By Andrew Liszewski

Just the other day I was having a discussion with someone about how difficult it must be to keep vehicles with a matte paint finish clean. And then I came across this. In an attempt to make their Ferrari F430 stand out from the crowd (because, you know, the streets are filled with them) someone with questionable taste wrapped one in leather grain vinyl. Removing a bird dropping is hard enough on a vehicle with a gloss paint finish. Even moreso with a matte finish, and probably just a huge pain in the butt on something like this. On the plus side though, there’s now less risk of someone going and painting this particular Ferrari yellow. (Shudder…)

[ GTspirit.com - Ferrari F430 with Leather Wrap by Dartz ] VIA [ Jalopnik ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Branded accessories, like the Porsche ice cube tray we brought you earlier, are a clever way for supercar manufacturers to let everyone own a piece of a vehicle they may never be able to afford. But instead of producing a $19 novelty kitchen accessory, Lamborghini has introduced a collection of bags made from pre-stiffened carbon fiber.

As we all know carbon fiber is frequently used in the manufacturing of high performance cars since it’s both light and strong, but it’s also very expensive. Contributing to the astronomical cost of the vehicles, and unfortunately these bags. The cheapest of the lot, the Carbon Envelope Bag, sells for ~$1,224 (€850). While the top-of-the line Carbon Travel Soft Bag (aka duffel bag) comes in at around ~$2,090 (€1,450). In the middle you’ve also got the Carbon Messenger Bag for ~$1,512 (€1,050), with all of them being available sometime this Fall.

[ Lamborghini Carbon Fiber Bags ] VIA [ TopSpeed ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not sure what sparked the recent trend of novelty-shaped ice cube trays. I’m assuming some breakthrough in silicone mould production which makes them easier to mass manufacture. Whatever the reason, it looks like Porsche Design has jumped on the bandwagon too with this simple blue ice cube tray that produces frozen miniature versions of their 911, Cayman, Cayenne and Panamera. It also features the Porsche logo, is dishwasher safe and is available from their online store for just $19.

[ Porsche Design Ice Cube Tray ] VIA [ NOTCOT ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Researchers at MIT and Princeton have developed a new smartphone app called SignalGuru that lets drivers know the optimal speed they should be driving (within reason) to avoid having to stop and wait at red lights. Which in turn means better fuel efficiency. The app relies on the cameras of dashboard mounted smartphones and their ability to connect and talk to each other over a wireless network, keeping tabs on the color of the lights ahead of a driver on a given road.

The system has been tested in Cambridge, Massachusetts where traffic lights run on a fixed schedule, and the success rate of its predictions helped drivers reduce fuel consumption by an average of 20%. But when tested in a city like Singapore where traffic light timing dynamically adjusts based on the traffic flow, the system wasn’t as effective. However, the results should improve once the app becomes a commercial product, and more and more drivers start using it and contributing information about the status of traffic lights around a given city.

[ SignalGuru: Leveraging Mobile Phones for Collaborative Traffic Signal Schedule Advisory (PDF) ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

You’ll have to accept looking like an absolute fool while wearing them, but if you’ve got a soft spot for automotive design, particularly the gratuitous use of visible carbon fiber, Gucci’s got a pair of loafers for you. Their GG Plus Moccasins come in a beige & ebony fabric pattern similar to what’s found on the brand’s purses, with a black rubber sole. But on the heel you’ll notice a patch of carbon fiber which pretty much does nothing but provide eye candy. (And maybe lightening the shoe a touch.) Because they feature the Gucci logo they’ll set you back $425 a pair, and a bit of self-respect.

[ Gucci GG Plus Moccasins ] VIA [ Carbon Fiber Gear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Can’t afford a Porsche for your daily drive to work? There are still plenty of ways to impress your co-workers. And just because these PC accessories from Porsche Design won’t post a great lap time at the Nürburgring (much to Captain Slow’s delight) it doesn’t mean the person sharing your cubicle won’t eye your desk with envy.

Available from their online store, the Porsche 911-inspired mouse features the company’s logo printed on the rear as well as an aluminum scroll wheel, 2,000 dpi optical sensor and a 2.4 GHz wireless USB dongle. So it can certainly be used on any surface, but would probably feel most at home on the matching Porsche crest mousepad made of the same leather used in the vehicles’ interiors. Complete with an embossed logo at the top. Sold separately they each run ~$82 (£50) which is a little steep for a piece of leather, but not outrageously expensive for a mouse oddly enough.

[ Porsche Design Mouse And Mousepad ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yesterday Sony unveiled a new lineup of car stereo receivers, eight in total, ranging from low-end, affordable entry level models to the most interesting and expensive DSX-S310BTX. From what I can tell it eschews a built-in CD player in favor of providing connectivity to MP3 players and smartphones. Instead of a disc slot the stereo’s faceplate hides a Tune Tray which allows you to connect and stash away your MP3 player so you don’t have to deal with unsightly wires. There’s also a USB port on the front which lets you connect a flash drive full of MP3s, but most users will probably be installing one for its Bluetooth support.

The wireless connection allows you to keep your internet-connected smartphone easily available when driving, while still letting you stream music from Pandora through your car’s stereo system. The Pandora controls are even accessible via the stereo’s faceplate buttons so you don’t need to operate or even unlock your smartphone to skip tracks. Whether that phone happens to be an Android device, Blackberry or iPhone. And while I don’t see any mention of it in the official press release, I’m hoping the DSX-S310BTX also lets you stream your regular music from your iPhone over BT, like with the ever growing collection of BT speakers out there. Available in September for $280, but if you’re an iPhone user wary of your phone’s battery life, there’s also the DSX-S210X iPhone-only version which ditches the Bluetooth for a more reasonable $200 price point.

[ PR - Sony Connects Drivers With SiriusXM and Pandora On New Car Stereo Lineup ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Hot Summer temperatures and sealed motor vehicles are a terrible combination. Stepping into a sweltering car and waiting for the air conditioning to do its thing can feel like hours. But once again Thanko has come to the rescue with a device no one realized they needed. Working kind of like the liquid cooling systems that keep high-performance PC humming along, this seat cushion connects to a pump which you fill with a frozen bottle of water. In just 5 seconds it can cool a seat from upwards of 60℃ down to 28℃, and it will keep it cool for up to 8 hours.

It plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter since the pumping mechanism needs power, but it also includes an AC adapter if you’d prefer to use it indoors instead. At almost $200 (¥14,800) it’s certainly a pricey aftermarket upgrade for your vehicle, but totally worth the cost if you opted for black leather seats and happen to live somewhere just below the equator.

[ Thanko's Water Cooled Car Seat Cushion ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Just because you’re a gearhead doesn’t mean you don’t also have an appreciation for the finer, slightly more electronic, things in life. So the gasket iPhone 4 case brings together the automotive and gadget worlds with a design inspired by the shape and hole pattern of a head gasket from a high-performance engine. Made from genuine brushed aluminum with a suede inner lining, the case is a simple snap-on affair that offers extra protection with minimal added weight. And is available in 5 metallic colors for a pretty typical $29.99.

[ Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case ] VIA [ Jalopnik ]