Once upon a time, I was driving a VW Golf, and was able to get it up to a whopping 80 MPH. I sure felt cool, but I’d look like a complete fool compared to the Inspiration, a British steam-powered car that’s about to try to break the land speed record of 170 MPH.

In case you were wondering what the automotive community won’t be releasing next year, here’s a nice roundup of the concept cars on display over at Pebble Beach. They’re not all outlandish, although a back seat in a Lotus Elise kind of misses the point, doesn’t it? If I had one, I’d remove the passenger seat.

To be honest, I’ve paid next to no attention to Gran Turismo for the PSP, primarily because I stopped with Gran Turismo 3. That, and the PSP is sorta meh, to use a fake word. Be that as it may, Sony has arranged a pretty neat pre-order bonus for those of you who… pre-order the game.

I’ve never been a car person, or an audiophile, but I understand that for some people, their car is their baby and the place where they most often listen to the music they love. Sure, I’m okay with crackly FM in an 18-year-old Plymouth Voyager, but if you’re rocking a soft-top XKR or something similar, not only should you have higher expectations but the audio qualities are totally different.

If you really care about your music and are willing to pay for it (because it’s difficult to do any other way), this is a really great guide to get you the sound you deserve.

Dude. Sweet. I don’t have kids, let alone anyone who really ever rides in the back seat of the car but if I did, I could easily justify a $130 outlay for not one, but two (two!) replacement headrests with built-in 7-inch LCD screens. Maybe I should just get these and then always ride in the back myself while the little lady handles the driving.

License plate covers with scrolling LED messages used to be the playthings of kings, CEOs, and hotel owners! Now you, too, can get in on the fun for far less than you think. GraveyardMall.com is selling the “E-Plate Scrolling License Plate Frame” for just $14 plus shipping.

Seven years ago the National Highway Safety Administration called for a complete and total ban on the use of cellphones while driving. That includes hands-free kits, too. Now, a lot has changed in the seven years since this draft proposal was made—for one, the number of cellphones in the U.S. has gone from 170 million to 270 million.

I’ve said over and over again, along with a lot of other people, that hybrid technology would make the biggest environmental impact if used in delivery trucks, municipal vehicles, and mail trucks. Vehicles like these are often limited in range but are gas hogs that travel in low gears where hybrid technology can really shine. Plus, the fuel savings of even 10% can be immense when a whole fleet of vehicles are converted. FedEx obviously knows this too and has slowly been converting delivery trucks to diesel hybrids which have been known to improve fuel economy by 44% and decrease emissions by 96%.

If you’ve ever priced laptop mounts for your car, you’ll have undoubtedly realized that they’re expensive. Luckily, you can build your own for about $30 using some PVC pipe, plywood, and velcro. It certainly doesn’t look safe to use while the car’s in motion but if you need to use your laptop in your car while parked, this project might fit the bill.

If you’re lucky enough to live in a gated retirement community (The Vill-a-ges, Flor-i-da’s friendliest home town!) or you don’t need to ever break 25MPH on your daily commute, then here’s an electric roadster. Sure, at $13,000 it costs more than most compact sedans, but it’s cute! And red! And eco-friendly, sorta, with its six lead-acid batteries.

You’ll soon be able to roll up to a McD’s for some delicious food and charge your plug-in vehicle at the same time. There is only one word to describe this: Awesome!

The U.S. Government created a requirement that by 2020, the majority of cars sold here must get at least 35 miles per gallon. This requires a big commitment on the part of auto makers and so the Energy Department was authorized last year to lend $25 billion dollars. The first round of financing is expected to be announced today with Ford, Nissan, and Tesla getting all getting a sizable chunk during this first round. GM and Chrysler both wanted a bunch of money too, but neither fit the criteria of being a “financial viable” so they were disqualified for this first round.

Nissan hasn’t announced how much the Japanese automaker has requested from the U.S. Government, but we know that Michigan-based Ford and California-based Tesla Motors Inc. are expected to get $5 billion and $450 million respectively.

This $25 billion fund was approved by Congress in 2008 to help auto makers retool facilities and speed up development of more energy efficient vehicles. It was the Government after all that decided that vehicles needed to reach an average of 35 miles per gallon by a random date instead of the natural evolution of development and technology.

As Matt will tell you, I know absolutely nothing about cars. Four wheels, a steering wheel, a couple of pedals—that’s the extent of my knowledge. That said, for whatever reason, I find myself getting into Formula One; it’s just fun! So, with that in mind, watch as I watch Force India’s team manager explain all the high-tech wonderment of a Formula 1 steering wheel.

A new bill floating around the New Jersey legislature would ban the use of GPS devices while driving. You already know why, too: it leads to unsafe driving. The bill was introduced on June 8, and would punish violators with a $100 fine.

Looking to take a Tesla electric car for a spin, are ya? Lucky you, as the company will be opening seven sales centers this summer — four in the US and three abroad. You’ll be able to take a test drive in New York, Seattle, Chicago, and Miami, along with London, Monaco, and Munich.

File this under “stuff that makes sense” and drop a carbon copy in the “why didn’t I think of that” folder. This is an in-vehicle power inverter with two AC outlets and a USB charging port in the shape of a coffee cup so it’ll fit perfectly in your car’s cupholder.