Powerdyne Supercharger on 2040-parts.com

Sales enthusiasm? Sports-car and luxury brands show strong market gains

Count Porsche among enthusiast and luxury brands enjoying huge sales gains this year. Sales for the German automaker are up 29 percent so far this year-one of the largest increases in the industry. Almost one-third of Porsche's total sales came from the four-door Panamera.

Volvo will market entry-level car to rival VW Golf

Volvo plans to offer a Volkswagen Golf competitor as part of a plan to expand the automaker's product line. Speaking in London last week, new Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby said the next generation of the entry-level Volvo “will be a derivation of the C30, a Golf competitor,” according to the Web site www.autocar.co.uk. He also said Volvo's brand positioning would shift toward “functionality and Scandinavian elegance” and away from sportiness, according to the Web site.

Rolls-Royce-infused Mini debuts at Pebble Beach

Mini is debuting a 2012 special-edition Cooper hardtop infused with Rolls-Royce design at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this week in California. The limited-run Mini Inspired by Goodwood will be set up alongside the Mini Cooper coupe two-seater--first revealed at the Geneva motor show--making its U.S. debut.