ok just some points about the "promo car" idea discussion so far...
NS.com promo car was owned and funded by loz, and the only thing sponsors did was provide parts/services to finish the car off at a discounted rate.
NS.com car was also written off shortly after completion (not loz's fault tho). What happens if something disastrous and unforseen happens to the SAU promo car?
SAU dosen't have as many sponsors as we hand pick who we allow to advertise on the site. We try to filter out businesses who aren't well established, or are trading out of their back yard etc.
Anyhow... onto the actual SAU promo car...
The only way it'll work is if its actually a car owned by and funded by an SAU member. This member will have to be someone that is well known in the SAU community, not some n00b.
This eliminates the forum's input into the actual choice of car, as it comes down to the preferance of the person who's gonna fund the car. Mods to the car are also not up to the forum, but the owner.
its just well too much headache, as the owner is not only accountable for not just his car, but the forums' car as well, as well as the investment of whoever chooses to sponsor it.
As others have said, there will be lots of bitching about what is done to the car, who drives it, who's accountable etc. Its just easier if a member just does it and we dub it the SAU car. maybe have a regular in each state build one, and make them all look similar... eg: R32 sedan drift car from SA, R33 GTSt dyno queen from QLD, R32 GTR drag car from NSW, R34 GTR track car from VIC etc, all painted in similar colours or even just simply decaled similarly (with different sponsors per state). Would look pretty cool and represents what is popular in each state.
That said automotive forums in the US have a promo car, an R34 GTR that is funded, tested, tuned and raced by a small group of individuals, and they're goin great guns.