A couple of weeks ago, GM has announced a special edition 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible prepared exclusively for the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. The car was priced at $75,000 and only 100 units will be made. Considering the regular Camaro Convertible will start at $30,000, you’d figure there wouldn’t be so many who would pay all that money for a few “high-end” features. Well, you would be wrong, because GM has sold all 100 units in only 3 minutes, last night.

The Neiman Marcus Camaros are SS models with the 6.2-liter V8 and feature exclusive Deep Bordeaux exterior color with "ghosted" rally stripes, color matching fabric top, 21-inch polished aluminum wheels, LED halo-ring headlamps, amber-colored leather seating surface, Bluetooth connectivity and a 245-watt Boston Acoustics sounds system.

[Source: GM]

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Neiman Marcus Camaro Convertible sold out in 3 minutes

Is the automotive world as we know it coming to and end? After Aston Martin confirmed the production of the Toyota IQ based Cygnet now BMW is going FWD? Because today BMW and the PSA Peugeot Citroen Group announced a partnership for developing hybrid components for front-wheel-drive vehicles.

According to the press release, Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën signed an agreement that will allow joint development, production and purchasing of components, which will lead to significant cost cuts and, most important, will standardise hybrid vehicles.

“This cooperation will deliver a major contribution towards a competitive cost structure in the field of electrification. It also represents another important step on the road to sustainable mobility,” said Reithofer.

“We are pleased to broaden our long-standing cooperation based on the strong relationship that exists between our two companies,” added Philippe Varin. “Combining both partners’ expertise in hybrid technologies will clearly create competitive advantage.”

No financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.

[Source: BMW]

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BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroen Group to cooperate on FWD hybrid vehicles

This has go to be one of the stupidest things we ever wrote about here on RPMGO. Last Thursday, a 39-yo man and his 36-yo wife rented a Corvette from Hertz and stopped for a drink at London’s West End, a bar in Pacific Beach, San Diego. Here they were talking to a man, a complete stranger and when they talked about the Corvette, the man told them he never drove one, so they agreed on letting him drive their rented one. Great idea, don’t you think?

Well, the man drove the car, started doing donuts in the sand and, at one point, lost control of the car which ended up in the ocean. The man quickly ran away, leaving the two idiots talking to the police and taking care of the mess he got them into.

Not much we can comment on this, except some people are really, really stupid. Check out a few videos of the Corvette taking a swim, after the jump.

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Couples let stranger drive rented Corvette, end up in the ocean [video]

After last winter Saab was extremely close to be completely shut down by GM, now under Spyker leadership the company is trying to come back into the game and to start counting again in the car industry. And we’re really happy to report that another new car was officially announced and that is the Saab 9-4X crossover.

Scheduled to make its official debut at next month Los Angeles Auto Show, the car looks pretty good with its Aero X concept inspired design, but the interior disappoints a little, being kinda dull. But Saab’s target market won’t probably be bothered by this, because it’s the same interior design theme Saab has been using for years. Still, the interior features high quality Bose system with 5.1 surround sound, option 8-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

Under the bonnet, the Saab 9-4X will be available with two V6 engines, a 265 hp (195 kW) 3.0-liter that takes the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.0 seconds, while the top-of the-line Aero versions will get a turbocharged 2.8-liter engine that delivers 300 hp (221kW) and 400 Nm of torque, which means 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is made in 8.3 seconds. Both engines will be available with a six-speed automatic transmission and Saab’s XWD all-wheel-drive technology. There are no fuel consumption figures available so far.

Like we said, the official debut will take place in Los Angeles, with sales scheduled to start in May 2011 in the United States, and in August in Europe and other markets. Prices are currently unknown and will be revealed closer to launch.

[Source: Saab]

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Saab 9-4X officially announced

In a recent study conducted by Quality Planning, an auto insurance analytics company, Mercedes-Benz SL drivers are the most ticketed drivers in the United States. Not that it comes as a surprise, because the Mercs SL are pretty powerful cars, but what is interesting is that the average age of “violators” is 53 years and almost 60% of them are…wait for it…women! You’d expect a little more responsibility at that age. The full list goes like this:

Pretty interesting findings, huh? And there’s also a list with the most “cautious vehicles”, whose drivers got the least speeding tickets and which shows that Buick Rainier are the most disciplined drivers on the street.

[Source: Quality Planning]

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Mercedes-Benz SL owners, most ticketed drivers

Iranian designer Bijan is one of the most famous designers in the United States, his Beverly Hills boutique often being considered “the most expensive store in the world”. He is also known for his passion for yellow cars, among the cars that got the “Bijan yellow” treatment being two Bentley Azures, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, a Ferrari 430 and a Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe. And now, the most recent car that was spotted outside the designer’s boutique is this yellow Bugatti Veyron with a large airbrushed figure on the engine hood.

Bijan’s fashion business brings in around $4 billion in revenues annually, the main products being perfumes and men’s clothes. He is also famous for making exclusive clothes, throughout his career, for some of the best known men in the world, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, Anthony Hopkins, Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair, Paul Allen, Jay Leno, Usher and Ronald Reagan.

[Source: Jalopnik]

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Celebrity designer Bijan’s yellow Bugatti Veyron