One Lap of the Web: Russian dash-cam ghost machines

-- Brace yourselves, people: "Dynamic" is not the only marketing buzzword of the moment. Now there's "velocity," which makes sense if you think of cars designed to move forward in some form or another. It actually refers to how fast an auto dealer can get you a cup of coffee, a pat on the back and a signature on the dotted line, as Lindsay Chappelle of Automotive News explains. How many sales can a dealer move in a day? A month? Don't tell Tesla, whose velocity is best measured in clicks.

-- New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd takes a break from castigating politicians to reminisce about her 1965 Mustang convertible, which earned the nickname "the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Goddess car" over the course of her ownership. See, not everyone in New York City hates cars.

-- Lexus once made an ES300 with a manual transmission before someone at the company finally rooted out the saboteur plaguing the production line. Freewheelin', Baja-drivin' (and flippin') Raphael of Jalopnik just paid $600 for, essentially, future numbers-matching survivor RM Auctions fodder. A five-speed ES with a bosozoku knob shaped like Mace Windu's lightsaber? It's a miracle that master negotiator Orlove was able to drive away without a Mexican stand-off.

-- Goodyear, in seeking a name for its latest blimp, has finally revealed the 10 finalists for its naming contest. They can all be seen and voted upon here, and they include proud, stirring monikers like "Adventurer," "Commitment" and "Pride of Goodyear," which all "reflect the grace and majesty of lighter-than-air flight." We like Resolute for badass historical reasons. If so named, may this blimp fare better than its namesake.

-- A Russian dash-cam video -- the cin

By Blake Z. Rong