The property will be sold at public auction as provided by Internal Revenue ...

There isn’t much information on the IRS auction site: “Under the authority in Internal Revenue Code section 6331, the property described below has been seized for nonpayment of internal revenue taxes due from Taxpayer. The property will be sold at public auction as provided by Internal Revenue Code section 6335 and related regulations.”

Ventura Classics has been around for about 20 years, but it looks like they’ve got themselves into a little Willy Nelson. No surprise there in this economy, and it could happen to anyone. But didja have to seize their ‘69 Charger Daytona?

According to Ventura, they have Govier documentation stating it’s one of 11 surviving four-speed Hemi Daytonas. They also say it’s the most heavily-optioned build, and one of three with the original engine.

And now the IRS is accepting sealed bids. I’ll be interested to see how it does. Seized vehicles seldom live up to their potential, but aside from the means by which it’s coming up for sale there’s no suggestion of funny business. Then again, the Hemi market is in disarray right now.

Until recently I would have said that $400,000 wasn’t unreasonable. But I haven’t seen this car in person, so I can’t judge the quality (the Interstate battery isn’t a great sign). Ventura was asking $269,750, which was either indicative of the quality, realism in the current market, or a need to sell the car in a hurry with the Feds breathing down their neck. Hmm.

The Japanese car maker says that the new Prius and Lexus HS250H on display ...

Toyota executives foresee the future of the company engaged in the production of more hybrid and electric cars. They disclose that by the end of 2009, they will release the plug-in version of the Prius. Around 10 more new models of hybrid vehicles will be introduced by 2010. An electric car in 2012.

The concept cars from Toyota are results trying to come up with solutions for possible problems in the future. They talk in reference to the $4 per gallon fuel price last summer and treat it as a preview of what things may come.

An electric car concept, the FT-EV, will be unveiled during the Detroit Auto Show. This vehicle shares the DNA of the iQ which is an urban commuter already on public sale in Japan. The non-electric iQ is said to land to the US soil as a Scion.

The core plan of Toyota on the long run will be to focus on the development of non-plug-in vehicles like the Prius.

Toyota aims to sell a million hybrid cars by early 2010. The Japanese car maker says that the new Prius and Lexus HS250H on display in the Detroit Auto Show is a glimpse of what’s to come in the future.

The company shares information that the new gen Prius will come into production by late 2009 earlier than the plotted 2010 schedule. The new prius will be built to run on a NiMi battery for the hybrid version and lithium-ion cells for the plug in.

Lexus’ red bow returns for the holidays

November 21, 2007 - Torrance, CA - It’s that time of year again when the malls are crowded and everyone is seeking the perfect gift for a loved one. To celebrate the season and December Sales Event, Lexus debuts its famous ad campaign featuring a Lexus in the driveway adorned with a big red bow.

Reminder: No Top Gear Today

Just a reminder that no Top Gear episode is airing today. They’re off for the holidays as of last week. However a 75 minute Vietnam special will air on December 28th, so make sure to come back here next Sunday for that episode.

A raft of revisions have been made to both the Jaguar XK and XKR models ...

Pictures have been circulating on the web of a facelift to the Jaguar XK and XKR, with the cars pictured abovve caught testing outside the manufacturers castle bromwich plant. This mid life facelift could be introduced within the next few months as the new 2009 model year cars, or may wait until the bigger 5.0 V8 engine is fitted to the cars, expected to be mid 2009.

A raft of revisions have been made to both the Jaguar XK and XKR models - with the front foglights being changed on both as can be seen taped up on the above picture. The ones on the current XKR having previously come in for some criticism from customers with a plastic mesh effect surround that was not in-keeping with a £70,000+ sportscar.

Other changes include stylish new LED rear lights, different alloys on both models, and some hefty revisions to the interior which will feature the rotating dial gearbox selector that rises from the tranmission tunnel, and is so popular on the Jaguar XF. The Jaguar XKR could well also feature the suspension changes introduced on the limited edition XKR-S model that was so well received by the press.

The main purpouse of this Kinetic Energy Recovery System is to reduce carbon ...

It seems the future of F1 turns out to be more and more exciting with every day that passes. A project designed by a British team, meant to create the future F1 car, can be called daring, to say the very least. It is very likely that the cars racing stars like Hamilton, Alonso and Raikkonen will be driving from 2010 and forth will use a state-of-the art transmission system. This core idea of this ingenious system is the so-called Kinetic Energy Recovery System, invented by some brainy chaps from good old Great Britain.

As competent sources such as Autocar announce, it was the chief-executive of FIA, FIA Max Moseley that announced the pending projects for the future of F1 cars, as well as rule updates for 2010 in F1 Racing. This ‘KERS’ system, and actually the whole project, has the fine idea of using the energy that usually is wasted in extreme braking, by channelling it to empower F1 cars during acceleration. So, basically, the F1 car of the future can be seen as a type of hybrid, only that this is managed without batteries of any sort. Nowadays, similar hybrid-electric cars use the kinetic energy that braking generates, that is afterwards channeled to the car’s driveline, and stored for further use in batteries, as electric energy. But for an F1 car, that has to be as light-weighted as possible, such a system is totally unpractical. And that’s why the KERS system found a different approach to the problem. The kinetic energy created be the brakes is conserved within a fast-spinning flywheel, positioned somewhere near the gearbox. The driver can use it, is a short period of time, to give the car a considerable addition to power, a thrust forward, with the push of a button.

The main purpouse of this Kinetic Energy Recovery System is to reduce carbon emissions, as pollution is issue number one for racing of all kinds, in the future. Also, the boost that the stored energy gives F1 cars is useful, and thus engines can be made smaller and lighter. Max Moseley announcement stated that the standard 2.4-litre V8 engines used on F1 racing cars can by replaced with 2.2-litre turbo V6 plus the KERS system, and the result would be same speed same power. Stunning, to be sure. Gearboxes will be the same, seven-speed manual. As the use of biofuel has been suggested many a time for future F1 cars, this KERS, British designed, dream project just might be the other way around.

I currently drive a . 1993 Honda Prelude with a JDM V-Tech engine tuned ...

CarZi. Is Here. Carzi is the blog for car enthusiasts. We’ll be bringing you the latest editorial opinions on what matters in the world of cars itself. News, gossip, photos, hot rides, pimped rigs and slick mods are just part of the daily grind. You’ll get used to it eventually… But who on earth are we?

Anthony Carbone

Hello, I’m Anthony Carbone and I am a 28 year old Systems Engineer from Canada and am one of the proud co-founders and contributors of MadWhips. I am a modified tuner at heart, a car spotter fanatic, and live my life striving to become an exotic car collector. I currently drive a 1993 Honda Prelude with a JDM V-Tech engine tuned with all the trimmings except a Turbo. In the first year of setting up and tuning my Prelude, I have had more flatbed tows than any Ferrari Owner, and hopefully this has prepared me for my future ownership of exotic cars. My recent conundrum is deciding on my next car. Both are completely different beasts, but both are amazingly satisfying to drive. I cannot decide if I want a 1996 Acura NSX or a 2002 Porsche 911 C4S. The NSX would be a pure summer car catering to my unconditional love for Honda, V-Tech and blissful Engineering, while the later could be easily argued to be the greatest daily driver for any climate that includes 4 months of snow.

Vinay Menon

I’m Vinay, the other owner of MadWhips. I like mid-engined cars and women with a high power-to-weight ratio. My interests are diverse. Besides a Mad obsession with fast cars, I am fascinated with fast bikes, fast planes, and fast spaceships. Therefore the bulk of my writing will be about fuel economy I believe automatics belong on wrists (or holsters,) paddles belong on boats (or racetracks I’ll concede) and the Ariel Atom would make a stellar daily driver.

Nate Whitehill

My name is Nate Whitehill and I am 23-year old student and web entrepreneur. I recently moved from Seattle to Arizona to attend school and further develop my businesses. I now live in Scottsdale, Arizona with my roommate/business partner, Josh. I have been a huge car-nut all my life with a special love for exotics and imports. My senior year of high school I bought a 2002 WRX that I modified with full catless exhaust. I took it to the track and that was one of the most fun days of my life. I sold the car a year later and decided to go for more speed. I bought a 1993 Mazda RX-7 and modified it with a TO4S single turbo, FMIC, catless exhaust, upgraded fuel system, and Apexi FC ECU. It dyno’d at 391 whp @ 14psi. I am currently building the motor on it and expect to pump out over 500whp when it is finished. As you can probably tell, I love cars and I am most excited to be writing for CarZi”

David Wilkinson - Editor

I’m David - founder of the Zi Media Network and editor in chief of CarZi. I know next to nothing about cars and will be running round like a maniac, learning from Nate, Vinay and Anthony. Aged 13, I’m yet to get my first car, but have my hopes set on a swish Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 by the time I’m 16. Not that I’ll ever achieve an uber-car status like that, but heck. If Zi Media goes to plan, I’ll just about squeeze one of them in the annual budget. The other current flagship blog in the Zi Media Network is TechZi, the technology blog that provides the plain-old news with a rather ‘unusual’ twist. You get used to such random oddities once you’re around me a while.

Get ready for the rumble. We’re about to show Autoblog how it’s meant to be done.