The Internet is a rather peculiar place. Offering its user an assortment of powers, some use it for good while others for evil. While this line tend to be blurred, governments throughout the world try to regulate its processes through new laws and enforcement techniques. While few could forget the United States’ attempts to censor the Internet through SOPA and PIPA, their failures did not hinder attempts to curtail questionable Internet content.

Indeed, the most recent skirmish between Kim Dotcom, the founder of Internet sharing site Megaupload, and the combined forces of FBI and New Zealand police have highlighted these tensions. While this battle seems to be one of many yet to come, it does show how wealthy individuals can get from successful Internet websites.

The German-born man, formally known as Kimble Schmitz, profited from his simple program, ultimately amassing a rather large car collection.  In an attempt to extradite Mr Dotcom over a $500 million worth of copyright infringements, the FBI has had to go through the mans property in order to properly assess the companies profits.

Police estimate that the car collection is worth a whopping $4.8 million. Those vehicles worth noting include a beautiful black Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe as well as a classic 1959 Cadillac that came in a fantastic pink.  Pictures of the property seem to show an assortment of various cars, each being hauled away by the police. Most recent estimates seem to suggest that there were around 18.

Unique among these cars are some of the vanity number plates that came along with them. It seems that the man had quite an interesting sense of humour when he registered names like “Stoned,” “Evil,” “Mafia,” “God,” and quite ironically “Guilty” as well as “Police.”

If the collection was not enough to suggest that he was a vehicle aficionado, the man also took part in the luxurious Gumball 3000 Rally, a global competition similar to Cannonball Run. The Herald Sun noted that he was taped driving a black Mercedes and speeding past police vehicles, mocking them.

It seems that his good luck has now run out. With the odds stacked against him, hacker groups have tried to avenge their fallen comrade; yet, it appears that he, in layman’s terms, is completely “screwed.” While the website did retrain legally valid information, the vast qualities of the illegally shared material will make it very difficult to defend him.

The vast majority of us are simply in awe of vehicles driven by celebrities. While big name Italian sports cars are a must, the more fashionable drivers like to combine class with high performance. As such, Rolls-Royce tends to be found at the top of most lists, ultimately offering their drivers a luxurious world of opportunities. Yet, on occasion celebrities fall out of love with their vehicles, selling them off for quite a pretty penny.

Such a situation arose only a few days ago when famed football star David Beckham decided to get rid of his Rolls-Royce Phantom for modest £250,000. The 2008 model was actually the talk of the town when it was first purchased for £350,000. Indeed, it became worth even more when the Beckham’s put in thousands more into custom features.

Some of the exclusive features found in the coupe include a black spirit of ecstasy, very large 24-inch alloy wheels, as well as black out tinted windows that would make any car enthusiast envious. Not to be outdone, the car also had a unique paint colour as well as coach lines that made it stand out. It also features special wood desking that has been built into the back of the vehicle. Indeed, reports at the Dailymail have noted that the car was one of the most recognizable vehicles in Hollywood.

Sold at Towbin motorcars, a Las Vegas dealership, the vehicle had done a mere 6,000 miles. Certainly quite a deal, the company initially advertised the car for nearly $400,000 and offered a detailed history about its background. Revealing that the car came with a 6.75-litre V12 engine that creates a whopping 450bhp, the car was capable of going from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds. Having a top speed of 150 mph, the car was said to be very well maintained. However, they did note that it was certainly not the most efficient vehicle on the road. Indeed, its great weight and customizable features meant that it used up a gallon for every 11 miles.

This car is merely one of the many all-black themed cars that are found in his garage. Indeed, the Beckham’s also have a specially built Jeep Wrangler, Ranger Rover and event a rather posh Porsche 911. While we can only dream of such a garage, it looks like the Beckham’s are ready to expand their collection with a few more new vehicles and starting to sell of their old ones.

Here’s a date for your diary. And, if you’re of a certain disposition (to which I can fully, fully relate)  – it might be the first “big deal” of 2012.

January 17th 2012 will see the opening of an exciting new exhibition of no less than 50 James Bond vehicles at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

It will be the largest exhibition of its kind staged anywhere in the world and will celebrate the 50th year of existence for James Bond films – and the 40th anniversary of Beaulieu’s world-famous National Motor Museum!

Among the vehicles now arriving for the exhibition are a number that have never before been seen in public. These include the Ford Mustang Mach 1 from Diamonds Are Forever, villain Zukovsky’s Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II from The World Is Not Enough and the vintage 1962 Rolls Royce, pushed into a lake by May Day and Zorin with Bond still inside in A View to a Kill.

Other exhibits on public view for the first time include the ‘Burial-At-Sea Bed’ from You Only Live Twice, the Union Jack Parachute which villain Gustav Graves used when he landed on The Mall and the Surfboard with concealed weapons and ammunition from Die Another Day.

Also on display will be the Casino Royale Skyfleet S570 model, based on a Boeing 747, and original ‘Pig’ from The Living Daylights, used to smuggle Koskov across the border through the Siberian Pipe Line.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

“Unmissable” is, I think, the word here.

The Frankfurt Auto Show is already in full swing and all the big manufactures are there. Displaying some of the greatest achievements of the year, each company has something in store that they hope will blow the audience away. In the Rolls-Royce booth the famous brand has something particularly exciting in store: a potential electric or hybrid vehicle.

Renowned for producing gas-guzzling cars that have a never-ending thirst, this move has shocked many. The company hopes to use their Ghost model in order to implement this radical change. The current model is extremely popular, selling 3 models to every single Phantom. Due to this change, Rolls-Royce will allow for a variety of Ghost models to select from.

The news about possible hybrid or electric alternatives came from the chief executive Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes who suggested that the company should gain some leeway in this rather quickly expanding green market. Selling very well over the last fiscal year, it’s not surprising that it wishes to do will in other areas.

The current Ghost model runs on a 6.2-liter 5623 bhp engine. The car shares a similar platform to the current BMW 7 series, but if the hybrid adaptation were to take place, than minor changes to the electric systems would be needed. Based on the calculations, the fuel consumption of the vehicle will be lowered by around 15%, impressive suggesting how much it currently uses.

The current hope is that this fabled vehicle will launch sometime around 2012, in hopes of benefiting from the London Olympics. The parent company BMW has been showing off many of the models at the Frankfurt show the last few days. It is unsurprising that since the German manufacturer is shifting practically all of its production to work with hybrid technology some of its holding company’s will follow suit. While the change may be slow, especially for those like Rolls-Royce that have been following certain design and engineering technologies for what seem like centuries, it will certainly be a necessity in a period where fuel seems to cost as much as a organ.

The Frankfurt Motor show is slowly drawing to a close, but the amount of brilliant technology exhibited is still overwhelming. Rolls-Royce seems to be only one of many brilliant manufactures shifting its gears to survive in the oncoming century. It will certainly be unique experience to see how the company develops and what type of models will come out with in the near future.

The 1911 London to Edinburgh Trial was a sort of publicity stunt which allowed for Rolls Royce to demonstrate the performance, durability, flexibility and economy of their vehicles. Specifically, we’re talking about the Silver Ghost model here – particularly when compared to its arch rival, the Napier. The trial also broadened the appeal of the car to a younger and sportier clientèle. This it hoped to achieve without deterring the traditional aristocratic customer who was, at the time, very much Rolls Royce’s bread and butter.

The RAC observed the race through ensuring that only the top gear was used, including pulling away from standstill. Consider that this was before motorways and metalled roads and you might appreciate how much of an achievement that was. So when we speak of the “London to Edinburgh Top Gear Trial”, understand that Jeremy Clarkson’s shameful hands have no been near proceedings. No, the event’s so called because it is undertaken exclusively in the top gear.

But that was 100 years ago. Yesterday (September 11th) the centenary of this event was celebrated with a cavalcade of seventeen historic Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts. Leading the pack was the very first 100mph Rolls-Royce – a 1911 “Experimental Speed Car” known as 1701.

Back in 1911, the 1701 drove from London to Edinburgh and back using only the top gear and averaging a fuel consumption of more than 24mpg. The 2011 re-enactment was designed to recreate the original trial as faithfully as possible. To that end, gear change gates were authentically sealed to show any use of intermediate gears.

The event commenced at 6.00am yesterday morning at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, and will follow as much of the original route along the Great North Road as possible.

Seeing as it should take them two days to get to Edinburgh, they’re probably still at it now.

Indeed, the journey is set to end at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in West Sussex on Thursday 15 September, where the drivers will be rewarded with a Grand Afternoon Tea. On Saturday 17 September at 7.30am, the cars will line up at the Goodwood Motor Circuit Grid and then join the Revival Opening Parade lap.

Says Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: “Rolls-Royce has always stood for the very best engineering combined with refinement, luxury and, of course, hand craftsmanship and human endeavour. These qualities are the same today as they were 100 years ago. We are delighted to support our friends at the 20-Ghost Club in this remarkably authentic re-enactment and look forward to welcoming them to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood after a successful Centenary Trial.”

Thanks, Torsten.

And we wish those old jalopies the very best of luck in completing their historical journey.

When we think about China, some of us still imagine a rural landscape filled with hard working farmers united in nature. Although some of the nation still exists in this fashion, a great deal of it has changed, certainly under the iron fist of Mao, turning China into an urban environment like no other. While a great deal of the transportation was done by bicycle during its burgeoning beginnings, the innovation of the 1990’s has brought with it a dependence on vehicles, ultimately changing the nation forever.

This necessity has ultimately altered the countries stance towards consumption. Not only overtaking the US, becoming the worlds largest automobile market with sales soaring well past the billion mark, but with it producing a great deal of pollutants.

China is now filled with megacities dependent on workers using vehicles. Whether it’s a white-collar job or a lorry bringing in products, the Chinese economy has already consumed 13.8 million of the nearly 35 million new cars sold worldwide.

Taking in nearly half of the entire world market is both impressive and shocking, seeing as a single country can consume so much. But with consumption comes innovation, as some businesses hope that this dependence will mean a greater shift towards clean car technology. This of course would be ideal, if the Chinese market was interested in purchasing green cars, but of course it is not.

Rather than becoming a haven for green development, the single Prius sold all last year in China shows how the global giant is not embracing the trend. Rather, the car that seems to have the Chinese market hooked is sport utility vehicles that, while they can be used for particle purposes, often are greater gas-guzzlers than another other car type.

Registered passengers have surged in SUV vehicles by 850,000. This 24% rise also includes an additional 400 Hummers, vehicles that long have fallen in the US market. Mercedes as has announced record profits, with companies like BMW as well as Rolls-Royce following closely behind. Some car companies, like Toyota, have been profiting greatly from the Chines market. Due to Chinese subsidies, Chinese companies are profiting greatly to become prominent worldwide, just like BYD.

While the country has estimated purchasing nearly a million new energy vehicles by 2015, this estimate is no longer a reliable statistic. Subsidies have in part helped bolster sales, but this pales in comparison to what it is offering to regular vehicles.

China is indeed a place for major growth and car companies have been benefiting greatly. Within this field however, the green market has been left to falter and perhaps fail if nothing is done. While China is developing, it seems that the time is now to implement long-term changes. With very little we can do to stymie to quick pace of development, we can only see how it continues to grow and what choices it makes.

Attending a car auction can be an exciting opportunity to see some very unique vehicles. Some may be rare whilst others could have exclusive features, but on occasion one arrives that is simply jaw dropping in every respect. It appears that a 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom, nicknamed the ‘Tiger Car,’ falls into this category, armed with pedigree and character.

It is in itself an occasion to see a 1925 model in nearly perfect condition at an auction, yet what differentiates this one is that it comes specially built by Singh II, a maharajah, who had it made for hunting large cats. If that doesn’t catch your attention than perhaps the £600,000 price tag of this beauty will.

The convertible model was made to travel at 88mph however, due to terrain particularities as well as a need for stealth, the speed was brought down so as to keep the car as quiet as possible. It is powered by its original 8-liter, 6-cylinder engine that is still in fantastic condition. Furthermore, its interior is lined with the finest of crocodile hides, producing quite a visual feat. It also has a safe that once held quite a large sum of money used to pay any assistants that might have gone on its hunting expeditions.

This is all impressive, but now its perhaps most stunning feature: the weaponry. The car comes armed with different rifles and shotguns in the cabin, each more powerful than the last. The trailer has a Bira .450-caliber machinegun that was used as a powerful weapon in hunting down Bengal tigers. And as a final feature, the Rolls boasted a Lantaka cannon on the rear bumped that could take down an elephant. One would ask why having enough weapons to cut down an entire forest would be necessary; nonetheless, if the option comes up, why not take it?

This is one of several Rolls-Royce’s that will go on sale in Californian on August 19th. Sold by the Bonham house, it will be an event that should not be missed. If you have a few pounds saved up and you’re looking for a new car, why not take the chance to try this one out?

Have you ever truly inspected your cars and learned which part does what? Be honest. Most people have a general knowledge about what certain parts in a vehicle do but a great many of the items are simply taken for granted. With so such a wide range it can be difficult to gauge at what does what, even when you are face to face with it on a daily basis. This series will hope to explore some of the most prominent vehicle parts that are misunderstood or ignored, and this week we shall begin with the Grill.

Rooted in the French word grille, its possible the most prominent feature on the front of each car. A slit in several areas to let air or water into the vehicle, the purpose of it is rooted in its ability to protect the vehicle’s engine, particularly the radiator. The grill is actually found in multiple areas around the car and not merely between the lights, ultimately being found in places like the rear deck lids as well as in front of wheels.

The history of the grill begins in 1903 with an arch shaped design becoming the standard in most cars, especially sports cars like the Alfa Romeo.  With the advent of the 1930’s as well as 1940’s, it became an element which artists as well as designers played around with, making it part of the vehicles shape. Bells shaped ones used by Buick as well as cross-shaped ones on Fords became prominent. Rolls-Royce popularized the vertical fashion arrangement of the grill, ultimately influencing the Bugatti design of the horse collar. Similarly, BMW’s in the 1990’s had a kidney shape that lives on to this day, symbolizing the cars essence.

As each manufacturer learned from the past, they became more advanced in their uses. Going by many names, including fender, hood as well as root grills, it comes in many styles as well including OEM and custom styles. They are formed out of different objects as well, the popular being ABS plastics as well as mesh steel.

A special element of the grill can be found in its popularity with the custom markets. Many individuals have fitted special designs on them, making their vehicles look strikingly different than the ones that are factory produced.

Whatever their purpose or history, the grill is an essential feature in both the aesthetic quality as well as practical applicability of the vehicle. As car manufactures continue developing, so too will the presence of the grill in each and every vehicle.