Autoblog

Click above for gallery of the Ferrambo

We first alerted you to the Ferrambo's existence back in late 2007 when the build was nearing completion. The brainchild of Mike Warn and Tim Divers of Divers Street Rods, the Ferrambo is the result of mashing together a 1960 Nash Rambler Wagon and a Ferrari 360, along with a ridiculous amount of custom fabrication. The product is truly neither car, with the original Nash donating mainly its body and a wrecked 2002 Ferrari 360 its 3.6L V8 engine and 6-speed tranny. The rest is all made by hand, including the custom frame that accommodates mid-mounting the Ferrari V8 behind the two front seats.



What's under the hood then? A set of custom fit leather luggage that matches the hide used to upholster the interior. So impressive is the Ferrambo that it won this year's coveted Riddler award at the 2008 Detroit Autorama. If you don't know what the Riddler is then, as the car's builders say, the Ferrambo is not for you. But the Ferrambo is for someone who has got lots of money and an appreciation for fine craftsmanship and the automotive oddities, as Mike and Tim are putting it up for sale. They don't list the asking price, but we imagine it's quite a bit more than the sum of its parts. Check out the Ferrambo for yourself in our gallery below, and if you're really interested, call GP Imports at 1-800-763-4016 for the price.


[Source: GP Imports]

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time driving Ford's modern day interpretation of the Mustang Bullitt and came away wanting one in the worst way. It's true that the late model Mustang has issues, but no other car is able to channel that much soul, charisma and character through its steering column. The only thing better would be an actual 1968 Mustang GT 350 Fastback like the one Steve McQueen actually drove in the film. Fans of the car and McQueen are one step closer to realizing this dream thanks to the McQueen estate, which has authorized the building of official replica Bullit Mustangs in honor of the film's 40th anniversary. Ownership of the Bullit name is shared by the McQueen family and Warner Bros., so we're not sure who would actually build these replica Bullitts, but we'll be first in line when they eventually surface.

[Source: TheMustangSource.com]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Caravan Concept

Yes, we've got more new from the recreational and commercial vehicle show going on in Düsseldorf, Germany. After the Fiat Portofino and VW Topos Sails concepts comes something intriguing straight from the RV industry itself... with a little help from BMW. It's called the Caravan Concept and it's by a company in Europe called Merhzeller. Designed by Christian Freisling and Thersa Kalteis, the Caravon Concept is a traditional hitched travel trailer that's skinned inside and out with more polygons than a PS2 could process. The idea is that customers can custom design their trailer using an online "Konfigurator" so they get just enough geometric shapes to meet their needs. The only bit of warmth on the Caravan Concept is the wood floors, counters and table top on the inside, but other than that it's full blown Fortress of Solitude on wheels, and we like it. BMW is one of many sponsors behind the Merhzeller Caravon Concept, which also includes about three dozen European companies we've never heard of. Regardless, Squob reports that the trailer is building buzz in Düsseldorf, so there may be hope if you yearn to vacation in this 8-bit snowball.


[Source: Squob]

Click above for high-res gallery with the new Toyota Avensis

Toyota will use the upcoming Paris Motor Show in October to unveil its redesigned flagship model for Europe, the Avensis. Think of it as the old country's version of the Avalon. Though we only have a rear 3/4 shot to go by, the new Avensis looks considerably more chunky than the current model, with a short deck lid, large rear tail-lights, a strong shoulder line and some interesting concave surfacing above the side sills. We don't know much else, other than that it will be offered with more powerful and cleaner engines when it goes on sale in Europe around January.

Toyota also announced that it will be bringing out the production version of its iQ city car and the Urban Cruiser for the Paris show. The Urban Cruiser is basically a ruggedized, soft-roading version of the Scion xD, while the iQ is based on the concept of the same name that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007.


[Source: Toyota]

Click above to view video after the jump

Michael Bay's first attempt at bringing the Autobots into the real world, the 2007 live action Transformers film, has been all over HBO lately. When looking for HD programming to justify the expense of a flat screen and DirecTV to the Mrs., this movie really hits the spot. So in addition to once in the theater, I've seen it about 10 more times at home. Suffice it to say, I'm ready for T2: Revenge of the Fallen. While we've seen plenty of shots from filming and learned that the once mysterious addition to the Autobots is in fact the Corvette Centennial concept, we haven't had so much as a teaser trailer yet to wet our whistle. The video after the jump is a mere sip, but it will have to do for now. Thought to be shot in Long Beach, CA where filming has moved, it features a caravan of Autobots obeying the most famous of all Optimus Prime orders: Roll Out! The group includes Optimus, of course, and Bumblebee and Ironhide, as well as the Chevy Beat and Trax concepts and the Corvette Centennial concept. There's no sign of any Decepticons yet, but you just wait. Follow the jump to watch the video in high-res for yourself.

[Source: TFLiveBlog via eGMCarTech]

Click above to enlarge

General Motors continues to eek out teaser shots of the production Chevy Volt, but it appears that an image of the production interior has slipped through the Empire's net of control. All we have to go on for this image posted on the Motivemag.com forums is the image itself, which is part of a display panel at what appears to be a sneak preview of the vehicle for god knows who. What we see is a sleek, all-white center console with virtually no buttons. The controls appear to be touch sensitive instead, leaving the face of the console as smooth as a Frigidaire. Good luck installing an aftermarket stereo in this one. Completely flush air vents flank the console, which stands out in contrast to the black dash panel. On top of it all sits the information display, seen here showing the relationship between the "range extending" engine and lithium-ion batteries. What say you? We all know the production Volt isn't going to be as wild as the concept, but does this innovative center console meet your expectations? Also keep in mind that this might not be the real deal, but it seems to be from all appearances. Thanks for the tip, Brandon!

Gallery: Production Chevy Volt

[Source: Motivemag.com]

Click above to view gallery of stills from Saturn's Project Runway appearance

Project Runway is one of those reality shows that you both can watch, if you know what we mean. Though most men man not admit it, watching Heidi Klum and a bunch of models walk down a runway makes up for the obnoxious antics of the designers. This week's episode incorporated one of the show's long-time sponsors, Saturn, which heretofore has been relegated to supplying the winner with that year's Saturn du jour as a grand prize. Episode 7, however, brought Saturn onto the runway in a challenge that required the contestants to create fashions using parts from the new VUE. Make it work, indeed. Though we haven't watched the episode yet (oh yes, we DVR it), the best part appears to be when the designers begin dismantling a pair of VUEs for materials. Mental note: be wary of used late-model VUEs for sale in and around New York City. It appears the designers were most attracted to any cloth they could find in the vehicles, with seat belts being a hot item. We're not going to spoil for you who won the challenge, except to say that the design was not our top choice. You can check them all out in the gallery below, as well as some stills from the episode.


[Source: Bravo via Jalopnik]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Splinter Wooden Supercar

You may remember our post on the Splinter wooden supercar late last year. At the time, the grad students behind the project being led by Joe Harmon only had renderings of what the Gaia-approved exotic would look like. They deserve extra credit, however, for having the actual car ready for the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta last week. While they've yet to reach the running prototype stage, they did marry the car's body to its all-wooden chassis. Renderings are one thing, but seeing photos of the actual car is inspiring. The body is comprised of basket-woven wood that's coated with resin in a mold, which we suppose makes it a different kind of carbon fiber altogether. Next up is actually fitting the drivetrain, which thankfully is not made of wood, and getting the Splinter moving under its own power. We may have doubted at the beginning that this project would ever be completed, let alone be this cool, but consider us converts.



[Source: Building the Splinter via Jalopnik]

Click above for high-res gallery of the EarthRoamer in action

Being that my family's in the motor home business, I know a thing or two about RVs. One thing I know is that they don't like going off road. Hell, they don't like potholes and speedbumps. Being constructed mostly of balsa wood and tinker toys, modern RVs tend to shake like an earthquake over anything but ribbon-smooth pavement. That's why the EarthRoamer XV-JP is unique. It's the only camper that's ever traversed the Rubicon Trail without flipping on its roof, and that's due mostly to the fact that it's based on the Jeep Wranger Rubicon Unlimited platform. In place of the standard Jeep's two rear doors is a big box containing a bench seat, small kitchen, a toilet (!) and extra storage. It's not very roomy, but the 'Loftop' roof flips opens to increase headroom to, oh, about nine feet, as well as make room for the queen size bed on which you'll be sleeping. There's even an 80-watt solar panel on the roof to charge the batteries when you're parked and a 160-amp engine alternator to keep things powered while on the move. A 6,100btu furnace, 25-gallon water tank and indoor and outdoor showers round out the RV-ification of this Jeep. For those looking to tackle some serious bush, the EarthRoamer packs electric locking front and rear differentials, an electric sway bar disconnect, twin Dana 44 differentials and a Warn 9000 heavy-duty winch. If you do head for the trail, though, just make sure your pots and pans are securely stowed.


[Source: Squob]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Topos Sail concept

Turns out the recreational and commercial vehicle show in Dusseldorf, Germany has attracted more concepts than the just the Fiat Portofino. Volkswagen showed up with the Caddy Topos Sail concept, another nautical-themed vehicle that brings the boat life to land locked lovers of the water. Based on the Caddy MPV, the Topos Sail concept's biggest attraction is its roof, which is covered in wood decking and surrounded on all sides by aluminum roof rails. The roof deck is designed for lounging in the sun just like on the deck of a yacht, and the panels flip up to act as back rests. The concept also features a nifty ladder built into the rear lift gate with wooden steps, as well as wood trim elsewhere on the vehicle's exterior. We're certain it doesn't float, but you could park the Topos Sail down by the docks, climb up on the roof and order a daiquiri to get the full effect.


[Source: VW]