Contractors commissioned by Tesla Motors may already be working to prepare a site near Reno, Nevada, to house the company’s Gigafactory, according to a flurry of rumors.

Photos capture by Reno resident Bob Tregilus and posted by Transport Evolved appear to show bulldozers leveling a large site at the Taho-Reno Industrial Centre. Sources ‘close to the project’ believe Tesla is behind the development, though the contractor potentially does not know, or cannot say, who the client is.

The secrecy is viewed as consistent with Tesla’s approach, allowing states to continue battling for the site even after the site is already under construction, though it is not a particularly unusual demand from any large company worried about the prying eyes of competitors.

Reno has already been viewed as a top contender in the multi-state battle to host the $5 billion factory, which is expected to require millions of square feet and employ thousands of workers. Analysts suggest the “oasis in the desert” provides a perfect mix of minimal regulatory red-tape, plenty of renewable energy and access to rail transportation.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised to simultaneously break ground at two or more sites, suggesting the Reno development may not be guaranteed to host the factory even if Tesla is the man behind the curtain. The approach allows the company to keep the project on track even if setbacks cause delays at one of the locations.

Separately, California legislators appear to have hit a snag in their incentive push. Property-tax breaks were recently signed into law, however a second ‘urgency’ bill proposed in June has not yet moved to a vote, according to USA Today. Proponents would need a two-thirds majority to quickly apply incentives, rather than waiting until January 1 for a normal bill to come into effect.

Despite serving as a home base for thousands of workers at Tesla’s Fremont factory, the state was initially excluded from the Gigafactory short list. A more complex web of regulations and permitting requirements has been viewed as a deal breaker, though the incentive packages will likely include provisions to fast-track or sidestep the compliance hurdles that could otherwise delay progress.

The 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat carries a base MSRP around $61,000, but you can bet the first example will sell for considerably more. That’s because Dodge announced on Friday that Hellcat No. 0001 will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas this September.

Like the rest of the Hellcat model line, VIN 0001 will come packing a 707-horsepower 6.2L supercharged V8 capable of launching the muscle car down the quarter mile in just 10.8 seconds. However, in order to make it a little more special, VIN 0001 will be the only Hellcat finished in Stryker Red, a color typically reserved for the Viper. In fact, the first Hellcat off the line will be hand painted at the Viper’s paint facility.

The first Hellcat will also be fitted with unique badging and come with a number of collectibles, including a “birth certificate”, Challenger SRT Hellcat embossed Laguna Leather iPad sleeve, and pictures and videos documenting the car’s build process. Like its color, the buyer won’t have much say in which transmission they’ll get – Dodge has already stated that the car will be equipped with its latest eight-speed auto.

“The 2015 Challenger Hellcat is already guaranteed to be one of the hottest cars that will roll through the Barrett-Jackson auction lanes in decades to come,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO, Dodge and SRT Brands, Chrysler Group LLC. “The VIN 0001 being auctioned this year is the ultimate one-of-one collectible 2015 Dodge Challenger, as Dodge is ensuring there will never be another one like it.”

The highest bidder won’t be the only winner this fall in the Las Vegas desert. All proceeds from the sale of the first Hellcat will benefit Opportunity Village, which is a non-profit organization that helps those with significant intellectual disabilities.

The auction is scheduled to take place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on September 27.

Mazda has added a few more models to its Takata airbag recall, including the 2003-2004 Mazda6 and the 2004 RX-8.

Consistent with millions of other vehicles included in a wave of recall campaigns, the Mazda models were built with defective airbag inflators that have been known to explode.

“In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants,” the company notes in its recall disclosure.

The moisture link has led many automakers to include only vehicles that have been sold or registered in states with high humidity. Mazda appears to be following the same route with its latest round, limiting the fixes to approximately 18,000 vehicles.

Affected vehicles will be outfitted with new passenger-side airbag inflators, along with driver-side inflators for models that were included in the initial campaign.

A BMW 507 roadster owned by Elvis Presley is reportedly getting a second chance at life, thanks to an official restoration by BMW technicians.

The company experienced lackluster sales when the 507 debuted in the ’50s, likely due to its 26,500-German-mark price tag that equates to more than $450,000 USD in today’s dollars, according to Ran When Parked. Plans for a limited run of 1,000 units were cut back by more than 75 percent, and the model was never profitable despite celebrity ownership.

The particular 1957 example purchased by Elvis was first showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show of the same year, before serving in the press fleet. BMW later asked legendary racing driver Hans Stuck to enter the chassis in the ADAC Schauinsland-Rennen mountain race.

“The King,” serving in Europe for the US Army at the time, caught his first glimpse of the roadster at a track near Paris in 1958, inspiring him to sign up for a lease and eventually covered the white body with a coat of Porsche Red paint.

One of the subsequent owners outfitted the 507 with an American V8 to participate in drag events. It was shelved in a warehouse at the end of the ’60s and continued to collect dust for the next four decades.

The current owner recently shipped the 507 to Munich, where it will be exhibited in BMW’s “Lost & Found” museum before a full two-year restoration begins.

Photos courtesy of Auto Motor und Sport.

A Society of Automotive Engineers document has confirmed that Dodge’s Charger SRT will be the next model to receive the beastly 707-horsepower Hellcat V8 that debuted in the 2015 Challenger SRT.

Discovered by Road & Track, the SAE J1349 document – which provides certification from the organization that the Hellcat’s output figures are as advertised – specifies the 2015 Charger SRT as a recipient of the outrageous mill.

The supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 will almost certainly send its 650 lb-ft of torque to the Charger’s rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic, but it’s unknown whether the Challenger SRT’s six-speed manual will be available as well.

Also a mystery is whether the current naturally-aspirated 6.4-liter HEMI V8 will be offered alongside the Hellcat, as it is in the Challenger.

In any event, given its higher curb weight, expect the Hellcat-engined Charger to be a few ticks slower than its coupe sibling. Even so, the Charger SRT Hellcat will likely rank as one of the quickest four-doors around, and its 707 ponies will let it lay claim to the title of most powerful production sedan ever.