While I was learning about the world of luxury at the Luxury Summit, John Neff from Autoblog was driving it. Last week he had the experience of driving a 2009 Bentley Brooklands 550 miles to from New Jersey to Cleveland, Ohio where it would be picked up and driven back to Bentley's North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI. He had the honor of taking the car for its maiden voyage on U.S. soil. Talk about a road trip.

The car is one of only 550 that will ever be built, there are just two in the United States right now. Our man was cool and collected behind the wheel of a car that costs close to $400,000 with options. His post on Autoblog breaks down all the important details but it's the road trip stories I like such as the fact that a man in a Dodge Caravan followed him for 15 miles into a rest stop and that every tollbooth operator on his journey remarked on the car. If you are paying that much for your wheels, you likely want just that sort of attention. Oh, and be warned, the gas consumption is pricey too, filling the 25-gallon fuel tank with 20 gallons of 93-octane premium gas cost $75, and this is not a car known for its high mileage.

Oh the Veyron, the Bugatti Veyron, one of the most expensive cars in the world, a car that in just a couple of years has become an instant legend. Jonathan Ramsey at our sibling Autoblog recently got to test out the car and delivers an engaging account of what it is really like to drive something worth more than most houses. Jonathan got to live the California dream for a morning, zipping along Pacific Coast Highway where the found that in just two seconds you can zip from two miles per hour to around 40 miles per hour before you even start thinking about going really fast. As Jonathan puts it in my favorite line of the whole review: "And another second after that, hell, who knows how fast you're going. And another second after that, I think time and space take on different properties. I think I became a rhombus." Lucky dude, never have I wanted to be a geometrical shape more. Read about what happens next on Autoblog.

I am not a car connoisseur by any means but the sensational red sports cars produced by Ferrari are eye-candy to anyone. There are so many versions to choose from -- some just for the race track, some for road warriors, and some just for a select few consumers to test drive for the Prancing Horse company such as the Ferrari FXX Evoluzione which was revealed just a few weeks ago. With 860 HP, shift times at lightning speeds of 60 milliseconds, and an adaptable, in-cockpit adjustable traction control system its no wonder why this baby is getting so much attention! I for one cannot imagine driving a car with 800+ horse power but I am sure some of you speed-demons can already feel the wind whizzing through your hair. Keep in mind if you can't afford the real thing the Ferrari store has miniature versions of their cars and plenty of apparel to temporarily satiate your Ferrari lust.

Who hasn't been curious about what it is like to tool around town in a Rolls Royce Phantom. Autoblog's Alex Nunez lived the dream taking home a 2007 Phantom for a weekend. Is the Rolls worth the money? Is Alex spoiled for all other cars forever? Did women, drawn by the awesome power of this ultimate chick magnet immediately drape themselves all over the vehicle? The answer to these questions and much more is in his comprehensive review which is full of all sorts of eyecandy shots. The takeway from the review is, in Alex's words summing up the experience :"Four days later, I wasn't intimidated. I was impressed."

So this is getting close to being old news ("old" here is used only relatively because of the pace the blogging world moves at), but our good buddies over at AutoBlog got to drive one of the first Bentley Continental GTCs to arrive in America. As if we weren't jealous enough when they drove the Flying Spur. The post is very well written and the last line sums up the car perfectly. I won't ruin the surprise, just go read it. Plenty of photos too.

One common complaint about electric cars is that they are a bit pokey. You won't find that problem with the new electric car being sold by Hammacher Schlemmer. It does the zero-to-60 hop in four seconds and zips up to a top speed of 120 mph in one gear. The car has two electric motors that work together The car is just 39" wide and the driver and passenger sit in tandem front and back seats. It can park perpendicular to a curb without the need for a full space. The zippy little machine operates from a set of lead-acid batteries that can recharge using any service up to 50 amps, providing enough power for a range of 40-80 miles. It sells for $108,000, a hell of a price for something smaller than a Smart Car.

Autoblog gave us the heads up on this gilded Porsche, which is on display at Schmuckwelten, a jewelry museum in Pforzheim, Germany. The Porsche Boxter was stripped of all its paint before having it replaced with 24K gold leaf and leaving no surface ungilded, the hubcaps were finished with gold as well. It's not as cool as the diamond-encrusted Mercedes SL that we saw a while back, but if it were offered to us, we wouldn't turn it down.

The Tesla Roadster was unveiled this week in Santa Monica, California, and our friends at AutoblogGreen got a backstage look at the car and sat in on a test drive. The roadster is the first 100% electric performance car on the market and not only has no emissions (and no tailpipe), but actually generates energy when driven. The owners of the car will be doing a lot of driving, too, because the super-sleek car does 0-60 in 4 seconds and has a top speed of over 130 mph; it handles like a gas powered sports car, but like most EVs, makes no noise while doing so. The car comes with a home-based charging kit, so there is no need to install a generator in your garage, and charging it takes only 3.5 hours. Estimates state that the car will get around 250 miles per charge.

The roadster will be available for purchase starting in the spring of 2007, but people present at the unveiling were able to place advance orders for the car. The price will range from $80,000-$120,000.

More pics after the jump.

Our friends at Autoblog found a company that produces "the perfect fusion between sport and jewels." The company is called Circuiti and, with designer Gianfranco Quartaroli, they make jewelery in the shape of internationally known motorcycle and auto racecourses.

Each piece in their collection can be made of steel or of gold, and are available with diamonds and without. A diamond is a popular way to mark the starting point of the course. The steel option might be the best choice of adornment for an everyday key chain, but the tracks set in gold with diamonds or other precious stones are the flashiest way for a fan to support his (or her) team. The stones can even be chosen to ensure that your pendant or cuff links will reflect your team affiliation. Prices start at around €64, depending up course and materials.

Our sibling Autoblog is headed to the New York Auto Show and one of the cars that they will be checking out is the much-anticipated 2007 Continental GTC convertible. The drop-top version of the popular Continental GT coupe, the new car can hit speed of up to 195 mph and has a 12 cylinder engine. Autoblog has a bunch more press pictures of the car.

Bentl y - The Book has just won the "Best Book on Car Design" award by Motor Presse Club e.V., a German organization. The book is a history of the company and its cars, written by British motoring journalist Andrew Frankel. It was first published in 2003. Bentley beat out four other books for the title. The winner of the category was selected by a panel that included well-known car designers and journalists. Autoblog has the full press release.

Now in its second, revised printing, the book is available online for $69.50.