Chevrolet Camaro Outsells Ford Mustang by Almost 20,000 Units at Year One, But Loses in May '10

Yesterday we learned that the refreshed and more powerful 2011 Ford Mustang sold 10,225 units in May 2010 beating GM's Chevrolet Camaro by almost 1,300 units (8,931 sales monthly total).

The General's reaction? Early this morning, the Detroit automaker came out with a press release stating that from May 2009 (the 2010 Camaro's first full month of sales) to May 2010, Chevy's pony car posted 99,872 total sales, outselling the Ford Mustang by nearly 20,000 vehicles (80,340 units total).

The company added that the Camaro has led the pony car sales race for 11 of the last 12 months.

Of course, now that the Mustang has been upgraded with a pair of more powerful and frugal V6 and V8 engines, the Camaro won't have it so easy as May sales proved. That is until GM introduces a revised version of the Camaro and the cycle begins again...

For the record, Detroit's third pony car, the un-updated Dodge Challenger, sold a total of 3,828 copies in May 2010 recording a 42 percent increase over the same month last year (2,695 units), setting a monthly sales record for the second month in a row.

Coachbuilder Teases Porsche Cayenne Coupe SUV Special

What you see here in these renderings isn't another conceptual design study but a teaser for a limited production coupe version of the Porsche Cayenne SUV from a UK-based tuning house called Merdad that is owned by someone who previously worked with Uwe Gemballa.

The tuning company says that buyers will have the option to base their car on either the current- or previous-generation Porsche Cayenne.

Aside from chopping off the rear doors, Medrad will also upgrade the Cayenne Turbo's 4.8-liter V8 boosting output by nearly 250 ponies to a total of 740-horsepower and allowing it to complete the 0 to 60 mph (96km/h) sprint in less than 4.4 seconds.

According to the tuning house, the package will also include further exterior and interior modifications, with more specific details to be released at a later date.

Source: Medrad , Via: Worldcarfans

If Carmakers Made Speedboats, What Would They Look Like?

The answer to the question we posed in the title comes to us in the form of five different conceptual studies, all made by Russian designer Vladimir G. The drawings show proposals for various kind of boats inspired in design by Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati and Bugatti models as well from Mercedes-Benz's SLS AMG Gullwing supercar. Hit the jump to see the complete gallery.

Source: Cardesign

Rare Sbarro Mercedes-Benz Gullwing 116 6.9 found on eBay

Swiss coachbuilder Franco Sbarro is known all over the world for its extreme production and concept cars like the wacky Autobau supercar. However, it's not often that we find the firm's creations on eBay so we were surprised to see that one of its production cars from the 1980s is up for grabs on the auction site.

The Mercedes-Benz Gullwing 116 6.9 - we're not entirely sure about the name- is a odd-looking two-door Grand Tourer with gullwing-style doors.

Even though at first it appears to be based on the 1980's Mercedes W126 coupes (420 SEC / 560 SEC etc), the different styling of the roof and window lines, the dashboard and the fact that it is powered by the 6.9-liter V8 engine (not to mention the name given by the seller) point towards a modified version of the previous W116 S-Class of the 1970s.

For the record, a quick search on the internet revealed that Sbarro built a handful of similar-looking Gullwing models that were 100% based on the W126 560 SEC in the mid 1980s.

This particular example you see here is offered for sale on eBay Motors with a starting price of US$50,000.

Link: eBay

NADA Issues Statement on Ford's Decision to Kill Mercury

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), which represents some 17,000 dealers with about 37,500 franchises in the U.S., has issued a statement through its chairman, Ed Tonkin, expressing some concerns about Ford's decision to discontinue its Mercury brand (click here for more details) and end production at the end of this year. Read the statement after the jump.

NADA Chairman Ed Tonkin

"It's a sad day for this 70-year-old marque, and its loss is disappointing for the more than 1,700 dedicated dealers who sell the Mercury brand.

NADA's concern is that Ford treats each of its Mercury dealers fairly and equitably, especially the 276 of whom sell Lincoln and Mercury exclusively. Another important concern is that Mercury customers be reassured by Ford, and that all warranties will be honored and parts and service will continue to be available.

Ford also needs to move quickly to take into account the millions of dollars that dealers have invested in facilities, equipment, personnel and training. They deserve fair compensation."

VIDEO: Honda's 'Win a ride with Mario Andretti' Commercial

In its latest promotion for new customers, Honda is giving U.S. buyers a chance to win a ride with Mario Andretti in a two-seater IndyCar at the Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. According to the Japanese automaker, the winner will ride in the IZOD IndyCar during the parade laps, and be on course for the start of the race.

To create a bit of a buzz around the contest, Honda released this commercial with Mario Andreti. Sounds interesting, but it isn't. See why in the video after the jump.

2000 Cadillac Northstar Le Mans Racer Could be Yours for $175,000

Found for sale at the Aero Toy Store Collection is this extremely rare Cadillac Northstar LMP racer from 2000. The chassis number "0LMP00005" Cadillac Le Mans race car is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter Northstar V8 said to produce some 570-horsepower. The Le Mans prototypes were built by GM for use in the American Le Mans Series as well as for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The asking price for this particular Northstar LMP is $175,000. More photos after the jump.

Link: Atscollection