Well, yesterday was an interesting one as I had the good fortune to attend the Bentley experience up at Pocono Raceway in sunny Pennsylvania. For those of you that are unaware of these things, they are days that are set up by the manufacturer for buyers or perspective buyers to come out and experience what it’s like to actually drive the latest and greatest that Bentley has to offer. On hand we had a few Continental Flying Spurs, and two Continental GT Speeds (these are REALLY cool).

Now for those of you that think that Bentleys are just big old lumbering tanks, I must inform you that you are dead wrong. My first go round was with the Flying Spur, all 5000+ pounds and 552hp of it. Not only did I drive the Flying Spur, but I also had three other people in the car with me and went out to do some hot laps on Pocono’s tight East Course. That’s right, 4-door Bentley, 5000 pounds, three full grown people and hot laps.

Simply stated, the Flying Spur is an astounding automobile. Loads or power, great brakes with all-wheel drive to boot–amazing. Is it a Ferrari? Nope, and it doesn’t claim to be. What it is, however, is a massive machine that is not only well balanced but confidence-inspiring, to the point where if you were brave enough and a good enough driver, you’d be able to take it to a track and surprise the heck out of a few people. Yes, it’s that good. We did 0-80-0 tests, slalom runs and track time with the thing and I always came away very impressed.

BTW, I forgot to mention that Derek Bell was also there. You know, he’s the guy that won Le Mans five times, raced Formula One for Ferrari and McLaren and is considered to be one of the greatest race car drivers in world. Watch the blog for my review of doing hot laps with Derek in the Continental GT Speed–now that was a trip. If you have questions then ask them and I’ll respond as I could talk about this thing all day long. One more pic after the jump.

I grabbed my favorite little local rag this morning to find one of my favorite types of car pics above the fold: the "standing in the empty engine bay" shot. The remarkable thing about this one is that it was Neil Young standing in the empty engine bay of his 1959 Lincoln Continental. He’s working with UQM Technologies and H-Line Conversions to put a "bio-hydro-electric" series hybrid drivetrain in what is pretty much America’s largest production car ever. The 1959 Continental Mark IV is a whopping nineteen and a half feet long, keeping it out of countless garages built in the 80s and 90s. The "Linc-Volt," as Young is calling the car, will debut in a documetary that Young is expecting to start shooting in April. The biodiesel-fired ICE from H-line will drive a 200bhp/480ft-lb UQM electric motor that will supply the power to the transmission. The conversion has already started, and H-Line has a couple of pictures of Young up on their website as the work was getting started. Young follows in the alternative-fuel footsteps of rocker Willie Nelson, who now runs his entire road crew on biodiesel.

I love it when someone puts a lot of backbreaking work into the kind of car that the collectors’ market doesn’t yet pay a lot of attention to—because once it’s done, you know it’s not going to be a ride that you’ve already seen a hundred times. Mechatech’s project is especially impressive, since he’s taken literally every nut and bolt out of his ’72 Continental. Everything on this car, from the trim to the insides of the frame rails, has been stripped, blasted, refurbed, re-coated, or otherwise super-thoroughly gone over. I can’t wait to get a look at the final outcome of this epic frame-off restoration. Read all about it, and don’t forget to check out page 4 for some gnarly pics of the big Lincoln body on a rotisserie!

Looking at Zagato’s GTZ Bentley Continental reminds me of a conversation a friend of mine and I had about a little Italian place, and its amazing roasted red pepper penne. I said, "Italians sure know how to eat." His response? "Italians know how to do everything." This car is so gorgeous, it almost makes you forget what the original looks like, and it’ll probably look even better when it’s on display at the Geneva Motor Show. Check out more pics after the jump.

via CarScoop

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Ever wonder what life would be like without music? I’ve wondered it, but I don’t think I’d ever want to experience it. Music is one of the reasons I got into the Mobile Electronics industry. The gadgets and the cool devices that help make the music in my car and life are only secondary, but they make my job and hobby that much more exciting. I know nothing really beats the sound of a finely tuned engine, but nothing compliments it better than a finely tuned car stereo system. And if I couldn’t listen to music, well, then I guess I’d just hop over to SoundDomain and catch up on the news!

• High-end home audio manufacturer Naim has announced it will provide the audio systems for future Bentley vehicles. Produced under the moniker "naim for Bentley", the system will belt out 1100 watts of pure audiophile power to 15 speakers. How much does the Naim system add to the bottom line of a Bentley? Well, as the saying goes – if you have to ask….
• If you’ve got an old school muscle car or classic cruiser in your garage and you’ve considered upgrading the radio and audio system, your options are pretty slim. Fortunately there are companies like RetroSound that offer the latest technology in a radio package designed to look factory in your retro-rod. USB, MP3, CD Changer controls, multi-color LCD… Get all the modern luxuries in a classic package.
• Blast from the past… Back in the good ‘ol days of Car Audio, Alpine and the Lambo Countach were one of the most recognized symbols in the industry (Alpine still is for that matter). I was digging around the net and stumbled on some oldie-but-goodie shots of this classic car stereo icon.
• Our man "Crazy Like a" Brian Fox is at it again… This time he’s creating a work of art to be showcased at Nissan’s booth at the New York International Auto Show this March. His new project is another Nissan Altima Coupe that will sport the new Fox Marketing 6-piece body kit, 19" Work wheels, and a bad-ass Rockford Fosgate stereo system.

There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to make a decision. You should weigh the positives, and negatives carefully because you don’t want to make a hasty decision and figure out it was the wrong one after its too late.** Well, while you’re thinking about your decision, maybe you should catch up on the SoundDomain news:

• We told you about Realm’s ’63 Lincoln Conti not to long ago; the car is just plain hot. Well, apparently MC Hammer thought so too and at CES he tested out his new CD on the Conti’s system and the guys at Realm snagged some video of Hammer getting down to his album. Hammer didn’t hurt ‘em, but you still can’t touch this. Oh yeah… I went there.
• The guys at Thought Out developed some pretty unique iPod and iPhone accessories and the Ped3 for the iPod Touch and iPhone is by far one of the best desktop solutions I’ve seen yet.
• Tim from HzEmall Customs is back and his most recent installment for SoundDomain gives us an in-depth look into the progress on a 1969 Camaro project car. The crew is basically customizing the entire interior, re-doing most of the electronics, suspension, etc. This is going to be one big, bad-ass old school when the wrap it up. Custom seats, VERY custom car stereo install, custom center console, custom trunk, custom suspension, big ‘ol LS2/6 motor and tranny swap, air bags, and chrome 18s up front and big ‘ol 20s in the rear. You don’t want to miss this.
• And don’t forget to check out the last two installments of the Alpine Million Dollar Imprint RLS demo car build videos. In Part 3 the guys get the exterior skeleton built for the custom body panels and the fabrication of the interior panels. In Part 4, with 1 week to go before CES, it’s paint, prep, and finished product. I’m surprised Gary, Steve, and Brent had any skin left on their fingers after all the sanding this project needed!

**The CarDomain editors are not responsible for pointless, mindless, babble contained in these blog posts. And what are you doing reading this anyway?? You should be reading the SoundDomain news!!

I can honestly say that life’s treated me pretty damn good. I’ve had a run as a high school social studies teacher immediately after graduating college, I owned an automotive electronics specialty store for 15 years and since then have lived the life of an automotive journalist combining my two life’s passions, driving some of the world’s greatest cars on some of this planet’s most challenging roads. This has led me to establish Automotive Traveler, an online-only digital magazine dedicated to the proposition that every trip is an adventure.

Many times I’ve been asked what’s my favorite car and what’s my favorite road and to be honest, I’ve never compiled a top ten list. That is until today when I went back and reviewed hundreds of stories and thousands of photographs I’ve taken over the last 25 years and come up with this list.

1. PCH (CA 1) in the Dodge Challenger Concept
2. The Inca Trail in a Ferrari 599
3. A832 in NW Scotland in a European Ford Focus coupe-cabriolet
4. The Furka Pass in Switzerland in an Aston Martin DB5 and
5. Driving from Tokyo to Sapporo, in a Japanese-spec Subaru WRX
6. Hafeet Mountain Road in the UAE in a basic rental car not available in the US
7. The Nurburgring in a Ford GT
8. Highway 61 in a 1961 Lincoln Continental
9. The Normandy beaches in a WW II-era Jeep
10. Route 66 in a 1968 Chevy Camaro SS/RS

After the jump I’d love to share some impressions of each of these combinations that I’ve cataloged.

1. Dodge Challenger Concept on California 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. The return of Dodge’s muscle car after 35 years on the sidelines was previewed by the 2006 Challenger Concept. Due to a combination of circumstances with the car being in the Bay Area for an event, I asked Chrysler’s Scott Brown if I could take it for a spin. We agreed that the drive from Carmel to the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge would suffice. I can tell you that there’s nothing quite as scary as driving a one-off, multi-million dollar concept out on public roads. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

2. In a 12 month run of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, my drive from London to Maranello in a Dodge Viper and Ford GT has to rank right up there with the Challenger/PCH drive. But what made the trip even more memorable was that I took it for six laps at the famed Nurburgring. Previously the closest I got to the ‘ring was Grand Turismo for PlayStation 2 so I can attest to the fact that it in no way will prepare you for your first trip to the Green Hell. Before Ford trusted me with the wheel they had Bridgestone’s top tire tester, Armin Hahne give me several laps of instruction…a good move on their part.

3. In 2006 I also drove from the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit to Chicago to LA on Route 66 with four muscle car owners for a feature produced for the departed Motor Trend Classic. The four cars included a 1967 Dodge White Hat Special, a 1969 AMC SC/Rambler, a 1970 Mustang, and a heavily modified 1969 Chevy Camaro SS/RS whose previous owner was a GM suspension engineer. I’ve driven many vintage muscle cars but never did one drive so much like a brand new car as this one. A simply unforgettable experience on the Mother Road.

4. In 2004, on the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasions, I visited the beaches in Normandy and toured the French country side in a 1944 Willys Jeep that was restored to War Correspondent specifications. What made this trip so memorable, besides being hit by a car and nearly killed in the German Cemetery at La Combe, was that I stayed in a chateaux near St. Mere Iglese that was home in June 1944 of war correspondent Andy Rooney and famed photographer Robert Capa.

5. I’m a big James Bond buff and have cataloged and visited many of the film series’ actual filming locations in the US and Europe. My favorite location is Switzerland’s Furka Pass west of Andermatt. There, in July 1964 Sean Connery filmed the series best known car-related scene where his DB5 shredded the tires of Tilly Masterson’s 1964 ½ Ford Mustang Convertible. I’ve yet to drive the route in an Aston Martin, new or old, thus far having to be satisfied making the run in a Chrysler Crossfire SRT6. I’m still waiting for the invitation from Aston Martin to make the drive in the new DBS.

6. In another one of 2006’s memorable drives (it was a very good year) I was invited by Ferrari and Shell to take part in the Panamerican 20000 on the Lima, Peru to Quito, Ecuador leg on the Inca Trail in a 599 Fiorano. Unfortunately on the leg’s first day I tripped, fell, and in an effort to protect my Nikon, shattered my wrist in six places. Dumb move; a Nikon D200 body costs about $1600, my wrist required $25,000 worth of surgery upon my return to the US. Oh yes, there was not enough Vikatan in all of Peru to quell the pain over a bumpy 200-mile trip to the hospital to set my wrist. Ouch.

7. Many automotive editors around the world have noted that highway A832 in northwest Scotland is one of the world’s great roads and they were not kidding. This trip, in the spring of 2007, was enhanced by the fact that it was made with my girlfriend and allowed me to see how much better Ford’s European Focus is compared to our dumbed-down version. The fact that it was the retractable hardtop version made the other-worldly scenery that much more impressive.

8. Like Route 66, Highway 61 is an American classic, immortalized by Bob Dylan’s 1965 masterpiece Highway 61 Revisited. But the highway, which runs from Minnesota to Louisiana, is probably best associated with the stretch running through the Mississippi Delta which is also known as the Blues Highway. My choice to drive Highway 61? A classic, black 1961 Lincoln Continental sedan, quite possibly the most beautiful American sedan of all time.

9. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road, generally acknowledged by driving enthusiasts as the eigth wonder of the world. It’s 7.3 miles long, climbs 6,000 feet in elevation along its 60 corners. In the UAE, where 7-Series BMWs outsell 5- and 3-Series Bimmers, it would be great to be an A-list auto journalist and have Mercedes-Benz hand me the keys to a McLaren SLR but in my case I had to make do with a BMW, which cost about $300 for a 3-day rental (before the collapse of the value of the US Dollar).

10. A drive from Tokyo to Sapporo is on the agenda this spring to take advantage of spring skiing conditions. Because I’ll be driving on the wrong side of the road, in a country where I’ll be unable to read the signs, into a region known for massive snowfalls, a car with outstanding all-weather abilities is on my short list of vehicle requests. Instead of some overweight SUV, I am requesting something small, sporty and capable, thus my request for a 304-horsepower Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.0. If it’s equipped with an English-language GPS navigation system I’m certain I’ll reach my destination.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A priest, a rabbi, and donkey walk into a bar…. Oh.. You’ve heard that one? Ok. How about this one:

• Realm’s ’63 Conti is one of the cleanest old school resto-demo projects I’ve come across in a long time. The car is just straight up sexy.
• Got some fiberglassin’ skillz? Want a chance to win part of a $3500 prize pack? BassForms is holding the a box-building compeition to see who can build the loudest, hottest-looking fiberglass box. The winner will be chosen at Spring Break Nationals in Daytona Beach. Peep the deets over at SoundDomain: Does your box rock?
• Scosche loaded up our video section with a ton of great informational and How-To videos. This week’s feature: Aux-In installation in a Chevy Silverado.  Check it out – it’s a lot easier than you think!
• Image Dynamics released the details on their new horn-loaded compression drivers. They’re available in both full size and mini, but both come with full-size sound.
• Car alarms are pretty common nowadays, and unfortunately so is the sound the siren makes. Although the DonkeyLabs video is purely a spoof, they’re on the right track, and this alarm certainly would get plenty attention when it’s tripped!

It’s no secret that sixties Lincoln Continentals are a favorite of this blog. After all, what’s not to love? They came with suicide doors, an interior which can comfortably accommodate, like, 30 people, and absolutely timeless body lines. But while bone-stock is great, few would argue with the results Realm Audio achieved when they put this beauty under the knife! The integration of the amps and subs into the trunk is a masterpiece in its own right, and the dash and door panels look almost factory. Get full details on the build and check out a grip of great pics over on SoundDomain.

I met Barry Wolk a few years ago at the Glenmoor Gathering and immediately knew he was my type of car guy–he appreciates collector cars of all types, but his garages are full of vehicles that are just a little out of the ordinary. And he has a thing for Continentals: witness his 1955 Porsche Continental, his 1956 Continental Mark II convertible and his latest project, a six-door 1968 Lincoln Continental limousine. Limousines make for difficult restoration projects due to their coachbuilt nature and extremely limited parts supply. But Barry has been more concerned with the serious rust issues and a previous restoration that relied heavily on body filler and rock-hard primer. He’s getting into some major sheetmetal work now, and I’m looking forward to seeing this one finished.