchanged. For 2010, the new Legacy has packed on about 50 pounds and 20 total inches to its frame, but thanks to the sleek yet sturdy design, it carries it well.

Available with three different trim options, 2.5i, 2.5GT, or 3.6R, the 2010 Legacy’s engine options include Subie’s good ol’ Boxers, mated to either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic/CVT tranny. Slightly lacking in the horsepower department yet still more than capable of performing whatever masculine activities are asked of it, the base Legacy 2.5i comes equipped with either a 6-speed manual or Lineartronic™ CVT transmission and 2.5L SOHC flat-four, producing 170-hp at 5,600rpm and 170 lb-ft. at 4,000rpm. Next in line, the 2.5GT is only available with a 6-speed manual and boasts and a 2.5L DOHC turbo-charged Boxer 4, yielding 265-hp at 5,600rpm and 258 lb-ft. at 2,000- 5,200rpm. Lastly, the crown jewel of the Legacy family, the 3.6R, is outfitted with a 5-speed automatic gearbox and significantly revised, premium-grade 3.6L DOHC which puts out 256 hp at 6,000rpm and 247 lb-ft. at 4,400rpm.

Inside, the 2010 Subaru Legacy passes on the flannel (yeah, we went there) in favor of durable, high-quality fabric, and does it’s best to mimic the high-tech gadgetry found in the Legacy Concept. Although the rear-seat LCD screens are gone, the new Legacy does posses a few other impressive features, including a new electronic parking brake eliminates, a center dash-mounted driver-info display, and a redesigned, permanently-illuminated gauge cluster.

Scheduled to officially debut in a few a weeks at the 2009 New York Auto Show, the 2010 Subaru Legacy is expected to arrive on dealer lots sometime in late summer/early fall.

Source: Subaru

Looking to move as much merchandise as possible, Jeep as unveiled the Rocky Mountain Edition ultimate off-roading package. Available on either the 2009 Jeep Patriot, Liberty, or Compass, all Rocky Mountain Edition Jeeps come standard with a power sunroof and a wide array of accessories intended to bolster the out-of-doors, original Jeep experience.

We’re just kidding, the Jeep Rocky Mountain Edition isn’t anything more than a Jeep premium accessory package with a vaguely macho badge slapped on it. Seriously, we’re not even being snarky (for once), Jeep’s Rocky Mountain Edition package literally adds nothing more than a sunroof, premium wheels, premium entertainment system, 4 new paint colors, and a “Rocky Mountain” badge. The total cost of the package is about $2,000, give or take a couple hundred depending on the particular Jeep model, which is roughly the same amount you’d fork over if you just checked off the “Premium Package” when configuring a standard Jeep.

What’s more, since all of the engine options remain the same, the Rocky Mountain Edition package isn’t going to help you scale a mountain range any more than a standard Jeep would and there really isn’t much of a noticeable difference save for the fact that now you’ll be able to listen to Sirius satellite radio while you wait for the rescue crews to arrive.

Source: Chrysler

The Ford iosis MAX Concept will make its international debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week as a 4D sneak peek at the future of Ford’s design. Dubbed a “Multi-Activity Vehicle,” the iosis MAX is a “kinetic” design concept intended to herald in a new era of Ford vehicles. Specifically designed to mirror the future of Ford’s C-car segment, the iosis MAX shares many of the same features that will be found on the next-gen Ford Focus – and that’s about as much of the press release as we could handle. We have a limit for how many times we can read “progressive” in one paragraph before we vomit, and for a second there we were dangerously close to blowing chunks. To be frank, we have absolutely no interest in vehicles with zero production intent, and unless Ford plans on bringing the Euro-spec RS to North America, the same goes double for the Focus.

Although we personally are having difficulty feigning enthusiasm for it, we’re 80% sure the Dacia Duster crossover concept unveiled by Renault at the Geneva Motor Show this week is at least mildly important. Targeting the popular sporty-yet-environmentally-conscious crowd, the Duster XUV attempts to combine the allure of fuel-efficiency with the “robust” design of a sport utility vehicle. Equipped with a 1.5 dCi 105hp engine that emits just 139g of CO2/km, the Duster successfully achieves “fuel-sipper” status, and thanks to side air-intakes and a squat, ready-to-pounce stance, it also technically meets “sporty” criteria as well. Unfortunately, we can’t seem to assimilate the road warrior design with the puny engine, and despite our best efforts (we lie, they were half-assed), we just can’t generate any excitement for this weird little French rover.

Source: Renault