You've heard the stories of old, rare, and forgotten cars found in barns that fetch astronomical sums at auction.

This weekend the mother of all "barn finds" sold in Paris at Bonhams Retromobile auction for 3.5 million euros ($4.53 million). To be fair, the car was discovered in a garage (not barn) in the northern
English city of Newcastle. The 130 miles-an-hour car has 26,284
miles on the clock. It was thought the engine “had not been
fired up for more than 50 years,’’ said the Bonhams catalog.

The current generation of fossil fuel powered cars are really efficient at returning things. Be it:

– carbon into the atmosphere

– pollution into the air and/or

– you and your books to the library.

$4,196 per vehicle, that's the average amount that new Chrysler car buyers can potentially save in manufacturer rebates.

A recent report by Edmunds.com estimates that the average rebate for new cars last month was $2,714.

"Automakers need to clear out leftover inventory from the 2008 model year, and that effort is boosting the average incentive cost for the industry," noted Jesse Toprak, Executive Director of Industry Analysis for Edmunds.com.

In an attempt to pass his economic stimulus package President Obama was recently quoted as saying, "I don’t care if you are driving in a hybrid or an SUV, if you are driving toward a cliff you’ve got to change directions."

It could be construed that his statement was meant to suggest that hybrid owners are Democrats while SUV owners are Republicans.

But do the facts and more importantly demographics bear out this suggestion?

According to Hybridcars.com the typical Prius driver is not your Hollywood hipster 20-something-year-old but instead older than the average car buyer—closer to 50 rather than the average age of 40.

Yesterday the internet was abuzz with the news that a Lexus Hybrid SUV malfunctioned and exploded.

The tragic news turned out to be incorrect. The Lexus SUV did explode, but not because of a malfunction, but because of a bomb that severely injured Dr. Trent Pierce of West Memphis, Arkansas.

But some questions still linger. Can hybrid or electric cars explode?

A new bill in Congress, the FREEDOM Act of 2009, bill S271, would expand electric car tax credits from 250,000 vehicles 500,000 vehicles.

For automotive enthusiast a new bill working its way through Congress is about as exciting as a new Chinese plug in car, but wait. According to CNN the bill would also expand "tax credits beyond conventional four-wheel automobiles to include
three-wheel and two-wheel vehicles, as well as low-speed neighborhood
electric cars."

The news on the automotive business front is dismal. The latest numbers indicate that in January car sales tumble more than expected. In fact, car sales last month were the worst in 26 years.

Just about a year go Paul Shippey purchased Automotive Media Solutions in Denver and overnight Shippey went from reviewing cars for a living to managing a fleet of press cars. The small company provides new car models to journalist for one week stints so that reporters can review and evaluate the vehicles.

The New Mazda MX-5 is all smiles, and ready to meet the public at the Chicago Auto Show.

This newest take on what used to be more commonly known as the Mazda Miata will zoom zoom out into the crowds on February 13, when the 2009 Chicago Auto Show opens to the general public.