This is a fun car to daydream about owning someday, the new $224,000 roadster version of the SLS from Mercedes-Benz. Heck you can even go online and ‘Build Your Own” – pick the color, the interior, the engine package, make it all the way to check out, then sadly skip the ‘contact nearest dealer’ option. It’s a bad habit I have when killing time on the world wide web. The new roadster drops the gull-wing doors and the hardtop roof yet keeps its high end performance by stiffening the body style. The folding textile roof is available in black, red or beige and can be raised or lowered in just 11 seconds with speeds up to 31 mph. A side view pic:  (more…)

Take a tour of the Porsche factory in this remarkable look back at German auto manufacturing in the 1960′s. Once you get past the charmingly rigid introduction by the son of founder Professor Ferdinand Porsche, the process of making each sports car by hand is fascinating. The film’s style, music and graphics provide a window to an era gone by.

If you’ve ever watched the terrific movie “The Queen” then you might have noticed the fleet of sleek hunter green Land Rover Defenders that transport the Royal family to and from Balmoral Castle, a 49,000 acre “estate” in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Riding in a Defender is a bumpy and jarring ride, and the novelty of being in such a powerful looking automobile wears off quickly. With new higher emission standards across the EU, the Defenders days were looking bleak, but with their latest “X-Tech” model, the line will live on at least through 2017. The X-Tech features a 2.4 liter common-rail diesel engine and costs 24,995 pounds. That’s $40,000 is US dollars, but unfortunately it doesn’t matter, as the X-Tech will not be coming stateside.

If you’re in the market for a motorcycle helmet that looks as cool as your bike, then make sure to check out Davida. The Speedster style shown above does not conform to any current safety standards, but you can get the similar JET version that does. The Speedster is a 70′s style helmet that will fit right in with your cafe racer bike.

Monterey Car Week starts on Monday, August 15th and goes through the 21st. This 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa is expected to set an auction record and fetch up to $13 Million on August 20th as part of the Gooding & Company’s Auction, the highest amount ever paid for an automobile. It’s a good week for car enthusiasts.

Showing little concern that going small will eat into their place at the top of the luxury food chain, Aston Martin has collaborated with French retailer Collette on a limited edition luxury Cygnet city car. Maybe the fact that only 14 cars will be produced has eased any trepidation they might be feeling. Collette has (more…)

In Europe, station wagons are commonly referred to as “Estate Cars,” indicating a very healthy respect that’s largely missing in the U.S. market. Remember that beautiful and highly functional Audi Allroad Quattro (more…)

Spotted recently on the streets of New York: a 1968 Jaguar XJ6. This is the last year the founder of the company, Sir William Lyons, had input on design. He described the XJ6 as ‘the finest Jaguar ever’ – this may still hold true today. Lyons founded the (more…)

If you’ve been lusting over a Porsche Panamera, but simply can’t afford the hefty price tag, you may want to consider the all-new Audi A7. Sleek and powerful, think of it as the younger, slightly less refined cousin to the Porsche flagship. But don’t underestimate the prestige of the A7, a (more…)

For all the gaudy excess that was the royal wedding, you can’t fault William on his choice of car. The newlyweds rode in a stunning (and classy) 1968 DB6 Aston Martin.  This beautiful convertible (more…)