We have received a couple e-mails inquiries recently. We decided to share them with our readers.

Pat wrote us about a “Chevy something” he spotted in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Mystified by his find, he wrote us to help figure it out.

We concluded that it must be a Chevy Captiva, which is sold in Europe. The Captiva, which went on sale overseas in 2006, can seat up to 7 passengers and has an optional 2.0-liter diesel engine making 150 hp and 236 lbs-ft of torque. The Captiva is designed to compete with other compact SUVs, like the Honda CRV.

David wrote us to find out the differences between the 2007 and 2009 Aston Martin DB9 Volante.

The differences are actually too many to list. Luckily, an Aston Martin press release goes over all the revisions for the 2008 calendar year.

2008 Aston Martin DB9, which includes significant enhancements to standard specification.These changes include a revised version of Aston Martin’s 6.0 litre V12 engine to deliver improved power and torque. Peak power of 470bhp (350kW) – increased by 20bhp (30Nm) - is now reached at 6,000rpm, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 267bhp per tonne (199kW/tonne) – an increase of 11bhp per tonne over the existing DB9.

Peak torque of 600Nm is delivered at 5,000rpm, providing even more accessible power for the driver, as well a greater performance feel overall. Accordingly, top speed is now 190mph (306km/h) and the benchmark 0-60mph time improves by 0.3 seconds for the Touchtronic transmission – which benefits from a new valve box and integrated transmission controls to achieve quicker gear shifts – to 4.6 seconds and by 0.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds for the manual gearbox.

The latest DB9 also incorporates a series of chassis developments for both the Coupe and Volante derivates. Bilstein dampers are introduced in addition to revised upper suspension arms and retuned suspension bushes to deliver improved ride quality; aiding greater refinement in the Volante and an enhanced sporting feel in the Coupe. The DB9 Volante also benefits from revisions to the front shear panel which increases torsional rigidity by 10%, further improving refinement.

The DB9 manages to combine all facets of style, quality and usability of a traditional Aston Martin without relying on retrospective detail or design. Accordingly, styling changes to the revised DB9 are subtle, reflecting the car’s timeless design and understated elegance.

Exterior styling changes include the introduction of a new standard 19’’ 10-spoke alloy wheel, new door mirrors and a revised anodised aluminium five-bar grille. In the cabin changes include a new centre console constructed from die cast zinc with a painted iridium silver finish and the introduction of a new Emotion Control Unit (ECU) – first seen on the DBS in 2007. The ECU – constructed from glass, polished stainless steel and polycarbonate - replaces the key used previously for the DB9.

The innovative DB9 introduced an exciting new era for Aston Martin. The 2+2 sports car set new standards in its class due to its astonishing combination of technology, agility and design. The car marked the beginning of a new era for Aston Martin and became the first car to be hand-made at the company’s state-of-the-art facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Sales of the DB9 started in spring 2004, and to date, more than 10,000 examples have been produced and delivered to customers around the world – surpassing the DB7 as the most successful Aston Martin of all time.

Deliveries of the updated DB9 begin during quarter two 2008, with prices from £113,950 for the DB9 Coupe and £122,950 for the DB9 Volante.

Curtis wrote us to inquiry about who currently produces the Maybach automobile. It was his understanding that the Maybach was first manufactured by Rolls-Royce, but had since switched hands to Mercedes-Benz.

Maybach has actually always been tied to Mercedes-Benz. Wilhelm Maybach designed the first car to wear a Mercedes badge in 1901. After leaving Mercedes in 1907, Wilhelm and his son Karl crafted their first Maybach in 1919. Maybach stopped making cars, and focused on engines for military, marine, and rail purposes, in 1941.

Mercedes-Benz resurrected the Maybach name in 1997 with the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept. It later decided to market the car as its own standalone ultra-luxury brand to compete against Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Provided by duPont REGISTRY

Top Gear host and car aficionado Jeremy Clarkson has picked the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 as his favorite car of 2008. Previously this year, Clarkson preemptively named the Caterham R500 as his favorite car of the year, after it clocked a faster time around the Top Gear track than, and at only 1/30 of the cost of, the Bugatti Veyron. He recanted his initial assessment by saying the Caterham was too “ugly and geeky” to qualify as car of the year.

He praised the ZR1’s supercharged V-8 for being both “docile and extraordinarily savage”. Despite some reliability issues, he concluded that “no other car that looks this good, goes this fast – in a straight line and around corners”.

The Corvette ZR1 was also picked for duPont REGISTRY’s 2009 Best Bang for the Buck award.

[via Times Online]

via duPont REGISTRY

The Corvette ZR-1 has just knocked off four seconds from its ‘ring time, bringing it down to 7:22.4 from its previous record of 7:26. The new time is still slower than the 7:22.1 time claimed by a Dodge Viper ACR a couple months ago. The ZR-1’s first record-breaking lap was hot on the heels of Nissan’s claim that the GT-R lapped the course in 7:29, which, at the time, was the second-fastest lap time ever recorded; a Pagani Zonda F held the record at 7 minutes and 27 seconds.

All of this has to be taken with a grain of salt. The times these cars are recording are with the supervision of their manufacturers and not an outside governing body, which could standardize how these lap times are procured.

[via Autoblog]

Provided by duPont REGISTRY

The days of new exotic cars emerging with astonishing amounts of horsepower may have reached their apex in 2009 model year and may decrease in the future, according to industry expert Tom duPont. Manufacturers at the top end of the auto industry are making luxury vehicles that perform better through lighter weight construction and advanced engine technology.

Tom duPont believes that, despite the luxury marketplaces' tradition of resisting environmental change, the technological advancements and social implications that go along with environmentally friendly vehicles are creating a "social consciousness" and greening of the exotic car market.

Readers of the duPont REGISTRY™ Exotic Car Buyers Guide will have the chance to take a look at the current industry leaders and winners of the "Best Of" Categories – on sale October 7.

Focusing on the eleven "Best Of" categories in the annual duPont REGISTRY™ Exotic Car Buyers Guide for 2009, the key stats illustrate the new peak in horsepower and trends for 2009:

* Total Price of vehicles in the all 11 "Best of" categories rose 200 percent from 2008-2009
o $1.5 million to more than $4.5 million
* Average price for the winning 11 categories was up 118 percent – an increase of $222,000 due mostly to the addition of two $2 million plus supercars this year
o In 2008 the average price of the "Best of" car was $188,000
o In 2009 the average price was just over $410,000
* The total cumulative horsepower skyrocketed by 57 percent from 4,276 to 6,723
o That is an increase of more than 2,447 hp
* Average horsepower is up by 13 percent from 2008
o On average, there was an increase of more than 75 hp per vehicle
* Interestingly, an average engine cylinder for the 11 winners was a V-10

"The trend of increasing raw horsepower may have peaked this year," says Thomas L. duPont, Publisher of the duPont REGISTRY™. "Some of the vehicles in this year's guide are going to be the last of their breed and we may see the horsepower fall and the carbon footprints reduce even faster over the next three years as the parent company manufacturers take into account the environmental realities."

With the recent introduction of powerful, ultra-luxury green machines to the automotive marketplace, there has been a fundamental shift in what influences buyers' decisions. The annual duPont REGISTRY™ Exotic Car Buyers Guide highlights the newest and most sought-after green exotics including the $2.3 million E85 clean-burning Koenigsegg CCXR, the electric Tesla Roadster and hydrogen-fueled Ronn Motors Scorpion.

Selected by the duPont REGISTRY™ luxury automotive experts for price, performance and value, the annual list incorporates the most exclusive and most powerful to assist buyers when choosing between sedans, convertibles, and green vehicles:

For 2009, the duPont REGISTRY™'s "Best Of" winners are

· 2009 Car of the Year: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
· Best New Performance Sedan: Bentley Flying Spur Speed
· Best New Performance Coupe: Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series
· Best New Convertible: Ferrari California
· Best New Exotic: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4
· Best Exotic Concept: Saleen S5S Raptor
· Best Bang for the Buck: Corvette ZR1
· Best New Luxury Coupe: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe
· Best Performing Green Exotic: Koenigsegg CCXR
· Best Green Car Innovation: Ronn Motors Scorpion
· Best Green Exotic: Tesla Roadster

More here.

Mastering and producing hype is not an easy task. Most manufacturers do it by keeping their cars covered up before finally unveiling it to the public a number of months before the car is set to go on sale. This helps build anticipation, which in turn ignites sales even before the car goes on sale. Take the Challenger, which was reportedly sold out before even hitting showrooms. The car was unveiled and pushed into showrooms fairly quickly. On the other hand, we have the Chevrolet Camaro; a car that has been on display in one way or another for almost five years now. Incredibly, Chevrolet has been able to keep the anticipation for the Camaro quite high. Read more here.

[via Chevrolet]