VW Beetle Hot Wheels 40th Anniversary Edition

Like the Honda Racer car that we showed you earlier today (click here), VW’s special edition Beetle was created in order to celebrate Hot Wheels’ 40th anniversary. However, this time we’re talking about a life-size vehicle and not a die-cast, scale model. Available initially for the Mexican market where it is built, the VW Beetle Hot Wheels model will be produced in an ultra limited run of just 240 units.

Offered in a choice of two colors, red or blue, the special edition Beetle is distinguished on the outside by Hot Wheels-styled alloy rims, special decals, a rear spoiler and red mirrors. Inside, the Beetle features two-tone leather seats with red stitching, matching floor mats, aluminum sport pedals, and front headrests with an engraved Hot Wheels logo along with a special numbered plate. –Full image gallery after the jump

Via: Motorpasion

Video: French Devise Innovative Alternative to Spare Tires

They say necessity is the mother of invention, but we doubt that’s the case with these fun-loving Frenchmen who decided to attach a little board on wheels on the rear tire of their Citroen Saxo. -Video after the jump

Baby Hot Rods and Who Cares About Gas Prices!

The way gas prices are skyrocketing, in a few years these baby pedal cars will probably be the only Hot Rods we’ll be able to afford to take out for a ride…

Via: Motorpasion

Volvo Truck’s New Merchandise Collection

Coinciding with the launch of its new truck range, Volvo Trucks has presented an in-house designed merchandise collection. The range, which consists of two collections, the “FH16” and the “Volvo Trucks”, comprises more than one hundred items, including leather wear, UV-safe baby clothing, bags, watches and lifestyle products.

Without wanting to sound stereotypical, we can’t help thinking that the collection and especially the “feline” models promoting them in the pictures seem to share more in common with C30 customers than with your typical truck drivers… -Continued

Toyota with Nintendo Style Valve Cover

Here’s a mod that you might not be able to show off in a regular basis, but it will definitely win you plenty of kudos once you pop up the hood. The owner of this supped up Toyota created a valve cover that imitates the looks of the original Nintendo Entertainment System or NES for short. Too bad we don't have any pics other than from the engine bay to see if the owner continued the NES theme elsewhere. -One more pic after the jump

Via: Kotaku

A Train That Never Stops at Stations: Ingenious or ...

Peng Yu-lun is a Taiwanese inventor who came up with an idea that promises to help save energy and significantly increase train speeds. In a nutshell, Peng Yu-lun devised a concept for a train that never stops at stations to pick up or drop passengers. According to Peng Yu-lun’s concept, the base train enters the station and locks into a "boarding" car filled with passengers, which is put into motion ahead of time. After the rear of the travelling train catches up, the car is joined to the rest of the train. -Continued

Likewise, those wanting to get off the moving train will have to board the designated car on top of the train as it will be detached at the next station. Peng Yu-lun says that a train like the domestic Kaohsiung MRT has a maximum speed of 85 km/h, but due to stops, it achieves an average speed of just 35 km/h. If the train followed his concept, it would be able to maintain an average speed of 85 km/h throuout the entire trip thus saving time and energy.

While the idea sounds great in theory, it does have its flaws. Leaving safety factors aside, the system is restrictive in the sense that some stations are more popular than others – what happens if more people than the designated car can fit want to get off at a particular station, can you imagine the commotion!

Info: TaiwainHeadlines