The original goal of the organizer was to have at least 25 Ferrari F40s to attend but so far the reaction of the club members have been good and 50 are registered to attend the event. This was shared by the coordinator of the club of Ferrari Owners who himself has an F40. He further shared that more owners are set to join the said event.

The Ferrari F40 was released in 1987 as part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Ferrari. This mid-engined creation was the last car commissioned by Enzo Ferrari, the legendary founder of the Prancing Horse. It is therefore designed to be a living testament to the embody the distinguishing factor of a high performance, track developed supercar.

The Ferrar F40 only had a two year run and during its golden years, the F40 was the most powerfule, fastest, and the priciest car rolled out by the Italian car manufacturer. There were only around 1,315 units of the F40 that was sold and a lot of these are still in existence.

We will keep you posted about this supercar gathering and share the photos when we see the Ferrari F40s have a get together in Britain this summer.

Founded in 1967 by brothers Chung Ju Yung and Chung Se Yung, the Hyundai Motor Company was a subsidiary of conglomerate The Hyundai Group controlled by Ju Yung. Se Yung was the first CEO of the car company, remaining with the company until he was ousted in 1999 by Ju Yung in favor of the older brother’s son. Many Westerners mistakenly attribute the success of Hyundai Motor to Ju-Yung, but Korean documentation, in the way of newspapers and obituaries, clearly indicates that Se-Yung was the driving force behind the brand. He was, in fact, the initiator of the original licensing agreement with Ford and subsequently, for the rest of his life, was affectionately known as “Pony Chung” or more formally “Chairman Chung”.

Most notably, customers are the top priority at Hyundai. Not merely as purchasers of the vehicles, but as a reward to the employees and management for a job well done. In fact, customer service and satisfaction are hallmarks of the Hyundai philosophy. While many companies claim their customers are the main focus of their businesses, most fail miserably at this basic concept. Hyundai, on the other hand, has built a worldwide reputation of listening and responding to their customers, as well as honing every detail of their cars. Some examples of their methods include:

• the best warranty in the new car industry,
• road tests performed on every vehicle that comes out of the factory in order to eliminate any quirks and squeaks that should not be there,
• and good value for the best possible price.

Achievements and Milestones in Hyundai’s History:

• 1968 Signed an agreement with Ford to assemble their cars, specifically the Cortina and the Granada sold in the South Korean market. Taking this agreement seriously, Hyundai was aggressive in their approach by being the first of any Ford assembly plant to build the plant and start production within a six month time frame.
• 1974 Pony was released. Although this was the first real Hyundai car, it was built upon a combination of technologies including Mitsubishi and Ford. Many people referred to the car as Japanese because of the Mitsubishi connection.
• 1983 Entered the Canadian marketplace with Pony. Sales were phenomenal and the Pony came to be the highest selling car in Canada in 1984.
• 1986 Entered American marketplace with the Excel. Record sales were enjoyed with over one hundred thousand sold in less than a year.
• 1998 Company purchased Kia, giving Hyundai over seventy percent of the domestic Korean market share.
• 2009  TAU 4.6 engine found in the Genesis won Wardsauto’s 2009 10 Best Engines.
• 2009 Genesis won Canadian Car of the Year in the “under fifty thousand dollar luxury car” category.
• 2009  Included in North American Car of the Year Top 100 Global Brands in 2008 for the fourth year in a row.
• Produced the S–Engine, available in the Veracruz, and reputed to be the world’s highest quality V6 engine.
• Presently boasts manufacturing plants in South Korea, China, India,Turkey, Czech Republic, USA, and soon-to-be-completed Russia. The main plant in Ulsan, South Korea is formidable indeed. It is the largest automotive production facility in the world with five individual factories, thirty-four thousand employees, its own port where three ships can dock at the same time, its own fire station, hospital and patrol cars. Lastly, it is known for its advanced manufacturing techniques that help to make the plant and company environmentally friendly.

Models and Years Released:

• 1968 Ford Cortina and Granada
• 1974 Pony
• 1985 Stellar
• 1986 Excel
• 1986 Grandeur
• 1987 Sonata
• 1991 Scoupe
• 1995 Accent
• 1992 Elantra
• 1997 Tiburon
• 1997 Starex Van – also known as i800 and H-200
• 2000 XG300
• 2001 XG350
• 2001 Santa Fe
• 2001 Matrix Hatchback
• 2002 Click or Getz
• 2003 Equus
• 2004 Tucson SUV
• 2006 Azera
• 2007 i10 Hatchback
• 2007 i30cw
• 2007 Entourage Minivan
• 2007 Elantra Touring Beach Cruiser Concept
• 2007 Veracruz
• 2008 i20
• 2009 Genesis
• 2009 Genesis Coupe

The German car manufacturer will be rolling out the new X3 SUV on the early part of 2011 or just a few months after its launch this coming November in Europe. The company is planning to tap the US dealers to get on the market early to promote options small upgrades like an iPod adapter for $185 or a panoramic moonroof for $1,350.

The culture of built-to-order units which also helps manufacturers decrease costly inventories and avoid too much discounts is not a very common in the US with Lexus explaining that 2% of their deliveries every month are pre-ordered. The picture is different in Germany where one of two BMW is customized.

The efforts of BMW to change the culture and trend in the US may bump into big hurdles especially when consumers are not used to ordering as one part of the vehicle buying process. The American market is more of the impulsive type, where the consumer walks into a dealership and drives home with the car.

BMW plans to make a rebound and is planning to offer special options to tease the American market into pre-ordering, and will be focussing mainly on the high-end models like the X6, the 5-series and the new 7-series.

The OS supports the Android Smartphone of Google that is head on with the iPhone of Apple. Just like the Sync, the Android of Google will allow GM owners to link their vehicle with any smartphone brand. According to tech experts, the Android will be a big threat to the Sync system of Ford which was recently stretched to include several services collectively known as MyFord, MyLincoln, and MyMercury.

The Google linkup will not be totally similar to the Ford in-car system. The Android will let GM owners start, open, or tweak their trucks and cars. These are features not offered by the Microsoft system to Ford.

The system from Google will allow GM vehicle owners to setup a better communication between their car and their smartphone. The operating system will also takeover the navigation system since Android will rely on its own set of GPS maps.

It seems this will be a big negotiation between GM and Google. There has been no word yet when this technology will be applied.

The latest RM Sporting Classics Auction also featured a number of special cars from the Maserati and Ferrari line. The Superamerica is a rare breed, as it was one of only 5 short-wheelbased 400 cabriolet produced by Ferrari. The car had a tiny 95-inch-wheelbase. This particular vehicle was originally purchased by someone from Arizona back in 1962.

The first owner bought the convertible (with a V12 engine) when it recorded a 145 mph speed during the Bonneville Speed Trials. While it was out of commission for a few years, the car was completely restored in 2005. Before the auction, it was showcased last summer at Pebble’s Concours d’Elegance.

In the same auction, another supercar, a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, was fetched for more than $3.3 million. It was also a record price for that car. The birdcage sported a latticework of 15mm and 10mm tubes for the chassis (hence, the nickname “Birdcage”). It weighed 1300 pounds and is power-driven by a twin cam 2980cc, four-cylinder-engine.

RM, the Canadian-based auction house, has been held accountable for five of the top 10 most expensive car auction sales last year. The man behind the successful auction house is chairman and founder Rob Myers. Ironically, though, Canada has the lowest auto auction revenues, despite the stellar performance that RM exudes every year.

Story via ExoticCarNews.net.

The car manufacturer added that this system will be controlled by a special Bang and Olufsen menu. The said menu will be placed in the COMAND APS display and control system of the vehicle. The system won’t be wanting in style either. The subwoofers installed onto the parcel shelf and the 50-watt, lens-shaped illuminated tweeters will definitely give the sports car posh points.

The price of the system, though, is no laughing matter. You can get this audio system for a total of 7021 euros, which already includes the 21% VAT. Aside from the super cool audio system, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is also famed for its gullwing doors. It made its debut in 2009’s Frankfurt International Motor Show. The SLS AMG Gullwing is driven by a 6.3L V8 front-mid engine generating 571HP and 650 Nm of torque.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in merely 3.8 seconds. When electronically driven, the gullwing’s top speed is 317 km/h. The hybrid sports car isn’t such a big fuel burner either, consuming only 13.2L per 100 kilometers. The price tag on this super sports car is 177,310 euros, also inclusive of VAT. Quite expensive to say the least, and you’ll still need to reserve some extra euros to pay the insurance for cars.

While Toyota’s spokesperson sent an email declaring the company’s appreciation for the report, consumers know just how serious the label was. The New York based Consumer’s Union hasn’t declared any vehicle a “safety risk” since 2001. Toyota will certainly have to pour a lot of effort in redeeming its image after this record-breaking recall catastrophe.

The GC is sold at around US $52,000 a unit. Because of this, the sales for the vehicle were suspended for a few months. Rising above the situation, though, Toyota fixed all of the problems pointed out by the consumer-oriented magazine. It is currently selling the SUV again, plus the necessary alterations in the system of course.

Aside from fixing the problem for the new units, Toyota is also opening its phone lines to Lexus GX 460 dealers around the globe. Dealers can ask any question regarding the update of the vehicle’s stability control system. The hotline reserved for this is 1-800-25LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987.

In another report, Toyota was replaced by BMW as the world’s most valuable car brand. The researchers of BrandZ Top 100 remain positive, though, that the company will be able to recover in no time.

Compared to the current Toyota Venza, the Lotus Venza’s mass was cut down by as much as 38% in the 2020 version. This is, of course, discounting the vehicle’s powertrain. The alterations amounted to only 3% of component costs. The 2017 version is a little bigger than the long-term Lotus Venza concept, with only 21% mass reduction.

The concept cars will be produced using technology and manufacturing processes that are viable, available and affordable by year 2020. Even with the powertrain, the 2020 Lotus Venza is still a good 33% smaller than the current Toyota basis. According to the US Department of Energy, this mass reduction should increase the fuel economy of the vehicle by at least 23%.

In “slimming down” the Toyota Venza, Lotus made sure that they kept the most essential features of the vehicle. However, they did have to disassemble an original Toyota Venza, catalog the arts, and evaluate which parts the car can do without in the reassembly. From more than 400 parts of the Toyota Venza, Lotus Venza’s concept variants only carried 211 parts.

It was also noted that the Toyota Vensa used 100% steel. The Lotus 2020 concept used 37% aluminum, 31% magnesium, 21% composite material, and 7% high strength steal. The remaining 5% is unaccounted for, but reviewers are assuming it’s from regular steal.

The manufacturer adds that the A7 is actually the very first model to be based on their mid-sized platform. This production will highlight the Audi’s A6 which is scheduled to be introduced next year. The car is 4950 mm long, and is admittedly designed to compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The other rival is BMW’s Grand Coupe, but this concept isn’t set to come out until 2012.

Topping the A7 line is the RS7 Sportback. The prime highlight of this vehicle’s performance is probably its engine. The 580HP V10 is a pumped up version of Audi’s naturally-aspirated 5.2L. The 580HP engine will also be paired with Audi’s brand new, 7-speed 2-clutch gearbox.

Meanwhile, the other models of the A7 line up will be given V6, V8 and V10 diesel and petrol engines. Most of the models will be sold primarily in the United Kingdom. These vehicles will have Audi’s brand new 330HP 3L V6 (supercharged, petrol engine), or a 250 bhp 3L V6 (common-rail-diesel engine).

Looking back, during last year’s motor show in Detroit, the A7 Sportback concept received a lot of positive feedback. The vehicle was previewed with a sleek four-door body, very similar to its predecessor, the A5 Sportback.

The boosted net income of the Japanese car manufacturer can amount to 340 billion yen or US$ 3.6 billion. This is from last year’s 268.4 billion yen. The sales of Honda cars grew from 8.58 trillion yen last year to 9.34 trillion yen this year. The same reports state that Honda deliveries to North America may rise by 14%, amounting to about 1.48 million vehicles this year.

Koji Endo, the managing director of Advanced Research in Japan, believes that Honda may even give bigger figures in the coming months. This is because of the increasing demand for its cars from North America and other Asian countries outside Japan. Kendo also notes that Honda has always had a “conservative outlook”, which means that the figures they’re reporting may actually be smaller than their actual findings.

This business attitude seems to appeal to investors, though. Honda shares also rose to 4.7% or $35.13 this year. The good news, in no way, made the car manufacturer too self confident. It was reported that Honda is being cautious this year as the competition tightens in North America. Other companies are strengthening their passenger car line ups as well. Hyundai is reportedly at the heels of the Japanese car maker according to car specialist Laurent Van Dessel, a fact that will surely be followed closely at the Honda Headquarters.