"I bought it because it's the best number," said Khouri, whose family made its fortune in real estate. "I bought it because I want to be the best in the world." The oil-rich UAE began auctioning off vanity license plates last May.

Ordinary automobile license plates issued to drivers here -- and even most other vanity series plates -- carry both Arabic and Western numerals and script, defining the issuing city and country. Khouri's plate, however, has only the Western numeral and no letters. The record sale surpassed the $6.8 million that was paid for an Emirati license plate at an earlier auction with the Western number 5 on it -- also without Arabic numerals or letters.

A new footwear design concept that aims to make women safer and more comfortable behind the wheel, without compromising on their style, is launched today.

Sheilas' Wheels has developed the Sheila Driving Heel which gives women the best of both worlds - a safe, flat driving shoe and a glamorous pair of heels in one - all interchangeable at a push of a button. More than 11.5 million* women drivers in the UK are putting themselves and other drivers at risk by wearing the wrong footwear when behind the wheel, according to new research from Sheilas' Wheels - the car insurer for women.

One in ten (10%) female motorists admit that they have had a car accident or a near-miss because of their shoes slipping off or getting stuck between, or under, the foot pedals whilst driving.

The Safe Shoes report shows that a massive 80% of female drivers wear inappropriate footwear when in control of a car - choosing style over safety. A third (33%) of all female drivers confess to wearing flip-flops, while 18% claim that they have worn no shoes at all when driving, which experts say can be extremely hazardous and is currently illegal in some parts of the UK**.

In fact, just under half (47%) of women drivers said they chose what shoes to wear when getting ready in the morning based on what went best with their outfit rather than being the safest for driving in.

Under a fifth (17%) of female drivers keep a spare pair of driving shoes in the car to change into, while nearly a quarter (23%) admit they can't be bothered to change their shoes when behind the wheel even if they know they are not the safest for driving.

Jacky Brown, spokesperson for Sheilas' Wheels, said: "It's astonishing that so many women are putting themselves, their passengers and other drivers at risk by wearing the wrong shoe or no shoe at all whilst behind the wheel. Stilettos, sling-backs and strappy sandals aren't the sensible choice when it comes to controlling a car."

"Our Sheila Driving Heel design could provide safety-conscious female motorists with the ultimate driving shoe - allowing women to wear a safe flat shoe whilst driving, and a fashionable heel once they are out of the car."

The report highlighted that 63% of women called for better guidelines to advise them on the correct form of footwear to wear when driving. A lack of understanding is clearly evident as over half (54%) of female motorists believed that sports trainers were the safest shoes to drive in - even though their thick soles and chunky design limit both movement between, and contact with, the pedals.

Dianne Ferreira, spokesperson for Brake the national road safety charity, added: "An alarming number of female drivers simply do not realise the danger they are putting themselves, and others, in by driving in inappropriate shoes. High heels, platforms and flip-flops can seriously hamper your ability to drive safely, and could have fatal consequences. It only takes a few seconds to change your shoes before each journey to help ensure you arrive safely."

The automaker is asking customers driving new models of two of its flagship sedans to keep their car keys and cellphones at least an inch apart to avoid disabling the "intelligent keys." Cellphones kept near Nissan's I-Keys -- wireless devices designed to allow drivers to enter and start their cars at the push of a button -- can erase the electronic code on the keys, rendering them unable to unlock or start the cars.

The problem has occurred on the 2007 Nissan Altima and Infiniti G35 sedans -- two of their top-selling models, the company said on Thursday. "We discovered that if the I-Key touches a cellphone, outgoing or incoming calls have the potential to alter the electronic code inside the I-Key," Nissan spokesman Kyle Bazemore said. "The car won't start and the I-Key cannot be reprogrammed," he added.

The problem has occurred in a "very small percentage" of cars sold, Bazemore said. He also said a new version of the I-Key would be available in the fall. Bazemore said current owners have been notified of the potential glitch via mail and can get new keys from dealers if they encounter the problem.

Toyota sold more cars and trucks around the world in the first three months of 2007 than any other manufacturer, surpassing General Motors for the first time and ending one of the longest runs of dominance in all of global industry. Toyota announced today that its worldwide sales reached 2.35 million cars and trucks in the first quarter; G.M. had previously announced its total of 2.26 million vehicles in the same period.

Toyota's ascendancy, which many in the industry have predicted for some time, is another milestone in America's long decline from unchallenged industrial preeminence. G.M. swept past Ford in 1931 in the enormous American car market and in worldwide sales, and barely looked back for seven decades. But a combination of inattention to quality, strained labor relations, adverse regulatory decisions and a slowness to recognize the potential for small cars eroded G.M.'s seemingly insurmountable lead starting in the mid-1960s.

Emerging from the ashes of Japan's World War II defeat, thanks in part to American assistance during the Korean War, Toyota established itself through the 1970s and 1980s as the industry’s standard for quality and reliability. It has since built a reputation for technological leadership as well, most notably with the Prius and other hybrid cars. Toyota took the worldwide lead in the first quarter as it stepped up sales in every major market. G.M. continued to gain market share in China, but is struggling in the United States and Europe and has never been able to gain a firm foothold in the Japanese market.

G.M. and Toyota spokesmen were equally reluctant today to portray their companies as engaged in a global car race for leadership. G.M. has been trying to emphasize its future as an international automaker - three-fifths of its sales are now outside the United States - and not on the storied greatness of its past. "We're focused on providing the best cars and trucks for our customers all around the world," said John M. McDonald, a G.M. spokesman in Detroit. "We're not focused on a race."

Toyota has been leery of the attention, and often the criticism, that frequently come with being the biggest in such a high-profile industry. For example, Toyota has frequently found itself singled out as a main target of trade restrictions in the United States and Europe, and this has made the company cautious of being seen as too large or too aggressive. "We look at the results as simply a reflection of how our products are viewed favorably around the world," said Paul Nolasco, a company spokesman in Tokyo. "We don't just make them and push them out the door - we have a 'pull' system and we build them when they are ordered." Industry analysts were less reticent. "It is a historic moment" for Toyota, said Benjamin Asher of Automotive Resources Asia, which was acquired last year by J.D. Power & Associates. "Everyone was expecting it to assume the No. 1 position - the question was when."

CompleteAuto, a Rocket City Automotive Group company, is an eBay Motors certified solution provider. The company offers software, personnel and design options to automotive dealerships throughout the U.S. CompleteAuto and Rocket City Automotive are based in Orlando.

Founded in 2004, CompleteAuto announced today that it passed the 10,000 mark with 10,191 vehicles currently listed on eBay Motors. eBay Motors receives 12 million visitors each month and has 168 million registered users.

Rocket City Automotive Company was established to acquire, manage, supervise and operate corporations specializing in eBay, eBay Motors services, eCommerce, software development and retail automotive operations.

HOW does a carmaker unlock the door to reaching distracted, elusive customers in an increasingly competitive category? Nissan North America is hoping the answer may lie with, um, keys.

A campaign to promote a push-button ignition system on the 2007 Nissan Altima sedan is to begin this week and continue through March 30. For the promotion, 20,000 key rings will be deliberately "lost" in bars, concert halls, sports arenas and other public places in seven large markets.

Each key ring will have three keys, all real, and two tags. The biggest key resembles a car key and the other two look as if they could fit the locks on house or office doors.

*****

Although the idea for the promotion was a simple one, "it was fairly complicated" to see to fruition, Ms. Erwin said, requiring "one supplier for the keys, one for the key tags and a third to assemble the key rings." The car keys are blanks, Ms. Erwin said, and the other keys are cut. "We're hopeful they don't fit a real house," she added, laughing.

But the NADA survey of almost 400 automotive retailers nationwide found that dealers are making the biggest stride in adding interactive tools that give online shoppers new ways to research and price cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles and schedule appointments. Six years ago only 57% of dealers offered manufacturer suggested retail pricing data online vs. 88% in 2006.

In 2006, 68.3% of auto dealers had an interactive tool that enables owners to book a service appointment, compared to only 41.8% in 2000. In addition, 75.5% of dealers last year let consumers use their web site to submit financial forms and 68% offered car buyers the option to schedule a specific time to visit a showroom.

More important, the Internet is helping dealers to close more sales, with the web generating an average of 62 leads per month in 2006 vs. 32 monthly leads in 2000. On average last year, dealers closed on about 30% of all Internet leads, compared with 18.5% in 2000.

But dealers still have room for improvement, the NADA says. Only 17.1% of dealers respond to a web-based customer inquiry within 20 minutes, compared with 43.9% within one hour; 26.5% within six hours; 10.8% within one business day and 1.7% between one and three business days, the study found.

Among the most gawked-at attractions was the Cruisers Yacht 520 Express, a $1.1 million yacht with a cherry wood interior, a cockpit bar and grill, and therapeutic foam mattresses in each stateroom.

Unlike car shows, boat shows are designed to move inventory as well as display the industry's latest models.

The show, which began on December 30 and runs through January 7, represents a chance for dealers to earn a large chunk of their profits for the year, with companies earning nearly 30 percent of their annual income from the New York show alone, show manager Michael Duffy said.

"We're encouraged by the economy," said Bob Moseley, a salesman manning the Cruisers Yachts booth.

In less than eight minutes, Saks Fifth Avenue sold all 20 special-edition 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL600s in its gift catalog for a cool $160,000 each. Neiman Marcus' 50 limited-edition BMW M6 convertibles sold out in just 92 seconds. The $139,000 price included a four-day trip to the company's factory in Munich.

At Saks Fifth Avenue, box sets of clothing and accessories are big holiday gifts this year - and they're pre-selected by Saks fashion experts. For men, you can buy a set of cufflinks, a pocket handkerchief, and tie that go together; for women, there are box sets of cosmetics with gifts like body lotions and fragrances.

If you have time to look through the racks at Saks, there are pre-selected shirt and silk tie combos, like those from Holliday & Brown (retails for $140), and even pre-packaged undergarment sets, like the "Joy To Couture Boyshort Set" from Juicy Couture (retails for $58.)

"Pre-selected combinations are great," said Andree Corroon, Vice President of Communications at Saks. "You come in, look, and boom, there it is."

Whether it be a luxury Lexus or clunker from the classifieds, the gift of a car just isn't the same without a big bow on top of the hood. That was Lynda King's thinking when she started King Size Bows five years ago, after she was unable to find a bow for a car she bought for her teenage daughter's birthday.

"People always ask about it," King said. "People always wonder about it, where they come from. It's every wife's fantasy to run outside and find a new car with a big bow on it."

The idea stayed in the back of King's mind for a while, and after consulting with some of her area car dealers, she began developing a bow that would ship and assemble easily. This year, she expects her Newport Beach, Calif.-business to sell about 15,000 to 20,000 bows, which sell for $48 each and come in a variety of designs.

Many of the bows go to car dealerships, especially Lexus dealers, which feature even larger bows in their holiday advertising.

Black cars denote an aggressive personality or someone who's an outsider or rebel.

Silver cars indicate someone who's cool, calm and slightly aloof.

Green cars can often be chosen by people with hysterical tendencies.

Yellow cars signify someone who is idealistic and novelty loving.

Blue cars are chosen by the more introspective, reflective and cautious driver.

Gray cars represent those who are calm, sober and dedicated to their work.

Red cars denote those who are full of zest, energy and drive and who think, move and talk quickly.

Pink cars are chosen by gentle, loving and affectionate drivers.

White cars represent status-seeking extrovert drivers.

Cream cars are the least likely to be involved in accidents and denote self-contained and controlled owners.

Thats right, this is not a clone or replica! This is one of the actual cars built for and used in Christine by John Carpenter and Stephen King. This is car # 14, it has a full documented history verifying its authenticity. For the movie the car was fitted with a roll cage and a low mounted solo seat so that the driver would be out of site and the car would appear self driving. After the movie the cars interior was restored back to origional so it could be used more practically. The stunt parts are included. This car has been on display in our museum for the past 5 years and has not been for sale. It is the most talked about car, more so than even the Batmobile. It is one of, if not these most significant movie cars of all times. While lots of cars are used in movies, this car was the movie! The main character with the movie being named after her. Also unlike many high profile movie cars, this one does not carry any contract limiting its commercial use. One of our most prescious movie cars. However it is time to let someone else enjoy it so we can make room for a new display.

We can connect to 911 without a cell phone, global positioning systems know where we are and where we want to go, cameras tell us it’s OK to back up, warning systems let us know if we can change lanes and video screens entertain us. These new levels of comfort and connectivity, which were unimaginable 10 years ago, are expected by today’s consumers. But when things break, the cost to repair them often stuns owners. Sure, your insurance company may cover the repair, but they won’t forget you made a claim.

"People who are optioning their new vehicles are so focused on the latest technologies, they never think about what it would cost to repair or replace that item," said Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute. "The average amount of any insurance claim today is $4,000 on top of a deductible. Replacing a rear camera, for example, is $4,000. With a $500 deductible, that raises the cost to $4,500."

According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, expensive items to replace include: Xenon headlights with washers, $1,600; adaptive cruise-control components, $1,300 to $3,700; adaptive headlights with washers, $2,000; power-heated turn-signal side mirrors, $443 to nearly $1,000; back-up cameras, $4,200; and rear-parking assists, $900.

"Technology is expensive," said Tony Molla, vice president of communications at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, which has a certification program for independent service professionals.

"My daughter wanted an iPod for Christmas," he said. "It cost $400. A Pentium processor microchip costs $1,200 to $1,500. The same costs apply to automotive technology. Generally these parts are made to last the life of a vehicle, unless there’s an accident."

That’s the good news. If any electronic system fails under warranty -- and they do from time to time -- they are replaced by the dealer. Warranties are getting longer, sometimes covering up to five years, and everyone has car insurance that covers most damage caused by accidents. But there may be a big deductible, and if the claim is big enough, you can be certain your rates are going to escalate.

The new tax credits replace a $2,000 tax deduction on hybrids that's been available in recent years. Credits are usually far more lucrative than deductions, because credits reduce your tax bill dollar for dollar, while deductions reduce your taxable income. For someone in the top 35% tax bracket, the old $2,000 deduction produced a $700 tax savings.

The Internal Revenue Service has yet to release final guidance on the credits, but energy-conservation advocacy groups estimate the credits will range from $250 to $3,400, based on fuel economy and vehicle weight.

To see a list of the estimated tax credits on current and expected hybrid car models, check out www.aceee.org/transportation/hybtaxcred.htm. Of 21 hybrids listed, 14 have estimated credits in excess of $1,000. Three probably won't be eligible for credits. (At least one state, Colorado, has a state tax credit, too.)