Hot of the market, this brand of hybrid car is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Prius stands for prize in most people’s book when they think about hybrid cars. And that’s not just because a Toyota Prius looks pretty. In terms of hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius has tons to offer car consumers. And it’s not as if potential hybrid car buyers don’t know that. News of the Toyota Prius is everywhere in the media. Why? Well first of all, the Toyota Prius is a great kind of hybrid car. The model I speak of is Toyota’s petrol and electric hybrid model. It’s sharp, stunning, and is a best seller among hybrid cars. This car is so good that it was voted car of the year in Europe for the year 2005. Furthermore, in the United States, the Toyota Prius got an award that was very comparable to the car of the year award given in Europe.

photo credit: Paul Garland

But the Toyota Prius hybrid car isn’t selling off the lots because it is the fastest car around. Some Toyota Prius’s have some pretty high profile owners. Among them are Leonardo Dicaprio, Harrison Ford, and Susan Sarandon. With these people driving this particular hybrid car, off course it’s selling like a hotcake. And the stars are doing a world of good for the sales of hybrid cars in general.

But while the success of the Toyota Prius is good for Toyota, it isn’t so good for its competitors who have yet to manufacture a hybrid car. Now Nissan, GM and other popular car manufacturers are trying to quickly get their act together and come up with their version of the hybrid car.

Some of these other manufacturers just did not believe that people would put their faith in the hybrid car as a solution to the constant fluctuation of oil prices. But the number of sales for the Toyota Prius hybrid car has certainly caused a change of tune for competing car manufacturers. So soon you might here of a best-selling Nissan hybrid or GM hybrid. And Toyota Prius buyers shouldn’t get too comfortable with their car because before they know it, something else will come out that they would like to have.

But as far as Toyota goes, claims have been made that in the near future, all Toyota engines will come with hybrid options. And Toyota also believes that it’s only a matter of time before all cars are hybrid cars or at least have hybrid engine options.

Next year, Toyota should be making Prius’s in China, and there, sales are also expected to boom.  Toyota doesn’t want to leave anyone behind. Soon it may expand its manufacturing plants to locations in places like California. Surely, there are plenty of movie stars there who can be persuaded to buy this hybrid car.

The Toyota Prius is certainly making a name for hybrid cars, and hopefully the buck won’t stop with the Prius. Toyota probably has some other models of hybrids cars that are fast making there way to having top sales as well.

Enjoy this first recorded footage of the Bentley Muslanne driving experience.

Bentley Motors has announced that its FlexFuel technology, pioneered on the Continental Supersports Coupe in 2009, now extends across the complete 2011 Continental range, including the new Supersports Convertible. The W12 6-litre power unit now has the technology to run on petrol, E85 bioethanol or any mix of these two fuels – all from a single tank.

Bentley announced its environmental strategy at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008. The three-fold strategy committed the Company to reduce overall CO2 emissions by 15% by 2012; to introduce a new powertrain which will, by itself, deliver a 40% saving in fuel economy; and a commitment that the entire model range would be compatible with renewable fuels, also by 2012.

The first tangible step in the delivery of that strategy was unveiled in Geneva last year with the launch of the Continental Supersports, the first Bentley to be able to run on gasoline, E85 bioethanol or any combination of the two fuels.

Geneva 2010 marks another significant step forward. From 2011 Model Year, (available June 2010), the entire Continental range will be FlexFuel in all markets – including, for the first time, North American. This includes the new Supersports Convertible – the fastest 4 seat production convertible ever. With this development, over half of Bentley’s production volume in 2010 will be FlexFuel compatible. This advance will ensure Bentley customers can take advantage of the recent expansion of renewable fuel infrastructure in key markets including the US and thus help reduce dependency on fossil fuels and give immediate benefits in terms of CO2 emissions.

Bentley Chairman & CEO, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, said: “When we launched our environmental strategy in Geneva two years ago, it was a clear pledge to reduce the impact of our cars on the environment. This latest development is proof of our commitment and is a significant step towards the achievement of our 2012 targets.”

Bentley remains on track to deliver all of its environmental strategy targets. The 6.75 litre V8 engine, completely re-engineered for the new Mulsanne, delivers a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions as well as improved power and torque, through the introduction of two new control systems; cam phasing and, a first for the ultra-luxury sector, cylinder deactivation. This reduction in emissions will be matched across the range by 2012. In addition, the development of the all-new powertrain which will deliver a 40% improvement in fuel economy with the performance expected of a true Bentley is progressing well with an announcement expected within the year.

Bucharest, once known as ‘Little Paris’, now has its own symbol of luxury retailing. Bentley Motors, the British manufacturer of hand-built luxury sports cars and grand tourers, appointed its latest dealership in Romania’s capital city on September 1 2008.

The dealership is owned and run by Porsche Romania, the country’s largest importer, which was founded in November 1997 and today imports Audi, Porsche, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen vehicles. Porsche Romania has been an authorised Bentley repairer since September 2007: its appointment as a full dealership marks a logical progression in the relationship and is a tribute to the growing importance of Romania as a market for luxury brands.

The appointment marks the latest phase in the global expansion of Bentley as a high-luxury brand. Since becoming part of the Volkswagen Group in 1998, Bentley Motors’s output has grown from annual sales of around 1,000 to around 10,000 cars last year. The arrival of the Continental Series family in 2003 has been central to the company’s success. Today the company’s production can be divided into two ranges.

The Arnage four-door, the Brooklands coupé and the Azure are built in limited quantities to bespoke order and are powered by Bentley’s iconic 6.75-litre V8 engine.

The Continental family, which includes the Continental GT coupé, the four-door Continental Flying Spur and the Continental GTC open tourer, feature all-wheel drive and a 12-cylinder, 6-litre powerplant. Recent additions to the range include the Continental GT Speed and Continental Flying Spur Speed; each develops 610PS and can attain top speeds in excess of 322 km/h.

At present the new dealership, Bentley Bucuresti, operates from the importer’s Porsche Bucuresti Nord facility whilst construction work continues on a stand-alone Bentley showroom and workshop. It is anticipated that the facility will open for business in the second quarter of 2009. Bucharest is currently enjoying an economic resurgence: the city’s strong economic growth has revitalised infrastructure and led to the development of many shopping malls, modern residential towers and high-rise office buildings.

In the luxurious showrooms of Bentley Bucuresti, Romania’s high achievers will find further confirmation of their country’s growing prosperity.

China Premium Lifestyle Enterprise, Inc. today announced that Auto Italia Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of its 49%-owned entity Technorient Ltd., delivered two of only three FXX Evolution models to be built by Ferrari to Hong Kong customers during a handover ceremony in Fiorano, Italy, near the Italian car company’s factory on Wednesday 23 July. The third car was presented to a European client.

Despite demand for the (approx.) US$2.8m super-sports car from numerous Ferrari collectors around the world, Auto Italia Ltd. proved successful in its bid to have two of the three allocated to its customers. Both clients exceeded the strict criteria set by Ferrari for ownership of this addition to its limited series range.

The FXX Evolution is a more extreme development of Ferrari’s track-based FXX (of which 30 examples exist), itself a derivative of its coveted Enzo (total production of 400). Powered by a hand-built 6.2 litre V12 motor producing 860 bhp, the FXX Evolution has been developed to enable the three fortunate owners to participate in a development programme conceived by Ferrari to test new technology in its cars.

Chairman and CEO of China Premium Lifestyle Enterprise, Inc., Mr. Richard Lee, said: “The fact that Auto Italia Ltd. proved successful in achieving an allocation of two of only three of these magnificent cars is testimony not only to the high esteem in which Ferrari holds our customers, but also the close relationship that we enjoy with the Company. Our Principals also fully recognise the importance of Hong Kong and thus China, and indeed the whole Asia region, and its ability to produce such devoted customers with the necessary financial strength to participate in such an exciting programme.”

China Premium Lifestyle Enterprise, Inc., through its 49%-owned entity, has established itself as a leading Ferrari and Maserati importer, distributor and dealer in Hong Kong and dealer in China, having been affiliated with Ferrari and Maserati since 1992 and 1994 respectively. The Company is expanding its offerings to include other luxury brands and goods from around the world, which it markets to its already established base of wealthy Chinese individuals.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries. All such forward-looking statements are, by necessity, only estimates of future results and actual results achieved by the Company may differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. Statements made in this release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Risk factors that may cause results to differ from projections include, without limitation, loss of suppliers, loss of customers, inadequate capital, competition, loss of key executives, declining prices, and other economic factors. The Company assumes no obligations to update these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such statements. Investors should independently investigate and fully understand all risks before making investment decisions.