Category: Motor Shows

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Hyundai Motor Shows WRC

Paris 2012: Hyundai WRC i20

Hyundai WRC i20

Hyundai has used the bright lights of the Paris Motor Show to announce they will be returning to the World Rally Championship. Their weapon of choice is this “rally-ready” WRC i20.

The term “rally-ready” is important insofar as Hyundai hasn’t nominated a firm date for their return. Although, wrc.com is claiming Hyundai could be racing as early as next year.

Speaking in Paris, Mark Hall, Marketing Director at Hyundai Motor Europe, said: “The World Rally Championship is recognised as one of the most dramatic sporting series on Earth. It’s a spectacle filled with excitement and dynamism—the perfect embodiment of the Hyundai brand.

“The WRC also offers the most technologically-diverse challenge for an automotive manufacturer. Our participation will demonstrate Hyundai’s engineering excellence and durability, and will also help to enhance our road-going vehicles in future.”

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Green Machines Motor Shows Porsche

Paris 2012: Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

And just like that Porsche has made the Panamera cool.

This is the Panamera Sport Turismo, the latest in the current craze of Shooting Brake models. Officially it’s only a concept, but we think we know where this will end up, and that’s on the roads around the world. We say, it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

The Sport Turismo is powered by an e-hybrid system, consisting of a conventional petrol 3.0 litre V6 offering 245kW and a “charged hybrid module” producing around 70kW. Somehow, Porsche claims the peak power is 306kW. Either someone at Porsche is no good at maths, or they’re being deliberately vague about the finer points of the hybrid module. Reading on, it appears to be the latter.

Racing to 100km/h will take you less than six seconds. In all electric mode you can cruise at 130km/h, although you won’t be going far with a predicted range or 30km or so. On the plus side fuel consumption is claimed to be around 3.5l/100km and it’ll take two and a half hours to recharge the battery.

Inside, Porsche has give the main dash display a makeover with a touch screen display and tech geeks will be pleased to know they can also interact with the car using their smartphone.

We just hope Porsche puts this body shape on the road. Visually, it adds a genuine cachet that the regular Panamera cannot match.

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Motor Shows

2012 Australian International Motor Show

The official AIMS twitter account brings our attention to their latest TVC promoting this year’s show. You can buy your tickets now (we’re trying to get our hands on some free passes to give away as well) and the bright lights will be switched on in just 24 days.

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BMW Motor Shows

BMW at the 2012 Paris Motor Show

BMW M135i xDrive

BMW has given us a brief run down of the models and technology they will have on show when the 2012 Paris Motor Show opens in a couple of weeks. You can read the rundown after the break. Listed below are the items you’ll read about:

  • BMW Concept Active Tourer
  • BMW 1 Series xDrive (pictured above)
  • BMW i3 Concept
  • BMW C evolution
  • BMW 7 Series (updated model range)
  • BMW 3 Series (with expanded engine portfolio)
  • BMW ConnectedDrive
  • BMW M Performance accessories
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Motor Shows News

Sydney Olympic Park to host 2014 motor show

Lamborghini at AIMS 2011

The Australian International Motor Show will move to Sydney Olympic Park in 2014 and 2016. The 2012 show will take place at its traditional venue, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC), for one last time in mid–late October.

Australia’s major motor show alternates between Sydney and Melbourne each year and Sydney’s move to a new venue was forced by a three-year redevelopment of the SCEC.

AIMS Event Director, Russ Tyrie, welcomes the new opportunities offered by the venue switch.

“Whilst the SCEC has been our home for 23 shows, we are very much looking forward to the opportunities presented to us and exhibitors alike at Sydney Showground,” said Tyrie.

“The Sydney Olympic Park venue will enable the Motor Show to grow and become a more diverse event, with the expansive outdoor areas giving exhibitors more room and the chance to host both on and off stand activities the possibilities are practically endless.”

A permanent move to the Olympic precinct has not been confirmed with AIMS organisers keen to see what the new SCEC will offer when it’s back in action.

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Mazda Motor Shows

Leipzig 2012: Mazda MX-5 ‘Yusho’

Mazda MX-5 Yusho prototype

Rear-wheel drive sports coupés from Japan seem to be the special of the week and Mazda doesn’t want to miss out on all the fun. They’ve just debuted this supercharged MX-5 “Yusho” concept at the 2012 Leipzig Motor Show in Germany.

The 2.0 litre four cylinder engine has been warmed over with a supercharger kit from US tuning house Flyin Miata. Thanks to them the Yusho now offers a much sportier 177kW/274Nm. That represents a very healthy gain of 59kW/86Nm over the standard car.

But Mazda didn’t just stop at the blower, they’ve done this properly and beefed up the engine internals, as well. Pistons and conrods have been sourced from Cosworth. The engine drinks from uprated fuel injectors and a new engine map keeps things in check. A customised exhaust system helps to free gasses more easily and a clue to this car’s extra grunt is given by the centrally mounted tips poking out from a carbon fibre (look) rear valance.

Suspension has been taken car of with Bilstein shocks, plus Eibach springs and sway bars. Add to the package some sticky Toyo semi-slicks on 17″ alloys and you end up with what should be a very well sorted MX-5.

The matt white paint finish and suede/alcantara interior trim details round out the look rather nicely.

‘Yusho’ is Japanese for victory and, clearly, Mazda is on a winner here. In fact, we’d quite like one please! Alaz, there’s no word at this stage on production plans, so we’re not sure we’ll ever get the chance to buy one.

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Volkswagen at 2012 Wörthersee show

Volkswagen at the 31st GTI show in Worthersee

In addition to the Golf GTI Black Dynamic and show stopping Polo R WRC “Street” Volkswagen presented a number of other models at the GTI show in Wörthersee.

Not a lot of detail is given on the cars they brought along. Indeed the Scirocco R Concept Blue on show doesn’t even rate a mention in the official press release. But then this a show that’s all about engaging with the fans and not necessarily one for comprehensive model roll outs.

Perhaps the most notable model on display was the Polo R WRC “Race”, kitted out as though it could start a special stage tomorrow. Powered by a 1.6 litre TSI engine Volkswagen Motorsport say it will reach 100km’h in 4.1 seconds. On tarmac, presumably?

Actually, don’t be surprised if Volkswagen Motorsport makes a cheeky late race debut with its Polo R WRC for an event or two in the 2012 WRC season.

Anyway, check out the info Volkswagen has passed on after the break.

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Wörthersee 2012: VW Polo R WRC “Street”

Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street

Feast your eyes on this, it’s a Polo R WRC “Street” and it’s packing a 162kW punch thanks to a 2.0 litre TSI engine. Impressive? Almost as impressive as this encouragement from Volkswagen’s teasing press release, which states the road-going model is “due to be launched in late 2013.”

For now the horsepower and engine size is all Volkswagen has given away. Seems pretty clear the engine is a mildly tuned Golf GTI engine, but what we really need to know now is will the Polo R WRC “Street” feature a 4motion all-wheel drive system, and will it offer a manual gearbox?

There’s a handful of other images from Wörthersee after the break. We’ll bring you any new info on this car as soon as we hear it.

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Wörthersee 2012: VW Golf GTI Black Dynamic

Volkswagen Golf GTI Black Dynamic

The annual “GTI” show is currently underway in Wörthersee, Austria, and nine young VW apprentices have been thrown the keys to a Mk6 Golf GTI and told to go crazy. They’ve come up with the Golf GTI Black Dynamic.

The kids haven’t messed about either, upping power by a whopping 110kW, to a new total of 265kW. Eight-pot brakes up help slow things down in what must be a damn fast GTI. They’ve also chucked in an ear splitting 1800W sound system. All that has been adorned by a custom paint-scheme and interior touches.

It’s a pretty nifty opportunity and trainee automotive mechatronics technician Martin Schmidt was pretty chuffed to be part of the action: “For our team, the GTI Black Dynamic is the high point of our training. The amount that we have learned is incredible, and we have developed our own ideas and implemented them in ‘our’ car. Where else do you get an opportunity like that?”

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Motor Shows News

2012 AIMS dates confirmed

Mazda at AIMS 2011

We received an email on Wednesday confirming the media day for the 2012 Australian International Motor Show, to be held in Sydney this year, will go for a full day. That’ll be on Thursday 18 October and gives the manufacturers more time to impress hacks like us.

More importantly, the motor show won’t open to the public until the following day, so they’ll also have overnight to rearrange their stands. You’ll then have 10 full days to check out the show for yourself.

“We have received positive feedback from exhibitors on the decision to keep the Thursday exclusively for media and industry,” Show Director, Russ Tyrie said.

“Many are taking advantage of the change conducting multiple on-stand launches and presentations for staff, dealers and key customers during the afternoon.

“Furthermore, this decision also provides the general public with the added benefit of having an extra full day on the Friday to enjoy the Show.”

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Motor Shows Seat

Auto China 2012: Seat Ibiza Cupra Concept

Seat Ibiza Cupra Concept

If you reckon the Polo GTI needs a little more spice Seat is here to help. They’ve just taken the covers off their Ibiza Cupra Concept in Beijing and it looks pretty much ready to roll off the production line to us.

We have already discovered the Pogo is a damn good package. The Polo is even made in Spain, too. So with Seat’s increased local flavour added to the Ibiza, Volkswagen’s little hot hatch in drag has been granted a new lease of life.

The styling retains Seat’s more extroverted cues but possesses more maturity and refinement than we’ve seen before. After all the hyperbole and angst that Chris Bangle endured during his time at BMW, the flame-inspired body panels of the Seat prove (to us anyway) that Bangle was bang on the money.

James Muir, President of SEAT, explains the Ibiza is key to their entry into the Chinese market: “Emotional design and refined dynamics guarantee driving fun on every single kilometre. We are presenting the Ibiza Cupra Concept at the Beijing Motor Show because this compact athlete will be an important element in the development of our brand in this key market.”

Hey James, what about Australia?

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Mercedes-Benz Motor Shows

Auto China 2012: Mercedes Concept Style Coupé

Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé

This we like. A lot.

It’s the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé, remember we had an unauthorised preview last week. Now the sleek four door “coupé” is strutting its stuff on the show floor in Beijing.

Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz, says the Concept Style Coupé perfectly represents their new design direction. “Its breathtaking proportions, sinewy fluid surfaces and sculptural lines are the physical expression of our dynamic design idiom.”

What we like about this concept is that it’s based on the new A Class. So it’s not a huge luxo-barge that will be out of reach for most consumers. Rather, with its 155kW 2.0 turbocharged four cylinder engine, 7-speed double clutch ‘box and all-wheel drive system, it’s a kind of Golf GTI/R sedan hybrid. Which means, when they make it next year, that we can expect it to be a genuinely credible proposition in its class that shouldn’t cost an outrageous fortune.

Of course, it’s not new to see a stylish and sporty sedan, but in a segment that has become a hatchback staple, the further democratisation of the four door coupé style to a more affordable segment is quite refreshing.

Bravo Mercedes. Please don’t cock it up when you switch the production lines on.

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