- Mercedes-Benz E250 Bluetec concept
- Fisker S concept
- Chevrolet Volt
- Honda FCX Clarity Fuel-Cell
- BMW X6 Hybrid
- GM/Segway PUMA
- Chrysler 2000 EV
- Toyota Prius
- Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid
- Mercury Milan / Ford Fusion

In a related post, they singled out the top ten cars period:

- Scion iQ Microcar Concept
- Ford Transit Connect Family One Concept
- BMW X6 M
- Acura ZDX Prototype
- 2010 Volkswagen Golf, Golf GTI
- 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 2010 GMC Terrain
- Hyundai Equus
- Volvo XC60
- 2010 Buick LaCrosse

Taken together, it’s an interesting compilation of alternative fuels and form factors. A few two many SUV-esque models for my tastes, but the inclusion of the PUMA a personal transport / neighborhood vehicle concept is stunningly forward thinking.

I have to confess I’m particularly interested by the Ford Transit Connect, which will come over from Europe later this year. I live with a handicapped relative and this baby screams accessibility. It also boasts cellular wireless, 12-inch rear seat displays (10 inch in front) and an RFID locater. It seems an especially good choice for Ford as the company struggles to find the Holy Grail of long-term viability. The look is boxy and futuristic, but the functionality takes the mini van concept up a notch. Very interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing one of these in real life.

At CarArt, Inc., however, automotive art becomes more personal, because you, the user, are able to commission a professional artist to capture your four-wheeled (or, two, if you’re more into motorcycles) pride and joy, with or without yourself in the image, on canvas, wood, or paper, via paint, pen and ink, or as a digital creation.

Car Art has a stable of artists who are skilled in finding the best angle to show off your car, and translating your dream into something fit for framing. As a prospective customer, you’ll get to review sample work by several artists, and choose the one whose style best represents your vision. Pricing will depend on the artist who does your work, as well as on the chosen media (pen and ink is generally less expensive than oil on wood, for example), and the complexity of the project. A picture with a lot of detail work is vastly different than a straight shot of a car, with no background or human figures, after all.

Why choose CarArt, Inc.? Because when you do, you’ll be engaging a firm founded by an automotive design engineer – no one knows cars better than someone who has designed them, who is also a fan of the genre. Even better, you’ll be working with a company that has a conscience: Car Art, Inc. helps nurture the artistic talents of young people, by assisting with development of the Extreme Gravity Racing Series, a competition noted for “…wildly different designs by European and Californian car studios.”

Even with the best of care, a favorite car may not be drivable forever, but the artists at Car Art, Inc. can give you a piece of art that will keep your car or bike zooming through your memories for years to come.

At either of these sites, visitors will find a wealth of Toyota- and Corolla-related information, from a detailed history of the carmaker and the line, to reviews of Corollas from 2002 to today, to an explanation of where Toyota finds inspiration for the names of their cars. (A corolla is part of a flower, for example, while Camry is based on the word :”kan muri” which means “crown.”)

In addition to interesting trivia, Corolland, specifically, also offers tips on how to modify your Corolla for better performance, with instructions as simple as replacing the standard tires to more complicated procedures such as adding a cold-air intake, something that is done on many cars when their owners want a power boost. If mods aren’t your thing, don’t worry. This site also has a vast collection of data about common repairs and how to make them, as well as digital copies of the owner’s manuals for older cars (2002 and earlier), in case your Corolla was bought used, and didn’t have the manual included, or in case yours has gone missing.

Other sections of this site are equally packed with information. Under “specifications,” you’ll find the basic specs of every version of this popular car, from the most recent to the first, as well as charts comparing the details of the 2003 Corolla to the 2002 Civic and Neon – it’s interesting to see how well the Toyota stacks up against the competition.

Of course, no enthusiasts site is complete without a collection of related links and a public forum where owners can exchange ideas on maintenance, modifications, and any number of Corolla-related topics.

With so much to offer the public, presented in such a friendly format that is neither too technical nor too sweet, it’s quite possible that the old Toyota tag line, “Oh what a feeling to drive Toyota,” may soon be replaced with, “Oh what a feeling to surf Corolland.”

A service provided by the law offices of Kevin Le, TexasLemon.com is a detailed archive of everything you need to know about “lemon laws,” including how to document your case, and how long you have before the statute of limitations runs out. There’s also extensive information about different auto-sales related scams, like changing interest rates for financing because “paperwork was wrong” or credit scores placed you outside the guidelines for promotion, and tips on how to spot such attempts at fraud, and how to resolve them.

TexasLemon.com is much more than just dry facts and information, however. The site incorporates a home page which introduces you to the subject, as well as a biography of Kevin Le himself. There’s a collection of frequently asked questions about what to do if you think your car is a lemon that also addresses things like how much an attorney will typically charge for such a case, and how to go about contacting these law offices specifically, and the site also gathers all the actual Texas legal codes and warranty regulations in one place for visitors to review and refer to if required.

In addition to all that, TexasLemon.com also has an affiliated blog, TexasLemonLawBlog.com which is linked in the toolbar. The blog addresses lemon laws outside of Texas, often by comparing them to the Texas standard. It’s not updated every day, but the information presented is both topical and as current as possible, with new posts whenever there is a change in legislation, or an important milestone (such as the 20th anniversary of the lemon law in Florida).

While it’s not clear how much of the text of the blog – or the site – is written my Mr. Le himself, it’s made explicitly clear that he stands behind the information presented on behalf of himself and his firm. It’s also clear that he’s a big believer in consumer advocacy, and consumer education.

We at AutomotiveBlog hope you’ll never have to use Kevin Le’s services, but if you do live in Texas, and find yourself stuck with a lemon on wheels, we’re confident that this site, and the law offices of Kevin Le, can help you.

You may not be able to squeeze blood from a turnip, but TexasLemon.com proves that when handed a lemon, you really can make lemonade.

Here’s how they describe themselves, “Miniology is the science and study of all things Mini. More specifically, this refers to automobiles, mostly the small British car market consisting of “Mini” (classic era 1959-2000, as produced by a variety of makers, including Austin, Morris, BMC, Leyland, Riley, Woosley, Rover), “MINI” (new era, 2002 model year+ as produced by BMW).”

Interestingly enough however, through their site and their video podcast, Miniology has built a bridge to other small car enthusiasts. “Now, we find that classic Mini and new MINI events are shared with owners of other small classic cars, such as the smaller MGs and Triumphs, as well newer cars such as the Nissan 350Z, Mazda Miata, Smart ForTwo, etc. However, we are still primarily Mini/MINI-oriented, so the news and events you find on Miniology will be largely focused (I won’t say biased, because we aren’t, really) in that direction.”

Yes, focus is good, but flavor is important to and the flavor of the day in the rapidly changing automotive world is “small” with dashes of “fuel efficient” and “environmentally friendly” for dash. (Why am I suddenly fighting the urge to stand up on a soap box and yell, ‘Small car owners of the world, unite!?’)

There’s plenty to keep you happily clicking around Minilology, from recent posts like “How to Build a Classic Mini” (complete with video) to club and event news and the latest on the much-hyped Mini crossover concept. Everything is easy to find in a tidy, three-column layout blessedly free of anything blinking, scrolling, or popping up. You get all the Mini love and none of the annoyance of clutter and superfluous, off-topic stuff. Nicely built, beautifully executed, economical but effective — wait a minute . . . no wonder they love the Mini. :)

Look beyond the surface, however, and what you find is a website that not only provides useful information, but also celebrates a significant portion of Americana, through the eyes – or rather, the windshield – of the one thing most of us own: an automobile.

CarType was established in 2003, and according to their “about” page, the current incarnation is version 2.0. Current feature articles include a profile of a woman who quilts stylized maps, including road maps and aerial views that show off things like crop circles (familiar to anyone who flies with any regularity) as well as pieces on Auto magazine mastheads, and company logo rip-offs. All, of course, are tied into cars and typography.

In addition to the featured articles, the site includes a collection of model-specific articles, about such things as the Audi art car, and general automotive articles as well. There’s a blog that covers industry news, and a gallery that displays digital photos of cars and their printed logos, as well. Rounding out the site are the forums, divided by vehicle country of origin, and a store, which sells retro and modern automotive magazines and yearbooks, as well as die-cast models, automotive books, and even t-shirts that sport the site’s own logo.

CarType bills itself as an online museum, which is as accurate an assessment as I’ve ever seen. Visitors to the site should think of each page as a different room in the museum, with a slightly different theme or concentration, and something of relevance for everyone, whether they are a casual fan of automotive history, or an enthusiast on the lookout for something new and interesting to learn.

If you can’t take the time to visit an actual automotive history museum, log onto the internet, and point your browser toward CarType.com. You may not get the pleasure of toodling down country lanes in order to get there, but you’ll definitely find the visit enjoyable and informative.

I just returned from a week in San Francisco (and let me just say that Mark Twain was right about the summer weather there), where I kept seeing these cute, tiny yellow cars populated by one or two helmeted tourists, and sharing audio GPS with passers by. I was curious, of course, so I looked them up.

What I was seeing were GoCars. They’re tiny rentals available to licensed drivers aged 18 or over, and, according to their marketing material:

GoCar Rentals is the first company in the world offering computer guided talking tour car. The GoCar is ideal to explore everything that San Francisco has to offer. Approved for use on city streets, the GoCar is simple to operate and its small size makes parking a breeze.

The cars are controlled by a handlebar system, and come with a talking GPS that not only tells the driver where to turn, change lanes, etc, but also provides information on nearby landmarks and tourist attractions. The programmed tour takes about two hours, beginning at Hyde St., near Fisherman’s Wharf, and looping through the Marina, Golden Gate Park, and down the crooked section of Lombard Street.

GoCar tours are also available in San Diego, Miami, Barcelona and Lisbon.
For more information, visit their website, at GoCarTours.com.

Tesla Motors, is all over the news this week, with three different announcements of new developments, all released yesterday.

First, they’ve introduced the new Model S, a fully electric five-passenger sedan that will be able to go about 225 miles between charges, and comes with a pricetag of about $60,000. If that seems a lot, consider that their original model started at more than $90k. No images have been shared with the public, but the rumor is that this will be produced at the new Tesla plant being opened in Northern California.

Second, Tesla’s own Elon Musk has begun open discussions about the development of electric car technology that will allow the price of such vehicles to come down to $30,00 – or lower – but don’t hold your breath, because he also said it would be at least four years, and probably longer before such a thing comes to fruition.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a rumor that Tesla has made a deal with Daimler AG to supply lithium-ion batteries for Daimler’s planned foray into electric vehicles. Daimler’s CEO said that the company was open to leasing battery technology in order to release an electric Smart car in two years, and the word on the street is that the German company is planning to give up on gas completely by 2015. Of course, given Tesla’s rep for being uber-picky about their partnerships, and less than easy to work with, this may or may not actually happen.

The site supplies the hard data we all love to argue over — specs, statistics, race and time trial results — but you also get eye candy; photos and videos — lots of them — from events all over the world. Right now the front page is featuring images from the Mopar Spring Fling, the Fabulous Fords Car Show, and the Queens English Car Show. (A little farther down there’s a video link for Ashley Force’s achievement as the first woman to win a Nitro Funny Car event.)

If there’s anything we like better than actually handling a powerful machine, it’s drooling over one in pictures. (In addition to the links of newly posted images, look on the left menu at the top for the Photo Gallery and you’ll find even more event pages as well as links to manufacturers’ photo pages.) While you’re poking around in links, don’t miss the right column thumbnail image that will take you out to a rundown of the 2009 Nissan GT-R and a little lower on the page one for the 2008 Shelby GT500KR, which, at 550hp, is being touted as the most powerful production model to ever hit the streets. Be warned, you can spend some serious time on at RawHorsePower. There’s so much information, you’re sucked in before you know what’s happening. (Be prepared to close your browser real fast when the boss walks in.)

Right now RawHorsePower is working on a visitors gallery. They want readers to submit photos and information on their rides — cars, bikes, boats — it’s all good. You can contact the site’s webmaster (webmaster at rawhorsepower.com) for more details on submissions. All too often people are trying to get us to shut up about our machines. RawHorsePower wants you to talk — heck, they want you to brag complete with pictures. But even if you don’t have anything to share, this is a site you need to visit and bookmark. It really is a one-stop-shop for all things power and performance.