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Moto Guzzi turns 90 this year, and for 40 of those years, the company's California model has epitomized the Italian cruiser. Moto Guzzi is finally winding down the California nameplate, but not before celebrating it with one last special edition: the California 90. Each wears a unique orange-and-white paint scheme cowhide saddle, with a 1930s-style tank logo inspired by the original Moto Guzzi script. In addition, every California 90 will carry an identification plaque and features a comfortable cowhide saddle.

Power is supplied by the 90-degree V-Twin engine that has become synonymous with Moto Guzzi, with 74 horsepower and 69 pound-feet of torque. Despite its classic appearance, the bike features advanced braking technology in the form of dual-floating discs pressed by two four-piston Brembo calipers up front. A two-piston Brembo piece takes care of the rear.

Moto Guzzi dealers will ask a pretty penny for this special edition bike; expect to pay $15,990 plus destination. Hit the jump for the press release.

Cobras, Tigers and... Ferrari's? Oh my! If you happened to miss our post on the '60s touring cars that took to the track at the 2011 Goodwood Revival, you may not realize just how amazing vintage racing can be. And it gets even more interesting as the value and historic significance of the cars increases.

For proof, we suggest you check out the two videos after the break to see vintage prototypes like the Ford GT40, various Lolas and a smattering of McLarens take to the track. Then, to top it all off, we have the '60s sports car class, which includes such iconic masterpieces as the Shelby Cobra (in both hardtop and Daytona Coupe guises), Ferrari models that include the famous GTO and the so-called Breadvan (a short-wheelbase 250 GT), plus a slew of machinery from Maserati and Aston Martin.

Did we mention these priceless classics are racing well-to-wheel in the pouring rain? Enough already, click past the break to watch the slip-sliding action for yourself.

UPDATE: Sadly, the embedded videos are not playing, but we still hope you click on over to Axis of Oversteer to take in the historic racing action.

There is no greater test of skill and dexterity than an arcade claw game. Open heart surgery? For amateurs. Watch making? Child's play. Plucking an oddly-shaped stuffed animal from the clutches of its brethren with nothing but three flaccid claws and a joy stick is what it's all about.

Toyota recently tapped into humanity's bizarre fascination with robotics, oversize stuffed animals and, of course, the claw game in a promotion for the company's tiny Ractis. Using a scaled-up version of the same game we all know and love, contestants battled for the keys to their very own sub-compact hatch.

Alright, so it's all more than a little weird. Whatever. We're more concerned with the fact that the winner will have a hard time fitting their huge stuffed bear into their apartment, much less their Ractis. Hit the jump to check out the insanity for yourself.

Spy photographers have managed to snap a fairly clear look at what the next iteration of the Ford Flex will bring to the table. If these photos are any indication, the crossover will wear a mild facelift that includes updates to the vehicle's grille, fog lights and front fascia as well as new badging. Expect to see new brightwork surrounding both the grille and the vehicle's headlights along with a restyled bumper cap. If that's not pulse-quickening enough for you, it looks as if Ford will also roll in a new fog-light design with a slimmer housing.

The rear of the vehicle will also receive a quick nip and tuck with a reworked bumper cap. We're guessing the rear hatch area may see some attention as well given the heavy camouflage present on this particular test vehicle. Word has it Flex buyers will also get a shot at MyFord Touch for the first time when the vehicle makes its way to dealer lots. Stay tuned.

Many elements typically lead up to the launch of a new car – or a new version of an existing one – and the gestation of this latest supercar has played out before our eyes over the course of the past year or so.

What you're looking at is the new Ginetta G60, but if it looks familiar, there's a good reason for that. The British racing firm and sportscar manufacturer acquired Farbio – the firm started by Arash Farboud who later established Arash sportscars in its place – back in March 2010. Then within the past week, Ginetta teased the arrival of a new model. Initially dubbed the GXX, the G60 has now been revealed as the product of the acquisition and Ginetta's tinkering with what was known as the Farbio GTS since.

Based on the GTS, the Ginetta G60 packs a 3.7-liter V6 sourced from the Ford Mustang, mounted amidship and driving 310 horsepower to the rear wheels through a six-speed transmission and limited-slip differential. That's about the extent of the wizardry employed in the G60, however, which does away with such assists as power steering, anti-lock brakes and any electronic nannies for a purist's driving experience.

Ginetta says its latest toy is capable of running to 60 in less than four seconds and topping out over 165 mph, but only 50 examples will be offered at £68,000 – equivalent to $105k at today's exchange rates.

Word is that Land Rover is considering a brawnier version of the company's new Evoque. Autocar reports that engineers have already snugged a 300 horsepower version of the Ford Ecoboost 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine into the CUV's engine bay. David Mitchell, program director for the vehicle, has already driven the high-performance mule and says that the chassis can take the extra power. Still, the project hasn't been given the green light. According to the UK publication, the biggest hangup is that Land Rover doesn't really have the marketing structure in place for a performance variation.

Currently, the company's sportier models are branded with the Supercharged moniker, but that's something that clearly wouldn't work on a turbocharged four-cylinder model. Autocar quotes Mitchell as saying that Land Rover would have to look into alternative badging or even a sub-brand for the more athletic Evoque. Currently, the most powerful Evoque available comes with a considerably more modest 237 horsepower.

Super Sport. It is to Chevrolet what SRT is to Dodge, or what SVT, RS and ST are at Ford. In other words, the initials SS signal performance intent, and though Chevy has, in the past, sullied the SS moniker with ho-hum versions of already ho-hum cars and trucks, it won't be repeating the same mistake again by slapping the label on anything but true high-performance machinery.

As such, it comes as little surprise to hear that John Buttermore, lead development engineer for the 2012 Chevy Sonic, told Wards Auto that the company is not working on an SS version of the new B-segment player. But that doesn't mean Chevrolet will abandon the enthusiast crowd completely with the Sonic.

Note that there's an optional 1.4-liter turbocharged engine already on offer in the Sonic, and while it's not going to set any drag-strip records, it acquits itself just fine when mated up with the six-speed manual gearbox. Plus, Buttermore promises that the 2013 model year will bring with it a few performance packages for those wanting just a wee bit more punch from their otherwise basic transportation offering. We look forward to finding out more.

Former Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has performed a curt about face on his comments about the Obama Administration's handling of the auto bailout. The Detroit News reports that Nardelli said that he believes the administration made the correct decision for Chrysler in an email to the publication. Nardelli didn't go so far as to deny his earlier statements, but said that he understood why the government chose the path it took in the situation. He continued on to say that Chrysler was very appreciative of the government's understanding and assistance.

That's a starkly different tone from last week, when Nardelli was quoted as saying that if Cerberus had been given the same deal that the Obama Administration gave Fiat, Chrysler would still be doing as well as it is now. The former CEO went on to say that the automaker's current revival was thanks solely to moves that Cerberus put in place before bankruptcy.

Apparently Nardelli raised the wrong eyebrows with that gem.

We love the 5.0-liter V10 from BMW. Besides having an affinity for any engine with more than eight cylinders, the torque-happy five-liter sounds like straight glory and is happy to induce all sorts of tail-wagging fun from the outgoing M5. That doesn't mean there's not room for improvement, however. The minds at Dinan have taken the time to put the engine through the standard performance ringer by boring and stroking the block to a full 5.8-liters, dropping a set of performance cams into the head, bolting on a dry-sump oil system and wrapping the whole project up with a set of racing exhaust headers.

What did all of that effort net? How does 720 naturally-aspirated horsepower at 8,300 rpm and 497 pound-feet of torque grab you? The engine was specifically designed to be used in the Riley Technologies 2011 MKXXV track day car. We just like seeing it punish the engine stand and light its exhaust purple. Hit the jump to watch and hear for yourself.

There is no replacement for displacement, whether you're on the road, in the clouds or bursting across wide open water at 180 mph. That's exactly what you could do if you had a cool $1.7 million laying around and felt like making the 2012 ZR48 MTI your very own. The boat features a pair of 1,350-horsepower turbocharged Mercury Marine V8 engines strapped into a carbon fiber hull. That's all run-of-the-mill tech for the superboat crowd, but what sets this craft apart from the fleet is its complete Chevrolet Corvette interior.

Why transplant the worst part of one of the best performance buys in the automotive market into your million-dollar boat? Probably because you can. That, and odds are you won't be relaxed enough to look anywhere but down the bow when this machine is at wide open throttle. The ZR48 MTI features seating for six and a spiffy custom trailer designed to haul the craft on its side (the machine is too wide to be transported right-side up). Check it out in our gallery, then head over to Tennessee's Pier 57 for more information.

We don't typically like to stray into messy conversations like the one about our country's penal system, especially when we don't necessarily have the answers to make the situation any better. There's a lot wrong when a nation has an incarcerated population larger than some small countries, and situations like the one in Washington, D.C. aren't making the situation any better. According to Fox News, police in our nation's capital are treating drivers with expired vehicle registration tags to a one-night, all-expense paid trip to the local jail. The issue has drawn attention after a mother was arrested and detained on her way to pick up one child with another in the vehicle.

Police in Washington, D.C. typically issue a $100 citation for vehicles with tags that are expired past 30 days, though there can be instances where more serious measures can be taken. Since it's unlawful to operate a non-registered vehicle in the District, police can stop and arrest those drivers. Under the law, offenders can face up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail. Predictably, this situation has raised the hackles of politicians and the American Automobile Association, which has called the practice "ridiculous."

In the case of the mother, police informed the woman that her children would be placed in the hands of social services if she couldn't find someone to watch them during her brief stint behind bars. She was able to convince a teacher to look after them.

Auto journalist Ezra Dyer has thrown down the parking gauntlet on the Lincoln MKT in a battle for ultimate supremacy. Dyer fancies himself a fairly skilled parallel parker, and wanted to test his mettle against the self-park feature on the MKT. Armed with a tape measure, a video camera and a healthy distrust of all things mechanical, man squared off against crossover.

How'd it go? Dyer put up a healthy fight by managing to get the Lincoln closer to the curb than the vehicle's software could manage. Unfortunately, he was also slightly more askew in the spot than the self-park feature. The final score put our inevitable robotic overlords ahead of the human resistance once again.

We'll admit that we aren't necessarily fine with notion handing over vehicle control in any situation – parking or otherwise. We'll still take solace in the fact that the MKT can't hand brake itself into that same spot. Hit the jump to check out the video, then let us know in Comments how you feel about the proliferation of self-park technology.

At One With The Wind Gods In Munich's Ultimate Wedgie



We had ventured out to California for a BMW event tied to the huge Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and there it sat, unapologetically sassy. It was there and then that we decided it was time to finally drive one of BMW's ultimate curio cars, the plastic fantastic Z1 built between 1989 and 1991.

Officially, 8,000 examples of the Z1 were made, nearly 6,500 of them sold in Germany. No Z1s could be imported through normal channels to the United States due primarily to the car's side-impact crash capabilities – or, more to the point, incapabilities. The 154.4-inch long Z1 was built on a somewhat dedicated chassis using significant bits from the E30 325i. Under full load (as we tested it here with driver, a passenger, all fluids and a bit of luggage), the 167-horsepower Z1 is a little porker at 3,200 pounds. But, you know what? It didn't much matter, because we drove nearly 200 miles in this well-intentioned albatross, and it provided a totally unique driving experience. Having said that, while we are proud to have finally had the opportunity to pilot the Z1, we are quite okay with the fact that we'll probably never do it again.

Top Gear fans who go orgasmic at the first note of Jeremy Clarkson's dulcet tones will be happy to hear that TomTom has released a new GPS soaked in the world's favorite car show. As previously rumored, the TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition sat nav features driving directions narrated by Jezza, as well as plenty of petrol-laced points of interest. Those include test tracks as well as locations featured in the long-running show. There are also model-specific start-up and shut-down screens that feature the Top Gear logo. That's fun and all, but the really great part is that the company's Live service offers real-time speed camera alerts. Handy.

The GPS also features a Stig mode, though the company isn't saying what that is or what it does for drivers. Some say the device just sits there on the dash and glares disapprovingly. All we know is, the device is available here in the U.S. as well as a host of other countries. Hit the jump for the official press release.