The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California that starred in the cult classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off was really an MG in Maranello drag. In the movie Cameron states that less than 100 were made; actually only 55 were ever produced. The website www.80s.com pegs the value of an actual example at $2.5 million, which means thrashing and trashing one in the film would've busted the budget, along with drawing the ire of Ferrari faithful everywhere.

So nice of Detroit's WDIV-TV and the Detroit Free Press to ask folks living in Michigan how they feel about the General Motors/Renault-Nissan deal, eh? With GM residing in the state and being largely responsible for the state of its economy, everyone from plant workers to advertising agency execs and even Detroit-area Starbucks baristas will likely be affected by a merger.

A common charge car drivers hurl at GPS systems is that they're unnecessary for anyone with maps and the brains to use them. But what about cyclists using unfamiliar bike lanes? The Dutch cyclists union ENFB has started a volunteer effort to map the numerous bike lanes for GPS, many of which are inaccessible by cars and thus not used by navigation companies like Navteq. States project leader Kees Bakker, "This is really a Dutch problem. Other countries have very few dedicated bike lanes and in t

Last week in the UK, a pair of ambitious teens apparently decided that for their joyriding exploits, they'd boost something really special. A short time later they had relieved a Highgate Village residence of one silver Ferrari 360 Modena.

Ann Job provides a more extensive review of the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line than the one previously posted by Automobile. She speculates, for example, that the "Eco" light, which brightens when the Vue exceeds government fuel standards, is vacuum-operated instead of using a computer to determine mileage. She finds the setup a bit odd since hybrid buyers want to know how much they save fuel-wise.

Here's something you don't hear everyday... BMW Group announced that it is recalling 2,662 vehicles in China due to possible problems with the rear shock absorbers. The recall, which affects some 5-, 6- and 7-series vehicles in China built between January and April of this year, consists of 2,131 imported BMWs and 531 produced domestically.

And you thought your car gets good mileage. Accelerated Composites, a new company out in San Diego, released pictures of its new Aptera prototype, a diesel-electric hybrid concept car that can get 330 mpg and go 95 mph. It seems that this small, light vehicle would be good for city driving and the company says it's a two-seater. I'm not sure where the passenger sits. The engine specifications make more sense to me: the 12 hp diesel engine conforms to the California Air Resources Board's strict e

As talks approach with General Motors head Rick Wagoner, Carlos Ghosn is stating that he has no desire to head up the conglomerate if a merger of sorts takes place. Apparently, he feels that he's busy enough running both Nissan and Renault. Ghosn did show some interest in getting a board seat if a deal was struck with GM, though.

After two weeks of coordinated work stoppages, the Hyundai Motor Union went on full strike yesterday in South Korea. The prior two weeks of work stoppages have cost Hyundai a reported $768 million, putting the South Korean automaker 53,155 cars behind schedule.