Ferrari is aiming for global sales of 8,000 units within 8 years, unprecedented volumes for a sports car maker that has traditionally prided itself on exclusivity and the individual nature of their products.

Sales of 6,800 to 7,000 Ferrari cars are expected this year, with the Japanese market being the deciding factor. Ferrari sells about 400 cars per year in the country. According to Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo, the jump to 8,000 units will have to come from emerging markets. ”A lot depends on India, Latin America and China. There is growth potential there,” he told German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

China, which will sell 500 cars this year (up from 300) is expected to be the 3rd biggest market for Ferrari, behind the United States and Germany.

[Source: Automotive News]

In the old days, when you had newspapers and magazines, it was relatively easy for automakers to keep a lid on new models and changes to existing ones. Not anymore. The first whiff of a new car or a significant update and it’s being blogged, tweeted or placed in a viral video of some kind.

Now, according to Corvette Blogger, changes to Chevrolet s sportscar for 2012 are already out and making news, slightly before the General actually intended.

Among the updates, are high performance packages for both the supercharged  ZR1 and the 505 hp Z06. These include lightweight, black painted wheels; R compound Michelin Pilot tires and a close ratio six-speed manual gearbox, while the Z06 gets Brembo carbon ceramic brake rotors; the black painted wheels and Pilot rubber, plus selective magnetic ride control and a Performance Traction Management feature, designed to further enhance grip (which until now was a ZR1 exclusive).

Other updates, include a shuffling of exterior colors (Carlisle Blue Metallic replaces Jetstream Blue) and the debut of the Centennial Edition in celebration of Chevy’s 100 anniversary later this year. This one will be finished in a unique shade of black (called Carbon Flash Metallic), with special black painted wheels, red brake calipers, leather wrapped instrument panel and special ebony seats with red stitching among other things. For more info on these and other features of the 2012 Corvette, click on the link below.

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

If you don’t succeed, try, try again. And that’s just what Ford did – when the 2011 Edge and Lincoln MKX didn’t make the cut for Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award, they made improvements to roof strength, and finally got the thumbs up from the IIHS.

These midsize SUVs jumped from acceptable to good for roof strength in rollover crashes to earn the Top Safety pick award. In order to pick up this prize, vehicles must earn the top rating of good for front, side, rollover, and rear crash protection, and they must have electronic stability control as a standard feature (ESC).

In the IIHS’s roof strength evaluation, the Edge and the Lincoln MKX withstood a force equal to 4.7 times the vehicles’ weight. To earn a good rating, vehicles must achieve a strength-to-weight ratio of 4 or higher. Only models produced after February, 2011 can boast TSP certification.

[Source: IIHS]

The Chinese auto industry is reaching new peaks. That was probably the reason South Korean auto manufacturer Kia choose to name their new Rio sedan K2 for the Chinese market.

As many of you should know, K2 is one of the tallest mountains in the world, and this Chinese built Kia will hopefully take its makers sales figures sky high.

This miniature version of the Optima sedan will be available in China in six trim levels. Buyers will get to choose between a 1.4-liter or 1.6-liter engine. Both motors are four-cylinder units and power is sent to the front wheels via either manual or automatic gearbox.

Kia has just unveil the North American version of the Rio at the 2011 New York International Auto Show.

The K2 is now on display at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in China.

[Source: Carscoop]

Toyota‘s Vietnamese division has been left red-faced after obfuscating the seriousness of a recall for their export-market Innova minivan, with Toyota being forced to recall nearly 10 times as many vans as they initially claimed.

Despite flaws the the braking system, wheel alignment bolts and the seats, Toyota claimed that only 8,830 cars would need to be recalled. This figure was quickly proven wrong by Le Van Tach, who managed to compel Toyota to up the number of recalled vehicles to 65,703.  The recall ended up being the largest to take place in Vietnam, partially because the Innova is a popular taxicab in the country.

The Vietnamese government is now investigating Toyota’s local production facilities for quality defects.

[Source: Than Nien News]

NHTSA is investigating some 370,000 Jeep Liberty SUVs due to potential rust issues involving the lower control arms. NHTSA has recieved 9 complaints so far regarding rear control arm failure due to corrosion, with two of the incidents occurring at speeds greater than 50 mph.

The Liberty has faced three previous recalls, in 2003 and 2006, totaling over 1 million vehicles. Corrosion issues, as well as ball joint failure, have plagued the Liberty throughout its life span. Chrysler was not available for comment.

[Source: Detroit News]

General Motors is set to become the world’s largest automaker yet again, reclaiming the title from Toyota, whose operations have been hit hard by a production slowdown brought on by Japan’s natural disasters.

With only a 30,000 vehicle gap in sales between the two companies at the end of 2010, GM should easily reclaim the lead, as 30,000 cars essentially amounts to a day’s worth of global sales. Meanwhile, Toyota claims that normal production schedules won’t return until November, proving a crucial blow to the automaker’s overall foothold in the marketplace.

[Source: ABC]

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A much larger event than in past years, the 2011 New York Auto Show had important debuts from most every automaker. Most notable among the reveals was the Scion FR-S sports car that will go on sale in the U.S. next year.

Small cars played prominently with a new Nissan Versa, Honda Civic, Subaru Impreza, Volkswagen Beetle, Fiat 500 Cabriolet, Kia Soul, Kia Rio Sedan, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Sonic Z-Spec and even a new compact car concept from Mercedes, the A-Class Concept.

High performance models were still represented with the Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, plus Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe.

Plus, this year’s 2011 World Car of the Year award went to the Nissan Leaf.

See all the videos after the jump and get all the 2011 New York Auto Show news here:

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You’re busy – you got plenty of things on the go. The last thing you have time for is to pay your respects when someone passes. But what is a busy mourner to do? You can ask to have the recently deceased displayed in an open casket in the drive-thru display window of Robert L. Adams Mortuary in Compton.

In business since 1974, Adams funeral parlor brings the dead to the drive-thru and convenience to the living. There are a few of these parlors running in the US, but this is the only one in Southern California. The drive-thru is located off of the main entrance, is 12 feet wide and features a long glass display window that you can see from the street. “It’s a unique feature that sets us aside from other funeral parlors,” said owner Scott Adams. “You can come by after work, you don’t need to deal with parking, you can sign the book outside and the family knows that you paid your respects.”

If you decide to get out of your car, you’ll be treated to a reception lounge that’s outfitted with low-hanging gold chandeliers and pink upholstered seats.

The idea for a drive-thru funeral parlor came about in the 1980s. Gang members didn’t want to attend graveside services because of cemetery shootouts. Adam’s drive-thru’s glass partition is bullet proof and this has made it a popular location for gang funerals.

What do you think? Do you think it’s awesomely convenient or terribly tacky? Let us know in the comments section below.

[Source: LA Times]

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Steve Saleen’s SMS Supercars is expanding its collection of available vehicles by adding three new variants to its 302 Ford Mustang line: White Label, Yellow Label and Black Label. The 302 White Label Mustang is available with an MSRP of $35,540 while the Yellow Label is available for $45,540. No pricing has been announced yet for the Black Label edition, but SMS Supercars claims it’ll be the ultimate SMS 302 Mustang once it’s available.

The three colors pay tribute to Steve Saleen’s former racing colors. The basic White Label model sports a 440-hp naturally aspirated V8. It also comes with suspension upgrades, a new exhaust, interior upgrades and a body kit for the outside. The Yellow Label, at $10,000 more, tosses on a supercharger giving the Mustang an impressive 545-hp. In addition, a set of 19-inch SMS wheels are bolted on along with performance rubber.

The only information SMS has on the Black Label version is that it’ll sport 575-hp with more aggressive exterior styling, leather interior, and S4 suspension.

GALLERY: SMS Supercars 302 Mustangs