If you’ve got the money, and you are an avid collector of model cars, well why not? But I certainly am not going to buy a model car that costs more than the price of the real car, which is set at $379, 700.

The most expensive Lamborghini car even, which is the Lamborghini Reventón, made in 2008 and sporting a body that seemed to come from science fiction movies and a 6.5 L V-12, 640 hp engine, costs at the jaw dropping price of $1.45 million. But that’s even cheaper than the model car for Aventador.

The owner and creator of Lamborghini Aventador is car Engineer Robert Gülpen, who has been developing car motors for Mercedes.

The creator had practically spent 500 hours in building the model. What makes the model car really expensive is the fact that other than the pain staking number of hours rendered in creating the car, this model which is 60 cm long is actually encrusted with expensive, precious jewels and stones worth 2.7 million dollars.

The model is also composed of gold, platinum and sterling silver and again several costly gems.

Among the precious jewels inserted in the model car are diamonds. Yes, you read it right, DIAMONDS.

These hard, glittering stones are inserted into the headlights, seats and steering wheel. The body is made from carbon fibre, which is the original make up of the real car. But the carbon fibre is also clothed with solid gold, the element lacked in the real thing.

So that’s the reason why the Aventador model car costs almost ten times than the real car’s price.

But who would really buy this model? Probably only those with serious money, and I mean, really serious like, you’d probably own a large percentage of all the world’s wealth.

Well this is just rightly done by Robert Gülpen since the target market he’s aiming at are the richest people of the Gulf states.

This might probably sell to some billionaire but the new owner might need to check his security over and over again since this item will probably appeal to the world’s greatest thieves, if they do exist.

As for me, I’ll probably feel satisfied enough to hold the model and take pictures of it. Who wants to buy a model that costs more than the real thing? I certainly don’t.

{Source: chiemgau-online.de }

A Lamborghini Aventador for 4.7 million dollars? No Way! is a post from: Tech Pinger

Who says that cars are only for boys? With the Volkswagen Aqua Hovercraft, I insist that boys share the same passion with the girls in car designing.

Recently, news sprouted about the Volkswagen Aqua Hovercraft. This latest design is conceptualized by Zhang Yuhan, a former Graduate Research Assistant at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Presently, this Chinese lady who was a graduate of B.S. Mathematics at Peking University is an Associate at Morgan Stanley Company in New York.

Her concept of making the Aqua Hovercraft is basically tailored to the off road vehicle of Volkswagen in China. The designed car features hydrogen fuel-cell motor and an impeller. The combination of these two components makes the Volkswagen Aqua Hovercraft a fusion of a futuristic and a multipurpose vehicle for today. The utilization of hydrogen in its motor emits no air pollutants that mark this car as one of the green hybrid cars, while the impeller was designed to force high air pressure under the chases of the car that keeps it going in no matter type of terrain.

Moreover, what makes VW Aqua Hovercraft exciting can’t only be defined in its internal parts, but also with its external design. At a first glance, I would never think it was designed by a woman. The unique definiteness and accurate features of Volkswagen Design are well-interpreted in this car by Zhang Yuhan.

Lastly, Zhang Yuhan’s design of Aqua Hovercraft appeared as a finalist at the CDN Car Design Awards in China. The event was hosted by Chris Bangle, the former BMW designer and automotive expert.

VW Aqua Hovercraft: A Design of a Chinese Lady Car Designer is a post from: Tech Pinger

Peugeot xb1 is a concept developed by designer Thierry Fischer, Kevin Bioblz, Karim Benna and Frederick Stselura. This electric vehicle of the future is intended for short-distance trips. Lovely maneuverability of the scooter allows easy movement in both traffic and the sidewalk. Sufficiently powerful battery allows xb1 to a speed of 35 km/h and driving on the sidewalk – to 15 kmh.

The new concept is equipped with GPS and an interface that allows the driver to monitor battery status, see your location and calculates the best route to goal.

Peugeot XB1 Concept Electric Scooter of the Future is a post from: Tech Pinger

The latest auto-industry recall involves a spider that has probably made a home in your house. Japanese car maker Mazda is recalling more than 50,000 Mazda6 cars in US after finding spider web in the vents. The recall also affects another 15,000 vehicle in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

“For those of us in the Southwest, the big problem inside our cars is a real desert denizen — spiders,” Mary Manning, a former senior reporter at the Las Vegas Sun, told me. Encountering a large, hairy spider in your car while on the road can be a real traffic hazard, to put it mildly. Manning found a huntsman (a spider the size of a half dollar) in her car on an afternoon drive around Las Vegas. It crawled on her husband’s hand before she was able to knock it off with a pillow and usher it outside.

Twenty cases have been documented. The nests could cause pressurization problems that lead to cracks, gas leaks and fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The spider, which is about the size of a nickel and quite common in American houses, is a nocturnal hunter, said Richard Bradley, an entomologist and spider expert at Ohio State University.

According to an Ohio State University report, the spider is mildly venomous, causing a reaction similar to a mosquito bite, but can be more dangerous to some individuals. As with bee venom, some might experience “general systemic reactions that include fever, malaise, stomach cramps and nausea” and, in extreme cases, an ulcerated lesion that takes weeks to heal, the university said.

Under the recall, dealers will inspect the vent pipes for spider webs and will install a spring that keeps the critters out. Entomologists are amused but not surprised by the yellow sac spiders’ starring role in a big recall.

Mazda Spider Recall – 65,000 Vehicles Recalls Over Fears of Yellow Spider is a post from: Tech Pinger

The Saab PhoeniX concept that made its world debut today at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show presents design features and technologies that will shape the next generation of cars from Saab, including the IQon infotainment system. The sleek concept car is based on a Saab 9-3 chassis and introduces what Saab is calling “aeromotion” design.

Peugeot is one of the leaders in this field and is set to launch the technology, branded HYbrid4, in its 3008 diesel-electric hybrid later this year. As for the Saab PhoeniX, the concept features a 200 horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo powering the front axle and a 34 horsepower electric motor manning the rear. The result is an intelligent, hybrid all-wheel drive capability, which Saab is calling eXWD.

A stretched interpretation of Saab’s signature three-port grille, LED headlights and butterfly doors are some of the notable exterior features. Also, there are no visible door handles or mirrors to disrupt airflow – small cameras on slim stalks provide rearward vision. Under the sculpted hood is a highly-efficient, 1.6-litre turbo engine driving the front wheels along with an innovative, electric rear-wheel drive system. The former produces 200 horsepower and the latter 34. Using a six-speed manual transmission, the car’s projected combined fuel economy is 56.5 mpg (4.16 L/100 km).

The 2+2 cabin adopts a clean, minimalist look. A driver-oriented instrument layout and LED lighting enhance the experience, as do the head-up display and new IQon infotainment system with 8-inch touchscreen. Powered by Google’s Android operating system, IQon seamlessly connects to the internet when the car’s ignition is switched on. The touchscreen provides access to audio and entertainment streaming, online navigation and on-board music storage. Users will be able to download a wide range of applications, online services and multimedia functions through a Saab IQon store.

Saab PhoeniX Debuts at Geneva 2011 with IQon infotainment System is a post from: Tech Pinger

Lamborghini has unveiled its fastest ever production hyper car in the 81st International Motor Show in Geneva, called the Aventador LP700-4. The hyper car features 700hp V12 and the highest power to weight ratio of any car in its class.

The light carbon-fiber 1,575 kg Aventador takes just nifty 2.9 seconds for a 0-100 km/h run with a top speed of 350 km/h. This is also the first time a production car is using an F1-inspired pushrod suspension with aluminium double wishbones and carbon fiber ceramic brakes.

According to Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “The Aventador is a jump of two generations in terms of design and technology, it’s the result of an entirely new project, but at the same time it’s a direct and consistent continuation of Lamborghini’s brand values. It is extreme in its design and its performance, uncompromising in its standards and technology, and unmistakably Italian in its style and perfection. Overall, the dynamics and technical excellence of the Aventador LP 700-4 make it unrivalled in the worldwide super sports car arena.”

It has 13 paintwork choices, and upgrade options including a transparent engine cover, parking sensors, stereo upgrade, colored callipers for the brakes and black paint on the wheels. The price begins at £201,900 and the first customers are expected to zoom around in their brand new Aventadorsby summer 2011. Source

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is launched in Geneva is a post from: Tech Pinger

The Toyota unveiled their new hybrid car, called the Prius + on the occasion of 81st International Motor show in Geneva, Switzerland. It is hybrid car which runs on gasoline and electricity. It has 7 people seating which is the main difference from the previous generation Prius V, which can accommodate only 5 people.

The car has been exceptional in its fuel efficiency, design and driving performance. According to Toyota, the Toyota Prius + will be the most fuel-efficient seven seater car in Europe. The European model will go on sale early in 2012. The hybrid Prius + can be real answer for the needs of an environment-conscious world, shaping a new direction for what is possible, and setting the benchmark for cars of the future.Source

Toyota unveiled the Prius + in Geneva is a post from: Tech Pinger

This is the long awaited Alfa Romeo 4C Concept, a compact sportscar from the Italian car maker. The car has made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The 4C concept is a classic two-seat, mid-engined, rear-wheel drive compact sports car with a length measuring just four metres and a wheelbase of under 2.4-metres.

According to the latest reports, the new car will be inspired by the legendary 33 Stradale, a car built back in 1967 which became a collector’s item due to its performance characteristics and due to the fact that only 18 units were ever produced. Moreover, the car will also be inspired by the 8C Competizione, a limited edition supercar released by Alfa Romeo which was too expensive for the market.

It is powered by a 1.7-litre turbocharged petrol engine, as used in the Guilietta, and features a twin dry-clutch transmission. The automotive manufacturer is not revealing a precise horsepower figure for the motor at present but it uses 232bhp in others.

The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept has an extremely sophisticated suspension layout (high quadrilateral at the front, MacPherson at the rear) to ensure maximum agility and road handling. This solution, along with the rear-wheel drive and the extraordinary weight/power ratio, ensures Alfa Romeo driving pleasure, enhanced even further by the weight distribution (40% on the front axle and 60% on the rear axle). The Concept takes up the Brand’s sporting tradition, taking us back to its origins, when agility and the weight/power ratio were the keys to a successful racing vehicle, and combining these aspects with the Alfa Romeos which take to the road every day.

The Alfa Romeo 4C, shown at the Geneva Motor Show, will be on sale in Europe in 2012. While the 4C might make it to our shores, the sale date is not known as of yet. One just needs to keep their fingers crossed and pray to whatever deity it is one believes in, that the Alfa Romeo 4C comes to America.

Alfa Romeo 4C Unveiled at Geneva; To Debut in 2012 is a post from: Tech Pinger

Jaguar has designed a perfect car to honor its 50th anniversary of their iconic car “E-Type”. It’s called the Growler E 2011 and while there’s plenty of room for improvement with the name, overall, the Growler E looks like it can stand out from the rest of the four-wheeled lemmings out there.

The car will be based on the Jaguar XKR and powered by a supercharged 5.0 liter V8. While this engine delivers 510hp, the designers imagine that this will be tuned up to produce 600hp thanks to engine remapping. Vizualtech did a splendid job designing the Growler E 2011. It was able to retain much of the old E-Type’s shapes and curves while also adding a modern touch to it. It’s just too bad that we won’t be seeing this car other than in these pages.

The composite body is glued on a chassis made of a central carbon fibre core, on which two tubular frames are bolted at the front and rear, supporting engine, steering, transmission and suspensions. This car will weigh 200kg less than the XKR, so the Growlers weight is only 1550kg. Because of this, the Growler E should outperform the Jaguar XKR. The acceleration from 0-100km/h is projected to stay under four seconds.

Vizualtech says that if there is some demand, it may commission construction of a small series which should be hand-built. The price for this great retro design is unknown.  Vizualtech is a Swedish design studio, founded by Bo Zolland in 1999.

Growler E 2011 to Honor Jaguar’s E-Type is a post from: Tech Pinger

Here is good news for fans of Chevrolet Volt in California; Future Chevy Volt owners in California can breathe a sigh of relief: General Motors will come out with a version of the plug-in hybrid that will qualify for the state’s generous tax rebates in 2012.

In 2011 Chevy Volt was not able to qualify as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) means that it’s not eligible for California’s $5,000 tax rebate. But now reports say that Chevy is preparing to get their Volt qualified under Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) so Customers in California can have $5000 rebate on 2012 or 2013 Volt model. These specifications require cars in this category to guarantee their batteries will last for ten years and/or 150,000 miles. The idea behind the law is to prevent companies from trying to game the regulations by putting out a car with a small battery or a battery that may not last.

Total of $12, 500 will surely be rebated if things happen as expected as Volt’s sold in California may eventually be eligible for both the $7,500 federal tax credit and the State’s $5,000 rebate.

2012 Chevy Volt may qualify California’s $5000 Rebate by being eligible for AT-PZEV is a post from: Tech Pinger