Blog Posts by Justin Hyde

In the realm of iPhone accessories, it's hard to improve much upon the basics of a docking station; once you have a power source and some speakers, what else do you need? Here's one answer: add four seats, an engine and wheels. The Volkswagen iBeetle isn't a car so much as the world's most expensive phone charger.

The Citroën Traction Avant — known as the Light 15 in Britain — was one of the first successful front-wheel-drive cars; it also bankrupted Citroën, but not before it produced copies as striking as this one caught by Gordon Calder. If you have a shot to share, add it to the Motoramic group on Flickr, or send us a message via Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

On Friday, Toyota Chief Executive Akio Toyoda and Kentucky officials are expected to announce a $530 million expansion of Toyota's sprawling Georgetown factory in the Bluegrass State so that it can build 50,000 Lexus ES sedans a year. In return for adding 570 permanent jobs, Kentucky will give Toyota a package of tax breaks and other incentives worth $146.5 million. Such deals are so common they rarely draw comment, but it's worth asking: Why does the world's largest automaker need a handout?

A few may instantly recognize the era or make of car that sported this particular hood ornament, but even checking the original source won't get you the model. If you have a guess, post it below; if you have a shot to share, add it to the Motoramic group on Flickr, or send us a message via Twitter, Facebookand Google+.

Photo: Musicman 67 via Flickr

While other automakers wrap their test cars in camouflage designed to give spy photographers migraines, Porsche tends to take a far more minimalist tack. For example, here's the 2014 Porsche Macan, a new small-to-midsize SUV not due for a public reveal until September, driving around Europe with only a taped-over badge for a disguise — and some odd rear cladding that spoofs the tail lights. Given how similar Porsche designs tend to be, maybe the stylists are trying to save at least one small bit of news for the Frankfurt motor show.

The last time Jaguar shipped a British sports car to America, its customers could sing along with Terry Jacks' "Seasons of the Sun" over the sonorous hiss of the in-dash eight track. That the E-Type had been dubbed "the most beautiful car ever made" by Enzo Ferrari was old news at that point; marred by smog and bumper rules, combined with a rising sense among owners that maybe British cars weren't of the best quality, Jaguar shuffled the E-Type out of production in 1974.

Nearly four decades later — after spells in government-sponsored torpor, Thatcher-era privatization, ill-suited servitude under Ford and finally a period of grace this century thanks to the ownership of an Indian industrial magnate — Jaguar returns to the sports-car business with the 2014 F-Type. And as epic as the E-Type remains, the successor leaves the shadow of its forebear with a quickness.

Ford never officially took the revived Ford GT racing when it debuted in 2005, but the last supercar from the Blue Oval brand still looks good revving on the track, as demonstrated by this shot at Daytona from Jason Sha'ul. If you have a shot to share, add it to the Motoramic group on Flickr, or send us a message via Twitter, Facebookand Google+.

Nearly 15 years after the last copy rolled out of McLaren's factory, the 618-hp F1 supercar remains one of the most sought-after vehicles among the world's sporting billionaires. Only 106 were built, and in recent years a regular model McLaren F1 at auction could fetch bids of $5 million, while one with a racing pedigree last year went for $3.8 million. This F1 in Japan supposedly holds another singular distinction: it's never been driven, and its odometer shows zero miles after 17 years of ownership — which suggests the owner has more money than sense.