Hummer H3 News

Only 550 of the Brooklands model Bentleys are available worldwide."They are tailor-made to the exact specifications of each customer,” said Sue Young, the spokeswoman for Queensland Bentley.Ms Young said the Brisbane buyer wanted to remain anonymous, as did two other Queenslanders who have expressed an interest in getting one of the luxury coupes.She said all three currently own a Bentley Arnage T, worth about $545,000.Maserati's latest GranTurismo will be seen in Australia for the first time at the show, which opens at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at noon on 1, February 2008.The sports car's appeal seems to have outweighed its $293,000 price tag, because 150 Australian orders have already been taken for the new model, including 20 from Queensland, according the company's Australian general manager, Edward Butler.No other Maserati has sold as quickly and the waiting list for the 2008 GranTurismo is greater than the firm's Australian and New Zealand sales last year, Mr Butler said.Luxury-car sellers say their models have become increasingly popular with younger professionals."The 20 to 35-year age group is taking a much bigger slice of the market share,” said Audi Centre Brisbane dealer principal Greg Willims. “There is no doubt the prosperity in Queensland is growing.”Adam O'Brien, of Brisbane Prestige Cars in Fortitude Valley, said manufacturers were working harder to attract young customers in a bid to keep them for life.Danny Singh, 31, of Brendale in Brisbane's northwest, recently bought a luxury H3 Hummer from Brisbane Prestige Cars for $70,000 then spent a further $15,000 on modifications.Also making their Australian debuts at the show will be new-look versions of cult street machines the Subaru WRX STi, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution — known as the Evo X to fans because it is the 10th in the series.Both are expected to be in the $60,000 bracket.Australia will be represented in the go-fast stakes by a Ford Performance Vehicles version of the Territory SUV, the yet-to-be-released F6 X all-wheel-drive wagon.Brisbane International Motor Show, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank, runs from Friday to February 10; Monday to Saturday, 10am-10pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm. Adults $17.50, children $10.

This month GM released the Hummer H3 and now Gympie-based right-hand-drive conversion company Performax International is unleashing two massive Yank utes.The first fully complianced 2008 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra utes have arrived with 4.5 tonne towing capacity.Performax International recently achieved Australian Design Rule compliance for the United States-built Silverado after completing design, engineering and conversion work in-house at its Gympie factory.The main model offered will be the Silverado 2500HD crew-cab four-wheel drive, priced at $123,000 plus on-road costs with a four-year/120,000km warranty and four-year roadside assistance. Other models from the extensive Silverado and sister GMC Sierra range are available on order.The 2500HD features crew-cab pick-up bodywork, GM Duramax 6.6 litre V8 turbodiesel power, Allison six-speed automatic transmission with high and low ranges and dashboard-selected four-wheel-drive engagement.Peak engine outputs are 272kW at 3200rpm and 895Nm of torque at 1600rpm.The Allison Adaptive Shift Control gearbox with manual over-ride includes a tow/haul mode, which alters shift patterns to maximise engine efficiency in pulling and braking. Tow/Haul mode also engages grade braking, which selects a lower gear to assist hill descents even when cruise control is operating.Performax International general manager Nick Vandenberg says the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is the answer for many heavy-duty and long-distance haulers in Australia.“The 2008 Silverado is a big step forward in performance, refinement, styling and comfort for this type of ute,” Vandenberg said. “With towing capacity at 4.5 tonnes, it's the big ute many people have been waiting for."“We had orders for almost 20 even before the ADR compliance process was completed and now we expect many more from both recreational and business buyers.“There is no other new vehicle like it on the Australian market, especially at a price within the range of many less capable 4WD wagons."“The new exterior and interior styling looks great and the cabin provides real comfort, with a spacious rear bench for three large adults, leather upholstery and the comfort and safety items usually found on passenger cars.”Performax International, formerly Corvette Queensland, has been importing and converting American cars for almost 20 years, developing an unequalled reputation for the quality of its engineering work and customer service.It employs more than 40 people and produces about 200 vehicles a year for Australian roads. 

Customers will have to wait for the South African-built 4WD, the Hummer H3 has been pushed back to October. The US-designed, South African-built four-wheel-drive was to arrive next month, but delays in Australian-spec production have slowed the big unit's progress.GM Premium Brands director Parveen Batish says the delays are due to Australian Design Rules changes.“We've had some issues with ADR things — mudflaps, wiring looms, the towbar. We've had to get the right cars in Australia but it's led to a slight delay,” Batish says.“We'll launch in October. We're hoping to get cars to customers sooner. We'll keep in touch with them. We've even got a computer desktop icon that, once uploaded, will tell them when there's more news.”The change in the factory from other right-hand-drive markets to Australian-spec vehicles has taken a little longer than expected.At present GM Premium Brands is holding 300 orders for the brash, squared-off 4WD with military heritage. The $2000 free accessory deal, which ended in May, helped to drive interest.“We've got more than 300 orders now, which is fantastic given that no one has seen a right-hand-drive car,” Batish says.“We took a lot of orders at the motor shows. They generated a lot of traffic.”Batish says the sub-$60,000 price for the top-end model means the initial orders have been a high percentage of the flagship.“The model mix is high-end. The Luxury spec is about 70 per cent, with the Adventurer representing about 20 per cent and 10 per cent for the base model. I think it's because it's good value,” he says.News on the V8 and the rumored a turbodiesel is limited, but the Australian arm appears keener to get hold of a diesel model, given the market demands Down Under.“There is a lot on the horizon for the brand,” Batish says.“We'll try to expand what we have and see what comes up. We'd like to have the diesel. It's a little way off.“The V8 and the diesel look like late 2008 for right-hand-drive or early 2009. We have to evaluate the engine as well. We'll have to make a decision as to what we'll take.”

As Australia's new car juggernaut rolls on towards the magic million sales mark, the number of available models continues to swell. Already recognised as one of the most diverse and competitive car markets in the world, Australian importers continue to add to the mix.With half the year nearly gone, buyers have taken almost 500,000 new vehicles into their garages with some of the traditional biggest selling months still to come.At least three new marques will arrive in Australian showrooms in the second half of  the year; Hummer, Mahindra and Skoda,  testament to the vibrancy of what is, in world terms, a minor market.However, it is the expanding model range within existing brands that will drive the Aussie market over the million mark for the first time.Over the next six months more than 50 new or revised models will arrive in Australian new car showrooms. Here's a look at what's coming soon:ASTON MARTINDip your lid in style in September with the V8 Roadster, a gorgeous extension of the Vantage. AUDI Audi starts its end-of-year program in September with the R8, the biggest, baddest Audi in the garage The Supercar looks with enough performance to keep most on their toes. Also on the cards for October is the A5, Audi's first coupe since the TT. An all-new platform which comes as a front-wheel-drive and quattro. In November the V8 4.2 TDi may answer some questions for the Q7, including on fuel economy. BMW You'll have to wait until October for the new M3, but the latest offering from the M garage has something special. It's the first V8 for an M3. CHRYSLER A Sebring convertible, topless cousin of the sedan launched in early 2007, arrives in December. DODGE The Nitro SUV joins the Caliber for Dodge next month and the US marque backs that up with its Avenger sedan in August. FIAT The baby Ritmo, sold as the Bravo in Europe, will be Fiat's second passenger offering in Australia when it lands in October. Expect petrol and diesel. FORD The rush to oil-burners continues with the Focus getting the honour of being Ford's first passenger diesel next month before the Focus CC, the drop-top concept that set hearts aflutter at Frankfurt two years ago lands in October. The other big news for Ford is the return in November of the Mondeo for a third tilt at Australia. HOLDEN The key second-half model from the General is the VE Ute, bringing all the developments in the VE sedan to the working man's Holden. HONDA The Civic Type-R is razor-sharp styling built around a high-revving fun package. Next month. HUMMER The iconic offroader from the land of the large truck opens its Aussie account in October, a couple of months later than anticipated as a result of production delays for the H3. Surprisingly agile with real offroad ability. HYUNDAI An important second-half for the Korean marque. It starts with the popular Santa Fe SUV finally getting the 3.3-litre V6 from the Sonata to give it some extra punch. In October, the new Elantra hatch joins the sedan in the Aussie line-up after a wait of almost 12 months. JAGUAR An October styling refresh for the marque's luxury sedan, the XJ, is all from the Big Cat this year before a big 2008. JEEP The second of Jeep's non-Rubicon Trail-rated soft-roaders arrives in August to join the Compass for duty around town. KIA The Carens compact people mover has never really taken off here. The new generation is a little bigger and more stylish. It will be powered by a four-cylinder petrol or diesel engine with five- or seven-seat capacity. On sale in October. LAND ROVERThe baby Freelander gets a complete makeover for this generational change. New engines and a new family look all go on show in July. MAHINDRAIndia's workhorse ute, the Pik-Up, starts to roll out to Australia in July. MAZDA A new generation and a new look for the little Mazda2. Sharper styling is the key to this one's October debut. At the same time Mazda will add a diesel option to its top-selling Mazda3 range. MERCEDES-BENZThe key model for Mercedes this year is the meat-and-potatoes C-Class. Bigger, brighter and ready to meet the masses it is available from July. Also on Mercedes' new-model list is an upgraded ML500 and R-Class in September, both getting the 285kW V8 engine. October is a big month for the three-pointed star with the crackingCL65 AMG (a bi-turbo V12 with 450kW and 1000Nm) and the more sociable S320 CDi, which marries diesel with uber-luxury. MITSUBISHI You have to love a fighter. Australia's “other” family car, the 380, wins a minor refresh with some interior updates from next month. In August the automatic turbo diesel, traditionally the model's top seller, completes the Triton range while in October the point guard for the red-hot Evo X (due late in the year), the new Lancer, promises look-at-me-styling and more punch than the current model. NISSANThe baby Micra finally gets the green light for Australia with an October date with sales. In November the X-Trail, a core model for Nissan and the compact SUV that set the benchmark for those who actually can go off-road, gets a full generational change. The Dualis arrives in December. A softer option to the X-Trail, it sits on a similar platform but is more plush. PEUGEOT It's all about size for the French manufacturer. In July the 207CC, the previous generation of which set the standard for accessorising small cars, is back and promising to reclaim the crown. Its far more focused and athletic sibling, the GTi arrives in August with its turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. The station wagon derivative of the base 207 goes on sale in October. PORSCHEThe 911 turbo cabriolet proves Porsche's belief that if you can go fast in a sedan you should be able to go just as fast in a cabriolet. In September you can prove it for yourself. RENAULT August sees the Megane diesel join the Renault fleet, while the Clio Sport returns in November in an all-new guise. SAAB The new 9-3 will highlight Saab's first all-wheel-drive system in a completely renewed model range. All models arrive in November. SKODA Launches into Australia with a two-pronged attack in October. The Octavia medium-sized hatch and the quaintly named Roomster compact MPV will carry the flag initially. SMARTIn September the next next-generation smart ForTwo arrives, a little bigger and a little smarter. SUBARU The new Impreza is one of the most polarising styling departures of the year. In basic and WRX fettle the hatch arrives in September. A cult car heads mainstream and the jury is out. SUZUKIIf it ain't broke ... A freshen-up for the car that put punch back in Suzuki's local range, the brilliant Swift is in showrooms in October with the sedan version of the SX4 “tall hatch” joining the stable in September. TOYOTA The first product from Toyota's new “hot shop”, the Aurion TRD, arrives in August with a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 with sports manners and a load of plastic kit. Also in August is the generational change for Kluger with the SUV getting a substantial facelift and the 3.5-litre V6 from the Aurion. November brings the Landcruiser 200 Series and a TRD version of the HiLux. VOLVO The highlight for the Swedes in the second half of the year is the all-new generation of the XC70 due in November. About the same time the C30 will get the in-line five-cylinder diesel. VW A hot version of the Passat, the R36, is heading Down Under in November. 

Speaking at the New York motor show last week, Hummer general manager Martin Walsh said the company is looking at an "electric solution" for future products but not necessarily a conventional hybrid."I am not ruling them out, but we have looked at hybrids and what we found is that -- because we are serious about off-roading -- you need a lot of torque at all four wheels and we haven't found a hybrid that can deliver that," he says."There are other alternatives like the Chevrolet Volt concept electric vehicle. In association with fuel cell, gas or diesel -- whatever your choice is -- that system can drive a lot of torque to the wheels."The Volt, unveiled at the Detroit show in January, is a fully electric-driven system with a conventional on-board internal combustion engine driving the power regeneration generator for the batteries."We tend not to use the hybrid moniker for it but we are looking for an electric solution and that may be the one we want to move towards," Walsh says. While that development is the best part of a decade away, much closer is the often hinted-at H4, a compact Toyota RAV4 size model."Our growth will be downwards in terms of size," Walsh says."We currently have a strong presence in the larger size end of the market but our best opportunities for growth is in smaller and smaller segments."The two things we will maintain no matter where we go, because they have been the keys to our success, are the iconic design that makes a Hummer recognisable at first glance, and its unparalleled off-road ability. That is the real challenge. You can shrink any vehicle but as you do it becomes more difficult to package a genuine off-road ability."Walsh says the compact vehicle will be unveiled late in 2009 or, most likely, at the January 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit."I don't know that a smaller vehicle would be mean bigger sales than the H3 (56,000 in the US last year)," he says. "But I would expect that it would be responsible for additional sales." Available almost immediately is the 5.3-litre V8 option available in the H3 Alpha. Launched at the New York motor show last week, GM is playing coy on whether the engine will be offered in the Australian models."Of course we will consider it but at this stage there are no plans for the engine," General Motors Premium Channel spokeswoman Emily Perry says. "It is far too premature to suggest that the V8 will be confirmed for Australia."However, Steve Garrity, Hummer's international operations director, is more positive. "I would see that engine being available out of the South African plant around the middle of next year," he says.The Australian H3 models will be built in South Africa. Garrity also confirms development of a diesel program for the H3 is being driven by European, Australian and South African markets but doesn't expect the oil-burner to be available until well into 2009."It is definitely under way but the timing is still a bit back-and-forth at the moment," Garrity says. "There is no argument that the diesel program is to service Australia, Europe and South Africa ... without those three, there wouldn't be a great call for it."

In July, GM Holden will begin importing the small H3 version of the box-shaped SUV made famous in the first Gulf War and by proud owners such as Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. We will get the 3.7 litre in-line five-cylinder model, however, a 5.3-litre V8 H3 sport-ute is set for release in the US next year. GM spokesperson Emily Perry said they had no plans to bring the V8-powered Hummer to Australia and that they had nearly 150 orders for the H3 since announcing pricing and specification at the Brisbane Motor Show in February. The H3 five-cylinder petrol engine (180kW and 320Nm) will be married to either a five-speed manual or electronic four-speed automatic transmission. This compares with the US V8 Alpha version which delivers 220kW and 430Nm through a four-speed auto and 4WD. If you ache for something bigger and meaner, Performax International of Gympie converts left-hand-drive 5x2x2m H2 Hummers. The H2 boasts a six-litre Chev V8 which can be supercharged to deliver 242kW power and 495Nm torque. GM Holden will import three South African built H3 models. The base model ($51,990 manual, $53,990 auto) features stability control, traction control and ABS standard. The more off-road capable H3 Adventure ($57,990 manual, $59,990 auto) has fully locking electronic rear differential and rugged suspension. Top of the range is the Luxury with chrome trim exterior and leather interior ($59,990 auto only). GM expects to sell 750 Hummers this year and 1400-1500 in a full year.

The Cadillac CTS was revealed at the Detroit Show as GM Holden ramped-up plans that will eventually also include the Camaro Coupe and the successor to today's iconic Chevrolet Corvette.The heavyweight Hummer H3 is already set for Australia this year but the Cadillac is the pivotal car for GM Holden, dealers and company president Denny Mooney."It will be here in 2008. That doesn't mean January 1, but 18 months from now is pretty realistic," says Mooney, who has pushed the Cadillac cause almost from the day he arrived at Fishermans Bend."Price? I don't know what it is. It will be similar to today's CTS in the States. That car sells for $40,000 Aussie, but that's not what it will sell for in Australia."We don't have a final date yet, but it will be coming as soon as we can get it. We are still working out the distribution."Mooney says they are looking to have up to 24 dealers nationally and they would use the same premium strategy that GM is developing globally.Mooney says the bottom line on the CTS — which joined the Cadillac line-up in 2002 — will be more costly Down Under once shipping, exchange rates and taxes are included. It will probably be a rival for the Lexus IS and Audi A4 in the $60,000 range.There are a range of Cadillac CTS models in America, all with six-speed gearboxes, three engines and with a choice of rear and all-wheel drive.GM Holden is pushing for a 300kW V6 engine and rear-drive, as well as a full set of standard specifications."Ultimately, the V-Series performance vehicles are the ones we want," Mooney says."We won't get all-wheel-drive. I don't see what it gives you in Australia, except worse fuel economy."The Cadillac CTS was one of GM's hero cars in Detroit, after a huge makeover that included some body tweaking by Australian design ace Mike Simcoe.The car is a five-seater, which qualifies as a compact in the US, has edgy new styling and a lot of new engineering work including a revised front-suspension system and improved noise suppression.Cadillac designer Peter Lawlis, introducing the CTS and the Cadillac team that produces it, says: "Things change. A lot of thinking went into this car."We want our customers to feel rewarded for choosing a Cadillac."The CTS is part of a youth push at the American luxury brand, which has been tortured by Japanese and European rivals in recent years.The package for next year begins with a chassis that is longer and wider, the improved 3.6-litre direct-injection V6, a move to six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes and LED tail lamps.The aim is to make the car quicker and a better drive, and to improve quality and refinement.The CTS goes into production in the US about the middle of this year."I cannot wait to get it to Australia," Mooney says.

The compact SUVs spruiked at the show all had the same message: it’s still big enough, but it drinks less at the bowser.For the first time in a while, the show itself opened not with a futuristic technological concept car, but with an old-school ex-army urban assault vehicle.As the covers dropped on Holden’s new import, the H3 Hummer, there was absolute silence from the media, the photographers, and Holden employees.It was a heavy decision indeed, to make the ‘smaller’ H3 Hummer the opening star attraction.But it set a precedent for the rest of the show.Big is not necessarily better anymore, and even the leviathan Hummer has been shrunk to a more user-friendly size. So goes it with the SUV market, entering a mid-sized makeover with several smaller, more user-friendly five and seven seat models.A different seven-seater on the Holden stand may prove slightly more popular to both media and the environmentally and socially aware buyer.The Captiva is Holden’s new foray into the SUV market, a big moneymaking niche from which it has been excluded since the demise of Jackeroo and Frontera in the early 2000s.The newly-released five-and seven-seat Captiva, which runs a 3.2-litre six and sips 11.5L/100km, is Holden’s hopeful in the battle against arch-enemy Ford and its long-running local favourite, the Territory. But the Holden will have company.Though the SUV market has taken a dive in recent times, the mid-sized market is in a revival.Three prominent new mid-sized car based SUVs were launched at the 2006 Motor Show: the Land Rover Freelander 2; Subaru Tribeca; and Mazda CX-7.The Freelander 2 stands apart from the bunch as a premium model with more focus on off-road ability.The tired first-gen model with its lacklustre engines and major handling and safety concerns is replaced with two new models running a 171kW 3.2-litre six petrol and beefy 400Nm 2.2-litre TD4 diesel.Both are connected to a six-speed auto and full-time 4X4 system, and both the exterior and interior of the new model has had a major design overhaul. It looks tough, instead of tired.Subaru has finally brought in a model for the five-plus family to gorge on.Fears of losing the brand-loyal but expanding family have brought the Tribeca to the fore, part SUV, part MPV, Tribeca is the first all-new Subaru since the Forester in 1998.While second and third row seating in the seven-seat model looked tight, and its big hamster nose is as polarising as a pair of sunnies, the equipment levels for price of the $55K and up model line, combined with the safety of AWD, six airbags and five-stars in crash testing is a sure inducement.But the buzz surrounding the Mazda CX-7 was loudest in media circles.Looking like a Mazda3 on steroids, the CX-7 is the shapely new SUV entry that will join the recently-facelifted but still ageing Tribute, and the plain old MPV models.Just like the recently-launched MX-5 Coupe, we were the first market in the world to see the right-hand drive version of the CX-7, and also will be the first to get it on the street (in mid-November).CX-7 is definitely a challenge for Ford’s Territory Turbo; it is powered by the turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder DISI engine from the Mazda Performance Series (MPS) in the 6 and 3 lineup.Slightly down on power at 175kW (compared to the sedan and hatch MPS’s 184kW) and in auto only, CX-7 should be on or under $45K for the luxury model, with a bargain basement base sitting well below the leather and BOSE specced flagship.It is five-seat only, but a proposed seven-seat CX-9 (are the numbers confusing you yet?) could be here in another one or two motor shows.Ssangyong also had a tilt at the compact SUV market with their Motor Show release of the Actyon.Dubbed a “coupe SUV”, the Actyon further demonstrated a trend for car makers to trim down the softroader end of their “4WDs”.The Actyon is driven by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, with 104kW and 310Nm, and also comes with a 2.3-litre four with 110kW.The Actyon will also have electronic stability control and double-wishbone front suspension with a five-link rear end.Be it sporty, off-road capable, or fitting into a small parking space while fitting the basketball team in its innards, the irony still remains. In a world crammed with oversized SUVs, the mid-sized and compact market is also eyeing off a big parking spot. It is harder to argue the negatives of these more socially friendly, eco-friendly and carpark-friendly SUVs.Thank goodness for the likes of the Hummer H3.

Selected dealers have been approached to join an exclusive network that will sell the military-inspired Hummer H3 SUV, and eventually encompass Saab and US luxury marque Cadillac."It's gone beyond the discussion stage. It's been formally talked about to the dealer network," an automotive retail source said. The source said Holden had modelled its strategy for adding two new American brands on Ford's Premier Automotive Group of Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo."What they're envisaging is Holden going to do its version of PAG — Hummer being Land Rover, Saab being Volvo and Cadillac being Jaguar," the source said. "It's a lot of money to spend for dealers, but the pay-off is they'll eventually get three brands. They haven't finalised the Cadillac bit of it, but the Hummer plan is a fait accompli."The longer term intention was to integrate Saab with the Hummer and Cadillac network, the source said.The offer was only being made to selected high-volume Holden dealers or dealer groups."The volumes will be too small to spread across the Holden dealer network, so the plan is to ensure a concentrated market presence," the source said.Large Holden dealers were aware of the plan but reluctant to discuss it."It (Hummer) will be bundled in with other products — just what, we haven't been told yet," one metropolitan dealer principal said.Another city dealer principal said, "Not everybody's going to get Hummer ... I've been told it could come under Saab, HSV or Holden."Holden launched the Hummer H3 at the Australian Motor Show. It said the SUV would go on sale next year after right-hand drive production begins in South Africa, but sales and marketing director Alan Batey declined to give specifics."We're finalising the details of which distribution channel we'll use and we'll make an announcement in two months' time," he said."It's a niche. It's not going to be a mainstream segment but it's going to do well."About 1000 Hummer sales a year was the initial target with prices starting between $50,000 and $60,000, according to another Holden executive.Holden spokesman Jason Laird said the company had yet to finalise its Hummer marketing strategy and had no detailed plans for Cadillac."We're looking at all options available to us," he said. "But nothing's firmly in place when one of the brands is not confirmed for this country."If approved, Cadillac would be unlikely to arrive here before 2008, Mr Laird said. "Discussion about Cadillac would be premature, although we've made no secret of our interest in the company," he said.Cadillac is on an export push with foreign sales up by 42 per cent last year, giving the brand its best result since 1990.Cadillac launches in South Africa — another right-hand-drive market — next February.The three-model line-up consists of the Cadillac BLS, a sedan based on the Saab 9-3 for $44,000, the STS sports sedan at $70,000, and the SRX crossover at $79,000.The vehicles will be marketed together with locally made Hummers and imported Saabs by GM South Africa's newly established Premium Channel division.GM executives in Detroit are bullish about the export prospects of Hummer, which has been one of the few sales successes in the automotive giant's recent history.In Europe, where the H3 went on sale last year, the brand's sales are up more than 200 per cent. Exports could account for up to 25 per cent of the brand's 62,000 annual sales, Hummer general manager Martin Walsh last week told the Detroit News.

From baby beep-beep hatches through to luxury supercars, the millions of dollars worth of metal on display is guaranteed to thrill and delight. But there are always some that stand above the crowd. Our 10 show stars were:H3 HummerOnly a distant relative of the behemoth that raced through the Gulf in Desert Storm, but it still has the aura. The Hummer is known for its size - particularly its wide girth. However, in reality it's not much bigger than your average family SUV but - for better or worse - is designed to make you think in supersize.Ferrari 599 GTBAs slick and stylish as the Hummer is clunky. A beautiful piece of Italian design wrapped around F1 engineering. You may never own one but don't miss the chance to see it up close and personal.Audi R8With this race-bred beauty Audi steps up to the supercar plate and hits a home run. Refined over a year on the motor show circuit, the production model is one to desire.Mitsubishi TRM 380 ConceptPoints for bravery on this one. Some exterior flash, some shiny new rims and performance rubber, racing shocks and a Sprintex supercharger bolted to the 380. The result is a special that is definitely worth a look.Volvo C30What will be the baby of Volvo's fleet when it arrives in 2007 should once and for all put paid to any suggestion the Swedes can't style a car. The little coupe should be a must-have for cashed-up youngsters - and safe to boot.Saab Aero X conceptWith a nod to its aeronautical beginnings, the Saab design team has come up with an absolute cracker. The ethanol-powered performance car was named best concept at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. Bentley Continental GTCAnother from the dream end of the market. The drop-top Bentley is proof that large cars - very large cars - can still look stylish ... and there is no substitute for that special attention to detail for which Bentley is known.Suzuki SX4 WRC ConceptWith its war paint on, the car that is going to take a resurgent Suzuki back to world rallying is an absolutely awesome sight. Even better: try to imagine this corker in civvies and you will have a pretty good idea of just what a grand Swift GTi this would make.Honda Sports 4 ConceptA glimpse into Honda's future with regard to their sports lines - particularly the Accord. The four-seat coupe is both sleek and menacing.Aurion Sports ConceptClose to the TRD Aurion scheduled to be revealed as a production car in early 2007, the Aurion Sports Concept is still a front-driver. The sports concept promises a substantial lift of the base car's 200kW thanks to a force-fed engine lifting torque above 400Nm.And a couple of extras that deserve a special mention with our top 10 favourites:Mazda Kabura ConceptThose crazy Japanese. Named for the sound of a howling arrow, the Kabura is a three-seater with a token effort at a fourth behind the driver. Styling and packaging is guaranteed to turn heads but don't be too quick to dismiss it out of hand. Mazda don't do things by accident.Hyundai Arnejs ConceptKorean design has been taking giant steps and the Arnejs Concept is one of the most stylish studies to come out of the Hyundai studios. Unveiled in Paris last month, the Arnejs points clearly towards the Euro-hatch derivative of the company's new Elantra.