It Came From eBay Hell: Volkswagen Beetle Limousine...with a Soft Top!

Stretched Volkswagen Beetles are as commonplace on eBay as Pontiac Fiero-based fake Ferraris and Porsche 356 Speedster replicas. So what makes this example so special? Well for one it’s a convertible, and a real one at that, with a canvas roof that’s sure to sag and then collapse from the weight of the water on it when it rains.

It also has a bar made out of the same polished wood as the cheapest of community centre pianos and burgundy leather L-shaped bench seat. It also has burgundy and silver paintwork and a wide body kit, which is sure to make you stand out from the crowd.

The eBay seller is also keen to point out that this is a, “ONE OF A KIND,” car, but then stating in very next sentence that it’s, “ONE OF ONLY 3 IN THE WORLD”. So, um, not one of a kind then. It was also, “BUILT PROFESSIONALLY”, which the pedant in me would like to point out is different from being, “PROFESSIONALLY BUILT”.

And with a Buy It Now price of just US$39,999, you’re only paying like ten times the price you’d expect to pay for an ordinary Beetle of the same Vintage. Then again, nobody said that uniqueness comes cheap...

By Tristan Hankins

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VIDEO: Mark Higgins' Awesome Save at 150MPH at the Isle of Man TT

We’ve already told you about former British Rally Champion Mark Higgins’ record lap on the famous Isle of Man TT Mountain Course driving a US specification 2011 Subaru WRX STI in a previous article here, but today, we stumbled upon two in-car video clips, courtesy of Road & Track magazine. Aside from smashing the late Tony Pond’s long-standing record in a Rover 827 Vitesse from 1990 by more than two minutes, Higgins also displayed some amazing driving skills saving the day when the WRX STI started swerving at 150mph (241km/h) after he hit a small bump on the road. In the video you can hear Higgins saying "Biggest moment of my life there...".
Commenting on the incident, Dominick Infante, National Manager, Product Communications, Subaru of America, said: “The WRX STI performed incredibly well at near flat out speeds and Mark drove impeccably. His save at Bray Hill at 150 MPH was some of the best driving any of us have ever seen." Buckle up and watch the two in-car-videos after the break.

Source: Youtube / Road&Track

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VIDEOS

Yuhan Zhang’s Aqua is the Personal VW Hovercraft Concept of Tomorrow

Before budget airlines and the Channel Tunnel, the faster way to get from Britain to France was by hovercraft. The largest of these was the SNR4, a 300-ton behemoth capable of carrying 380 passengers and 40 cars at a speed of 70 mph (113 km/h). In the 1950s and ‘60s, magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics were predicting a future where we’d all be cruising around in affordable, personal hovercrafts. Sadly, it was not to be. Now, some 11 years after the last SNR4 was retired, 21-year-old industrial design graduate Yuhan Zhang has resurrected the personal hovercraft in the form of her Volkswagen Aqua study.
A hydrogen fuel cell / electric-drive hovercraft with seating for two and a submarine-style rear hatch for entry and egress. Just look at it! It’s like a Vanair Vanguard had sex with the Audi RSQ and this was the result. Check out our gallery below as well as the designer’s description and video slideshow for more information.

By Tristan Hankins

From Yuhan Zhang:

“Aqua is based on the customized subject “Chinese off-road vehicle” by Volkswagen.

The Aqua offers an insight of futuristic vehicle powered by hydrogen and propelled by impeller.

Aqua is function with several engines, the main one drives the fan (or impeller) under the chases, which is responsible for lifting the vehicle by forcing high pressure air under the craft. The air inflates the "skirt" under the vehicle, causing it to rise above the surface. Additional engines provide thrust in order to propel the craft.

Aqua interprets the philosophy of Volkswagen Design with no single parting-line and laconic appearance, The door (hatch)locates on the back of Aqua. It features an electric drive train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell with no pollutant emissions.”

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More Screaming Passengers from the 2011 Red Bull Car Drift Event in Lebanon

We don’t know about you, but we certainly enjoyed watching the video of a male passenger freaking out during a ride around a drift course, so we decided to do a little bit of online research to find out what it was all about. We discovered that the joy ride was part of the Red Bull Car Park Drift 2011 event and it took place in Lebanon. The man behind the steering wheel of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI is 34-year-old Abdo Feghali from Lebanon. He is a professional rally driver who also participates in drift contests and events such as the one organized by Red Bull.
If you liked the first video we showed you, then follow the jump to watch the reactions of the same male passenger, this time sitting at the back between two women (oddly enough no one was wearing seat belts…), as well as some new footage of other people that took a ride including the beautiful lady you see pictured above.

VIDEO

Last Cadillac DTS Heads to Bulgari Collection

It may not be anywhere close to being a historic model for Cadillac, but for some, the outgoing DTS has a special place in their wish list. In fact so special that Nicola Bulgari of the renowned Italian jewelry, perfume and more recently hotel chain family, decided to add the last DTS to roll off the production line to his personal car collection.

“Is it important?” Nicola Bulgari asked. “Is it the number or the quality that matters? It’s the quality. I like the DTS because it’s a great sedan,” said Bulgari. “It’s the last of an era. I thought it would be wonderful to own the last Northstar in a DTS. It’s one of the best engines ever designed – reliable and a performer.”

The full-size sedan that is more widely known around the world for being the U.S. presidential car will join an impressive range of vintage American models in Bulgari’s collection housed at facilities in Rome, Italy and Allentown, Pa. The grandson of a Greek silversmith who opened a jewelry shop in Rome in 1884 owns several other Cadillac and LaSalle cars, the latter of which was a sister brand to Cadillac from 1927 to 1940, his first being a 1938 Cadillac V-16 Town Car that he bought when he was 25 years-old.

“It was quite an experience to drive that car because the quality was second to none,” Bulgari said about the V-16 Town Car. “The suspension design, the power, the engine… Everything was built with extraordinary quality.”

Bulgari’s collection of Cadillac and LeSalle models include:

• 1932 Cadillac 355B V-12 Fleetwood Limousine
• 1934 Cadillac Model 355B Series 20 Sedan
• 1934 LaSalle Coupe
• 1940 LaSalle Convertible Coupe
• 1940 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Sedan
• 1941 Cadillac Series 61 Sedanette
• 1947 Cadillac Model 7533 Limousine
• 1949 Cadillac Model 7533 Limousine
• 1949 Cadillac Convertible Coupe
• 1954 Cadillac Series 54-62 Fleetwood Sedan
• 1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

The Roman-born vice chairman of the Bulgari Group and honorary president of the Italian Government Tourist Board is also the owner of three recent Cadillac models including the 2009 XLR-V Coupe equipped with a special Bulgari speedometer, a 2010 CTS Wagon and 2009 CTS-V Sedan.

“Of the three, the Sedan, Coupe and Wagon, the Wagon stands out in front of all the competition,” Bulgari said. “It makes the competition look ludicrous.” Talking about the CTS-V, Bulgari added: “I have news for you with a V. I want to see some Ferrari or Lamborghini on the road and I will give him a lesson. They’ll never expect it.”

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Tesla Roadster Owner Drives 100,000 Kilometers in less than two Years

Hansjörg von Gemmingen has gained the bragging rights to say he has covered more miles in a Tesla Roadster than anybody else has. The German racked up an impressive 100,000 kilometers (62,137 miles) since he first purchased the car less than two years ago. A stockbroker living in the southwest part of the country, von Gemmingen says he drives his Tesla on a daily basis regardless of purpose or distance, charging it every night through a standard household outlet.

The owner of the 83rd Tesla Roadster to be delivered in Europe claims he always finds somewhere to plug in and recharge the car’s batteries. His 82-year-old mother-in-law even installed a 32-amp (240-volt) plug at her house so that Hansjörg visits her more frequently.

“The Roadster handles long roadtrips with ease. As long as you have somewhere to plug in for a bit along the way, it’s simple to drive the car no matter where you’re headed,” von Gemmingen says.

He even made an 800-kilometer (497 miles) journey to Berlin for the Tesla owners event last year. In less than two years, he has driven farther than any other Tesla customer. What he didn't reveal, however, is whether the car is still running on the original set of batteries or a new one.

So far, Tesla's global fleet of more than 1,600 Roadsters have been driven more than 11 million miles, with the company claiming it will use all the customer feedback on the upcoming 2012 Model S.

By Dan Mihalascu

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British Study Reveals the Most Popular Hairdresser’s Car in Real Life

And no, despite what you may have heard or read, the Audi TT ain’t the most popular car among hairdressers – or at least not in Britain. According to a new study made available today by UK women's car insurance specialist Diamond, that title goes to…*drums please*…the one and only, MINI One hatchback. In fact, the BMW Group’s MINI brand had two vehicles in the top five positions.

The UK insurance firm came to this conclusion after looking at data from over 18,000 hairdressers in Britain. The company said the MINI One is three and a half times more likely to be driven by someone working as a hairdresser than everyone else.

Next up on the list are the Vauxhall Tigra, a Fiesta-sized hardtop-convertible from GM’s European arm and Volkswagen’s New Beetle (the outgoing model), both of which are said to be more than three times as popular with hairdressers than the rest of the UK. The fourth and fifth place finishers of the study are the Ford Ka and Mini Cooper.

"It's not surprising that the Mini One is so popular amongst hairdressers, as it's stylish, modern and looks great,” said Diamond managing director, Elwyn Gedrych. “In fact, with two Mini models in the top 5, that certainly cements its place as the ultimate 'hairdresser's car'."

One more finding from the study is that British hairdressers are 33 percent more likely to drive a convertible model than drivers from other professions.

So there you have it. The Mini One is officially the real hairdresser’s car. Have your say in the comments below.

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