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Topiary Joe sculpts the ultimate in green cars

Efficient cars are all the rage these days, but Joe Kyte has made a business of crafting some of the coolest green cars around – literally. Kyte is better known by his nickname Topiary Joe, and in addition to being a talented artist, he is also a real gearhead. Kyte has been creating topiaries for the last 20 years. It began when he was marketing greenhouse products to Walt Disney World and saw their plant sculptures. He realized that he could do that and since then, has done around 3,400 pieces. His most intriguing creations are the rolling sculptures that move and turn. Prices for those start at about $18,000 and can be as high as $30,000. While, the wheels are machine-bent, Kyte said all the other parts are done with a table vice and a Lincoln Electric arc welder. Topiary Joe is taking the Porsche (pictured above) to Palm Beach later this year to sell or says he may donate it to Porsche North America. If you really want it, the sculpture is currently on Craigslist for sale for $24,000. Topiary Joe has also had a life-long love of cars. "I was driving my first MG Midget before I was 14," he told Autoblog. He grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, where the Manhattan Project was partially developed. He says the town was full of recent college grads driving Mercedes, and he caught the bug. His automotive mentor was a nuclear physicist who taught him to repair and restore the Mercs. Kyte has completed commissions for Sandals Resort, Dreamworks, Absolut, and many more. Among his favorite creations is the Ferrari that he created at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that is now exhibited at the airport each year before the race. Check out his website for a wider look at his work.

Ferrari LaFerrari is so nice, we say it twice [w/poll]

Forget about the F70, the F150 and the F150th Italia - this is the Ferrari LaFerrari. Earlier this morning we got our first official look at the successor to the Enzo throne, but now we bring you live shots of the LaFerrari straight from the Geneva Motor Show floor.
There is nothing about this car that isn't impressive - from its 949-horsepower hybrid powertrain returning breakneck acceleration to the aggressively curvaceous body creating a new evolution of design for the storied automaker. The best part of the LaFerrari's design is that there is no single focal point, but one of the more interesting elements of the car is its canopy-like cover protecting the occupants. Every detail of the car has been perfectly sculpted into the carbon fiber body creating an appearance that is probably only outdone by the car's overall performance, which Ferrari promises will include a top speed more than 217 miles per hour and a 0-62 mph time of under three seconds. Ferrari says the LaFerrari will be its fastest street car ever.
While it's hard to make criticisms about of the LaFerrari, there will undoubtedly be many regarding the car's name, but with a design and performance numbers like this, we're sure this car could've been called the Ferrari LaBradoodle and all 499 examples of the hybrid supercar would've been snatched up just the same. After checking out the details posted in a press release below, let us know if you think the Ferrari LaFerrari is a worthy successor to past Maranello supercars like the F40, F50 and Enzo.

Stellantis and Foxconn's new joint venture will focus on connectivity

MILAN — Carmaker Stellantis and TaiwanÂ’s Foxconn announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5G communications. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the services that will be developed through the tie-up “will mark the next great evolution of our industry,” alongside fully electrified and hybrid powertrains. The deal brings together Stellantis, the worldÂ’s 4th-largest automaker formed this year by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot, and Foxconn, a major supplier of iPhones. The companies said the venture would focus on such services as infotainment, the integration of telecommunications and computer systems, artificial intelligence-based applications, 5G communications, e-commerce channels and smart cockpit integration. The companies announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a 50-50 joint venture called Mobile Drive, which will be based in the Netherlands and function as an automotive supplier also to other carmakers. The new venture will combine advanced consumer electronics, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) to create new services “that will exceed customer expectations,” the companies said in a release. “Customers today and, in the future, demand and expect ever-increasing software-driven and creative solutions to connect the drivers and passengers with the vehicle inside and out,Â’Â’ Foxconn Chairman Young Liu. Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot 5g Connectivity Stellantis Foxconn