The oldest surviving Rolls Royce went up for auction this past Monday and sold for a record-breaking $7,275,000. Over 100 years old (built in 1904), the 10hp two-seater Rolls went to a private British collector who was obviously willing to pay more than twice the initial estimate for the vehicle -- after two phone bidders drove the price sky high. And it didn't only break the record for highest price paid for a Rolls Royce, but it also broke the record for highest price paid for any veteran (pre-1905) vehicle.

Remember when getting a CD player in your car meant an upgrade package? These days it's almost impossible to find a car that doesn't come with one standard. And extras that used to only be available on luxury cars, like heated leather seats and GPS, are now available for reasonable prices on much more economical car brands. So this leaves the luxury car companies hustling to come up with the latest and baddest technology to set their cars apart from the masses. So what are they coming up with? Some good stuff:

• Night vision A small dashboard screen shows the driver thermal imaging of people, animals, and other heated objects in the area.
• Broadcast TV, because regular 'ol DVDs just aren't good enough.
• Brand name sound systems including names like Mark Levinson, Bang & Olufsen, and Bose.
• Spa seating, which means cooled seats in the summer (and of course heated in the winter), seats that recline with pop-up footrests, and built-in shiatsu massagers.
• HD Radio Suddenly your local radio stations can sound as crisp and clear as your CDs or your satellite radio favorites.
• Smart warning systems, which include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, blind spot warnings, and collision warnings.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to combining technology and luxury vehicles is doing it in a way that is user-friendly, because it's about convenience, fun, and safety -- not frustration. These luxury cars can do everything from play your mp3s and DVDs to adjust automatically to treacherous driving conditions and off-road terrain. And perhaps best of all, they look good doing it.

• Audi TT Roadster 3.2 Quattro $44,500
• BMW 335i Sedan $39,675
• Cadillac CTS $32,500
• Ferrari 430 Scuderia
• Infinity G37 $32,000
• Lexus LS600h L $104,765
• Land Rover LR3 $49,300
• Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport $37,275
• Porsche 911 GT2
• Volvo XC70

When I think about putting cars together, I think of two things: built-it-yourself model car kits and taking my car to the mechanic. The complexity of a "real" car is often what keeps novices away from tinkering with them - along with the fear of not being able to get it back together properly. Mitsuoka Motors, a Japanese auto company, just introduced the "K-4", a micro car for one that you can assembled yourself with the instructions they provide with it. The K-4 is ideal for those who want to be "hands-on" with cars, or just don't have need of a full-sized vehicle. It still takes about 40 hours to put together the 500+ pieces, but it looks to be easier than a conventional vehicle. The car is about 8-feet long and has a maximum speed of 31 miles per hour. Price (approx): $6,460.

Far more exciting,than any luxury submarine, is the Innespace Dolphin. Our friends at Divester brought this personal watercraft to our attention. The Dolphin is a unique aquatic vessel that is shaped like a dolphin. Highly maneuverable and very fast, the company likens it to the underwater version of a jet airplane. Like a real dolphin, it can leap out of the water, do barrel rolls and complete mid-air rolls with inverted landings (see video). The vehicle is lighter than water and uses its forward momentum to "fly" beneath the surface, rather than sinking in the way that traditional watercraft do. Powdered by a 110 horsepower Yamaha Waverunner engine, it can reach speeds of up to 30 mph on the surface and 20 mph when fully submerged. At the moment, dives are limited to a few feet beneath the surface and can be sustained for only a few seconds.

Currently, the Dolphin is only used for demonstration purposes, but will soon be available to lease by production companies. Innespace is working on a two seater version, due for release next year. Once it has been completed, it shouldn't take long for a wait-list for form to buy them.