This 1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1-RS won the Goodguys Street Machine of the Year award at SEMA, and its easy to see why. Not only does it have the awesome exterior, but it has an aluminum dashboard plus console, not to mention the leather seats. Of course, the award wasn’t just given for external experience, as this LS7 V8 put out more than 600 horsepower.

I don’t know about you, but it reminds me of the Batmobile from the 1960s Batman TV show.

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It feels like Nissan has already out-done itself environmentally with the Leaf, but just when you think an auto company can’t do more, they do. In fact, they have went and drawn this sketch of an electric version of the NV200 light commercial van. Global mass-marketing of the Leaf will begin in 2012, so I imagine it will probably take a long time before we see an actual electric NV200. Still, it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?

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Not only is Chrysler working on their 5-year plan, but they are also planning to bring TV to Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles. This FLO TV will feature up to 20 channels that includes Nickelodeon, MTV, MSNBC, Comedy Central, Fox News, CNBC, CBS Mobile, plus many more.

The Mopar system uses a small antenna, and the associated receiver and wires will not be seen by the occupants. The screen will be the DVD player with its 7-inch display, and passengers can use the wireless remote to surf the channels. FLO TV will be offered as a deal-installed option for most new Chrysler SUV minivans for about $629, which includes one year of pre-paid FLO TV service subscription.

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Not only did Ford display a 5.4 V8 SVT Raptor at SEMA, but they went so far as introducing a 6.2 liter V8. This 6.2 version of the Raptor could be the “most capable off-roading production truck ever built”. It goes from 0 to 60 in less than seven seconds, and it has 411 horsepower and 434 pound per foot torque. The cost of the 6.2 Raptor will be at $41,995, which is $3,000 more than the 5.4 V8.

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Hummer has announced enhancements to their 2010 H3 and H3T. The new enhancements include an E85 Flex Fuel capable 5.3L V8 engine and three new exterior colors (Red Rock Metallic, Silver Stone Metallic, and Canyon Metallic). The new engines will be standard for all 2010 Alpha Series models. These new engines feature 300 HP and an aluminum cylinder block that should help reduce overall mass and maintain a balanced front-to-rear weight balance.

These new models are expected to arrive by December, 2009 in North America. The H3 will be priced starting at $33,390 while the H3T starts at $30,915.

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Tags: alpha series, aluminum cylinder, cylinder block, e85 flex fuel, enhancements, exterior colors, H3, H3T, hp, HUMMER, image credits, new engines, north america, series models, silver stone, weight balance

It’s not every day we think about key chains.  Sure, they’re a necessary part of every car trip, and they do a whole lot more than we think (who here hasn’t made the key chain claw in a bad neighborhood?) but there are key chains out there that do plenty more than just hold keys.

Today we’re talking about one such key chain, which Wholesale Keychains so kindly sent a model of for my consideration, the lockback knife.

It’s a lot smaller than you’d expect, and offers a short knife with a partially serrated edge.  You might well wonder why you’d ever want to carry a knife around on your keychain, especially with all the various laws around them, but I can assure you that if you ever get in an accident and caught in the seatbelt, you’d be glad to have one.

And frankly, I believe this little badass of a knife could cut through a seatbelt, too.  It tore through a Rent A Center circular like Lindsay Lohan through a bag of coke.  Best of all, you can get one of these yourselves for the low, low price of $4.99, and if you order from them, you can get ten percent off if you use the promotional code carbuyer.

So if you live in fear of being pinned upside down in a car, worry no longer.

Tags: key chain, keychain, knife, lockback knife, wholesale

Here’s an idea whose time has more than definitely come.  If you’re fond of the game Forumwarz, like I am, then you’re already familiar with their special item the Versnatche Earbleeders, a kind of video monitor / earphone sunglasses that “block out the outside world completely”.  Well, these aren’t quite Earbleeders, but the Bluetooth Handsfree Sunglasses just might be the next best thing.

The Bluetooth Handsfree Sunglasses bring you eye protection and handsfree calling in one convenient and–let’s face it, folks–stylish package.  Plus, you don’t have to wear that ear blender cyborg earpiece, although if that’s part of the allure for you you may not be too interested in these.

They’re compatible with all Bluetooth equipped phones and offer a talk time of three and a half hours, which makes them a great alternative to nearly every hands free phone kit.  And best of all, they’re not even prohibitively expensive–you can get the Bluetooth Handsfree Sunglasses for just under fifty bucks a pair.

Tags: Bluetooth, bluetooth connectivity, bluetooth enabled cell phones, handsfree, sunglasses

These days, folks, it almost seems like you’re taking your life into your hands every time you venture out from the safety of your home cave.  But things like the BodyGard Self Powered Emergency Tool can help make you feel just a little better.

First, the whole “self-powered” thing–that’s not a misnomer.  This thing comes with a hand crank dynamo built right in so that under pretty much any circumstances short of a massive electromagnetic pulse hitting the earth, you’ll have power.

And what will you be powering?  Why, an array of useful car gadgets, that’s what!  An LED flashlight, a red emergency flasher, a digital tuner FM radio, a panic button with alarm, a motion activated security alarm, a cell phone charger output, an AC charging adapter input, and even some lesser powered stuff like a compass, signaling mirror and storage compartment for pills or matches or an emergency key.

Okay, sounds great, right?  But what are they asking in terms of PRICE on that kind of thing?  How does twenty smacks sound?  Yeah, I KNOW…that’s pretty awesome.  So go grab one!

Tags: emergency, emergency tool, flashers, hand crank dynamo, Radio, self powered

Peugeot has unveiled a new emission-free electric car in the market coined the BB1. This new concept electric car can seat up to 4 adults and can go as far as 75 miles. It is easy to park and is fitted with two electric motors mounted at the rear wheel. It runs on two lithium-ion batteries and the passenger compartment ventilation keeps operating in daylight thanks to solar panels on the roof of the vehicle.

No word on whether this will become official nor numbers to support it. But maybe when everything is ironed out, we can get more specifics about this latest electric car from Peugeot.

Image Credits: Channel 4

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Tags: adults, bb1, channel 4, electric car, electric vehicle, image credits, lithium, lithium ion batteries, Peugeot, rear wheel, solar panels, specifics, ventilation

Something else made a splash at SEMA, and it was an accessory. The MotionLites guy are clearly something that you will see on tricked-out vehicles everywhere like spinners.

The kit is available for about $400, and there is a nice video after the jump if you want to see more. The tune alone makes it worth watching.

continue reading "MotionLite: The next spinner?"

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This car is enough to make any surfer say “whoa, dude”. Actually, it probably wouldn’t, because I know that most surfers don’t talk like we want them to.

This is a Toyota Venza designed for Billabong for the SEMA show. It has wet suit material on the seats themselves, and even a shower in the back for rinsing. It also has built-in WiFi and cool images topside on the inside.

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Okay, I will admit that the whole (Insert adjective here). (Insert noun here). Ever. conceit has been done to death, but how else do you describe this Dunkel Industries 4×4?

This guy is a ginormous 32 feet long, and is built on a Ford F-650/F-750 chassis. I believe it is designed to tow the space shuttle to the launch pad, of course.

I can’t imagine what it costs, but it’s easy to see why it is outside the SEMA auto show.

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I don’t know about you, but when someone comes to me saying that they have a five-year plan, it is usually a good sign that it is something they don’t follow in the next year. Let’s hope Chrysler will follow its 5-year plan that it made in its 7 hour long presentation and actually achieve its desired results.

There is a few models on their way out, new models that are on their way, and some that will be hanging around and getting their annual upgrades. Check them out from Chrysler’s website here.

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We’ve all been there at one time or another, out for an evening, and we’ve had a couple, and it’s not exactly easy to tell if you’re sufficiently blasted to call a cab or you can get your car home without too much trouble.  And frankly, it never helps that the cops have breathalyzers and such–because they can KNOW while you’re left to merely guess.

Now you can improve your guesses with the AlcoHawk portable breathalyzer.  It has a folding mouthpiece and an easy to read LED screen that tells you, just as surely as it tells the cops, just how much alcohol is in your system at any given time.

It’ll detect any range between nothing at all and .40, which is actually where you need to be in order to DIE FROM ALCOHOL POISONING, (the range, depending on tolerance, is actually about .37 to .50) so you know it’ll handle the complete range.

I personally like this idea, myself…if drunk drivers can keep themselves off the road, then that’s a whole lot fewer accidents.

Tags: AlcoHawk, AlcoHawk portable breathalyzer, drunk, drunk drivers, drunk driving

Okay, remember how I was talking about the whole idea of putting an LED board in the back window, or the front window of your car so you can transmit your rage to other cars?  Or, conversely, so that you can thank people who do courteous things like letting you merge or take a turn first at a four way stop?  You know, that awesome stuff that people should do more often or at the very least get due props for?

Well, now you can take that whole idea to the next level of awesomesauce with the Scrolling LED Message Sign.  It comes with a remote and can apparently roll messages with no limit on word count.  You can also pick from your choice of ninety eight different stock messages.

I’m sorry, but this is either brilliant or idiotic, and I can see someone getting killed over this one.  But then again, it could inspire a whole new level of civility in driving when people get to see, firsthand, that their decisions have consequences for others.

Tags: accessory, LED, message, message board, Scrolling LED