Holy Swedish meatballs, Bätman. The word on the street is that GM’s Sweden-rooted marque, Saab, is on the verge of being sent to the proverbial scrap yard. Even though the Man of Steel was able to survive the scrap yard in Superman III, Saab doesn’t have the advantage of being born on Krypton—they’re just from Trollhättan.

According to the AP, the struggling auto maker was being courted by Koenigsegg Automotive AB, yet another Swedish auto builder. However, Koenigsegg backed out of the deal, leaving Saab floundering like a herring out of water.

Before Koenigsegg came a courtin’, GM had planned to put Saab out to pasture. Now that Koenigsegg put the engagement ring back into its pocket, GM may finally have to pull the plug on Saab. I guess this means that Kurt Vonnegut’s criticisms of Swedish engineering have finally been vindicated.

Holy smokes do we have a new product payload for you.  Christmas time is around the corner, so we thought we should add some products that might make your shopping a little easier this year. Over the last month, we partnered up with Taxor, a manufacturer of men’s watches, women’s watches, and automotive clocks.  But what makes these time pieces are extra special because they feature the logo of your mistress de la garage.

• GM Watches for Men -  Because you want the world to know that you drive a Corvette.
• Honda Watches for Men – So you can keep your Honda boxers to yourself.
• Nissan Watches for Men – So you can time your car going from 0 to 60 in about 9 seconds flat.
• Dodge Watches for Men – Because strapping a Dodge Hot Wheels on your wrist is unacceptable.
• Ford Watches for Men – Tired of holding your Ford key out in hopes someone asks what you drive? Wear a Ford watch instead.
• Dodge Watches for Women – Unless your special talent is telling time by the location of the sun, you need this watch.
• Ford Watches for Women – Because no outfit is complete without at least one Ford accessory on your wrist.
• GM Watches for Women – To tactfully remind others what kind of fancy car you drive.
• Honda Watches for Women – It’s about more than just punctuality–it’s about having mad style.
• Ford Clocks – Hickory Dickory Dock, tell time with this Ford Clock. C’mon. You knew we had to use it.
• GM Clocks – Better than running out to your car to check the time–now you can tell time the GM way on your wall or desk.
• Honda Clocks – Don’t spend your money on a box. Don’t spend it on a fox. Don’t spend it on a sock. Spend it on a Honda Clock.
• Jeep Clocks – Jeeps beep and clocks tock. Now, Taxor brings you Jeep Clocks–sorry they don’t beep.

And if time isn’t your thing, then we’ve got a few other items that’ll rock your Christmas socks:

• AVS Seamless Ventvisor – Seamless stockings, seamless rain gutters, seamless plots and now—Seamless Ventvisors.  Get’em today, they’re Ultra Low-Pro for a look that’s slicker than your grandpa’s comb over.
• Tailgate Cargo Box – No, it’s not a miniature Doug Henning prop; however, the Tailgate Cargo Box does carry all your gear and then magically transform from a cargo carrier into 2 chairs and a table.  Works great for camping too!
• Hypertech Max Energy Sport – You may have heard about this, you may have even seen spy photos of it, but the day has almost come; Hypertech is entering the world of sport-compacts!  We should have these puppies in stock soon, check back if you want to give your import some extra juice!

In what seems like an uncanny, unpossible chance of coincidence, there were some guys driving parallel to and videotaping the Bugatti when it crashed into the salty marsh.   From the video, it’s clear that the guys recognized the Veyron as being an exotic car, although they weren’t sure what kind it was.  As they were admiring the ulimate super car,  the Bugatti all of a sudden veers to the right and hits the drink!  The driver reported to the authorities that he swerved to miss a low-flying pelican, but I don’t see a pelican, do you?

But before we reserve judgment, lets review some freeze frames.  You can see there is a small white smudge in front of the Veyron, which could potentially be a Pelican.  However, the original report stated that the driver swerved to miss a low-flying Pelican… this smudge ain’t flying.  Even if the bird wasn’t flying, if a car came so close to it that the driver had to swerve to miss it, you would think that the bird would be startled enough to fly up in the air, at least a few feet, in an act of self preservation.  There are some strange details to the drivers story, but in a grassy-knoll kinda way, I’m not buying the idea that the white smudge is a pelican.

The sleuths over at AutoBlog did some digging around and discovered that the person driving the 16/4 was none other than Andy House, the owner-operator of Performance Auto Sales, the “leader in Exotic Salvage Restoration”.  So far, this doesn’t look good for Andy as it sounds like it was nothing more than a publicity stunt.  Although this notion is unconfirmed, but it is an unthinkable atrocity to crash an exotic car as rare as the Bugatti Veyron for some kind of business gain.  Sounds pretty bad, huh?

Here’s the crash video.  WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, NSFW.

I don’t think there’s a better way to kill 10 minutes on a Friday afternoon…

Via AutoBlog

In Galveston, Texas, a local was driving his run-of-the-mill Bugatti Veyron to go prospect some “high-end” land for development.  As the story goes, he was talking on his cell phone when a pelican flew in front of his 16/4, he dropped his phone, swerved to miss the bird,  and hit a patch of mud.  The end result is in the photo above.

Believe it or not, the $1.6 million dollar Veyron comes with a hands-free bluetooth system built in, so I smell something fishy.  Video of it sitting in the salt-water drink after the jump.

Via AutoBlog

Upside Down Dodge Viper Logo Totally Looks Like Daffy Duck

From Totally Looks Like

The idea is ingenious. We already use airbags in out steering wheels, dash boards, pillars, seats and headliners, so why not put one in a seat belt? If it works as intended, it should spread out the impact forces and reduce the amount of bruising that occurs. This could prove a major benefit for children and elderly people, who are often more prone to injuries during car crashes.  The inflatable belts are only being developed for the rear seats; featuring smooth edges and more padding that a sheepskin seat cover, these belts should prove to be more comfortable to wear that traditional belts.  Expect them to be released in the next generation Ford Explorer first, with more vehicles to follow. Get the full details from Ford after the jump.

Just a heads up to all the Top Gear fans, the boys back in action this Sunday.  I just checked BBC America’s TV schedule and it doesn’t look like they’ll be airing Season 14 any time soon, you’ll have to find other means of watch it.  What will they be getting themselves into this season? Trailer here.

Officially unveiled at the 2009 SEMA Show, Specter Werkes has shown the public what their 2010 C6 GTR is made of. Based on the mighty 500 horsepower Z06 platform, this Vette is far from stock.  Powered by Lingenfelter’s twin-turbo system for the LS7, this C6 now boasts 800 horsepower to the wheels and enough torque to spin the world backwards.

A custom body kit, vented hood, front lip and matte-black rear fascia clean up the exterior.  Overall, I think it looks good, but those rear exhaust tips are a little over the top.  Carbon fiber wheels adorn each corner, wrapped in Pilot Sport PS2 rubber, surrounding a StopTech 6-piston BBK.  The wheels are made by HRE and weigh in at only 22 pounds each, not bad for 20’s! Press release and 5 more pics after the break!

Press Release:

“The latest Corvette GTR by Specter Werkes/Sports debuts Nov. 3 at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Distinguished by its unique, BASF Pearl Blue exterior color and HRE CF40 carbon fiber wheels, the newest GTR will be on display outside the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall, as a feature vehicle for HRE.

Based on the Corvette Z06, this new GTR also represents a collaboration between Specter Werkes and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, with a Lingenfelter twin-turbo system powering the car – and pumping its 7.0-liter LS7 engine to 800 horsepower.

“Specter GTRs have been featured at SEMA for many years and we’re excited to debut the most unique example to date at this year’s show,” said Jeff Nowicki, president of Specter Werkes/Sports. “From the BASF pearl paint and HRE carbon wheels, to the Lingenfelter engine, there’s never been a GTR like this one and we think it will resonate with sports car enthusiasts of all stripes.”

Featuring dramatic bodywork and carbon fiber details, the GTR blends racing-inspired design cues with uncompromising luxury and performance. The Specter Werkes/Sports GTR package is available on all C6 Corvette models, including the base coupe and convertible, the Z06 and ZR1. The new, Pearl Blue example’s carbon fiber wheels and other carbon accents are complemented by a matte black rear fascia.

The use of HRE carbon fiber wheels is a first on a GTR. They weigh only 22 pounds apiece and are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Zero Pressure tires. Additional features on the new GTR include:

* StopTech STR big-brake package, featuring six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers
* Mobil 1 synthetic fluids
* Corsa exhaust system with GTR-specific exhaust tips
* Spinneybeck hand-tipped leather interior accents
* Matte-finish carbon fiber accents, including the headlamp housing, front splitter, outside mirrors and more

Specter Werkes/Sports is an automotive prototype and fabrication facility based in Troy, Mich. It specializes in race-proven engine performance enhancements and creating specialty accessories for the C5 and C6 Corvette, the Cadillac CTS and more.”