Month: April 2008

Categories
Audi

Audi A4 Avant due in August

Audi A4 Avant

You should be able to see the sedan version of Audi’s new B8 model A4 at your local Audi Centre now, but for me, it is the Avant versions that have always looked the part. That probably stems back to my yearning for an Audi RS2 all those years ago. Of course, subsequent RS4s have done nothing to lessen that desire. I dunno, there’s just something really cool about a wagon with Porsche equalling performance. Looking at the pictures of the B8 Avant, and, yep, the desire is very much still there. Audi reckons the sculpted D-pillars give the car a ‘dynamic, coupe-like silhouette’. Forget the marketing speak, the car speaks for itself. It looks fantastic. A shame, then, that we’ll have to wait until August to see them in Australian showrooms.

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Categories
Targa Tasmania

Targa Tasmania in pictures – part 2

2008 Targa Tasmania

This is the second batch of images from my 2008 Targa Tasmania experience, all taken at the Longford town stage on Day 2. Most of the cars featured are from the classic categories. After Robbo went through in his MINI Cooper S (car #923) we had to get back to Launceston to help sort one of the minor gremlins that had appeared on his car. You’ll be able to read more about that when my detailed account is posted in the coming days.

In the meantime, enjoy these images. Point of note is the Porsche 356 (car #260) which was flown out to Tasmania especially for the event direct from the Porsche musuem in Germany. The car was driven by Klaus Bischof, the museum’s director. Nice work if you can get it!

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Categories
Peugeot Video

Climb Dance featuring Ari Vatanen

Welcome to one of the best pieces of motorsport footage ever filmed. Jean Louis Mourey’s five minute masterpiece captures the sights and sounds of Ari Vatanen at the 1988 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Vatanen literally manhandles his purpose built 447kW (599bhp) all wheel drive Peugeot 405 T16 to the summit on his way to victory in a then record time of 10:47.77. The current outright record, set at the 2007 event, is 10:01.41, set by Japan’s Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima driving a Suzuki XL7.

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Categories
Nissan Targa Tasmania

R35 Nissan GT-R world competition debut at Targa Tasmania

R35 Nissan GT-R at Targa Tasmania

The 2008 Targa Tasmania event marked the international racing debut for the new R35 Nissan GT-R. Sadly, the event didn’t go entirely to plan for the big Nissan, forced to withdraw from the event on Day 2 with suspension problems.

You can read more about the car’s involvement at Targa at gtrblog.com. There are also more pics below of the car at Targa Tasmania.

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Categories
BMW Formula 1

Nick Heidfeld crashes F1 car at publicity event

This is a classic ‘oops’ from Nick Heidfeld. Watch the clip above, where BMW have allowed Heidfeld to show off the BMW Sauber F1.08 at BMW’s Munich headquarters, all goes well and the usual burning rubber stunts keep the fans happy. But, at around 1:23 on the clip Heidfeld has his crash. It’s actually very tame, and nobody got hurt. But it is the lamness of the stack that makes this clip so good! We like Nick Heidfeld because he’s driven the Nürburgring in an F1 car, but bloopers like this show he’s just one of us after all.

Categories
Targa Tasmania

Targa Tasmania in pictures – part 1

2008 Targa Tasmania prologue

Here is my first installment of Targa Tasmania articles. There’ll be a few popping up over the next few days—a few picture essays like this one, and I’ll finish the series with an account of my experience working as a service crew member for Andrew Robinson in his 2002 MINI Cooper S. In the meantime, please enjoy this selection of pictures taken from the George Town prologue on Day 0. The town stages were the only real opportunity for us to get a look at the cars in competition and I’ll also be posting up some images from the Longford town stage on Day 2.

Featured above is the Close/Close entry, a 2000 Porsche 911 Turbo, which took outright honours for the prologue in the modern category, completing the 4.81km course in 3:12.72. Very impressive indeed, considering the Richards/Oliver entry—making the world competition debut for the new 390kW Porsche 911 GT2—was back in third place with a time of 3:16.64. Other cars making their world competition debut were the new R35 Nissan GT-R—14th, 3:22.78—and the Corvette Z-06—51st, 3:34.16.

The fastest outright time in the classic category was 3:22.12 by the Pye/Geelan entry in a 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS. Unfortunately, this was as good as it got for car #531 as they encountered mechanical issues coming back into the service area, and their withdrawal from the event was confirmed when we saw the car parked on a trailer in our motel car park the next morning. Still, they fared a bit better than the stunning looking BMW 2002 which missed the first corner of the prologue and crashed out of the event with damage to the front left wheel assembly. Oops!

I hope you enjoy these pictures, as always you can click each image for a larger version, and keep en eye on the site over the coming days for more Targa Tasmania coverage.

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Categories
News Subaru

Three months jail for 255km/h Hume Freeway speedster

The Herald Sun is reporting a story about Victoria’s fastest recorded speeding driver. Justin Pickering, a 20 year old P-plater driving a Subaru WRX STi, was clocked at 255km/h near Seymour, about an hour north of Melbourne—or a mere thirty minutes if you drive like the young bloke! But that’s not all, Pickering had been recorded at speeds of over 200km/h the previous day near Holbrook in NSW. The speed freak, already with multiple traffic offences to his name, took things a step further when he was initially stopped by NSW Police and he cheekily sped off as the Police officer got out of his car to approach Pickering. He was finally apprehended by Victorian Police in Melbourne’s outer suburbs the following day. He’s definitely not the messiah, and is definitely a very naughty boy. The offences took place in August 2007 and his sentence was handed down earlier today. Along with his jail term Mr Pickering will be without a licence for 5 long years. Will that be long enough?

Read the full Herald Sun article HERE.

Categories
Audi

2009 Audi A3 range revealed – including S3 Sportback

Audi S3 Sportback

The MY09 upgrades to the Audi A3 model range have been revealed. Headlining the news is the addition of a 5 door ‘Sportback’ option to the range topping S3, featuring a 188kW (Australian spec) 2 litre turbo engine with Audi’s renowned quattro drivetrain. Compared to the 3 door S3, the 5 door variant is 0.1 seconds slower to 100km/h, with Audi claiming a time of 5.8 seconds for Euro spec models (195kW engine).

Other additions to the A3 range include a new 7 speed double clutch transmission, known as S-tronic in Audi-speak, and the magnetic ride system, as currently available on the TT. Usual mid-cycle tweaks to the interior have been implemented, and Audi’s signature LED parking lights, first featured on the stunning R8, have also been incorporated into the 2009 A3 lineup. Australian deliveries of the range should be available before year’s end.

It will be the 5 door S3 that will excite Audiphiles the most, with many fans eagerly anticipating such an addition to the range. Read more to see more photos of the S3 Sportback, featured here in Sprint Blue metallic paintwork (click images for larger versions).

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Categories
BMW MINI

MINI to introduce diesel model in Australia

MINI logoGoAuto is reporting that MINI Australia will introduce the MINI Cooper D within the next 12 months. Coupled with a 6 speed manual and a 1.6l 80kW/240Nm powerplant the Cooper D is said to be capable of consumption under 4l/100km. Add to that impressive emission figures of 104g/km and there’ll be a whole bunch of Hollywood actors realising they could have looked cool and still been green, instead of buying a Prius.

BMW Australia are anticipating that new sales growth will come from the diesel segment and as a further show of faith in that prediction they will also be introducing an all new diesel 7 series, expected for Australian deliveries in 2010.

The Australian introduction of the Cooper D is great news for MINI fans as it had long been believed, and confirmed from the inside, that a diesel powered MINI was virtually impossible for the Australian market.

You can read the excellent GoAuto article in full by clicking HERE.

Categories
GM Safety Issues Volkswagen

Crash test footage: They don’t make them like they used to!

Here’s a couple of YouTube clips that prove beyond any doubt that they don’t make cars like they used to.

While it may be feeble to compare two different crash tests filmed over with cars built 20 years apart (first clip an early 1980s Holden VB Commodore, second a Volkswagen Mk5 Jetta), the results shown are both shocking and confronting. In isolation, the second clip itself is still quite alarming, but comparatively, it is rather more reassuring.

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Categories
BMW

Drive.com.au tests BMW 135i

BMW 135iDrive.com.au went along to the recent press launch of the BMW 135i held in the Snowy Mountains. Lucky buggers. Apparently the 135i “showed high levels of grip and an eagerness to turn into corners”. Look out for the car at your local BMW dealer in late May. Although, if you’re interested, you’d better get in quick. Last time I spoke to my local BMW Dealer Principal only 200 135is had been locked in for Australian delivery in 2008.

Read the full Drive.com.au article HERE.

Categories
Targa Tasmania

Steve Glenney wins Targa Tasmania

South Australian Steve Glenney, driving a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, has taken outright honours in the 2008 Targa Tasmania tarmac rally. Jim Richards was behind the wheel of the Porsche GT2 in it’s world racing debut and was able to steer his car into second place 1 min 31 secs behind Glenney. In third place was Western Australian Dean Herridge in a Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Uniquely, there was no rain at all during this year’s event and yet, all-wheel drive cars still dominated. Glenney’s result to hold off eight time winner Richards, in his rear wheel drive GT2, is very impressive.

“The event was very tough and we probably competed under conditions which didn’t suit our car, which has made the win all the more pleasing,” Glenney said. “Conditions have been hot and dry, which suits the Lamborghinis and Porsches, but we’ve been able to get away with a win, so we’re very happy.”

You can access a full list of results HERE. More detailed reports on the event can be read on the Wheelsmag and Mercury websites.

Postscript: As many AUSmotive readers are aware, I attended this year’s Targa as a member of Andrew Robinson’s support crew. Sadly mechanical issues saw us return home earlier than planned after withdrawing from the event on Day 4. This was Robbo’s first Targa Tasmania DNF in his fifth attempt. Keep an eye out for a more detailed report in the coming days.