Car Throttle

PR stunts can be a fantastic way for companies to let everyone know about their immense new product. This is because adverts tend to be similar and consistent and we see them everyday, but yet the occasional PR events are the ones we always remember. Sometimes they give us joy and excitement but some can leave us offended and outraged. Like the boss of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, always says, 'Any publicity is better than no publicity.' It's exactly what the following five companies had in mind and each involved a car or two. 5. Mercedes: Escape The Map Mercedes knew that the amount of people that drooled at the sight of the C Class Coupe probably wouldn't be able to afford it which is why they ran

Even though the recent recession fatally wounded parts of the industry and fossil fuels running dry will threaten its future, the world of cars is still very much alive and kicking. There is such a variety of new products coming out this year ranging from affordable city cars you'll actually want to own, to ridiculously expensive supercars you'll lust after, old school coupes to revolutionary family cars, petrol engines to plug-in electric motors. The list is almost endless. So to help fellow car lovers and "new kids on the block" out, here's a round-up of 33 cars we can't wait to see in 2012 in order of release date. January 2012 Kia Optima It's been available around the world for a while but the Kia Optima

In the rankings of current automobiles, the Ferrari 458 is near the top for performance.  It's a seriously fast car.  A combination of engineering, Italian want-factor, and space ship styling puts it on the top of a lot of people's Christmas lists.  Even though it's the "baby" Ferrari, it can smoke 99% of cars on the road.  A 4.5L direct-injected V8 in the middle cranks out 562 horsepower, with a 7-speed twin clutch automated manual banging out shifts at the 9,000rpm redline.  Car & Driver tested a 458 Italia against it's two closest competitors - the McLaren MP4-12C and Porsche 911 GT2 RS, and it put a hurting on their test equipment - 0-60 in 3.0 seconds flat, 0-100 in 6.5, quarter mile in 11.0

Right across the street from Charles Agapiou Bentley/Rolls Royce on Santa Monica Blvd is the kind of dealership you could just stand and drool in for a while.  Heritage Classics is exactly what it says on the label: a purveyor of high-end desirable classics parked wall to wall.  Unlike a lot of classic dealers, this one didn't seem to specialize in one marque or even genre: there was everything from a classic Porsche 356 to a Cadillac Eldorado.  But what lured me in the door first was this... A Ferrari 330GTC, what I think is probably the prettiest front-engine V12 Ferrari ever made.  Styling by Pininfarina, a 4.0L Colombo V12 breathing through six carbs up front, a five-speed, two seats and independent suspension.  The

I'm almost done with the Los Angeles car spotting articles.  In these last two sections, we'll be looking at two dealers in Hollywood to give you a taste of the good life.  Going down Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, in search of an In-N-Out Burger (which I can report is just as good as everyone says it is!), I saw this Rolls Royce Corniche convertible parked curbside.  Hmm... And a jet-black Bentley Turbo R behind it.  If there's a better name for a Bentley out there than Turbo R, I'm not aware of it.  I got out of the car and wandered up the sidewalk into the front lot of Charles Agapiou Ltd Bentley/Rolls Servicing and Sales.  A dealer and shop that specializes in

Sometimes I realize I have a certain lack of perspective when it comes to the car thing.  Perhaps it's a regional thing.  I'm in Los Angeles for a few days (a family member is getting married), and some of the cars that raise eyebrows in Raleigh would be taxis around here.  If there's an area in the US that embraces car culture more fully than the city of Angels, I'm not sure what it is.  This is a place where a C-class Mercedes is like a Taurus, and you routinely see more than ten Bentleys a day.  It's special.  My shutter finger has been getting tired.  Check it out. See, in the middle of the eastern seaboard, a CL55 AMG Supercharged is the kind of

2012 is shaping up to be one hell of a busy year for the boys and girls in Maranello, with such a smorgasbord of new Ferrari models muted to be on the way. There's the Challenge/Scuderia hardcore version of the 458 to come, a 700bhp 599 replacement, and even a possible first look at the Enzo successor. Now, reports are suggesting that the entry-level prancing horse will also be receiving some nip/tuck attention to keep it bang up to date. The California, launched in 2008 as Ferrari's first folding hard top, and first front-engined V8, is likely to go on a diet and grow some more muscles for its 2012 update. Rather than being a racier add-on pack, like the HGTE option for the 599 and now-defunct

If you're lucky or dare I say "unlucky" enough to be around Canary Wharf at 7 in the morning, you'll catch a glimpse of one of The City of London's greatest phenomena. Rush hour. This parade of sorts has in its ranks financial analysts, traders and executives who played varying roles in highly-publicised events you may remember such as "The Financial Crisis 2008", "The Financial Crisis 2009", "The Financial Crisis 2010" and "The Continued Financial Crisis 2011". It's safe to say that these commuting individuals form the bulk of Occupy Wallstreet's Hit List. The bad kind of hit list. OK, so I might be being a bit melodramatic. You may mistake your Economics degree'd author here to be part of that very same crew and in

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to own a one-of-a-kind supercar, you would probably imagine that it would be amazing! Every journey you took would entertain you with a glorious sounding engine, mind blowing acceleration and would especially entertain you around the country roads and around the local racetrack. It's not just using it that would make you happy though. Imagine a sunny day and you have just locked your front door, you turn around and suddenly you are dazzled by the glorious design and sparkle of your pride and joy sitting on your driveway.  All sounding wonderful so far. Sadly there will be a couple of drawbacks if you get the opportunity to own one. Firstly the fact

Every year, Neiman Marcus offers a special new limited-edition automobile for its Christmas Book. Last year it was the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, and the year before that it was the Jaguar XJ Sedan. Neiman Marcus vehicles are mostly differentiated by their paint color, a few accessories and a high price tag. This year is no different. The high-end retailer has just announced that the featured car for Christmas 2011 is the Ferrari FF. The Neiman Marcus Ferrari FF gets an exterior color dubbed "Grigio Caldo." That really makes us want to fork out the extra dough for this "special edition." Yes, there is sarcasm in there. The other changes include a special set of luggage (hey you have the trunk space right?), semi-aniline