Sitting on 2,500-hectare Yas Island, about 10 minutes from Abu Dhabi’s airport, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will be the world’s largest indoor theme park. The park is scheduled to open in 2010, with 20 attractions for visitors. Rides include the world’s fastest roller coaster, a G-force simulator, and various racing simulators. A “flume ride” will also give visitors a view of the heart of a Ferrari 599 motor.

“Each (attraction is) designed to bring to life a different part of the Ferrari story,” according to the automaker.

Source: Left Lane News

Mopar, Chrysler’s accessories and parts division, has announced earlier this week that its online store will be including components for live TV in Chrysler vehicles.

The new technology, called FLO TV, will allow drivers of Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler cars to watch up to 20 channels. It’s made possible by a small antenna that can be mounted on the vehicle’s roof.

The components for FLO TV will be available for installation at dealerships as early as December this year.

Source: Left Lane News

The first bumper car Wright purchased and hotwired was a retired Lussee. The process of making the small vehicle ready for the road took over a year, with Wright using a Harley motor to power the bumper car. Due to the excessive vibrations caused by the motor over time, though, the Harley motor was replaced with 750cc engines. From that first bumper car, Wright’s fleet now boasts of 8 road-ready bumper cars, all sporting customized bodies and interiors

‘FUNYWUD, ‘DMV OK’

‘IS2LEGL’, ‘NOBUMPN’

‘IBBUMPN’, ‘ENSANIT’

‘ALFACAR’, ‘HOT IDEA’

The cars’ design alone would be enough to attract a fair share of attention on the road. The fact that these babies have clocked in at as much as 160 mph is a welcome bonus.

Source: Jalopnik, Benchrace

Under this ultimate RV’s sleek, shiny, black exterior and on top of its Ford F-650 chassis sit a plethora of features that guarantee to make your off-road trips as comfortable as possible. Inside the RV are customized cabinets that offer maximum storage capacities, so you can load the RV up as much as you want. The RV’s bathroom is a dream, equipped with a water pump and heater, a porcelain toilet, a fiberglass shower, and a stainless steel showerhead. The kitchen sports stainless steel walls, with a foldable kitchen sink and 2 pull-out tables.

LED accent lights, reading lights, and house lights ensure that you can go about your business even though you’re parked in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night. For your off-road entertainment, Dunkel Industries’ ultimate RV comes with power outlets and flat screen monitors. The RV even has docking ports for mp3 players, as well as DVD and CD players.

The RV’s exterior is also chock-full of features geared to make off-roading easier. Aside from providing storage space, the truck’s bed can be tilted to serve as a ramp for loading small off-road vehicles (such as dirtbikes or ATVs) onto the roof. For those situations that require heavy-duty pulling, the RV comes equipped with 3 winches. Customized tires and wheels easily support the RV’s body, capable of taking the vehicle through any off-road trail.

According to Dunkel Industries, “We created a vehicle that has unlimited versatility. A military grade 4×4 system, made by Fabco, makes our truck claw at the ground when normal RVs would be spinning their wheels. A custom wood, leather and fiberglass interior makes rest and nourishment comfortable and easy. We designed the RV as a luxury escape with no limits on how far you can travel. It’s beauty and the beast under one roof.”

Beauty and beast, indeed. With an RV like this, who wouldn’t want to pack up, take a road trip, and brave the wilderness?

Source: Autoblog, Dunkel Industries

Sometimes, it’s better just to let that reckless driver pass. There’s no harm in being overtaken, aside from your ego being stepped upon. But it just isn’t worth getting yourself involved in a stupid accident. Take your anger on the video game consoles instead.

Set to be released next week in Europe and Canada, Need for Speed Shift should give you reason to add more sleepless nights indulging in some high-octane action. It’ll be available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, PC, Mobile and iPhone.

Apart from being a worthy substitute for, or alternate with, Gran Turismo, this latest installment of the NFS series now offers Car Battle game mode. If you’re all too familiar with Best Motoring’s racing videos on YouTube, you’re going to love this. It doesn’t take a Keiichi Tsuchiya to enjoy going head to head with your favorite, or most hated, car or driver.

Start living out your racing fantasies. But here’s the catch – the cars available are unmodified models. The point is to find out how hard you can push a stock car to beat another stock car. And the best part is, you can pick any track you want. What’s the use of the steering wheel if all the racing you’re going to do is on a straight stretch of open road? Show them that you’re no ten-second racer with Need for Speed Shift.

Source: Autoblog

What better way to make an already exclusive super car more exclusive, than to riddle it with millions of that thing which girls call their best friend. That’s right – a million diamonds – and the car maker gallant enough to do it is none other than Koenigsegg, maker of the superb CCXR super car.

While in the midst of taking over troubled car brand Saab, Koenigsegg has just released to the automotive press what seems to be their most exclusive model yet - the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita.

‘Trevita’ is a Swedish term which literally means ‘three whites’. True to its name, only three units will be made of this rare piece of beauty and performance.

Koenigsegg engineers back in Sweden developed a carbon fiber material which has a special ingredient thrown into the mix – diamond finish. Dubbed as the ‘Koenigsegg Shimmering Diamond Weave’, it sparkles under the sun revealing what seems to be millions of small diamonds.

This super car is sure to be a hit with the wife, girlfriend, mom, grandma (err, maybe not) - any special woman in your life. Other than its tooth-grinding performance, which rivals that of the Bugatti Veyron if running on bio-fuel, it also comes equipped with an infotainment system, a chronological instrument cluster plus paddle shifts to help the ladies keep their hands on the steering wheel.

A carbon fiber wing plus ABS carbon ceramic brakes are only natural features of a super car. A hydraulic lifting suspension system, however, is not. It’ll allow you to set the ride height to suit whatever road conditions you’re driving on - just like a real track car.

So there you have it folks. It sure beats giving a big diamond ring for your anniversary or proposal. You have to be lucky enough, though. Chances are very, very slim that you’ll get your hands on even one of the three going into production.

Well, who knows?

Source: World Car Fans

Presenting the MINI Coupe Concept. What started out as rumors has turned out to be true.

Debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the CC is part of MINI’s eye-candy offerings for its 50^th anniversary bash.

This is a true-blue (forgive the pun), MINI, unlike its older brother, the Clubman, which has a lot more space to fit another couple. It traded in its rear seats to have a more sloped roof plus its upright windshield for a more sleek slanting glass.

You won’t be dragging your feet in this MINI. It has got the performance of a John Cooper Works model. Packing a 211-hp 1.6L turbo, it’ll instantly propel its lightweight body under any circumstances.

It’s also got a lot of room for your cargo – around 8.8 cubic feet – plus a rear pass-through for ease of access.

Aesthetic wise, it still retains the traditional MINI look – a huge tachometer to tell you when to shift plus an integrated speedometer to keep you under the speed limit. You’re going to need them, unless you want to give charity after receiving speeding tickets.

On the outside, it’s a totally new MINI, with a sleeker and lower roof line and gentler color theme. Save for the titanium paint accents which rather look off.

So there you have it folks. No word yet on plans for its productions, but it’s a sure bet MINI’s going to want to bring this one out for public consumption.

Source(s): Sports Car Forums

Not only does it tend to get stuck on the pedals, it also makes you look like you don’t own whatever car you’re driving. If you happen to be driving a Rolls-Royce Phantom, people would be wondering why, or rather, how you can afford to drive a Rolls and yet can’t afford a decent pair of driving shoes.

Blame it on the numb feeling shoes give when driving, or maybe the bulky weight which just makes them so uncomfortable, shoes are definitely second on the list for most drivers’ preferred foot wear. Compared to them, slippers, flip flops and sandals just seem to be the more practical substitute.

Well, here’s something which might help you put aside your love for slip ons – the Honda FILA Racing Shoes. Borne out of the need for a pair of lightweight footwear when behind the steering wheel, these shoes will surely give a new meaning to the term ‘light-footed’.

Available in five unique color designs, these shoes are sure to give you a pleasant time on the pedal. Not only does it promise faster footwork, it also gives you a sharper sense for the pedals.

Some of its features include cupped polyurethane heels to prevent slipping, a “ballistic” mesh material for improved feet ventilation, skinnier outsoles for a better feel of the pedals and less weight for more comfort.

FILA says the shoes embody Honda Racing’s commitment to catering to the needs of each and every racer out there. If you’re on the look out for a decent pair of driving shoes, these may fit you just right.

Source(s): Autoblog

Well, if you live in the US, all you can do for now is wonder.

The 2010 Jaguar XJ is among the first of its kind to feature a dual-view navigation screen. The Jaguar XJ’s navigation screen can show two displays at the same time. For example, the screen could be showing a GPS map for the driver, while allowing the passenger-seat occupant to watch some music videos.

While extremely convenient and entertaining, the avant-garde screen is considered illegal in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) currently mandates that entertainment systems cannt be used in the front of the vehicle while it is in motion. This prevents the driver from being distracted.

Although the driver can’t see the passengers screen, nor access entertainment controls while on the road, Jaguar chief designer Ian Callum admits that the navigation screen’s split-screen feature still violates the NHTSA’s regulations. Jaguar is allegedly hoping that the NHTSA will reconsider and allow the European auto innovation into the US.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, eh?

Source: Automobile Mag

Production of the rumored partnership sports car by Toyota and Subaru, dubbed the ‘Toyobaru 086A’ (ring a bell?), will proceed, despite reports earlier this year that it will be postponed.

The joint venture was first announced back in April of 2008. Both Toyota and Subaro both issued statements that the plan was to put a new, rear-wheel drive coupe on production by late 2011.

The news has both Toyota and Subaru fans excited. It’s supposedly to relive the legacy put forth by, and to serve as tribute to, the legendary Toyota Corolla Sprinter Trueno AE86, which has reached cult status to this day in the world of drifting.

Drifting is a motor sport which was borne on the mountain passes of Japan. It’s a form of racing wherein instead of using grip to overcome high speed corners, the driver initiates a controlled oversteer, or a drift, to maintain momentum around the corner.

What started as an underground form of racing in Japan is now a major motor sport with a worldwide following. Responsible for raising drifting to sport status is none other than the Drift King, Japanese racing driver Keiichi ‘Dorikin’ Tsuchiya. He is recognized worldwide for his role in bringing drifting to the world of motor sports driving the venerable Sprinter Trueno, or more famously known as ‘Eight Six’.

It’s too early to tell, though, whether the Toyobaru will live up to its legendary predecessor’s status. One thing sure is that a lot of Toyota and Subaru fans are going to be pleased with the new car’s rear-wheel drivetrain.

Sharing the Sprinter Trueno’s FR configuration, plus the immense power of a stock Subaru Impreza’s engine, the new car is like something borne out of Japanese artist Shuiichi Shigeno’s equally famous manga (comic) and anime (cartoon), Initial D.

Initial D is a manga about the racing adventures of a young man using his dad’s Sprinter Trueno. Dubbed as the “Little Hachi that could”, the underdog Trueno and its driver, eighteen year old Takumi Fujiwara, goes on to conquer the world of street racing. Later in the story, Takumi gets to drive another of his dad’s cars, a Subaru Impreza WRX STi, which further improves his skills behind the wheel.

Both the manga and anime rose to fame following the rise of drifting as a sport. Thanks to Initial D, both the Eight Six and the Impreza developed huge and loyal fan bases all over the world. Meanwhile, as the demand for the Eight Six soared in the world of drifting, the Impreza was already a dominating force in the world of rallying, especially in the World Rally Championship.

There is no doubt that the Toyobaru will be expected to live up to both the Sprinter Trueno’s and Impreza’s reputations as race-winning sports cars. It has the best of both worlds – rear wheel drivetrain configuration, unbeaten on the race track, plus a powerful engine.

The question is will fans be able to avail it once it comes into production. There are no reports as of yet whether it will be sold in Europe or America apart from Japan. So all you fans will just have to stay tuned.

Source: World Car Fans