Chrysler announced today, as a part of its restructuring, that it will be building 500 more special-edition Dodge Vipers before putting a halt to the car’s production. It was last May when Viper-death rumors originally started circulating after Chrysler couldn’t find a serious bidder for its V-10-powered car. Then in July, Chrysler announced that the Viper was not dead and that it would move into the next decade.

[via USA Today]

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Less than 12 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE China Edition models are going to be built and only one will come in a special Ge Liln porcelain-inspired paint finish. Designed by Chinese artist Lu Hao, the one-of-a-kind Ferrari went on auction last night and was bought by an unnamed Chinese man for approximately $1.8 million. The proceeds will provide training for students at Tsinghua University’s Department of Automotive Engineering at Italy’s Politecnico di Milano University and even an internship at Ferrari. Read our Ferrari 599 GTB China Edition overview here.

[via CarAdvice.com.au]

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The new Mercedes-Benz SLS Gullwing draws on the good looks of the original 300 SL, but for those that want their new Merc to look more like the old Merc, Gullwing America has you covered.

Consisting of seven body parts, the 2010 Gullwing-America SLS Panamericana recreates the new Mercedes flagship in the same image as the infamous car of the 1950s but without taking away from the car’s modern appeal. The kit includes side vents, a grille frame, oval headlamps, and a set of rims, amongst other pieces.

For the people that can’t afford the new SLS or the old 300 SL, Gullwing America also makes reproductions that more closely resemble the car from the 50s but uses new Mercedes-Benz parts.

[via Gullwing-America]

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Insideline is reporting McLaren’s plans on selling the MP4-12C have been delayed because persuading dealers to sign up for what would be a one-horse dealership has been more difficult than originally thought.

**Update** In response to the above rumor, McLaren announced that if "discussions so far are anything to go by, we're not going to be short of people who want to retail the brand for us in the U.S." It also stated that it decided not to unveil the car at the Los Angeles Auto Show because it was too early considering the car's 2011 launch and not because the car was being delayed.

[via Edmunds.com]

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Last Thursday Aldar Propertises announced the completion of the Ferrari World Abu Dubai’s external structure. The Yas-Island theme park will sit on 6,178 acres and will feature more than 20 rides and attractions including the world’s fastest rollercoaster, which will hit speeds of 124 mph. Opening in 2010, it will be the world’s largest indoor theme park; sitting under a massive Ferrari-red shell with a huge 216.5-foot Ferrari emblem pointing towards the sky.

[via Aldar.com and YasIsland.ae]

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The Ferrari-sponsored event videotaped below took place at the Yas Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and included appearances from Ferrari race-car driver Michael Schumacher and Ferrari Chairman Luca Di Montezemolo.

[via World Car Fans]

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To celebrate 90 years of re-skinning Italian exotics, CarsUK.net is reporting that Zagato has teamed up with Ferrari to produce the 550 GTZ. Based off the Ferrari 550 Barchetta, five of these Z8-like-styling roadsters will be built at a price tag of more than £1 million ($1.65 million). Each car will be refurbished by Ferrari and then shipped to Zagato for the bodywork.

Performance will not be altered. It will use the same 5.5-liter 485-hp V-12 engine found in the base car.

Rumors have this being that last time a re-skinned Zagato will be able to work with Ferrari and thus wear the prancing-horse badges because Ferrari will be moving all customer customizations in-house.

[via CarsUK.net]

We came across a list of ten neat facts about Ferrari. It includes Enzo Ferrari’s love for racing, what his father did for work during WWI, how Enzo is connected with the current H1N1 virus, origins of the prancing horse logo, the very first Ferrari car, and other fun facts. Read all ten facts at neatorama.com.

[via Neatorama]

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The number of millionaires and billionaires in China is growing. Many luxury manufacturers are setting up shop or increasing their visibility early to take advantage of future growth in that market. So is China the next leader of the luxury car marketplace?

The number of Chinese with investable assets of one-million dollars (not including primary residency, collectibles, and consumables) has grown from the past few years, surpassing Britain for the number four spot last year and France the year before that. China was able to accomplish this despite still being affected by the economy and losing 49,000 millionaires in 2008 for a new total of 364,000. Meanwhile, the United States is home to the world’s largest number of millionaires, at 2.5 million, but down from three-million millionaires in 2007.

The number of billionaires in China now totals 130 people, up from 101 in 2008, and none in 2003. CNN reports that that number may be higher, maybe even double, since many people in China keep their finances to themselves to stay away from the scutiny of tax authorities. In contrast, Forbes estimates that the United States has 359 billionaires.

With an increase in wealth comes an increase of sales of luxury goods and the luxury car market is showing this directly.

Lamborghini sold 32 percent more vehicles in China in the months between January and June of this year compared to the previous year, for a total of 29 units. In comparison, Lamborghini sold 207 units in the United States and 825 autos worldwide between the months of January and June. Although not an astonishing number, the company’s sales in China have slowly increased the past four years from six cars in 2006, 28 in 2007, and 72 in 2008.

Ferrari has also watched a rise in the number of units sold in China; selling 20 percent more autos in 2008 compared to 2007, for a total of 212 units. In the United States, Ferrari sold 1,700 cars in 2008, equating to 26 percent of the company’s total sales.

Other luxury manufacturers doing well in China also includes Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Bentley sold 58 percent more vehicles in China in 2008 compared to 2007 for a total of 407 autos. If you want to look at Rolls-Royce's success just look at Beijing, which  is reportedly the world’s third largest Rolls-Royce market behind Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In total, 52 Phantoms were sold in Beijing in 2008, each with a price tag near 10-million yuan or $1.5 million at the current exchange rate.

Although the data shows a huge lead in the number of wealthy by the United States, the statistics also show dramatic growth in China. So despite the large differences in terms of the amount of wealth between the United States and China, the 2009 World Wealth Report predicts the amount of wealth the wealthy have in the Asia-Pacific region will exceed that of North America by 2013 and, as shown above, more wealth equals more luxury goods being sold.

[via 2009 World Wealth Report, 2009 Hurun Report, CNN, Jalakam.co.in, and AutoEvolution]

Two years ago Rolls-Royce started offering armored versions of its Phantom sedan to customers. The Phantom Armoured, which looks exactly like the standard car, is engineered to VR7 levels, good enough to withstand armor-piercing bullets and an underbody grenade blast. Below we have a Phantom EWB being obliterated by bullets and explosives in the name of testing. A base Phantom EWB costs $450,000, but a armored Phantom, at today's current exchange rate, can cost more than $1 million.

[via AutoMotto.org]

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