Arguably more than any other driver, Kimi Raikkonen has a penchant for breaking with convention and forging his own path. The Swedish driver started out in F1 amid protests over his relative lack of experience – having contested fewer than a dozen professional lower-level races in his career – and finished 10th in his debut championship.

The next season, he was driving for McLaren, the season after that he won his first grand prix, and within just a few years was crowned world champion for Ferrari. And when that got boring, he made an unprecedented moved to the World Rally Championship. But that's apparently wearing thin on a driver not known for sitting still, so off he goes to NASCAR.

We first broke the news of Kimi's plans back in March, and a few days later already had confirmation of his contract with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) to debut in the Camping World Truck Series – the entry point into NASCAR racing. Now he's set to make his oval-track debut this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and this is the truck he'll be driving.

The No. 15 Toyota Tundra is being fielded by KBM for Kimi's ICE1RACING team, and features sponsorship from – wait for it – Perky Jerky. The dried meat snack packs guarana (a plant with twice the caffeine of coffee) and was apparently invented when some guys spilled energy drink on their beef jerky while trapped on a ski lift. (Seriously, we couldn't make this stuff up.) Today it's the "official jerky of the Daytona 500", and should go down well with the Red Bull sponsorship on the Citroën DS3 which Raikkonen drives in the WRC. Official press release after the jump.

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Do you demand satisfaction? No, not the glove to the face brand, but the type of satisfaction that makes you proud to own the car in your driveway. AutoPacific has done some research to determine which automakers are the doing the best job of keeping customers happy. The results are in for the 2011 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA), and you may be a wee bit surprise to learn that Lincoln and Chrysler have taken top honors.

Lincoln has earned the award for Highest Satisfaction Premium Brand. Chrysler earns the nod for Highest Satisfaction Popular Brand. Each automaker also earned specific shout-outs for certain vehicles. The Lincoln MKZ was given a VSA in the Luxury Midsize and Hybrid categories, while the MKT nabbed a VSA in the Premium Luxury Crossover SUV spot. Chrysler's Jeep Grand Cherokee earned the Premium Midsize SUV VSA, and the Chrysler Town & Country was given the Minivan VSA.

The top individual nameplates were the Cadillac Escalade (truck) and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (car). You can view all of the winners by clicking past the jump to the full press release.

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Following the launch of the refreshed 2012 Continental GT coupe, Bentley is prepping the inevitable droptop GTC variant, which our spies have just caught testing on the Nürburgring.

As you'd expect, the Conti GTC benefits from a Mulsanne-inspired front fascia, as well as some slightly updated taillamps. Inside, a new dash will be on hand, as well as updated front buckets – just like the coupe.

Under the hood, the Bentley W12 has received a few updates for the 2012 model year that result in more power and fewer C02 emissions. In the future, you'll even be able to spec the GTC with an all-new 4.0-liter V8... Just like the coupe.

Click through our high-res image gallery to see the Bentley GTC out running the 'Ring.

Green Speed



I had been anticipating the pre-dawn run to the airport for a few days. Having spent the week with a Porsche Panamera Turbo, complete with the torque-boosting Sport Chrono pack (yes, that one), the blast to SFO was a fitting sendoff. It was also perfectly timed.

I was boarding a marathon flight to Austria for the global launch of the Panamera S Hybrid, and after seven days with the Turbo, I was smitten. And concerned.

While the 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque from the boosted V8 proved the old adage about absolute power corrupting absolutely, it was the completeness of the Panamera package that left me slack-jawed. When the Stuttgart brain-trust puts its mind to something, they do it right. Look no further than half a century of rear-engined evolution and the much-maligned, but incredibly capable Cayenne. Now add the Panamera to that list. Its sheetmetal might not suit your tastes, but Porsche managed to create the best driving luxury sedan on the market. But a hybrid? They'd better not screw this up.

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Fancy a camping trip? You could go out into the wilderness and pitch a tent, or you could take a van like an original Volkswagen bus and enjoy the great outdoors through its windows. But if both of these sound enticing, there's a third option: the Volkswagen Camper Van tent. Yep.

Officially licensed by Volkswagen, this tent replicates the outside of '65 VW Type 2 Transporter van at full scale. Available in red, yellow or blue, it can accommodate four adults in two separate zippered roomms, which could be perfect for reliving those memories from the Summer of Love – or living them again for the first time when that acid flashback kicks in. Deliveries begin in August, but you can pre-order yours now at Firebox.com for about $480.

Paying off debt is a dream shared by most Americans, however, most of them aren't staring down $7.5 billion that's owed to the United States and Canadian governments. Chrysler accountants currently see that on the balance sheet, and we imagine that figure looks rather daunting. Lucky for them, Chrysler is set to pay it back. All of it.

Chrysler is preparing to announce details of a $3.5 billion bond offering. Those funds, along with $1.3 billion in cash from Fiat and a $2.5 billion term loan, will be used to pay back the two government loans.

Fiat has previously expressed a desire to own a larger stake in Chrysler, and paying down this debt is the bridge it needs to cross to make that happen. Right now, Fiat owns 46 percent of the American automaker, but rumor has it that the Italians want 51 percent by year's end, and possibly as much as 70 percent at some point in the near future. For now, however, Fiat is showing that it's dedicated to returning Chrysler to a position of success.

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General Motors has only sold 1,703 copies of the Chevrolet Volt through April, but the automaker plans to crank up the volume for the 2012 model year. GM has announced that it will shut down its Detroit Hamtramck plant for four weeks to prepare for 2012 Volt and Opel Ampera production. The upgrades will enable GM to build 16,000 total units this year, and in 2012 production will grow to 60,000 units; 45,000 of which will be destined for U.S. consumption.

When the 2012 model comes online, GM will begin to open up sales throughout the U.S. The 2011 model is only being sold in California, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The Volt and Ampera will also be shipped to Canada, China and Europe beginning later this year.

During the lengthy shutdown, GM will add new tools, install overhead conveyor systems and other equipment. The General will also set up the plant to build the 2013 Chevy Malibu during the four-week shutdown, though more work will be completed before the mid-size sedan is launched. Hit the jump to read over the GM press release.

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Back in February, President Obama proposed changing the credit for plug-in vehicles over to a point-of-purchase rebate, a move that would likely speed up the $7,500 payment. Under the proposal, dealers would reduce the sticker price of eligible plug-in vehicles and apply for reimbursement from the government.

Well, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Congress will consider the proposed plug-in point-of-purchase rebate as part of changes to U.S. tax and energy policy for 2012. LaHood, who was touring Nissan's Smyrna, TN facility on Tuesday, told those in attendance:

We're doing a lot of talking about it. When you give people that incentive to buy a battery-powered car, they'll do it. We know these incentives help.

Under current policy, consumers who buy qualifying vehicles like the Nissan Leaf or the Chevrolet Volt receive a $7,500 credit when they file their federal income tax returns. LaHood says that the Obama Administration firmly believes that allowing dealers to handle the incentive as an immediate rebate will entice consumers and, hopefully, convince them to buy plug-in vehicles.

Peter Mullin's vision for an automotive museum showcasing his favorite era of motoring has passed the 12-month mark. The Mullin Automotive Museum is located in Oxnard, California, and it's home to a stunning collection of French Art Deco jaw droppers. Over the past year, the museum has expanded its collection by adding a few new residents.

-The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance award-winning 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante
-1924 Bucciali B6-C24 Grand Prix Reconstruction
-1910 Charron Type TC Convertible
-The 1951 Paris Auto Salon 1951 Talbot T26 Gran Sport Convertible
-1928 Lorraine Dietrich B3-6 Sports Roadster
-1923 Voisin C6 Laboratoire Replica
-1934 Voisin C27 Aerosport
-The Grand Prix de Tourisme Winning 1922 Voisin C3 S Grand Prix
-1919 Voisin C3 Berline

Not just home to cars, though that's certainly the primary focus, the Mullin Automotive Museum has also acquired a handful of art pieces that sit alongside the vehicles. Statues, bowls and over 15 crystal radiator mascots that were created by Rene Lalique. We're willing to bet that those Lalique radiator mascots are worth a bit more than the Nissan badge that was stolen off our 300ZX back in college. Feel free to check out the full press release after the break.

Happy first birthday, Mullin Automotive Museum!

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