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SEAT has released the new color Candy White for new Leon range besides their famous yellow. The new SEAT Leon Cupra also available in Candy White with the additional black and 18″ Orion alloy wheels to complete the look.

Press Release
ALL WHITE ON TOP? SEAT SAYS SO

When it comes to the haute couture topic of car colours, it seems that white is set to be the must-have shade among the beautiful people.

Never mind the outdated image of ‘three-month white’ – the time sceptical car dealers once
reckoned a vehicle would sit, unloved and unsold, on their forecourt before heading off to the auctions. Today, white is being tipped as the hot hue among buyers keen to show they’re more Prada than Primark.

Naturally SEAT is at the cutting edge of the trend, rolling out Candy White versions of the sleek Leon hatchback, priced from £12,645 RRP, with the additional option on the Cupra of black, or white, 18” Orion alloy wheels to complete the look.
According to industry experts, the growing international shift towards white among car cognoscenti picks up on the more general move to white in all areas of consumer goods. From the ubiquitous Apple iPod to 2007’s runaway Christmas gift winner, the Nintendo Wii, white is clearly where it’s at.

Leading automotive paint supplier DuPont has tracked global car colour trends for more than 50 years, and in its latest survey is tipping white/white pearl as a ‘trend shifting colour’.

‘Our customers are looking at niche colours and effects,’ said Karen Surcina, Colour Marketing and Technology Manager, DuPont Automotive Systems. ‘The rise in popularity of white/white pearl and the long reign of silver suggest that we can expect a more dramatic shift in the top colour choice.’

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the US-based Pantone Color Institute and author of Color: Messages and Meanings, supports the idea. ‘We are not surprised to see a proliferation of white/white pearl in DuPont’s report this year,’ she said. ‘White is considered a fashion statement. The car you drive is a fashion statement, and consumer preferences for white agree.’

And while the UK still has a long way to go to catch up with the likes of the US, Japan and Mexico where white vehicles are the top choice, there is the hint of a shift towards the shade. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveal a gentle rise in the number of white cars sold here over the last couple of years. In 2006, the last full year for which numbers are available, more than 16,500 white cars were sold – up from 15,792 in the previous 12 months.

There is here, too, a history of successful sales of sporty white models – particularly among hot hatches in the 1980s, such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

SEAT Head of Marketing, Steve Robertson, explained: ‘White really could be the new silver – when it comes to fashionable car colours, at least.

‘Buyers increasingly want a car that stands out on the road, giving them instant recognition and differentiation from ‘me too’ shades such as grey and silver.

‘With colours like Emocion Red and Crono Yellow, SEAT has a proud history of offering just this kind of look and I’m confident that our Candy White Leon, complete with black, white or standard alloy wheels, will prove to be a real trend-setter in 2008.’

Scion xB Release Series 5.0 price has been announced by Scion. The Scion xB Release Series 5.0 will be available in showrooms from next month. For the manual transmission version, the Scion xB Release Series 5.0 price will starts at $15,650 and for the automatic transmission model at $16,600.

Press Release
Scion Announces Pricing For xB Release Series 5.0 – To Be Displayed At The 2008 North American International Auto Show

Scion, of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., announced today that the first limited-production
Scion for 2008, the xB Release Series 5.0 (xB R.S. 5.0), will be available at dealer showrooms beginning in February.

The 2008 xB Release Series 5.0 features dazzling Gold Rush Mica exterior paint inspired by last year’s Chicago Auto Show xB display vehicle. This limited edition xB features a KenStyle® body kit, new Release Series wheel covers, and a moonroof, an xB first. A color-keyed rear spoiler will also be available.
Inside, the xB features a Gold Rush Mica accented interior trim and color-tuned seat fabric. Individual numbered badging completes the uniqueness of this vehicle.

Only 2,500 units of the xB Release Series 5.0 will be built. The xB Release Series 5.0 model will carry a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $2,470 over the base price of the xB. The manual transmission xB has a base MSRP of $15,650, while the MSRP for automatic transmission model is $16,600. The available color-keyed spoiler has an MSRP of $320. Scion xB Release Series 5.0 Price Gallery: Scion xB Release Series 5.0 Price
The delivery, processing and handling (DPH) fee for all Scion models is $620 and is not included in the MSRP. DPH fee for vehicles distributed by Southeast Toyota (SET) and Gulf States Toyota (GST) may vary.

A 2008 xB Release Series 5.0 will be on display in the Scion booth at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Volvo announced that the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race will have its seconds stopover in Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala in December this year. The Kochi of the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race will come after a run from Cape Town, South Africa.

Press Release
Kochi in India to host Volvo Ocean Race for first time

Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala, is confirmed as the host of the second stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in December 2008. The Indian stopover will come at the end of the second leg of the race from Cape Town, South Africa. Kochi will be the first of three new ports in Asia.

At the Abad Plaza in Kochi today, the stopover port agreement was signed by Andy Hindley, Race Director for the Volvo Ocean Race; Mr. N. Ramachandran, Chairman, Kochi Port Trust and Mr. KG Mohanlal, Managing Director, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.

Also present at the press conference were Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the Hon. Minister for Home, Vigilance and Tourism and Dr. Venu, Secretary of Kerala Tourism.

The Kochi Port Trust, which will be responsible for organising the stopover, with the full backing of the Kerala Tourism Department, welcomed the signing of the port agreement today and is confident that the stopover will give Kochi great exposure.

“India has never hosted such a prestigious sailing event and we are very excited that Kochi has been chosen,” said Mr. Ramachandran.

The booming shipping port on the Malabar Coast is now one of India’s foremost tourist destinations and the race stopover is sure to bring thousands of additional visitors to both Kochi and the State of Kerala. The Kerala State Tourism Department envisages the event will bring significant visibility as well as economic benefit to the region.

“Kerala Tourism sees this as an opportunity to project Kochi as an exciting destination, and we will be happy to extend all support to the Kochi Port Trust to bring the event to the State,” Dr Venu commented.

The Yachting Association of India (YAI), an active advocate of the race coming to India, sees the hosting of a stopover as an important boost to India’s ongoing campaign to establish itself as a venue for hosting major sporting events following its successful bid to stage the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010.

“Hosting one of the world’s top three sailing events will obviously boost any future bid to host major sailing as well as other sports events in India,” said Commander Ajay Narang, Honorary Joint Secretary-General, YAI. “It will also be a tremendous fillip for local sailing,” he added.

It is the first time that India is hosting such a prestigious sailing event and Kochi will be the
only port of call in India. The seven yachts participating in the race will arrive in Kochi in December 2008 and will stay for 10 days, before starting leg three to Sentosa Island in Singapore. A race village covering 2.5 acres of land will be set up near the BTP berth at Willingdon Island.

Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race commented: “It has always been part of our vision to take the race to different and wider audiences and we are delighted that Kochi has become part of that vision. India not only presents huge opportunities for the development of the event, but this coupled with the daunting challenges the competitors will face when racing their grand prix yachts in unfamiliar waters, will make the visit to India even more exciting for everyone involved. India has hundreds of millions of enthusiastic sports fans and we know they will enjoy this challenging race, with its passion, teamwork, adventure and excitement.”

The 2008-09 event will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain on 4 October 2008, it will for the first time, take in ports in Asia. Spanning some 39,000 nautical miles, stopping at around 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s premier yacht race for professional racing crews.