This weekend Automopedia witnessed one of the best Ohio traditions – The Loraine Co. Fair & Wellington Demolition Derby. If you have the means to see a demo derby we highly recommend checking one out. There’s nothing like an open field, the smell of fresh mud, grass-fed hot dogs & hamburgers, the roar of V8 & V10, and the sounds of smashing metal. Part of the fun is spotting what make and model each demo car is before a bout – and seeing what’s left of them after.

Here are a few hints – pretty much all Demolition Derby vehicles are American Made Automobiles – because frankly those imports come apart way too easily. Also, most of the vehicles are 4-door sedans from the mid-1970′s to late 1980′s (Except for one Mercury Grand Marquis, circa 1994, that popped in this year). The winner of each bout, which this year consisted of a Lincoln Town Car, a Cadillac Coupe DeVille, one early 70′s Dodge Charger and a rare Ford Crown Vic station wagon, went on until the final round – where it’s white knuckle driving until the last car stands. So, grab your trucker hat and bag-o-kettle corn, cause Automopedia is goin’ down home to the ol’ fairgrounds for some demo derby action! Let us know your results with a comment, we’ll update you once we figure out which car is which under all the carnage.

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Ever wonder where those stunning freeze-frame images for auto maker ads and press releases come from? In Spotlight: Automotive Photography Automopedia takes a look at the people behind the lens. To the viewer, pretty pictures of cars may be something nice to pin on your Apple’s desktop – for car companies (and the artists who shoot such work) one photo can make or break a sale. This time around we’re taking a look at Todd Johnson Productions Inc. – whose campaigns have included photo shoots with Mercury, Suzuki, Opel, Toyota and Nissan.

From Todd Johnson’s Bio: Todd Johnson is an award-winning photographer whose work with automobiles and action photography has been leading a new generation of shooters for nearly a decade.Todd deliberately works with only a few clients at a time so he can devote himself to each step of any project even in the busiest time of year. Saatchi and Saatchi of LA have hired Todd repeatedly for the last eight years to shoot for Toyota, often at Toyota’s request. Todd’s work for Toyota includes the launch of the Sequoia, RAV4, New Tacoma, and PreRunner as well as work on Supra, Solara, Camry, Land Cruiser, Avalon, T100, Celica, and Tercel. Other clients include Opel, Suzuki, Coca-Cola, Kodak, Mazda, Infiniti, Nissan, Mercedes, Sea-Doo, Mack Trucks, Wired, Polaris, Mitsubishi, Honda, Mercury, and BF Goodrich.

Todd’s images of Toyota cars, trucks and SUV’s as well as shots for most other major car companies, have adorned websites and official press releases for years. His images place each vehicle in a real life situation, on a road or street that appears part waking world, part dream-scape. We hope your eyes enjoy, and check back soon for another Spotlight: Automotive Photography from Automopedia.

All Images Copyright Todd Johnson Productions Inc.

2009 has already been an interesting year for automotive design. From cars with 24 tires to vehicles with no wheels at all – we take a look at some of the odd-ball concepts headed our way in 2009 and beyond.

10 – Jeep Patriot EV

Jeep fans will be able to enjoy the luxury of 40 miles on a charge and 400 miles total travel (with combined gas-electric travel) by 2010 at the latest. That is, as long as Jeep survives the next couple months. Chrysler has also promised their Jeep Electric Vehicle will hit a quarter mile in under 16 seconds.

9 – Lincoln C Concept

We don’t know much about Lincoln’s little surprise from this year’s Detroit Auto Show, but their C Concept looks like it will bring a company known more for large vehicles into the small car segment with ease. The Lincoln C keeps a tradition of luxury with a sense of new compact style from the auto maker, with those wide open doors taken straight off a classic Continental body.

8 – Acura 2+1 Concept

Acura’s 2+1 concept takes a unique approach to body style and passenger room. From a design angle this vehicles looks like something created by Hollywood special effects icon Syd Mead. It’s glass dome gives us a peek into the 2+1 seating arrangement – two people in the front and room for your kid (or dog, or cat) in the back.

7 – Toyota Winglet

If you really, really, really hate walking, or peddling a bike, and have $3500 to spare you’ll love the Toyota Winglet. This so-called Segway rip-off killer is lighter than the Seg and costs roughly $2K less. Wingleg is not only a personal walker, it’s a massager! Better get in line though, only 25 production Winglets will be on sale in 2009, with more to come in 2010.

6 – Marussia, Russian Electric Sportscar

In Mother Russia – electricity drives you! The Marussia Electric Roadster has a tube chassis, making modular changes to the vehicle as easy as clicking together Legos. The Marussia claims to get 248 miles on a charge, and will cost somewhere in the vicinity of $100k.

5 – Carbon Fiber Lotus Elise

Yes, carbon fibers. And yes, the actual Lotus Elise is a 2002 model, but the carbon fiber body is a recent edition. Interior and exterior throughout has been fully replaced with a custom carbon fiber body, cutting weight down to between 66 and 88 lbs. What does all this mean? Speed, lots of speed.

4 – Myers Motors EV

Straight out of Ohio based Myers Motors comes the Myers NMG (meaning No More Gas) is a $29,995 tiny piece of modern technology. This electric vehicle can travel up to 50 miles on a charge, with a top speed of 75 MPH and zero to sixty in 12.5 seconds. Myers has been in and out of a little financial ambiguity these days, but they were showing off at 2009′s North American International Auto Show.

3 – BAT 11dk

The BAT was a concept car built by a man named Gary. Sometime during the construction of his previous prototype Gary’s wife began battling breast cancer. He sold off his older BAT concept (the BAT 9) along with a Ferrari F40 and most of his savings to finance experimental treatment for his partner. The BAT 11 is a tribute to his love’s memory.

2 – Knight XV Armored Biofuel SUV

Looking to prowl urban wastelands but not harm mother nature? You should pick up this Armored Biofuel SUV – dubbed Knight XV (that’s 15 for those of you know have never seen a Rocky or Star Trek film). This $310,000 beast includes 2.5 inch thick bullet proof windows, armor plating all around and ballistic hardened steel and ballistic fiberglass fenders and bumpers. The Knight uses a 6.8-liter V10 engine getting 400 horse power – all on biofuel!

1 – Michelin SOFT Private Vehicle

Spanish engineering designer Raquel Aparicio Lopez foresees a future where vehicles are controlled not by drivers, but by GPS Systems – thus ending road collisions. Since human error will no longer be an issue behind the wheel “soft” cars could be put into use. Her concept creates a vehicle made of foam, a durable, recyclable material. It can be manipulated in any desired shape and colored to whatever fits our mood that week. The interior will conform to the passenger when they sit. According to the car’s description: A private vehicle proposed for those who appreciate individuality and privacy. A vehicle where interior and exterior will be understood in a different way, where the relation between them will change from what we have nowadays. The interior becomes the most important part containing the wheels that contain the engine and the passengers, and supporting the soft exterior. The exterior will contain the control panels to communicate with the system. A future of automotive individuality may be just around the corner.

Since the days of MTV’s Pimp My Ride we’ve seen some bizarre monstrosities hit the streets of cities big and small. And we all had that time when you or your high school kid wanted a two-foot tall spoiler bolted to the trunk of their boxy Nissan Sentra, thinking it looked good. Well, we have to tell you, it didn’t – In fact, you look like a tool. There’s a certain finesse one needs, an attitude, in order to pull off a totally awesome pimped ride without looking like that skinny white kid from The Offspring’s Pretty Fly, For A White Guy Video. We’re not sure whether or not the rides below count as “dope” or “mad hot” or whatever you darn youths are saying these days. Some of them probably couldn’t be taken seriously if you had members of the Bloods behind the wheel. But you have to think someone loved these beasts, because pimping your ride don’t come cheap.

Pimp Them Rides!

Pimped Out Caddy School Bus

This pimped Cadillac SUV-turned-school bus has been a staple of the internet for almost as long as Banana Phone. We’re guessing it’s an Escalade – but we remember this lowered bus being around long before Cadillac started that sport utility’s run. Unfortunately, this van isn’t rockin’ – and looks more like the short bus.

Suburban Pimp Classic – Acura Integra

You know the guy – he’s short and a little thick, probably as pale as your grandmother’s underarms, but seriously considers himself a thug. And thanks to movies like Fast and the Furious with Paul Walker he’s pretty much been vindicated. And he almost always drives a dropped down, supped up Acura Integra (sometimes it was a Honda Civic – but under all the fins and paint who can even tell anymore?) You don’t see too many spinner hubcaps on these puppies, but there is always a loud coffee can exhaust that would wake you as he dropped off your self loathing daughter at 1 am.

Japanese Pimped Trucks

It’s actually huge in Japanese trucking culture – these anime looking semi’s can haul cargo, live stock, lumber, and contain more lights than the New Jersey Boardwalk in July. It’s probably hard to get any work done with people gawking at your truck, or maybe that’s just the point. These rides are part of a “Truck Art” movement in the far east.

Pimp Your Soccer Mom – Lowered Minivan

Face it, your mom is not the coolest chick in the neighborhood. Maybe you could convince her to lower that Dodge Caravan and put some spinners inside those Firestone tires she got from Sears Auto. The first day of school you’ll ride up and impress the hell out of all those 5th graders. Then every day after that you’ll probably be laughed at or beaten up.

We are still trying to figure out if that pimped minivan is Photo Shopped.

Raised Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo’s with hydrolics and ridiculously over sized rims are am American as apple pie and hookers on East 47th St. (trust us, they are still in Manhattan). The low rider/hydro culture seems to have a love for those late ’70′s thru mid ’80′s boxy GM models. I mean don’t we all want to be as bad ass as Denzel from Training Day? “You’re in the office baby.”

Pimp That H2

Hummers are pretty much only good (at least anymore) for having ludicrous auto-video systems put into their trunks. With fluctuating gas prices you’d pretty much have to park your H2 in the garage and never move it again. This ride pimper has some great ideas, notice his subs in the rear doors. And is that a flat panel HDTV? Hope the security system in that truck includes tasers and starving pit bulls.

Pimp Your X-Wing – Star Wars Toyota Tercel

Katie Horn is probably one of the cutest Star Wars geeks (we use the G word with all love Katie) we’ve ever seen online. She’s so dedicated to her passion for all this Lucas that she transformed her Toyota Tercel into a X-Wing. It may look sloppy at first, but she’s got some great detail on this ride – those black smudges are actually blast marks from other…umm…fighters? Ms. Horn, you are a Real American Hero (even if you are not American).

Pimp My…Turtle?

We have absolutely NO idea why this was created or what it is – aside from the obvious VW New Beetle/Bug transformed into a turtle. Gives new meaning to the term “I’ve got a turtle head pokin’ out.”

Bonus – Best Pimped Car Accessories

Pimp My Muffler – Exhaust Spinners

As if your hole-punctured exhaust is not loud enough, there’s more glam to add with a spinner you can pop right on the end. Don’t expect to pass an inspection with it.

Pimp My…Shit, my XP crashed again!

Ok, seriously, how many speakers, monitors, gaming systems and hard drives do you need in one vehicle? Just hand your keys over to a chop shop and save yourself from a possible pistol whipping.

Get Fuzzy

Any good pimp needs his plush lavender interior.