Hyundai India sets new record in exports

The 1 lakh export orders for i10 have created a record as it has come in less than 7 months and from diverse countries spanning different continents.

Hyundai Motor India, the country’s second largest passenger car manufacturer and the largest exporter, on Wednesday achieved yet another significant milestone in its decade old journey in India. Since the time the i10 made its European debut in Bologna, Italy in December, the total export orders have reached the remarkable figure of 106,749 units from as many as 98 countries.

Hyundai i10 is creating ripples across the globe ever since its European launch with leading automotive magazines like Autocar UK voting it the best car in its segment in a group test. The 100,000 units of export orders have created a record as it has come in a record time of less than 7 months and from diverse countries spanning different continents, making it one of the most popular cars to be launched recently.

Commenting on the achievement, H S Lheem, MD, HMIL said, ” We are extremely delighted as we reach the fastest one lakh unit export mark for the i10. We always believed that the i10 is a world class car and can compete with all other global compact cars on even footing. The one lakh export orders in such a short time are a confirmation of our belief. Even in the domestic market the demand is very strong with sales of over 65,000 units and to meet the expectations of both the markets we are trying very hard to produce as many i10’s as possible. The i10 undoubtedly is on its way to becoming a segment leader.”

Following the stupendous response in the domestic market both by the consumers and the media which conferred upon the i10 all the ‘Car of the Year 2008’ awards making it the first car to win all the Car of the Year awards including the coveted ‘Indian Car of the Year’ (ICOTY) from a jury comprising of the most respected automotive journalist in India – the i10 is truly on its way to becoming a true global car.

Australia gets market-specific Subaru Liberty GT tuned by STI

Subaru's Australian outpost is set to deliver a localized special edition Liberty GT (Liberty = Legacy) that's been upgraded with a laundry list of components from the STI catalog. The Liberty GT tuned by STI makes 260 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and will be made available with either a 6-speed stick or a 5-speed sportshift automatic. Brembos, Bilstein shocks, STI springs, a new muffler, lightweight Enkeis, and leather-and-Alcantara sport seats are but a few the features included in the 250-car limited edition, which is now on sale in Australia. Hey Subaru of America, where's the love like this for U.S. customers?

Toyota beats Holden, Ford: Will build Camry Hybrid in Australia

Back when North American markets shunned RWD cars in the '80s and '90s, Australians couldn't get enough of them. That sentiment has been rapidly changing as the blokes down under are increasingly looking to integrate more efficient transportation into the Outback. The Australian government is in on the hybrid game, too, and has promised that any domestic automaker that produces a hybrid will be greeted with a fist-full of orders. Toyota is listening, and the Japanese automaker has green-lighted the production of 10,000 Camry hybrids per year at its Altona plant in Australia, making it the first automaker to build a production hybrid in the land of Oz. The announcement comes only a few days after an Aussie legislator singled out Ford of Australia and Holden, GM's Australian division, as companies that need to produce hybrids domestically so the government doesn't have to buy imported Toyotas and Honda hybrids. Looks like it's time for the Australian government to make with the checks. Its domestically built hybrid is on its way care of the Japanese.

Bentley to launch $200G luxury car today in Boston

Bentley Motors plans to unveil its $200,000 Continental Flying Spur Speed sedan in Boston today - apparently the first time any automaker has chosen the Hub for a worldwide product launch.

Bentley has previously rolled out vehicles in Paris, Geneva and other posh locales.

But the legendary British automaker chose Boston this time because Bentley plans to move its North American headquarters here from Detroit this fall.

“We really wanted to use our new location as a showcase for the brand,” company spokesman David Reuter said.

Bentley expects some 150 auto journalists from around the world to hit the Hub this month to check out the Flying Spur Speed, along with a 2009 update to the standard, $180,000 Flying Spur.

The product launches will kick off with a formal unveiling today for auto reporters at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen and engineering chief Ulrich Eichhorn have already flown in from Britain to officiate. In fact, Bentley’s entire six-member board spent the weekend in town checking out launch preparations.

The Flying Spur Speed features Bentley’s most-powerful production engine ever: a 600-horsepower W-12. That’s 12 cylinders arranged in a “W” pattern - essentially two V-6 engines laid side by side, providing enough power to run the Flying Spur Speed at 200 mph.

Inside, the ultraposh sedan features real wood veneers, along with hand-crafted leather upholstery made from at least 11 cow hides per car.

Bentley hasn’t formally set Flying Spur Speed’s price, but Reuter hinted that the sedan will start at around $204,000 when the model hits showrooms this fall.

Of course, that doesn’t include a $3,700 federal “gas-guzzler” tax on the car, which only gets 10 miles per gallon in the city.

Nor does the base price include extras, like optional $16,500 carbon-ceramic brakes or a roughly $7,500 premium stereo that Reuter calls “the world’s best audio system.”

Cambridge-based car expert Craig Carlson said today’s planned rollout appears to represent the first global automotive launch the Hub has ever hosted.

“It’s really exciting,” Carlson said. “People have long thought of Boston as a technology, medical or academic center. Now, they might start thinking about us as a luxury or automotive center, too.”

Nissan 3rd Japanese automaker to shift truck production to cars

Following the lead of Japan's other two big-time automakers, Toyota and Honda, Nissan has just announced that it too will be cutting truck production to focus on cars. At its Canton, Mississippi plant, Nissan will cut in half the number of shifts for workers assembling Titan pickup trucks and Armada full-size SUVs. On the flip-side, the automaker will add a third shift for production of the Altima mid-size sedan, which should allow it to keep its workers on the job. This move is not surprising, as passenger cars have been outselling their truck brethren handily in these days of record high gasoline prices. Ford, which has a new F-150 set to go on sale shortly, has offered employee pricing for its trucks, while General Motors recently announced that it would be idling four plants that produce trucks and SUVs and may rid itself of the HUMMER brand entirely. Dodge, for its part, is offering cheap gas and big incentives as a ploy to get consumers interested in its pickups. Unfortunately, it's not as easy for our domestic automakers to switch plants from producing trucks to passenger cars as many are older facilities that weren't built with flexible production in mind.

Pics Aplenty: 2009 Cadillac XLR and XLR-V

While Cadillac released information on the freshened XLR roadster last week, all we had to look at was a single photo. Well, now we can see the rest of it. XLR.net has gotten hold of several more shots of the halo Caddy in both the standard Platinum trim and in rodded-up V-Series form (above). We were most curious to see the updated interior, but one look is all it takes to see that it's fundamentally unchanged. The gauges simply trade their rounder, Bulgari-designed numerals for a look that's in keeping with what you'll find in other Caddys. The steering wheel is also switched out, and the XLR gets the same unit you'll find in the current CTS. Everything else? It's pretty much the same -- nice, but not done up to the level of the less expensive CTS. For that, we'll have to wait for the next XLR, assuming there is a next XLR.

We already covered the new grille for the base car in our earlier post, as well as the new side vents. The V-Series, however, retains the mesh look in front, as expected. Out back, the XLR Platinum gets a pair of cartoonishly-wide exhaust outlets that appear to be part of the rear bumper cover. The V soldiers on with its Vette-like quad pipes. The XLR is a nice car that turns heads, and the V-Series absolutely hauls ass and sounds great doing it. But $100K (for the V) is a lot to ask for any Cadillac, especially one that still hosts an interior that, while attractive, doesn't meet the high design standard set by the entry-level CTS.

Hertz adding Corvette ZHZ to Fun Collection

Whenever we rent a car from Hertz, we always peruse the Fun Collection then settle on a cheap economy car that won't break the bank. Today Hertz announced that it's adding a new model to the Fun Collection that may change our renting habits this summer. Just like it did with Ford when the rental company offered the Mustang GT-H, Hertz has teamed with General Motors to offer the Corvette ZHZ, a specially customized model of the famous sports car for rental customers to abuse this summer. The car is finished in Hertz' trademark yellow color with a black stripe that starts around the Corvette emblem on the hood and travels back over the roof. It's basically a run-of-the-mill Corvette Coupe with the optional optional dual-mode exhaust system the gives the standard 430-hp 6.2L LS3 V8 a bump to 436 hp. The only other modification are a set of 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels that are chromed and feature seven spokes apiece, and some special "Hertz" and "ZHZ" badging. Only 500 examples are being added to the Hertz fleet and they will be available in 24 major cities. The first locations to get them will be Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. There's no word on what the rental price will be, but we already know that being part of the Fun Collection comes with a price.