Chairman Luca Di Montezemolo has stated “At the end of the year we’ll be unveiling the new Enzo, a limited series model and our first ever hybrid car.”

The car will have a mid-mounted V12 gasoline engine and dual electric motors giving the new Ferrari flagship a massive 920 horsepower.

It will use a version of Ferrari’s HY-KERS Kinetic Energy Recovery System, have a seven-speed transmission and built with a majority of carbon fibre to keep weight down to a minimum.

The new Ferrari Enzo hybrid is expected to sell for over $850,000 USD. No doubt this will be a limited edition vehicle. Even if you have the cash to buy one you better get on the list before they are all spoken for.

Currently BMW only sells more vehicles in Germany than it does in China. Cadillac only sells more vehicles in the US than it does in China.

Luxury car buyers in China are swayed by brand names such as BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac. While domestic Chinese automakers dominate the market for lower priced vehicles, higher priced vehicles are the domain of the big international luxury brands.

Super luxury automaker Bentley Motors sells more cars in China than any other market in the world.

Currently China has the fourth-largest population of millionaires globally. It is estimated that there are over 535,000 millionaires living in China today.

As China’s economy continues to get stronger, an even higher percentage of their population will be ‘high net worth individuals’. This will only increase their demand for luxury vehicles going forward. Really the sky is the limit for luxury car sales in China in the future.

It should also be noted that cars are now seeing a larger percentage of sales over SUVs and trucks from last year. The reason is simple, vehicle shoppers are reacting to the higher gas prices and demanding more fuel efficient cars.

Used car prices continue to rise as a direct response to lack of quality used cars in the market. Since the recession hit is 2008 the volume of new car sales had been much lower than previous years. The result is a lack of supply of 3 and 4 year old vehicles.

Even with higher prices, used car sales continue to beat last year’s levels. No doubt there is a lot of pent up demand where many car buyers can no longer put off replacing their old vehicles any longer.

With higher used car prices and a short supply of quality used vehicles, that is also driving higher new car sales.

Also car buyer’s perceptions of GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicle quality has improved. As a result, fewer dealer incentives are required to get them to pull the trigger on a new vehicle purchase.

No doubt this is a time where auto dealers that survived the recession are now in a position to operate more profitably, as car buyer’s return in large numbers.

It was reported that the super-car was to be auctioned off to the highest bidder in the next week. That news appears to be false as Dubai Police are now saying the vehicle is being held as evidence in a theft case along with another Ferrari.

Whether or not the car is for sale is one question, however, the burning question to car enthusiasts from all over the world is how they can let the car sit in the dessert sun and cook.

The car has been out in the hot sun since August 2011; no question the paint will have sun damage already, not to mention the interior is being baked everyday in direct dessert sunlight. Also, the very expensive engine internals could possibly being prone to seizing up.

At the very least this car should be taken to a indoor location, professionally cleaned and protected until its eventual owner is determined.

This car should be thought of as a work of art that should be protected at all costs. There were only 400 of these cars produced and having it cook in the hot dessert sun is a true shame.

Eye witnesses stated that in the early afternoon of March 30th they watched as 30 or more super cars raced along the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. What makes this story so remarkable is that two state police marked cars with their lights flashing, one at the front and one at the rear were leading the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches and other luxury vehicles along the highway. Witnesses also stated that the super cars were weaving in and out of traffic at speeds well over 100 mph and some even had their license plates taped over.

One witness, Wayne Gantt, dubbed the escort “Death Race 2012.” He stated “I had the great pleasure today of nearly being killed by, not one, but two, Lamborghinis traveling in excess of 110 mph in a escorted ‘caravan’ of approximately 30 exotic vehicles all traveling well over 100 mph,” Gantt wrote in an e-mail sent to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which oversees the Parkway.

It turns out the group was travelling to Atlantic City for a night on the town and seem to have been oblivious to any traffic laws they were breaking.

The entire scenario is very strange in that the authorities who are paid to serve and protect, were acting just the opposite in this case. One can argue they were in fact enabling these well to do individuals to break the law and put many lives at risk if an accident occurred.

There is a bill that passed the US senate that would require, starting in 2015, all new cars to have installed event data recorders (EDRs) from the factory.

These EDRs would work similar to the way black box recorders work in airplanes recording such things as speed, airbag deployment, braking velocity.

It should be noted that many vehicles built in the last several years already have EDRs installed.

To see if your current vehicle has a black box recorder look at your owner’s manual. Auto manufactures are required to indicate in the owner’s manual if there is an EDR installed.

All vehicles made by GM, Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Suzuki have EDRs as standard equipment.

The bill still has to pass the House however it is believed to have an excellent chance.

While some have attacked the bill saying it is government behaving like ‘Big Brother’. Some fear this technology could be used to determine when and where you are driving. It may also be a stepping stone to further invasive technologies that could be added in the future.

It can be argued that the benefits outweigh the costs in terms of accident investigation vs privacy concerns. Giving car accident investigators as much information as they could ask for only makes sense when serious accidents occur.

Both the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf have seen increased demand in the last couple months. Although their higher initial cost had discouraged consumers in the past, all that has changed as even higher fuel costs have taken hold.

Hybrids such as the Toyota Prius are also seeing a resurgence in demand with both the new Prius C subcompact and the Prius V wagon hitting the market at just the right time.

If gas prices top the $4 a gallon mark across the US these cars will see an even bigger boost in sales going forward. Some say gas prices could even reach $5 by midsummer. If that ever happens demand for hybrids and electric vehicles will go through the roof.

The former head of Research and Development at GM, Larry Burns expects to see driverless vehicles in dealer showrooms by 2020.

Many of the features that make driverless vehicles possible are already built into todays cars. Safety features such as collision avoidance systems, lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control are all available currently.

Current laws on self-driving cars put the ultimate responsibility for operation in the hands of people on board who can quickly take over driving if things go wrong.

Larry Burns sees a day when true driverless cars with no one on board will be shuttling around picking up many passengers every day similar to current taxi drivers.

Looking forward we are not going to see a massive shift to driverless cars. It will be a very gradual transition.

2013 SRT Viper front-side view

The all-new 2013 SRT Viper was unveiled to the world at the New York International Auto Show.

Many improvements over the previous model have been released:

•All-aluminum, mid-engine 8.4-liter V-10 delivers an estimated 640 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque – the most torque of any naturally aspirated sports car engine in the world

•Chassis enhancements bring 50 percent improvement in torsional stiffness

•Triple-digit weight reduction results in Viper best power-to-weight ratio

•Standard safety features include electronic multistage stability control, traction control and new 4-channel anti-lock brake system (ABS)

•All-new, innovative interior designs set new standards with premium materials, new technologies and superior craftsmanship

•All-new carbon-fiber and aluminum skin is sculpted for high-speed stability and a slippery .364 drag coefficient (Cd)

•Timeless exterior design incorporates iconic Viper styling cues with a contemporary execution

2013 SRT Viper rear-side view

The fifth generation of the iconic two-seat, American-built supercar has been deliberately evolved to incorporate superior craftsmanship, a host of new technologies and ergonomic improvements while respecting its visceral legacy of outright performance.

“After a gut-wrenching period of uncertainty, the Street and Racing Technology brand team is extremely proud that our hand-built in Detroit, flagship supercar is back and ready to take on the performance car world,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – Street and Racing Technology Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. “Beyond being the flagship for the new SRT brand, the launch of the 2013 Viper proves that we simply would not let the performance icon of the Chrysler Group die. Willed to live on by a very special group of performance enthusiasts inside the company and across Viper Nation, this SRT team under our new leadership was challenged to not just continue the legendary Viper, but to create a world-class supercar that would showcase the very best we have to offer.”

For more information visit the Drive SRT website.

What first caught their attention to the car when they drove behind it was the licence plate was missing and instead it had the Batman sign in its place.

It turns out the guy decked out as Batman is actually successful businessman Lenny B. Robinson, who has decided to give back to his community.

After pulling the car over, they were pleasantly surprised to hear Batman was on his way to visit children at Georgetown Hospital, to brighten their day.

For those interested the batsuit was custom made of leather and neoprene and cost $5,000. It looks just as good as any movie costume.

As a side note, Lenny Robinson has been visiting sick kids since 2001 and spends roughly $25,000 per year on Batman toys that he distributes to the kids he visits.

Robinson is currently building a real batmobile to replace his Lamborghini. No doubt that will be a sight to see driving down the interstate.