World's oldest car sells for $4.6 million - Oct. 10, 2011

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- A steam-powered car, billed as the oldest car in the world that still runs, was sold at a Hershey, Pa. auction late Friday for $4.6 million.

The auction company, RM Auctions, had estimated that the car would sell for about half that much. It represents the highest price ever paid for an early automobile at auction. The price includes a 10% "buyer's premium" which goes to the auction company.

The name of the buyer has not been made public.

The car was built in France in 1884, about a year before Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz of Germany, who went on to found the carmakers that would become Daimler (DDAIF), maker of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars, built their first experimental gasoline-powered cars. (The two were working independently of one another.) Henry Ford finished his first garage-built car 12 years after this one. He later went on to found the Ford Motor Company (F, Fortune 500) and incidentally, he also founded the carmaker that would ultimately become the Cadillac division of General Motors (GM,Fortune 500).

The four-wheeled De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, nicknamed "La Marquise," was originally built for the French Count De Dion, one of the founders of the company that built it.

Fueled by coal, wood and bits of paper, the car takes about a half-hour to work up enough steam to drive. Top speed is 38 miles per hour. The car came close to that speed during what has been billed as the world's first automobile race in 1887, according to RM Auctions.

The car had last been sold in 2007 for about $3.5 million at a Pebble Beach, Calif. auction. 

World's oldest car sells for $4.6 million - Oct. 10, 2011

Tron-Inspired Lightcycle Hits the Road

It looks like a video game that’s come to life, that because it is.

The Lightcycle from Parker Brothers Choppers was inspired by the movie “Tron: Legacy,” where virtual characters race on high speed bikes that behind deadly trails of light.

The Parker Brother’s version can’t do that last part, but is otherwise a near exact replica of the CGI rides in the movie and, best of all, you can actually buy one.

Despite the unconventional seating position and hubless wheels, the Lightcycle is far from a show bike. It is powered by electricity, can travel up to 80 miles per 35 minute charge and costs about $60,000.

But what’s most amazing about it is that Parker Brothers Choppers didn’t even exist a year ago.

Brothers Marc and Shannon used to build custom bikes as a hobby. Then they created a replica of the BatPod seen in the movie “The Dark Knight” which garnered a lot of attention and potential customers, so they set up shop.

They followed it up with a gasoline-powered version of the Lightcycle, that’s still available and featured in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog, but wanted to build something even closer to the “real” thing, so they went electric.

Marc says that despite its odd shape, the Lightcycle is more maneuverable than a lot of the choppers he’s ridden, and definitely ready for the road.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/10/08/tron-inspired-lightcycle-hits-road/?google_editors_picks=true#ixzz1aEbis59A

THE BRIGHT HOUSE 2011 CLEARWATER SUPER BOAT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

http://www.clearwatersuperboat.com/super-boat-class-racing-boats.html

Almost perfect conditions for race

First 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 goes for $250,000 at auction

By: Michelle Koueiter on 9/26/2011

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The first 2012 Camaro ZL1 put up for sale brought $250,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas on Sept. 24.

Fairway Chevrolet-Buick-GMC put the new ZL1 up for auction, with proceeds going toward the Southern Nevada YMCA. The car was bought by Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who expects delivery in the first quarter of next year. His will be the only Chevy Camaro ZL1 coupe of the 2012 model year with a "carbon flash metallic" exterior. Also, it is the 69th ZL1 from the Oshawa Assembly Plant, in honor of the limited 69 production copies of the 1969 ZL1.

"Like the original, the 2012 Camaro ZL1 introduces a performance benchmark for the street and the track," Chevy spokesman Russ Clark said. "Offering the 69th Camaro ZL1 at auction was a fitting tribute to the 1969 model."

The 1969 ZL1 was the most elite Camaro ever produced, according to General Motors. The all-aluminum big-block engine used was originally developed for Corvette race cars in the late 1960s. It was similar to the Chevrolet L-88 427 engine, except the ZL1's aluminum block reduced the overall weight by more than 100 pounds. The 1969 ZL1 was rated at 430 hp, but GM says it was known to produce more than 500 hp.

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is equipped with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers 580 hp and 556 lb-ft of torque.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110926/CARNEWS/110929908#ixzz1ZaE0Qf3R

V-8 Pony Car Drag Race!

Jaguar Steals the Show at Frankfurt

Stunning C-X16 concept combines gorgeous looks, cutting-edge technology.

By Richard Aucock of MSN Autos

Jaguar has stolen the show here at the Frankfurt Motor Show with its stunning C-X16 sports car concept, which points toward a future model that would take on thePorsche 911. It is not only gorgeous to look at, but packs in lots of cutting-edge technology.

The C-X16 concept is a gasoline-electric hybrid that offers both searing performance and incredible economy. Add the ability to drive in zero-tailpipe-emissions, all-electric mode and you have a segment buster

Read more

The Zero S electric supermotard

The latest in our series of video road tests is America's leading electric motorcycle: the Zero S, from California's Zero Motorcycles. Seventy-five miles per hour and 60 miles between charges are the big numbers here – but how does that translate to real life use? Also, since electricity costs so much less than petrol, can an electric motorcycle be viewed as an economical option? And what about the environment? When the carbon cost of electricity generation is taken into account, how green are electric vehicles? These questions and more, answered after the jump!

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First up, watch the road test video to see how the Zero rides:

Now to the tricky bit – is the Zero S value for money, and how much better for the environment is it than an equivalent petrol bike?

Let's line it up against the Kawasaki KLX250F, a road-oriented single cylinder dirtbike of about the same weight and performance.

There's some pretty huge variables here, obviously, but we've done our best to come up with unbiased figures.

We figure the formula for cost of ownership goes something like this: Total cost of ownership = (purchase price) + (miles per energy unit X price per energy unit X miles) + (servicing costs).

We'll use 65,000 miles as our distance rating, because that's how long the Zero S will run before its battery takes a noticeable drop in performance and needs replacing.

So here we go:

Purchase Price

The Zero S costs US$10,000, not counting federal and state subsidies. The Kawasaki costs $5000. The Zero has a lot of catching up to do!

Read more from gizmag.com

Valentine Gift Ideas

One of my favorite holidays is Valentines Day. I love to go shopping for a valentines day gift and I always want my gift to be different, unique, and of course personal. I have been married for almost twenty-five years now and I still enjoy shopping for a Valentines Day gift for my husband. I use to go to our local mall, I would lock up and set my alarm (information home security)/ but it closed down years ago. So now I shop online for his Valentines Day gift.

I can usually find some really different and unique gifts online. This year I found a website that sells the most unique gifts I have ever seen. I never buy my husband an everyday item, it has to be unique. I am still undecided on what I am going to get him, but I have several things in mind. One might be a set of sexy valentine boxers with a t-shirt to match. I found a set that is quite inexpensive, yet very cute and personal. I highly enjoy shopping online for my husbands Valentines Day gift.

Honda, Toyota, Chrysler issue recalls - USATODAY.com

Honda, Toyota, Chrysler issue recalls - USATODAY.com

Nissan unveils ESFLOW electric sports car concept; 0-60 in 5 seconds

Nissan’s new Leaf plug-in electric vehicle may be the way to capture the minds of American consumers wary about EVs, but its new ESFLOW electric sports car concept dares to capture our hearts.

The Japanese automaker announced the vehicle on Thursday, promising an “environmentally sympathetic” vehicle without risking “the joy of driving.”

Put the pedal to the metal, if you ask me.

As such, the ESFLOW concept takes the powertrain components from the Leaf — an electric motor that drives each powered wheel hooked up to laminated lithium-ion batteries — and marries them to an aluminum chassis built for performance, in the form of a 0 to 60 m.p.h. time of less than five seconds.

The range, you ask? About 150 miles per charge.

Read more