So Toyota hasn’t really revealed any plans of making a Prius convertible at all and chances are they never will, unless of course, this catches up. Drivers interested in being all smug and haughty about saving the planet by driving a Prius can now do so while appreciating how bluer they are making the sky.

Aftermarket tuning group Newport Convertible Engineering has created this Prius convertible. They just basically lop off roofs of cars manufacturers won’t even dare of making a convertible out of. And looking at their gallery, with good results at that.

It’s interesting what this whole new twist on the Prius would do to the brand.

Source: NCE

Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation dealerships does. Not to be taken out of context (since just reading that he wants gas prices in the $6 a gallon makes you want to kick his nuts in), this is, according to Jackson, a way to combat the earth concerns that we are all facing today.

But isn’t legislation enough? The feds are making moves to push for greener technology in the next years. But why should economic factors like the skyrocketing gas price be the driving force for the green initiative? While this would create the need for the technology, having high gas prices ultimately affect a lot of other things. Transportation and freight still depend a lot on gas. In many cases prices of commodities are directly affected by gas prices.

The challenge is to balance of a lot of other factors. Not just the price of gas to drive the whole revolution. Or are the dealerships secretly wishing people to dump their guzzlers and buy shiny new green machines. It’s still a business, people. Still a business.

Source: Newsweek

Got 80 grand? Then you can be driving the “King of the Road” Mustang today. The Ford Shelby Mustang GT500KR is the fourth limited edition Mustang to come from the Ford-Shelby collaboration. The car is expected to hit showrooms this May and will have a limited 1,000-unit run to test the market. The MSRP is pegged at $79,995. This would beg the question whether that whole Knight Rider run has helped in building the badge’s appeal.

The GT500KR gets a few spiffy additions and modifications like a carbon fiber hood designed to shave some pounds off the car. Shelby also tuned 5.4L supercharged V8 to dish out 540 horses and have a pull of 510 lb.-ft.

The car also has a 40th Anniversary badge on the fenders and grill, mirror caps, and the distinctive Shelby type. Each vehicle also sports a unique Shelby VIN inside the vehicles engine compartment.

Source: Ford

There is really a lot of hype with the BMW M1 Tribute Concept, and I guess it’s quite due. Just take a look at the M1 Concept alongside the classic M1 and you’d see how they took the old one’s personality and created something with just about the same look but just a tad more sexier.

View the other video after the cut.

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Football and NASCAR. What can seem to be more American than those two? And it’s not an alien thought to see those two mixed together when Dan Marino decided to be part of the action, being part of a winning team at that. Now it’s time for the young(er) guns to be part of the action and this time, it’s New England Patriots’ wide receiver Randy Moss.

I’ve been a Randy Moss fan during his early years in Minnesota with the Vikings, though I haven’t had much of a liking for him amidst all those controversies. Still, it’s a welcome news that he’ll be using his millions to participate in a motorsport. Moss just Moss Motorsports, a team that will be competing in the Craftsman Truck Series.

Why is this welcome news? At least he’s making an effort to . Unlike some football players who drive swanky sports cars and whanging them DUI.

Source: Autoweek

Just three important tips to keep your sanity while driving in one of those long-distance holiday trips:

Try to avoid the holiday crowd. Best to plan the traveling so that you don’t spend the holiday on the road stuck with the other motorists because of the monstrous traffic jam! Be observant. There are holidays where most of the people travel days before rather than on the holiday itself (for example Thanksgiving). In this case, better hit the road on the exact day.

Be prepared for anything! Always keep a cache of emergency supplies and ration sin your vehicle. Include blankets, a flashlight, some candles and a box or two of matches, a bandana or tea towel, some paper towels, a first aid kit, fresh batteries, a container of water and some interesting reading materials. Bringing canned items and drinks (no alcohol) is also a good idea. This is in case bad weather strikes and the roads become impassable.

Lastly, take advantage of electronic distractions. Now is the time to bring your laptop, portable DVD player, and MP3 player with you. If you are worried about the amount of batteries you’ll use, get a power inverter. If you get in an area with good wireless service, you can always go online and check for road updates.

Rust is the number one enemy of a car when it comes to its body. It will eat your car away and if you’re thinking of reselling your car rust diminishes the value a great deal. Still, a few points on car care would help you prevent body rust from developing. Here are a few tips on how to keep the body of your car in tip-top shape.

Keep thy car clean. You car can only tolerate so much dirt and dust, debris, salt, and moisture! Wash your car and don’t forget to “scrub” the underside too, most especially during and after the winter season. Build up of salt from the roads (which are used to melt the ice on the roads), will erode the protective layer of your car paint which will then make it prone to rust.

After washing your car, a little waxing on-and-off will also protect the paint from elements, my little grasshopper. But if you have the time and money, why not get extra protection by rust-proofing your car? Undercoating is a must too! If your car is still new, then this will be a very easy job. However, older cars with some rust on them will need more work.

Allow water to exit the ledges around the trunk and hood of your car by making sure that all the drain holes around them are clear. Don’t forget to check the weather stripping for rips and tears to prevent water from sneaking in.

Car revivals have been attempted before and again, they go both ways. Either they spit on the heritage of their predecessor or they totally redefine what it means to pay tribute to a classic. Take the new Beetle for example. I never really got to liking the new one compared to the novelty of the old. And the MINI with the new one riding on film appearances rather than the appeal of the classic.

Back in the late 70s, Lambo and BMW decided to tie-up and create the M1. And it wasn’t without praise that the M1’s run ended in 1981, garnering awards and running races (though never enjoyed much success). To commemorate the M1, BMW decided to bring it back with this - the M1 Concept. It still sports the stylings reminiscent of the old M1 but shaped to be more modern looking.

Too bad no numbers yet on this thing. The old M1 had a 3.5L 6-cylinder gasoline engine that generated 273 horses. Its RMR layout also proved to be a great production sports car that had great handling.

The Concept will be seen at the Concorso Villa d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Italy.

Aftermarket parts and doohickeys can swing both ways. Either they work like a charm (prompting questions like why would a billion dollar enterprise never thought of that) or they don’t work at all. My policy has always been to try them out myself and run some tests that more or less follow the scientific method. Double-check the theory and run some experiments to prove or disprove them.

I don’t know if Auto Channel posted this as a news item or as a paid feature but it is interesting enough to write about. My skepticism prompted me to place a “?” on the title.

Anyway, this here’s a Pulstar Pulse Plug. According to tests, these plugs when placed inside their test Toyota Prius boosted fuel efficiency by a range of 6-8% (that’s an added 3 mpg provided that the Prius runs 50 mpg). It also gave a 5% boost in acceleration (40-80 mph) to the already green car. Test results can be found here.

The pulse plug works (compared to the ordinary spark plug) by using a capacitor to boost the spark improving fuel burn. Pretty much like with how a camera flash works.

Biting on this? Well… They’re $24.95 each. I just wouldn’t readily trade my factory specs for stock cars (provided that they work and keep your car in good running condition) motto.

Any object, no matter how small and light it is, can feel like a ton if hurled at a speed of at least 60 mph. Many car injuries are actually caused by loose objects that get flung in collisions. If you’ve paid good attention during your high school Physics class, you’d remember that force is exerted when a speeding object is subjected to sudden deceleration. So imagine how much damage it would cause if you have say, canned goods in the grocery bag?

The more disturbing thing is that, people and pets, which are not strapped well into their seats can become loose objects too! No wonder most fatal injuries occur when drivers or passengers are not wearing their seatbelts.

So what to do? Take a good look around the interior of your vehicle. Secure all heavy objects in the trunk of your car or at least safe under a fixed cargo net. Avoid putting unnecessary objects on your dashboard. If you have passengers with you, may they be babies, children, adults, or pets, make sure that they are well strapped with seatbelts before driving off. And don’t forget to buckle up yourself.