Hyundai performed well above the industry average for March, which may be one of the main reasons by both Ford and GM have copied the Korean automaker’s job-loss protection incentive. (Photo Credit: Liberty Cars]

Well, it ain’t getting any better. The recession continues to bully automakers as creditors continue to bang on their front doors

The industry average for car sales in the U.S. for the month of March is 36.8 percent below last year – and to a certain extent that sugar coats the problem as many of the major automakers posted worse numbers.

General Motors once again has the dubious distinction of the worst sales with a decline of 44.7 percent. Ford did only slight better less-worse with a decline of 42.1 percent. Chrysler was down 39.3 percent.

And it’s not just the Big 3 that are hurting. Toyota was down 39 percent and Honda dropped 36.3 percent and Nissan 37.7 percent.

Hyundai was one of the few companies to not take a serious hit, with sales decreasing just 3.3 percent. The Korean auto manufacturer has implemented a it’s assurance job-loss protection program and while it’s not clear if that is the reason for the considerably above-average sales, both GM and Ford recently announced similar programs.

Low consumer confidence and a tight credit market continue to be two of the main factors discouraging car sales. Confidence, especially in almost bankrupt companies like General Motors and Chrysler continues to be a major reason for stalled sales. Access to credit has improved slightly, however, something BMW President Jim O’Donnell sites for the less than awful 22.9 percent decline in his company’s sales.

The Obama Administration is also helping increase access to credit by forcing GM’s credit provider GMAC to resume subprime lending.

According to Standard & Poor’s equity analyst Efraim Levy, this may finally be rock bottom for the industry, but that doesn’t mean things are about to improve soon. “We believe we may be at or near the trough of the industry’s year-to-year comparisons but do not see an uptick in industry demand before fourth-quarter 2009 at the earliest.”

[Source: Automotive News]

Follow the jump for a full list of manufacturer sales numbers

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German Audi tuner MTM is once again pumping out massive horsepower numbers from those Audi powerplants. The company’s latest project is a TT-S, modified to 380 horsepower.

The package includes a retuned ECU for more boost from the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, as well as the replacement of the factory turbocharger with a larger unit. Also included is a new air intake, exhaust manifold and complete exhaust system.

All 380hp come on strong at 6240 rpm, with torque reaching 364 ft-lbs at 4580 rpm - enough to not only significantly reduce the car’s 0-60 mph time but it also provides a higher top speed of 165 mph.

To produce that much power the boost has too be cranked all the way to 22.5 pounds.

MTM also offers a complete line of performance parts for the TT-S including a set of 20×9-inch “Bimoto” wheels, wrapped in 245/30/20 Michelin tires. And for inside those front wheels, MTM offers a massive Brembo brake upgrade with 15-inch rotors and 8-piston calipers.

Other items include a set of lowering springs as well as that significantly-sized rear spoiler.

For those without the need for quite so much speed MTM also offers a 330hp kit, which is much more affordable and doesn’t include swaping turbos.

GALLERY: MTM Audi TT-S

For more information visit MTM’s website here:

www.mtm-online.de

Those who were mildly disappointed by the specs of the GT-R SpecV can rest assured that Nissan isn’t finished tweaking its supercar yet.

There’s nothing wrong with the SpecV. In fact, everything about the car is pretty much right. It has lighter wheels for better steering, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes for better stopping, an overboost function for some added power, a stiffer suspension for better handling and less weight for better, well, everything.

Still, it isn’t quite the super-extreme version so many were hoping for and with just 132 lbs cut from the weight of the beast it isn’t exactly light.

According to top Nissan engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno (the man behind the GT-R), an even more extreme version is coming. “The SpecV, in contrast to what you might be thinking, is not the high-performance version of the GT-R,” he told the folks at Edmunds.com.

Mizuno wouldn’t reveal any more about the car so we’ll just have to dream about a the possibilities, like a 600hp monster, or a truly stripped down track machine… or both….

See our GT-R SpecV Review here:

2009 Nissan GT-R SpecV First Drive

[Source: Edmunds]

Lamborghini Super Trofeo GTR @ Monza from Lamborghini München on Vimeo.

Ahead of the start of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo one-make racing series, we have this short bit of video made by the folks at Lamborghini Munich, who will be running a car in the series this year.

The Super Trofeo series is a one-make series for “gentlemen drivers” much like the Ferrari Challenge series. The cars are based o the Gallardo LP560-4 and make 570hp while weighing significantly less.

So sit back and enjoy this impressive machine as it takes on Monza.

The series will begin in May 2009 and will run (only in Europe for 2009) alongside other major motorsports series, such as DTM, FIA GT and the World Touring Car Championship.

Yesterday some grainy images of Hyundai’s new concept car appeared online after a New Yorker snapped a few photos of the crossover and sent them over to AutoBlog (picture below). Today Hyundai has released this official photos of the Nuvis Concept.

Designed at Hyundai’s California Design Center in Irvine, CA, the Nuvis is part of a new breed of vehicles from Hyundai, which, the company says could form the basis of a new generation of crossover. The term “generation” is key here, hinting that this isn’t likely to be a new model but rather the next generation of a current model – likely the Santa Fe.

In fact, the Nuvis looks so much like the ix-onic concept from the Geneva Auto Show that we had to go back and look at some photos to make sure it wasn’t the same vehicle. The ix-onic is supposed to inspire the future design direction of all of Hyundai’s SUVs and crossovers and we can certainly see the family resemblance here.

Photo courtesy AutoBlog

Those engineers over at Lotus have received a pat on the back by industry experts in the U.K., as the company was recently awarded the Dewar Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club.

The Dewar Trophy is handed out each year for a “outstanding British technical achievement in the automotive field.” Lotus received the award for developing its Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) chassis that underlies the upcoming Evora sportscar (pictured above).

What makes the VVA architecture so special isn’t just that it’s a light weight, but that is was created specifically to be used in different variants to be an equally capable and ideal platform for several different low to medium production number models (like the ones Lotus builds). Traditionally, a niche market vehicle requires an entirely new platform or the adaptation of an existing platform, two solutions that are either expensive or full of compromises. With the VVA chassis, Lotus has found a middle-road solution that will be the basis for the Evora as well as other future platforms.

“I would like to thank the Dewar Trophy Technical Sub-Committee for the award, and all at Lotus are most honored to receive this accolade,” said Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc. “It is a fantastic achievement for Lotus to win such a prestigious and recognized award for our Versatile Vehicle Architecture technology which is used in our stunning new Lotus Evora sportscar. This award is for everyone at Lotus; those who created the VVA technology, those who delivered the Evora engineering program and those who are building our car. With incredible hard work and dedication at Lotus, using this technology our excellent staff have delivered the Lotus Evora in 27 months from a clean sheet to the first production car driving off the line, a great achievement.”

“The automotive industry is changing fast, and technology needs to be robust, faster to market and more cost and mass effective than ever before,” continues Kimberly, “and Lotus will be there at the forefront of this exciting period for the future of personal transport.”

Official release after the jump:

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Hot on the heels of the new E-Class, Mercedes has released details of the high-performance E63 version, which will make its official debut at the New York Auto Show on April 8th.

The new model retains the 6.2-liter V8 found in the previous generation, and gets just a slight bump (of 11hp) in performance to 518hp and 465 ft-lbs of torque. To help get that power to the ground AMG has equipped the car with the new AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed automatic transmission, first used in the SL63. Using a multi-disc wet start-up clutch, instead of a traditional torque converter, shift times are just 100 milliseconds in “M” (Manual) mode.

Another reason for the speedy shift times is that AMG has programmed the ECU so that under full load gear shifts, the ignition and fuel injection are interrupted.

The engine and tranny combine to deliver a 0-60 mph time of just 4.4 seconds!

Oh, and the the transmission does rev match on the down shift and have a Race Start or “launch control” function.

In total the transmission has four settings: C” (Controlled Efficiency), “S” (Sport), “S+” (Sport Plus) and “M” (Manual).

The Controlled Efficiency setting also works with several other technologies to reduce overall fuel-consumption by 12 percent compared to the previous model. The Controlled Efficiency mode will give early up-shifts to keep engine speed as low as possible, while AMG has developed a way to “detach” the alternator from the engine so that it doesn’t drain power when it isn’t needed.

The body of the E63 is 17mm wider than the standard E-Class with a front track that is 2.2-inches (56mm) wider. The front suspension has been completely redesigned by AMG engineers with new control arms, wheel bearings, a new stabilizer bar. This new setup actually moves the location of the wheel to provide better handling and more negative camber.

As a result of the wider setup, the steering ratio is now 22 percent more direct and boasts a sporty 14:1 ratio.

The suspension of the E63 has been completely redesigned with a new front setup and a rear that features an AMG air suspension. The E63 also gets a variable suspension system with AMG Ride Control that allows for three different suspension settings: Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus.

Another adjustable feature is the stability control program, or ESP, which has three settings: “On,” “Sport” and “Off.” The Sport setting allows for increased slip.

For ease of use, the MCT transmission settings, ESP settings, suspension settings and AMG drive modes can all be adjusted via the AMG Drive Unit.

Other highlights of the E63 include 18-inch wheels that measure 18×9-inches up front and 18×9.5-inches in the rear with front 255/40/18 tires and 285/35/18 rear tires. The brake rotors measure a substantial 14.2-inches at each corner.

For those who demand even more from their car, AMG will offer a “Performance Package” that includes 19-inch wheels with 255/35/19 and 285/30/19 tires, as well as a stiffer suspension setup, a locking rear axle, a three-spoke performance steering wheel and a new top speed of 186 mph (standard top speed is 155 mph).

We’ll bring you more details and full specifications from the NY Auto Show starting April 8th.

GALLERY: 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG

More on the E63 AMG after the jump:

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