You don’t have to drive to work in a Porsche to impress your coworkers. The new Porsche mouse pad and mouse will be the talk of the water cooler and the envy of fellow cubicle dwellers.

The young jetsetter needs to travel in style. That’s why Porsche Design Driver’s Selection just added a new rolling suitcase called the Kids’ Trolley to its lineup.

You’re saving all your spare change to buy a Porsche. You may not be able to afford the luxe ride (just yet), but you can afford a cute place to store your nickels and dimes – in the “Pink Pig.” It’s just one of the new items in Porsche Design Driver’s Selection (PDDS) lineup of lifestyle apparel and accessories.

Shares in Fiat fell on Tuesday as a result of reports that North American sales of the 500 would fall short of the company’s target.

On the Chinese calendar, 2012 is the ‘Year of the Dragon,’ which celebrates one of the most celebrated mythical creatures in national folklore. Symbolically, in Chinese culture, the dragon represents power, prosperity and good fortune.

Stop the presses! President Obama, champion of American jobs and lower taxes, is touring this great nation in a $1.1-million luxury tour bus—built in CANADA!

The rapper and hip-hop producer wasn’t just chosen to become Lotus’s spokesman—no, he is officially the vice president of Creative Design and Global Marketing, a position which comes with free coffee in the Lotus corporate break room. Turns out, Mr. Beatz is an avid car collector, with a Spyker C8 and a Ferrari Enzo in his stable, but presumably not a 1978 Eclat 22. He joins Victoria Beckham in the position of unlikely celebrity executive, where she is the creative design executive for Land Rover.

In the video after the jump, Lotus explains what he’ll be expected to bring to the table. But what makes Swizz Beatz the perfect man for the Norfolk company? “Three little facts,” Lotus says:
1. Like Group Lotus , he means business: He’s a risk taker with considerable credentials including music producer, rapper, designer AND painter.
2. Like our cars, he’s multi award winning: This year he shared a Grammy Award with Jay-Z.
3. Like Group Lotus he keeps good company: This man regularly works with the likes of Bono, Kanye West, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys.

Swizz Beatz is a stepping stone to other famous artists—which Lotus hopes, not unlike a comely teenage girl who waits outside the jock quarterback’s locker after classes, will net them even more friends and that vaunted 18-34 demographic that marketing people keep talking about. What better way for Lotus to convince hip-hop moguls to replace their Maseratis and Bentleys and Maybachs…hold on, scratch that last one. Biggie might not have fit in an Exige, but Yeezy could. Whether he actually wants to is up to Dany Bahar’s salesmanship and size-11 Loakes.

But we wish Lotus well, of course. After all, they are merely adhering to Colin Chapman’s previously-truncated quip: “simplify, and make it rain, dogg.”

Car buyers are choosing panorama roofs instead of convertibles.  Ford has reported that sales of vehicles with panoramic roofs are increasing. Almost half of buyers purchasing the Explorer and Edge SUV are purchasing the option. About a third of Flex buyers are also buying the same skylight paneled cars.

Along with the Nissan LEAF it’s the most hyped car of recent times, yet for all the hoopla and publicity surrounding the Chevy Volt it appears that interest in GM’s extended range electric car is starting to wane.

With the e-bike set for production in 2012, Smart takes to two wheels—just in time to tap into the growing two-wheeled market.

If you own a luxury automobile, you just can’t throw your keys on the kitchen counter or shove them in your pocket. You need to store them in the manner to which they have become accustomed to – rest them lovingly in a luxury key box made by Eibenstock.

This BMW M1 art car once belonged to Peter Gregg, one of America’s greatest race drivers, who campaigned a 3.0 CSL and participated in Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Now, it’s up for auction with some artistic provenance.

If you see a 1953 Austin-Healey 100 with a bunch of names Sharpied on its grey paint, stop by and show your support. John Nikas is raising money to fight cancer, and driving from Huntington Beach, California, to Charleston, South Carolina—and all the way back again.

When you’re dealing with higher echelons of motoring, like Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, then usually, more than a few customers want something that’s just a little bit exclusive, to set their particular car apart from the Jones’ example next door in Mayfair. And that means spending  a little extra on Bespoke touches.

Get ready for the next generation of radio control cars. Hot Wheel’s Nitro Speeders will be hitting store shelves this fall and tearing up a sidewalk near you.

The newest generation of micro radio controlled vehicles, Nitro Speeders were launched at this year’s New York Toy Fair. Measuring in at less than 1 3/4-inches long (1/87th scale),  they can reach speeds of  8.3 mph. Thanks to the Nitro Speeder’s lightning speed and precise responsiveness, they can tackle vertical loops and can be driven on standard orange Hot Wheels stunt tracks.

Great fun for kids of any age, Nitro Speeders come in its own carrying case (which also pulls triple duty as the remote control and a charger) and that fits right in your pocket. They will be available in Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Ken Block’s Ford Fiesta for around $21.50. If you want to see them in action, watch the video after the jump.

[Source: Oh Gizmo!]

Given the growth in social networking via Facebook; even automakers are now looking to change the way they provide customer service.

The kid confused the gas pedal for the brake in his Toyota Hilux pickup truck and careened into his mother, who was sitting in front of the motor vehicle registry. The mother was pinned against the wall and thankfully survived after being rushed to the hospital, albeit with severe leg injuries.

You’re lost, and to top it off, you have no idea what time it is. No worries – Porsche Design’s P’6520 Compass Watch will get you out of that jam.

If you can dream it, Ferrari can do it. The company states: “this innovative programme enables clients to create an individual car, using exclusive and unique materials, colour and trim with the support of a dedicated team, as if it were a bespoke suit.”

Two security researchers from iSec Partners demonstrated at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas that they can unlock a Subaru Outback and start the engine with an Android phone.

You have so much money, you don’t know what to do with it. We’d like to offer a suggestion: send your car to the spa. The price tag: A mere £10,000 a week (roughly $16,000).

Students at the Ohio Technical College, in conjunction with American Suzuki Motor Co., have joined forces to build a customized Grand Vitara SUV.

He’s the only man so far to have won motorsport world championships on both two and four wheels. Now, John Surtees is set to be reunited with two of the machines that made it possible on Sunday, August 21st at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

When you’re a die-hard racing fan, you need to own anything and everything that’s related to the sport. Here’s one more thing to add to your wish list – a cool line of tables constructed and detailed using the same materials used in Formula 1 vehicles.

You may not have been there for the actual event, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look like you were there. Morgan’s & Phillip’s (M&P) Apparel has just released three new vintage Shelby Apparel t-shirts that depict great moments in the automaker’s history.

It has been two-years since Bugatti pulled the covers off their Galibier super-sedan concept, and while they had made much noise about the concept when it was revealed, not much has been said about this car since.

Good news for those optioning up a new Ford: its SYNC system is now $100 cheaper, from $395 to $295.

According to a woman in South Carolina, when truck nuts are outlawed, only outlaws will have truck nuts.

Something to allow city-dwellers, sports car owners, or high-school principals to sleep easy at night: a new app for iPhones, Droids, and Blackberries will warn you when some @#%! is messing with your car, allowing you to dispense justice as you see fit.

Depressed teenagers are more likely to cause accidents than those who aren’t, according to a study from the journal Injury Prevention.

Technology has progressed so much that sometimes it can be unsafe, even for your car. Mobile apps can now allow drivers to unlock car doors and remotely start their engines. However two hackers have exploited this convenience and now have access to vehicles with remote starters. Researchers Don Bailey and Mathew Solnik managed to use a laptop to hack the mobile app connection in two different car brands, and will demonstrate this at the upcoming Black Hat conference in Las Vegas.

Auto enthusiasts who enjoy gaming will be happy to know that Top Gears Jeremy Clarkson will be spicing up Forza Motorsport 4, as he will be featured in the XBOX 360 game. Top Gear UK and Microsoft have been working to create a partnership between the witty British motoring show and Forza Motorsport.

From the “Too Brilliant To Be True” Files comes this idea: a traffic camera that monitors drivers who obey the speed limit, and rewards them by entering them into a lottery. For cash prizes.

The speed camera lottery photographs the license plates of passing drivers, then either issues them a citation or enters them into a lottery, for a chance to win the money pooled from those citations. The camera was installed in a busy intersection in Germany somewhere, where over 25,000 cars passed by over the course of three days—and the average speed fell, from 32 km/h to a sub-legal 25 km/h, which indicates that it’s working (or people are slowing down to figure out what kind of weird camera they’re driving past).

Alas, it’s all just a competition cooked up by Volkswagen, and will not be coming to a speed trap near you. “Fun can obviously change for the better,” says Volkswagen. Of course, a reward for not breaking the law is always an attractive proposition.

[Source: Consumerist]

Travis Pastrana might not be high-tailing it to NASCAR according to plan: at the X Games, he landed hard on his right foot, shattering his ankle as well as any chances to start in the Nationwide NASCAR Series on Saturday.

Pastrana was attempting to nail a 720-double-backflip-spin on a dirtbike, but with a late rotation entering the landing, he fell at an angle and threw the entire weight of the bike onto his right foot. He was taken to surgery and hasn’t made an official statement on starting the race, which seems to indicate that he’s out.

Rumors that “friendly” rival Ken Block was seen rubbing his hands in glee, twirling his mustache and muttering, “yes, yes, it’s all gone to plan!” are still unsubstantiated.

Click the jump to see the full stunt.

[Source: Jalopnik]

‘Today, it was announced that Mopar will be offering more than 150 accessories including key covers, graphics, body kits, bike carriers, roof racks and seat covers for the new 2012 Fiat 500. Prices will range from $21 for a locking gas cap to $1,400 for a body kit.

It’s not often these days that an auto manufacturer reveals a luxuriously trimmed van, but at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show: Mercedes-Benz plans to do just that, by unveiling this, the V-Class Viano Vision Pearl.

High-end luxury cars really do inspire us. Some people take that inspiration and make other luxe products – like chairs. One such person is designer David Clark, whose new collection – the Veloce, Infiniti and Modena – takes its inspiration from a variety of luxury auto brands.

Insiders have revealed that Mercedes-Benz is testing banana wood as a trim on the next S-Class and that all wood veneers are 100 percent real. Exotic materials such as silk and cashmere are also being considered.

There’s more auction madness from Bonhams, but this time they’re flaunting their BMW love: the single-marque auction entitled “Power By BMW” will feature some rare historic BMW race cars and concepts, including the 1969 BMW/Bertone “Spicup” pictured above.

Does your living room need a little va-va-va vroom? Rev up your interior decor with this cool retro armchair that was once a 1968 4L Renault.

It’s quite rare to uncover one low, mileage, ‘untouched’ classic in a barn, so how about three of them, especially when they’re Italian exotics.

So far, 60 stores across the country have been upgraded with Level 3 chargers, which can refill a Nissan Leaf to 80% of full capacity in just half an hour. These stores are in Chicago and Texas, but Walgreens locations in Los Angeles, Boston, Denver, New York, and Washington DC are expected to get them as well.

A lowrider event hosted by the La Raza car community in Kent, Washington, erupted in gunfire on Saturday, as a fight broke out between unnamed individuals, ending with at least 12 people suffering from gunshot wounds. Nine people ranging from age 14-32 were taken to Harborview Medical Center with injuries to their arms, legs, feet and torso.

Police have not made any arrests yet, but said that multiple suspects are currently being investigated. The violence was likely gang-related, with the shootings possibly stemming from an argument over a lowrider’s paint job. Police were unsure how many shooters were present.

Overall, there were around 250 people in attendance and over 50 cars on display at the show when the shooting occured. None of the wounded have life-threatening injuries.

Check out the video after the jump!

Buick and GMC understand the importance of social networking and have set up online vehicle-shopping experiences that are socially engaging, letting site visitors build, save and share their configured vehicles.

You’ll be fighting with your kids on who gets to use the MINI Cooper Convertible Inflatable beach toys next.  One of the coolest promotional items we’ve seen in a while, these bad boys go from the sand to the water with the top down.

A few weeks back, BMW announced that it would make a Performance Edition Package available to owners of N55 powered 335i coupes and sedans.

For next year, Toyota will start offering AC electric outlets as an option on the Prius hybrid so drivers can plug in accessories or appliances to their car. Toyota developed the idea through the March 11 earthquake disaster in which people used the Toyota Estima hybrid van (pictured above) as a source of emergency electricity when the power went out.

2010 Formula Drift Champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. takes his dog and pony show to the Middle East: drifting Saudi Arabia in his Ford Mustang.

At the Al Reem Circuit, he puts on a show that would make Ken Block proud. Titled Drifting In The K.S.A, Gittin was given permission to do basically anything around the racetrack, which he takes full advantage of: he first tackles the course grounds in a Boss 302 before bringing out his Monster-liveried Falken Mustang in a cloud of tire smoke.

“Everyone I met, from Princes, to other professional drivers, to swarms of fans, treated me with amazing hospitality and kindness.” Said Gittin. “It was an incredible experience that I will never forget and I look forward to coming back to the K.S.A!”

Click the jump to watch the video and to gain terrible ideas on doing this yourself. But as always…don’t. Unless you were 2009’s Formula Drift Champion.

A simple city intersection in Berlin turns into a painted canvas, thanks to a “guerilla art project” that splashed paint onto the wheels of hundreds of passing cars.

Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh—whose name already sounds like a work of art—gained inspiration from seeing spilled cans of paint trampled by bicycles and footprints on the sidewalk, and possibly this highway accident. “Because I work a lot in a public space it feels that I am painting reality,” he said. “I am not a painter but my work always feels like I am painting reality myself and the world myself.”

He planned the artwork carefully with his buddies from his chess boxing club, which apparently is a real thing—he tested on a bicycle first to make sure the environmentally-friendly, rain-washable paint would look good and not leave the road slippery, which would have been an entirely different guerilla project.

After all their secret tests were completed, the team dumped the paint from bicycles onto the intersection and snuck off to avoid police suspicion. A video camera from a fourth-floor apartment overlooking the intersection captured everything—including the police officers and firefighters who descended upon the intersection, taking samples of paint back to various laboratories.

The art piece took place over a year ago, but Rubingh waited for the statute of limitations to expire, and is now only releasing the footage. His hard work is now your entertainment: click the jump to see this artist’s efforts.

[Source: Toronto Star]

The sludge of lead, arsenic, Freon, paint chemicals and dioxins poisoned the members of the Ramapough Native American community, causing a spate of severe health problems. Mothers started having miscarriages; people started coming down with cancer. One member of the Ramapough, Wayne Mann, led the charge against Ford in 2005 with a lawsuit stating that they had deliberately poisoned the land and the people living on it. The class action suit finally carried through in 2008; but with an impending bankruptcy on the horizon, the Ramapough took a settlement averaging $8,000 per plaintiff—except for the 30 people in the area who died of cancer while the lawsuit went through the courts.

Now, Mann’s fight against Ford will be on an HBO documentary, entitled “Mann vs. Ford.” Directed by Maro Chermayeff and Micah Fink, it will most likely remind viewers of “Erin Brockovich,” without the sassy female lead, as both films are based on true stories of devious corporate misconduct. If he poisoned 10 children, Mann said, he’d go to jail for life; if a corporation poisons hundreds of people, it will get away with it.

The documentary airs tonight at 9pm Eastern time to HBO suscribers. Click the jump to see a preview.

[Source: National Catholic Reporter]

Lamborghini and Las Vegas go hand-in-hand like brothels and bad decisions. But what happens when the two kings of subtlety face each other?

You couldn’t ask for a better time to sell Kate Middleton’s car than right now, just after her royal wedding. The current owner of the indigo blue, three-door 2001 Volkswagen Golf, Sonny Brazil, who lives close to the Middleton’s home in Berkshire, England is auctioning off the car via Ebay. Brazil, 21, bought the car for $2,300 (£1,400) in 2009 after Kate, 29, gave the Golf to her brother James.

He’s been dead since 1980, but the allure of Steve McQueen remains as strong as ever. A notorious car and motorcycle enthusiast, McQueen was responsible for putting some of the most memorable examples of auto culture on the silver screen, including the car chase in Bullet and 1971’s Le Mans, arguably the most realistic motor racing movie ever filmed.

Everyone has seen old hippy van painted to the nines or cars with wacky paint jobs driving down the street but you’ve probably never seen cars like this.

This type of art became popular enough in the last few decades for art car shows to materialize. BMW has been involved in art cars since the mid-1970s getting Andy Warhol and Sandro Chia to paint a piece for the gallery. The first BMW art car was a 3.0-liter CSL painted by Alexander Calder in 1975. BMW canvases have included the M1, Z1, E34 and E36.

All 17 BMW art cars  can be viewed here!

Check out the video after the jump!

The police force in Nova Scotia are confused as to why a motorist would decide to casually light a mariajuana joint a few metres away from a traffic checkpoint.

Toyota is introducing a new way for kids to be distracted on road trips. And this time, instead of viewing a screen, they will look out the window—and actually interact with it.

Called “Window To The World,” aspiring toddler creatives can draw on the car window as a canvas, building off what they see outside and watch their drawings shift as the scenery changes. They can also interact with specific objects: for example, they can zoom in to something distant, plot distances to landmarks, even translate objects and landmarks into another language. At night, the panoramic roof displays constellations and star maps.

The concept was developed by Toyota of Europe and the trendy folks at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. You might not see this in a 2012 Avensis, but instead it will be at the “Our Future Mobility Now” exhibition from June 22 to 25 at the Autoworld Museum in Brussels, Belgium.

And while the entire idea may sound like a load of murky ad-agency nonsense, the video makes it all clearer. Click the jump to catch a glimpse of how our kids will finally shut up in the backseat for a change. If you’re not learning something back there, I’ll turn the car around!

What would it be like to have your very own drive-in theatre? You can find out, thanks to the Porsche Design Studio – they’ve introduced the world’s largest outdoor television.

Based on four years of research, the 201 C SEED was designed in collaboration with Global Bright Group to take viewing pleasure to a whole new level. Boasting a 201 inch waterproof LED screen, the C SEED emerges from the ground silently in 15 seconds and takes another 25 seconds to fully set up. What’s super cool about this TV is that even very luminous images can be viewed in direct sunlight. To hold it, it sits on top of a support that rises to a height of 15 ft.  “The performance begins when C SEED magically appear from the ground, like a kinetic sculpture,” said Porsche Design Studio.

Other features of the 201 C SEED include 270-degree rotation and a three-way audio system with 15 speakers and wireless remote control.

You need a lot of room to install the 201 C SEED as well as a lot of money. If you’ve got both, you can place your order in September of 2011 for about $810,000. Watch the TV in action after the jump.

There have been many amazing Lego creations over the last few decades including life size people and skyscrapers several stories high, but this latest creation might just take the cake.

Documented in this video is a mechanical masterpiece, a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet PDK made of Lego. Everything on the 911 works, from the retractable hard top roof to the flat-six engine. The Porsche even has the same steering ratio as the actual car. In total, there are over 3,500 parts, including eight electic motors, three remote controls and around 21 feet of wiring. Even’s Porsche’s high-tech PDK dual-clutch transmission is fully functional, coupled to an operational all-wheel drive system.

This will blow you away. Check out the video after the jump!

You may not be able to get your hands on the Volkswagen GTI Edition 35 (built to celebrate the GTI’s European anniversary), but you can still own a little piece of the excitement. The GTI35.com Chronograph lets you wear your appreciation for the brand on your wrist.