Costco is one of the great wonders of our society, enabling the average consumer to buy massive quantities of everything from hand lotion to olive oil to alcohol. At some point, company execs decided to expand the Costco business model – to include cars.

An astute poster on VWVortex discovered that one of the cars being offered by the chain was none other than the Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan. Poster “adrew” of Forth Worth, Texas, found that the car was being offered in his area for about $29,000, a significant discount from the MSRP of $33,000. Just think, not only will you be able to get a Korean luxury car (already a bargain of a price) at an eve bigger bargain, but just think of the story you’ll be able to tell your friends and family: “Guess what? I bought a Korean luxury car from Costco.” Then again, you might want to think twice, as you’re sure to be met with the nauseating yet obligatory “Did you buy it in bulk” jokes.

[Source: VWVortex]

Cadillac‘s Converj electric car, reported to be dead, has made an appearance at his year’s Beijing Auto Show, sparking speculation that the opulent alternative fuel vehicle is still alive and kicking.

The Converj, which mates the Chevrolet Volt’s electric powertrain with the features and amenities of a Cadillac, can travel about 40 miles on electric power alone, and then uses a gasoline motor for propulsion. The car can be plugged in to recharge its batteries as well. And did we mention it looks awesome?

While Bloomberg had reported in March of this year that GM had decided against producing the Converj, its Beijing appearance suggests that their may be renewed interest for the luxury hybrid. So pass the rumor along: the ConverJ isn’t dead yet.

GALLERY: Cadillac Converj

In other news that we’re tired of hearing about, but can’t stop being interested in, Hulk Hogan has filed a lawsuit on his insurance company over his coverage. As the blame game continues, Nick Hogan’s father is now pursuing the family’s insurance company after paying tens of thousands of dollars over the last 10 years and not being entirely covered for Nick’s accident that left his passenger and friend, John Graziano, severely injured.

Apparently the insurance company never bothered to advise the Hogans to increase their insurance or to purchase additional insurance – which Hogan claims they should have when his children got driver’s licenses and were able to drive his high-performance vehicles. As a result, Hogan has had to dig into his own pocket when the estate of Nick’s friend, John Graziano, slapped him with a lawsuit, because Graziano’s medical bills far exceeded Hogan’s own insurance payout – which was limited to $250,000 in medical bills per person.

Hogan also claims that his insurance company Wells Fargo Southeast, should have offered him additional coverage when he signed for his son’s driver’s license – a move opened up Hogan to personal liability.

This is the second lawsuit the Hogans have pursued, the first one against their own attorneys for the wreck. It seems like this saga will not be dying out anytime soon, and Nick will be living in the shadow of his irresponsible accident for quite some time.

[Source: Tampa Bay Online]

While technically not about Cadillac themselves, it is about the future of where the company wants to take the brand. In order to appeal to more tech-savvy (read: younger) buyers, the automaker has partnered with Cool Hunting to deliver a feature and style-rich application for the Apple iPad.

Other than the fact we’re in love with the music over the demonstration — 1901 by Phoenix — and the overall impression is of a slick, easy-to-use application that dovetails perfectly with where Cadillac sees their future buyers.

If you’re into this sort of thing, check out the post regarding the challenges design house BBH Labs faced when developing the app.

Are Viper loyalists perhaps mourning the death of the venomous snake too soon? Maybe, as Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has announced that as a part of Fiat’s 5-year plan he intends to position Dodge internationally as an “American performance brand,” anchored by the Charger, Challenger, and Viper.

Marchionne mentioned that the Charger and Challenger’s platforms will not be touched, but may be recycled for future Alfa’s, Lancia’s, and Maserati’s. Interesting, since the Charger and Challenger platform is already recycled from the, now 2-generations old, Mercedes E-Class. We can’t imagine Fiat is really planning on tarting up this platform again with a Maserati badge, because if they did, it would make the use of the jarring F1 gearbox in the first-gen Quattroporte seem like a minor quibble by comparison. The most frightening statement though, is that the “Viper will end up as a quasi-Ferrari.”

So, first Ferrari eliminates manual transmissions, then they plan to position the Viper as a “quasi-Ferrari?” We’re not holding our breaths for this one.

GALLERY: Dodge Viper Final Edition

[Source: TopSpeed]

Looks like cars of the future will have cameras everywhere. Subaru has just announced EyeSight, a camera-based driver assist option not unlike Volvo City Safety.

It works in conjunction with Subaru’s new “pre-collision braking control” system — if the cameras detect an object or person in danger of being mowed down, an alarm will sound to warn the driver. If the driver is an idiot and does nothing, the car will try to stop itself. If the speed difference is below 18.5 mph, the car can stop itself — any faster and the braking system will try to reduce the force of the impact.

We suppose that’s the cool tech. The less-than-flashy technology Subaru also introduced is brake assist, which provides additional boost for the braking system in a panic stop. It’ll be available in Japan next month, and we’ll likely see it in North America on the first refresh of the Legacy / Outback twins.

The Beijing Auto Show has brought a slate of new releases from companies like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley, but the most opulent and outrageous vehicle is a homegrown Chinese product.

The Hongqi may look like a poor imitation of a Rolls Royce, but the Hongqi Limo is a serious car in its own right. At 21 feet long, the Hongqi is a whale of a car, requiring a V12 engine producing 405 horsepower to help the vehicle move. Soundproofing is said to be so good that the cabin is dead silent. One can only assume that armor plating and other security measures befitting of the Chinese Head of State add further mass to an already portly vehicle.

It’s unlikely that the Hongqi will ever reach our shores, but you can buy one in China for a cool $1.1 million, a significant sum by North American standards, but all the more astonishing when you factor in that the average income for a city-dwelling Chinese citizen is closer to $5,000 per year.

GALLERY: Hongqi Limo

[Source: Cars UK and Hongquiche]

While Toyota owners continue to be worried about “unintended acceleration” issues associated with faulty gas pedals, owners of other makes are eagerly testing the limits of their vehicles’ intended acceleration on the quarter mile. Sometimes, however, there are unintended consequences. Take this drag-racing CRX for example and an owner who got one seriously unpleasant surprise when he planted his lead foot on the go-fast pedal.

Something tells me the first thing he did when he got home that night was go on his local or favorite Honda forum and posting WTB: scatter shield. The video of this turbocharged CRX is just something you want to sit there watching over and over. We’re mesmerized by how quickly the devastation comes and how unexpected it is. Luckily no one was hurt in the accident, but clearly this owner needs to invest in a scatter shield. Flywheels running loose can cause serious injury, and this one would have had it just gone the other way. Enjoy the video after the break and feel free to replay it over and over. We did.

GALLERY: Honda CR-X Exploded Transmission

[Source: FarmofMinds]

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Scott Rothstein was once a prominent South Florida lawyer, famous for his humble roots, flashy lifestyle and philanthropy. But after a suicide attempt and a failed escape to Morocco, Rothsetin turned himself in after federal agents exposed his 1.2 billion dollar Ponzi scheme.

Now, the United States government has seized his assets and is auctioning off an assortment of exotic cars owned by Rothstein and a number of shell companies. The list ranges from the very mild (two Pontiac G6s, a Ford Expedition) to the highest echelons of supercar-dom (two Bugatti Veryons, a Ferrari F40).

If you have the funds, and are looking to score a deal on some serious machinery with, shall we say, interesting provenance, take a peek at the list below and get in touch with the appropriate arm of the federal government.

[Source: Dupont Registry]

Full List After The Jump:

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The Kia Forte took home the 2010 Top Safety Pick, given out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  This is the third model from the Kia/Hyundai brand to win the rating for 2010, following the Kia Soul and the Hyundai Sonata.

To be considered for this award, vehicles must earn the top rating of “good” for front, side, rollover, and rear impact protection. This year also marks the first time a vehicle has to achieve a good performance in its roof strength test to measure protection in the case of a rollover. The vehicle’s overall evaluation was determined on a variety of measurements specific to each crash angle, and overall impact on crash test dummies inside the vehicle at the time of collision. As well, to receive a Top Pick, the car needs to have electronic stability control (ESC), a feature that comes standard on the Forte.

In order to qualify for the award, Kia had to make some improvements to the Forte to ensure occupant protection, including revisions to its B-pillar and its roof. If you’re in the market for the Forte, be aware that this rating only applies to Fortes built after October 2009.

Other safety features the Forte showcases (and comes standard with) include active front headrests, advanced two-stage airbags, front seat-mounted and side curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with an antilock brake system (ABS), brake assist (BAS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), a traction control system (TCS) and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Fellow small cars joining Forte with a 2010 Top Safety Pick status are the VW Golf, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, Scion xB and Nissan Cube.

[Source: Kicking Tires]