Yeah, so… what happened? How in the world does a convertible Corvette end up in the water? Better yet, how does a Hertz rental convertible Corvette end up in the water? And of course, everything’s all captured on video and shared with the world via YouTube.

The story according to NBC San Diego is that a visiting couple had rented the Corvette and hit up Pacific Beach in San Diego for a night filled with festivities. Apparently one too many festivities. They met up with an unsuspecting individual at the bar and after he disclosed that he had never driven a Corvette before, the couple felt obliged to offer him the keys to their rental.

And the result? Well, apparently the driver took more than just a joyride by taking the Corvette out onto the beach, doing a couple of donuts and pointing the nose straight into the water. Unfortunately no video footage of the actual event unfolding has surfaced, but the aftermath is pretty entertaining.

Just another reason to never buy a rental car. Tsk tsk. By the way, the driver wasn’t harmed; he just ran away from the scene. The couple was held and released by the local police.

Check out the hilarious video after the break.

[Source: NBC San Diego via Autoblog]

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It’s only been open since May; yet the NASCAR Hall of Fame museum, located in Charlotte, North Carolina is finding it tough attracting the attendance it needs.

The museum has received glowing reviews both from the press and the fans who’ve attended, but the problem seems to be getting people through the door. Initially the plan was for the Hall of Fame to attract approximately 800,000 visitors in its first year, but in the first four months of operation, only 120,000 stopped in. In August (the last full month of summer vacation) the Hall reported an operating loss of $280,509, which could likely result in the operating budget being cut from $15 million to approximately $3 million; according to spokesperson Kimberley Meesters.

Yet at posting time there are no actual planned budget cuts, nor changes made to the 26 strong workforce. The Hall has been hedging its bets in drawing crowds from local Sprint Cup races, but as the season winds down, it will be interesting to see if NASCAR fans will take the opportunity to indulge in a little history  of their favorite sport while the teams re-group for next season. The Hall of Fame certainly hopes that will be the case.

[Source: New York Times]

It’s one thing to sponsor a driver, but it’s only a few who are honored with their very own watch. Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has chosen to honor Italian F1 driver Jarno Trulli with his very own timepiece.

Trulli, a former Formula Three national champion, has been an F1 driver since 1997. Winner of a Formula One grand prix, he’s taken the  pole position four times, the podium 11 times and scored over 246 points in his career so far.

And although this year hasn’t been the best for him (driving for the best of the newcomers at Lotus Racing, he was unable to start one race, unable to finish another six, and of those he has finished, he’s hasn’t been able to score a single championship point), this commemorative special edition watch is sure to pick him up out of the slump.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli Chronograph is certainly as impressive as its name. It boasts a forged carbon-fiber case, a ceramic bezel, titanium fixtures, red luminous indices and hands. Making it tick is a 59-jewel automatic movement with 365 parts, a 60-hour power reserve and a 22-carat gold oscillating weight that’s been covered in anthracite – pretty impressive. Only 500 watches will be made, offered initially at the company’s boutique in Tokyo before it goes global.

With the Japanese rabidly tuning European cars, why should it be a surprise to see Italians tuning American domestics? Romeo Ferraris is notoriously known for creating some extravagantly tuned European and Italian vehicles, from Fiats to Mercedes, but now they’ve gone over to America and picked themselves up a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 adding their own touches and making it pretty damn awesome.

One thing Italians love about their sports cars is horsepower, and this Z06 is packing some major heat. The 7.0-liter LS7 V8 has been forced induced thanks to a Vortech supercharger. It now puts out a plentiful 667-hp with 607 ft-lbs of torque. In addition to the centrifugal supercharger, an aluminum intercooler, high-flow injectors and a custom exhaust were also added for performance and reliability. Can you say 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds?

And with a top speed of 211 mph, Romeo Ferraris found it fitting to install a set of big brakes to the Vette with 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston calipers in the rear. It looks like the car is sporting a set of Zone Wheels, which is an interesting choice given what is available for the Vette. Not a bad one, just an interesting one.

Oh and it’s hard to overlook the fact that the entire exterior of the car now sports a carbon fiber reskin. Sadly, it’s just a wrap job and not a real carbon body. We said Romeo Ferraris, not Mansory.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

GALLERY: Romeo Ferraris Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Even though BMW has their X5M, Mercedes-Benz will sell you an ML63 and Porsche builds the Cayenne Turbo, Audi will not build any SUVs that have been given the “RS” treatment.

Audi wants to maintain the RS badge for their ultra-high-performance sports cars, and no crossover could ever replicate those characteristics. Audi hasn’t denied that there might be “S” badged sport utes (rather than the existing S-Line packages already available), so that is one future possibility for the four-ringed brand.

On the other hand, Audi will sell you the Q7 V12 TDI with 500 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, which is plenty of power for any living being.

[Source: Autoblog]

Red Sea Distribution, an Indiana based importing firm, is bringing two European oddities to North America. The Zenvo ST1 is a $1.25 million sports coupe with a twin-turbo, mid-mounted 7.0L Corvette V8 that makes 1,104 horsepower and hits 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. Only 15 will be made, so act fast.

Readers of this blog will be doubtlessly more familiar with the Dartz Kombat, the belligerent Russian uber-SUV that only costs $225,000. While the whale penis skin has been phased out, you can still get all kinds of bulletproofing, just in case you ever become as wealthy and important as one of Dartz’s home country oligarch consumers.

[Source: Red Sea Distribution]

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Lamborghini is apparently creating an open-air version of their Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, to be known as the “Performance”.

Two black racing stripes, wheels from the closed-roof Superleggera and special glass engine cover help differentiate this car from lesser Spyders.

The car is expected to weigh 67 lbs lighter than a standard Spyder, while displacing 570 horsepower and hitting a V-max of 201 mph. Prices will allegedly begin at $255,000.

[Source: Top Speed]

BMW is giving us a slow tease when it comes to the 1 Series M Coupe, and this latest round of photos appears to show the interior of the car. In all honesty, it doesn’t really look different than a regular 1-Series with a black interior, although the seats look a little more aggressively bolstered.

With a 30mm wider track at the front and a 40mm wider track at the rear, the 1 Series M Coupe also benefits from stiffer rubber bushings, stiffer springs and shocks and a tuned up 3.0L Inline 6 with a turbocharger, making it a nice stopgap between a 135i and an M3.

[Source: BMW Blog]

With the heaviest 2011 Ford Mustang nudging 4000lbs in curb weight, Ford knows that things have to change if their iconic pony car wants to meet upcoming fuel economy regulations.

Cutting weight and overall size will be the most expedient route, with lightweight materials coming into use throughout the vehicle. The Mustang is also a huge vehicle, and expected to shrink in size as well.

The Mustang is also rumored to get an independent rear suspension, after nearly 50 years of using an antiquated live-axle suspension. While the live-axle setup works well (as you’ll see in our upcoming GT500 review), the Mustang will likely move to an integrated rear-drive platform shared with the more advanced Ford Falcon, which utilizes an independent rear suspension. Finally, the legions of haters will be forced into silence about the Mustang’s rear suspension setup, and Ford will be able to continue the muscle car legacy well into the 21st century.

[Source: The Mustang News]

As SEMA approaches Chevy has just released a teaser video showing its official lineup of vehicles, which will join a long list of other creations from different aftermarket tuners in the GM booth.

Included with the video is a short blurb stating that these, “great show cars that translate into products you can buy down the road.” In other words, while we’re not likely to see the cars make it from concept to production, some of the items included on them will be.

The focus of the booth will be a long list of Camaros with all sorts of extra goodies – many of which will be made available to consumers in the future. Also teased is a Z71 off-road version of the Silverado HD. Most exciting, however, is the “Jake” Corvette. For those who don’t follow Corvette Racing, “Jake” is the mascot of the team, indicating that Chevy may look to offer some Corvette Racing inspired accessories to owners of America’s iconic sports car.

AutoGuide will keep you up to date on Chevy’s SEMA offerings with live coverage o the 2010 SEMA Show starting November 2nd. Until then, check out our SEMA Preview here.

Check out the Chevy’s SEMA teaser video after the jump:

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