$2M DiMora Natalia SLS 2

$2M DiMora Natalia SLS 2 to get - wait for it - world's first MP3-enabled horn
Spend two million bucks on a car, and you'll get to have whatever the hell you want as a horn tone. Alfred DiMora is back, adding more splashy aftermarket items to the list of standard equipment on his Natalia vaporware sport luxury sedan. DiMora Motorcar has decided that the Horntones system will be factory-fitted to every V16 Natalia SLS 2 produced. So far, that's none. This isn't the first time the Natalia has specified an item cherrypicked from SEMA awards, and we suspect it won't be the last.

The Horntones system has 256MB of flash memory that can be loaded up with MP3 files. Once your files are in the Horntones system, there's a 150-watt speaker to delight everyone within a quarter mile by blaring your audio with a 110dB sound pressure level. DiMora contends that the Horntones rig is the most significant development in car horns in the last 100 years. We disagree – after all, the Dukes of Hazzard General Lee had that bitchin' setup that played Dixie.

Perhaps the biggest news here is that there's a new rendering, this time, a rear three-quarter view. Press release after the jump.

Source : http://www.autoblog.com/ (2/6/2009)


Even NASCAR not immune from economic woes
Hardcore NASCAR fans might not recognize their favorite sport when the season picks back up on February 15th at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. Chrysler, General Motors, Ford and Toyota have all cut back funding 20 to 30 percent, and once strong teams like Petty Enterprises have merged with rivals and closed up shop. What's more, fewer fans will be able to afford a weekend at the races, and that equals less revenue.

Still, Brian France remains optomistic that the 2009 season will remain compelling. Top-shelf drivers like Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch will be back to battle for the championship and there are still 50 teams that have signed up to race at Daytona in 2009. Come what may, it's a virtual guarantee that NASCAR racing will go on, though perhaps with a bit less sparkle, flash and income than in previous years.

Source : http://www.autoblog.com/ (2/6/2009)



World's most famous spy ever is... Brenda Priddy?
It's no secret that automotive spy photographer Brenda Priddy is synonymous with shots of heavily-camouflaged cars and of engineers enduring extreme climate testing. But now, she has been outed as The Most Famous Spy in History on a website called ShareRanks.

This shooter of top secret sedans and covert convertibles has been ranked above notorious agents such as Mata Hari who was executed as a German spy. Priddy even tops Revolutionary War spy Nathan "One Life to Live" Hale who is probably in every American history textbook in the country.

That's her in the photo with her back to the camera. It's the only photo she'd authorize for use with this story. "After all, I don't want people to know what I look like!" she said in an e-mail to us (one we suspect that originated in her underground bunker somewhere in the Arizona desert). Then again, someone of her spy caliber could have sent it from right here in the Autoblog offices. Hmmmm.

As someone who makes a living off exposing the secrets of the auto industry, how does she feel about her newfound fame? We asked her that and a few more questions that you can read the answer to after the jump.

Source : http://www.autoblog.com/ (2/6/2009)



Audi A4 and A5 get S tronic gearbox abroad, U.S. still waiting
Audi has announced that its S tronic transmission will finally move from the new S4 down to the A4 sedan and Avant, along with the A5 coupe in the UK. The dual-clutch gearbox will be available on all three models equipped with the 2.0-liter TFSI Quattro drivetrain, providing 0.2-second shifts and shaving 0.1-seconds from the A4's 0-62 miles-per-hour time (6.5 versus 6.6 with a manual) and 0.3-seconds from the A5's sprint to the magic mark (6.2 versus 6.5 with the manual).

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get an Audi spokesperson to confirm when, or if, the S tronic option will be available on models bound for the States. So for the time being, new A4 owners in the U.S. are forced to choose between the six-speed manual or the six-speed Tiptronic gearbox. Hit the jump for pricing and the rest of the details.

Source : http://www.autoblog.com/ (2/6/2009)