Mods

History was made last weekend when American Bobby Cleveland won back his record for the world's fastest lawn mower, restoring order to the natural world. Cleveland's former record of 80.833 mph was broken by British driver Don Wales, who swiped it right from under Cleveland's nose with a 87.833 mph record at the Pendine Sands in Wales last May.

But we Yankees practically invented the sport of riding lawn mowers, and if American men are ever going to be able to justify spending $2K on a new John Deere riding mower, the country needed that … Read more

Rolls-Royce wants you to know that despite its success with the "more approachable" Ghost (MSRP: $245,000), they haven't lowered the luxury bar or gone downmarket.

"Ghost is a more approachable Rolls-Royce that is bringing an entirely new type of customer to the Rolls-Royce brand," said CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said in a press statement. "But in Paris we are also demonstrating how we continue to strengthen our position as the pinnacle luxury brand, thanks to the enduring appeal of Phantom family and the depth of our bespoke personalization service."

To prove its point, … Read more

Oh my god! Get a load of the DTV Shredder--a motorized skateboard that looks like a cross between a Segway, a skateboard, and Johnny 5 from the "Short Circuit" movies.

Instead of wheels, the device uses two continuous tracks of the sort you'd get on a tank, and is powered by a 15hp 200cc Honda engine. It looks pretty easy to use, too. Forward motion seems to be activated by twisting the handlebar grip and steering is taken care of by leaning left or right on the skateboard-type platform that sits above the tracks.

By using … Read more

AMP Electric Vehicles has announced that it's developing a mainstream SUV prototype for an automaker, but it didn't say which one. The obvious guess is GM since the Cincinnati-based start-up has developed conversion processes for a handful of GM vehicles, including the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, the 2007-2009 Saturn Solstice, and Pontiac Sky. However, a GM spokesperson indicated that the company does not have any agreement with AMP.

AMP purchases cars from dealerships for customers (or customers can bring their own) and converts the vehicle to operate with an electric drivetrain. Using a custom lithium ion battery pack and … Read more

The 2012 Hennessey VelociRaptor APV, based on the new Ford Raptor Super Crew, boasts a supercharged 6.2L V8, with off-road capabilities--and it comes in armored and nonarmored versions.

This vehicle will be produced in limited quantities; about 50 will be made each year, said company owner John Hennessey.

The vehicle comes with seating options for six, seven, or eight passengers and an entertainment package--including satellite TV, high-speed Internet, and viewing monitors--is available.

According to Hennessey, the nonarmored VelociRaptor will have a curbside weight of 6,000 lbs. The version with armor will weigh between 9,000 and 10,500 … Read more

If you've found yourself on the Car Tech Blog, chances are you love cars. The odds are also good that you've formed a relationship with a car at some point; perhaps you even gave it a name. For most of us, that's usually where the anthropomorphizing of our vehicles ends, but there will always be someone who wants to take things a step further. For these people, there are products like Turbo Style Products' CarLashes. That's right, someone has invented fake eyelashes for your car!

The CarLashes can be cut to fit nearly any vehicle and … Read more

PLX Devices (manufacturer of the Kiwi fuel-saving device) has expanded its lineup of OBD-II readers. We've already seen the PLX Kiwi Wi-Fi iPhone adapter at last year's SEMA show; now, it has announced the PLX Kiwi Bluetooth for Android phones.

Both devices work in similar ways: users plug the Kiwi dongle into the vehicle's onboard diagnostics port (all vehicles manufactured after 1996 should have one), and connect their iOS device via Wi-Fi or Android OS phone via Bluetooth pairing. At this point, the PLX device will stream vehicle diagnostics information, emissions info, power train data, and trouble … Read more

Safety is always a priority for manufacturers, but Jaguar's XJ Sentinel goes to extremes. The luxury sedan can withstand B7 grade weaponry such as an AK-74 and up to 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of exposives detonated within close proximity.

The bulletproof Sentinel will debut at the 2010 Moscow International Motor Show, but don't expect to be blown away (couldn't resist)--its exterior is indistinguishable from the standard long-wheelbase XJ models. The difference is in the chassis that's been constructed from specialized high-strength steels with Kevlar backing.

The standard XJ has a 3,909-pound curb weight, while … Read more

If 500 horsepower seems a little miserly of Porsche for its Panamera Turbo, don't worry--the carmaker released its personalization program that bumps up the horsepower to 540. But the additional 40 ponies over the standard Turbo model don't come cheap--the Panamera Turbo Powerkit runs about $21,730.

For the money, you'll get two new turbochargers with titanium aluminum turbines, engine management modifications that improve engine response, and increased torque. The option will be available next month, but if you've already pulled the trigger on your Panamera Turbo, retrofit kits will be available in November.

Paying the … Read more