Ford Interior Rear View Mirror 6u5z17700a on 2040-parts.com

McLaren managing director on leave, not expected in Geneva

McLaren Automotive's U.S.-born managing director, Antony Sheriff, is expected to be absent from the launch of the P1 hypercar at Geneva next week because he is on extended leave from the company. No reason for Sheriff's absence has been given, although McLaren is at pains to point out that he is “still employed as McLaren Automotive's managing director.” Rumors were circulating about Sheriff's absence from Woking in January, but company spokesmen back then stressed that he was still employed by McLaren and would unveil the P1 at Geneva. Despite those assurances, sources had reported earlier in the year that Sheriff “hadn't been seen in his office” for some days.

Chevrolet sprinkles in some ZR1 for the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition

With the ZR1 grabbing all the headlines of late, it's easy to forget about the other pumped-up performance thoroughbred in the Corvette stable--the Z06. However, that's about to change, because Chevrolet is taking some of the ZR1 goodies and transplanting them over onto the Z06 for the 2011 model year, such as the Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and magnetic select ride control system. The features will be standard on a new 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition, which Chevy is using to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Corvette's first 24 Hours of LeMans race.

Celebrating the Bugatti clan at the Mullin Museum

Legend holds that Ettore Bugatti was at dinner with some of his wealthiest clients when an aristocratic lady -- who already owned numerous Bugattis -- lamented, "I want to buy another Bugatti…but I want the most luxurious car in the world. Too bad I have to buy a Rolls-Royce or a Hispano-Suiza." Ettore nodded politely, in that insouciant way that temperamental geniuses do in order to distance their own reactions, excused himself after dinner, ran to his hotel room, and drew what would become the Type 41 Royale -- the most astonishing, dramatic, expensive luxury car in the world. True to the name of the recent crop of limited-edition Veyron SuperSports (and what Veyron isn't a limited edition?), Bugatti traffics in legend.