Mercedes® Center Armrest Cover,burlwood & Charcoal Leather, 210 Chassis, on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: Aston Martin Works, 'Gran Turismo' movie and the Mercedes-Benz S-class build process

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Along with the “Need for Speed” franchise, the “Gran Turismo” series may be the latest in line to make the leap to the big screen.

Kia Borrego

Kia has released photos of the Borrego, a full-size SUV for the North American market. The production model, which was originally previewed as the Mesa Concept at the 2005 Detroit Auto show, would have taken exactly three years to be transformed from a show car to a full production model when it makes its official debut at the NAIAS in 2008. Overall proportions and design details have been adjusted and toned-down noticeably from the Mesa concept, with details such as more realistically-sized alloy wheels, the body-To-DLO ratio, a no-frills interior and, perhaps most apparent, the more subtle greenhouse graphics.

Great Americans: 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

The classic Dodge Challenger's most famous movie role was the 1971 box-office success "Vanishing Point." A pastiche of man vs. society, a legendary staple in classic narrative -- as exemplified by such works as "1984," "Fahrenheit 451," "Charlotte's Web," Idiocracy -- "Vanishing Point" was a movie made by those who commonly styled themselves as "auteurs," making a "film" for the corporate overlords at Warner Brothers, who just happened to land themselves some brand-new Chrysler products and ultimately went on to create, as the DVD reissue box art that I found in the $5 movie bin at Wal-Mart claims, "the ultimate car chase movie!" The movie is rife for philosophical introspection, performed as it is by Philosophy 132 majors needing to pass their Humanities requirement and who couldn't find any more copies of "American Beauty" at their local Best Buy. So, ignore the movie.