http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2421053600_35bacbc855.jpg?v=0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aboca/2421053600/in/photostream/

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2413/2421678750_686c3e8076.jpg
The licence plate is Italian too.

[Moved from "StreetView in Rome"]

This morning, on my motorbike.
What a strange car, seemes like a google one...

and it was!

flickr.com/photos/21007730N00/sets/72157604599666192/

Photos taken here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=roma+viale+dei+salesiani&jsv=107&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.435825,60.205078&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr

go google go!

direct link

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/2422983090_cf3bef47a3.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2422982914_5325eb4874.jpg?v=0

finally... google street view come to italy!
:-)

Good pick, dnakiller.

We know from Valleywag that Brin & Page wanted to use (ecological) Toyota Prius instead of these car, but it wasn't possible.
http://valleywag.com/357517/sergey-stymied-prius-doesnt-work-for-google-street-view

Did you notice the Google logo on the left side of the car keeps changing position?

the first car was spotted in rome , the second in milan.. not the same car :-)

Ok thanks! I am just hoping that it's not true ;-)

Interesting. Those are SICK laser scanners on the pole. Looks like they're gathering 3D laser data.

More details about the laser scanners here:
http://www.educatingsilicon.com/2008/04/18/google-street-view-soon-in-3d/

Yes I can confirm the news! Two days ago I see the car when going home from the university. I saw the car in Rome, near cinecittà est (where the studios are located!) and the car was the same of the image on top page! ;)

Is this car new for Google Street view's armada?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2097/2424589548_4a54d58ec8.jpg

"...part of a crowd and not the center of attention."

I like it. "Your honor, the rest of the crowd is in the back ground and hard to see but I swear it is a crowd".

What exactly defines a crowd and the center of attention???

Elvis

[Signature URL removed – Tony]

i've seen them in Adelaide, Australia too!!!

Blogsaic, interesting, did you get the chance to snap a photo?

These cars has been used in Australia
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/2051749701_5b81783834.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebr/2051749701/

Photographer photographed :)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1305/1033120423_a8dab5d6f3.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/2268393170_0215cfcbf0.jpg

After Adelaide, there is Auckland http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakedgeek/2434939921/
(and Phoenix http://www.flickr.com/photos/asuyeehaw/2435227289/)

Saw one of these cars on Boulevard Gambetta, Nice, France on April 18.

Nice ? Sympa :) Merci saltkettle.

Video of a Google Street View car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXA0SC8xy7Q

Many, many references (old and new) included to this CNET News article:
http://news.cnet.co.uk/software/0,39029694,49296606,00.htm

There've been a few of these in Manchester, England recently. A friend tells me that he saw bikes with poles on the back for use in the pedestrian zones in town, and on the University campus.