Ford's bright yellow Tonka concept truck borrows heavily from the heavy-metal, sibling-bashing iconic toy that's a toddler's favorite. In one of the strangest ventures in reverse automobile engineering, Ford is expressing the workhorse theme embraced by the collectible Tonka toy trucks in a full-size vehicle based on the company's super-duty F-350 pickup. (The deal with Tonka is for using the name on this concept only.

Talk about irony. I'm driving one of the world's most environmentally responsible cars into Las Vegas, the world capital of excess.

My ride is the HydroGen1, General Motors' zero-emission fuel-cell-powered development vehicle, and I'm taking it over for the last leg of a 230-mile endurance run dubbed Challenge Bibendum by organizer Michelin. Participating are a host of alternative-fuel vehicles, including nine fuel cell cars.

PS RATING: B




As a licensed massage therapist, I get a lot of "could you rub my shoulders for just a minute?" But sadly, offers to reciprocate are infrequent. So I was more than happy to try Inada's new H.9 Shiatsu Massage Chair, a top-seller in Japan that is now available in America.



Shiatsu involves applying pressure to specific points on the body; the key spots vary by person. As such, I was skeptical as to how the chair would find mine.

PS TECHNOLOGY QUOTIENT: 37 (OUT OF 50)

Enthusiasts have their hot hatchback back! Honda's Civic Si reigned for 15 years as the affordable hot rod, then disappeared two years ago when the Japanese automaker embarked on a major remodel of its entry-level sedan.

During that time, front-drive street machines that were inspired by the Si gained in popularity, and new production cars like Volkswagen's Golf GTI and Ford's Focus SVT quickly drew a following. Reintroduced this year, the Civic Si is playing catch-up.

It was a plum assignment, one I'd dreamed about since my teenage days at the local arcade: test the latest game systems -- the all-new Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube, plus Sony's year-old PlayStation 2 -- and, in the end, pick the best.

When a Concorde jet on its way from Paris to New York crashed on July 25, 2000, killing all 109 people aboard and four on the ground, the event was not simply a tragedy -- it seemed a metaphor for the sorry state of supersonic air travel.

It's a dream come true for middle-age kids everywhere. Mattel has produced a life-size version of its original Hot Wheels car, 1969's
Twin Mill. Powered by two Chevy 502 big blocks, the real Twin
Mill reportedly spits out more than 1,400 horses. And while it's fully driveable, it's built to be shown off at auto shows and races, not on the street. And no, it's not for sale.

You could dismissively label the Merlin Roadster a rich man's toy, a topless wonder that's impractical and irrelevant. You could, but you'd be wrong. The pod-like three-wheeler, which hits dealerships this summer, gets 60 miles per gallon. As important, its 88-cubic-inch V-twin engine pushes it past 100 mph, faster than you can say "autobahn"-quite
a thrill when you're just a foot off the pavement. Toy? Try hot-rod.
And, at $23,900, a reasonably priced one too.

Four new European supercars are bursting onto the U.S. scene in 2002, two years late for the dot-commers, but right on schedule for anyone who still has a few extra million in his pocket. But which to choose? All feature raw power, from the 350-hp Lotus Esprit V8 to the 570-hp Lamborghini Murcielago. This being a recession and all, here's how to get the most get-up for your dollar.