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

Honda Chairman Takeo Fukui officially announced the 2011 V-10 Acura NSX has been cancelled as a result of the current economic crisis and a new focus on green vehicles.

[via Jalopnik]

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First, the Bugatti Veyron was named the world’s fastest production car. Then 9ff started work on its attempt, but was beat to the punch by Shelby SuperCar’s (SSC) Ultimate Aero. A couple months ago, we learned 9ff was not happy with its GT9’s second-place finish, and was going to vie for the title, again.

Now we have just learned that the 2009 SCC Ultimate Aero will make even more power, thus helping it retain its title, despite 9ff’s continued efforts.

[via AutoBlog]

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Ferrari is reporting total sales for the month of November at 92 cars, compared to its monthly average of 600 cars. Sales of the 612 and 599 have supposedly flat-lined and the 430 Spider’s sales have been drastically hit by the introduction of the similarly-priced California. The company has started to cut the fat by letting go of 10% of its workforce and starting talks with the trade unions to eliminate additional employees.

Even though Ferrari has a waiting list in some markets, it has a large number of unsold cars piling up in others.

[via World Car Fans]

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Mercedes might be taking a drastic step to cut its fleet’s overall emissions and improve its fuel economy by droppings its V-12-engine. Prior to the rise in the importance of the fuel economy as of lately, Mercedes-Benz was working on a replacement engine for its flagship models. Its work is now rumored to be leaning towards a twin-turbocharged V-8, which could make similar horsepower but should return better gas mileage. This will affect all 600 and 65 models and maybe even the Maybach sedans.

[via Top Speed]

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Fox News is reporting that the big three auto manufacturers are not the only ones asking for a bailout. Tesla Motors is seeking a piece of that $25-billion auto-loan pie. The $400 million they are asking for would primarily be used for two projects; most likely finishing production of the Tesla Roadster and to start production of their cheaper, four-door electric sedan. If Tesla closed down, it would not have near the widespread impact like the big three would, but Congress may want to give it a helping hand since its environmentally-friendly vehicles are now seen as the future.

[via Truth About Cars]

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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]

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Starting November 1^st, all Chrysler employees and their family and friends will be able to get employee pricing on new 2009 Dodge Vipers and through some deal with Wal-Mart, employees of the retail chain will also be eligible.  The employee discount varies from 4 to 6 percent or 8 to 14 is usually around 3 percent off the MSRP, which means at the very least they could buy a new Viper for $84,849 or as low as $76,011 around $85,733, which isn't that low at all.

[via eGMCarTech]

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The last Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren slated for the United States is set to be auctioned off on November 20_, 2008 to raise funds for the St. Jude Children’s Research Center. This special edition roadster will have a unique Sienna Pearl Super Metallic paint job. The paint job uses flakes that are three times the size of the standard usually used. The interior will be wrapped in Tabacco Brown leather. Farewell to a car that, when sitting next to a SL65 AMG, never really made much sense in the first place.

[via Mercedes-Benz]