If you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving an AMG Mercedes, M-series BMW or new Porsche, then you’re probably familiar with Alcantara.  It’s a fabric that looks like suede and feels like a soft t-shirt that has been put through the wash about a thousand times.   Many of the German car makers are using it in their headliners, steering wheels and seats as a way to differentiate between their ‘regular’ models and their ‘sport’ models (think  BWM 550 versus BMW M5).

This weekend, I installed an Alcantara steering wheel into my S6.   Just like most of my weekend projects, it took about 3 times longer than I was expecting and I broke a few other items in the process.   But it was all worth it.   I’ve upgraded the steering wheel on a few of my cars over the years and I firmly believe that is one of the best modifications that you can do to your car.   In the world of modifications, it’s a relatively small upgrade but it will have you smiling from ear to ear every time to grab the wheel.

Courtesy of CNN Money

You wouldn’t normally think of CNN Money as an automotive news resource, but they put together a pretty good list of Top 10 cheap collectible cars that are under $5,000.    Personally, I would swap out the Ford Taurus SHO with a Merkur XR4Ti.   Maybe I’ve seen too many beat-up SHOs in my lifetime, but I just can’t see them as being collectible.  Of course, the definition of collectible is definitely subjective.  Basically, you’re hoping that the car you purchase today will be worth significantly more in the future.  Finding a desirable car that is priced under $5K is definitely a challenge.   Most of the cars in this price bracket have been abused and need a lot of TLC.

Thankfully, your car’s differential doesn’t need to be replaced very often (if ever). It chugs along mile after mile without a lot of drama. Maybe that’s why the inner workings of a differential are a big mystery to a lot of people (myself included). If you’ve ever wondered how a differential works, you gotta check out this video tutorial. Not only is it extremely easy to follow but it’s extra cool because it was made in the in the 1930s, so it’s got a lot of cool historical flavor (black and white, old-time music, etc).

Jalopnik reported today that the US version of Top Gear–the wildy popular UK show– has been picked up by the History Channel.   No word yet on who the three hosts will be, but Adam Corolla is in the running again.  You might remember that NBC had originally picked up the US rights to Top Gear, but ultimately passed on the show after rising production costs and the failure of Knight Rider.

If you’ve never watched Top Gear, you are really missing out.   It is the best automotive-related show on television.  No contest.   In fact,  I don’t think I’ve ever come across another gearhead who doesn’t like Top Gear.   It’s just flat-out entertaining.  A few of my favorite clips:

• Extreme Motorhome Racing
• Crossing the English Chanel in Car-Boats
• Jeremy Driving The Ariel Atom

If the US version is half as entertaining as the British version, it should be a huge success for the History Channel.  Who knows, maybe I’ll start watching Extreme Trains or Ax Men.

If I asked you to name a few famous cars from the movies, what would you say?  The Delorean from Back to the Future or the ’68 Mustang Fastback from Bullit or the Trans-Am from Smokey and the Bandit?   Well, a bunch of movie-buffs/gearheads have put together a complete database with thousands of entries!  You can search by make/model and even trim (e.g. sedan/wagon/convertible)

To validate this site, I checked the Audi S8 page to see if they included Ronin (one of the best car chase movies ever made).  I’m happy to report that they passed the test.  Check it out:  IMCDB.org

A few weeks ago, I read on Jalopnik about a new classifieds website that only has cars priced at less than $1,000.    The site is appropriately called CarsForaGrand.    It pulls in listings from eBay and through it’s own classifieds service.   I don’t know why, but I really love this concept.  It’s so brain-dead simple and fun to use.  Check out this sweet 1996 Jaguar XJ6 that I found for a cool $1K (pictured above).   Of course, many of the cars purchased on CarsForaGrand.com need a little TLC to get them running properly again.  Maybe it’s a busted door handle or a dead oxygen sensor.  That’s where we come in….buy a car for under $1K…go to FrugalMechanic.com to find the best price on the parts that you need to fix it up.  Save a ton of money!   Heck, you could make this into a full-time business of flipping cars.

I love Craigslist because you just never know what you’re going to find.  I guess that’s why I also enjoy spending my Saturday’s at automotive swap meets.  Check out this amazing find on CL….an original Porsche 959.  For only $525K, you can join elite  club of 959 owners like Bill Gates, Paul Allen and Jerry Seinfeld.     Plus, given the current state of the economy, I bet you’d be able to get it for $450K.   These cars are just flat out cool.   I think I still have the the Porsche 959 poster that I had hanging up on my bedroom wall when I was a kid.  I challenge you to come up with a cooler car that is available for sale on Craigslist!

Sears has the DieHard Emergency Road Kit for $49.97. Select in-store pick up to save on shipping, otherwise it’s $10.65.

Save EXTRA $5 off $50 w/ code SEARS5OFF50

Kit Includes:

• DieHard 8-Gauge jumper cables
• DieHard Emergency Reflective Road Triangle
• Craftsman Mechanic’s gloves
• 6 DieHard Zip-Ties
• Craftsman 12V Inflator/Compressor
• Craftsman Digital Tire Gauge
• Craftsman Combination Screwdriver
• Craftsman Heavy-Duty Flashlight
• Craftsman Side Terminal Battery Wrench
• DieHard Safety Glasses
• Evolv Multi-Tool
• Plastic storage/carrying case

Rarely does a product come around that is both utterly ridiculous and friggin’ cool at the same time…but this little gizmo looks like it might just be one of those products.  It turns your wimpy 4-cylinder into a fire-breathing V8.  It’s a little electronic device that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and transmits V8 engine sounds through your car’s speakers.  It uses the alternator volts to determine the revs and the corresponding tone.    If this thing works as advertised, I’m definitely buying one for my father! Check out the video: