Honda introduces 17 project and concept vehicles at SEMA

More than 17 Honda project and concept vehicles presented by American Honda Motor Company Inc. are on display at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. Making its world debut is the Honda Accord Coupe HF-S concept, which includes LED driving lights, an aerodynamic bumper, carbon fibre panels and trunk spoiler. Also shown is the Honda Factory Performance Coupe, which includes dealer-installed Honda Factory Performance components and a dual-port exhaust system. All of the components are currently available as dealer-installed accessories except for the enhanced suspension kit, which will be available in the spring of 2008. Other vehicles on display include the all-new S2000 CR, Civic Mugen Si Sedan, and a Honda Odyssey that raced in the 2007 Cannonball One Lap of America race by Car and Driver magazine, winning the SUV category and 33rd overall in a field of 88 competitors.

Toyota celebrates 50 years in the United States

Toyota celebrated its golden anniversary in the U.S. yesterday; Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc. opened for business on October 31, 1957 in southern California, and started selling cars the following summer. Imports accounted for 83,000 vehicles in 1957, and by the end of 1958, Toyota had sold only 287 Toyopet Crown sedans and one Land Cruiser. The company started with two models and 45 dealers; today, the Toyota, Scion and Lexus line-ups feature 27 models and more than 1,400 dealers across the U.S. "Over the years, our philosophies of continuous improvement and customer satisfaction have evolved, but continue as the ultimate drivers of our success," says Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president. "We remain focused on providing American consumers with innovative, quality products for the next fifty years and beyond." Following the Toyopet Crown's poor sales, Toyota introduced the Corona in 1965, designed specifically for American roads and tastes; the company says it was an overnight sensation. The Corolla was introduced to Americans in 1968 and has gone on to become the world's all-time best-selling passenger car. By late 1975, Toyota became the best-selling import brand in the U.S., and in 1978, became the first international automaker to surpass sales of one million vehicles. In 1986, it produced the Corolla FX 15, its first car built in the U.S. Today, it operates ten plants in eight U.S. states, with an eleventh plant under construction in Mississippi. The company established Lexus in 1989, debuting the Lexus LS 400 and ES 250; the brand is now the best-selling luxury line in America. In 2003 it launched Scion, a modestly-priced line not sold in Canada.

Barrett-Jackson to host collector car auction in Las Vegas in 2008

The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company has announced that it will bring its collector car auction to Las Vegas in 2008. The event will take place October 16 to 18, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and will be covered on television by SPEED. Approximately 600 cars will be sold at no reserve during the event, from muscle cars to pre-war classics. The company has been producing its auctions, called The World's Greatest Collector Car Events, since 1971 in Scottsdale, Arizona, with an auction in Palm Beach, Florida launched in 2002. "Las Vegas as a city mirrors the dynamic atmosphere of a Barrett-Jackson event," says Chairman/CEO Craig Jackson. "We believe the two are an ideal match and we intend to become a significant part of the city's landscape in the coming years." The three-day event will also include an automobilia auction, a display by auto vendors, live music, fashion shows, and a charity gala.

GM to invest US$73 million for production of Hummer H3T

General Motors has announced that it will invest approximately US$73 million into its Shreveport, Louisiana truck assembly plant to prepare it for production of the all-new Hummer H3T.
"GM's $73 million investment in Shreveport is further proof that the community remains an important part of GM's manufacturing plan," says Troy Clarke, GM North American President and GM Group Vice President. "The H3T is unique for Hummer because it is the brand's first true pickup. Like every Hummer model, the H3T delivers capabilities unparalleled in the marketplace and will carve out a new niche in the truck market. I'm happy to say that the men and women of Shreveport will be a big part of this new growth." Sized between a mid- and full-size truck, the H3T will include a fully functional bed and is scheduled to arrive in dealerships by the third quarter of 2008. The Shreveport facility has built trucks since 1981, beginning with the Chevrolet S-10; it currently produces the Hummer H3, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon and employs approximately 2,100 people.

Family of man killed in crash of Porsche Carrera GT settles lawsuit for US$4.5 million

The wife and parents of a La Jolla, California internationally renowned Internet marketing guru settled their lawsuit against Porsche and the racetrack where Corey Rudl was killed when riding as a passenger of Ben Keaton in a Porsche Carrera GT, a $440,000 exotic "racecar for the streets." Mr. Keaton was also killed when the Porsche left the track at the California Speedway on June 2, 2005, crashing into a concrete barrier at a speed estimated to be nearly 100 mph. Rudl and Keaton were participants in a Ferrari Club event being held at the track. "The expensive sports car was not equipped with Electronic Stability Control, a life saving safety feature which would have prevented Mr. Rudl's death," according to Craig McClellan, who represented the Rudl family. The track was dangerously designed with the concrete barrier that the Porsche hit being placed in the "run off" area where the vehicle is supposed to be given room to slow down, according to the lawsuit. The defendants paid $4.5 million dollars to Rudl's wife, Tracy, and parents, John and Patricia. Mr. Rudl was the founder and President of the Internet Marketing Center, Inc., the largest Internet marketing company when Mr. Rudl owned it. "The family hopes that this lawsuit and the redesign of the track that resulted from it, will save the lives of others," according to McClellan.

New York man claims record 2.6 million miles on his Volvo

With 2.6 million miles (4.1 million km) on his 1966 Volvo P1800, Irv Gordon of East Patchogue, New York is aiming to achieve three million miles (4.8 million km) on the same car. Gordon, a retired science teacher, bought his car in June 1966 and drove 1,500 miles (2,414 km) in the first 48 hours. With a daily commute of 125 miles (201 km) round trip and a dedication to vehicle maintenance, Gordon logged 500,000 miles (804,672 km) in ten years. In 1998, with 1.69 million miles (2.7 million km), he made the Guinness Book of World Records for the most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle. "My goal is to reach three million miles in the next five years," Gordon says. "But whether I reach that mark is more up to me than it is the car. The car's parts may be able to take it, but I'm not so sure about my own. I turn 72 on July 15, 2012. That seems like a nice day to clock three million and park the car once and for all. It will be a fantastic testament to the engineering genius of Volvo as well as to the resiliency of folks my age."