#lifestyle

By now you’ve seen the big Porsche news—a new 911, the 992 is set to hit the market in 2020.  In the last few years Porsche Design, the company’s product design focused sibling has been retooling its watch collection with a more direct focus on automotive influence, and a new timepiece has just been unveiled celebrating the arrival of the new iteration of the Stuttgart icon. The austere chronograph will fly under an odd yet fitting name; the Porsche Design 911 Chronograph Timeless Machine LE, a small edition limited to (you guessed it) 911 pieces worldwide.

A car has long been a tool of freedom. It allows an individual to reach any destination at anytime in whatever fashion desired. It’s a rite of passage and a sign of maturity and adulthood. So it’s no surprise, automakers have long directed its focus to the youngest demographic in hopes to instill brand loyalty as soon as possible.However, a new and unexpected opposition is endangering the market– the rising relevance and popularity of the smartphone.

MINI does social networking right. Introducing the MINI Motoring smartphone app, available for both Android and iPhone, it allows fellow drivers to share their favorite driving roads with each other.

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.

The Supreme Court will rule on whether or not law enforcement officers need a warrant in order to track a suspect’s vehicle with a GPS device.

Any car owner that has worked on their own vehicle knows what a Haynes manual is. The company has helped educate people working on their own cars for over fifty years. Now Haynes has stepped up to enter the digital age by uploading the manuals on the internet.

Sales for the Fiat 500 are picking up after a slow start in the US market. The Mexican built US version was off to a slow start after only selling 3,141 units through the end of May, but the cute Italian car is gaining momentum. Chrysler has just 70 Fiat dealerships nationwide however there are plans to open another 60 by the end of the year, which should help move more units.

Wanna make some extra dough on the side? Illinois is deciding whether to allow advertising space on its state license plates. If approved, this would allow corporate sponsors to put their business logos on the plates, which would be offered to drives at a lower price. A vote last month decided that the secretary of state should look at the pros and cons of corporate plates. Sen. John Mulroe, D-Chicago believes corporate plates will be a great way to bring in money without raising taxes.

Apple has officially rejected any inclusion of DUI checkpoints in its iOS apps. In this week’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple updated its app store to prohibit applications informing users of DUI checkpoints.

A poll has just been released asking Americans to rate their likelihood of making certain lifestyle changes based on different hypothetical gas prices. 57 percent of respondents refused to consider buying an “electric car that you could only drive for a limited number of miles at one time” no matter how high gas prices go.

Many auto enthusiasts collect memorabilia, whether it be model cars, old signs, license plates, coffee tables made from NASCAR tires or even scrap cars turned into couches. This kind of stuff is the perfect addition to those with a classic in their garage and gasoline in their veins. But how about wearing it? Well besides the obvious t-shirts and jackets, you can how have an auto inspired watch!

You can do your part to wipe out breast cancer with AutoTex PINK windshield wiper blades.

It’s been delayed more times than a mid-east peace agreement, and until now it was looking just as unlikely. That’s right, we’re talking about Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 video game. At a press conference held yesterday at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Sony confirmed that GT5 will hit shelves on November 2.

The game will feature 950 vehicles, NASCAR racers, exotics like the new Mercedes SLS AMG and its even touted to have 3D graphics.

[Source: USA Today]

See the GT5 trailer after the jump:

You may not be able to afford Ferrari’s Scuderia Spider 16M roadster, but you can own a little piece of the luxury with the company’s new limited edition Ferrari 16 M Scuderia Spider surfboard.

It’s probably hard to believe for some, but Ford‘s ‘other’ legendary nameplate, Thunderbird, celebrates it 55th anniversary this year. When it was first introduced, the two-seat, personal luxury car was a smash hit and arguably saved Chevy’s Corvette from distinction. Although the T-Bird morphed into a four-seater for 1958 and became increasingly larger and more ostentatious through the 1960s and early 1970s, it always sold respectably.