It’s no secret that I carry a torch for the Mercedes McLaren SLR Roadster - one look at the photo at the top of this blog is really all it takes to uncover that piece of information.  While it makes absolutely no sense as a daily driver, it is a stunning piece of workmanship that offers the performance of a race car in the body of a gorgeous sports car.

If you’re torn between buying this car and using your money to do good for others, you’re in luck: As part of its holiday offerings, Saks Fifth Avenue is putting a special edition of the Mercedes SLR up for auction on Thursday. Profits from the auction will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Thanks and Giving Campaign.

This particular model is absolutely one of a kind. The carbon fiber body is finished out in Sienna Pearl metallic paint, and it sports a gorgeous light brown leather interior. Under the hood, you’ll find exactly what you expect of the SLR Roadster - a hand-built supercharged V8 with 617 horsepower for a top speed of 206 mph.

This is one of the last SLR Roadsters that Mercedes will produce, so if you’re in the market for one, you might as well make sure the money is going to a good cause. Starting bid is $529,500 and every penny raised beyond that amount goes directly to St. Jude. Ready to sign up? Go to www.mbusa.com/SLRauction to place your bid. And don’t forget your credit card!

All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately that saying holds true for Bentley.

Bentley has unveiled its final version of the elegant Arnage, which has set the standard for this marque for the past decade. In return for its years of service, the automaker is giving the luxury liner a proper send-off, creating a limited edition run of just 150 cars. The 2009 Bentley Arnage Final Series will be the closest thing to a hybrid you may ever see coming from them - it combines the performance of the “T” with the refined elegance of the “R” to create the perfect marriage of luxury and power.

The 500 horsepower V8 will have a price tag of $224,990 and feature many upgrades to the customary Bentley bells and whistles. In addition to adding polished stainless steel “Final Series” treadplates to the front doors, interior extras include a rear cocktail cabinet with a “Final Series” stainless steel flask and shot glasses, an iPod interface, rear remote control for the infotainment system and a pair of picnic tables offered in your choice of premium unbleached veneers.

To make this last Arnage completely personal, it’s being offered in any of Bentley’s 42 available exterior colors, with 25 interior hide color choices.  As the only auto manufacturer in the world who can boast of offering a cabin trimmed entirely with leather hides - including the headlining - Bentley uses nearly 400 pieces of leather for the interior. (The hand-crafted steering wheel along takes up to 16 hours of double stitching.)

Every detail of the elegant Arnage is going to reflect the refined luxury that Bentley has delivered faithfully and flawlessly through the years. This final edition is the best send-off that such a car could hope for, and as a reward for those years of service, these appointments certainly beat a gold watch!

What’s the perfect accessory to go with your Bentley? How about a powerful Ego?

No, we don’t mean that in a bad way!

Bentley Motors has partnered with the luxury electronics retailer, Ego Lifestyle, to create a sleek and unique notebook computer. The Ego for Bentley, which will retail for about $19,800, is a luxury laptop that has many of the same features that makes the Bentley such a delight: It boasts a refined design and is hand-built to ensure perfection in both detail and craftsmanship.

To complete the Bentley tie-in, the interior color options of the lacquered notebook match the car’s most popular exterior colors, while, on the outside, the panels are trimmed with Bentley leather and then finished with Bentley’s cross-over hand-stitching. Even the iconic Bently knurling, found on the interior accents of its cars, is replicated here, with etching on the handle.

Each notebook is designed to the owner’s requests and requirements, which means you get your choice of colors and finishes. Touches such as sliding doors to cover access ports add to the elegant feel of this ergonomically designed notebook. The design doesn’t look like your run-of-the-mill notebook; the clamshell-styled case looks more like an elegant accessory. And, since each notebook is a work of art, it just makes sense that each of these limited edition notebooks are engraved with their own number.

Under the hood, you’ll find a 160 GB hard drive, a 64-bit processor and Microsoft Vista Ultimate software. A dozen dedicated direct access keys make Wi-fi, Bluetooth, a web cam and a handful of other operations quick and easy.

Bentley says the notebook is due to hit the shelves “this fall,” which, accordingly to my calendar, starts today. So better get in line fast - only 250 of these limited edition laptops will be made.

Photo courtesy Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. All rights reserved.

This weekend, the 58th Pebble Councours d’Elegance gave car lovers more than 200 reasons to lust after what they cannot have. The annual car show attracted competitors from 27 states and 12 countries, once again making it one of the most elite and well-attended shows in the world.

Although there was plenty of eye candy to keep onlookers oohing and ahhing at the 18th hole on the Monterey Peninsula’s Pebble Beach golf course, at the end of the day, only one car can be named “Best in Show.” And this time around, that honor went to John and Mary Shirley from Medina, Washington.

The Shirleys bought their 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta four years ago. It had already enjoyed a rich history - throughout the 1930s, the 8C 2900B was Alfa’s most prestigious touring car. Less than three dozen of the cars were ever completed and put on the road.

This particular car is even more unique, however. While most of the 8C 2900B models were bodied by Carrozzeria Touring, this is one of six that was privately commissioned to be built by Berlinetta, and its good looks landed it in several ads run by Alfa.

As if that’s not enough, John Shirley says the car’s attributes go beyond its obvious beauty.

“This car has an intriguing history,” he says. “It won the first race at Watkins Glen in 1948, and though the car’s been driven quite a bit, it’s never been wrecked.”

Even with its exquisite lines and perfect body, the Shirleys knew their Alfa faced some stiff competition. But at the end of the day, the 8C 2900B simply proved unbeatable.

“It takes an amazing level of elegance for a closed car like this Alfa to win here,” acknowledged Sandra Kasky Button, Concours chairman. “It requires the ultimate in style, grace and proportion. This car has all of that.”

Just look at this car. Who can argue with her?!

More and more wealthy Americans are turning to the web to get their shopping done, but when it comes to luxury cars, they’d rather hit the showroom floor.

That’s the final word from a study conducted by the Luxury Institute, which found that, while shopping online for luxury goods is way up, only about one-fourth of us are comfortable buying our cars that way. The study, which surveyed households with an average net worth of $2.9 million, provides some interesting insight into high-end shopping.

Luxury shoppers appear to be much more at ease buying real estate or big-ticket jewelry items online; nearly 40 percent are content to do so. And nearly two-thirds of people with annual incomes of $150,000 or more are OK with buying fashion apparel or finding wealth advisors online. But when it comes to cars - well, the showroom experience just can’t be beat. Maybe it’s that new car smell.

“These highly tactile, big-ticket luxury items are generally better experienced rather than simply presented on a website,” explains Milton Pedraza, Luxury Institute CEO. However, that doesn’t mean luxury players don’t need a presence on the web.

Nearly two-thirds of all high-end shoppers go directly to the web to get more information on their purchases before they buy. So while today’s consumers are reluctant to make online purchases beyond $10,000 (the average comfort threshold for online purchases was about $3,294), the overall shift toward more online activity is making its way to higher end purchases.

So does that mean it’s only a matter of time before you’ll buy that new Aston Martin online? Time will tell. As Pedraza noted, it’s hard to truly get the “wow” effect from a web site; nothing beats walking into the showroom and driving off with a brand new steering wheel in your hands. This could be one experience that even technology can’t replicate - or replace.

Is that new car smell losing its thrill? Could be, according to a new survey released by J.D Power and Associates.

The 2008 APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) Study shows that drivers are less thrilled with their new car purchases than they were a year ago. But it isn’t necessarily the cars themselves that are to blame. Instead, drivers point to prices at the pump, which have gone up 27 percent since last year’s survey.

“The increased cost of filling their vehicles … leads to a greater level of dissatisfaction with fuel economy than in the past,” notes David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. “Manufacturers that deliver more fuel-efficient vehicles…stand a better chance of delighting their customers.”

And there definitely were some delights to be found. Although Honda fared the best, capturing the highest level of satisfaction in three categories, luxury marque Porsche held its own with top ratings in two categories. It took home the APEAL award for its Cayman in the “Compact Premium Sporty Car” category and for the Cayenne in the “Compact Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV)” division.

Jaguar also fared well, earning a perfect score in “Overall Performance and Design.”

Luxury models that got the thumbs-up from satisfied drivers were the Lexus IS 250/IS 350/IS-F (Entry Premium Car); the BMW 5 Series (Midsize Premium Car) and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Large Premium Car).

Joining the Porsche Cayenne in the Premium MAV category was Land Rover’s Range Rover, which topped the list for Large Premium MAVs.

The survey goes hand-in-hand with J.D. Powers and Associates’ Initial Quality Study, which was released about three weeks ago and focuses on problems experienced by new owners during the first 90 days of ownership. To see how your favorite auto manufacturer fared, click here.

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As we all know, accessorizing is the one thing that separates women from the animals. And from men.

However, there’s no reason to limit your accessorizing to your shoes, handbags and jewelry - there are many great ways to dress up your car as well. And if you happen to have a Lamborghini Gallardo in the garage, you’re in luck.

STRUT, the California-based luxury aftermarket auto accessorizer, has added a new collection of car jewelry to its offering. This time around, they’re offering carbon fiber and stainless steel appointments to let you customize your Lambo. Although they don’t have anything to offer first-year Gallardos, STRUT’s new collection includes two grilles with carbon fiber surrounds and stainless steel diamond-woven mesh bearing the STRUT shield for Gallardos built between 2004 and 2008. They also have matching side, rear hood, rear intake and bumper vents to add to the personal touches.

The result of these additions - besides making it a bit more personal - are a meaner profile and a distinctively different look to your Lambo. (Beats the heck out of a customized antenna ball or a bumper sticker!)

The Lamborghini Gallardo jewelry collection is $25,000 for the carbon fiber/stainless steel set and $35,000 for the limited edition titanium collection.

Not that anyone was complaining about the luxury of its current and/or previous models, but now Bentley has announced plans for a new and improved car.

The British automaker has announced that, beginning in 2009, the Flying Spur lineup will be joined by its most powerful four-door to date - the Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed. Combining the cabin comforts of the Flying Spur with the driving performance of the highly acclaimed Contintental GT Speed, this latest addition is a 12-cylinder powerhouse with 600 horsepower that will top out at around 200 miles an hour, besting the Flying Spur’s top number of 195. It will also outperform the standard Spur in the 0-60 showdown, hitting the mark in 4.5 seconds, which shaves .4 seconds off the standard Flying Spur’s 0-60 performance. (Good to know if you’re in a hurry.)

Bentley has lowered the ride height, which will help the car hit its full velocity potential on the open road, and the Speed also boasts a reworked chassis that provides tauter handling and better steering response. With so many racing elements incorporated, designers also gave the car improved agility and body control … and then added thicker anti-roll bars to both the front and back of the car. Not that you’ll need them, of course - but it’s good to know they’re there.

As expected, this car isn’t designed just for superior performance, but for ultimate style and elegance as well. It has the familiar Bentley curves and styling cues, but subtle design shifts make the Flying Spur Speed stand out on the road. The dark-tinted radiator and air intake grilles are designed to emphasize the performance offered by this beauty, and it also sports wide exhaust pipes and unique multi-spoke alloy wheels - which are available either in bright silver or darkened tungsten. Bentley has also supersized the 19-inch tires offered on the Spur to 20-inch Pirelli P-Zeroes.

Like the rest of the car, the Speed’s interior also shows a darker side of Bentley, but it works exceptionally well. With expected but well-executed touches such as the gear lever in knurled chrome and hide, it is as beautiful as anything Bentley has ever put on the road. Carrying out its dark side, even the engine cover is black.

Around town, you’ll be getting about 10 miles to the gallon, although on the highway you can expect to squeeze out around 17 mpg.

Bentley’s official word on the Flying Spur Speed, according to Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn from their Board of Engineering, is that it “advances its Bentley performance credentials while delivering outstanding refinement and comfort through our unique application of advanced technology and traditional craftsmanship.”

Translation? This car has the performance power to blow other cars off the road…and the stylng elegance to knock your socks off in the process.

OK, the answer to that question may seem obvious, but you might be surprised.

According to a recent poll, called the Challenge X Survey, about 88 percent of women said they would be more likely to stop and strike up a conversation with guys who are driving the latest fuel-efficient car as opposed to someone cruising around in a hot new sports car. What’s more, about 80 percent of car buyers here in the U.S. say they would rather spend quality time at a party talking to someone in a fuel-efficient auto rather than an exotic sports model.

This kind of information could cause quite a stir among males planning a mid-life crisis - in the past, they’ve been able to buy a Corvette (or some other life-affirming symbol of their manly power) and call it good. But in light of this new information, what’s a guy to do?

Does this mean that they’ll be trading their Hummers for Hondas? They just might, once they discover that more and more women are turning their attention toward cars that are green instead of admiring those fast, mean machines. What’s more, most respondents in the 18-to-43-year-old category said they consider it a fashion faux pas to buy a car that’s not environmentally friendly.

This, of course, poses questions for those tooling around in the kinds of cars that would only be green if you painted them. What does it mean for their future? That remains to be seen.

Until automakers start producing hybrid and electric vehicles that are as sleek and sporty as their gas-guzzling counterparts, auto enthusiasts are in a challenging position. Yes, I want to save the polar bears … but I’m also infatuated with the Bentley Continental. Fortunately, several automakers are trying to follow in the footsteps of the California-based Tesla Motors and give us some sexy yet environmentally friendly cars. Honestly, it just can’t happen soon enough.

A few years ago, a guy (who drove a minivan) tried to convince me that the car you drive has nothing to do with who you are. But we all know that it says as much about you as the music you listen to, the clothes you choose to wear and the style of home you live in. That’s not a shallow indictment of an individual’s strengths and shortcomings, but rather an outward indication of what matters is most important to them.

Perhaps what this survey is saying is that it really is what’s inside - or in this case, under the hood - that counts. What we need now are more cars that take that inner beauty and look as good on the outside as they do under the hood.

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Calling the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 a beautiful car is a lot like saying Samantha on Sex and the City has “had a few boyfriends.” The Veyron so far exceeds the expectations of most sports cars that it is truly in a class of its own. This stunning mid-engined racer sports a W16 under the hood and an elegant two-tone exterior with sleek, fluid lines that give it instant grace and beauty. The oversized grill gives a nod to its racing roots, while everything else about this car exudes modern elegance. And flat-out speed.

With only 300 of these 1,001-horsepower cars planned for production, however, the chances of sitting in one - let alone driving it - seemed slim at best. For most of the world, the only experience they’ll have with the Bugatti is through web images accompanied by such staggering facts as its top speed (over 250 mph), it acceleration (0-100 in 5.5 seconds) and its price tag (around $1.2 million).

However, for those who really have to add “Driving the Bugatti” to their own personal Bucket List, Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car has a deal for you. They’ve added a gorgeous blue-and-white Bugatti to their stable, and you can spend a day inside this dream car for just $25,000.

At just over $1,000 an hour, it’s cheaper than a good divorce attorney and a lot more fun to spend time with. And who knows - maybe if you just can’t part with it after a day on the road, they’ll give you a special deal on a weekly rate.

Let me know how that works out for you.