According to a statement by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), China’s monthly sales of passenger-vehicles suffered its steepest decline in more than seven years due to a Lunar New Year holiday season hiatus that deprived dealers of a week’s worth of sales. Figures indicated that sales fell to 1.16 million units in January, a 24 percent decrease from the year before. According to five analysts from Bloomberg News, sales were projected to drop 18 percent.

Great Wall Securities Co. analyst Ran Fei said, “Even though the actual holidays were five working days, some dealerships took the opportunity to close their stores for a longer time. The numbers are disappointing.” Compounding the auto sales slump in the Chinese market, the Chinese government also estimated that holiday sales at the nation’s main retailers and restaurants rose at their slowest pace since the 2009 financial crisis.

Are these signs an indication that the world’s largest and fastest growing automotive market is showing economic resistance? Despite these statistics, Ran Fei insists that “Car demand is stable. There’s no indication of any changes on that front.” China’s Passenger Car Association also believes that the Chinese economy is fundamentally sound and interprets the auto sales number as a mere holiday season distortion. The Passenger Car Association expects a 30 percent rise in sales for February.

Huatai Securities Co. analyst Chen Liang adds, “Demand is still there and consumers in the smaller, less developed cities will still have a growing need for cars. These numbers don’t change my outlook for the year.”

In January, GM reported an 8 percent decline in China sales, its first Chinese sales decline in six months. Chevrolet sales suffered a 20 percent hit to 54,399 units. According to Ford, its China sales fell a staggering 42 percent last month. Bucking the trend, Luxury German brands BMW and Audi both posted higher sales, enjoying a 30 percent and 23 percent gain respectively.

IHS Automotive Shanghai analyst Namrita Chow provided this explanation, “Prior to the Chinese New Year, Chinese consumers who are looking to enhance their prestige and status symbol have chosen high-end luxury brands.”

[Source: Bloomberg]

10. Chevy Impala: 14M units sold

The numbers are always changing and a new list of the Top 10 best-selling vehicles in history, compiled by 24/7 Wall St. has a new model on top.

There are some surprises on the list, but for the most part it all makes sense. Whether they’ve been in production for a long time or they’re reasonably priced worldwide, the top 10 best-selling cars of all time might not be the most exciting, but are clearly the most popular throughout history.

The Chevrolet Impala is the only GM vehicle on the list and has quite the history since hitting the market 54 years ago. Starting its life as a large two-door performance coupe, the Impala evolved into a versatile sedan. Or as we like to call it, a rental car. Ironically, it isn’t actually offered as a coupe anymore, which seems like a distant memory after 10 generations of upgrades.

Twenty years ago at the Chicago Auto Show, Ford introduced the SVT Mustang Cobra, launching its Special Vehicle Team performance division.

Two decades later, back at the same show Ford has introduced the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible, with a special commemorative 20th Anniversary illuminated door sill.

Also in attendance was one very special ‘Stang, a limited edition ’93 Cobra R – one of just 107 ever made. The “R” took the SVT’s already impressive performance specs and tuned the car for the track.

In the 20 years that separates the two cars, SVT has launched vehicles like the F-150 Lightning, Focus SVT and Ford GT supercar.

“In the past 20 years, SVT has engineered world-class mid-engine supercars, front-wheel-drive performance cars, rear-wheel-drive muscle cars and high-performance on-road and off-road pickup trucks,” said Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief engineer. “There is no other performance house in the world that can match that diverse résumé.”

GALLERY: 1993 SVT Ford Mustang Cobra R

The cloth dropped from the 2013 Shelby GT500 convertible at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show today, delivering a topless blast of fast that we’ve been eagerly awaiting.

Just like a bottle of Bacardi 151 rum, this car is wickedly strong and gets its job done fast. With that in mind, here’s the lowdown on Ford‘s most potent convertible to date.

“The Shelby GT500 convertible is every bit the performer that the coupe is,” said Kerry Baldori, SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer. “All of the significant changes we made in the program were instrumental in delivering a convertible that could really shine on the track but can still be driven on a daily basis.”

As for year-over-year comparison, Ford says the 2013 model is 3.5 seconds faster around the track than the 2011 or 2012 models.

That said, there isn’t much mechanically different from the coupe, aside from the obvious convertible top, the latest angry muscle car in the 49-year lineage is anything but a disappointment. Expect the same 19-inch alloys in the front and 20′s in the rear, sitting around Brembo brakes.

It delivers on exactly what you want, obnoxious power and ostentatious appeal that’s sure to turn heads anywhere you go. Under the hood, the same 5.8-liter gut-wrencher of a V8 makes 650-horsepower and a neck-snapping 600 lb-ft. of torque.

As per the coupe version of the latest snake-worthy mustang, the same all-new 2013 drivetrain is still in place including cool features like a carbon-fiber drive shaft and an upgraded transmission axle and clutch.

It’s no surprise that the top-of-the line Mustang, meant to keep the Chevrolet Camaro ZR1 on edge, gets some additional weight thanks to Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers available on the performance package and  a newly tuned chassis.

GALLERY: Shelby GT500 Mustang convertible

Watch AutoGuide’s first look video of the Shelby GT500 Convertible below:

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Did you think that every automaker’s secrets were revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit? Think again.

At least ten new models will debut at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, which kicks-off this Wednesday, February 8th. Here’s a quick round up of what to expect:

Acura

The ILX Sports Sedan will debut, and replace the TSX. The new ILX will be based on Honda’s Civic platform, and share the powertrain choices. Additionally, the ILX will show off three engines, including a Hybrid. The ILX will be targeted towards a younger crowd, and is being called a “gateway” to the luxury brand lineup.

Joining the ILX will be a new RDX. The popular SUV will be redesigned and will show off a wider track, a longer wheelbase and a new V6 engine. The RDX will be showing off some new technologies as well, including Pandora Internet Radio, and a Text-to-Speech SMS voice texting.

See the rest of our Chicago Auto Show preview below:

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This may seem more like a unicorn than a Mustang, but sure enough before your eyes is a custom 1965 Ford Mustang Station Wagon built by Joe Kamp. It’s also now available for sale for $54,900 and with 93,965 miles on the odometer, it’s clearly been built to be driven.

By using a clean, original Mustang Hardtop as the foundation, the wagon body was created with 100-percent steel and uses as many factory components as possible. The original roof was cut, lengthened, slightly widened, and installed with sections of the original C-pillars out back. From there, the rear tailgate and window were made using the original hardtop pieces and deck lid.

Once all the body work was completed, the Mustang Station Wagon was painted in a brilliant red finish while gold Shelby-style stripes were added to provide some contrast to the aesthetics. Under the hood is a traditional Ford 5.0L V8 powerplant mated to a T5 five-speed manual transmission. A set of original 15-inch Mustang wheels were fitted to the body, wrapped with 215/70/15 BFGoodrich T/A rubber.

And with the station wagon conversion taking place on this Mustang, the interior had to be overhauled to match the unusual style of the body. A bench-style front seat was installed along with a custom center console with a filler in between the seats to give the illusion of a bench, but the comfort of bucket seats. The brown vinyl is traditional ’60s styling while the tan seen on the dash and kick panels gives it a sense of elegance.

Whatever happened to the original Mustang Station Wagon is still a mystery, but this custom Wagon that’s for sale is probably the closest anyone will ever get to the mythical original.

GALLERY: 1965 Ford Mustang Station Wagon

[Source: RK Motors]

Despite Ford’s efforts to stop GM, the apocalypse-surviving Chevy Silverado commercial aired last night during the Super Bowl.

According to GM, the advertisement was intended as a “good-humored” spoof on the Mayan calendar predictions. Depicting a band of Silverado owners that are navigating across a “completely over-the-top, outrageous version of the devastation and destruction predicted to occur this year by the Mayan calendar,” the ad also features giant attack robots, meteors, and frogs that are falling from the sky. The punch line is when the gang of Silverado owners realized one of their friends did not survive because they drove a Ford rather than “the longest lasting, most dependable truck on the road.”

Ford took issue with the ad and we now know what the company said in a formal letter sent to GM requesting for the ad to be pulled. Representing lawyer Lynne M. Matuszak wrote, “Ford demands that Chevrolet immediately cease and desist from making any unsubstantiated and disparaging claims regarding Ford’s pickup trucks.” Matuszak’s letter further demanded that GM, “permanently remove the commercial from its website, its YouTube and Facebook pages and any other internet sites.”

Ford’s letter then warned, “If Chevrolet does not comply with the above terms prior to the start of the Super Bowl, then Ford will take all appropriate steps to enforce and protect its reputation.”

Taking it a step further, Ford called out the Silverado’s safety record, noting that the 2012 Ford F-150 earned an IIHS Top Safety pick while the Silverado received less than impressive side impact, rear crash, and rollover results.

GM’s global chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick and GM are committed to broadcasting the ad and sharing it on YouTube. Joel Ewanick said, ”We stand by our claims in the commercial, that the Silverado is the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickup on the road. The ad is a fun way of putting this claim in the context of the apocalypse. We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize. In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away.”

Like Coca Cola versus Pepsi, the clash of Ford vs. GM will last for many years to come. We will be expecting a humorous and entertaining rebuttal ad from Ford soon.

[Source: Detroit News]

Why not watch the ad again below:

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Things just got mighty interesting with the Super Bowl ads, with Ford sending a cease-and-desist over to both General Motors and NBC in hopes that the Chevrolet Silverado apocalypse ad won’t air during the big game.

It’s probably too little, too late considering the commercial has already been seen several million times on the Internet, but the impact it could have being played during the big game clearly still worries Ford. The American automaker has asked NBC to pull the $7-million, one-minute ad from the Super Bowl but it appears that NBC will not be respecting that request. At the time of this writing, the ad will still be played and we can’t imagine NBC pulling it at this point in time.

GM Global Chief Marketing Officer, Joel Ewanick, is clearly finding the situation a little on the lighter side, releasing this in a statement: ”We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize,” Ewanick said. “In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away.”

Ford spokesman Mike Levine has confirmed that Ford did send a letter to Chevy in regards to the ad and that Ford has a gripe with the durability claims that GM is putting out about their products.

In case you’ve missed the ad, check it out after the break.

[Source: Yahoo! Autos]

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Although electric vehicle technology has been touted as the way of the future, some believe that there is still untapped potential lying within the conventional internal combustion engine.

To encourage engineers to push the internal combustion technology forward, Republican Congressman Dan Lungren has introduced a bill that will reward a handsome $1 billion in Federal prize money to the first U.S. automaker that can successfully sell 60,000 mid-size sedans that are capable of achieving 100 mpg on gasoline.

In 2007, the X Prize Foundation held a contest with a similar format called the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. Participating teams were challenged to create a vehicle that was capable of reaching 100 mpg, travel safely in highway speeds, and emit less than 200 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. The winner of the challenge would receive a $10 million reward that will be used to fund the project to become a mass-market vehicle. Unfortunately, none of the vehicles were deemed commercially viable for mass production.

But now that it has been 5 years since the Automotive X Prize, the technology may be closer to our reach if not already attained. However, unlike the Automotive X Prize, Congressman Lungren would only award the winner after 60,000 units of its landmark 100 mpg mid-size sedan have been successfully sold. Not only does the bill ban vehicles of radical shapes and sizes like the Aptera, but 60,000 units is a daunting number that’ll effectively discourage any startup automaker. Compounded with the restriction to U.S. automakers only, the bill suggests a three-way battle between GM, Ford, and Chrysler.

While the bill does not necessarily suggest that a hybrid system is off limits, the aim is to encourage technological advances in the internal combustion gasoline engine, which rules out diesel technology as well. Given the parameters, perhaps earning the prize is much more difficult than it seems.

Ford knows it will take a lot of work to restore its Lincoln premium brand. Most recently, Ford created an elaborate booth with modern decor for Lincoln at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show only to see the MKZ concept go up in smoke. Furthermore, the Lincoln MKZ concept failed to garner the same level of attention as the parent company’s 2013 Ford Fusion, or its main rival’s new 2013 Cadillac ATS compact sedan.

Ford global sales chief Jim Farley admits, “It will take every ounce of our energy to execute Lincoln in North America.” Apparently, that is exactly what Ford plans to do. Over the next couple of years, Ford will introduce seven important new models for the Lincoln line-up. According to Ford CEO Alan Mulally, he expects the new Lincoln vehicles to be just as great as what Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and BMW have to offer. However, rather than developing a dedicated front-engine, rear-wheel-drive luxury platform, Lincoln will stick to platform sharing with mainstream Ford vehicles.

According to Jim Farley, Lincoln’s success is not only dependent on its products, but is dependent on the improvement of customer service as well. Farley said, “the secret sauce to Lexus was the personal touch.” Ideas and suggestions extended to Lincoln dealers include washing an owner’s Lincoln vehicle after servicing, or putting a rose on the seat when returning a car to its owner after repairs.

Ford admits that customers aren’t very keen on Lincoln and that it will be difficult to target young, financially successful men, which would have been obvious luxury targets. Jim Farley says that Lincoln will go after a different demographic that he calls “the magician.” Magicians are trend-setting early adopters that live along the coasts. These young individuals are more likely to try new, interesting products, regardless of what others think.

When Ford Motors dropped Mercury, the decision proved to be extremely beneficial to the American automaker as it allowed greater focus on Ford products, dialing in quality and image. Time will tell whether Ford can get Lincoln to return to its past glory or whether the once iconic luxury brand will join Mercury in the history books.

[Source: USA Today]