German car customizer Brabus wants to pimp your Tesla. Well, the five of you who actually plopped down $100,000 for a Roadster. The Brabus enhancement upgrade package (sounds like a plastic surgery 2-for-1 deal) includes stylistic improvements and a perplexing “space sound generator” that replicates the growl of a V8, race car engine or two robot-like sounds dubbed “Beam” and “Warp.”

Struggling Silicon Valley electric car company Tesla has announced $40 million in financing from investors that could help the beleaguered start-up with current financial troubles. The influx of cash flow will come in the form of convertible debt from almost all of the company’s current major investors, who have previously invested $146 million. Tesla has suffered a Debbie Downer kind of October with PayPal founder and major investor Elon Musk taking over the reigns of the company from Ze’ev Drori, layoffs of 24 percent of its staff, a delay in production of its much-hyped sedan and nixed plans for $100 million fundraising effort. Another problem? Who the heck can afford a $109,000 electric sports car in this crappy economy?

Car makers struggling to make sales are always looking for an edge, but some are now considering whether cars with an edgy look are actually what they need. If smiling back at a VW Bug doesn’t strike you as strange or that Cadillac seems to be flashing a toothy sneer in your rear view, scientists say you’re experiencing pareidolia, or the attribution of significance where none purposefully exists. Car buyers are apparently drawn to aggressive-looking automobiles that are lower to the ground and wider, those with angled headlights and a toothier sneer. Maybe that means the friendly-looking cars will get cheaper, good news for us softies out there.

Lamborghini has releases two teaser images of the company’s upcoming car. Details are scarce, as the two photos aren’t very revealing, but what is important to know is that it is likely that the new car will be front engined. Also, according to Lamborghini’s press release, the car will be a “new world” for the company, leading some to believe that the car will be a sedan. Fortunately, the car is expected to be revealed on October 1st, so the wait to see the real deal shouldn’t be too excruciating.

Car fans worldwide (myself included) have watched in excitement as the Lexus LF-A supercar has grown from concept to prototype. It seemed as if the project was full steam ahead until recently… Rumor now has it that the LF-A project has been cancelled. A number of factors play into this, most importantly the rumored $225,000 sticker price, and the doubt that customers would be willing to drop that kind of dough on a car made by a company renowned for it’s luxurious, yet boring cars. Only time will tell whether anything will come of this rumor.

Rumor has it that Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin are planning a massive collaboration dubbed Project Alligator. The collaboration would include everything from engines to platforms, and would help both brands expand and grow. Major points of Project Alligator could include the use of AMG’s 6.2-liter V8 in the next-gen Vantage, as well as Aston Martin helping to develop up to five new cars for Maybach. Collaborative development of diesels and hybrids for both brands is possible as well.

Sure, there’s a lot of gauge-wagging going on these days, but it could also be used to symbolize that Americans can do something immediately to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Drilling proponents in the Bush administration claim that 1% of our energy needs could be met by 2030 with offshore drilling finds (200,000 bbl. per day by 2030 of the 20 million bbl. used daily in America), but by simply filling tires correctly and getting tune-ups — as suggested by Obama — mileage improves by 3% and 4%, respectively; get everyone on board and there’s a pretty serious decrease in demand with nary a lifestyle change in sight. So, maybe there’s hope for us after all.

Pictures have surfaced online of the new Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. Essentially an open-roof version of the Veyron supercar, the Grand Sport is powered by the same 8 liter W16 that churns out 1,000 hp. The car is expected to be revealed at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance, and will likely command a starting price of over $2,000,000.

A plug-in F-150 hybrid? Andy Grove put forth the goal last week at the Plug-In 2008 conference in San Jose. Why not convert the existing fleet of big pickup trucks, vans and SUVs to plug-in hybrids? The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc. (HEVT) team — a start-up out of the Illinois Institute of Technology- has done just that, by shoehorning an electric motor under the F-150’s bed. HEVT hopes to retrofit the existing fleet of F-150s with their innovative bolt-in hybrid system.

Whether it’s a Toyota Prius hybrid or the brand new clean diesel VW Jetta TDI, the latest gas-sippers are in scarce supply and dealers are tacking on heinous surcharges. Skeezy car dealers from Tulsa to Tuscon are adding thousands of dollars more to hybrids’ sticker prices, but it seems some consumers have thought smart and opted for older, conventional vehicles like the Geo Metro to save some moola on gas. With 25 years of fuel efficient cars to choose from, is it time to buy a conventional high-MPG beater?

Want to show off your enormous wallet while still keeping Mother Nature in mind? Consider a Hybrid Ferrari. The Italian automaker reportedly has a hybrid in the works that will use electric power in conjunction with petrol, making the sports car not quite super duper Earth friendly, but just friendly enough to allow you to brag about it the urban hippie you’re attempting to pick up at the bar. Rants aside, Ferrari has announced ambitious consumption and emissions targets that aim to reduce emissions from its cars by 40 percent by 2012.

A Big Brother caliber laser plus camera can take measurements at 430 million points on a tire each second. As the tire moves, the distance between the camera and the object changes allowing the system to create a three-dimensional profile of the tire, including whether winter or summer tire! Does anyone else feel like Dick Cheney is always watching?

Toyota’s lead engineer on its Camry hybrid project died in January, 2006. Official cause of death: working too hard. Apparently, this is a common enough occurrence that the Japanese have a word for it: karoshi. Deaths from working too hard have steadily increased in the 20 years that the Japanese labour board has tracked them. Meanwhile, back in the good ol’ USA, Bob Lutz had to cut 240 miles off the the range of the Volt because his engineers are too lazy.

Group Lotus has built a smashingly eco-friendly concept vehicle for the upcoming British International Motor Show. While the Lotus Eco Elise doesn’t boast electric power like its Tesla cousin, innovative materials including hemp composites and seats covered in an “ethically produced” woolen fabric, make this one lean mean green machine.

When someone buys a Ferrari, they are probably not too concerned with the fuel economy that they are going to get from their Italian exotic. However, fuel economy is something that Ferrari has to to worry about, even if their customers don’t care. Rumor has it that in order to help lower their average emissions ratings Ferrari is considering developing a turbocharged V6 for future models. However, the question remains that a direct-injection V8 could be equally as efficient, clean, and powerful. All automakers are feeling the pressure to make cleaner, more efficient cars, and apparently Ferrari is no exception.

BMW has released official information on the all-new 2009 7 Series. Powered by BMW’s new 400 HP twin-turbo V8, the big sedan should scoot to 60 in under six seconds. Also new is an updated iDrive system, which has been designed to be more straightforward and easy to use than it’s predecessor. More details should follow when the car is officially revealed at the Paris Motor Show.

Mercedes-Benz is readying a final special edition of their SLR supercar. This new version, dubbed the Speedster, will be more lightweight than the regular version of the car. The car also doesn’t have a windshield, instead using just an F1 style wind deflector to move air over the driver’s head at speeds of over 200 MPH. Expect the official unveiling to occur at the Paris motor show.

Photos and specs of the updated Maserati Quattroporte have surfaced online. The sports sedan gets a minor facelift that includes a new front fascia with LED headlights (of course), but it’s what’s under the hood now that really counts. The Quattroporte will now be available in two guises: Quattroporte and Quattroporte S. The standard Quattroporte retains it’s 400 HP 4.2 liter V8, but the Quattroporte S gets a 430 HP 4.7 liter V8 from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Maserati GranTurismo S. Both send power to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic (no more sequential manual). Expect a full redesign of the Quattroporte in 2012.

Did you know that Honda has started production of what will become the worlds first commercially available hydrogen fuel cell car? The FCX Clarity which will be powered with hydrogen gas should be fun to drive, at least for some folks. They are also supposed to be smooth and powerful and have zero emissions, but unfortunately only two hundred of these cars will be available over the next three years. Till then, keep watching this. Oh, want to guess who the first owners will be?
(Photo Credit: Gene Chutka /iStockphoto)

A Colorado State University study has concluded that drivers with bumper stickers are much more likely to be aggressive drivers than those without. In other words, they will use their vehicles to express rage. Lookout for those bumper stickers! No word on the driving habits of those with Jesus fish versus drivers sporting Darwin fish.

Last month, at El Camino High School in Oceanside, CA, police, administrators, and teachers staged the “deaths” of 26 students to make the kids aware of the dangers of drunk driving. Now, many students and parents are angry over the stunt. Some are truly indifferent: “You feel betrayed…” said 15-year-old Carolyn Magos. “But… if it saves one life, it’s worth it.” Adolf Hitler called and he wants his soul back.

As previously reported, the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V is very fast. Now, however, we know that it isn’t just a track star, and that it keeps some of it’s American muscle DNA. The CTS-V will be officially rated at 556 HP and 551 lb-ft and be able to hit 60 MPH in 3.5 seconds. 3.5 seconds! This matches the mighty Ferrari F430 and crushes the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, and even the Lamborghini Gallardo. Unbelievable. All I can say to this is bravo, GM, and encore.

Porsche has unveiled the 2009 997 911. The car gets a minor facelift that includes LED daytime running lights and LED taillights, but the mechanical upgrades are much more significant. Now both the 3.6 liter and 3.8 liter flat 6’s feature direct injection, helping improve both power and fuel economy. The base Carrera now has 345 HP (up 20 HP from ‘08) and the Carrera S now has 385 HP (up 30 HP from ‘08). This power is now transfered to the rear wheels through an optional dual-clutch transmission. Dubbed PDK, this 7-speed transmission will surely be a vast upgrade over the Tiptronic S automatic it replaces.

Information is beginning to surface on a new coupe being codeveloped by Subaru and Toyota. The rear wheel drive sports car will be powered by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine producing somewhere between 180 and 220 HP. A turbocharged version producing 300 HP may also be available. Expect prices to start at around $20K when the car drops in 2011.

Audi has announced that it will be adding clean biofuel to the secret fuel formula that powers its Le Mans-winning R10 TDI race car. Already incredibly efficient running on diesel (at least in the world of race cars, where cars routinely get 4-5 mpg), the V12 powered track star will be powered in part by a fuel made from wood chips. It is good to see that alternative fuels actually have performance credentials, and this isn’t just a publicity stunt.