Yes, the vertigo-inducing checkerboard makes the image a bit tough to look at for too long, but can you guess what that that is you are looking at? Yes, it a NASCAR Sprint Cup race car. But it’s more than that.

When that car, which will be called a “Chevrolet SS” debuts at Daytona in 2012, it will be the first time in nearly 20 years that the race car Chevrolet will be fielding on the race track will actually represent a real rear-wheel drive car.

You heard that right. It has been 17 years since you could buy a rear-wheel-drive Chevrolet, but that’s going to end with the 2012 SS, which will be a car based on the Holden Commodore produced in Australia. General Motors says the 2014 model will appear in showrooms in late 2013 and will be a “limited production” model. Besides being badged as Chevrolet’s NASCAR entrant, the automaker says “The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance.” We can’t wait to see one in person.

Of course, most of us will never have the opportunity to buy a yellow Lambo Gallardo, so that leaves us free to laugh at the stupidity of this guy.

Besides the sinister flat-black paint, the Black series is given a 6.2 liter V8 capable of 510 horsepower. Adding the track package gets you special aero body panels, better tires and revised cooling systems (including the rear axle). And I’ve got to admit, there’s just something about Mercedes’ angular new styling cues that just works for me.

We say all that just to have an excuse to show you this cool video of the C63 AMB Black hitting this track. Enjoy.

Well, it probably doesn’t hurt the green-factor, either. Rimac plans to become a manufacturer of electric vehicles, but its first model hardly bears the badge of the eco militants.

Instead, the Concept One is designed to be a no-holds-barred supercar. Plans are for it to use a system that allows a computer (or computers) to individually control the torque at all four wheels.

Rimac explains it by saying its “unique powertrain is divided into the front and rear sub-system. Each of those sub-systems contains two symmetrical motor-controller-reduction-gearbox units. This engineering masterpiece enables us to control each wheel independently, thousands of times each second, in both directions, delivering an unforgettable driving experience.”

The goal was to produce a car with over 1000 horsepower, a 0-100 kph time (Hey, its European) in less than three seconds. and a 305 kph (that’s 190 miles per hour) top speed. All that combined with a 600 kilometer (375 mile) range and you’ve got quite a concept.

Now Rimac has produced a video to prove that the Concept One is more than just a dream. The car is real and operational, although Rimac has yet to provide any performance figures.

Check it out for yourself.

That must be why Edelbrock has introduced a new option for its lineup of carburetors. Now you can purchase select Performer Series carburetors in a black powder-coated finish.

Available carbs for the new black coating include the 600 cfm with either a manual or electric choke and the 750 cfm with a manual choke. The also feature gold iridited linkage and hardware that stands out against the black.

Edelbrock says the new black coating also provides a protective layer that helps keep the carb looking good over the long term. And, like all of Edelbrock’s Performer Series carbs, they feature a two-piece design with the gasket above the fuel level for leak-free operation and everything’s made in the USA.

Piston and connecting rod manufacturer CP-Carrillo is picking one lucky winner’s design and will display it on Shane Westerfield’s Top Alcohol Funny car. Best of all, the reveal will be at the US Nationals in Indianapolis.

The rules are simple. First, download and print out the Funny Car silhouette (just click on the image to the left), create your one-of-a-kind design and email it to CPCAR@cp-carrillo.com. Make sure to include your name and phone number, and by the way, it must incorporate the CP-Carrillo logo or you probably won’t get very far.

CP-Carrillo will put up the submissions on it’s Facebook page, and the winner will be picked from the top five most “liked” designs on June 1.  CP-Carrillo’s rules can be found here.

Now break out the crayons and finger paints and make sure to check www.facebook.com/CPCAR.

Driven by Boije Ovebrink, this Volvo truck to set two land speed records at Wendover Airfield in Utah. The big rig set a mark of 174 mph through the flying kilometer and 153 from a standstill over a kilometer. We’re not sure if the mark is for any semi truck or a class specifically for hybrid semi’s.

Still, the video below is pretty cool. The truck is powered by a combination of a 16 cylinder diesel capable of 1900 horsepower and a 200 horsepower electric motor. Bet it’s fun to drive.

This shot starts off looking like a nice, safe straight one a wide lane allowing the driver to blast away at WOT with no worries. But a bump pitches the car just enough sideways to send it into a slow spin. Then, when it noses into the snow bank the spin picks up speed before slamming into a pole.

It is a vicious hit, and while most people are surely wondering if the driver and navigator are OK, the car continues with the rally. The driver, known as “Crazy Leo” says it is the hardest hit of his driving career, but he somehow manages to coninue on and finish second.

Definitely worth a look.

This project on a 39 Ford pickup was definitely taken to completion, however, and the results are pretty nice. It’s too nice to call a Rat Rod, even though the primered paint may cause some people to do exactly that. I’ll just call it cool. Check it out for yourself.

The Auto Fair is less car show than giant swap meet because not only is practically everything for sale, there are price tags plastered everywhere. Still, there are a lot of interesting sights to be seen at the Auto Fair and we thought we’d share some of them with you.

By the way, we didn’t try to shoot just the very best cars to be found here. This is the good, the bad and the ugly–and one very strange creation. Enjoy.

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