To kick this one off, I was running about my normal business in the wealthy suburbs of New Jersey when I stumbled upon this (pictured). And to peak my interest, it’s a Frenchie mobile! In America!

What I had in front of me was a Citroen XM, a French car that was designed and built to compete against the likes of the BMW 5-Series and the Audi 100, back in 1989. And I know that this isn’t a fancy Ferrari or a super rare and collectible Mercedes. But it’s not often to see a French car running about in this part of the melting pot we call, Earth.

For those who’ve never heard of Citroen, I’ll give you a little background. There really should be no surprise if some of you have never heard of companies like Peugeot, Citroen, Renault. French automobiles never exactly took off in this country. Known to be worse to own than your grand-pop’s old Jaguar and far more underdeveloped, French automobile manufacturers packed up their bags and left the US market rather quickly in the 1980s. This was caused by the rise of foreign competition and an ever so changing market demand put the Frenchies at all sorts of disadvantages. And there’s a reason: French cars just never really worked. Fiat, which is Italian, left this country back in 1984 for almost the same reasons.

The Citroen XM was pegged as the second successor to the famous and widely popular Citroen DS, which was first succeeded by the CX. And despite the tumultuous reputation that any French brand has, the Citroen XM was, at first, was very well received…key emphasis on “at first.”

In 1990, the XM was handed the award for the European Car of the Year in 1990 and gained nearly twice as many votes over the second place winner, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. Citroen—who was at the time owned by Peugeot and still is—expected to ship out 150,000 XMs throughout Europe. Though that never really happened and the XM was never truly marketed in the US. But a company known to import certain Citroens for the loyalists in the US, had imported a select number of XMs. Though because it fetched a hefty price of $50,000 large in 1993, only a few sold. So this is probably one of the few. And to my surprise, it was in rather clean shape.

The Citroen XM was widely noted for its unmatched ride quality, which was Citroen’s selling point and is part of what made the historic DS—and the brand—so popular. And that’s because the French manufacturer is responsible for inventing hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension, which debuted in the DS: the same setups that brands like Mercedes-Benz (the one that gave models like the S-Class their signature, smooth ride), BMW, Jaguar and countless others have adapted the system and evolved into their own, with some still used today. So the Citroen XM was along the same bloodline as the DS and while they were known for being terribly built and unreliable, they were also remembered for setting significant new standards in innovation and technology. For instance, the DS was the first European production car with disc breaks and was one of the first cars to feature a unibody or monocoque-type body, versus a body-on-frame. The only downside is that the systems never worked, so everyone else like the Germans and the Japanese came along, adapted the systems and perfected them…sort of. Anyone who’s owned a car with self-leveling suspension out of warranty knows why I left off with “sort of.”

So I’m sure you can see why I would share my discovery. Although the French tend to make a mess of things when it comes to cars—and arguably other things, but you’re at the wrong blog for that—they’re still around for a reason. They may not work all of the time and may be terribly underdeveloped, but French cars still find a way to charm drivers, whether it is in their technology or just being the target of many humorous automotive criticisms. In other words, they’re cars that illicit of a lot of responses similar to: “what were they thinking?” For that, I can appreciate them and the XM was a surprise, simply because most of the French cars ever sold in this country would’ve already found their way to be recycled back into the planet or into a new car by now.

- By: Chris Chin

We’re looking forward to the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show next week so get ready for a lot (and we mean a lot) of posts starting Tuesday, September 15. We’re going to be taking a short break for now so that means it’s time for our Miscellaneous Thoughts post with some random findings on the Internet.

Steven-O and Tom Green jump on Lamborghini Murcielago: Jackass Steve-O and friend Tom Green decided to jump on their rap producer’s $500,000 Lamborghini Murcielago after a long night of clubbing in Hollywood. You can check out the video over at TMZ. – TMZ

New York driver gets 56 tickets in 13 mins: Police say that 21-year old Joshua Bracci racked up 56 tickets in 13 minutes after leading them on a 111 mph chase in upstate New York. Ouch. – Jalopnik

Ever wonder how Google Street works? Google Japan has come up with a new short film showing all of us how Google Street works. Check it out after the jump. Google (via Jalopnik)

- By: Omar Rana

Yes, we know that this our first Miscellaneous Thoughts post for the week and it’s already Wednesday. We were taking a bit easy on Monday during Labor Day and were recouping most of Tuesday. Either way, we’re all back here and are working our butts off to bring you the latest automotive news updates (and a lot of its pouring out with the Frankfurt Motor Show just days away). Either way, it’s that time of the day for us to gather up some random findings from around the Internet. So here we go…

Lexus IS 350 gets fuzzy or the U.S. Open: Lexus is known for creating sports-themed cars – and we mean literally. Earlier this year at the U.S. Open of golf, Lexus revealed golf-ball dimpled Lexus LS. During the U.S. Open for tennis going on these days, Lexus is displaying a Lexus IS with a fuzzy tennis-ball exterior. Imagine getting that car dirty. – KickingTires

Women drunken driving arrests on the rise: According to a report by the NHTSA, the number of women arrested for driving drunk has increased nearly 30% from 1998 to 2007. At the same time, the number of men arrested during the same 10-year period fell by 7.5%. – KickingTires

Eli Manning’s Toyota Commercials: If you’ve been keeping up with watching Football you’ve probably seen Eli Manning’s Toyota Commercials. If not – you can check them out after the jump. – KickingTires

Eli Manning Toyota Commercial – Photograph:

Eli Manning Toyota Commercial – Wife Calling:

Eli Manning Toyota Commercial – Day Dream:

Eli Manning Toyota Commercial – That was Eli:

Eli Manning Toyota Commercial – Chest Bump:

Eli Manning Toyota Commercial – Paper Football:

- By: Omar Rana

Oh yes, it’s that random time of the day again.

Sony releases screenshots of Gran Turismo 5: While the official release date has yet to be announced, Sony released some screenshots of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5.

US Army could use flying cars: Moller Skycar is working on a solution for the U.S. military – a flying car. Taking the ethos of “why drive on it when you can fly over it”, the Moller Skycar “provides a more cost effective, highly maneuverable, lethal and safe platform for the 21st century soldier,” according to the US Army’s Lieutenant Colonel James Thomas. – PistonHeads

Another Audi ‘Electricity Untamed’ viral ad: We were pretty amused by the couple of viral ads Audi released this morning to build anticipation for their upcoming R8 electric concept that will debut in Frankfurt. We just came across another one that was very funny. Check it out after the jump.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Yes, we haven’t done any Miscellaneous Thinking in the past two days because we’ve been really busy with the site redesign while bringing you new reviews. We hope you enjoyed our reviews on the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe GXP and the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. Also coming this week will be the 2009 Audi Q5 review along with the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S – stay tuned for those. For now, we’re going take a little break and bring you some random findings from around the Internet.

2010 Buick LaCrosse vs. Lexus ES 350: The folks at Inside Line pinned the 2010 Buick LaCrosse against the Lexus ES 350. Guess who won? (video after the jump) – Inside Line

9-year old leads police on 80 mph chase: Apparently, the parents of this 9-year old asked him to come home early since it was almost time for bed. Angry and frustrated, the kid decided take his parents car out for a little joy-ride when they fell asleep. Check out the video posted after the jump. – Jalopnik

- By: Omar Rana

It’s that time of the day where we take a little break and you enjoy some of the random things we’ve found around the internet.

Bikini car-wash for hybrids only: Angry Green Girl, a sustainable lifestyle promoter, and her hot bikini model friends hosted a free hybrids-only car wash in LA to celebrate the launch of their website – angrygreengirl.com. Check out the video posted after the jump and pictures on Angry Green Girl’s Facebook fan page. – Angry Green Girl

Audi updates its logo: It’s bolder, it’s sleeker, it’s more 3D, it was time for an upgrade.

- By: Omar Rana

Fusion Hybrid owning couple changes their last name to ‘Ford’: Recently married Jaime Case and Chris Hodges love their Ford Fusion so much that they changed their last name to ‘Ford.’ It all started when Jamie decided to write a blog about taking a cross-country trip with Chris before their marriage. Since a road-trip was involved, Ford jumped on the opportunity and handed them a free Fusion for Jamie to write about on her blog. Gotta love social media.

Lamborghini LM002 wagon for sale: A one-of-a-kind Lamborghini LM002 wagon is up for sale. This 7-passenger Lamborghini was originally built for the Sultan of Brunei and features a bunch of rear-seat modifications. The 449-hp Lamborghini wagon has 3,480 miles on it. – ClassicRallies (via CarScoop)

Dealer site has picture of new Camaro for sale with a man giving someone the middle finger: No idea what the story behind this is but it’s amusing nonetheless. via Jalopnik)

- By: Kap Shah

BBC’s ‘Where’s Stig?’ Book: As a kid I loved looking for Waldo; however at times I would get so pissed over not being able to find the little stripped shirt sucker that I ripped the book into pieces. Now, as a huge car fanatic, I would love spending hours looking for none other than – The Stig. BBC is selling the book on Amazon and we suggest you purchase it for your little one. – Amazon (via AutoBlog)

Upgrading egmCarTech: Yesterday, Stephen told you about how we’re working on a new egmCarTech – and by ‘new’ we mean more than just some minor visual changes. The new egmCarTech is going to more interactive, will allow you to follow us during our test-drive and reviews like never before, will have a very organized video and reviews page and much more. However, we will never sell out and move away from our blog format since that’s what our visitors have come to love expect of us. Either way, let us know if you have any suggestions or inputs on what you would like to see in the next version of egmCarTech. We promise we’re listening. On a side not, we’re not promising you anything on when you’ll see the new egmCartech in action – it could be next week, it could be two weeks from now; it all depends on how smoothly everything goes down.

- By: Omar Rana

As a heads up – we are working on new egmCarTech. We have no timetable on when the new egmCarTech will be completed but we’re pretty sure you won’t be disappointed. It will have more features, more interactivity and will look a lot cleaner. Keep your hopes up – in the mean time, enjoy some random findings from around the Internet.

National Geographic picks the World’s Greatest Scenic Routes: The  world’s most widely read travel magazine has picked the world’s most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road routes. Dive in to get directions, quizzes, photos, and more. – National Geographic

Largest U.S. Hummer dealership begins selling guns: Jim Lynch Hummer, the nation’s largest Hummer dealer, has some new inventory for it customers – tactile rifles, handguns, shotguns and ammunition. Lynch said that he began realizing two years ago that he’ll have to start selling something other than Hummers to keep his stores open.  ”It slowly started going down,” said Lynch. “And then with the fuel prices, sales really took a big dip. And again with the economic crisis.” – BND

Study shows electric-vehicle driver’s range anxiety: A study conducted by Aerovironment shows that electric-vehicle drivers are not willing to travel more than half the distance shown on their range indicator. While drivers said they were confident in the range listed by the EV, they wanted to conserve the considerable amount of energy left in their vehicle. Like most gasoline powered car drivers, EV drivers are unwilling to push their battery-powered cars to the limit. – AllCarElectric

- By: Stephen Calogera

As you can see by the title, we came across a bunch of random things on the Internet today – so let’s get started.

Traders keep buying old GM stock: Even though GM and the government have warned that the old General Motors’ stock will someday be worthless, traders continue to purchase it hoping they”ll profit from what is really a hodgepodge of outdated factories and a pile of debt left behind when the company exited bankruptcy court protection. –  Detroit Free Press

UK’s graphic anti-texting while driving campaign: WARNING: This video is really (and we mean really) graphic and should hopefully get you to stop texting while driving.

Top Gear gets immortalized in Legos: Legoland designers have created a little tribute to Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, The Stig and Top Gear’s Car of the Year. – Telegraph

- By: Kap Shah

16th Ferrari Enzo burns to crisp: We’ve seen many destroyed Ferrari’s in our blogging career – however, we never actually kept a record of which Ferrari and how many have went up in flames. This Ferrari Enzo you see here was destroyed in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, Canada. According to our friends at WreckedExotics, this marks the 16th Ferrari Enzo that has been wrecked out of 399 produced. You can check out a video and more pictures over at WreckedExotics.

ABC covers the life of a car spy: We’re not huge fans of spy shots here at egmCarTech (to be honest we’d rather see a finished car in all its glory rather than covered in some hideous camouflage). However, if spy shots are something that floats your boat, you’ve probably heard the name Brenda Priddy. She is basically considered the best car spy photographer out there. ABC did a nice little piece on Brenda this past Monday. Check it out here (because ABC doesn’t allow embedding of their YouTube clips).

- By: Kap Shah

It’s that time of the day again – where we gather up some random findings from the Internet to share with you. Let’s get started…

Lamborghini Murcielago loses control in the rain: If you don’t know how to drive such an expensive car – you probably shouldn’t be buying one. A 2006 Lamborghini Murcielago driver lost control in the rain causing some sever damage to his prized possession. Check out more photos at WreckedExotics.

Woman gets stuck on draw-bridge… while it’s up: A woman driver in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin got stuck on a drawbridge while it was lifted to a 45 degree angle. Fortunately, the operator noticed and lowered the bridge right away. – Jalopnik

- By: Omar Rana

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 completely destroyed: What you see above is a picture of a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 completely destroyed after a horrible head on crash. Check out more pictures at WreckedExotics.

Chinese woman pulls 6 cars with her hair: This past week, Zhang Tingting became the first woman to successfully pull 6 cars over 50 meters with her hair. All we have to say is – ouch. We’re guessing she uses Garnier – Jalopnik

Fastest cars under $50,000: Forbes has put together a list of the fastest cars for under $50,000. Some picks include the Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, BMW 335i, Audi TTS, 2010 Camaro SS and the Ford Mustang GT. The Nissan 370Z seems to missing from the list and we’re pretty pissed off about that. On a side note, you should definitely go for the car pictured below. – Forbes

- By: Omar Rana

Guy gets car impounded, pays $88 in pennies to get it back: We all know it’s a huge hassle to get your car impounded; so how do you make getting it back a little interesting? Pay the folks who are holding your car in pennies because after all, it is “legal tender.” – Fast Lane Daily

Ray Wert drives the multi-million dollar Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept: Yes, we envy Wert and his perks right now. So will this be the next 2013 Chevrolet Corvette scheduled to go into production in 2012? According to Tom Peters, designer of the Stingray concept and the new Chevrolet Camaro, the Stingray concept is “not the C7.” However, he told Wert “that’s not to say there aren’t elements here that can translate into what the C7′s about.” – Jalopnik

- By: Omar Rana

By now we shouldn’t even be doing introductions to our Miscellaneous Thoughts posts (believe us we’re not close to wrapping up this day right now, but it’s time for a little break).

2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe GXP: After a week of driving, we are slowly starting to fall for the 260-hp little bugger. There may be things that make you think twice about dropping more than $33,000 for the GXP variant of the Solstice Coupe – but it’s definitely a vehicle to consider if you’re shopping in this segment (especially if you have a buy-American motto). Check out this recent pic of that we took of the hood popped up.

Iacocca Ford Mustang commercial flies you to the moon: The new commercial for Iacocca’s Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang features a wonderful piece by none other than Frank Sinatra. Based on the 2009 Ford Mustang, two engine options will be offered: a normally-aspirated 4.6L V8 making 320-hp and a supercharged version pumping out 400-hp.  - Motor Trend

- By: Kap Shah

We’re close to wrapping up this lovely Aug. 11, which means its that time of the day where we gather up our random thoughts or findings from around the Internet.

2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe GXP test-drive updates: Well, I finally go around to setting the perfect seating position in the car and I have to say – it changes the whole driving experience – especially in a car with a rough clutch. If I were to give interior quality a letter grade it would be ‘B’. Honestly, I just expect more from a car priced over $33,000 (yes, it’s understood that the Solstice starts at $24,275). However, most of the interior quality is overlooked by the fun-to-drive feeling.

Ferrari 430 Spyder catches fire: A Ferrari 430 Spyder in San Diego, CA went up flames. Reason for this Ferrari burning to crisp? Engine fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Kia Soul’s Go-Hamster-Go App on Facebook: Want to kill some time? Check it out. It’s a bit addicting.

As we told you earlier this morning, we’re test-driving the new 2009 Solstice Coupe GXP this whole week. We’ve already received a bunch of questions via Twitter on the site. So here are some of the answers.

Pat: How hard is it take the roof on and off…. GM says that one person can do it alone? Have you tried it out yet?

While GM says that it is very easy for one person to take the top off since it only weighs 31 pounds – it’s almost impossible without two individuals involved in the process. We’re not saying it can’t be done by one person – but we’d recommend two if you don’t want to damage the top.

Name: Does it feel like a quality car?

While some parts of the car do feel solid – we expect a lot more for a car priced over $33,000. After you take the top off and throw it back on – you hear a lot of crackling noises while driving.

TheoriginalASDF: How is the trunk space compared to the regular Solstice? Because in the regular solstice, you could almost fit about a bag of groceries in it if the bag was emptied around the giant lump in the trunk.

Trunk space is ridiculously small. You can fit a bag or three of groceries or two laptop bags with ease.

Make sure you keep asking us more questions here and on Twitter. We’ll keep you up-to-date as we go along.

- By: Omar Rana

Ferrari 430 sacrificed to save boys life: A Ferrari F430 was sacrificed in Dallas last month as the owner swerved to avoid hitting a boy riding a bicycle. The Ferrari ended up in Lake Oakdale. Ouch – WreckedExotics

Ken Block and Travis Pastrana have fun at the Salt Flats: We don’t think it’ll much longer before you pick up a dictionary to look up the definition of “drifting” and see a picture of Ken Block there. Check out this latest video of Block and his buddy Travis Pastrana hitting up the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Enjoy. – YouTube (via AutoBlog)

Horse plows through tiny sedan: Yes, our jaw is still dropped. Follow the jump to see the video.

- By: Omar Rana