One of the great delights I have as a Prius owner is driving in parking lots. Since I’m moving at a low speed, the silent electric motor kicks in, allowing me to sneak up on all sorts of thoughtless clods who wander down the center aisle on foot, oblivious to the fact that they’re snarling traffic and putting themselves at risk. With the Prius, I can pull up within a foot or two of them before they notice, only to watch them jump out their skins when they suddenly realize a moving car is inches away.

Now someone wants to ruin all this. The National Federation of the Blind have complained that super quiet Toyota hybrids put the blind at risk since they pretty much need to hear a car in order to avoid it. They want all Priuses to make noise when they’re moving. Of course, there have been no reports of any blind people injured by this new deadly menace, but that never stops the government and various activist groups from insisting it’s a real problem that must be solved.

Mickey Kaus, writing for Slate, has already moved ahead to the next step in this battle. He’s wondering what type of sound the government will require Priuses to make. Thankfully, he has some suggestions, including Brian Eno, a whale-call tone, and wind chimes on the antenna.

Personally, I’d go with a constant recording of “I Need to Wake Up,” Melissa Etheridge’s Oscar-winning song from An Inconvenient Truth. If the blind are going to take away my parking lot fun, they might as well be annoyed.

While flipping through some old issues we found this extraordinary spread in our May 1967 issue. The shot shows the scene of the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, the fastest Formula 1 circuit of its day, just before the start. If this doesn't get your heart racing, you should see a doctor.

John Surtees of the Ferrari team won the race, by the way. Jackie Stewart trashed his BRM so badly, he found himself pinned inside the car upside down, slowly getting drenched in fuel. And by the way, is that Howard Cosell's face poking in on the left?

Sure, Priuses are sorta cool, very green and full of fun bells and whistles like smart keys, navigation systems and touch-screen cell phones, but let’s face it: image-wise, they’re also a bit wussy. I’ve been driving one for three-and-a-half years and I’ve watched my typical car conversation drift from how fast I could drive to Las Vegas to what sort of mileage I got on the trip.

But Al Gore III changed that when he police pulled him over for driving 105 M.P.H. in his Prius. Yes, there were drugs galore in the car, but that’s hardly important to those of us who drive Priuses. Finally, as opposed to being just that nerdy Leonardo DiCaprio wannabe who recycles and uses curly florescent light bulbs, we were guys who drove (just maybe) a real car . Even the L.A. Times was forced to ask, “Why is the Prius such a screaming hot rod?”

I have three friends who also drive Priuses (hybrids, in L.A. at least, are as common as plastic surgeons, actor/waiters and disgruntled New Yorkers) and little Al revealed a secret that we already knew. No matter how responsible you are, at one time or another, curiosity gets the best of you and you push the Prius as far beyond the speed limit as it will go—and surprise yourself in process. One the open road, you’re not going to see a Prius poking along in the right hand lane with Winnebagos and clunkers; it’s moving quite comfortably in the fast lane with all the other nice cars. (One friend got a ticket for going 94 M.P.H. in his Prius. His defense: “It’s not like the car was straining or shaking or anything. I didn’t even notice.”

At the risk of annoying my State Farm agent, I recently drove the Prius to from L.A. to Palms Springs on a light traffic day and effortlessly averaged 80+ M.P.H. for most the trip.

Since I don’t want to annoy my more socially responsible friends either, I kept the car on cruise control and according to the on-board computer, averaged 51 miles per gallon, not even using a quarter tank for a 120-mile drive. (Another weird Prius secret: highway driving often gets you far better mileage than city driving, no matter what they tell you.)

So far, no one’s mentioned what type of mileage the bad Gore was getting when he was caught, but apparently, it was good enough that he had money left over for pot and pills. And while the courts might not overlook that, Al Gore III can rest assured that his fellow Prius owners will.

Last week we attended Ferrari's 60th anniversary party at the factory in Maranello, Italy. Suffice to say, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Among other events, the company held a Concorso D'Eleganza. Ferrari owners from North America, South America, Europe and Asia made the trek with their vintage beauties.

Among Ferrari racing cars, the 1967 330 P4—a car so striking and beautiful, it has no peer—won Best in Show. Stay tuned for more coverage on the fete and Ferrari's 60th anniversary car in a future issue of Playboy. But for now, have a look at the P4. This shot was taken at Pebble Beach some years ago. Imagine yourself at the wheel, shooting down the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans at 200 mph.