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2009 Toyota Pro/Celeb Race driver field announced - Keanu in the house!


Click above for list of celebs driving in the 2009 Toyota Pro/Celeb Race

After last year's running of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race with such B-, C- and D-list stars as Drew Lachey, John Salley and the executive producer of Ratatouille, we were astonished to see the list of celebs that organizers were able to wrangle for this year's race. Topping the list is none other Neo himself, Keanu Reeves, who is joined by Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody, Luke Wilson, Jon Hamm from Mad Men, Tim Daly from Private Practice, Tyson Beckford, Carlos Mencia, Raven-Symone and Alex Trebek, among others. The celebs will be causing mayhem on the track in a field of identically prepped Scion tC race cars, many of which will no doubt leave their bumpers, fenders and the egos of their drivers on the track. Follow the jump for the full list of celebs participating in this year's Toyota Pro/Celebrity race that will take place on Saturday, April 18th and check out the gallery below of past celebs who have competed.



[Source: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach | Photo by AXEL SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty]

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VIDEO: Prius backlash bubbles over in comedy sketch


Click above to watch video after the jump

The Toyota Prius is the most fuel efficient vehicle in its class, very roomy, relatively affordable and Hanna Montana drives one. Maybe that last point is why some people are beginning to show hostility towards the car that's become the Kleenex of hybrids.

Andy Richter and James Adomain of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater have played off the Prius backlash in a faux car commercial pitting the Hyundai Elantra against Toyota's famous hybrid. Richter, formerly of Late Night with Conan O'Brien fame and not much since, plays the part of the frugal-minded Hyundai owner with an underlying anger issue, while Adomain gets all spiffed up to play the snobbish know-it-all with the Nickel Hydride battery pack. Forget about the totally erroneous statistics and the bogus sticker prices, just wait for the punch line. It's not the driveway shooting, but rather the fact this commercial is actually for the Nissan Sentra. Follow the jump to see it for yourself.

[Source: YouTube]

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First images of Lamborghini Murciélago LP 650-4 Roadster


Lamborghini Murciélago LP 650-4 Roadster – Click above for high-res gallery

Lamborghini has just released the first batch of official images showing its latest limited run special, the Murciélago LP 650-4 Roadster, which follows the LP 670-4 SuperVeloce that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. The LP 650-4 Roadster is definitely not for those who deny their follicle deficiencies by wearing a rug on their head. With a top speed of 205 mph, anything not firmly connected to your scalp will be lost to the winds.

The crew in Sant'Agata Bolognese have pumped some extra shots of espresso into this bull – the 6.5-liter V12 now produces 650 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque through all four wheels. That's enough to leave 62 mph in your wake after just 3.4 seconds. Lamborghini is only planning to crank out 50 of these roadsters at an as yet undisclosed price, which means the high-res images in our gallery below are likely the closest you'll ever get to one.



[Source: Lamborghini]

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Audi starts shipping R8 LMS to customer teams


Audi R8 LMS – Click above for high-res gallery

Audi officials in Neckarsulm, Germany have just handed over the first of a dozen R8 LMS race cars to Audi Sport Italia. The remaining race cars will be delivered to that team and five others over the next month and a half in preparation for the 2009 racing season that begins next month. The GT3 class, 500+hp V10 R8s will be run in five different championships across Europe this summer as Audi works out the kinks in the third branch of its racing program. The R8 LMS joins the LMP1 R15 TDI that debuts next week at the 12 Hours of Sebring and, of course, the A4s that run in the DTM.

Audi is looking to follow the successful (and highly profitable) path set out by Porsche with its customer race programs over the years. It will be interesting to watch how such programs evolve in the future with Porsche now firmly in control of the Volkswagen Group, including Audi.


Gallery: Audi R8 LMS


[Source: Audi]

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Renault Sport Experience tours Europe


Renault Twingo Renault Sport – Click above for high-res gallery

If you're a driving enthusiast living in the old world, chances are you're plenty familiar with Renault. The French automaker makes some of the best supercar-slaying hot hatches on the market and organizes a series of events to show drivers how to get the most out of them. Those events are now being organized into a new European tour that aims to demonstrate the best of what Renault Sport has to offer.

The 2009 Renault Sport Experience combines events like the Twingo RS Driving Tuition Days, Renault Sports Enthusiast Days and factory tours into a 28-stop roadshow that hits some of Europe's best racing circuits, including England's Brands Hatch and Cadwell Park, Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps and Zolder, and of course the Circuit La Sarthe in Le Mans, France. Participants will be able to get advanced driving instruction behind the wheel of the hardcore Megane R26.R, hit the track in a Clio Cup for just thirty euros, even drive a Formula Renault racer or tour Renault Sport's factory in Dieppe, France. Special English-speaking and women-only events are also included in the tour, which you can read all about in the press release after the jump.



[Source: Renault]

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VIDEO: Fast and Furious footage not yet seen


Click above to watch video after the jump

The Fast and Furious franchise started off with a monumental bang, but quickly became a bit of a drag. OK, the original Fast and Furious was pretty darn good, but the other two actually removed brain cells from all who watched them. Did the script go bad, or was it just a lack of Shaq Vin Diesel? Universal Studios is hoping for the latter, as Mr. Clean is back for the fourth installment of the tuner car series.

We've shown you a couple trailers so far, and after the jump are a few teaser minutes of the film that haven't been seen yet. Brian O'Connor's GT-R is fast and Dom Toretto's Chevelle SS is furious enough to magically flip some dude's ride over a bridge. We're pretty sure we won't be quoting Vin and Paul lines from Furious 4 after we see the movie, but some pretty sweet rides and the return of the Diesel should be enough to get us back into the theater.



[Source: The Dumb Drum]

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Dodge Challenger outsells Ford Mustang last month and YTD



The Ford Mustang has been a dominant force in the sales department well before the last generation Chevy Camaro rode off into the sunset. That changed last month. Ford's iconic pony car has been outsold by the Dodge Challenger by 293 units in February, as the Dodge coupe racked up 3,283 sales during a very challenging month. The Challenger's February victory could be a sign of things to come for the Mustang, as the Blue Oval's most recognizable vehicle is set to get bombarded with more competition coming from the 2010 Camaro. The Camaro, which goes into regular production on March 16, already has over 10,000 pre-orders on the books.

The Mustang won't be left for dead, though, as the pony car is getting a major makeover this spring. In fact, one reason the Challenger defeated the Mustang in February could be the fact that some are waiting for the 2010 model. Automakers also slow production before retooling for a new model, meaning there are fewer 2009 Mustangs from which to choose. With the automotive world struggling to stay afloat, it's nice to know that we have the pony car wars to keep our minds occupied.




[Source: Chrysler, Ford]

Porsche releases complete pricing on Panamera for the UK


Porsche Panamera – Click above for high-res gallery

Last month, Porsche announced U.S. pricing for its upcoming Panamera luxury sedan. Today, we get official word on UK pricing for the all-new model. The standard rear-wheel drive Panamera S with a 400-hp V8, good for 0-62 mph sprints in 5.4 seconds (according to the automaker), will start with a base price of £72,266. Meanwhile, pricing for the Panamera 4S will begin at £77,269. That model's all-wheel drive system helps it launch 0-62 mph in just 5.0 seconds. The range-topping AWD Panamara Turbo, with 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds, lists at £95,298.

Only the Panamera S will be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox -- the 4S and Turbo models receive Porsche's seven-speed PDK (dual-clutch) transmission as standard equipment (U.S. cars will initially only be available with PDK). As is typical with Porsche, there is an extensive options menu that includes a full leather interior, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Porsche Communication Management, bi-xenon headlamps, rear ParkAssist, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). The standard wheels are 18-inch alloys on the Panamera and Panamera S models while the Panamera Turbo sports 19-inch aluminum wheels. Of course, Porsche will offer 20-inch wheels to those who like to slalom potholes.


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Opel/Vauxhall dealers to buy stake in brands



With the German government taking a very cautious approach towards extending a helping hand to GM's Opel division (Vauxhall in the U.K.), a large group of the brand's dealerships have hatched a scheme that could see them take a minority stake in the company. Under the proposal, participating dealers would put 150 euros from each Opel or Vauxhall vehicle sold into an account for the next three years. The total investment would equal 400 million euros, which would only buy a minority stake in the automaker and is far short of the 3.3 billion euros ($4.15 billion) that General Motors says Opel needs to survive in its present state. Still, the dealers believe it would be a solid way to show their support for the brand and enough to show how serious they are about preserving the automaker and their investment in the company.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. | Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty]

Orange County Lamborghini owner pleads guilty to wire fraud



Vik Keuylian, the man behind the defunct Lamborghini Orange County dealership, has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud after being sued by Volkswagen (owners of the iconic Italian supercar maker) last year for allegedly defrauding the German automaker for over $12 million.

The money had been lent to the dealership to purchase new Lamborghinis that were to be sold to paying customers, after which the loans would be repaid. As it turns out, the cars were in fact sold at rock bottom prices, but Keuylian used the money to payback other debts instead, including loans for the creation of a Lotus dealership.

Of the $12,560,314 that Keuylian had borrowed to purchase the vehicles, only $8,163,275 was collected from their sales. Keuylian faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in jail. Thanks for the tip, Jim!

[Source: LA Times]

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