Evidently, the Bugatti Veyron wasn't made to drift on water. Too bad that the driver of the 1001HP, 16-cylinder quad-turbocharged supercar had to find out the hard way... But seriously now, according to media reports, the unnamed driver lost control of the Veyron as he was traveling north on Interstate 45 in Texas when a "low-flying pelican distracted him".

The report goes on to say that the man" jerked the wheel, dropped his cell phone" and ended up, or rather in, a saltwater lagoon. While the driver wasn't injured, the same can't be said about the Veyron which carries a $1 million + price tag.

Sources: Jalopnik and Galvestondailynews

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In yet another attempt to bridge the gap between its cars and scooters, Peugeot has unveiled the HYbrid3 Evolution concept, a three-wheel drive, gasoline-electric hybrid scooter, at this week's Milan International Cycle and Motorbike Show. The three-wheel drive HYbrid3 Evolution is a roofless version of the HYbrid3 compressor that was presented at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and it is equipped with a 41HP 0.3-liter petrol engine driving the rear wheel, and two 3kW electric motors, one in each front wheel, delivering a combined output of 8HP.

The electric motors are powered by lithium-ion batteries which can be recharged by an energy recovery system active during deceleration and braking. There are no mechanical connections between the front and the rear motors, as everything is controlled electronically by-wire.

Peugeot says that like many hybrid cars, the HYbrid3 Evolution can be driven in a number of different ways, including in all electric mode for a range of up to 10 km (6 miles), petrol only mode and a combination of both petrol and electric motors.

According to the French company, the hybrid scooter returns an average fuel consumption of 2.0lt/100 km (117.6 mpg US) with C02 emissions of 48 g/km.

Peugeot did not say if it has any plans to introduce a production version of the HYbrid Evolution.

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Now here's an elegant tuning proposal for the Aston Martin DB9 Volante, courtesy of the German firm, Wheelsandmore. The tuner's program for the drop-top Aston Martin includes styling and performance upgrades both for the suspension and V12 powerhouse. On the outside, the DB9 Volante gains a tasteful and non-intrusive bodykit comprising of front and rear aprons, side skirts and a boot lid spoiler.

The convertible's looks are complemented by a set of 20-inch Kahn RS-V alloy wheels shod in Dunlop Sport Maxx tires size 255/35 at the front and 285/30 at the back.

Under the bonnet, Wheelsandmore reprogrammed the 6.0-liter V12 engine's ECU and installed a sportier stainless-steel exhaust system with electronically controlled flaps, thus raising output from 470HP and 600Nm, to 536HP and 650Nm

A H&R sport suspension system that lowers the car's ride height by 25mm completes the package.

Via: Autoblog.nl

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Virgil Coffman isn't your typical 2010 Chevrolet Camaro owner. He's a centenarian who recently became the oldest known living owner of the Chevy's new muscle car after he purchased a 400 horsepower, bright yellow, Transformers edition Camaro. The 101-year-old man from Indiana says that he has owned around 40 cars in his lifetime and that he has always followed the philosophy that if you want something, just go get it. We say good for him and hope he's around to buy the next generation Camaro. Video after the break.

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The new Peugeot Partner Van is now available in the UK in a five-seater version that comes with a factory fitted modular rear seat conversion. The Partner Crew Van is based on the standard S L2 HDi 90 model but offers the flexibility to carry up to five passengers whilst still featuring the same 1.8 m load length and 3.3 m3 load volume as the standard L1 version, when the rear seats are folded away. The new model is available at a basic price of £13,565.

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As everyone who has played with the famous colored bricks knows, with LEGO, nothing is impossible. Not even a full-size replica of a BMW X1 that was created by 800 children aged between 5 and 13 years old (with a little help from the Bavarian automaker's staff of course) who visited the BMW Welt in Munich last week. The build of the yellow-colored X1 took four days and approximately 165,000 LEGO bricks to complete.

The project was not only fun for the young participants but also served a good cause as for every LEGO block that was used, BMW donated a specific amount of money to the Munich children's foundation "Die Arche".

The finished X1 replica made out of LEGO bricks will go on display for the public to see alongside the automaker's real-life vehicles at the BMW Welt Plaza, from November 25.

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The organizers of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) announced today that the 2010 show will debut a 37,000 square foot exhibit area on the main floor of the Detroit's Cobo Center that will be exclusively dedicated to electric automobiles. The new exhibit area, called 'Electric Avenue' will play host to nearly 20 electric vehicles from both traditional automakers and entrepreneurs as well as symposiums and special events on the adjacent NAIAS stage.

"Electric Avenue is going to be a unique feature of the 2010 NAIAS that will enable us to educate a diverse audience about the long-term viability of the auto industry using a subject that is top of mind globally these days," said NAIAS Chairman Doug Fox.

The Electric Avenue display will be sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company which will showcase the importance of technological solutions, including its own advanced battery technology.

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We first told you about VW's decision to replace the 200HP 2.0 TSI engine with the Golf GTI's newer and more powerful 210HP 2.0 TSI on the Scirocco earlier this month when the company's UK arm announce the availability of the GT model in the market. Now, VW has made known that aside from the Scirocco, the Eos will also benefit from this change with both models being available across Europe.

The new powerplant from the latest-generation Golf GTI produces an extra 10-horsepower for a total output of 210HP while torque remains the same as the 200HP unit at 280Nm (207 lb-ft). Once again, the four-cylinder engine is fitted with a six-speed manual as standard and optionally, with VW's DSG dual clutch transmission.

Volkswagen claims that with this engine, the Scirocco's 0-100 km/h (62mph) sprint time has been cut by a significant 0.3 seconds over the outgoing 200HP model, at 6.9 seconds. The Eos 210HP 2.0 TSI hits the 100km/h mark from standstill in 7.8 seconds.

The latest 2.0 TSI is not only more powerful but also more fuel efficient than its predecessor as the German automaker says that the Scirocco 210HP returns a combined fuel economy of 7.4 lt/100km (31.8mpg US) representing a 5 per cent improvement over the previous model. Even better, the Eos 2.0 TSI 210HP consumes on average 7.2lt /100km (32.7 mpg US), which translates into a 9 per cent reduction in fuel consumption.

The 2010MY Scirocco and Eos 2.0 TSI 210HP are on sale now in Europe with prices in Germany starting from €26,050 and €31,975 respectively.

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A new range topping model that goes by the name Platinum has been added to the Aygo's UK line-up. Building on the specification of the Aygo+ model, the Platinum trim adds 14-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, Crystal Silver metallic paint, six-speaker audio system, Alcantara and leather seats and gear knob trim.

Buyers may also opt for the Xtra Protected pack which is priced at £380 adding rear parking sensors and additional side and rear protection mouldings while Toyota's Vehicle Stability Control can also be specified as an option, at £340.

The Aygo Platinum is offered in both three and five-door models, both of which are powered by Toyota's 1.0-litre VVT-I petrol engine matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox or optionally, the firm's Multimode automated manual transmission.

On-the-road prices for the Aygo Platinum start from £8,995.

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Having already messed around with Nissan's 350Z and GT-R, the tuning specialists over at Advanced Performance Parts (APP Europe) are now paying their respects to the new 370Z Coupe with the release of a new sport package. APP upgrades the Japanese sports car's exterior with a new stainless steel exhaust system from MR Car Design, which offers a heartier tone, and a set of three-part 20-inch alloy wheels from Oxigin wrapped in tires 245/30 up front and 275/30 at the back.

The tuner also mounts a Stoptech High-Performance Brake system with 6-piston calipers in conjunction with 380x32 mm discs at the front and 4-piston calipers with 355x32mm discs at the rear.

The package is finished off with a KW coilover suspension that lowers the 370Z Coupe's ride height by another 30mm.

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