GLOBAL CAR MARKET STUDY BY POLK LIGHT VEHICLE SALES TO DECLINE 15 IN 2009

Global Light Vehicle Sales to Decline 15% in 2009, says Polk Study.

Study shows worldwide volumes wont return to pre-crisis levels until 2012.

R. L. Polk & Co.s latest market study released today predicts that the automotive market wont emerge from the worldwide recession until 2012, later than previously forecast, due to worsening economic conditions. The study further predicts that Global light vehicle sales will decline 14.7 percent from 2008 levels to 55.2 million units in 2009.

Key Findings:

• Emerging Markets Have Greatest Growth Potential

• Asian Automakers Gain Market Share in U.S.

• Scrappage and Tax Incentives Provide Short-Term Help for Saturated Markets

• Toyota Maintains Position as the Top Manufacturer

Long-term growth for the global automotive market will come from the "emerging" markets of Latin America; Central and Eastern Europe; Africa and the fast-growing Asia-Pacific/Middle Eastern region (excluding the developed market of Japan). Beginning in 2015, Polk expects more light vehicles will be sold in the aggregated emerging markets than in the combined "saturated" markets of the United States, Canada, Western Europe and Japan.

"We see China and India as key drivers of growth, as vehicles become attainable for an increasing percentage of these countries huge consumer populations," said Uwe Biastoch, director of global forecasting at Polk. "Like Tata Motors with the recent launch of the low-cost Nano in India,manufacturers that innovate and produce market-specific products will be successful in emerging markets," said Biastoch.

These emerging markets will come out of the current crisis three years earlier than the saturated regions. Light vehicle sales in the emerging markets will top 2007 levels in 2011; this wont happen until 2014 in the saturated regions.

The U.S. has been hard-hit by the economic crisis, and new vehicle sales have dropped from a high of almost 17.5 million in 2000 to 13.2 million in 2008, with a further decline to 10 million projected for 2009. Polk predicts that 2009 will mark the end of U.S. market share dominance for the domestic automakers: Asian manufacturers will capture 47 percent of U.S. market share, compared to 44 percent for American automakers and 9 percent for European brands.

Western Europe will fare better than the United States and Canada in the short term, in large part because of scrappage incentives introduced in countries including Germany and Italy. Light vehicle sales in Western Europe will fall 9 percent from 2008 to 2009, compared to 24 percent in the United States and Canada during the same timeframe.

"The U.S. market is currently in a state of flux, with the impact of Chryslers Chapter 11 filing yet to be realized and GMs fate uncertain. It also remains to be seen whether the Obama administration will follow the lead of some European countries and reward consumers who turn in old vehicles and purchase cleaner cars, and what the impact of such a fleet modernization initiative might be," said Ulrich Winzen, chief analyst at Polk.

Worldwide, Toyota will maintain its position as the top manufacturer, with a fairly stable market share of 12 percent through 2020. Ford and General Motors have both seen their global market share drop by nearly five percentage points from 2000 to 2008, and Polk expects both to lose more market share through 2012. Volkswagen, on the other hand, will gain almost a point of market share in the next three years. "Volkswagen is making great inroads in China, which will certainly boost its success worldwide. At some point in 2009, we expect Volkswagen to surpass GM as the number two manufacturer in the world, although the race will be close," said Biastoch. "The trend could change temporarily to GMs benefit if the proposed U.S. scrappage incentive passes."

R. L. Polk & Co. is a provider of automotive information concerned with marketing.

Source: R. L. Polk & Co.

Wolff Dreams Now Not By Regular F1 Cockpit

Susie Wolff stresses that its F1 test was not just a PR stunt. At the same time she does about their future in F1 no illusions.

Susie Wolff: More than just a PR stunt

Susie Wolff has mastered their first ride in a Formula 1 car well. At Silverstone, the DTM driver reeled on Wednesday from two runs over a 50 km with a year-old car from Williams. But stick with it should not, such as the ambitious DTM driver told afterwards. "Hopefully I can complete more tests," she said. "I hope that I was able to prove at this point that I can help the team." To date, limited work on Wolffs work in the F1 simulator. With the real test drive was a dream come true.

The Scot did their work under pressure - at the start of the test, it was raining - not dismissed as a PR stunt, this was not a simple show run. "Williams would never put someone just because of a show run in the car," she stressed to the Scottish Sun. "The team was very aware that the day had to run well and I knew that I had to do a good job if I want to have a chance at other possibilities." On the edge of Wolffs test debut, the two regular drivers Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna were traveling. They presented the assembled press cars from the world champion Keke Rosberg and Damon Hill.

The test was for Wolff an important step in the right direction, but they wanted to offer their use will not give rise to speculation. "I will not say that Im going next year in Formula 1," said the wife of Williams co-owner Toto Wolff. "Im starting now not to dream or to run before I can walk properly." You just hoped to be able to continue to go their way at Williams.

Meanwhile, it is still unclear which driver pairing with Williams going into the next season. Sure is: The decision is expected later this year, after the season. According to Toto Wolff, the team should first of all concentrate on the remaining races. Susie Wolff is likely not an option, but reserve driver Valtteri Bottas could replace Senna. "There are many options that we look at and that is not easy," says Toto Wolff. If it were all about short-term with long-term options to weigh when it comes to driver installation.

"The short-term solution is not always the best solution in the long run," admitted Wolff pointed out. "Good performance always helps and in the last race, it counts, but at the moment we look at the whole thing and the fact we base our decision. Aim is to run through all the possible options and find the best one in terms of the team."

New Porsche Cayenne by Lumma Design White Papers

Porsche Cayenne by Lumma Design Picture

The tuning factory Lumma Design and style from Winterlingen, Germany, presents with its interpretation on the new Cayenne, a SUV that has a body kit named CLR 558 GT, consisting of a spoiled front bumper with air inlet frames, which may be found jointly with diffusers about the rear bumper, front and rear wheel arch enlargements and side sills with door supports. Additionally, theres an installation kit for fog lamps, optionally out there in LED technics. The engine bonnet with its lateral air outlets is manufactured from fat optimizing carbon/Kevlar.

New Porsche Cayenne by Lumma Design

On top of that, LUMMA gives supplemental longish shaped daylight lamps, a rear spoiler lip in carbon or matching the paint function coloured, an approximately 40mm lowering module for air suspended cars plus a total sports activities exhaust method with central three-part stainless metal conclude pipe and sportive sound. Multipart wheels are available in 10×22 inch rear and in front, with colored outer tire beds and tires in 295/30-22 like wheel spacing kit all all-around.

When opening the doorway, the 2 aspect aluminum pedals set for throttle and braking controls (all versions with tiptronic) with milled foot pedals and integrated anti-slip rubber nobs are instelled. The anti-slip rubber nobs aluminum foot relaxation are matching to them, as also the 4 aspect doorway sill panel set with illuminated Lumma logo. The foot mat set with real leather bordering and also the kick plate in real black leather embellish the Lumma emblem. Inside baggage compartment a trunk mat with loading edge safety and true black leather bordering is usually uncovered.

Disappointed By The Last Race Stoner With Setup Worries To Last Home Race

For Casey Stoner it comes with some question marks to the setup of the Honda and his health after Phillip Iceland. But there are glimmers of hope.

Casey Stoner like it better when it comes to the left

For the last time before his resignation MotoGP Casey Stoner comes next weekend to Phillip Iceland and the Australian has some worried about the setup before his Honda. On the plus side, he has, however, that the characteristics of the track on the one hand should meet the machine and on the other hand also his injured right ankle.

It is definitely difficult to celebrate for him to his sixth consecutive home win, although he and the celebrations can begin on Thursday, when cornering at Phillip Iceland 3 is named after him. "We had in the previous two races, problems with the setup of the machine and I am pretty disappointed," said Stoner. "We seem to always find at Phillip Iceland our rhythm, but I do not expect that this year there just is."

However, as the course goes more to the left than to the right, which should help, because the problems with the chattering of the Honda were left turns into ever smaller. "There are not too many sharp turns, so should my right leg better cope. Im still far from being physically at 100 percent, and I need time, so Im back at full strength, so Im not sure what to expect this weekend. We will do our best and see what happens. "