Size does matter. And sometimes, the smaller the better. On today’s congested roads, the last thing you need is a double-parked Hummer, or a Maybach cautiously trying to parallel park in a space clearly meant for a Toyota iQ. Good things come in small packages, and when they’re really good, the best come back in smaller and updated packages. Case in point, the British Mini, or the BMW Mini.

Iconic during the psychedelic times of the 60s (remember George Harrison’s Tibetan and Sanskrit prayer painted Mini), the Mini is a common sight on UK roads today, at once cute, compact and stylish. It’s larger than its predecessor and weighs a bit more as well. However, retro rules today and its interior packs in Harman Kardon speakers seamlessly with auxiliary gauges. Lily Allen and Madonna have confessed to be die-hard Mini fans. The car’s even made it to Hollywood, featuring in Hitch, Austin Powers Goldmember, and a heist scene in the The Italian Job, giving it a good chance to show off its track driving abilities.

If you think just seeing one oldie back on the road doesn’t prove anything, think again. Volkswagen’s Beetle is still going strong. It’s expected to be phased out by 2011, to make way for possible variants including two-seater Beetle roadsters, SUV-type Beetles and the standard hard top.

The fat bubble Fiat 500 is back as well, rising from its death in the 70s. The new avatar is front-engined and front-wheel drive, and powered by a choice of three water-cooled engines (the original twin cylinder was air cooled) that include a 69bhp 1.2 petrol, a twin cam 100bhp 1.4 and a 75bhp 1.3 turbodiesel. Of course, there’s the usual paraphernalia of a built-in stereo with CD player and MP3 port, voice-activated Bluetooth phone integration, electric windows, power steering and a trip computer. It’s uber-stylish, and let’s face it, the Italians know their furniture so well, the interiors are worthy of their own showroom.

A visit to a vintage car rally reveals the human spirit to create the most bizarre things in the name of transport. The Goggomobil Dart, Messerschmitt cars, even Vespa cars, and the bubble-shaped BMW Isetta, which was originally designed by a refrigerator company with two doors, one at the front and the other at the back. Dare we hope to see a return of these? Or perhaps the Citroën 2CV and its classic Bauhaus body?

A return may take a while. In the meantime, there’s a whole new breed of smart city cars to look forward to: the Volkswagen Cross Polo is another new entry; the Aston Martin Cygnet is preparing to rival Toyota’s iQ; the sporty and incredibly expensive Audi A1. Both the Cygnet and A1 are expected at the end of 2010 and are priced between £14,000 to £25,000. If you’re feeling generous, they might be the greatest Christmas gift ideas ever. Especially if they’re just for yourself.

Another day, another kit car for your toupee-tousling amusement. This is the Heynsdyk 2500SF from Holland: a bespoke body placed over the engine, electronics, and drivetrain of a Porsche 944. The substantially lighter body, in galvanized steel, takes weight down to 900 kilograms (1,980 pounds) while maintaining 50/50 weight distribution. There are six engine choices, from a basic 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 163 horsepower, to a 2.5-liter four-pot S-motor with a turbo. That one will get you 250 horsepower, and from 0 to 60 in six seconds. Top speed is limited to 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour).

You can buy the car as a kit or a finished product, and prices start at €14,750 ($20,798 U.S.) for the kit, or €36,995 ($52,158 U.S.) for a ready runner. Like its countrymate Spyker, what the car might lack in beauty it makes up for in unique and arresting looks. Have a look for yourselves in the gallery of high-res photos below. Hat tip to Anton!

The GT Academy, the partnership between Sony’s Gran Turismo game and Nissan, released a time trial demo last month to begin searching for a racer good enough to jump from high-def screen to high-speed chicane. Last year Lucas Ordoñez was the first to go from gamer to racer, scoring a podium in his first race with the GT Academy team. You need to get on it if you want to follow in his footsteps, because you’ve already got a million competitors – that’s how many folks have downloaded the time trial in the first three weeks.

If that isn’t convincing enough, there is another less appealing reason to download the demo: GT5’s release has been delayed indefinitely. Sony didn’t indicate on its web site what caused the delay, saying only, “We apologize for any inconvenience.” It was not, however, the previously attributed marketing issues. Some reports point to “production issues” with the $60 million game. London’s Times newspaper, however, said analysts think this could be a deliberate Sony strategy. They suggest that Final Fantasy XIII did so well that Sony wants to release GT5 in the next financial year, after March, to lengthen the sales boost.

We’ll lean toward production issues as opposed to a deliberate strategy. Heck, we’d believe werewolves caused the delay before we’d believe this was planned. The game does look phenomenal but it’s already three years overdue, meanwhile Forza 3 eats into market share. On top of that, we have never heard of a successful business strategy that involved telling your biggest fans, repeatedly, “We don’t have it yet,” then switching to, “We don’t know when we’re gonna have it… um, we’ll call you.”

Will GT5 do well whenever it shows? Of course. But we will wonder how well it could have done. For now there’s always the GT Academy demo, and among those million downloaders you’ll want to look out for the one who goes by the name Duke Nukem Forever (whose initials are, coincidentally, DNF). There’s a press release on the time trial after the jump, and a pretty bunch of high-res screenshots below. Thanks to everyone who sent tips!

As far as Alfa Romeos go, the 8C Competizione is as exotic as they come. Still, some are looking for more. Originally, rumors surfaced that Alfa was working on a lightweight GTA version, but while we wait for that to pan out, Alfa tuner par excellence Autodelta is working on tuning the svelte supercar themselves.

Few details are known at this point, but a remapped ECU should squeeze out a modest 17 horsepower boost from the stock 444-hp, 4.7-liter Ferrari-developed V8. Autodelta is also working on fine-tuning the chassis, taking their 8C around some of the finest tracks in Europe to get it just right.

The result is slated to be unveiled at the Pistonheads Performance Car Show in Birmingham later this week, so stay tuned, and follow the jump for the press release in the meantime.

[Source: Autodelta]

Bentley was the only ultra-luxury marque to have a stand-alone display at the Detroit Auto Show and the British brand came strong with its upcoming Mulsanne flagship in the flesh and this special edition Continental to pique our interests. The Continental is already a stunner in its “base” trim, but not everybody is content with an “ordinary” Bentley.

The ultra-exclusive Continental adds a new Series 51 trim for 2010, named after Bentley’s first official styling department in the 1950s. Series 51 trim will be available for the entire Continental lineup and offer exclusive exterior design cues and a unique color palette. We’re talking three-tone leather with contrasting piping and stitching here, folks. Check the Series 51 box and you’ll also get 14-spoke, 20-inch wheels and a Series 51 badge on the front wings.

The new trim, which will be available throughout the Continental lineup, starts at $192,750 for the GT coupe. Click below to peruse our high resolution gallery of the Series 51 Continental GTC and hit the jump to read over the Bentley press release.

As with any other business, in the automotive sphere, it’s mission critical to recognize on which side your bread is buttered – particularly in lean times like these. Bugatti may be losing money on each Veyron it builds, but that doesn’t mean that company strategists don’t know how to earn a crust. Need proof? This month’s Dubai Motor Show finds the supercar builder unveiling a trio of special edition models in one of its most important markets.

The Middle East triumvirate will consist of the Veyron Nocturne, which features “galvanized side windows” that add continuity to the polished aluminum body panel accents, and there are also polished wheels and a “black nanocoated magnesium dashboard” with a center console rendered in galvanized platinum. Just five examples will be built.

Bugatti will also show its Veyron “Sang d’Argent” and a topless Grand Sport “Soliel de Nuit” model for those that like a little sun and sand in their hair. The former of which employs a silver metallic finish and alloys nicked from the Grand Sport and the latter incorporates “country coded” colors that include a silver metallic lower and an impossibly deep upper blue finish and a Havanna interior with quilted seats.

If you’re interested, well, have your accountant’s accountant ring up Bugatti, and summon your garage keeper to ensure you’ve got some extra room available in the first quarter of 2010 for when you take delivery. Oh, and you’ll have to liberate anywhere from 1.45 million euro ($2.1M USD) to 1.65 million euro ($2.5M) from your chaise lounge cushions for the privilege.

After an eight-year buildup, the Veritas RS III has finally slithered into series production in Grafschaft-Gelsdorf, Germany. Just like the Dutch firm Spyker, Vermot AG has resurrected the post-war German racing marque that sold a few road-going versions of their racers to a handful of lucky enthusiasts. Now, the new company is doing less racing and more street scorching, and the RS III is its first foray into the world of production cars.

In Monterey this past August, we caught our first glimpse of the finally-ready-for-production Veritas RS III. With its newly revised front end (now with 50 percent more serpent!) it looks even more like a BMW Z8 on acid. Which is totally appropriate, because this retro rocketsled is powered by the same 5.0-liter V10 engine found in the M5 supersedan. With 500 hp propelling a scant 2,400 pounds, the 30 insane lucky folks who plunk down a million bucks for one of these can look forward to a 0-100km/h dash of just 3.2 seconds and a top speed of more than 215 MPH.

That’s Enzo-like performance for an Enzo-like price, but it offers ten times the exclusivity — not to mention Veritas started operating the same year as Enzo Ferrari in 1947. The difference is that this serpent lay dormant for almost 50 years, getting ready to strike.

There are a myriad of choices available to the average traveler when four-wheeled transportation is required. But to the discerning car connoisseur, the prospect of being trapped within a Caliber, Impala or other nondescript people mover is as unconscionable as choosing Denny’s over Per Se.

Enter rentexoticcars.net, a website whose sole purpose is to provide the automotive world’s most elite rides, for a price. Surprisingly, the cost of such exotica may be within reach to those of you who can afford the rental fees, insurance and have a sizeable chunk of change available on your credit card to cover the security deposit.

The website allows users to select their destination city and then lists what high end machines are available for rent. The choices span the range from Mini Cooper drop-tops to Hummer H2s to Ferrari 360 Spyders. Whatever the taste, they have the flavor.

The interface is easy to work, provides hours of day dreaming entertainment and, our favorite feature, has an RSS feed of anything dealing with supercars from yours truly, Autoblog.

Enjoy, but make it a point to keep you credit card out of reach, preferably in the next time zone.