Guinness reconfirms Bugatti Veyron's world record top speed

After taking last week to review the record category for World's Fastest Production Car, Guinness World Records has reconfirmed that the holder of this hotly contested superlative remains the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

The Veyron Super Sport set the official record back in 2010 with a Guinness-verified speed of 267.8 miles per hour, but other interested parties have recently contested that record's validity because the Veyron used that day had its speed limiter removed. With the speed limiter in place, the Veyron Super Sport tops out at 258 mph.

Guinness rules state that a record-setting production car must be unchanged from what is available to customers. While some, particularly Hennessey Performance, have claimed that removing the Veyron's speed limiter violated that rule, Guinness has settled the matter by stating that "a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."

This is a nice win for Bugatti on top of the news last week that the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse also set a record for the fastest open-top production car with a speed of 254.04 mph. That record, however, as far as we know, has not been verified by Guinness World Records.

For its part, Hennessey, whose claim against the validity of Bugatti's record didn't work this time, could potentially break the record outright if given enough road for its own Venom GT to run. The 1,244-horsepower Venom hit 265.7 mph earlier this year before running out of room on a two-mile runway, though those runs were not officially verified by Guinness. Nevertheless, there still remain questions about whether or not the Venom GT counts as a production car by Guinness standards. The world record authority defines "production" as building at least 50 examples and only 29 Venoms are supposed to be built, though Guinness does permit itself to grant exceptions.

Guinness World Records statement: Fastest production car

Following a thorough review conducted with a number of external experts, Guinness World Records is pleased to announce the confirmation of Bugatti's record of Fastest production car achieved by the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport.

The focus of the review was with respect to what may constitute a modification to a car's standard specification.

Having evaluated all the necessary information, Guinness World Records is now satisfied that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine.

UK Bugatti saleswoman sells nearly one Veyron per month

Selling cars is difficult enough without your company's only product being a $2.2 million supercar, but that doesn't seem to have slowed down Anita Krizsan.

As a sales representative for Bugatti, Krizsan sold 11 Veyron models to clients around the world last year, and her efforts have earned her the nickname "The $15 million woman." For comparison's sake, most of the company's salesmen are happy to move three of the ultra cars in a calendar year, and Krizsan's exploits mean she's the worldwide Bugatti sales leader. But getting there has been plenty of work.

The sales rep is available to clients 24 hours a day, and many times, potential customers call her in the middle of the night with questions about the car or its warranty. Krizsan even personally attends every delivery.

What's next for the sales star? She says she wants to see more female buyers in the near future. Right now, there are only four female Veyron owners worldwide. 

When a Bugatti Veyron drag races against a Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra, we all win

Want to watch two of the fastest production automobiles in the world line up on an open runway to race? Want to see it happen a whole bunch of times?

We thought so. Featuring the well-known Bugatti Veyron in one lane and the less-well-known but just as impressive Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra – which is powered by the same 1,040-horsepower twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 engine as other Agera S models, but with some extra lightweight bits along with lots and lots of gold – in the other, you can rest assured that the video down below is full of carbon fiber, booming exhaust notes, turbo whine and asinine acceleration. And, though we won't spoil the results, we think it may be full of surprising victories for those who don't keep tabs on such important figures as power-to-weight ratios and the like...

Now for the disclaimers. Are both drivers aware of how to extract maximum performance from their machines? Are they both in perfect states of tune? Would the result be different from a standing start? Was the fact that the video was shot at Koenigsegg's home track a display of favoritism? Was there a full moon the night before? We have no idea. That said, watching well over 2,000 horsepower line up for a race is nearly always worth watching. So, without further ado, we present the video below.

Bugatti to debut special Grand Sport Vitesse 'Legend Jean-Pierre Wimille' during Monterey Car Week [UPDATE]

Bugatti has announced that it will offer the Legend, a special-edition run of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse that pays homage to six heroes of the carmaker's long, storied past. Officially the world's fastest car with its top down (try keeping your toupee on at 254 miles per hour), Bugatti will enhance the special Vitesses visually with design cues from the cars that its heroes drove.

The first Legend honors Jean-Pierre Wimille, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice for Bugatti and was one of the company's longest-serving test drivers. He won in 1937, co-driving a 57G Tank with Robert Benoist, and in 1939, co-driving a 57C Tank with Pierre Veyron. Fittingly, the Veyron Legend dedicated to Wimille is blue, just like the 57G that he drove at Le Mans in 1937. In Bugatti's own words, it "now shines in blue clear-coated carbon fiber and a light Wimille Bleu paintwork." The 57G-based design language continues into the interior, with numerous details, such as materials and colors, that represent what Wimille would have experienced driving the Bugatti.

Pricing hasn't been announced, but if you have to ask, you can't afford it. It also should be noted that the Wimille edition Legend will be limited to a production run of three. As for the other five Legend editions? All we know is that they'll be launched over the next 12 months. Look for the Wimille Legend on display next month in Monterey, Calif., at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

In the meantime, scroll down to check out the history-heavy Bugatti press release. No photos of the Veyron Legend were provided, so feel free to visit the gallery we included of the Grand Sport Vitesse's record-setting open-top run.

UPDATE: We now have an official gallery of photos direct from Bugatti, so click above to see the special Veyron, as well as historical pictures of Jean-Pierre Wimille.

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Bugatti celebrates its heroes: "Les Légendes de Bugatti"

- Bugatti commemorates the names that have shaped its history
- Six key figures from the Bugatti annals lend their names to the exclusive Legend edition of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse
- The first Legend, named after racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille, is to be presented at Pebble Beach

Molsheim, 24th July 2013

Bugatti, a brand with a rich history unique in the car industry, is celebrating its heroes. The French luxury marque will bring out an exclusive edition, "Les Légendes de Bugatti" (Bugatti Legends), to commemorate the renowned names which have played a crucial role in its history and which have helped creating its mystique. In the 90th anniversary year of the 24 Heures du Mans, the first Legend is dedicated to a personality who is central to the history of motor sports and intimately linked with the Bugatti company: Jean-Pierre Wimille, who garnered two victories for Bugatti at Le Mans. The Bugatti Legend "Jean-Pierre Wimille" will make its début in the eyes of the world during Monterey Auto Week in California next month, and be on display at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering (August 16) and The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (August 18). The next 12 months will see the launch of six individual Bugatti Legends based on the Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse.

Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.: "This brand has been in large part defined by outstanding personalities and historically resonant moments. We want to tell the story of the brand through these Bugatti legends, and at the same time create a link between its past and presence."

The Bugatti Legend "Jean-Pierre Wimille" relates to the successes of the eponymous racing driver who won Bugatti two victories at the 24 Heures du Mans: in 1937, driving a Bugatti 57G Tank co-piloted by Robert Benoist, and repeating the feat in 1939, this time supported by Pierre Veyron in a 57C Tank.

The winning race car, a 1937 blue 57G Tank, is the inspiration behind the design of the "Jean-Pierre Wimille" Bugatti Legend. During its the historic race, it appeared in the racing blue finish that habitually identified French racing cars.

Accordingly, this Vitesse now shines in blue clear-coated carbon fibre and a light Wimille Bleu paintwork finish.

The color scheme is continued in the supercar's interior, as Achim Anscheidt, chief designer at Bugatti, explains: "The materials and colors selected, as well as a host of details, all reference the essential characteristics of the classic models driven by those figures to whom our edition pays homage. In each case, this care has resulted in vehicles in which the authenticity of the past is combined with the modern design, the sportive superlative and the luxurious comfort of Bugatti as an icon of the present. With these Bugatti Legends we are giving history a modern makeover."

The six Bugatti Legends are all based on the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. This super sports car, launched in Spring 2012, is officially the fastest series roadster in the world since achieving 408,84 km/h (253 MPH) with the top down in April 2013. Centred round an eight-liter W16 engine delivering 1,200 PS, the Vitesse produces unequalled maximum torque of 1,500 Nm (at 3,000 – 5,000 rpm), and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 MPH) in a lightening 2.6 seconds.

The production run for the Bugatti Legend "Jean-Pierre Wimille" will be limited to three vehicles.

About Jean-Pierre Wimille

Jean-Pierre Wimille was one of the longest-serving test drivers at Bugatti. The son of a journalist, he was born in Paris on 26 February 1908 and drove almost exclusively for Bugatti throughout his racing career. With a number of victories already under his belt, in 1933 Ettore Bugatti invited him to take up the position of official test driver for the brand. He joined Bugatti at a point when its last great racing triumphs lay a few years in the past, making the string of victories he brought home to Molsheim over the following years even more significant. In his very first year he came first in the Algerian Grand Prix, then in 1935 he collected the title in the then-famous hill climb at La Turbie near Nice driving a T 59, following this with a second place in the Tunisian Grand Prix and fourth place in Spain.

And it was Jean-Pierre Wimille who brought Bugatti what was to be its last ever racing number one, in 1947 at the Bois de Boulogne, behind the wheel of a 4.7 liter Monoposto Type 59/50 B. Wimille was a world-class driver, who played a key role at Bugatti, especially as the brand's racing era came to an end. His greatest racing achievement was without doubt his twin victories for Bugatti at Le Mans. He died in a car crash in 1949 in Buenos Aires.

About Bugatti

Unlike other automotive brands, Bugatti originated in the field of art. The company founder Ettore Bugatti succeeded in uniting this artistic approach with his technical innovations, thus creating the foundation of a design language that was to mould the Bugatti marque. The result has been a series of vehicles far ahead of their time, and which are today numbered amongst the most valuable classic cars in the world. The brand's central philosophy of "Art, Forme, Technique" is a description of its mystique.

Its history is marked by a host of dazzling automotive masterpieces but also by an unmatched racing record. Although the grand Bugattis such as the 57SC Atlantic or the majestic Royale, are still regarded as superlative, the lightweight, agile and temperamental Type 35, which won Bugatti so many titles, is just as representative of the Bugatti brand. The particular fascination of Bugatti's racing past springs however not only from the race cars themselves but equally from the great race drivers of yesteryear.

Jaguar Project 7

Jaguar's Project 7 concept car will debut at at Goodwood Festival of Speed this Friday.
Not very practical but I am guessing - a lot of fun.

Would you buy one if you had the money?

Check out the video of this high performance, single-seater roadster.

Ford: We didn't overstate C-Max Hybrid mpg, low numbers were a surprise

There's kind of a lot to digest in the news about the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid EPA label change. In fact, as we tried to really understand how and why Ford downrated the car's fuel economy from 47 miles per gallon across the board to 43 mpg (combined, with 45 city and 40 on the highway) we learned about the EPA's so-called "general label rule," how Ford is now claiming it didn't fully understand how hybrid fuel economy is affected by factors like driving speed, break-in miles and temperature and why the C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid – which get counted as the same thing in that general label – are actually two very different beasts. Oh, and that the C-Max Hybrid's fuel economy was never actually tested.

Aside from the $325 or $550 rebates Ford will send to lessees and buyers, we were curious if Ford plans on making any other apologies to C-Max owners for overstating the C-Max fuel economy by six mpg (if we use the pre-software update number, which is what the original mpg figure was based on. More on this below). Todd Nissen, Ford's manager of corporate communications told AutoblogGreen that, "We don't agree with the premise of 'overstating' the fuel economy. As confirmed by the EPA, Ford complied with EPA regulations in generating the C-Max's mpg figures. As you know, they were generated under the general label rule, which is a common industry practice." Let's clarify what that means below.

Let's start with what the general label rule, since that can be pointed to as one cause of the whole problem. Immediately following Ford's mpg update last week, the EPA released more information on the C-Max situation (PDF), including the answer to this question: "Why Did the Old C-Max Label Claim Higher Fuel Economy?"

Developed in 1977, EPA label regulations allow vehicles with the same engine, transmission and weight class to use the same fuel economy label value data, since, historically, such vehicle families achieve nearly identical fuel economy performance. Ford based the 2013 Ford C-Max label on testing of the related Ford Fusion hybrid, which has the same engine, transmission and test weight as allowed under EPA regulations. For the vast majority of vehicles this approach would have yielded an appropriate label value for the car, but these new vehicles are more sensitive to small design differences than conventional vehicles because advanced highly efficient vehicles use so little fuel. In this case, EPA's evaluation found that the C-Max's aerodynamic characteristics resulted in a significant difference in fuel economy from the Fusion hybrid.

Those mpg differences the EPA mentioned, how dramatic were they? The EPA provided a handy chart:



Of course, those are the numbers compared to the C-Max as it stands today, after Ford did a bunch of scrambling this summer in the wake of customer complaints and lawsuits and came up with a software update. That did indeed help the car's fuel economy, and the EPA says that, without it, the C-Max Hybrid would have been rated at 41 mpg (combined, with 42 city and 40 highway).



Let's keep these pre-update numbers in mind, since they are what the original mpg label was based on.

Last week, in a conference call with reporters to announce the mpg rating changes for the hybrid C-Max (which does not affect the plug-in model), Ford's Raj Nair, group vice president for global product development, said:

The C-Max Energi, our plug-in hybrid, and the Fusion Energi, the plug-in hybrid, are under the same general label. But in that case, the C-Max Energi is the high-volume variant, so the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid shares and carries the C-Max label. If we had actually tested the Fusion individually it probably would have had a higher number, but we carry a lower number because the C-Max is the high-volume variant, relative to the plug-in hybrids. (emphasis added)

The general label rule allowed Ford to determined the official C-Max mpg ratings using the Fusion Hybrid numbers (we all know that the EPA doesn't test the vehicles itself, but relies on automakers to conduct the tests and then conducts spot checks. For more, Automotive News has a timeline of the back-and-forth between the automakers and the EPA here). The line about the Fusion being more efficient is key here, since it shows that at some point it was clear to Ford engineers that, given the same powertrain, the Fusion was at least in some ways more efficient than the C-Max. This is confirmed by the EPA's discovery that "the C-Max's aerodynamic characteristics resulted in a significant difference in fuel economy from the Fusion hybrid." The question then becomes: when did Ford know that the C-Max was inherently less efficient than the Fusion, and why did it still use use the Fusion's mpg numbers? This was by all accounts totally legit under the rules, but it does seem to give credence to what Automotive News calls – in an anonymous editorial, no less – a "deception" and "a gross violation of customers' trust."

Apparently, the details of just how different the C-Max Hybrid performs in the real real world is all brand new to Ford, despite almost nine months of the car being on the market and lots and lots of promotion of the 47 mpg as a Prius-buster. Last week, Nair also said:

We've been working with the EPA, recognizing hybrids are seeing a lot more variability than gasoline engines against the label. [They have] much more sensitivity to speed, sensitivity to environment, much more sensitivity to even break-in miles. So, we've been working with the EPA and this test procedure is not a very quick test, there's a lot involved in preparing vehicles for tests and then actually doing the tests and working hand-in-hand with the EPA, we just came to this conclusion fairly recently.

Here's the chart Ford used to illustrate the differences:



We asked Ford about the EPA's numbers and the apparently surprising hybrid discoveries, which struck us as odd since the company has been making hybrid vehicles for years. Nissen told AutoblogGreen:

The results of the EPA certification test of the 2013 C-MAX by itself (outside of the general label) were generated in the last couple of weeks. Those results were the new label values of 45 city, 40 highway and 43 combined. Regarding prior hybrids, the new generation C-Max Hybrid is a very different vehicle than the previous generation Escape Hybrid.

So, that's the backstory and they're sticking to it, but there will certainly be more to come. There have already been class-action lawsuits against Ford over the C-Max Hybrid's fuel economy (and the Fusion Hybrid), but Nissen said, "We are not commenting on the lawsuits or how they may affect owners. Regarding the payments, I can tell you that all 2013 C-Max owners are eligible for the goodwill payments." Nissen also said Ford will not provide any numbers for how many C-Max Hybrids were sold vs. leased, but we did learn the other day that 32,000 C-Max Hybrids are in customer hands. 32,000 chances to learn more.

The Future of Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz

The future of Aston Martin after Mercedes-Benz AMG. Many people may not have heard the recent business deal with the Mercedes-Benz AMG and the Aston Martin. The news is Mercedes-Benz AMG made business agreement with Aston Martin to provide electronics, telematics systems, engines and other things. 

I mentioned about this future marriage in my blog couple of weeks ago. And it is not a surprise at all, there was rumour of Mercedes and Aston Martin business deal for nearly half a decade and now they finalise it. 

Why Aston Martin needs +Mercedes-Benz? Very simple! +Aston Martin does not have enough cash to improve their cars and offer new technology and comfort features. You can easily understand this from the technological features of any Aston Martin, they are old! Aston Martin cannot offer seat ventilation, radar guided cruise control, pre-crash technology, seat massage, and new engines. However, Aston Martin offers the most authentic brand in automotive industry.

On the other hand Mercedes can offer any type of technology you can imagine or you cannot even imagine. However, the problem with Mercedes, their craftsmanship is not as close as to Aston Martin, their design is a bit boring, and Mercedes is not cool at all. When you add all these issues together and the sum is, Mercedes cannot offer a competitive vehicle for Bentley and Rolls Royce. And Maybach brand was failed really badly. So, Mercedes needs a British brand to find a place at the ultra luxury segment and this can be achieved only by engaging with Aston Martin. 

In future, Mercedes may buy the whole Aston Martin and it can be placed under the Daimler AG! And after that, we will see cars that never existed before. Can you imagine the Aston Martin Rapide with the new Mercedes S-Class technologies! I mean that would be fantastic, you have all the technology you need in a car and it is packed with a state-of-art craftsmanship with a way better design.

Don’t be shocked if Mercedes buy the whole Aston Martin and that’s not a bad idea either.

British Auto Legends stamp campaign

Check out what the postman dropped off yesterday: It's a bright red Royal Mail tool box, personally engraved with my name.
I am delighted to be invited to take part in the Royal Mail British Auto Legends stamp campaign - celebrating 10 of the most famous British classic marques:

Inside was a first day cover with letter, the new British Auto Legends stamp collection, a USB stick shaped like a key and containing all the information about the collection including the cars, a ticket for the Cheshire classic, vintage and sportscar show on thew 17-18 of August (which I was unable to attend) and finally, a small stainless steel forged spanner. 



The Thoroughbreds

1. Jaguar E-Type
2. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
3. Aston Martin DB5
4. MG MGB
5. Morgan Plus 8
6. Lotus Esprit

The Workhorses

1. Morris Minor Van
2. Austin FX4
3. Fords Anglie 105E
4. Land Rover Defender T10

The workhorses received a bit of flak from the Top Gear team, especially the Ford Anglia 105E, which was the favourite of the British police in the 1960s.

My favourite has to be the Aston Martin DB5, which became famous after appearing in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. This car was launched in 1963 and had a 4-litre (3995cc) engine with 242bhp (5500rpm) and a top speed of 144mph (232kph).

Which one is your favourite classic car?

Visit their facebook page www.ifyouhadtopickone.com for a chance to win one of these great cars for a weekend.

Mercedes GLA Official Photos

Mercedes GLA is finally announced. Mercedes’s response to BMW X1 and Audi Q3. And GLA looks way better than the new M-Class! GLA shares the same platform with A-Class and shares the same interior, what a coincident! However, based on the press photos of the Mercedes GLA, the wood interior changed the atmosphere of the interior and makes the GLA more tempting than the ML!

Mercedes GLA will be offered front-wheel and four-wheel drive options. Engines are, GLA 200 with 1.6-lt petrol engine 156 HP and GLA 250 with 2.5-lt petrol engine 211 HP. The diesel options are, GLA 200 CDI with 2.2-lt 136 HP and GLA 250 CDI with 2.2-lt 170 HP. All the engines are coupled with a 7G-DCT double clutch automatic gearbox with ECO stop and go feature.

By the way, GLA does not look boring! Something went wrong in Mercedes headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. It is impossible to see a Mercedes that looks dynamic, I am definitely sure aliens captures the Mercedes design office and take control of the management, that's the only way I can explain the design of GLA :) Even the video looks fantastic!

Royal Mail British Auto Legends Stamps Delivery with a Jaguar E-Type

Royal Mail Auto Legends stamps. If you haven’t heard about this, it is the limited edition of stamps from Royal Mail to congratulate the iconic cars of British automotive industry. Personally, I am not a stamp collector but when I saw these stamps on internet, I was really excited to see them live. 

Hopefully, Royal Mail was very kind to send me. However, the sending process was totally different from what I thought. Honestly, I was expecting to receive the stamps via Royal Mail special delivery inside an envelope. And Royal Mail thought that, it is a bit boring way to delivery the stamps and they decided to use a red Jaguar E-Type for the delivery. I am not joking, Royal Mail arrived to my home with a red Jaguar E-Type to deliver these stamps. However, the story did not finish here!

The stamps were not inside an envelope, they were inside a bespoke made engraved red toolbox. Literally, this was the best PR campaign I have ever seen. The whole process was fantastic and left a great memory to remember in future. 

Anyway, let’s go back to British Auto Legends stamps. The stamps feature; Jaguar E-Type — 1961, MG MGB — 1962, Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow — 1965, Morgan Plus 8 — 1968, Aston Martin DB5 — 1963, and Lotus Esprit — 1976.

And the prices for British Auto Legends stamps start from as low as £5.64! And it will be a great collectors’ item in future. For the record, never send me an email to buy these stamps in year 2053. I am pretty sure that, I will at least a half-century and instead asking to buy the stamps from me. Go and buy them now :)

You can buy the British Auto Legends stamps from Royal Mail's online store.

Paris Hilton Cruises Around In A Ferrari F430

Paris Hilton shared a photo of herself in a friends Ferrari F430 Spider recently while vacationing in Ibiza. Fortunately, (or unfortunately for Paris) the paparazzi also caught some photos of her driving the Ferrari around town and from the looks of it, the front bumper needs some serious TLC. Question is, was it there before she borrowed the car or not? Pretty embarrassing either way...

Photo: Autoblog.nl

Chevrolet Vega

(Source: Oldride.com)
The Chevrolet Vega Kammback is rare, just like every other variant of the Vega. This might sound surprising, considering almost two million examples of this model were sold between 1970 and 1977. 
The reason for this is the horrible quality of the Vega. With rusting bodies and terribly engineered engines, Chevrolet's smallest model had a serious impact on the reputation of the brand. The example in the photo above was sold in 1975, when sales were already dropping, as the reliability issues became known. 
Probably the only reason for the people to still buy the Vega was its price. To keep it low, GM developed a unique system of transporting the new cars. By storing them vertically, they could fit 30 instead of 15 vehicles on each rail car. To make this possible, cars were fitted with an option the customer couldn't choose. It was called "Vert-A-Pac" and included modifications to the oil pan, the battery and some other parts to keep fluids from leaking. (Source:autoblog.com)

A Baker's Dozen...Roundup

Bakers live the life, don't they? Theirs is a world of cookies and pies and pastry filling. They get to wear checkered pants and a white smock...and that big, puffy hat...for some reason. Its like being an international spy except instead of pens that become blowguns and Aston Martins its all about lemon meringue and fondant. They wake up at 4am so that the rest of us can stuff our pieholes with doughnuts and eclairs to go with our lattes. My big, bloated chef's hat goes off to these dedicated men and women of the rolling pin. Say, do you know why they call it A Baker's Dozen? When you bake bread, you bake 13 loaves cuz inevitably one will go sour. Pitch it and you still have 12 to send to market. Actually, the origin of the term is far more sinister than that. It dates back to the reign of Henry II when a law passed that made it so bakers had to bake an extra loaf or else lose a hand...or an ear...or something. I don't know. What am I Encyclopedia Brittanica? I'm an American so this means I barely paid attention in European History class...or any class for that matter. My talent lies in art and writing, so watch me earn my art degree with this month's roundup called A Baker's Dozen, incidentally having nothing to do with baking bread or losing an ear, but having everything to do with building from a list of 13 vastly different and balls-out awesome automotive ideas. So you can follow along at home, these were the choices:

1. Any racing vehicle...that predates 1956
2. Any vehicle for or inspired by any superhero or villain
3. 60‘s and 70‘s era Show Rods...the crazier the better
4. Mars Society needs rovers of all types
5. Any vehicle from childhood cartoons...MASK, G.I. Joe, etc.
6. Any vehicle inspired by the new Legend of Chima line
7. Any contender for the 2014 SEMA car show
8. Any vehicle you want...customized for rock crawling
9. Any emergency vehicle...police, fire, ambulance, etc.
10. Any vehicle featured on Top Gear
11. Any tractor or combine harvester
12. Any amphibious vehicle
13. Zombie Apocalypse Killfest ‘2013...‘nuff said

How did we do? Let's see, shall we?

Mr. Koenigsegg starts up this little shindig and orders us up a #9...in this case a Police Corvette Z06 inspired by Need For Speed: Most Wanted. Its...you know...black and all police-y and stuff. Oh, remember when I was joking about kumquats? Well, I bought a batch and...well...they're way more sour than you'd think. We did make kumquat bread out of it, though.



For his second entry, Mr. Koenigsegg once again fires up his warm kitchen lights to photograph this grey Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, depicting #10. Its...you know...grey and all Murcielago-y and stuff. He tells us it comes Series 9, Episode 5 (2007). Is that the one where Hamster almost dies?



Next in line, TechnicNick goes with a #10, any vehicle featured on Top Gear. Its light weight and perfectly flat sides spells trouble for the beloved Citroen 2CV Charlston as we've seen one of these puppies blown over and demolished by a jet engine on that one episode of Top Gear. This is a great representation of the iconic little car.



Mars Society needs rovers and guess who answered the call. Agent WHO. Agent Who? WHO. No, but agent Who? Yes, Agent WHO. That's his name. Anyway, he build this ER-LS Mars Observation Rover for observing...uh...whatever shenanigans and goings on on Mars. So far nothing to report but some quick growing space fungus that wants to eat our face. Probably nothing important. Lets move on.



Legonoitallmocs shows that even renders can be overly exposed and superimposed onto a drab grey background with this pair of Aston Martin V8 Vantage police cars, depicting number 9: Any emergency vehicle. I have an emergency. I ran out of vodka and orange juice.



We may as well just call this roundup 9 or 10 cuz any emergency vehicle and any Top Gear vehicle are what people are picking. No exception to this people picking rule is Loek1990 with his render of 1998 BMW 528i Touring with the Top Gear Africa Special mods. Is that the one where Jeremy drives a Rolls Royce into a pool or the one where Walt cooks up his first batch of meth? I get my shows mixed up.



Finally, someone orders up something not from the value menu! Ralph Savelsberg goes with a #5, the Thunderhawk Camaro from MASK and in doing so totally ruins all of his childhood memories. See, Ralph was a big fan of the show as a kid, but now as a sensible adult he realizes the show was just a weak ploy to sell toys with silly plots and implausible physics. Good thing he didn't watch Rainbow Brite then.



Or My Little Pony for that matter...cuz that would make Ralph a Bronie. Speaking of bronies, his second entry features Jake and Elwood Blues with their Bluesmobile. Since its a former cop car it counts as a #9 since it still has got a cop motor, a four hundred and forty cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions and cop shocks so its all good. Remember Ralph, it is and always will be bronies before honies.



New guy MadFirePhotographer lives up to his name somehow with this Mack CF Fire Engine, presumably depicting #9. I've checked and he really is a mad fire photographer whereas I fancy myself more of a mildly perturbed photographer of lakes. Something tells me he's a one-challenge type...or we can expect lots more mad fire photography from this one.



Certainly no one trick pony is Peter Blackert. Yesiree, he's in LUGNuts for the long haul with practically a baker's dozen entries of his own. (what, you couldn't squeeze out one more?) His first entry is a #9 Ford Explorer Police Pursuit Vehicle.



Hell yes, I remember Battle of the Planets! Any English speaking kid alive in 1978 knew full well the shenanigans of these five space-adventuring-orphan-super-hero-bird-themed...space orphan...guys. Depicted here is Jason's G2 Racer.



The super-hero-space-orphan-bird guys also had their more subdued albeit totally mod civilian hipster counterparts. This time the civilian ride for the character, Jason, an interpreted 1967 Pontiac Firebird Coupe.


S'more #5 action from Peter, this time Princess' Civilian ride is a standard 70's era sportbike...with her flared hipster bell-bottoms flapping in the breeze there.



Followed by her spaced out G3 Akira inspired motorcycle. Ahh the memories. I can still hear the opening theme music. You can hear the opening theme music too...if only they invented some sort of way to watch videos on the web. Some sort of tube site where you can watch...I don't know...shows from the 70's or maybe a monkey peeing in his own mouth.



But the technology for such a website is 50 years in the future, I'm sure. Too bad, really. But for now just enjoy the timeless beauty of this MotorCity Police Department - 1951 Mercury Eight.





This just in! A hostile space fungus from Mars just landed in Washington DC and declared that it wants all Earth made rovers off their planet immediately! And is demanding to eat the President's face! More news at 11. Oh and Peter also built this tow truck.



Next Peter adds some much needed Claas to this joint. (you saw that joke coming!) This time in the form of the CLAAS JAGUAR 900-Series Harvester, depicting # 11. Finally!



And another one fitted with the maize cob silage attachment for mowing down...uh...maize cob silage stuff. Peter tells us the Claas Distribution Center is on the way to work so occasionally he gets to stop in to talk to the nice friendly folks there.



I had a similar experience on the way to my work. While on the bus to work, I once saw a homeless guy bend over to throw up into the garbage can and he split his pants while he did it. I coulda gone my whole life without seeing that but no, I gotta live with that memory for all eternity now! Oh and Peter built an Alfa Romeo Giulia Berlina - 105 Series Italian police car.



Finally someone orders a #2, in this case, Peter's Iron Man themed Audi R8 monster truck. The monster truck aspect of it screams inbred redneck but the Audi R8 part demurely nods to performance and luxury. Its a dichotomy like sleeveless tuxedoes or ass-less pants.



Cripes, there's that memory again! They spilt all the way from like front belt loop to back belt loop. And his ass wasn't even clean, either, but you know...what else would you expect from a hobo puking into a can. Anyway, lets rid ourselves of this vision by thinking happy thoughts. Puppies. Balloons. Kittens. A miniland scale Mercedes-Benz W196R Rennwagen 'Monza' Streamliner used in the 1954-55 Formula One World Championship.



You know what's so sweet about this all-inclusive way of blogging?Fritz4783's mowing tractor gets equal billing. Hey, maybe I write about monkeys peeing in their own mouths and and space fungus eating your face but at least it gets you blogged, right? Try getting this over at our Big Brother's blog. Its almost cute in its naivety, this tractor.



And speaking of our Big Brothers, they seemed to have liked Lino Martins (hey, that's me!) Stars N'Stripes Divco depicting #7. And what's not to love about it? Patriotism and nostalgia are always big winning tickets at the SEMA show and here at LUGNuts. Its just too bad that my photo editing made it a bit too over-exposed. There were no sunny days in June here is Seattle so I had to overcompensate. I gotta get me a better photo booth!



Last but not least, Rolic finishes us all off with a 1949 Ferrari 166MM...a contender for the old-timey races. He tells us it took so long from build to post that he forgot the car's make and year. Yeah, that'll happen.



That's all of them, right? So...how did we do? I wanted variety with these 13 vastly different choices and variety is what I got. Sadly, no one even touched numbers 3,6,8,12, and 13. Oh, the possibilities! But if we wanted to see Amphicars or rock crawlers, we'll just have to wait another time. And those zombies lurking about aren't going to kill themselves, you know! Great, thanks to you people we have undead zombies who need to be...um...more dead. Anyway what's in store for next month? If we don't all die from a zombie infestation, its the drug fueled psychedelic acid trip we like to call Summer of '69...all about 60's era cars, trucks, and bikes. Its all about incense, peppermints, and peace and love to your fellow man. Will yours be a 6-fo Impala lowrider or a totally groovy VW bus? We'll just have to wait and see. I for one, have something totally balls-out awesome in store for you! Yep. So tune in next month, same bat time...same bat channel! Grooooooovy man, Grooooooooovvvvvvvy!