I spend a less than healthy amount of time on AutoBlog, Jalopnik, LeftLaneNews and any other website that flows a daily dose of Automotive news. It simply amazes me how fast these guys find stories and give great reporting on breaking models. That said I think some neat features are sometimes missed in an effort to be first to break the big car.

The new Pagani Zonda R captured my imagination not for its serious bad-assness (and yes, this is the Italian kick boxer of bad-assness), but the continuous innovation Pagani pushes in their designs. I mean seriously, who ever thought a race car would be a great place to debut some new styling features? Two of which caught my eye. …..And trust me I’m sure you’ll have these for your car by SEMA 2009.

First the tow hook

(See more photos after the Jump)

The only people I know of that think of a tow hook as a styling accessory typically think a 5″ Exhaust tip looks pretty trick on a 1.6 Liter Naturally aspirated engine too. But here, Pagani has integrated it into the lower splitter. Viewed on edge it practically disappears into the line of the lower splitter. Brilliant, sexy and useful.

I don’t know if some other car manufacturer or race team thought of this first, but it’s the first time I’ve noticed it. So if I’m off base let me know in the comments.

Second the Tachometer

Again, the only time I see people adding a tach of this size is typically some guy in a LX notchback about to clip an 8 in the Qtr mile. Funky gauges have always been part of race cars or styling exercises, but placing it in the steering wheel is really cool, but unlike the tow-hook, immensely impractical.

Forget about having this on a street car, unless you want the imprint of a Rev counter on your forehead when an air-bag goes off. On the racetrack it’s also a little silly, yes I know a ton of race cars mount Moteks in the steering wheel, but an analog Rev counter is often read with the peripheral vision, and how can you tell where the needle is pointing if you’re anything but dead center shooting down a straight line……hmmmm, maybe this would be a good location for a Qtr mile LX Notchback terror after-all?

Pagani launches track-only Zonda R.

The Ladies of SEMA 2008- Video.

SEMA Show Las Vegas 2008: Mercedes-Benz Special (e- Video.

Adam Cleaning Alex’s car.

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PS I may post my slides up next week if you miss it.

Now on the down side, I know that my blog has gotten a lot more popular in the last month or so, and I think I may be up to 3 people that check it daily….. I truely have to wonder about your browsing habbits if my ramblings are a daily digest for you.  I hate to say I may dissapoint a bit this week as I’m going to be working my ass off and will be very lucky if this isn’t the last post you see from me until I drag back into LAX on Sunday.  So please consider any postings you see between now and Sunday “extras”…..who knows, maybe this year will be different and I’ll actually have time to do more than run around like a mad man.

PS  I will be speaking at the Web 2.0 Panel Thursday at 2:00 PM at room N255-257

PPS On Wednesday at 1:30 I’ll be on Car and Driver radio, so set your dials to however you recieve that. Here is a link to their info page.

Then I read this press release about a California Nisssan dealer being fined $34,750 for “illegally modifying cars”….are you kidding me?  Modified cars and custom bikes are as American as Apple Pie…..but I guess that explains why I was told that California is a fascist state?

2009 Nissan GT-R: Car dealership to pay ARB $34,750 for installing unapproved retrofits.

Only a month and a half away from the biggest event in the automobile world, and what do we all talk about?  Yea, the SEMA Girls.  Here is a nice little gallery from last year.

SEMA Girls , – Images, Photos.

GT-R is coming to SEMA

I recenlty made a post on NAGTROC.org to see if any GT-R owners had plans to visit the SEMA show. Didn’t realize there would be so many planning to attend. Watch this space come November for photos and videos of the event.

GT-R at SEMA? – NAGTROC – The Nissan GT-R Owners Club.