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NEWS : STORIES
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04.10.2009 7:50 AM EDT
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Jadakiss Joins Us For A Sneak Peek Of The New York Auto Show
Rapper searches for most expensive, fastest and most eco-friendly vehicles on display.
by
Brian Jacks
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NEW YORK — The economy might be in recession, but you wouldn't know it from standing on the floor of the 2009 New York International Auto Show. The annual convention — NYC's
largest — brought together automakers from around the world to spotlight everything from souped-up convertibles to electric sports cars.
Nearly 1 million people are expected to attend the show over a 10-day period, and MTV News got a sneak peek at the festivities. Joining us on our tour was hip-hop maestro Jadakiss, whose latest album, The Last Kiss, hit stores earlier this week. Together with reporter Tim Kash, Jadakiss — a noted car enthusiast — went searching for the most expensive, fastest and most eco-friendly vehicles on display.
(Browse our complete New York Auto Show gallery.)
It was a tough challenge. In the dollar category alone, a number of blinged-out cars from such brands as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maybach came attached with astronomical price tags. In the end, it was the Mercedes SLR McLaren that topped our list, with a whopping $545,000 sticker price for the two-door, 617-horsepower roadster. "You feel like you own the highway when you're in this joint," said Jada, who also noticed another benefit. "It don't matter what kind of gear you got on — you pull up in this, and the chicks is on you."
(Did Jada find his dream ride at the show? Head to the Newsroom blog to find out!)
But with gas prices and carbon emissions at the front of drivers' minds, it was the color green that reigned supreme. Leading the pack was newcomer Fisker, whose premiere vehicle, the Karma, managed to score considerable buzz with the claim that buyers who drive fewer than 50 miles per day would only have to purchase gas once a year. Sleek and curvaceous, the Karma features rooftop solar panels to charge the lithium-ion battery during the day, and the company even offers to outfit homes with additional panels to charge the car overnight.
Of course, if you're more concerned with speed, then Lamborghini's awe-inspiring Murciélago comes front and center. Accelerating from zero to 60 in just 3.4 seconds, this $350,000 Italian stallion features a $25,000 matte-black paint job coating its 640-horsepower interior. As one of the sharpest-looking vehicles at the show, it didn't go unnoticed by our guest MC.
"I own you in this," Jada exclaimed. "Whoever you are, I own you when I'm in here! You don't even have to drive this. You can just sit somewhere, and there'll be a whole group of people." And how does he sum up the ride? "This car leaves me speechless," he said.
With more than 34 new vehicles being announced at the show, there's a lot to cover. Stay tuned to MTVNews.com for more from Jadakiss and the New York Auto Show.
This report is provided by MTV News
 
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