Category: Motor Shows

Frankfurt 2011: Audi A5 DTM

Post author By Liam
Post date 13 September, 2011
2 Comments on Frankfurt 2011: Audi A5 DTM

Audi has just unveiled its new A5 DTM racecar. Pretty crazy looking thing it is, too. That’s the style in DTM, of course and this new â€˜R17â€™ will hit the tracks in 2012.

The A5 DTM has around 340kW (460hp) thanks to its race-tuned V8 engine. Gear shifts are taken care of by a new 6-speed transmission, pneumatically operated with steering wheel paddles. In line with new cost reduction measures the gearboxes are expected to last 24,000kms.

You wouldn’t believe it by looking at them, but aero packages for the 2012 DTM machines are also less extreme than in the past.

There’s more images after the break, as well as Audi’s press release.

Bentley Ford Maserati Motor Shows Nissan Peugeot Suzuki Toyota

AIMS 2011 gallery: Everything else

Post author By Liam
Post date 6 July, 2011
10 Comments on AIMS 2011 gallery: Everything else

Here’s all the left over bits from the Australian International Motor Show. The cars that didn’t quite have enough material for their own sub-gallery or, in some case, cars that usually don’t fit the AUSmotive niche.

The Suzuki Swift S-Concept you see above caught our eye. It looks quite sharp, don’t you think. Speaking of which, the Joss prototype is worthy of a second look. Can Australia really produce a world-class supercar?

You’ll see new metal from Bentley and Maserati. As well as the ‘all-new’ Ford Focus and those teeny weeny Mad Max concepts. Pretty mad looking they are, too.

The best France could offer was Peugeot this year, no Renault to be seen. The new 508 sort of looks alright, but the person responsible for the rear light detail on the 207 SW needs to be guillotined!

Japan popped in with the still menacing Nissan GT-R and Toyota FT-86II Concept. Incidentally, that seemed to be the only car on the Toyota stand that wasn’t prefixed by the word Prius.

And, finally, the Mitsubishi Concept PX MiEV probably the only concept car ever to feature massive Brembo brakes hidden behind chunky alloy wheels. Oh yeah, remember the first time you made a model car and there were bits of glue all over the place? Yeah, check out the front grille on the PX thingy if you can. Bit of a rush job, do you think?

Motor Shows Volvo

AIMS 2011 gallery: Volvo

Not sure about anyone else, but this matt white diesel plug-in hybrid really floated our boat. Using the stylish V60 Estate lines as a base the paint and wheel combo really made the car stand out. Never mind its 1.9l/100km and 49g/km CO2 claims. Maybe it was brand ambassador Pia Miller telling us how wonderful the car is that brought us to attention. Either way, both models looked fantastic.

This made us think we need to take a closer look at the S60 R, which looks pretty neat in saloon form too. And when you see that smacked up C30 Electric you begin to appreciate that hitting solid objects at a modest 64km/h is not such a great idea.

Motor Shows Volkswagen

AIMS 2011 gallery: Volkswagen

Post author By Liam
Post date 6 July, 2011
2 Comments on AIMS 2011 gallery: Volkswagen

Finally, the Scirroco is in Australia. The only model to be offered for sale locally will be the 188kW Scirocco R. Try as we might we couldn’t get a meaningful reply from VW staffers on pricing. We figure high 40s list pricing is where you should be thinking. We can’t wait to drive the ~~new~~ old Scirocco, but after seeing the car at AIMS we have to ask: why Viper Green? It’s a horrible colour.

Also new to the Volkswagen stand were the Touareg, Jetta, Multivan Edition 25 and Caddy 4motion. The new Jetta (due later this year) looks quite a bit nicer than we first thought. It’s never going to set the world alight with its styling, but that’s not its brief anyway. The new Touareg, too, is a pleasing evolution over its predecessor.

We like the look of the Mafiavan Edition 25. The Caddy 4motion is an interesting bit of kit, although it needs some seeing to for its ride height.

The Polo GTI is still a well sorted looking car, if only supply issues weren’t such a drag. The Golf R still looks the business as well. Shame we had to lose the 3dr in order to get the Scirocco R, but sometimes you have to give a little to get a little.

Motor Shows Subaru

AIMS 2011 gallery: Subaru

Subaru revealed the fourth-generation Impreza for the first time in Australia. Indeed, it was a world premiere for the right-hand drive model. From the outside we think it’s a solid improvement over the current model for sale. Although we acknowledge the bar’s not particularly high there.

While the outside of the new Impreza looks good, especially in wagon/hatch form, the interior is still lagging behind in terms of ergonomics and materials. Other Japanese manufacturers, and even the Koreans, are making progress on this front, so hopefully Subaru gets it right soon.

Mind, the current model Liberty, which has to be the worst looking iteration yet, is selling like hot cakes; so what do we know. Actually, we do know that despite going to the trouble of showing us the new Impreza, Subaru Australia couldn’t muster up a launch date. So, it will be hereâ€¦ soon, we guess.

My mum always said if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. There’s some pictures of the XV Concept.

The race-spec Liberty B4 GT300 looks nice and aggressive, even though it appears to be a replica.

Motor Shows Skoda

AIMS 2011 gallery: Skoda

The Skoda Fabia is coming. Entry level models are on sale now and the hot 132kW RS version will be in Australia early next year. You’ll probably be able to get your hands on a Fabia RS more easily than the Volkswagen Polo GTI on which it is based. We’re a bit lukewarm on the styling of the Fabia, so we’re not sure you’d want to. Tell us what you think.

Always great to see the Octavia vRS Estate in Targa Tasmania trim and the Superb continues to be an underrated option, particularly in Estate form. Value for money!

Land Rover Motor Shows Range Rover

AIMS 2011 gallery: Range Rover

Post author By Liam
Post date 6 July, 2011
4 Comments on AIMS 2011 gallery: Range Rover

The more we see the Range Rover Evoque, the more we like. We reckon it will sell like gangbusters and will be the new black with the well-to-do set. In Sydney last year we saw the CoupÃ©, and in Melbourne we saw the five door as well. It’s a good looking SUV. Visibility out the rear window isn’t flash, but you’ll be too busy enjoying your fancy interior to worry about that anyway.

You can also tell a true car aficionado by their response when they see a Land Rover Defender. Needless to say, when we saw the Landie on the stand we giggled like little school boys. The not so accurate detailing of the rivet work just adds to the charm of this irrepressible machine.

Motor Shows Porsche

AIMS 2011 gallery: Porsche

Post author By Liam
Post date 6 July, 2011
2 Comments on AIMS 2011 gallery: Porsche

Ahh, the Porsche stand. Probably the most enjoyable display on media day. When else is one granted an unhindered opportunity to waltz up to each car and sit inside without incurring the wrath of salesperson who knows you really can’t afford the price of admission.

Of course, Porsche has an almost unrivalled racing history, so seeing the 935/78 aka ‘Moby Dick’ on show was hardly a surprise. Pretty radical looking creation, isn’t it. Makes a 911 Carrera look rather tame. Something that can’t be said for the 368kW 911 Turbo. The 911 Speedster has retro-chic alloys, but offset by, well, a rather large arse. Then there’s the $550K+ price tag. No.

The Cayman R, on the other hand, is something we’d very much like to own. And in Porsche money it’s actually quite cheap too. In fact, you wouldn’t even have to ask too nicely to get three for the price of a 911 Speedster. There was a lairy looking Boxster, with military-spec flat grey paint, kind of spoiled by the garish red bits. Still, at least it wasn’t an over-the-top behemoth like the Cayenne Turbo.

Until next year Porsche!

Ferrari Jaguar Mercedes-Benz Motor Shows

AIMS 2011 gallery: Motorclassica

Post author By Liam
Post date 5 July, 2011
1 Comment on AIMS 2011 gallery: Motorclassica

In the back corner of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre this week you’ll find the Motorclassica display. It has some of the motoring world’s most iconic designs on show. Almost all would have been stars on the international motor show circuit of their era.

A 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ grabbed our attention. It’s one of the world’s most recognisable cars and we can’t help but be transfixed whenever we see one.

A couple of classic Jaguars featuring beautiful period styling in the form of the XK120 and XK140 are to be admired. And you certainly won’t see a Tucker Torpedo every day. The DNA of virtually every modern Ferrari can be traced back to the Dino. You may not know what a Talbot Lago Type 26C looks like, but we reckon you’ll be transported back in time once you start reading its history.

For more info on Motorclassica and the annual show at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, be sure to check out the official website.

Mercedes-Benz Motor Shows

AIMS 2011 gallery: Mercedes-Benz

Post author By Liam
Post date 5 July, 2011
2 Comments on AIMS 2011 gallery: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz clearly holds a lot of faith in the Australian International Motor Show. While their Munich competitors took a more streamlined approach to their display, the world’s oldest car maker made a statement of another kind by going for quantity.

Good thing, then, that recent Benzes have plenty of quality about them as well. Getting a front row seat at the reveal of the C63 AMG CoupÃ© was enjoyed, as we’re sure the ever-present 6.2 litre V8 would be. Assuming you’ve got the $154,800 plus extras to get the keys.

The CLS63 AMG sat behind its smaller sibling and also looks a bit special. There’s a welcome aura of class and quality in Mercedes’ interiors too.

It was almost sad to see the SLS AMG stuck in the back corner, but we got over it by imagining ourselves behind the wheel. It was parked next to a G-wagen; that’d make a nice garage.

The E Class impressed with its size and the new SLK with its increasing levels of presence. Gone are the hairdresser days of the original R170 model. The R172 SLK goes on sale in Australia next month; list pricing for the SLK 200 will be $82,900 and $118,900 for the SLK 350.

Mazda Motor Shows

AIMS 2011 gallery: Mazda

We’ve waxed lyrical about the Mazda Shinari Concept already, but it really is an object of true beauty. It was first revealed to an invitation-only press event in Milan almost 12 months ago. Back then the media were given a gander inside (see Autoblog). If we had to take Mazda to task, that would be the only issue; denying us a more in depth viewing.

Both the Shinari and the Minagi SUV concept feature what Mazda calls their ‘KODO’ design language; they claim this will provide the inspiration for future production models. Let’s hope not too much is lost in translation because both models look fantastic, the Shinari especially. It’s Aston Martin Rapide-like in its size and shape and, to be honest, it actually looks quite a bit nicer.

We’ll soon see how ‘KODO’ is applied to production models when the CX-5 is released at the Frankfurt Motor show in September.

We also enjoyed a wry smile at the expense of the BT-50 ute decked out in what can only be described as pig-hunting trim.

If you live in Melbourne you have until this coming Sunday to get on down to Jeff’s shed to see the Shinari for yourself. Don’t miss it.

Lexus Motor Shows

AIMS 2011 gallery: Lexus

Bonus points go to Lexus for originality when they revealed their LF-Gh Hybrid Concept. Rather than using a couple of models to delicately remove a sheet from the car, they used an origami inspired cover and some dancers for the reveal.

Underneath, however, things are a bit less successful. The front lighting arrangement is somewhat fussy. Similarly, the front grille is different; we’re still trying to work out if that’s in a good way or not.

“LF-Gh’s bold and aggressive design blurs the line between our growing hybrid and performance vehicle portfoliosâ€”offering the perfect blend of performance, fuel efficiency and looks,” says Tony Cramb, Lexus Australia chief executive.

Good to see the LFA on show again. While we’re not the car’s biggest fans, we respect the approach Lexus has taken with their V10 supercar by sending a factory team to the NÃ¼rburgring 24 hour race; Nissan, where are you?

Lexus has secured an extra five LFAs for Australian delivery, bringing the exclusive inventory to just 10. All have been sold.