Autoblog

Say what you will of the late John DeLorean, but when push came to shove, he never tired of searching for creative ways to promote his business interests.

One of the last initiatives he undertook was a time machine of sorts. Not quite like the one that immortalized his creation -- the stainless-steel, gull-winged DMC12 in the Back to the Future trilogy -- DeLorean Time was an initiative to sell a unique wristwatch. While you could certainly argue that any merchandising initiative – be it a timepiece or anything else – is simply another way for an automaker to raise income through alternative means, DeLorean was a little more direct about it. With the purchase of the DeLorean watch, the buyer would be entered into an unofficial contract to get first crack at the DMC2, the ill-fated sportscar which DeLorean had hoped to build before passing in 2005. By selling enough watches, DeLorean hoped, he could raise enough money to get the DMC2 into production.

Follow the jump to view a video of John DeLorean promoting the watch, or follow the link to view more photos.

[Source: Watchismo]

Bob Johnson's 1971 Plymouth Barracuda, dubbed G-Force, created quite a stir when it was unveiled earlier in the year, and now the groundbreaking g-machine has earned itself the prestigious Goodguys' 2006 Street Machine of the Year award. Johnson's evil fish took the crown last month - yeah, we're a bit late on this one - by beating out four machines from the Bowtie camp.

Built by Johnson's Rod Shop (supposedly no relation) in Alabama, the award caps a challenging three years of fabrication. The project was motivated by Bob's desire to capture the top spot in the judging after a Top 5 finish with his Camaro back in 2002. This ground-breaking machine makes liberal use of high-tech materials stretched around a huge Hemi to provide a stunning 3.2 lb/HP power-to-weight ratio. With that sort of power, the high-tech independent suspension at each corner, huge brakes, and even bigger wheels and tires, we're pretty sure that this would excel at any sort of on-pavement use - if indeed the desire existed to thrash what's likely a seven-figure piece of art.

[Source: Goodguys]