Surrounded by prestige with a hint of mystic since its founding in 1919, British car maker Bentley carried on the legacy and tradition from the days of when automobile was more of an artwork than mere commodity. Though many of its illustrious counterparts have gone to become memories of the past. The winged B is still thriving, in some ways, against all odds. Thanks to Cool Hunting, we get a first hand look at the historic Bentley factory in Crewe, England. In addition to the many dedicated souls who contributed to the brand’s success. Its also the balance of Old World craftsmanship and modern technical attributes that makes Bentley unique.

Russian automaker Dartz, famous for their armored cars, introduces the Jo-Mojo electric roadster. Designed by Eduard Gray of Gray Design, the Jo-Mojo is propelled by an electric motor good for 80-horsepower and 90 lb-ft of torque. Interestingly, the motor can be recharged by a retractable roof that houses flexible solar cells created by former Soviet space manufacturer Sidrabe. The cover locks the car and charges it up as it’s parked underneath the Cote D’Azur sun (Dartz points out the car was made for coasting in the French Riviera). Notwithstanding the Jo-Mojo is an open-topped roadster groomed for fun and sun, it’s still built with a bullet-proof body, making it ideal transportation for the fugitive who has more than sunburn to worry about. The vehicle is set to debut next year at the Top Marques show in Monaco. Click through for more looks. via: Autoblog

If the latest Gymkhana video of Ken Block getting sideways and smokey in his Ford seems a bit like a car commercial, there’s a reason. In exchange for Ford’s deep support of Block’s drift rocket adventures, Block has been a very willing spokesman for the company; this latest installment sees Block making use of Ford’s Sync AV system, as he tools around on open roads in LA (in a very un-street legal vehicle). And if scenes that combine Block drifting in circles while DC BMX rider Kelly Bolton seem painfully cliche, then this video probably isn’t for you. But if you are one of Block’s many fans, who can’t get enough of his sponsor-emblazoned Fiesta antics, then read no further and watch immediately. Corporate sponsorship is heavy, but the high production values these videos have don’t come cheap. It’s good don’t-try-this-at-home fun for drift fans, and for fans of the genre a must-watch. Check out the video after the jump. via: Autoblog.

In 2010 film crews followed two teams of Porsche engineers during the final testing of the 2012 Porsche Carrera 911. One team was stationed in South Africa’s Western Cape, the most South Westerly tip of the African continent, where conditions were hot, arid and windy. The other team worked in an undisclosed location in the Arctic Circle, where temperatures routinely dipped below 40 degrees Celsius. Both crews labored under torturous conditions, gathering mountains of data on every component of the car, from something as simple as a hood latch to the performance of the new seven-speed manual transmission. The resulting 10-minute mini-documentary is fascinating and compelling, and answers the salient question, “Why test the car under conditions it will probably never have to endure with a typical driver?” The answer — it’s the measure of a Porsche vehicle that it performs as well in the frigid Arctic Circle or the blistering deserts of South Africa as it does on an American freeway. Check out the video after the click.

Like those with the DTM racing series, where the best of German auto engineering pit against one another, the Super GT is where the majority of Japanese auto makers get to test out their latest and greatest. Categorized in two classes, the GT500, where you will see the likes of modified Nissan GT-R, Lexus LFA, along side with Ferrari 550 and McLaren F1 GTR, all spewing out near-500 horsepower of pure mayhem. Then there is GT300, the 300-horsepower range favored by smaller racing teams to test out racing platforms, like a Toyota Prius. Heavily modified, the Toyota Prius GT300 will join other new entries, such as Honda CR-Z and Subaru BRZ, in next year’s Super GT circuit. According to Japan’s Auto Sport Magazine, the new vehicle will include some sort of hybrid powertrain, though its too early to know what kind at this point. Still, we will never look at Prius the same way again. via: Autoblog / Jon Sibal

Having teamed up in November 2010, Mercedes-AMG and Ducati are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their partnership with the unveiling of an SLK 55 AMG and Ducati Streetfighter 848, both finished in striking Streetfighter Yellow, at the Bologna Motor Show. The SLK 55 AMG’s interior features the distinctive yellow shade as well, in the form of contrast stitching at the sport steering wheel, seats and dash, plus door sill plates that light up in the same hue. If there’s enough customer demand, it’s a color that could officially enter AMG’s personal options list. In terms of specs, neither model has undergone any performance modifications. The SLK 55 AMG remains the most powerful SLK built to date, with a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 good for 422-horsepower. The Streetfighter 848, meanwhile, boasts a revised 848 Testastretta 11 engine producing an output of 132-horsepower. Check out additional looks after the click. via: Autoblog

A warning to fans of the Prancing Horse, the content of the following story might be too graphical and emotional for some, viewer discretion is advised. Aside for a string of auto insurance frauds (like the Texan who intentionally drove his Bugatti Veyron into a saltwater marsh), a massive 14-car pile up in Japan this weekend might just be the most expensive auto mishap ever, at least for 2011. While en route to a super car gathering in Hiroshima, one of the Ferrari veered off on the highway. A “pin-ball effect” ensued, resulted in eight wrecked Ferraris, two Lamborghinis, and a few Mercedes. No one was seriously injured in the mayhem though we cannot say the same about the owners’ wallets.  The price-tag of the damages is estimated at over $1 million dollars and likely to increase. via: Autoblog

Known not only as the last Grand Prix of this year’s Formula One World Championship, but also for its unusual counter-clockwise Sao Paulo circuit, Brail’s Interlagos received the distinction this week as luxury watchmaker HUBLOT honored it with its own timepiece, the F1 King Power Interlagos.

Drawn on the rich Brazilian heritage, HUBLOT appointed an unique aesthetic, on both dial face and band, with same vibrant cobalt blue (Pantone 280) found on the Brazilian flag. Ceramic bezel carefully etched with tiny holes in reference to race car’s brake disc, along with a push buttons for reset, both reflections of its F1 root.

To commemorate the end of a successful season and in part the launch of HUBLOT’s special tribute to Interlagos, both F1 Racing CEO Bernie Ecclestone and FRATTINA’s Jairo Waisman joined the unveiling ceremony as well as marvel at the new timepiece. Limited to 250 pieces, the F1 Racing x HUBLOT – Formula 1 King Power Interlagos is now ready for special order through HUBLOT dealers worldwide.

Here’s a Porsche concept car you won’t likely be seeing at a car show any time soon. The Porsche 9P1 concept was dreamed up by a team of 3D digital design students from the Institut Superieur de Design in France. Vincenzo La Manti, Sebastien Baudemont and Thomas Pignol have created a futuristic Porsche model built with a front end resembling the Spyder 918 Concept blended with the Porsche 911′s roofline, and an extended carbon fiber rear outer body housing an exposed rear-mounted engine. The interior features the distinctive five dashboard displays borrowed from the Porsche Carrera GT, while the controls are updated with a modern touch-screen display. The attention to detail is extraordinarily rendered. Click through for the impressive video. via: WCF

Ferrari will get a new racing going vehicle come next year as the Prancing Horse introduced the Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione. Part of Ferrari’s XX development project , an uber-exclusive program where ardent and very wealthy Ferrari customers have certain involvement as F1 technologies make the transition to road going vehicles. The program first saw the FXX, a street-legal Enzo, back in 2005, with a subsequent model, the FXX Evoluzione. Not far behind was the 599XX, the race version of the 599 GTO, the fastest vehicle Ferrari ever made. Now, there is the 599XX Evoluzione, which is a full second faster than its predecessor on Ferrari’s Fiorano test track thanks to its tuned 6.0-liter V12 with a generous output of 740 hp. To render such power into something viable on the course, a new dynamic aero kit allows dynamic alterations adaptive to the driver’s needs.

Ferrari is set to produce 29 of these of works of art and technical wonder, with a price tag of €1,485,000 EU, or $1,990,642 US, some $250,000 more than the 599XX. via: Autobolog