TeleNav, the navigation services company that boasts more than 13 million subscribers, did a study of its users and made some interesting findings. A study of searches made by TeleNav users in December 2009 showed that the businesses most searched for were Walmart and then Starbucks. Seriously? I know they’re pretty popular with the folks, but you can cut your steering wheel in pretty much any direction and find a big blue Walmart sign or Starbucks. In fact, drive down any main artery, and you’ll probably pass two or three within 15 minutes. Is that really what GPS technology is being used for?

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Yesterday, Nissan released pricing on the 2011 U.S. GT-R, which is already available at select retailers. Nissan will only offer the top-end GT-R Premium for model year 2011, which will command a payment just a tad north of $84K at $84, 060. That price is about $1,000 more than the outgoing GT-R Premium and doesn’t include all those fun taxes and fees.

The next Godzilla gets only minor changes including retuned suspension, strengthened rear bushing, darker wheel caps and added rear cooling ducts. Inside, the car gets a USB iPod interface, XM NavTraffic and NavWeather capability, and Streaming Audio via Bluetooth. Prospective buyers can still count on the 485 hp 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that brings the car up to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.

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Boy, have we got a car for you. A beautiful 2008 Bugatti Veyron is currently enduring a lonely stint on eBay Motors. Its price? $997K. That’s certainly more than my Dodge Durango, but it’s rather low for a car that fetches a new price of $1.6 million. The Veyron is the essence of the million-dollar car, and here it is limboing right under $1 M.

So what gives? We’re not entirely sure. It certainly looks good. Maintanence was kept up. The Veyron’s stock should be higher than ever after some big-time public appearances (thanks Conan and goofy house hunter that drove into a swamp). The latter was a 2006 Veyron, so that’s not it either.

Oh well, someone with deep pockets should make out, assuming he does all his homework. [ebay Motors via Jalopnik]

Audi may be satisfied with its R8, but at least one artist loves the idea of an R8-inspired RS7 slotted below it. The renderings were provided by Austrian industrial designer Adriano Mudri. The car pulls clear influence from the R8, though it loses the distinctive side vents, and maintains plenty of personality all its own. The contrasting back end is something unusual and somehow it kind of works. The front end is another lesson in contrast, using minimalist LED lights and large, imposing vents. And how could we forget the Lambo-inspired scissor doors?

We like it. Decide if you do after perusing the gallery after the break. [via WCF]

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The 2012 Chevy Malibu has been kept under wraps until some patent filings from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed the new styling today. A number of sketches provide a look at what we’ll get when the next-gen Malibu drops.

The 2012 Malibu sits on the Epsilon II platform, a platform that it shares with the Buick Regal and LaCrosse. The new Malibu is a little more aesthetically endearing thanks to a cleaner, more chiseled back-end and updated headlights and taillights. The car will also get a shortened wheelbase and higher, wider body. It’s expected to debut next year. Until then, enjoy a preview of what it’ll bring to the market. [via AutoBlog]

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Jalopnik posted an interesting, if purely speculative, report questioning whether or not James Sikes, the Prius driver that made headlines when his car sped out of control on a San Diego freeway, is a victim or a scam artist with financial motivation. According to the piece, Sikes filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and is in debt for $700,000 thanks to the toileting real estate market. He’s also reportedly slipped behind on his Prius payments. The article speculates that Mr. Sikes’ recent incident may have been faked in order to slip his way out of some of the debt.

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Somewhere in the recent past, VATH decided that the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55AMG was drastically underpowered. To right this perceived wrong, the tuner increased displacement of the V8 engine from 5.5 liters to 5.8 liters and added a compressor, new exhaust system, and recalibrated the ECU. These along with other tweaks add over 200 hp to make a total of 565 hp (up from 360 hp). That upgrade alone costs over $42,000.

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“Passion, ingenuity, knowledge and craftmanship created the parts to form an effective and focused package. What more could you want?” How about a killer commercial showing  that passion, ingenuity, knowledge and craftmanship in action? Preferably on a balls-to-the-wall track run. Check and check.

Take a look at the video below to see the Pagani Zonda R tearing the track like a hot sword through a bar of cheddar. The AMG V12-powered hunk of carbon fiber fantasticness shows no mercy to the tune of a fittingly dramatic soundtrack. Time to stop reading and start playing…

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Does anyone quite know how to throw a 100th birthday like Alfa Romeo? We’ve already seen some beautiful Geneva concepts and now word is that the automaker has another concept up its sleeve: a little brother to the 8C Competizione. The 4C concept will be debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and will be a less expensive sports coupe designed to follow the dynamic 8C.

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