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DETROIT - Off-road racing legend and Team HUMMER owner Rod Hall, Reno, Nev., entered the record books once again as he earned his record-breaking 18th career Baja 500 win in the 2008 SCORE International Baja 500. Hall and Mike Winkel, also of Reno, piloted his Rod Hall Racing HUMMER H3 to first place in the Stock Mini class in a time of 14:42:54.

Hall, 70, finished an hour and a half after his youngest son Chad Hall, also of Reno, won the Stock Full class in the #862 H3 Alpha for Team Hummer in 13:09:53 for his first win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and second class win this season. The H3 Alpha was the first production vehicle to cross the finish line.

“The entire team did a fantastic job preparing these trucks for this race and it showed in the results,” said Rod Hall. “It was an honor to earn my 18th Baja 500 win behind the wheel of the H3 and with the members of Team HUMMER.”

The 2008 Baja 500 was the third consecutive Baja 500 Hall has won the stock mini class and is the 7th consecutive SCORE International race that Hall has piloted the H3 to a class win.

The 2008 Baja 500 marked the 40th anniversary of the grueling off-road race and covered 441.15 miles around Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, May 31, 2008. It also was the second Baja race that the H3 Alpha and H3 were the first production class vehicles to finish the race. The Team HUMMER H3 Alpha and H3 were the first production class vehicles to finish in the 2007 40th Anniversary Baja 1000.

“It was a great course this year and the H3 really excelled in the rugged terrain,” said Chad Hall. “We ran the entire race without any problems and the Alpha really gives us an edge on the competition.”

Team HUMMER races in the SCORE International full and mini stock classes which feature production-based vehicles with stock frames, stock suspension designs and production-based engines. With 18 entries, the 2007 race boasted the most stock class vehicles in the history of the 1000 and included models from seven different automakers.

Two other HUMMER entries did not fare as well, as the Team HUMMER stock full H2 SUT and the Robby Gordon Off-Road HUMMER trophy truck ended their races early due to electrical and mechanical part failures.

Team HUMMER’s next race is the Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno, August 21-23, 2008.

About HUMMER

HUMMER is a division of General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, which employs about 321,000 people globally. HUMMER is a premium off-road vehicle manufacturer with sales in 37 countries and a product line-up that consists of the H2, H2 SUT, H3, H3x, and award-winning H3 Alpha. Information on HUMMER products is available at www.hummer.com.

Robby Gordon Motorsports is based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Gordon. In addition to its Dakar effort, the team focuses its attention on competing in America’s biggest racing series - the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The team has run numerous seasons in various racing series, including CART, the Score International Off-Road Series, the NASCAR Busch Series, the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and several one-off efforts in the famed Indianapolis 500, with Gordon enjoying success at every level of his storied career as an owner and driver. He prides himself on his meticulous nature, which includes building cars, trucks and other racing machines that are among the best in their respective disciplines. For more information visit www.robbygordon.com.

KARLSBAD, GERMANY - Harman/Becker Automotive Systems, a unit of Harman International, (NYSE:HAR) announced today that its latest generation MMI 3G infotainment system will debut in the new Audi Q5 compact crossover vehicle during the fall of 2008. The launch continues a close relationship between Harman and the German luxury automaker that began in 1989.

“The exceptional performance spectrum of this new platform is a tribute to the cooperation and team spirit between our two companies’ specialists,” said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Harman Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted to apply our leading-edge technology with Audi to create an exciting new experience for drivers.”

The Harman/Audi platform sets new benchmarks for automotive navigation, communication and wide-screen entertainment. A high-performance NVIDIAr graphics processor ensures that navigation map images transition smoothly, even when the vehicle quickly changes direction. Driver orientation is enhanced by a three-dimensional landscape view that reproduces true-to-scale terrain. Photorealistic depiction of points of interest allows visual matching of key landmarks to the in-car display, and identification of commercial points of interest is enhanced with well-known brand logos. The display offers a bird’s-eye view of more-distant destinations and features automatic close-up zoom at intersections.

Available map media cover 43 European countries, the United States and Canada. Precise audio route instructions and voice commands for audio, telephone, address book and navigation functions are supported in eight languages. The system supports connection of external devices such as USB storage media or an Apple iPod; a jukebox function allows for creation of personal music playlists. The digital radio accepts both European Digital Audio Broadcast signals and U.S. satellite services. An integral four-band GSM cell phone supports Bluetoothr connection and accepts a SIM card from a driver’s personal phone.

More than 250 Harman International personnel from Germany, the U.S. and Canada contributed to development and systems integration of the platform.

Harman/Becker is the automotive division of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com) which designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Harman International maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and employ more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG, Audioaccess, Becker, BSS, Crown, dbx, DigiTech, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon, Mark Levinson, Revel, QNX, Soundcraft and Studer. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”

HERNDON, Va.—Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that it has been named Grand Marshall for the 40th Annual Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 Thursday, May 29 – Sunday, June 1 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Volkswagen, which has powered hundreds of class wins in off-road racing over the past 40 years in Baja, including thirteen overall wins, is also the official vehicle of SCORE International.
“Volkswagen is honored to be the first auto manufacturer to serve as Grand Marshall for SCORE Baja 500 since the event’s inception,” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America. “Volkswagen was SCORE’s official vehicle back in 1973, and is now once again the official vehicle, plus we have the honor of marshalling the event this year, an honor that Volkswagen accepts with tremendous pride.”
In 1973, the Volkswagen model Thing was SCORE’s Official Vehicle; today SCORE officials get to enjoy the luxurious, sophisticated, and highly competent off-road Sport Utility Vehicle Touareg as the official vehicle of SCORE International.
The Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 starts and finishes in downtown Ensenada on Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural, marking the first time the race has ever finished on Boulevard Costero. This year’s tight and technical course will run in a clockwise direction for the third straight year. It includes a wide variety of terrain, and over 100 miles that hasn’t been raced for over a decade, along with over 30 miles that has never been raced on.
“The customized Volkswagen Touareg that SCORE has for course identification and marking has worked flawlessly. As a matter of fact, it is easy to forget your riding around the tortuous desert the ride is so smooth and comfortable. SCORE has never had a better course-marking vehicle in its long history than the SCORE Touareg,” said Sal Fish, CEO and president, SCORE International.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. - Hyundai Motor America has announced prices for its new flagship, the all-new Genesis sports sedan, starting at $33,000 for a well-equipped 290-horsepower V6 and $38,000 for the 375-horsepower V8 model.

“When we first showed the production Genesis earlier this year, we committed to deliver the interior package of flagship European luxury sedans, world-class driving dynamics, and pricing comparable to entry-level premium brand vehicles,” said John Krafcik, vice president, product development and strategic planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Today, we’re delivering on a key part of that commitment, with a very well-equipped Genesis sedan priced below the most basic Infiniti G35 or BMW 3-Series.”

While Genesis will compete for customers with cars like Lexus ES, Chrysler 300 and Cadillac CTS, Genesis’ performance capabilities and luxury features are comparable to sedans costing tens of thousands of dollars more. With base prices of $33,000 for a well-equipped 3.8-liter V6, and $38,000 for a 4.6-liter V8, Genesis makes a premium driving experience accessible to a wide range of customers. Genesis goes on sale at Hyundai dealerships in July, delivering the kind of value equation American car buyers have come to expect from Hyundai.

Genesis is built on Hyundai’s all-new, performance-driven rear-wheel-drive architecture, with an advanced five-link suspension at all four corners. It offers two powertrains, the 290-horsepower Lambda 3.8-liter V6 engine mated to an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission, and Hyundai’s all-new Tau 4.6-liter V8 engine mated to a ZF six-speed automatic transmission. Both deliver outstanding fuel economy.

The Tau produces 375 horsepower using premium fuel and 368 horsepower using regular unleaded, leading all competitors in specific output (horsepower per liter), while also outperforming all V8 performance sedans with a projected fuel economy estimate of 17 city/25 highway. Genesis 3.8 achieves EPA fuel economy estimates of 18 city/27 highway, which outperforms the V6 engines in many smaller, mid-size cars (e.g., Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion) on the highway. With technology rivaling more expensive luxury sedans, Genesis showcases features such as XM NavTraffic, Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS), Lexicon(R) audio systems and electronic active head restraints.

Genesis 3.8 - Standard Equipment
All Genesis 3.8 models come very well-equipped, including a 3.8-liter DOHC V6 engine, Aisin six-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic(TM), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with traction control, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and 17-inch alloy wheels with P225/55R17 tires. Additional standard equipment includes advanced front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side airbags, roof-mounted side curtain airbags, electronic front head restraints, fog lamps, automatic headlights, dual power heated side mirrors with turn signal indicators, leather seating surfaces with heated front seats, power seats, cruise control, Hyundai’s signature white and blue interior lighting with electroluminescent cluster, proximity entry with electric push button start, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel with audio controls, dual front fully automatic HVAC, electrochromic auto-dimming interior rearview mirror with Homelink and compass, AM/FM/CD/MP3/XM (3-month subscription) with iPod/USB and auxiliary input jacks, Bluetooth and floor mats.

Genesis 4.6 - Standard Equipment
The Genesis 4.6 builds on the standard equipment found on the Genesis 3.8, adding a 4.6-liter DOHC V8, ZF six-speed automatic transmission, unique 18-inch hyper-silver alloy wheels with P235/50R18-inch tires, chrome lower bodyside moldings, ultra-premium leather seating surfaces, leather-wrapped dash and door trim inserts, power glass sunroof with tilt and slide, power tilt and telescopic steering column, integrated memory system, Lexicon 15-speaker surround sound audio system, six-disc CD changer, illuminated scuff plates, wood-trimmed leather steering wheel, electrochromic auto-dimming interior rearview mirror with Homelink and compass, power rear sunshade and rain-sensing wipers with auto defogger windshield.

Courtesy : Hyundai Motor America