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In this test drive video, our own Carl Tofflemire has some grin-inducing fun with the unrivaled Cayenne. Look at the car and you’ll see, aside from the fact that it shares some overall looks from the previous generation, the new vehicle is nothing like the outgoing model. No detail was left untouched by Porsche’s engineering and design teams as they set out to create the ultimate vehicle in the category. And we’re pleased to have it!

As Carl demonstrates, the new Porsche Cayenne has power to spare and features to match. Porsche even states that the 2011 Turbo gets better gas mileage than the 2010 V6! Talk about upgrades and improvements! But don’t take our word for it, come on in and experience it for yourself…in a V6 or V8.

As Carl Tofflemire would tell you, the performance of the new Porsche models is nothing short of amazing. And it takes a special vehicle (or two) to bring a crowd the size we welcomed here. The 2011 Cayenne is new and nothing was left to chance. It drives better, stops better, corners better and uses technology that you just don’t see in other vehicles including luxury types.

When it comes to events at Pacific Porsche, it’s about the customer, the products and the experience. Nothing embodies that feeling more than when there’s hearty German food, German drinks and German cars. Thank you for making our second “Oktoberfest” such a success. See you next year!

Enjoy the party photo album right here.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/27164581@N06/sets/72157624356401697/with/4788374602/

Taken from drawing to 2010 Geneva Auto Show in less than five months, the 918 Spyder mixes a 500-hp, 9,200-rpm, 3.4-liter gasoline V8 with two electric motors for a combined 718 hp. Porsche has calculated that it could be quicker than the old Carrera GT around the Nordschleife.

The 918 Spyder, one of three hybrid models Porsche presented in Geneva, can go up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) on electric power. The two-seater reportedly limits gasoline consumption to three liters per 100 kilometers (78.4 miles per gallon) and emits just 70 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.

No time line has been given for when the car  will be ready for the road, but Green Car Advisor doesn’t expect the first production models before the spring of 2012. Pricing has not been announced, but Bloomberg news service has reported it could cost $630,000. Porsche said more details will be disclosed in coming weeks.

The car was just unveiled for West Coast US eyes last night at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Thanks Edmunds.com Green Car Advisor

During the past decade, the automaker has moved more than 1.8 million Prius models worldwide, with almost 900,000 of those sales in the U.S. alone.

Toyota calculated the environmental savings Prius owners provided. Based on formulas from the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. consumers who own a Prius have prevented an estimated 9 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere versus if they operated a conventional vehicle.

Furthermore, the automaker contends Prius owners have conserved approximately 650 million gallons of gas, resulting in a net savings of about $1.5 billion.

Toyota recalled the first Prius came to North America in July of 2000. That year, executives remembered that the toast of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit was the Hummer H2, while national gas prices averaged about $1.50 per gallon.

Starting out, the automaker established modest sales goals for the Prius of 12,000 units per year. OEM officials remained steadfast in their defense of the vehicle despite some unflattering early reviews.

“With a real-world 35 mpg, this is a car that neither enthusiasts nor greenies can fully embrace,” Toyota recollected one industry magazine stating.

Toyota also contends competing manufacturers announced that hybrids were “not an economical or practical solution” to America’s future needs. The company believed many OEMs insisted that Toyota had provided the solution to a problem that did not exist.

“Prius owners, however, felt otherwise,” Toyota officials declared. “Widely characterized as extreme environmentalists, early Prius adopters were actually more likely to be tech-savvy professionals.

“Those first owners, well aware of public events and global developments, were conscious of the impact of their own choices,” Toyota management went on to say. “They became articulate advocates for the technology. Soon, demand outstripped supply, and production had to be stepped up as waiting lists became months long.”

As fuel costs spiked, the automaker discovered a clear economic rationale for purchase emerged.

“Driving a Prius delivered a new kind of satisfaction, based on a new set of values,” Toyota officials determined. “It was a car enriched with advanced features, in tune with global issues that assumed greater importance every year. It provided an affordable transportation solution that earlier all-electric cars did not, as it was able to use existing infrastructure without concerns for recharging or range limitations.”

Now, Toyota said the Prius is the third-best selling vehicle in its lineup. The company also asserts owner loyalty figures are among the highest in the automotive industry.

“Toyota recognized in the 1990s that sustainable transportation would become a huge challenge in the coming decades,” said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales USA.

“Those realizations proved accurate, and if anything, even more profound considering what we know today,” Lentz added.

Refining the Prius

Toyota delved into how the Prius’ technology has improved since its launch.

With the first-generation compact Prius, buyers got 97 combined horsepower and were told to expect 41 mpg. Now a decade later, the midsize Prius has 134 horsepower and delivers an EPA rating of 50 mpg overall.

Compared to the original model, Toyota believes the 2010 Prius is bigger, faster and even cleaner. While the first generation was classified as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV), the automaker noted the current Prius is a SULEV/AT-PZEV, meaning that it meets super-ultra-low-emissions-vehicle requirements, and emits zero emissions at rest.

As the technology improved, Toyota remembered how reviews significantly changed, too. When Motor Trend named the Prius the 2004 Car of the Year, Toyota indicated magazine officials declared they were “thoroughly impressed with the Prius as not only a technological marvel, but as a truly liveable sedan.”

At the same time, Toyota recalled how The Car Connection described the Prius as “nothing less than the world’s most sophisticated powertrain ever delivered to ordinary customers.”

Insights into Prius Development

Toyota shared some of the details of how its company brain trust developed the vehicle.

According to officials, creating the unit that became the Prius was accomplished in a relatively short amount of time through use of computer models to design and prove ideas. By minimizing the use of prototypes, Toyota engineers believe they changed the way vehicles are designed and built.

The automaker indicated many of the components had to be invented from scratch. Those that had already been invented, such as regenerative brakes and electronic power steering, needed to be improved and adapted for mass production. Global standards for electronic components had to be set and new software needed to be written.

Toyota pointed out a total of nine on-board processors were needed to manage the power delivery between engine, battery, brakes and motor/generator. Many motors and batteries were developed, tested, and discarded before they could be proven. Engines had to be converted to run on the more efficient Atkinson Cycle to power a new, unique transaxle.

Furthermore, the manufactured stressed a completely new type of instrumentation had to be developed. With the Prius, Toyota said there was a need to monitor the interplay between the engine and the battery, leading to a display that kept the driver informed of the status on both counts.

The OEM declared the new instrumentation empowered the drivers to improve mileage by altering their technique, turning driving into an interactive game.

“Today, mileage feedback displays are in use on almost every new vehicle on the market,” Toyota interjected.

The automaker went on to note unprecedented quality-control standards had to be instituted. The reason was motors and batteries had to be reliable enough for stationary use also proved vulnerable to heat, cold and vibration. Officials established multimillion-dollar joint ventures in order to assure the G21 Project, as it was called, could one day lead to a mass-produced vehicle.

“These investments were made in an automotive environment that was dominated by sales of trucks and SUVs; in a world that The Economist described as ‘drowning in oil,’” Toyota recalled.

“Through it all, Toyota management remained convinced that their goal of combining fuel efficiency with environmental performance would one day be appreciated,” executives added.

Today, Toyota contends there are nearly 30 hybrid models on the road from 12 brands with more on the drawing boards. The manufacturer indicated many of the patents filed during the development of the original Prius are now licensed to other OEMs that also take advantage of Toyota’s initial R&D investment.

“Nevertheless, one out of every two hybrids on American roads is a Prius, which remains the benchmark to which all hybrid cars are compared,” Toyota emphasized.

Prius of the Future

One significant advancement is the Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

The company indicated a fleet of Prius Plug-In vehicles is now in a global-demonstration program aimed at proving their capabilities and fine-tuning the design to meet customer expectations.

Toyota mentioned that the unit is designed with small Lithium-Ion battery packs that are aimed to help the PHV produce less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional hybrid vehicles. A commercial PHV is scheduled to go on sale in 2012.

Longer term, Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive components and software are intended to provide a direct bridge to clean, efficient drivetrains of the future. And while breakthrough technologies are on the horizon, the automaker believes continuing gains in battery technology and internal combustion engines keep the Prius competitive.

“Even in a world of alternative fuels, electric cars and hydrogen fuel cells, it’s a good bet that Prius cars based on Hybrid Synergy Drive will be around for a long time to come,” Toyota declared.

Prius Timeline with Significant Dates and Milestones

—1990: Meetings begin concept work on Project G21, “a car for the 21st Century” in Toyota City and at the Higashifugi Technical Center. The fuel economy target was 20 kilometers per liter, about 50 percent better than other passenger vehicles of the time.

—January 1994: Project team addresses drivetrain, chassis and packaging decisions. The team was granted the right to develop new parts from scratch “if necessary.”

—July 1994: G21 Project, Phase III begins, accelerating development for production of the Prius parallel to development of Toyota’s experimental hybrid system.

—June 1995: Toyota Hybrid System approved and code-named 890T.

—October 1995: Hybrid concept Prius displayed at Tokyo Motor Show with propulsion system described as Toyota-EMS (Energy Management System).

—December 1996: Anticipating the future EV and hybrid vehicle market, Panasonic EV Energy was established as a joint venture between Matsushita and Toyota.

—December 1997: Gen 1 Prius launched in Japan after a final design period of 17 months. Wins Japan Car of the Year award and Global Climate Protection Award from the U.S. EPA, among other accolades.

—1998: Announced in July that Toyota would export 20,000 units annually to North America and Europe.

—2000: Post-Prius era of automotive history begins. From this time on, the concept of environmental performance begins to take root, and all economy cars would be compared to the Prius.

—2003: Prius sales hit 24,000 units, double the number originally planned.

—2004: Second generation Prius launched, called Car of the Year by Motor Trend.

—2007: Total U.S. Prius sales reach 500,000 units since it first launched in July 2000.

—2008: National average gas prices hit $4.09 per gallon on July 7.

—2009: Third generation Prius launched as 2010 model with larger 1.8-liter engine, 0.25 co-efficient of drag and 51 mpg city.

Thanks AutoRemarketing.com

With a fine display of Porsche vehicles: 911 GT3RS, Panamera Turbo, Cayenne Turbo and Boxster Sport Convertible, guests were able to satisfy their tastes with a range of performance, price and prowess. While many gravitated immediately to the recognizable 911 shape, the Panamera likely garnered top attention and was parked as the centerpiece of the arrangement.

Attendees enjoyed time sitting in and walking around the vehicles with questions ranging from the options for the new Panamera to performance specs of the Boxster, qualifications and comparisons of the 911 variants, with many asking the ultimate question: “Why have I not traded my current car in on one of these?”. Having five models on hand, even with the steady flow of  guests, allowed for many to take their time in the Porsche of their choice.

The day was another culmination of what the LAcarGUY family of dealerships feels so strongly about and is what people are looking for: local community events and involvement, the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for some great organizations, being close to the ocean and nature as well as offering those that want the best, the right automotive experience.

IRVINE, CA – July 19, 2010: American automaker Fisker Automotive today finalized its purchase of a former GM factory where it will build plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

The southern California-based company is now in full possession of the 3.2 million square foot Wilmington Assembly plant in Wilmington, Delaware, for which it paid Motors Liquidation Company (MLC) $20 million. MLC is the holding company formed by General Motors Corporation’s bankruptcy.

The purchase is supported by a $528.7 million Department of Energy loan for the development of two lines of plug-in hybrids.

The Wilmington plant will be home to Project NINA, Fisker’s second line of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and where Fisker expects to ultimately create more than 2,000 factory jobs.

“This is a major step toward creating thousands of manufacturing jobs and restoring America as a leader in the global auto industry,” said Bernhard Koehler, COO, Fisker Automotive. “Wilmington will be instrumental in fulfilling our plans to export more than half of Fisker premium plug-in hybrid production to global markets.”

Fisker announced its intent to acquire the idled factory in October 2009. A federal bankruptcy judge approved the sale last month.

The Wilmington Assembly plant opened in 1947 and produced more than 8.5 million vehicles before closing in mid 2009.

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About Fisker Automotive Inc: Fisker Automotive is a privately owned, premium American car company creating environmentally conscious vehicles with passion, style and performance. Globalheadquarters are in Irvine, California, USA.

The company was created in 2007 to leverage the design capabilities of Fisker Coachbuild, LLC, founded by auto design veterans Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler, and the PHEV powertrain capabilities of Quantum Fuel Systems
Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ-QTWW), a major Tier 1 supplier of clean vehicle technologies to automotive OEMs.

Previously, Fisker, CEO, was a board member and design director for Aston Martin, as well as president and CEO of BMW’s DesignworksUSA. Koehler, COO, led operations for Ford’s Global Advanced Design Studio and created concept cars for Aston Martin, MINI and BMW.

About LAcarGUY: Sullivan Automotive Group is also known as LAcarGuy.com, and offers automotive products and services to our greater Los Angeles area customers. The company carries a comprehensive line of vehicles by Toyota, Scion, Audi, Volkswagen, Lexus and Porsche, providing new and used cars, along with trusted car repair, original car parts, and financing as well a dedicated body shop. LAcarGUY’s Fisker Santa Monica is eagerly awaiting the opening of the marque location for Los Angeles and recently hosted the Fisker Road Show and last November held a private event for deposit holders to showcase the Karma vehicle.

· J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study assesses how gratifying a new vehicle is to own

· The consumer-based rankings gave Audi top marks in Midsize Premium Crossover / SUV and Entry Premium Crossover / SUV segments

· Annual study examines how gratifying a new car is to drive and own

HERNDON, Va., July 16, 2010 – The only two sport-utility vehicles Audi offers – the Audi Q5 and the Audi Q7 – earned top rankings in their luxury Crossover / SUV categories in the newly released J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.

Audi was one of only six brands surveyed that received at least two individual vehicle APEAL awards.

According to J.D. Power and Associates, the APEAL Study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations of more than 80 vehicle attributes. The 2010 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between February and May 2010 from more than 76,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2010 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.

“These latest J.D. Power and Associates study results demonstrate what our customers have been telling us for years,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. “Audi vehicles are thrilling to drive and captivate the consumer whenever they enter one. Our company’s exceptional growth in recent years is a testament to the quality experience our products provide.”

The Audi Q5 combines the dynamism of a sports sedan with an impressively versatile interior and a wide range of practical features for leisure and family use. Powerful, efficient engines, quattro permanent all-wheel drive and an agile suspension layout form an impressive technological package for on-road and off-road use. Highlights such as the innovative S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the driving dynamics system Audi drive select are the evidence of the Audi commitment to progressive innovation. The sportiest SUV in its class, it is dynamic, multifunctional and comfortable.

The Audi Q7 is the luxury SUV for sporty individualists, for people who are seeking a vehicle that will take them anywhere they want to go for sports, recreation, and business. It is available with a gasoline engine and the popular Audi TDI ® clean diesel engine. With a standard third row on all models, the Q7 can accommodate up to seven passengers.

Audi ranked 6th overall in the study. J.D. Power and Associates said that historically, vehicle models achieving high APEAL scores have generated faster sales, higher profit margins, and less need for cash incentives. High levels of vehicle appeal also have a strong influence on customer recommendation rates.

To learn more about the J.D. Power and Associates APEAL Study, please go to http://www.jdpower.com/autos/articles/2010-APEAL-Study-Results.

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its 272 U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2009 Audi outsold all other luxury brands in Europe, while in the U.S. market Audi posted the largest market share gain of any luxury automotive brand. Over the next few years, AUDI AG expects to spend nearly $2 billion annually on new products and technology. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

LOS ANGELES – June 30, 2010 – Mike Sullivan, president of LAcarGuy, announced the installation of “Level 2” SAE J-1772 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations during a preview event for the upcoming Fisker Karma car ,the world’s first luxury hybrid plug-in electric vehicle with zero emissions.

Beginning this summer, anyone with a plug-in and hybrid vehicle will be able to drive up to an LAcarGuy dealership: Toyota Hollywood, Toyota Santa Monica, Fisker Santa Monica and Lexus Santa Monica and get charged.

LAcarGuy will be the first automotive dealer in the U.S. to offer the “Level 2” SAE J-1772, the new industry standard for electric chargers. The “Level 2” chargers are compatible with all electric hybrid and plug-in vehicles. The number one hybrid dealer in the country has taken on the initiative to make adopting a greener lifestyle easier for Los Angeles residents.

“LAcarGuy is proud to be the first U.S. automotive dealership to offer the only industry-approved electric charging stations on the market,” said President of LAcarGuy, Mike Sullivan. “This is yet another step for us to support the community with sustainable options. It’s our commitment to ensuring that our daily driving habits contribute to a healthier planet.”

Winning the coveted Stevie Award for the “Most Innovative Company of the Year” from The 2010 American Business Awards program, the Fisker Karma is the first eco-chic sports car developed in eco-friendly facilities.

Driven by their mission to reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil and lower emissions, the Fisker features all carefully sourced environmentally sound materials like wood trim from ‘non-living’ trees, EcoGlass derived from recyclable sand, and soft-hand textiles composed of 100-percent bamboo viscose.

LAcarGuy’s Fisker Santa Monica will be the only automotive retailer to carry the Fisker Karma in Los Angeles.

About LAcarGuy: As the number one hybrid dealer in the country, Mike Sullivan’s LAcarGuy houses 10 automotive dealerships throughout greater Los Angeles with a commitment to the environment and a cleaner America. A fixture in the Los Angeles community since Mike’s father, “Sully” opened his first dealership in 1964, Mike serves on the Regional Board of Directors for Global Green and on the Advisory Board for the Environmental Media Association. Practicing what he preaches, Mike’s home is completely off-the-grid with 100-percent solar power and a seventh electric car charger that has been installed in his garage. He was honored as “Man of the Year” by the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Organization in 2009 and was Richmond Family Center’s 2009 “King of Hearts.” Today, he is committed to making a difference for our planet with “green teams” implemented at each of his dealerships and the “Driving Green” incentive program, which donates $100 of every car sold to a green charity of the driver’s choice.

For more information visit www.lacarguy.com or contact Susan Emmer at susan@farmacyagency.com or 917-841-4407.

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