Infiniti‘s brawny 5.6 liter V8 proves to not only motivate land yachts but actual maritime yachts as well. Students at the Tennessee Technical Center-Nashville and Nashville State Community College have removed the titanic power plant from a donor Infiniti QX56 to ready it for maritime duty in an iconic 1962 Chris-Craft “Holiday” mahogany speedboat.

The 400-hp engine has been sent to Westbrook, Maine, where the engine bell housing was modified to be compatible with a ZF/Hurth marine transmission. Next, a shop in Alabama puts the Infiniti engine through a program called “marination, ” involving custom water-cooled exhaust manifolds and the adaptation of a closed cooling system. Then, the big V8 will be taken back to the Infiniti engine facility in Decherd, Tennessee so it could get tested on a dynamometer to assure that its performance numbers are still up to factory specifications. Finally, the engine will await for its final installation into the Chris-Craft’s hull.

In the past, Chris-Craft boats adopted engines including a 431-cubic inch Lincoln marine engine and a pair of 440-cubic inch Chrysler Hemi marine V8s. However, George “Dodo” Brockman, owner of Freeport Boat Outlet, and the director of the Infiniti boat project says, “The use of the powerful Infiniti QX56 V8 is fitting with the history of the particular craft. The Infiniti V8 is actually lighter than all of the previous powerplants and won’t require any special bracing or hull modifications to fit into the original engine bay.”

In line with its handcrafted heritage, the 1962 Chris-Craft “Holiday” is currently lying upside down in Freeport Maine ready to undergo a painstaking restoration process involving more than 600 board feet of high grade sustainably harvested mahogany to cover the framework, hull, transom, and deck. 15 coats of special marine varnish will be applied to the craft over a period of a month.

Brockman continued, “Before the future Infiniti lake cruiser can return to the water, we’ve had to tear it down to virtually nothing and start building it back up with fresh wood… Ultimately, it looks like we’ll have to replace nearly 85 percent of the original wood, one piece at a time, due to age and rot.” Brockman adds, “When the 20-foot Chris-Craft Holiday model was introduced in 1962, it was said to be one of the best performing Chris-Craft hulls ever produced. It cornered well, was easy to come on plane and was often used in nationally sanctioned water skiing events for just those reasons. We can’t wait to see how this classic design performs with the new engine.”

When the mahogany speedboat is complete, a custom boat trailer to match a 2012 Infiniti QX56 will also be built.

GALLERY: Infiniti Chris Craft

The first ever, original General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard will be heading to a Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona that starts on January 14th, 2012. Nicknamed “Lee 1″, the 1969 Dodge Charger will have no reserve price and is probably one of the most iconic vehicles in the history of Hollywood.

Rumor has it that over 300 different General Lees were used during the show’s production from 1979 to 1985, so owning the first ever General Lee is pretty special. The only cast member to have ever driven this particular Charger was John Schneider, who played Bo Duke in the hit TV show.

Probably more tragic was the fact that this vehicle sat in a junkyard in Atlanta for 23 years before it was recently rescued and professionally restored over 16 months.

GALLERY: First Dodge Charger General Lee

[Source: Carscoop]

Does waiting in line for the automated car wash ever wear on your patience? What if I told you that your car could be washed in 1 second flat? Sound like something you be interested in?

This video comes from youtube user johnfifa12 and is a good example as to why heavy equipment and cars generally don’t mix. There is no information posted about the video, but hopefully the owner of that car wasn’t expecting a squeaky clean result.

Watch the video after the jump to see the fastest (and most destructive) car wash ever.

[Source:Autoblog]

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So we won’t be the ones talking about how this funeral was probably staged and highly choreographed, but rather the irony that Kim Jong-il’s final ride was in an American car, a 1976 Lincoln Continental to be exact.

Despite freezing temperatures and plenty of snow out in Pyongyang, North Korea, tens of thousands of citizens were not only enlisted to help clear the snow from the 40-mile parade route, but also stood by to bid their leader farewell. The funeral procession involved several classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles, something Kim Jong-il had taken a liking to when he was alive.

But perhaps being transported atop an American Lincoln is a family tradition, as Kim Jong-il’s father, Kim il-Sung was also taken off in a Lincoln during his 1994 funeral.

Watch the news report below:

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Better late than never, Alfa Romeo announces the scheduled arrival of their 4C sports car to American soil by 2013. First, an Alfa Romeo 4C prototype will make an appearance in the middle of next year before the Italian automaker’s official return to North America.

More than just a pretty face, the Alfa Romeo 4C will feature an aluminum direct-injection 1.8 liter turbo on a tube-mounted aluminum frame. Weighing in at a feathery 1,980 lbs, the 4C will use sheet-molded composite panels to wrap around its aluminum bones. The Alfa Romeo 4C is expected to deliver approximately 230-hp and should be capable of 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. Fiat engineering chief Mauro Pierallini says Alfa Romeo will build 18,000 4C’s over the lifetime of the car and that it will be sold in the United States along with the Giulia sedan as well as Alfa Romeo’s first SUV. Executives suggest the Alfa Romeo 4C’s price tag targets $45,000 USD.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergia Marchionne boldly explained that the 159 that the Giulia will replaced was, “400 kg too heavy and by default uncompetitive. We will never, ever do this again. The next Giulia had better smell, look, and drive like an Alfa or it will not wear the badge. We need to resurrect Alfa in the proper way.”

If Marchionne is so adamant on building proper Alfas, then there is no reason why Alfa Romeo shouldn’t be a hit when it comes stateside.

GALLERY: Alfa Romeo 4C

The new year is rapidly approaching and with it a host of new vehicles begging to be driven are sitting in dealer lots waiting to wow shoppers. When it comes to new cars, those shoppers often expect more for less as new models hit the showroom, but that wont be the case for electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf (pictured above).

Next year the government is removing three of the four subsidies available to consumers as incentives to adopt the new technology. The fourth, and arguably most important, will remain in the coming year. A total of $8,500 in tax incentives will get the ax as the ball drops in Times Square, which represents more than half of the total $16,000 in incentives offered this year. Consumers buying EVs next year won’t enjoy this year’s $1,000 maximum to install a home charging station, $2,500 maximum for two- or three-wheeled EVs with 2.5-kWh batteries or larger and the $4,000 maximum for converting either a hybrid to plug-in or a regular ICE to EV power.

People purchasing EVs will still be eligible to receive up to $7,500 in tax credits for buying a new plug-in vehicle, though the subsidy depends on the size of the battery in the vehicle. These incentives are meant to boost the number of EVs sold and will be phased out on a per-manufacturer basis once the individual automakers sell more than 200,000 plug-ins.

It might be good to act before the new year if you’ve been planning on cashing in with those incentives, but don’t worry about losing out on the $7,500 credit that will remain. The 200,000 vehicle figure isn’t likely to be hit any time soon thanks to low selection and relatively high prices for EVs with or without bonuses.

[Source: AutoBlog]

The New Year may be just around the corner, but it’s never too early to spread some rumors. Proton Holdings is believed to be seriously considering the sale of their Lotus sports car division, a brand that has never made a profit for the Malaysian-based company.

Proton originally purchased the British sports car brand in 1996, but it seemed like a mismatch from the start. Proton specializes in manufacturing sedans and taxis in their home market while Lotus aspires to produce thrilling sports cars. Perhaps the goal was to have a more complete portfolio for Proton, but the lack of profits from Lotus has begun to take its toll.

Even with the new changes Lotus has been making – releasing the above City Car for example – it’s believed that the automaker won’t have the money to fund its future plans, which could be another reason for Proton to sell. There has been reports that China-based Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. and Luxembourg-based Genii Capital were interested in purchasing Lotus, but both have denied those rumors.

Last year Lotus only sold 1,985 vehicles. It is estimated that they need to sell around 8,000 to turn a profit – yikes.

[Source: Bloomberg]

While the United States’ auto industry continues to do a stellar job rebounding, the rise of Canada’s dollar has automakers turning their backs on the plants in Canada.

Reports are coming in that investment in Canada’s auto plants may fall to just $1.2 billion this year, the lowest since the mid-1980s. It’s also 62-percent lower than the past decade’s average according to Bank of Nova Scotia, which means Canada will continue to lag behind. To compare, Ford is planning to invest $13.3 billion in US plants over the next four years, leaving very little funding left for Canada’s plants. In fact, Ford this year closed their St. Thomas Assembly Plant in Ontario that had made their Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car.

This is a vast change of events compared to 2003, when Ontario, Canada was the largest North American producer of vehicles – taking the spot from the state of Michigan. But now their surging currency and companies in the US cutting labor costs has shifted investment back to the States.

Another factor impacting the spending is the fact that the US has a new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW), helping level the labor costs compared to foreign rivals. The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) however are working with the automakers for a new contract for 2012. Unfortunately though, the CAW has fought many of the cost cuts the UAW has accepted.

[Source: Automotive News]

When it comes to cinematic genres, few are as captivating as Film Noir. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that as part of its 2012 Fashion Collaboration, Mercedes-Benz has chosen such a theme, placing top model Lara Stone,  draped in Calvin Klein alongside a new 2013 SL Roadster in an Icons of Style  photoshoot by Alex Prager.

Prager says that she often references films such as The Wizard of Oz and The Red Shoes as well as director Federico Fellini in her shoots, so it probably isn’t surprising this one follows such themes, creating a world that borders both fantasy and reality.

The finished work, that includes both still and animated sequences, in which Stone attempts to outrun a Tornado in the SL, will officially be unveiled  at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin next month.  For more information, click on the video link after the jump.

GALLERY:Mercedes SL

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Hyundai has launched an inventive social marketing program called the “HYUNDAI RACE” at Times Square, one of the busiest city cross streets in the world. By downloading a controller app from the iTunes app store, participants can enjoy the HYUNDAI RACE featuring the all-new Hyundai Veloster on a prominent billboard via Hyundai WiFi.

Steve Shannon, Hyundai Motor America vice president of Marketing said, “Having a large video display in Times Square certainly creates awareness among consumers through creative graphic elements. But Hyundai’s racing game takes engagement to a new level. The game invites the audience to interact with Hyundai in the middle of one of the world’s busiest venues for commerce and tourism. It’s a great example of our innovative marketing at work.”

HYUNDAI RACE  is played by tilting a smart phone like one would steer a car. Players race their Veloster against the clock and their score will get posted on the billboard to be ranked amongst other players. HYUNDAI RACE will be up on the billboard in Times Square until the end of this year, and Hyundai will continue launching a number of other interactive experiences in Times Square thoughout 2012.

GALLERY: Hyundai Veloster