Categories
Audi

Audi RS Q3 – Australian pricing & specs

Audi RS Q3

The Audi RS Q3 is now on Australian shores. It’s powered by a 228kW/420Nm version of the inline five cylinder engine found in the old RS3 Sportback.

We’ve known for sometime the list price for the RS Q3 would be a pretty sharp $81,900, but now we have more detail on the level of spec and the options packages Audi Australia has put together.

Suffice to say if you tick all of the option packs you’ll be looking at smidge over $92,500 before on road costs. Although, the standard level of spec is not too bad; further details are available after the break.

Audi Australia boss Andrew Doyle is keen to remind us all that, in Audispeak, the RS Q3 is quite cheap.

“Our price point of $81,900 is really going to motivate buyers to look at the legendary ‘RS’ Audi sports car they have always wanted,” Doyle said. “No other car offers anything like the kind of performance, versatility or exclusivity of an Audi RS model at this price point. It’s a truly unique vehicle—the first of its kind—and we believe it will only further expand on Australia’s growing love of performance SUV models.”

Let’s hope this augers well for the next-gen RS3, when it does arrive.

Continue reading “Audi RS Q3 – Australian pricing & specs”
Categories
McLaren Video

VIDEO: Chris Harris has a go in the McLaren P1

McLaren P1

Chris Harris is the latest to be given some seat time in the McLaren P1. And we’re very thankful for that, too.

The clip goes for over 28 minutes and the serious business of driving fast doesn’t start until the end of the video. At the start, though, Harris and McLaren’s Chris Goodwin discuss some of the P1’s finer details. It’s much better taking in this conversation rather than poring over a press release.

Driving action begins on the streets of Abu Dhabi and it’s something of a novelty seeing the P1 mix it with Corollas and Land Cruisers. On track the action is as you’d expect. Plenty of sideways, plenty of speed and plenty of superlatives.

That said, we think Harris has described the sensation and enjoyment of driving the latest übercar better in the past than he has managed to do in the P1. Likewise, we were a little disappointed with Steve Sutcliffe’s summation of the P1.

Is there a pattern emerging here? Is the P1 so gobsmackingly out of this world that mere mortals are unable to describe the experience in a manner that gives the audience a reasonable representation of what just happened?

However, we are becoming more certain of one thing. In this world of five-second attention spans where the latest and greatest object of desire barely has the opportunity to create a legacy before it is thrown away, we worry that the greatness of the P1 won’t be given the merit it deserves.

Continue reading “VIDEO: Chris Harris has a go in the McLaren P1”
Categories
Audi

Audi S3 Cabriolet revealed

Audi S3 Cabriolet

For the first time ever Audi is giving the world an S3 Cabriolet. But do we really want one? Audi seems to think so and good luck to them.

Under the bonnet it’s the same S3 221kW/380Nm engine and quattro drivetrain we’ve seen before, which just leaves the roof, or lack of, as the major point of difference.

The top is an electrically folding fabric arrangement and opens in 18 seconds. It can be opened at speeds up to 50km/h and is available in three colours. Although, Audi neglects to tell us what those three colours are. Our guess will be black, a dark grey and a light grey. If Audi feels a bit flighty a red roof might be an option too.

As you can probably tell, while being fans of the S3 in general, a soft-top version doesn’t really do it for us. How about you?

UPDATE: This just in from Audi Australia, “The S3 Cabriolet is confirmed for Australia and will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2014.”

Continue reading “Audi S3 Cabriolet revealed”
Categories
Formula 1 Lotus

2014 Lotus E22 revealed

2014 Lotus E22

The Lotus F1 Team usually presents itself as the media tarts of F1’s pit lane. They take a less serious and often irreverent approach with their communications. But they’ve taken low key to a whole new level with the reveal of its 2014 car, the E22.

In the team’s media archive we’ve got a total of 11 pics to choose from, only five of which feature the car itself. And as for a press release telling us how wonderful the E22, with that I am the Walrus goo goo goo joob nose, is going to be?

Nothing.

It’s all a little bit odd from where we’re sitting, some 15,000km away. Nevertheless we’ve got those five pics for you and the team’s press release after a disappointing first day of testing in Bahrain.

Continue reading “2014 Lotus E22 revealed”
Categories
Formula 1

F1 winter testing: Bahrain I day 1

Nico Hulkenberg, Force India VJM07

Nico Hulkenberg set the fastest time on the opening day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain overnight. It’s the first of two four-day blocks of testing at the Sakhir circuit and Mercedes-powered cars continued to dominate proceedings, following on from last month’s testing in Jerez.

Hulkenberg registered 78 timed laps in the Force India VJM07, his fastest was 1:36.880. That was one second quicker than Fernando Alonso (1:37.879) who completed 64 laps in the Ferrari F14 T. Lewis Hamilton (1:37.908) did 74 laps in the Mercedes AMG W05, while new boy Kevin Magnussen (1:38.295) racked up 81 laps in the McLaren MP4-29.

Sebastian Vettel (1:40.224) was fifth fastest overnight and will be elated that he managed to complete a timed lap in the Red Bull RB10. Yet the world champion team has new struggles after its woeful performance in Jerez. Vettel only managed 14 laps and said shared his thoughts afterwards.

“We sorted out the issues from Jerez and we were able to do some laps today,” Vettel said. “However, very often you fix one problem and another pops up, which is what happened. That’s testing. We all knew this year was a massive challenge and we knew it would be difficult. We obviously didn’t want this, but it is what it is and we are working flat out to solve the problems.”

Andy Damerum, Red Bull’s Race Engineering Co-ordinator tried to remain positive. “It’s been a very long two weeks for everyone back at the factory and I have to say that while it might not appear so on the surface there has been a big improvement since Jerez,” he explained. “We are obviously playing catch-up and for us this was very much like a first test, so we were sending the car out to do one lap, then two and trying to build from there.

“In that regard the laps completed were good. However, we were sidelined by a mechanical gremlin but one unrelated to the issues in Jerez.”

Sixth fastest was Adrian Sutil (1:40.443), who ran for 82 laps in the Ferrari-powered Sauber C33. The most laps completed by a Renault-powered driver was Robert Frijns (1:42.534) in the Caterham CT05 who notched up 64 laps.

However, the other Renault-powered cars didn’t fare quite so well. Daniil Kvyat (1:44.346) could only manage five laps in the Toro Rosso STR9, while Romain Grosjean (1:44.832) did just eight laps in the first outing for the Lotus E22.

Meanwhile, the Williams FW36 could not repeat its strong form from Jerez with Felipe Massa failing to record a lap time in any of his five laps. Similarly, Marussia driver Jules Bianchi completed only three laps and failed to record a time.

Continue reading “F1 winter testing: Bahrain I day 1”
Categories
Toyota

Well they did buy a Toyota after all

Toyota Camry Hybrid

At the risk of offending the majority of Australia’s car buying public we have to chuckle at a story being run by GoAuto, which highlights the ignorance of the average Toyota consumer.

Turns out many Toyota buyers had no idea the Japanese giant built cars in Australia and on hearing reports of Toyota leaving Australia they’ve been sent into a tailspin and contacting dealerships to ask what will happen after Toyota stops selling cars down under. Yes, really.

To be fair, it appears the majority of automotive consumers are unaware of Toyota Australia’s local manufacturing. According to sales and marketing boss Tony Cramb, a typical survey shows only 20% of respondents are aware that Toyota builds cars on our shores.

GoAuto explains:

Initial feedback from customers and dealers suggests that many Australians believe Toyota will abandon the market altogether when its Victorian plant in Altona plant ceases to make the Camry and Aurion…

One cited reason for customer confusion is understood to be the fact that a large proportion of the car buying public has been unaware Toyota builds cars in Australia in any form.

Oh what a reeling!

[Source: GoAuto]

Categories
MINI

MINI officially announces VDL Nedcar production

F56 MINI Cooper

MINI has announced it will be building the new F56 MINI hatch at the VDL Nedcar plant in Born, the Netherlands. Plant Oxford will remain as the focal point for MINI production, with VDL Nedcar brought on board to provide additional capacity.

“Contract production is a vital flexibility tool for us, and our experience gathered over the past ten years has been nothing but positive,” said Dr Klaus Draeger, BMW AG’s Board Member Purchasing and Supplier Network. “Splitting production of the new MINI Hatch between Oxford and Born will give our global production network additional leeway.

“The MINI brand is showing substantial growth. This is why we need additional, external production capacity on top of the capacity of the MINI plant in Oxford which stands at about 260,000 units per year in the medium term. VDL Nedcar has many years of experience in producing high quality vehicles, so the company is an ideal partner for us.”

MINIs will begin to roll off the VDL Nedcar production line in a few months. It will be the first time under BMW’s ownership the hatch has been built outside of Oxford.

VDL Nedcar joins MSF in Austria who have built over 125,000 Countryman and Paceman models for MINI. Almost 2.8 million MINI vehicles have been made since BMW relaunched the brand in 2001.

Continue reading “MINI officially announces VDL Nedcar production”
Categories
Ferrari

Ferrari rated world’s most “powerful” brand

Ferrari F12berlinetta

Brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance has just released its 2014 Global 500 report. It shows that Apple retains its title as the world’s most valuable brand, but in terms of intangible brand strength, Ferrari is king, despite being ranked a relatively lowly 350th in terms of brand value.

It’s the second year in a row that Ferrari has been awarded the title of world’s most powerful brand.

“The prancing horse on a yellow badge is instantly recognizable the world over, even where paved roads have yet to reach,” said David Haigh, Brand Finance Chief Executive. “In its home country and among its many admirers worldwide Ferrari inspires more than just brand loyalty, more of a cultish, even quasi-religious devotion, its brand power is indisputable.”

[Source: Brand Finance]

Categories
Oh the humanity Porsche

Porsche brings halt to 911 GT3 fire sales

Porsche 911 GT3 fire sale

Porsche has reacted quickly to reports of its current 911 GT3 model catching on fire. As the screen grab above shows Porsche is officially owning up to two incidents of fire with the GT3, although unconfirmed reports on the interwebz claim as many as five GT3s have become carbecues.

After reporting on the Swiss GT3 fire we asked Porsche for an official response:

AUSmotive: Are you able to confirm or provide any comment regarding speculation that deliveries of all new 911 GT3s have been suspended while Porsche investigates the cause for a series of alleged fires with the cars?
Porsche: Porsche is investigating the case and, if necessary, will inform customers and the public as quickly as possible about the results of the investigation.

There’s also a report from a 991 GT3 owner  on the Aussie Exotics forum that local deliveries have been suspended while Porsche investigates the issue.

We didn’t win OzLotto last night but when we do land those winning numbers we’ll still be putting an order in for a 911 GT3!

[Source: CNBC | Thanks to Wayne & John for the tips]

Continue reading “Porsche brings halt to 911 GT3 fire sales”
Categories
Formula 1

Free donuts for Formula 1 winners!

2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

Good news race fans, the FIA has given post-race donuts the green light after making revisions to Formula 1’s sporting regulations.

It’s better than that, too, the change to the regs is quite open ended and states the winning driver can “perform an act of celebration” after the race. There are some caveats to this unbridled joy, of course. Any post-race celebrations must be “performed safely” and not “endanger other drivers or any officials”. Further, the actions must not “not call into question the legality of his car” and should “not delay the podium ceremony”.

After winning the 2013 Indian Grand Prix, thereby securing his fourth world championship, Sebastian Vettel celebrated the hell out of his rear tyres and faced the wrath of the FIA in the form of €25,000 fine. Undeterred, he repeated his act of celebration routine after winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and again at the season finale in Brazil (pictured above) without sanction.

Going back to the wording of the revised regs, what other actions could a driver to when performing “an act of celebration”?

[Source: James Allen | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Renault

F1 winter testing: Jerez by numbers

2014 Jerez test infographic

Formula 1 pre-season testing resumes tonight, this time in Bahrain. The big story to emerge from the Jerez test last month was the paucity of laps completed by the Renault-powered teams.

We’ve taken a quick look at the numbers and come up with this simple infographic comparing the laps completed with a focus on the Power Units used (Mercedes: 4 teams; Ferrari: 3 teams; Renault: 3 teams).

As you can see the big winners from Jerez were the four Mercedes-powered teams. In contrast there were only three teams each for Ferrari and Renault. Of course, Lotus, a Renault-powered team, was absent from the test as well.

The lines beneath the larger numbers represent the laps completed by each team, with the colours referencing the Power Unit used. In the bottom right hand corner is a comparison showing the total numbers of laps completed by all teams combined at Jerez in 2013 and 2014.

If you click on the image above you’ll get a larger version with extra detail.

[Source: Formula1.com]

Categories
Formula 1 News

No criminal wrongdoing in Schumacher ski fall

Michael Schumacher

Prosecutors in France investigating the Michael Schumacher skiing accident have found no party is criminally responsible for the seven-time F1 world champion’s fall.

“No infraction by anyone has been turned up,” French prosecutor Patrick Quincy said in a media conference yesterday. This rules out any suggested fault from the Mirebel ski resort or any equipment manufacturer.

The case looking into Schumacher’s accident is now closed and the official report stated in part: “There were no breaches by anybody. The accident occurred in an off-piste zone. The signage, marking, staking and information provided about the edges of this slope adhere to French norms in place.”

The report said Schumacher hit a rock off the marked ski run and then hit the right side of his head on another rock a further 10.4m away. Both rocks were more than 4m off-piste investigators found.

Schumacher remains under strict medical supervision while doctors slowly ease him out of an induced coma. His family is keeping reports of his progress confidential for now, although it’s understood a full prognosis on Shumacher’s health could still be months away.

[Source: Deutsche Welle]