Friday, October 30, 2009

SEMA Show: 2010 Yenko Camaro

[Yenko-Camaro-1.jpg]

General Marketing Capital Incorporated (GMCI) announced today that it will present its official 2010 Yenko Camaro Prototype to the public in the OER booth (# 23795) at the 46th annual SEMA Trade Show in Las Vegas, November 3-6.

The company will present the modern Yenko almost 44 years to the day that Don Yenko's Corvair Corsa was officially recognized as a Class D Production Competition Car by the SCCA.

The official 2010 Yenko Prototype began its life on a 2010 Camaro SS platform. The vehicle then underwent several significant upgrades including modification to a "Phase I" Yenko Camaro Supercar. Preliminary highlights and specifications of this powerful vehicle include a high performance 600hp supercharged and intercooled LS-based engine, Tremec six speed manual high performance transmission, Hurst short throw shifter, 6-piston big brake package and Magnaflow high-flow cat-back exhaust system.

[Yenko-Camaro-2.jpg]

Plans call for three Phases to be available to take the fifth Generation Camaro from ordinary to extraordinary. This "Phase I" Prototype from GMCI maintains the unique retro appeal Yenko enthusiasts are so passionate about, while including significant performance upgrades to the stock GM specifications and keeping the car affordable. Phase II and III cars will have higher output engines and even more suspension and handling upgrades.

Additional Yenko branded upgrades to this prototype vehicle include: the Yenko stripe package, official emblems and badging, retro-styled 22" Yenko billet aluminum wheels, Yenko leather interior package featuring Yenko Super Car (sYc) embroidered headrests, Yenko/SC sill plates, Yenko/SC embroidered floor mats and more.

Nearly 45 years ago, racing legend Don Yenko embarked on a mission to build a race car that could effectively compete in the 1966 SCCA racing season. His inspiration resulted in the development of the Yenko Stinger, an SCCA race car based on the Corvair Corsa platform. It was in the last quarter of 1965 that Yenko's plans for that vehicle came together changing automotive history forever.

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Originally, the 60s era Yenko car was a special order vehicle, designed and built by Don Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, PA. Don Yenko used the Central Office Production Order (COPO) program, a program GM used for fleet vehicles like police cars, taxi cabs, etc. to special order the vehicles and then modify them into some of the most powerful vehicles available. Today, an original Yenko is one of the most sought after Camaros in the world.

For more information about GMCI or Yenko licensing, please contact GMCI Corporate Headquarters, P.O. box 12049 Westminster, CA. 92683 or info@gmcilicensing.com.
Source: GMCI

Luxury Crossovers Sales Decrease 25 Percent According to Edmunds.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Luxury crossovers are not living up to the expectation that they would be the new fad among car buyers, according to a new report published on Edmunds' AutoObserver.com today. Sales of the segment have dropped nearly 25 percent since 2007, despite the fact that four new products were introduced into the segment during this period.

"The luxury crossover segment has taken a beating in sales because most of today's consumers are concentrating on value," says Jessica Caldwell, Senior Industry Analyst at Edmunds.com. "Big profits were anticipated for new models introduced into this segment, and that is just not proving to be the reality for most."
Below is a chart that shows year-over-year sales decrease in the luxury crossover segment for the sales period of January through September:


Model

2009 vs. 2007


2009 vs. 2008

Infiniti EX35


N/A

-43.1 %

Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class


N/A

N/A

Land Rover LR2


-40.8 %
-21.1 %

Acura MDX


-51.2 %
-43.1 %

Audi Q5


N/A

N/A

Acura RDX


-60.1 %
-47.9 %

Lexus RX 350


-12.8 %
8.9 %

Cadillac SRX


-48.2 %
-31.8 %

BMW X3


-77.7 %
-65.9 %

Volvo XC60


N/A

N/A

Volvo XC90


-69.1 %
-52.6 %
Grand Total
-25.0 %
-8.8 %


For more information, please visit Edmunds' AutoObserver.com story "Brands Looking to Expand Luxury Crossover Share Dealing with Ruthless Trends" at http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/10/brands-looking-to-expand-luxury-crossover-share-dealing-with-ruthless-trends.html.

About Edmunds Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/)

Edmunds Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value�, is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site and home to the oldest and most established automotive community. AutoObserver.com launched in 2007 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.