So why the restrictions? Security is ostensibly one goal, but mainly it's to improve Beijing's appalling local air quality, at least until the world stops paying attention again. Beijing Hyundai, for one, doesn't expect the difficulties to affect yearly output; spokespeople claim the company prepared in advance by arranging rail transport for new vehicles and ramping up output earlier in the year to ensure a steady supply of vehicles during the games. In the meantime, locals can rely on Mini rickshaws for their transportation needs. [Automotive News China, Sub. Req.; Photo Credit: AnandTech.com]

If we were going to split a Mini in half and bolt a bicycle to it, we'd rather use the front part of the Mini. Not only is the rear half ugly, but it doesn't have any of the drivetrain. Even if we're just being taxied around, we'd rather be hanging on for dear life to a bicycle seat welded on behind the turbocharged four. [China Car Times]

Though the Goog hasn't managed to lay out all the road maps there yet, we took some snaps of six of the most confounding or amazingly complex interchanges around the Forbidden City. As you can see, there is some very impressive spaghetti action over there. We found exactly zero traditional cloverleaf interchanges on major freeways and at least one traffic jam stretching almost 3 miles — without an accident, and this is just one snapshot by a passing satellite. We just hope all the drivers plopped into various cross-branded VW New Beetles have Olympic-level skills. [Source: Google Earth]