…in my dreams.

The driver in the video is Ken Block – a co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of DC Shoes.

The car he’s driving is a 2008 Subaru STi that was custom built by Crawford Performance and the Skunkworks team.  It’s got 565 WHP, 590 ft/lb torque, and some custom valved Tein Super Racing coilovers.  Check out the full specs and get more info on Ken Block and this Gymkhana Two video at the Gymkhana Two website (yes, this video has an entire website…).

Here’s a perfect example of how not to design a user interface.  I guarantee that I would get somebody killed driving this thing.

Check out “How to: Drive a Ford Model T – Feature” on CarAndDriver.com to see more pictures like this one:

Well, what happens if instead of being satisfied with the answer you stay in the question?  What happens if you continue to ask why?  Eventually you get to the point where you really start to wonder: “Why do we do things this way?”

That’s the type of question that BMW GINA has been asking of the manufacturing of cars.  GINA is Geometry in N-Adaptations.  “GINA is about … thinking flexible.”  Take a look at the video:

This car looks sweet.  It debuted just last week at the New Zealand A1GP.

It contains the same 600 HP 7.0 Liter V8 as the Corvette Z06.  It’s been in development for 5 years and is still in the testing stages.  It’s shooting for a 0-62 MPH in under 3 seconds with a top speed of 198 MPH.

Clicking the image will NOT take you to instructions on how to “hack” one of the above traffic signs. </lie>

If you live in California you might just see this 3-wheeled electric car cruising people to work.  It’s not good for much else because it’s a two-seater and only has a range of 100 miles per charge.  I can’t see a lot of storage room in there anywhere for groceries…

Anyway, as far as the design is concerned: I sort of like it.  I don’t usually like the “fashion-forward” car designs.  They usually look like just a really radically designed car.  I think the Aptera 2e looks so much UNlike a typical car that I find the design intriguing instead of radical/outrageous.

Pictures from CarAndDriver.

Maybe it’s a bogus study, but CarAndDriver.com reports:

A study conducted by British insurance company Hiscox reveals that the sound of a revving Maserati engine has a biological effect on women. Those who took part in the study listened to a variety of engine sounds from a number of cars, and after hearing the Maserati engine, all of the female test subjects had higher testosterone levels in their blood.  High testosterone levels in the blood can be indicative of a stirred libido.

Fortunately, for those of us that can’t afford a Maserati, the company is now offering ring tones of the engine sound.  For some reason I just don’t think that’s going to do the trick.

While I’m not too crazy about the smaller details of the styling on the 370Z – specifically the door handles, headlights and taillights – I’m in love with the new overall shape.  The only gripe that I have with my 350Z is the wait the tail end of the car sort of sticks out.  The new 370Z slopes gently from the top of the car right down to the bottom of rear bumper – none of the plateau on the hatch that you see on the 350Z.

While the new 370Z isn’t enough of a performance improvement for me to upgrade from my 350, there are still some great improvements.  Topping the list is Nissan’s new SynchroRev Match technology.  From the Nissan USA website:

Groundbreaking SynchroRev Match manual transmission technology, available on the Sport Package, monitors the 6-speeds clutch pedal operation, shift lever movement and vehicle speed. Shifting to a lower gear automatically blips the throttle to the ideal engine RPM for a smooth downshift. With smoother shifts helping to keep the chassis balanced, this transmission is able to deliver handling and power.

Sounds good to me!  Also included in this list is a few more horsepower, with an increase from 306hp on the 350Z to 332 on the 370Z, a shorter and wider wheelbase, and an upgraded interior design (with leather inserts in the doors, very nice).

Take a minute to watch this short video on the new SynchroRev Match tech: