THE BEST Rides

Swapping dual light sabers for dual orange-accented bumper vents, this Darth Maul-styled BMW M3 could kill Jedi with its ultra clean looks, carbon fiber bits and black 20″ rims.

Winter is just a melting memory in the northern hemisphere, but Patrik Petersson’s Kvant Motorbike is actually designed for urban commuters (and Aspen snobs) who live in snow climes.

The Ferrari F430 will bow out soon, but this Calavera ensures it’ll go out in a tatooed blaze of glory; it sports a 707 hp twin supercharged engine, a 0-60 of 3.5s and tops out at 216mph.

To debut at the 2009 Salon Prive, the Veritas RS III eschews a roof and windshield for pure speed (the passenger seat also seals up); it’ll go 0-60 in 3.2s with a 600hp BMW 5.0L V10.

This Electric GreenGT concept is both eco- and drool-friendly, with a carbon fiber chassis/fiberglass body, 450hp and a ridiculous 1,895 lb-ft of torque driven by Li-ions and solar panels.

Kudos to David Osborne for being ultra efficient: his traveling drum kit serves as both his ride and his gig, with a bicycle that can be transformed into a drumset in only 20 minutes.

We’d break an arm just to ride in this BMW X6 Ambulance; with a 407hp 4.4L V8 and LED lights galore, this xDrive50i will get you to the hospital before you can say gesundheit.

The artists at Transmutant are neighbors we’d love to have, even with their pink flying Land Rovers and giant, four-legged robots; Don’t Panic has a quirky interview with the troupe here.

Gorgeous yet going to a good cause, Ferrari will be donating the proceeds from the sale of the last F430 of its assembly this year to victims of the April 2009 Abruzzo earthquake.

Based on Superformance’s Shelby, Exotic Auto’s Shelby Daytona Coupe Le Mans Edition features fender flares and 18″ shoes along with an upgraded suspension and interior.

Its looks may not be for everyone, but the 2010 BMW S 1000 RR superbike sports a crowd-pleasing 999cc engine and a 404 lb dry weight, good for 193 hp and 83 lb/ft of torque.

WorldBike is open source for bicycles: it’s a network of designers who offer free plans for high-strength, longer-wheelbase bikes that are well-suited to the needs of the developing world.

Artisan and Turbochargers.com’s 2010 Camaro SS SA-600 adds twin GTK350 turbochargers, a front-mounted intercooler, new exhaust system and remapped ECU, good for 600hp.

An optical replica of the legendary 1954-1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL, the Gullwing roadster sports a modern MIG-welded chassis, a 405hp 5.5L V8 and 7-speed auto gearbox.

The design language for cars is usually hoity-toity marketing speak, but Lexus’ “L-finesse” really comes to life with this gorgeous all-acrylic model of the LF-A supercar. Thanks, R.O.!

A mashup of Star Wars pod racing and WipEout HD, FormulaSexta was created to promote Formula 1 racing; trust us, if F1 ever looks like this we’ll be the first ones in the stands.

Winner of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge, this RoboScooter is part of a fleet of vehicles that will reduce pollution by providing mobility-on-demand; think Flex cars on steroids.

The Dartz Kombat T98 looks like a Hummer, but we doubt your H2 packs RPG-proof doors and windows; it can also haul overly well-fed Russian oil barons with its 8.1L Vortec V8.

Harkening back to a time when Volvos were sporty, Mattias Vocks is aiming to remake the classic Volvo P1800; this one will pack a modern XC90/S80 4.4L V8, turbocharged to 550-600hp.

At 4,000hp, MTU’s Engine Series 4000 isn’t their most powerful engine (their Series 8000 makes 12,000hp), but if you own a 7,200 ton frigate, this twin-turbo V20 will do the job.

With an extra 40 hp and 72 lb-ft of torque, this Audi A5 by AVUS is modestly tuned, but its sweet matte color scheme steals the show; it’s actually a foil wrap that plays wicked with the light.

Limited to 150, Triumph’s Daytona 675 Special Edition packs the same 675cc engine as the 675, but you can personalize it with carbon fiber bits, a quickshifter set, footrests and silencers.

SpaceShipTwo takes another step towards suborbital flight with this test flight for Virgin Galactic’s Eve; the WhiteKnightTwo mothership is a twin boom aircraft that will ferry spaceplanes.

Lotus’ Elise Purist Edition isn’t all that stripped down–you’ll still get the 1.8L, 190hp 4-banger, AC, stereo and power locks–but with an MSRP near 2005 prices, it’s a tough value to beat.

G-Power claims that their modded M6 Hurricane CS is the world’s fastest Bimmer coupe at 228mph, and with a twin-supercharged engine that pushes out 750 hp, we won’t argue.

On display at Cal Arts in Valencia 5/2-5/15, LB to SF is an art installation that uses a real bicycle to simulate a ride from Long Beach to San Francisco using a Wii controller and Blender.