There's workwear-inspired denim and there's Western-inspired denim, but for the most fastidious sartorial historians, there's the gold standard: eBay. Currently on the block: a pair of vintage Levi's (allegedly) belonging to a Mojave desert miner in the 1890s, complete with a 19th-century shopping bag. (The Barneys of its day: W. C. Wilson & Co. General Merchandise and Miner's Supplies, Randsburg, Cal.) There's no arguing with details like how the denim is "covered in candle wax from the candles the miner was using to light the tunnel he was working in," which are method enough for Marlon Brando, regardless of whether they're verifiable. There's also, apparently, no arguing with the price, which is currently hovering in the $7,400 range.

[Reference Library]

While we're doubtful that the Rt.R (pictured) from Atlanta startup FortuneSport will ever be produced, it's hard not to admire the rendering—not to mention the moxie behind it. The company's business plan is simple enough: You fork over a 200 grand deposit, go to Atlanta and customize the specs, wait a couple of years while they develop a track version, and then get your money refunded once you get your vehicle. (Estimated date: 2010; final cost: $85,000.) Perhaps not the wisest way to spend your cash, but should FortuneSport follow through, you'd have an exclusive, cool, and relatively inexpensive sports car. And you can't put a price on that...can you?

[World Car Fans via Autoblog]

The latest supposedly green machine: [re]Drive, a new 500-gig hard drive from SimpleTech and Fabrik. The brands claim it consumes 90 percent less energy than a standard drive, thanks to an Energy Star power adapter, no fan, and a case made from aluminum and, yes, bamboo. (The last of which is grown near the brand's manufacturing plant to help reduce transportation costs. Hey, every little bit counts.) The aesthetically pleasing results are undoubtedly good for your office environment. Whether it's just as good for the actual environment, of course, is hard to say.
$160, fabrik.com

[Gizmodo]

The BBC knows there's an inimitable allure brought to all projects involving the Gorillaz, so their Olympics spot with Damon Albarn shouldn't come as a surprise. This two-minute promo for the Beeb's coverage of the Beijing games is, of course, cool—comprised of an animation based on a tale from Chinese folklore, with music by Damon Albarn and illustrations by Jamie Hewlett, the artist responsible for band's cartoon renderings. (The two previously collaborated on an opera about the same simian subject.) It's too bad networks back home couldn't get away with something similar; it kind of makes us wish for a collaboration between NBC, Danger Mouse and Daniel Clowes—unlikely as that seems.

[Creative Review]

The year 2015 is the setting, of course, for Back to the Future II (a time when hoverboards will dominate traffic, apparently), but it's also the year targeted by the BMW-sponsored thesis project at Turin's Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). The carmaker's head designer, Chris Bangle, worked with students to produce a set of prototypes for the future, including the Snug (pictured), which is meant to fight against humans' "becoming automatons, slaves to money and personal success." A tall order for a luxury automobile, but it's good to see that even in this day and age, college-era naiveté ambition is alive and well. The sleek, Boba Fett-style design is pretty cool, too.

[Car Body Design via Autoblog]

When it comes to abject lust for consumer goods, men tend to stick to supercars, yachts, and, say, photos of Gisele. Bags? Not so much—but we'll make an exception for those made by Porter, the Japanese company established in 1961 that's known for its stunning, virtually indestructible products. The lines chosen for its U.S. debut this fall (pictured) are no exception: Among them are the Tanker, made of flight satin (which recalls the classic MA-1 Air Force jacket); the Smoky, constructed from an ultrastrong organic cotton and nylon weave; and Heat, a Cordura Ballistic nylon line equipped with flashlights as zipper pulls. They'll be available in September at Opening Ceremony, Fred Segal, and Barneys New York. Consider our lust (almost) sated.
Tanker briefcase, $298; Smoky shoulder bag, $278; and Heat briefcase, $374

Out tomorrow on DVD and Blu-ray: the continued misadventures of stoner heroes Harold and Kumar, who this time find themselves on Homeland Security's shit-list following a bomb&er, bong incident on a flight to Amsterdam. Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantánamo Bay might not have the giddy charm of the original, but there are still reasons to recommend it—not least the DVD features on this two-disc unrated version, which include an interactive "Dude, Change the Movie" option, allowing viewers to swap out theatrical scenes for ones that got the chop. (A typical example: You can watch the film's "bottomless" party scene as a topless one.) Heady stuff—and more than enough to tide you over until the third installment comes out.
$22.99, available at amazon.com

Up until now, competitive rocket racing hasn't achieved much mainstream traction—actually, we had no idea that there was such a thing—but that's set to change. Today's DNR reports that the Rocket Racing League, which aims to promote and broadcast a sort of NASCAR for the skies, has signed a major sponsorship deal with DKNY (naturally). The two will unveil the league's first plane tomorrow at an air show in Wisconsin, which will, of course, be emblazoned with the DKNY logo. Sounds cool, sure, but there's no word yet on when the first race will occur. Judging by the goal—six to ten planes racing around a virtual track in the sky at 300 miles per hour—let's just say that we're not holding our breath.

Suddenly it's 1998 all over again: Today's most intriguing new Web site is a search engine. Granted, the new Cuil.com (pronounced "cool") has a serious pedigree: It's the brainchild of former researchers from some company called Google. The startup differentiates itself from the G-hemoth with an all-black interface and by displaying results in windowpane (rather than list) form. But the nicest feature is the "Explore by Category" sidebar—when Cuiling men.style.com, for instance, Raf Simons' name appears atop the "high fashion" category. A search engine with taste? There might be a market for this.

[Reuters]

Having shaken things up by appointing young turk Kim Jones as creative director—he's already taken a crack at their accessories—Dunhill opens its new Madison Avenue flagship tomorrow. The 7,000-square-foot space features sportswear, leather goods, and accessories on the main floor, and a custom tailoring department and louche lounge on the lower (see below). The decor, of course, is thoroughly on-brand: Fixtures upstairs include vintage auto grills and repurposed seating taken from Rolls-Royces, while downstairs offers a sartorial take on the Explorers Club, with leather club chairs, towering humidors, and a selection from Dunhill's archives lining the walls (think: Truman Capote's tux). The young turk will have to wait awhile to meet the old guard, however: Jones' first collection, to be shown this January in Paris, won't be in stores until the following spring.
545 Madison Ave., New York, (212) 753-9292, dunhill.com

First Nike introduces the Hyperdunk 2015, a.k.a. Marty McFly's kicks in the film. Now Michael J.'s hoverboard is up for sale—not a new one (sadly), but the actual Mattel deck used in the movie. It's on eBay (naturally), where the bidding starts at 30 grand. (Caveat emptor: Board will not actually hover.) And if you need reminding as to why this is so cool, here you go:

[Gizmodo]

Pope Benedict XVI is unlikely to give up his bulletproof conveyance anytime soon, but at least one wealthy reverend can ride in papal style on Orange County Choppers' custom John Paul II bike. Commissioned in 2007 by two Connecticut men, the bike features adornments like a spray-painted portrait of the late Pope, a crucifix on the air filter, and various Mariological inscriptions throughout (His Holiness was a great devotee of the Holy Mother). The $110,000 price tag isn't cheap, but the proceeds go to charity, and it's hard to imagine such a purchase wouldn't burnish one's immortal soul. Safety first, though: Miter-shaped helmet not included.

[ClassBikes via BallerRide]

Cleverly sneaking in an Olympics preview before the inevitable backlash, Mojo HD debuts A Shot at Glory tonight, a ten-part series that profiles Americans headed to Beijing (BMX biker Donny Robinson, boxer Gary Russell, and wrestler Daniel Cormier among them). Think halftime human-interest stories, but with better production values: The High-Def is so brilliant, you're uncomfortably aware of whether the wrestlers are wearing their shorts to the left or right. The stories? Less than enthralling, but Olympics enthusiasts will enjoy the nuggets about how the athletes train—like Cormier's use of YouTube to scout his opponents. Google might be making us stoopid, but apparently it's also helping us get better on the mat.
9 p.m., Mojo HD

Ever since Chicago's storied Palmer House hotel changed hands awhile back, observers have been waiting to see how the new owners would restore its former glory. Renovations are still underway, but the bar's been refurbished as a fitting homage to the more modern icons who frequented the place. Named Potter's (after the Palmer House's founder, Potter Palmer), the recently opened joint has an Art Deco men's club feel, adorned with oversize photos of past patrons and local heroes like Walter Payton, Hugh Hefner, and John Belushi—who picked a different hotel when he decided to check out for good.
17 E. Monroe St., Chicago, (312) 726-7500, palmerhouserestoration.com

Five things worth knowing today

- ESPN2 airs the 2008 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight at 8 p.m. ET—hopefully juice-free.
- The International Contemporary Mime Festival comes to Périgueux, France, for those who can stand it.
- George Motz, whose documentaryHamburger America is the road movie we always wanted to make, reads from the accompanying book at New York's Half King.
- Today in 1896, the city of Miami was incorporated. Without it, there'd be no Nip/Tuck.
- And today in 1945, Jim Davis was born. He's otherwise known as the man responsible for this: