* Good Things Come in Small Packages-The UK's most influential consumer magazine for car buyers, What Car, made the diminutive Seat Ibiza super-mini its Car of the Year. Based on the VW Polo platform, the Ibiza carried off the honors for offering "so much car for so little money." The European Car of the Year, the Renault Megane, didn't feature at the top of any of the 17 categories, but Renault won the Safety Award for having three cars with the top five-star rating in Europe's NCAP crash tests. The VW New Beetle carried off the Gong in the Convertible category.
* Ferrari Challenge Stradale
The new Ferrari, unveiled at the Geneva auto show in March, joins the 360 Modena and the 360 Spider in the Ferrari eight-cylinder range of road cars. The engine is the 3586cc V8, with five valves per cylinder and titanium conrods. The all-aluminum body and chassis are the same as the ones designed and produced by Ferrari for the 360 Modena. The Challenge Stradale is Ferrari's latest interpretation of the tradition of making road cars derived directly from race cars, in this case, from the Ferrari Challenge International Championships and the FIA GT races, where the 360 Challenge and 360 GT models are top competitors.
* All-new Lamborghini V10
For the first time in more than 10 years, Lamborghini will be offering a second model in its line-up as of 2003. The completely new model, the Gallardo (debuted at the 2003 Geneva show), is a mid-engined, four-wheel-drive sports car powered by an all-new 500-bhp 5.0-liter V10. The name, of course, is from a famous fighting bull breed. Production of the Gallardo's V10 has already started at the newly built assembly line at Lamborghini's engine facility in Sant'Agata Bolognese.
* Volkswagen Announces Prices for the 2003 Touareg
Volkswagen of America announced a starting price tag of $34,900 for its first-ever SUV, making it one of the most affordable and best-equipped German luxury model of its type sold in North America. In Canada, the price is $52,100. The 2003 Volkswagen Touaregs go on sale in the U.S. and Canada beginning this summer and comes in two initial versions: one model equipped with a 3.2-liter, 220 bhp V6 engine (priced as above) and another with a 4.2-liter, 310-bhp V8, $40,700 U.S., $60,550 Canadian.
* Concorso Italiano's New Location
Concorso Italiano, sponsored by Girard-Perregaux, has a new location for the annual event. Beginning this year, Aug. 15, 2003, Concorso Italiano will be held on the grounds of the Black Horse Golf Course at Monterey Bay. The Concorso's popularity made it necessary for the event to relocate to a site that would accommodate its projected growth. The Black Horse facility has panoramic views from high atop the Monterey Bay peninsula from nearly everywhere on the property.
The golf course layout allows for significantly expanded exhibitor displays, as well as an extended Corral area. For example, the new Ferrari area will accommodate 1,000 cars compared to the 350 Ferraris that could be parked on the former site. Additionally, nearly all of the display areas are visible from anywhere on the Green, and the popular "automobilia" vendors and standalone canopies will also benefit from expanded space. For additional info, log on to www.concorso.com.