Month: May 2008

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 11 teasers

TopGear logoRecent reports about the new episodes of Top Gear have fans even more excited about the series return on 22 June. From the Top Gear blog, Andy Wilman, the show’s Executive Producer, says “most exciting for me is that we’ve finally come up with another big race – you know, car versus something or other … this one is back to basics, more hardcore, mega car, mega opponent, with a solid premise. And a clue for the geeks: we did it in Japan.” My tip is it will feature the Mazda Furai, or a Nissan GT-R. Or both, perhaps!

Giving further clues as to what we can expect Wilman states, “we go to war, literally, with a German version of Top Gear (which incidentally means Sabine is back) and there’s a very exciting shootout with the RS6 against the most suicidal of skiers”

One thing that Wilman doesn’t state, however, is the Veyron feature filmed in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. This has been revealed on the Releaselog website, which has a few spy shots of the the Stig captured during the shoot.

All in all, it is shaping up to be a great series, or at least, the fans hope it will be. So far there has been nothing to indicate anyone will be disappointed. Keep reading AUSmotive for more updates, or check in to the FinalGear forums for more leads.

Categories
Safety Issues

Ever wondered how a crash test works?

If you have, then you’ll be interested in a current and upcoming stories on independent Australian website CarAdvice. They recently witnessed a live crash test at the RTA’s Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). The program responsible for crash testing cars sold on the Australian market to determine their safety credentials. The CarAdvice team saw a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer VRX being tested. Here’s a couple of quotes:

“The visual of this impact is alarming, far worse than you can ever imagine.”

“It’s a pity that every driver in Australia can’t witness what we saw today. If they did, you wouldn’t think twice about the need to purchase a car with curtain airbags.”

They also took part in some controlled testing on cars fitted with and without Electronic Stability Control (ESC). For those of you thinking of buying a car that offers this as an option, please, just get it. It may sound overly dramatic, but it could save your life. To the car manufacturers who offer such systems as an option only, lift your game and make these systems standard equipment across your model range.

Read the full CarAdvice article HERE.

Categories
Mercedes-Benz

2008 Mercedes-Benz C Class Estate

Mercedes-Benz C Class Estate

Current Wheels Car of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz C Class, has a new stable mate sharing the showroom floor in the form of the new C Class Estate. For those of you reading this that do not realise just how cool Euro wagons are, trust me. Think of Euro wagons as the Dunlop Volley of the automotive world. You’re probably thinking terms such as ‘daggy’, ‘unfashionable’ and a bit ‘pointless’. If that is you, then I am sorry to say, you could not be more wrong. You just are. Euro wagons are the business and this new C Class Estate further enhances that fact.

The new Benz wagon is available in three models, a supercharged four-cylinder C 200 Kompressor Estate (available now), a turbo-diesel C 220 CDI Estate and the cool enough to make hell freeze over high-performance C 63 AMG Estate (both available from September 2008). Just like the Saloon, the Estate version of the new C Class has been awarded an Environmental Certificate, which attests to the environmentally-oriented development process as conforming to the international ISO standard. Try fooling your mates over an organic soy latte that any petrol powered SUV has any bona fide environmental credentials. But, an AMG Estate, well, that’d be enough to make Alan Partridge cower into a quivering mess of denial.

Continue reading “2008 Mercedes-Benz C Class Estate”
Categories
Ferrari Oh the humanity

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano lights my fire

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano fire

Yesterday’s post about the Ferrari California was the good. Well, sadly, this is the bad and the ugly all rolled into one for the owner of what used to be a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. First reported by the UK paper The Sun, the story goes the owner wasn’t even at the wheel when the towering Fiorano went up in smoke. One of the owner’s employees was driving the car when it made some sort of noise and then erupted into flames.

Unfortunately for Ferrari, this isn’t the first time a 599 hasn’t been able to stand the heat, follow the Autoblog link below for more.

Source: The Sun and Autoblog (image: The Sun)

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 11 expected to air on 22 June

TopGear logoInternet speculation suggests that Series 11 of Top Gear will go to air on UK televisions on 22 June. Keep an eye out for more updates as they come to hand. In the meantime, to help you get by during the TG off-season see below for one of my favourite Top Gear challenges. The £1500 Porsche Challenge from Series 5.

Continue reading “Top Gear – Series 11 expected to air on 22 June”
Categories
MINI

MINI Cooper S – Upside down Miss Jane!

R56 MINI Cooper S rollover

Yikes! Images of this R56 MINI Cooper S rollover have recently surfaced on the Minifinity.com internet forum. The accident happened in Malaysia and, while details of the moments leading up the incident are only speculation, there has been an alleged eye witness report stating the driver and passenger walked away with no serious injuries.

See below for more images, or read the thread on Minifinity.com for more detail.

Continue reading “MINI Cooper S – Upside down Miss Jane!”
Categories
Ferrari

Ferrari California revealed online

Ferrari California

‘The new Ferrari California will satisfy even the most demanding of owners in term of its superb vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure.’

Well, that’s what the press release says anyway. One thing is certain, the new California is beautiful. It will be making it’s live debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. In the meantime, Ferrari recently released these official images of the car on the net after earlier giving Ferrari fans some audio of the car at full noise. If pictures say a thousand words, then I’ll simply let the pictures do the talking. See and read more below…

Continue reading “Ferrari California revealed online”
Categories
Audi BMW Mercedes-Benz News

Australian International Motor Show – A German free zone?

AIMS logoGoAuto are reporting that Audi Australia has now been confirmed as the third major German manufacturer to withdraw from October’s Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Sydney. Only Volkswagen remain confirmed, with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and now Audi pulling the plug. BMW subsidary MINI has not had an official presence at either the Sydney or Melbourne shows for some time.

In our relatively small market it is no surprise that Audi has cited the costs of major stands at the Melbourne and Sydney motor shows as the main issue behind their decision.

From GoAuto: “The top three German makers in Australia are all lobbying for such an alternating arrangement on the basis of cost (a single motor show exhibit can cost anywhere between $300,000 and $1 million), but say the retail focus of smaller shows like Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide actually cover their own costs.”

As you can imagine the thought of rotating shows hasn’t gone down well with the organisers of AIMS, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, or the Melbourne International Motor Show promoters, the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce.

Click HERE to read the GoAuto article in full.

Categories
Audi Drive Thru Reviews

Drive Thru: 2008 Audi A4 1.8 TFSI

2008 Audi A4 1.8 TFSI

Last month Audi Australia officially launched an all new A4 model. Audi claims to be the fastest growing prestige brand in the Australian market. If that growth is to continue the new A4 needs to deliver bums on seats. At launch there were four engine choices available. Two petrol powerplants—118kW 1.8 TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder, 195kW 3.2 FSI narrow angle V6—and two turbocharged diesel engines—105kW 2.0 TDI four-cylinder, 140kW 2.7 TDI six-cylinder. In AUSmotive’s second Drive Thru instalment, we bring you a brief report on the entry level 1.8 TFSI model.

Continue reading “Drive Thru: 2008 Audi A4 1.8 TFSI”
Categories
MINI Reviews Tried & Tested

Tried & Tested: MINI Clubman Cooper S

MINI Clubman Cooper S

Since BMW relaunched the MINI brand in 2001 it has exceeded all expectations. This success has encouraged BMW to create plans to extend the MINI range well beyond the familiar coupe and cabrio models. The first realisation of these plans is the recently launched R55 MINI Clubman. Our friends at Rolfe Classic MINI Garage in Canberra offered AUSmotive a weekend test of a Clubman Cooper S and rather than keep our thoughts to ourselves this is what we discovered.

Firstly, as a current, and very happy, owner of a 2004 MINI Cooper S I am ideally suited to judge how well the Clubman has kept the ethos of the MINI brand, which has become such a worldwide phenomenon. However, I also understand that my experiences may leave me a little biased towards ‘my’ car, so I will do my best at bringing you a subjective and honest appraisal.

As a keen follower of the brand I have watched the progress of the Clubman from concept to production with great interest. Opinion among the MINI enthusiast community is very much divided. Some love the concept of the Clubman, others hate it. I must admit, it wasn’t until I saw the car in the flesh at the launch earlier this year that I began to take the ‘big’ MINI seriously. I had thought the styling was a bit cumbersome and not quite resolved. And while I wouldn’t say I’ve been completely won over, seeing the car for the first time did provide a more pleasing reality than I had first thought. Our test car was about to be used for a local radio promotion which explained the somewhat crude graphics all over the car. Apart from that, the hot chocolate metallic paint and silver roof works surprisingly well. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, I know, but MINI gives customers seemingly endless options when it comes to colour and trim combinations.

Continue reading “Tried & Tested: MINI Clubman Cooper S”
Categories
Accessories & Tech

How BBS wheels are made

Got a spare ten minutes? Then take a look at this clip. It explains how BBS wheels are made and a little bit about their history. For the trivia buffs, the company name originates from the surnames of the two founders, Heinrich Baumgartner and Klaus Brand, while the final initial is from the German city of Schiltach, where the business began back in 1970. Owners of the Volkswagen Mk5 Golf GTI with the OEM 18″ Hufweisen wheels will be especially interested in this video. Oh, and if anyone knows where I can get the background soundtrack, please let me know.

Categories
Bugatti

Want to buy your own Bugatti Veyron?

Bugatti Veyron

Well now you can. Yes, even in Australia (sort of). Think of it, your own Bugatti Veyron! I mean, who could resist the 16.4 litre engine, with not one, not two, not even three, but four turbochargers. That will really impress your mates at your next cruise to Panthers. Get your camera ready to capture their faces when you tell them your new jalopy has a massive 1001PS (736kW) and, when Mr Plod is not looking, can take you to a tear duct breaking 407km/h. Wow! Impressive, hey. So, I said you could buy one, and bring it to Australia…

Continue reading “Want to buy your own Bugatti Veyron?”