This is what $38 million sounds like

Want to know what $38 million sounds like? Well you’re not likely to find out. That’s the reported value of the highly coveted 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic recently sold by Gooding & Company from the Peter Williamson collection. 

But while we got a rare chance to stop by the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, for an up-close-and-personal between the world’s most valuable car and our own Drew Philips, actually seeing it start up and drive would be a rare sight indeed.

Fortunately, onlookers had the chance when the Bugatti came down to the Pasadena Art Center Car Classic and fired up its 3.2-liter straight-eight – lest we forget that this is an actual functioning automobile, and not a stationary sculpture consigned to a pedestal. 

What’s more is that he caught it on camera in a pair of videosafter the jump.?

Honda CR-Z wins 2010 Japan Car of the Year

For the past 31 years, Japan has selected a Car of the Year award recipient. Over 60 jurors, composed mainly of Japanese journalists, vote on a vehicle worthy of the Car of the Year title, and the auto that receives the most nods drives away with the crown. Last year, that honor went to the redesigned Toyota Prius hybrid, which narrowly edged out the Honda Insight. This year, however, Honda took top honors with its all-new 2011 CR-Z.

Car of the Year jurors praised the CR-Z because of its ability to balance driving pleasure and fuel economy. Jurors also noted that Honda managed to wrap all that high-tech gadgetry inside a unique body design. Upon receiving the award, Honda’s president and CEO, Takanobu Ito, stated:

We are very proud that the CR-Z has been selected from the strong contenders of new models as the Car of the Year Japan 2010-2011. This award shows that the public has accepted Honda’s aspiration to supply exceptional environmental performance in a fun-to-drive hybrid car at an affordable price, as well as Honda’s desire to spread the joy of owning and driving a car. We also believe that this award for the CR-Z reflects the true value of the combined efforts of our business partners and the many others who supported CR-Z development and production. Going forward, Honda intends to bring more joy to an even larger number of customers.

Report: Audi bringing four-cylinder A8 in 2012

Automakers are always looking to add a tinge of green to their fleets, and Audi is reportedly ready to drop a few cylinders on its flagship sedan. The 2012 Audi A8 will be offered as a hybrid, with a four-cylinder gasoline engine being paired with an electric motor. 

The A8 Hybrid will likely be offered after Audi has launched a front-wheel drive six-cylinder diesel version, both of which should provide quite a different driving experiencecompared to the 372 horsepower 4.2-liter V8 currently available.

The move to a smaller cylinder count comes as automakers begin to prepare for tougher CAFE standards. Audi, not wanted to be left behind, sees that Mercedes-Benz and BMW are already moving to more efficient powertrains. 

Mercedes, who already launched its S400 Hybrid, is also adding a four-cylinder version of its flagship model – a 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel in the S250 CDI model. BMW has a different take on how it will produce more efficient luxury sedans. Rather than reducing the number of cylinders, BMW will add electric motors to its six and eight cylinder engines, so for the time being there are no plan to put a four-cylinder in the engine bay of a 7 Series.

Jeep Wrangler to get Pentastar V6 power in 2012

It looks like the Jeep Wrangler family will be the next Chrysler bloodline to benefit from the company’s excellent new Pentastar V6. Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler CEO, broke the news during the company’s third-quarter financial announcement. 

The new powerplant will likely pack somewhere between 283 and 305 horsepower depending on the tune, and will make for a substantial bump in grunt over the current 202-pony 3.8-liter V6 currently available in the Wrangler.

Still, it will be a good long while before buyers can sink their teeth into the new engine. Marchionne made it clear that the Pentastar won’t be available under the Wrangler hood until the 2012 model year.

Are you the new Audi A6?

Despite teasing fans with some none-too-revealing teasers, the German automaker’s new 2012 Audi A6sedan has leaked out thanks to the folks at Autoblog.nl (no relation). You’re forgiven if you have to squint a bit to notice the changes, but this is, in fact, a pretty thorough (if conservative) reworking of Audi’s middle child.

We’re digging the stylish front and rear LED lighting treatments, and the interior predictably appears to be a thing of beauty. We can’t yet say for certain what sort of powerplant options Audi will bestow upon the 2012 A6, but the car in these photos has a six-cylinder turbo diesel. Globally, we’re counting on a full slate of gasoline and diesel engines along with optional Quattro all-wheel drive, while in the States we’re likely to get a couple of petrol engines, a single TDI option and standard AWD.

The whole kit n’ kaboodle is slated for an official web unveiling tomorrow, so we should know all the details soon enough. In the meantime, check out the high-res image gallery below and let your voice be heard in the ‘Comments’.

Toyota to repair 650,000 Prius models globally over coolant risk

Toyota has announced that it will voluntarily repair 650,000 Prius models for a fault in the hybrid cooling system. According to Reuters, a glitch in the vehicle’s coolant pump could cause the vehicle to overheat and lose power, though no accidents or injuries have been reported in association with the problem to date. It’s worth noting that this isn’t an official recall in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it’s a service action.

According to the report, the way the electric water pump is designed can allow air bubbles into the system, a development that can slow coolant circulation and increase the heat build-up in Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive components. if the overheating problem isn’t tended to in a timely fashion, it could trigger a warning light and cause the vehicle to slip into limp mode.

The repair notice covers 2004-2007 model year Prius vehicles, 378,000 of which were sold in the U.S.. Toyota will repair the problem free of charge starting in December, and Prius owners can expect to be notified of the campaign shortly. The Japanese automaker is also stressing that it has changed the coolant pump design in the Prius since 2007 and that none of the company’s other hybrid vehicles are affected by the problem.

Hundreds of old nuclear warheads being secretly trucked across US freeways

It seems that the nation’s stockpile of W76 nuclear warheads is due for a tune up. According to The Kitsap Sun, the Navy is moving 1,600 and 1,800 of the warheads from their home at the Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base in Washington State to the Texas panhandle for updating. 

The 100-kiloton are between 23 and 32 years old, and as such, require updates to their aiming, firing and fusing systems. In order to get those updates, the warheads will have to travel by road in special, unmarked tractor trailers. For obvious reasons, the Navy isn’t into sharing the travel itinerary for the warheads, but according to The Kitsap Sun, specially-trained federal agents are tasked with transporting the weapons.

The trucks are forbidden from driving in foul weather, and a host of secure shelters along the way will house the big rigs should the skies turn cloudy. Likewise, the drivers aren’t allowed to go for more than 32 hours without sleeping in a real bed, despite the fact that the tractor cabs are sleepers. In addition, the trailers themselves are protected in the event of an accident.

Still, the knowledge that large numbers of nuclear weapons are coursing through the country’s interstate system should give us all pause before cutting off that tractor trailer in traffic.