Autoblog

Volkswagen is one of those brands that evokes a lot of nostalgia. The Who is an iconic band from the 60's. That's why when Volkswagen decided to revisit the Microbus concept they looked to members of The Who for guidance. While not only playing a song titled Magic Bus, The Who also used a VW Camper for touring in their early years of existence. They encouraged Volkswagen by expressing interest in a more economical and safer update of the Camper.

The new Camper concept being researched at Volkswagen is nicknamed Bulli. As with many current design trends, the Bulli will have a stripped out retro appearance. The aim is to appeal to more frugal consumers. The possibility is there if they can achieve demand for enough units. We just hope they keep them off the racetrack and inside the paddock.

[Source: Auto Express]

A two-tone 2009 Dodge Challenger was spotted in Detroit earlier this month, but it was all the way back in August when we brought you shots of this all-black Challenger. That car hasn't been spotted cruising around the streets of Detroit in a while, the reason being is that it's no longer in the vicinity of Detroit. Recently the car was spotted far from home at Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort in Valley Center, located in sunny San Diego, California. The casino is conveniently situated near Mt. Palomar, which is home to San Diego's finest mountain pass. We can only assume that the folks from Chrysler were flogging the camo-clad Challenger around the mountain road. Testing was certainly in progress during this sighting, as it was closely followed by Dodge chase vehicles complete with roof antennas. Could this mean that the Challenger will be aimed at handling the twisties as well as the straights? Let us hope it won't be plagued with extreme understeer like its predecessors.

[Photos: Tam To]

According to Sport Compact Car Magazine, the 2007 Ultimate Street Car is a 2001 Audi S4. For those not in the know, the Ultimate Street Car Challenge is an annual two day event hosted by the editors of Sport Compact Car Magazine. Competitors from all over the country are hand selected to battle it out in every aspect of custom street car engineering. These are not trailer queens, people. They are real, street driven monsters. Performance and appearance are not the only deciding factors; emissions, fuel economy and ride comfort make up a significant portion of the score, as well.

This year's winning 2001 Audi S4 belongs to Brent Mattraw and was tuned by Torque Factory in Venice, California. The Audi's winning combination did not come from intensive custom fabricated modifications or all out engine blueprinting, but rather attention to the Audi's weak points. The S4 kept its sophisticated European luxury style but received stronger connecting rods, a better sealing head gasket, higher flowing turbochargers and a reworked differential along with a few other bolt-on performance bits. However, the car was not completely devoid of potential deal breaking modifications. It uses a little bit of nitrous to help get the job done.

The Audi beat out a handful of other well qualified vehicles to be crowned champion. They include a C5 Corvette Z06, Infiniti G35, Subaru WRX STI, R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R, Nissan 300ZX, Toyota Supra, Acura Integra, BMW 2002 and even an Ariel Atom. Check out the Nov. and Dec. 2007 issues of Sport Compact Car Magazine to learn the gory details of the competitors and results.

[Source: Sport Compact Car]

The ladies swoon over Patrick Dempsey on Grey's Anatomy so much that he's garnered the nickname McDreamy on the show. McDreamy himself, however, dreams about ponies - a particular pony, in fact, in the form of a Ford Mustang FR500C built for the Grand Am Road Racing KONI Series. Dempsey recently competed in the Grand Sport (GS) class with co-drivers Joe Foster and Rick Skelton. The season ended on Oct. 7th at Virginia International Raceway, and Dempsey's best finish ended up being sixth place at Miami back in April. He says he strives to get faster, so hopefully we will see more of the good doctor behind the wheel of a Mustang.

Dempsey credits his passion for racing to the days of watching major motorsports events like the Indianapolis 500, Dayton 500 and Monte Carlo Grand Prix with his father. Surprisingly, he got his start in racing through the Skip Barber and Panoz driving schools, though no doubt his money and fame helped land him in the driver's seat of an actual race car. He attributes his draw towards the Ford Mustang to the aura generated by the works of Carroll Shelby and the Mustang's deep history. This pin-up doctor is apparently much deeper than we thought.

[Source: Ford]

It's getting to be that time of year again. The auto show circuit is kicking into gear and SEMA is looming on the horizon. That means the holidays are just around the corner, and Turbobuick.com certainly knows how to get into the spirit. The crew over there has put together a Toys for Tots charity drive in which a $5 donation gets you in the running to win a 1987 Buick Regal T-Type Turbo. Thanks to donated parts and labor, the car will be a package worthy of GM High-Tech Performance Magazine once it's completed. 100% of the proceeds will go towards the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, so you can be sure future gearheads will also be inspired by the Hot Wheels and Legos your donations buy for them.

Thanks for the tip Jay!

[Source: Turbobuick.com]

With the current frenzy of Nissan GT-R information and the extreme anticipation of the next Fast and Furious installment we bring you a combination of the two with Paul Walker's R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R V Spec II. While not quite an eBay auction, the car is listed for sale at duPontREGISTRY.com. It is one of only 12 R34 GT-Rs that were brought in by the now defunct Motorex. This car is federally legalized, so no need to worry about it getting impounded, but folks in California still lose out as it does not have the necessary CARB requirements for registration.

The cost of ownership comes in at a hefty $140,000. This price encompasses enough goodies to evoke wet dreams from many a JDM fanboi. It comes fitted with parts such as a complete RB26DETT Tomei engine, twin HKS GT2530 ball bearing turbochargers, HKS intercooler, HKS F-CON V Pro engine management and a bunch of other things mostly labeled HKS or Tomei.

[Source: duPontREGISTRY.com]