Keychain Mersedes on 2040-parts.com

'American Nitro' is back!

"Seventies drag-race mayhem is back!" bills "American Nitro," a schlocky drive-in exploitation film whose only quote of praise, from a dog-eared period issue of "Car Craft," reads, simply, "SPECTACULAR CRASHES!" Director Bill Kimberlin says that he made "American Nitro" in 1979 as a response to Tom Wolfe's influential 1965 essay, "The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby." "I was just getting out of high school in a small town in Northern California when Wolfe's book came out," he said. "Nitro came about as my response to the car culture I was exposed to in the small valley town of Boonville, Calif. Instead of 'American Graffiti,' I made 'American Nitro.'" A fitting comparison, in fact, considering Kimberlin later worked for George Lucas at ILM, starting with" Return of the Jedi." Now the movie is being released on DVD for the first time -- beware of bootlegs, warns the website -- and digitally remastered, while retaining the explosive charm and goofy narration of the 1979 original.

Holden shows Efijy concept at the Australian International Motor Show

Holden's designers and engineers have delivered a knockout showcar at last month's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The Efijy (effigy - n. a stylistic representation of someone or something famous) is a stunning nod to the classic 50s FJ Holden with steroid-fed hot rod lines.

Mercedes-Benz unveils the SLS AMG GT Final Edition

Mercedes calls it the grand finale, saying the SLS AMG GT Final Edition brings the SLS AMG GT lineup to an end. The car is being shown simultaneously at the LA and Tokyo motor shows. Just 350 will be built, each numbered on the center console.