Shelby GT500 Makes European Debut at Goodwood

The Ford Shelby GT500 made its European debut at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed in south England.

The GT500, which at 662 hp Ford touts as having “more (power) than any other North American production car,” took part in the Festival’s legendary hill-climb while driven by guest race drivers.

“The Shelby GT500 takes muscle car performance to new heights. We encapsulated every aspect of performance in this car—whether it’s 0-60 mph, top speed, racetrack, or quarter-mile times,” said Herman Salenbauch, director of Ford Advanced Product creation.

Part garden party, hill-climb, and rally stage, the Goodwood Festival of Speed attracts more than 150,000 fans each year to England.

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Toyota Sales Up 60% Amidst Strong Industry Performance

In line with many manufacturers, Toyota announced yesterday that June 2012 sales were up--60.3% from June 2011, moving 177,795 units.

The Camry (and its Hybrid twin) led the effort with combined sales of 32,107 units, while the Corolla moved 26,647 units, and the Prius lineup 19,150 units.

Lexus sales were up 85.9%, with passenger car sales up 99.7% during the same period.

“June and first-half year sales were driven by consumer interest in our new models including the Prius c, the newest member of the Prius family, and the Camry, the best-selling car in America," said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "We expect to see continued stability in the automotive market during the second half of 2012 thanks to pent-up demand, low interest rates and a continued influx of new products."

Volkswagen, Nissan, Infiniti, Ford, GM, and Subaru were among other manufacturers reporting strong gains in June.

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Famed Designer and Ferrari Collaborator Pininfarina Dead at 85

Famed Italian automotive designer Sergio Pininfarina died yesterday in Turin, Italy at the age of 85.

Pininfarina, who designed many of Ferrari’s most famous models, including the 250, 500, Dino Berlinetta Speciale, Daytona, Testarossa, F40, 612 Scaglietti (pictured), and Enzo, also had served in the European parliament, and was named senator for life by the Italian president in 2005.

It was in his father’s Italian coachbuilding business that Pininfarina honed his craft, eventually developing a collaborative relationship with Enzo Ferrari that led to some of the world's most renowned sports cars.

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