Ferrari California

The Ferrari California is a grand touring sports car. It is a two door "2+2" hard top convertible. The California is powered by front-mid mounted gasoline direct injection 4.3 L (260 cu in) V8 with 460 PS (338 kW; 454 hp). The car revives the "California" name used for the late-1950s Ferrari 250 GT.

The California was launched by Ferrari at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. According to industry rumors, the California originally started as a concept for a new Maserati, but the resulting expense to produce the car led the Fiat Group to badge it as a Ferrari in order to justify the high cost of purchase; the company denies this, however. The California represents a new, fourth model range for the company.
The California will be built in a new production line adjacent to the existing factory at Maranello. The existing production line produces 27 cars per day, or 6,000 per year. Ferrari plans to produce 5,000 Californias in the first two years of production, thereby increasing Ferrari production by 50% with introduction of this nameplate. The California, according to many motoring magazines, is sold out until 2011, with 60% of buyers being new to the Ferrari marque.

Manufacturer	Ferrari
Production	2008-present
Assembly	Maranello, Italy
Class	Grand tourer
Body style	2-door, 2+2 coupé cabriolet
Layout	Front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine	4,297 cc (262.2 cu in) 90° V8
Transmission	7-speed dual-clutch automated manual 6-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,670 mm (105.1 in)
Length	4,563 mm (179.6 in)
Width	1,902 mm (74.9 in)
Height	1,308 mm (51.5 in)
Curb weight	1,630 kg (3,594 lb) (dry)
Designer	Pininfarina (exterior) Bertone (interior)

Hummer

Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors (GM) purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were based on smaller, civilian-market GM platforms.

By 2008, Hummer's viability in the economic downturn was being questioned, and it was placed under review by GM management. Rather than being transferred to Motors Liquidation Company as part of the GM bankruptcy in 2009, the brand was retained by GM, in order to investigate its sale.

In 2009, a Chinese manufacturer, Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, announced that it would acquire Hummer, pending government approvals, but later withdrew its bid. On February 24, 2010, Reuters reported that the Chinese ministry of commerce had prevented the deal, although a ministry spokesperson denied rejecting the application, which had been stalled for eight months. At the end of February, General Motors announced it would begin dismantling the Hummer brand.

Although the automaker announced two days later that it had been approached with new offers, by April 2010, any sale became unlikely, as inventory was depleted and Hummer dealerships began shutting down. After filling a rental-car fleet order, the last Hummer H3 rolled off the line at Shreveport on May 24, 2010.