HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda will unveil a sporty, compact crossover concept vehicle, Mazda Kazamai, at the Moscow International Automobile Salon (MIAS) on August 26. Kazamai, which means "swirling crosswinds" in Japanese, expresses the powerful yet nimble image of a stylish and compact crossover. The concept is based on Mazda's long-term vision for technology development, Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, which aims to provide a unique balance between sporty driving fun and superior environmental and safety performance. Kazamai will be joined at MIAS by the Russian debut of Mazda's CX-9 SUV, which was crowned 2008 North American Truck of the Year in February.

The Kazamai concept further evolves Mazda's 'Nagare' design language by fusing Nagare's 'flow' design cues with aerodynamic proportions. The design features panel lines inspired by crosswinds in nature which evoke visual lightness. Its bold five-point grille, accentuated front wheel arches and sleek roof line, combined with large 22-inch wheels, lend it high emotional appeal.

Sporty to look at, Kazamai is meant to be spirited and fun to drive, with compact dimensions. Kazamai's four-wheel drive powertrain will consist of a next-generation direct injection engine and a newly developed transmission. It is also aerodynamic, with an evolved lightweight body structure and enhanced the vehicle safety attributes. Were it to be built, Mazda's latest show car would deliver exciting driving dynamics, frugal fuel consumption and greatly reduced CO2 emissions.

The Mazda Kazamai promises to be another ground-breaking show car from Mazda Design, winner of this year's Grand Prix du Design in Paris. Created especially for the Moscow International Automobile Salon, it gives a good indication of where Mazda is going with a possible future compact crossover. And in Russia's growing automotive market, compact SUVs are the second-largest segment, representing about 13 percent of all new car sales.

Complete information will be made available immediately after Mazda's press conference at 10:15 a.m. local time, on August 26 at the Mazda stand.

Insider: 2008 Mazda 6 To Be Introduced In October, Sales Start In November [via Winding Road]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2008 Mazda6 [internal]

Our 1960 Ford Fairlane 500 driving Vegas homeboy Curtis Walker snuck away from the Las Vegas Grand Prix long enough to stop by Viva Las Vegas 10 at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino. It was the latest in a decade's worth of rockabilly/hotrod that's gone, daddy. Check out Curtis's photo gallery and wish your pompadour was tight enough and your chick chick enough to have attended in the flesh. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Las Vegas Grand Prix, 2007: Race Day; Lone Star Rod & Kustom Roundup Roundup [internal]

The Mercedes CL65 dropped like a big chunk of Afghani hash at the AutoRAI in Amsterdam earlier today. According to the press release, translated by World Car Fans, the tuner CL will get a 612-hp version of AMG's booster-rocket V12. That's the six-point-oh-mein-gott-liter, twin-turbo devastation engine, hand-signed by its factory endower. That gives it a zero-to-62 mph time of 4.4 seconds, though the electronically limited top speed of 155 mph can only be unhooked in exchange for a large quantity of cash, and only in the home country. We'll know more when AMG releases the goods later today. – Mike Spinelli

Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG Unveiled [World Car Fans]

Related:
Spy Photos: Mercedes-Benz AMG CL 65 [internal]

Anyway, this is it. Hands down, my favorite hot rod at Detroit's Autorama show. The product of a long-gone chop shop somewhere in Ontario, this Stude has been chopped, channeled, lowered, and lightened. Man, just look at the way those skinny wire wheels in the back stick up over the bed. The devilish way those water hoses snake from the rad to the block, like a pair of horns poking out of it's head. That ivory colored steering wheel, the tilting windshield, the purposeful flathead, the subtle pinstriping... I"m in love.– Ben Wojdyla

Oh it's so good.

There's the money shot.

Related:
More on Autorama [internal]

Vintage rodding now is basically the same as it was when it was just rodding. You find the best parts, the rarest treasures, and put them on your ride to make it go faster or look cooler. Wondering around amidst this treasure trove of chrome and aluminum and rust and WD40, the gorgeous bits and pieces you find are sometimes astonishing. Also amazing are the clever ways people work around pieces that they either can't find or don't want to buy. What follows is a gallery of awesome parts treasures which I'm sure most are at least two or three times older than I am (check out the hand welded intake manifold - rad). – Ben Wojdyla

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2006 Woodward Dream Pre-Cruise: What's The Difference Between A "Rat Rod" And A "Hot Rod?" [internal]

Okay, so maybe it would have to be Grandpappy from the American side of the family (before coming over to Deutschland), but that's the first thing I thought when I saw this low and lean roadster. Looking at that worn paint, the zoomies, the Native American blanket seat cover and the underhung headlights. It all makes me giddy as a schoolgirl. There's just so much coolness packed into this little car. It's a wonder I didn't walk out of that place with a significantly lighter wallet and a basketcase that looked really cool. For no good reason, the craziest/coolest part of this car is the trunk if you believe it or not. Take a look after the jump.– Ben Wojdyla

Related:
More on Autorama [internal]

A couple of stretched out bruisers were sitting nose-to-nose in the first row of the lower level. I almost fell over when I saw em. They were raucous and unconventional, seemingly thrown together with whatever parts could be found. They were also done with so much style you had to love 'em. What's not to love about a car with gull-wing doors, whose rear axle is under the your knees, that's also called "Hemirod"? Or whose roof has more metallic sculpture than the Guggenheim museum and a dually truck axle? Nothing, that's what. – Ben Wojdyla

Related:
More Autorama [internal]

I think Ralph Nader's infamous title is perhaps more apropos in this situation than in its original context. I first saw this contraption cruising Woodward during the Dream Cruise last summer, but couldn't seem to catch up to it. Now it's cornered quarry and far more dangerous than I'd thought. As mentioned, that's a blown GM 502 ci V8. The shock comes from the numbers: 700 hp and 733 lb-ft of torque. That goodness is running through a custom-built 200R4 transmission to a Ford 9" rear and 20" wide Mickey Thompsons. Yeah, that's more batshit craziness than most muscle cars with four wheels (and seat belts and a roll cage, and...). I can almost taste the sublimated June bugs just looking at it. – Ben Wojdyla

Related:
Can-Am Spyder Website Goes Live, Trike Fanatics Hearts Aflutter; all of our Autorama coverage [internal]

Taking the esco downstairs is like going from Heaven to Valhalla. It's the same idea, but a completely different execution. Upon arriving in this value-added paradise I knew it was much more my speed. The main floor is packed with high-dollar artwork that will probably never see the open road, along with an insane quantity of people. Still, all that perfection and primping, pomp and circumstance for cars you know will be trailer queens is a bit disappointing. In the belly of the beast that is Cobo, the cars get driven hard and put away wet. Duct tape is allowed and creativity and McGyvering are encouraged. Here, everything pretty much falls into two categories: ricers and vintage rods. Guess which ones I care about. Get ready for the best part of the show kids. – Ben Wojdyla

Related:
More Autorama [internal]

"Hmm, that's a funny start to a hot rod."
"Why is it so narrow?"
"Is that a strange car or what?"

All quotes heard while in the company of the assembled gawkers. It is in fact the beginnings of an unfaithful reproduction of what's been known historically as "the golden submarine," a 1917-era streamliner built under the masterful watch of racing legend Harry Miller. This new hotness is the baby of Taylor and Dan Webb. Like the original, this one is a bit unorthodox in its construction. Custom fitted eccentric brakes from Buell, a nicely massaged Zetec powerplant from Ford and handsomely lightened components all around. The original car could throw down 136 hp and roll to the tune of 107.6 mph. Considering the stock Zetec puts down 130 hp, and the SVT goes to 170 ponies, I'd bet it'll be fast. Based on the historical pics (below) and the changes to the design that have already been made, I can't wait to see what it looks like next year. – Ben Wojdyla

Just look at those tiny dimensions, it's going to be spectacular.

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Indy Retroness: Offy, Mofos! [internal]

In 50,000 years, when our mutated evolutionary relatives comb through the still radioactive debris of our civilization, in an effort to reconstruct early transportation history, they'll stumble on this 1974 Karmann Ghia and puzzle over it. Is this the long postulated early missing link between Audi and Volkswagen? The body is obviously a modified hardtop Karmann, but the powertrain is that of a two-wheel-drive A4 2.8-liter V6. But what's this? The front suspension is off of what? A Corvette? They would, of course, re-bury it and avoid causing too much controversy among the automotive archaeological community. Proof of this shame after the jump. – Ben Wojdyla

[Distinctive Replica]

Related:
Porsche-Powered Karmann Ghia: Yes, You Can Have One [internal]

Vespa, maker of iconic scooters, apparently fancied a run at the American automobile market at one time in its life. Unfortunately a compact two seater powered by a two-cylinder power unit wasn't really what the market was asking for in 1960. These are very nice examples nonetheless. The designers of this model later found success in the sales and marketing of Micro Machines. I'm not going to lie, I thought about putting one in my pocket and walking out without paying.– Ben Wojdyla

Related:
Isetta in Drag: The Whatta Drag [internal]

Sometimes, on this great journey through life, you witness something so truly breathtaking, so utterly, impossibly perfect, pure and good, it shifts the paradigm of your perception. It is deceptively easy to go right by the "First Love" exhibit in front of Detroit's Cobo hall. A passing glance will reveal nothing out of the ordinary, as slick show cars go. Look closer and you'll bear witness to high-dollar rodding nirvana. Simply put, this is, by a wide margin, the finest example of no-holds-barred custom fabrication work this Jalop has ever seen. Ever.

The details on this '36 Ford are so fine and numerous, the quality of the build so high, the execution so flawless that I cannot imagine a better example of the art. While his contemporaries are going with full chrome inboard Jag E-type suspensions, Troy and his team are giving us inboard drums and hidden discs. While the competition throws out candied colors, he goes for subtle, almost factory finishes that catch the eye like the Mona Lisa. They go with big chrome wheels, he's sporting custom-machined and painted wide fives, with a tasteful throwback hubcap. Even the hubs to match the wheels are works of art. The underbody of this car is better than most of its contemporaries' coachwork; nary a bolt, rivet, or pin is visible. The mesh below the hood has cutouts that match the car's heart shaped logo. Nothing has been overlooked, nothing is flawed. I, and many others, stood mouths agape at the craftsmanship of this car. Bravo sir, bravo. – Ben Wojdyla

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Salt Flats Monster: '69 Barracuda LSR Car [internal]

Yes, those are 30" wheels made by DUB. Yes, that's a Cadillac Caprice with a Rolls Royce schnoz. Yes, the kid after the jump is barely taller than the wheel with which he is posing as if it were Spongebob (who was incidentally posing with kids not a hundred feet away). Does that about cover it? It's becoming a challenge to bring you continuously flashier and yet so so smooth rides; the ne plus ultra seems to have a short shelf life these days. Can Spate Kreations claim this as the current winner? It's a tough call between this and the orange Caprice with clear kicks from earlier, but in the end, we all win. – Ben Wojdyla

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All Hail the First Video of a Clear-Rims Burnout: The Garfield Box [internal]

Yeah, that's right, I'm thumbing my nose at the establishment, giving the finger to the man, and gesturing in any other phalangically based displays of disrespect. I say this is the first C6 Corvette-based conversion that does not, in fact, suck. In pictures it may not work; our very own commenters raked it over the coals when Spinelli wrote about it back in November. But in person it works surprisingly well. I spoke with Fred Kanter, chairman of n2a (and owner of the Packard brand name - cooool!). Apparently the idea was to meld different aspects of the '57, '58, and '59 Bel Air models into something interesting but familiar. One remarkable aspect of the build process was that the entire undertaking, from purchase of Vette to carbon-fiber body #1, was only about 14 weeks. Damn impressive for the level of detail if you ask me. It even uses factory reproductions of the original headlight and taillight buckets. Come on, what's not to love about that? Sure, there are a couple of things that could be massaged. The interior could stand a bit of tarting up and the license plate spot in the rear isn't as cool as it could be. But it's a great start for such an ill-received concept. – Ben Wojdyla

Related:

On hand for this past Sunday's Autorama festivities in Detroit were Chip Foose of high hot-rod art (and Overhaulin') fame, and his partner in crime/sidekick Chris Jacobs. Apparently Foose is kind of a big thing in hot rodding circles, as evidenced by the throng of fans awaiting a signature in what I could only assume was an infinity hour-long line. I'll just take my forget-me-not pic from the sidelines and call it good.– Ben Wojdyla

Related:
Mustang, Redux: Foose Stallion Now Available At Ford Dealerships [internal]

Rivets, rivets, rivets. Everywhere, on everything, holding all parts together, acting as thematic motivator and functional fastener de rigeur. The WW2 themed offering is a really cool take on a the open-topped hot rod. It's spartan interior is reminiscent of early Jeeps and Willy's runabouts. Check out the trunk with its gas tin and one-off battery box. Rodding magic. I have no explanation for the brass head as a shifter knob. Some things are best left not known. Oh so much below the fold.– Ben Wojdyla

Related:
The Foose P-32: What Could've Been [internal]

Some of us Jalops have busy lives and a fan base that is not only extensive, but always demanding of attention. As such, sometimes the coverage of a major hot rod show like Detroit's Autorama may be posted a bit late. Hey, you'd post late too if you had to beat off all those fans with a bent tie rod. Anyway, in the next couple of days, expect tardy posts. You know, my norm.

So here we go, let's start out with a doozy, a Monte Carlo SS wagon. Interested? I was too. How about a Monte Carlo SS wagon with eight TV's, a 2,500-watt sound system, and Autozone (or Murray's if you please) halo headlights? Conductor, this is my stop, I'm not frontin' on the body work, it's really nice considering it's based on the owner's imagination. Still, yowza. Check out the interior after the jump...

Yes, that's a set of TV screens in the IP, and one in front of the console, and one below that, and one in the glove box area, and if you look closely, there's one in the corner of the open suicide scissor door. I don't make it up, I just report it.– Ben Wojdyla

Related:
Autorama-Lama-Ding-Dong: Dodge Challenger Super Stock Is Back...In Black! [internal]

San Francisco Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show [External]

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Sci-Fi Survivor: The Landmaster; GMC PAD Takes Design Prize; When TV was King of Kustoms [Internal]

While nowhere near the triage conditions of the Paris Media Center, we still dislike press days at auto shows. Our ass hurts, the coffee's cold, we missed lunch, we missed the picture of the really fat journalist loading a plate of food while bitching about the quality and the pole-to-hole ratio is worse than you could possibly imagine. And another thing: where is all this video going? Why are there ten thousand men in lousy suits shooting so much footage of stationary objects? And why are they such jerks? Why does [CENSORED] from [Censored] smell so awfull? Ten million carmakers and not a single Camino concept? Why have we been up since 5:30 am? Why don't we just read about this on autoblog? What's that? The Audi booth is handing out highly precise mimosas? We love our job.

We gave the Sweeter Peeter some rightful business last week on his beef with Karl Brauer. He sent us the static he sent Karl back, and frankly, it was basically more of the same, "Since I started Autoextremist on June 1, 1999..." schtick that he's been parroting since, well 1999, so we didn't bother posting it. That said, Peet's got a solid piece this week on the runup to auto show season and all of the ridiculousness entails. We hear he and Brauer are going to hot-oil wrestle onstage at Jumbo's Clown Room while DeLorenzo's out here for the LA Auto Show. The question is, which one will tag in Jason Vines? We're totally there. Who's in? – Davey G. Johnson

The Auto Show Season Begins - Yikes! [Autoextremist]

Related:
Now Sweet Peet is Fighting With Karl Brauer [Internal]

Years ago, Pontiac debuted a concept called the 'Rageous. At the time, the joke was, "They should've called it the ''Diculous'." Reader Punkey spotted this C6 set to debut at the SEMA Show over at Autoblog, and our lord and savior is currently trembling in his sandals for the future of humanity. We'll leave the words with him, because we couldn't put it better ourselves: "Say hello to everything that's wrong with the tuning and modification scene today. 2 tons of fiberglass, ugly leather and enough electronic tat that it requires the output of the Hoover Dam to power it all. This is why I don't care about SEMA anymore."

They simply should've called it the 'Ridiculous.' – Davey G. Johnson

Outrageous C6 Corvette Set for SEMA [Autoblog]

Related:
A Bit of Fiddling: Michael Jonas' Mallett Solstice [Internal]

We're back from the Paris auto show, a few millimeters of shoe leather shorter, a few Euros poorer and a few Gitanes smokier. Now, it is the time on Jalopnik when we look back on what we've seen and try to make sense of the Euro-focused cavalcade of cars and put the glitz into global context. What better way to do that than by employing the time-honored awards device. We bring you The Jalopnik Paris Show Awards: Paris Show Edition. Try the escargots, and do not tip your waitress (gratiuity is included).

[Gallery]

1.) The More Things Change the More They Not So Much Do Award: Mini Cooper

As a matter of chaos theory, BMW says every sheetmetal-inch of the new, new Mini is different from that of the old, new one. But like a butterfly's wings acting on the weather, the Mini appears not to have been affected by the ground-up redesign. That's what we call smart engineering. Runner up: Smart Fortwo.

2.) Hey Audi, Eat a Glow Plug Award: Peugeot diesel V12

Audi showed the auto racing world a diesel engine could win LeMans. Now Peugeot, whose reputation in diesel engine building is unassailable, answers with a twin-turbo V12 of its own. A shift to oil burners would probably have made Steve McQueen punch a wall, but the modern LeMans experience embraces this kind of technological diversity. Next up, racers that run on Coq Au Vin versus rivals pulling mountains of torque from plates of Kalbsschnitzel.

3.) We Tried, But It's Still Basically a Hatchback Award: Volkswagen Scirocco Concept

Let's face it, sexing up a car that's shaped like a half-deflated balloon is a yeoman's feat, and hurling art-school grads at the problem is no guarantee of success. The hatchback construct has always been better suited to drivers than onlookers, but at the Paris show, where every second car is a hatch, Volkswagen's Iroc concept stands out like a Brazilian parade dancer at the Southern Baptist Convention. Runner up: Kia ProCeed concept.

4.) The Detroit-on-the-Seine Award for Most Promising, Unmistakably American Car in Europe: Dodge Avenger

Don't let them fool you with talk about the Kyoto Protocol, train travel and tiny sandwiches; Europeans secretly covet American muscle cars. This year in Paris, Dodge showed off its Avenger midsize sedan as an R/T-flavored concept. Of course, while Dodge's Charger would go over on the next continent like Six Flags Guantanamo, the similar muscularity in the new Avenger's lines might just find consensus enough to succeed. Just like soap. Runner up: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

5.) The McKinsey Memorial Was It Good For You? Award: Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Alfa Romeo's gone through some sketchy design periods (read: the last 25 years). But the company's most recent production-car line amazingly combines shapes from Alfa's glory days with an artful modernism, making European rivals from Audi and BMW look like they were blasted from a quarry wall. The 8C Competizione — of which 500 will be built — is on another plane altogether. It's the most explicit reinfusion of base sexuality to motoring since, er, we're thinking. Runner up: As if. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
More on the Paris show [internal]

Ten years ago, we were on a boat in Germany celebrating a friend's high-school graduation. Suddenly, this horridly catchy earworm of a song came on and people started to move strangely. Synchronized strangeness, even. "Dear God," we thought to ourselves. "We hope this is one of those weird European things that never makes it to America." Roughly three weeks later, it arrived on the soil of the land named for Amerigo Vespucci. Part of us died that day.

On the floor of Paris Expo at Porte de Versailles, another, more different Macarena crossed our path. Built by the nutters at Heuliez, it's a Peugeot 407 fitted with a folding hardtop, which happens to lend the concept its name. According to the press kit, "Two roof arches folding like the famous 'Macarena' dancer's arms," is a salient point of the design. Tenuous though the link may be to said obnoxious song-and-dance phenomenon, the folding hardtop does have some pretty interesting features, most notably the three glass panels that can slide back independently. Los del Rios may approve of the name, but Los Jalopniks find the car far more fascinating.

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Sacr Peu! PSA Debuts 908 and 907 Spider Motor Racing Cars [Internal]

As the hoary old maxim goes, it ain't over 'til the overweight female bursts into song. And while the large lady with the Viking helmet has yet to belt out her last at the Mondial de l'Automobile press days, she is in the dressing room squeezing into her metal bustier. Mindful of that, we thought we'd offer up a collection of some of the Paris show's finer examples of French womanhood. Sadly, the Small Chrysler wasn't available, so we had to settle for a SEAT model. Ricardo Montalban and Lee Iacocca, no doubt, are extremely distraught. [Gallery]

Related:
The Obligatory SEMA T&A Post [Internal]

We posted a couple of shots of Peugeot's new 908 diesel Le Mans car carelessly gleaned from our big blue screen yesterday. In the interest of reader service, we then shed shoe leather like a PCP-addled Bruce Jenner on a quest to capture images for our files and ended up running across it's li'l brudder, the 907 Spider, a spec-series racer that'll run opening events in five heats of the Le Mans Series. Not since the R5 Turbo has a French automobile made us as giddy as these two machines. And it gives us an excuse to do some more o' that fancy gallery fiddlin'. [Gallery]

Related:
09282006
Paris Auto Show 908 Le Mans Racer Revealed on the Televizzle! [Internal]

Humina. Great Scott! Fabulosity is at hand, revealed by the wacky Frenchmen at Peugeot. The 908 Le Mans coupe prototype is poised to take on the already-stupidly-successful Audi R10. Packed full of diesel and walnuts, the Peugeots and the Citro ns are hoping to ratchet their cachet by taking on the all-conquering Teutons from Ingolstadt. Can the plucky Frankish folks pull it off? We don't know, but du unsere G te, this thing is hotter than a two-dollar hooker in vibrating pants! Or the press room here in Paris. Take your pick.

Paris is Oil Burning: More on the Peugeot 908 RC Concept; More from Paris [Internal]

I'm alone, sitting with Wert's broken glass. My four walls follow me through my past. I was on a Paris train; I emerged in London rain. And Spinelli was waiting there, swimming through apologies. I remember searching for the perfect words. I was hoping Wert might change his mind. I remember Spinelli sleeping next to me, riding on the Metro.

More sleep-deprivation from Gay Paree here.

Carrying on with their tradition of unintentionally wacky weirdness, the French have assembled The Prodigious Collection, a display housed in a special section of the Paris show. Past shows have featured collections of James Bond cars and comic-book vehicles, but this year it's all about rare classics; 60 or so of 'em (including the Maserati 5000GT Allemano pictured here), with a one-of-six Bugatti Royale as the centerpiece of the display. Mmmm...Bugatti Royale...with cheese...

The Prodigious Collection [AutoWeek]

Related:
The Most Expensive Cars Ever Auctioned [Internal]

We shudder to think of how this saloon would suffer at the hands of Beavis, what with its 400hp blown eight, satin-finish walnut trim, and slightly-overwrought aluminium-type side gills. Nevertheless, the six-speed autobox would allow Butt-Head's partner in crime to travel with ease, eliminating unseemly clutch action. Plus, the mesh grill adds a dash of "Are you threatening me?" to the whole package. Ford's cash-bleeding Brit-luxo division just unveiled it at the British International Motor Show, and well, Mr. Anderson, your garden is doomed.

Jaguar XJR Portfolio Special Edition [World Car Fans]

Related:
2007 Jaguar XKR Convertible Revealed! [Internal]

The Spaniards over at Seat (presumably with their Donckerwolke in tow) have released a tribute to their World Touring Car Championship version of the L on with the rather Japanese-sounding surname of "Cupra." Looking something like an "If They Mated" rendition of the BMW Z4 and a VW Golf, the Cupra wrings 240hp out of a turbocharged VW FSI motor and features race-inspired suspension, undoubtedly like anything found in a Ford Torino Talladega. It also, apparently, features "sporty acoustics."

New Seat Leon Cupra Unveiled [World Car Fans]

Related:
Seat Reveals New Leon FR Ahead of Madrid Unveiling [Internal]

The 2006 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance is the kind of event where the parking lot could be confused with the show itself: I puttered in as a guy driving a Maybach 57 was coolly gliding out. You see that kind of stuff in Greenwich. You also see tiny dogs being chauffeured in man-purses, but we're
here to talk about cars.

Local dealerships ringed the concours area and made white tents their showrooms. At twelve, three, six and nine o clock around the concours sat a white-on-white Bugatti Veyron, a black Mercedes McLaren SLR, the next-generation Audi S8 with its ex-Lamborghini V10 (and no VIN), and a Spyker
C8 like a jewel in black and aluminum. Plus, a guy tried to sell me a Gulfstream. This was just the sideshow.

The height of American style at the show was Malcolm Pray Jr.'s 1934 Auburn Boattail Speedster. Its twelve-cylinder powerplant, (notice the various "12" accents), was made for aircraft duty by Lycoming, but the bodywork is all Auburn, Indiana. Pray found this particular car in a Los Angeles junkyard 25 years ago and restored it to million-dollar status.

Some other highlights:

· 1961 Fiat Jolly 500: Half a liter of displacement, a cloth top and wicker seats. I think the only respectable way to drive this is on your own property with a drink in your hand.

· 1957 Dual Ghia: Body by Carrozzeria Ghia Studios, D-500 Hemi engine, only 117 were made with an estimated 32 surviving. Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. both owned one. Rita Hayworth's bloomers may still be shoved in the glovebox.

· 1955 Abarth 207A spec racer, with body by Carozzeria Boano: One of ten made. Note the black Scorpion on the tail. (Background: 83 Ferrari 512 BBi, '73 365 GTB/4 Daytona, '68 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 Coupe)

· 1996 Porsche 993 Turbo with bodywork by Strosek. Note the dual air intakes on the leading edges of the rear wing.

· 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo: I'm not sure why the "2002 Turbo" on the front splitter is written as a mirror-image, possibly so cars in front know to get out of the way. (Background '63 Mercedes-Benz 300SL).

· 1957 BMW 507: The 2005 M5's V10 was given exactly 507hp in order to pay homage this car. (Background: '89 635 CSi).

· 1952 Chrysler Ghia One-Off SWB (Short Wheel Base): Possibly the only one of its kind in the world. I wasn't able to get any further information, but it's gorgeous in person.

· 1967 Lamborghini 400GT: Without a single flat plane anywhere on its body. Compare and contrast with the current crop. (Background: '65 Ferrari 275 GTB)

· 1957 Maserati 450 S Costin-Zagato, one of ten ever made. 4.5L V-8, 4 Weber carbs, 400hp: made by Maserati to piss off Ferarri and Jaguar in the sports car World Championship at events like the Mille Miglia and Le Mans. This car may or may not have once been driven by Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, depending on the person with whom you're speaking.

· 1953 Allard J2: Made as a rolling chasis with the buyer adding his own motor. In most cases that motor was a 5.4 liter Cadillac V-8. This car still races in vintage classes at Lime Rock Park, Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen with its owner, Richard Myers, at the helm. Nacy Myers (pictured) told me they restored it in 1996 after buying it worse-for-wear from an owner in Florida.

[By James Gribbon]

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Brandy Snifters on the Green: Pebble Beach in Retrospect [internal]

There's more evidence that someone's piping gaseous psychocybin into the Fiat Style Centre. The company's unveiling its latest creation, the Ducato Truckster (not to be confused with the Family Truckster), at the Madrid motor show this week. Built in collaboration with Bosch, Behr, Sumitomo Group, Denso Thermal System and the cryogenically frozen head of Timothy Leary, the "generously proportioned" concept applies design elements of trucks, race cars, turnips, airplanes and the good china. It's positioned as a "show car, or an "Adventure" vehicle for transporting race cars or motorbikes, or even as a runway for fashion shows." How about a chill-out room.

Related:
Oltre Fiat SUV Concept Unveiled in Bologna [internal]

According to Leftlane News, BMW's planning to unveil a "secret" new model at the British International Motor show this summer, which most have written off as the 3-Series coupe. But What Car? editors say it'll be neither the coupe nor the next-generation Mini, as had been speculated. Some guesses? A 1-Series cabrio, M6 convertible or a super-secret skunkwerks 8-Series hybrid RV and fish-and-chips truck. Who doesn't love fish and chips?

Secret BMW set for summer auto show [Left Lane News]

Related:
Spy Photos: BMW 1-Series Cabrio; Spy Photos: BMW M6 Convertible [internal]

Get those Speedos packed, and make sure the E is the good shit this time, not that stuff from Delaware or wherever. The Madrid motor show's calling, and... We're not going. But don't cry for us, Ibiza, we're still planning to get all the updates as they happen, or when anyone in the city wakes up from snoozing at around 4:00 pm and sends them over. The show's press preview takes place on May 25. Reveals include the 2007 Toyota Avensis, Citroen C-Buggy concept (above) and the Kia Carens and the Chevrolet Muchas Tapas (uh, no).

Citroen C-Buggy [NoonzWheels]

Every year, the SEMA show features a title marque. In the years we've been attending, it's always been one of the Big Three, with the exception of Honda's debut last year. This year, GM, Ford and Chrysler are sharing the ber-sponsorship as a celebration of the American muscle car. We can't decide whether this is a good thing or not; is it a desperate plea for market share, or is it a veneration of the cars that helped make SEMA what it is today?

SEMA show emphasizes muscle cars for 2006 [Bodyshopbiz]

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Make Love to Farago! [Internal]

And your face drops in a pile of flesh. And then your heart, heart pounds 'til it pumps in death. Prime directive: get me the hell out of this car! Reader Joe kicked down this two-frame photo essay from the NY Auto Show detailing the fate a poor sap who had to clamber out the rear hatch of the Aero X concept in his socks because the fancy door/roof mechanism took a dirt nap. Oops.

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Aero Zombies: Saab Concept Spotted at Gas Station [Internal]

The New York show is fading fast into the recesses of our overloaded memory banks, but we couldn't wrap it up without acknowledging our Detroiter photographer James Lamoreaux and digicam/video contributors Joel Johnson, Andrew Krucoff and Chris Gage with a gallery of miscellaneous money shots. We're gonna sit by the pool and order from the aquabar. As if.

The NY Auto Show: Hell No, We Won't Go [The Truth About Cars]

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More TTAC [internal]