If you like branded products and you're a Ferarri fan (preferably also an audiophile) with a lot of money, the Ferarri Art.Engine is for you. This 47" (119 cm) tall speaker has impressive specs. From the producer website:
Bi-amplified, stereo audio system with twin integrated line-source loudspeakers, amplifiers, DSP signal management and digital wireless receiver. Eight custom DWV 75mm (3") carbon fiber high-performance mid/woofers and one ScanSpeak custom 28mm (1.1") soft dome tweeter are used in each of the two channels.



Its primary signal input is wireless streaming via iTunes, but it can also be used with conventional sources such as CD and MP3 players. It comes in four colors: Nero (black), Argento Nurburgring (light grey), Grigio Silverstone (dark grey) and Rossa Corso (red, of course, it's a Ferarri branded item after all).

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After the Pro Race Trainer, we have another racing simulator for the pros (or for people with a lot of money).

The VirtualGT Personal Racing Simulator is designed for race training and home entertainment, and it apparently is as close as it gets to actually driving a race car.

It features a force-feedback steering wheel, a form-fitting MasterCraft racing seat, a fully adjustable chassis to accomodate any size, a loudspeakers system and a built-in hands-free intercom system, suspension components and electronic controls.

And it gets better: you can get a custom designed car or track, everything according to your specifications.

The price tag is not pretty, though: $16,995 for the base unit with no display, $19,490 for the unit with a 37" plasma display and up to $22,490 with a 65"-82" projection system.

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Remember that Aston Martin DB6 couch we featured a while ago? If Aston Martin wasn't your cup of tea, but you still want to watch TV while sitting in the back of a car (sort of), try a Corvette.



The 1957 Corvette Style Couch from Corbin comes in a range of hand painted colors (so you can get it to match your curtains if you want) and has dimmable lighting fixtures, plus storage areas inside the "fenders" for your remote, magazines... bottle of wine for an impromptu romantic dinner perhaps?

But, before you get to excited, check your bank account: this baby costs $4399.

See two more impresssive custom designs after the break, and lots more on Corbin's website.






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The Autonomous Drifter is a project from Chris of PyroElectro, who transformed a regular RC car into a computer-controlled car.

Only the remote was actually modified (through a process explained in detail over on the site), and by connecting it to a laptop the car can be keyboard-controlled. In order to make it "autonomous" like the name says, you have to use a free script and input commands (such as a "W" to indicate the car should move forward, followed by the amount of time it should do that, and so on). Getting it to do something really impressive probably takes a lot of time and skill, though.


This video shows both modes of operation.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue for PS3 is on its way, and Logitech is anticipating the launch by announcing the official wheel of Gran Turismo, with advanced force feedback technology. The Driving Force GT looks pretty impressive with its ability to recreate bumps, crashes and traction loss, the 24-position adjustment dial and the 900-degree wheel rotation.



Although Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is due April 17th, the Logitech wheel will only be available in May, for a price of $150.

For more detailed specs, read after the jump.

Control

* 24-position realtime adjustment dial: Fine-tune brake bias, TCS, and other settings on the fly for unprecedented control over your car's performance.
* 900-degree wheel rotation: Go 2.5 times around lock to lock, just as you would behind the wheel of many real cars.
* Force feedback technology: Feel every inch of the road for maximum control and the ultimate racing experience.
* Gas and brake pedals: Get precise throttle and brake response with true-to-life pedals.
* Sequential stick shift: Go through the gears for the ultimate in control.

Comfort

* Rubber-overmold rim: Enjoy a comfortable grip during intense races.
* Solid, one-piece wheel construction: Drive with confidence knowing this rigid, sturdy wheel won’t squeak or flex during aggressive maneuvers.

Performance

* Custom tuned for popular games: See and feel every bit of wheel movement reflected in-game, without dead zones or lag.
* Ultra-precise optical encoding: Experience reliable and accurate handling race after race after race.

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What would you say if you heard that you didn't need windshield wipers anymore? "Cut the crap" probably, but you would be wrong - to an extent.

The Hidra concept car from Pininfarina automotive designer Leonardo Fioravanti has a nanotechnology-based windshield which doesn't need wipers. The windshield is made out of four layers: the first repels the water, the second pushes dirt off, the third works like a sensor and the fourth conducts the electricity needed to power the whole thing.

Of course, you won't be able to get this for your car any time soon, but you can hope for the future.

If you know Italian, you can read the whole story here.

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Smoking can kill you, but you might as well do something to get your 15 minutes of fame before you die, right? If the guy who created this smoked all those cigarettes - stop it, dude! But maybe he just gathered the pack, which is sort of eco-friendly - I know my brother used packs he found on the ground and made robots.

Feast your eyes on this great model of a Lamborghini Reventon, entirely made from cigarette packs. The level of detail is awesome.



Two more pictures after the jump.






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More than one Top Gear fan has wondered how it would feel like to be in Stig's shoes. And, being realistic, he's realized that it will never happen.

But Scalextric brings the next best thing: the Scalextric Powerlaps set, which includes a Ford GT and Porsche 911 GT3R, a replica of the BBC Top Gear track (including the Hammerhead and Gambon corners) and two special edition Stig hand throttles.

The exact launch date hasn't been announced, but expect it sometime in March.

If you grew up in the 80s or watched 80s series when you were young, you can't have missed Knight Rider. A younger and fitter David Hasselhoff and, of course, the Knight Industries Two Thousand or K.I.T.T.

The odds of owning a talking car are slim, let's face it. Unless you manage to freeze yourself and wake up in the future, you probably won't see anything resembling K.I.T.T. in your lifetime.



But you can at least get the remote controlled version. The Knight Rider R/C Car is the same customised Pontiac Trans-Am in the series (only smaller). It can travel forwards, backwards, left and right and it has a 'turbo-boost' function. The well-known K.I.T.T. features are there: the whooshing sound, the red sensor on the hood, and even the voice. When you push a button on the transmitter the car says: "I am K.I.T.T., whom you may regard as the voice of the Knight 2000."

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Mattel is celebrating its 40th birthday and what better way to do it than making the most expensive toy car in the world? Uh, ok, a lot of ways, but covering something in diamonds or at least Swarovski crystals seems to be the new trend.



Valued at $140,000, the 1:64-scale Hot Wheels car was designed by celebrity jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills and it commemorates the production of the 4 billionth Hot Wheels vehicle. The car is cast on 18-karat white gold and covered in more than 2,700 blue, white and black diamonds. Blue stones mimick the Spectraflame blue paint, black and white diamonds are used for the engine under the functional hood and for the underbelly, and the tail lights are actually rubies. The car comes in a custom-made case which holds 40 individual white diamonds, signifying each year in the legacy of Hot Wheels.



One rich collector will probably be the very happy owner of this vehickle, while the rest of us will just keep wondering why someone would pay $140,000 for a toy car...

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