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GM posted this video of the Corvette ZR1 doing a lap of the Nurburgring. It's a cockpit video with a stat overlay, showing the car hitting close to 180 mph on the final straightaway. Put on your headphones and crank up the volume, because the engine and road sounds come through clearly. You can almost feel the car hitting the apexes. Final lap time: 7:26.4.

(Credit: Corbin)

Not everyone has the kind of decor that's appropriate for a couch made from a vintage British sportscar. Sometimes an American model is much more fitting. And what could be more classic than a 1957 Corvette?

Corbin has made a loveseat modeled after the iconic roadster for those intimate occasions at home, complete with "a romantic undercarriage lighting with an 110v lighting fixtures tucked underneath, tail lights, and exhaust pipes," according to BornRich. There's even a "smart dimmer" in the armrest's storage compartment for the perfect Barry White moment. And for those times when you're alone (more likely), that same space can be used to stow the remote.

There was no shortage of sexy, sporty cars at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Here are my favorites (in somewhat of a particular order):

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The race-bred concept, which means "wind" in Japanese, is based on the Courage C65 chassis, which Mazda used in the American Le Mans Series two seasons previously. It has a three-rotor rotary engine that's capable of churning out 450 horsepower. And while it looks awesome, I'd say the chance that it goes into production is pretty slim.

(Credit: General Motors)

The uber-performance version of Cadillac's sportiest model is slated to hit dealerships at the end of this year. Its 6.2 liter supercharged LSA engine delivers an estimated 550 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. It also features Magnetic Ride Control, an "industry-first Performance Traction Management program" (although I'm not quite sure what that means), as well as a new automatic transmission with paddle-shift control (some of us recognized the extra space for the paddles on the steering column when we drove the 2008 CTS earlier this year).

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Audi's sleek supercar gets an update with a 12-cylinder diesel engine -- a first for a high-performance road car. The V12 TDI (which stands for turbo diesel injection), generates 500 horsepower and an impressive 738 pound-feet of torque. The V12 TDI is closely related to the engine in the Audi R10, the two-time Le Mans winner. I love how the car looks, but I'm still befuddled by that giant strip of carbon fiber down the side.

(Credit: Fisker Automotive)

I'm hoping for good karma for Henrik Fisker, best known for his designs of the Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and BMW Z8. The Great Dane is launching his first car built from the ground up, powered by plug-in hybrid technology. The drivetrain, developed by Quantum Technologies, consists of a small gasoline engine that turns a generator to charge a lithium-ion battery pack. The batteries power the electric motor and turn the rear wheels. With a zero-to-60 time of less than 6 seconds and a top speed of more than 125 miles per hour, the Karma is definitely poised to be a Tesla-killer.

(Credit: General Motors)

My number one car (though a tough call) evokes images of Tim Allen doing his manly grunt on Home Improvement. The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful and fastest production car ever made by parent company General Motors. It features a new, supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V-8 engine that cranks out a jaw-dropping 620 horsepower and about 595 pound-feet of torque. GM says the ZR1 will be the first production Corvette to achieve a top speed of at least 200 miles per hour. But those speed junkies and midlife crisis victims still need to hang on a big longer -- the ZR1 won't arrive until this summer.

Comedian Jay Leno is known for his coveted collection of performance cars, but here is one Leno's babies that had eyebrows raising all over the SEMA show here in Las Vegas. This Pratt & Miller-designed road rocket come with an 8.2-liter engine--that's 1.2-liters more displacement than the "regular" competition Corvette CR.6 on which it's based. Not only is it equipped with a T-56 six-speed transmission, Arvin Meritor dynamic ride control suspension, and a K&N air filter with carbon-fiber ram air induction, it also has a Dewitt high-capacity aluminum radiator with dual cooling fans, a Corsa performance exhaust, and a Brembo GT brake package.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

(Credit: CNET Networks)

And, not only is it adorned with carbon fiber accents, a modified C6R-inspired front fascia, BBS-sourced 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels, widened front and rear quarters, and C6R LED tail lights....and not only does it have all this, plus a custom designed instrument panel, steering wheel, and gear shifter....It is also an E85 flex-fuel vehicle that means it can be run almost entirely on corn.

Given Callaway Cars' close proximity to New York City in Old Lyme, Conn., this week's auto show was the logical locale for a debut.

Arguably the best work from Callaway Cars designer Paul Deutschman, the C16 cabriolet was introduced to the public at the 2007 New York International Auto Show on Thursday. Company founder Reeves Callaway introduced the car.

Callaway unveils the C16 cabriolet

(Credit: Candace Lombardi/CNET Networks)

Callaway C16 coupe

(Credit: Callaway Cars)

The cabriolet incorporates the same bulging bodylines and race inspired "form follows function" design of the C16 coupe, which was based originally on the Corvette C6. The loss of a top, however, has resulted (thankfully) in the loss of those less-than-inspiring rear pillars that broke up the side and rear profile of the C16 coupe.

Deutchman's design is unmarred by door handles. The C16 has an antenna buried in its body that responds to the owner passing her hand over an area of the door, as long as the keychain is in her pocket.

Callaway C16 cabriolet

(Credit: Callaway Cars)

Of course, many will say that the C16 is not about looking good. The base 560 horsepower engine (upgradeable to a 616 horsepower behemoth) will get you to the inevitable traffic jam on the Merritt Parkway faster than you can say, "I told you to take 95!"

The car does a top speed of 206 mph, goes from zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds and does the quarter-mile in 10 seconds--all the while maintaining a 100,000 warranty. The carbon magnesium hybrid wheels weigh only 17.2 pounds each, compared with the usual 28 pounds from an aluminum one.

And the interior ain't bad either.

(Credit: Candace Lombardi/CNET Networks)

The car is emissions-compliant in all 50 states and gets about 18 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway, according to Callaway.

All this for roughly the price of two regular C6 Corvette convertibles. The C16 cabriolet starts at $128,000.

Update: The original post incorrectly stated the speed of the C16. It does the quarter-mile in 11 seconds and has a top speed of 206 mph.

Give your computer a Corvette interface.

(Credit: Stardock)

If you spend all day at a computer but would rather be out driving twisty roads in a Corvette, this desktop theme will assuage your passion, a little. GM let software maker Stardock use its Corvette brand to create a full Windows desktop theme. Stardock has been redesigning the Windows interface for a long time, so this theme does more than add a Corvette picture to the wallpaper and change a few icons. The software pack comes with a Corvette-themed media player, a Corvette clock and calendar, and a weather application, presumably so your computer can tell you if it's a particularly nice day for driving. The theme also comes with a Corvette engine sound that plays at startup, a great way to get started in the morning and annoy your cubicle mates. The theme costs $19.95 and is downloadable from Stardock.

Corvettes and video games, is there anything more American?

As with other car contests, part of the prize for "Best in Show" at the fourth annual Gran Turismo Awards at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas was that the car would be featured in a video game.

A 1960 Chevy Corvette by Art Morrison Enterprises, who also took Best Hot Rod at the November 2006 event, will be featured in the next edition of Gran Turismo.

(Credit: Art Morrison)

This will not simply be an artist's rendering.

Jalopnik reports that the guys from Gran Turismo have recently digitally scanned the 1960 Corvette--and not just the body to get a feel for its curves.

Most people agree that cars in Gran Turismo handle the same way as they do in real life. Gran Turismo's method for translating car performance into accurate digital simulation is secret, but its interaction with the Corvette gives you an idea of how things are done.

In order to make a "binary reproduction," a red laser hooked up to a computer scanned the car. The Corvette was produced in real time on a computer screen as a detailed three-dimensional line drawing. In addition to the car's interior, the Corvette was put on a lift to get exact details like the shape of the exhaust headers, according to Jalopnik. Photos of the car and videos of it in action were also taken and will be used to fill in the 3D wire model, with plans to do more filming of the car in action.

The Gran Turismo crew said it will take six months to build an exact "working" digital replica of the 1960 Chevy Corvette. That is longer than it took to rebuild the actual car.

(Credit: Gizmodo)

It's Valentine's Day, so we'll take this opportunity to declare our affection for all things metal and shiny (on the desktop, anyway). Just as we pined away for the aluminum Onkyo hardware barely a week ago, we are similarly taken with this Speed Link keyboard made of the same material.

Gizmodo rightly questions the practicality of this item, especially calling out its "compact" key arrangement. But we're a superficial lot here at Crave, and our heads are easily turned by a pretty peripheral--especially one that's ultra-thin with a jet-black metal finish and backlit LED keys. Plus, what's $97 for a little guilty pleasure? We really have to do something about this midlife crisis.