Ferrari presented its 2014 F1 power unit just before Christmas. They’ve called it the 059/3 and, inline with the FIA’s new regulations, it will be a 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 engine with a beefed up Energy Recovery System. This video tells you pretty much all you need to know.
The Audi A3 Sedan will launch nationally at the end of the month. But if you’re keen to see one a bit sooner than that you’re in luck, because it will be on display at the Sydney Festival (9–26 January).
On show in the Fetsival Village in Sydney’s Hyde Park, the A3 Sedan display will feature artwork by UK airbrush artist DC Willans and promises to be all very hip and sophisticated. There’s prizes to be won as well, which you can read about in the press release after the break.
Also, while we were off enjoying Christmas Audi Australia released its manufacturer’s list pricing for the A3 Sedan:
Attraction specification level
A3 sedan 1.4 TFSI COD S tronic (103kW/250Nm) – $39,800
Ambition specification level
A3 sedan 1.8 TFSI S tronic (132kW/250Nm) – $44,800
A3 sedan 2.0 TDI S tronic (110kW/320Nm) – $44,800
A3 sedan 1.8 TFSI quattro S tronic (132kW/250Nm) – $47,800
If you’d prefer the faster S3 sedan then you won’t have long to wait. It should be in the country hot on the heels of the A3 sedan, with prices expected to be $1500–2000 more than the S3 Sportback.
Whether out of the chase for higher profits or more simply as a means to remain viable the four-door MINI is coming. No, this is not the oft-complained about, and therefore underrated, Countryman, but a regular four-door based on the new F56 two-door hardtop.
This F55 four-door development mule without camouflage has been spied for the first time by a poster from the Dutch New MINI Club forum. There’s two pics in all showing the new layout and we’ve also included an older shot below from MotoringFile showing the F55 prototype being prepared for evaluation.
It’s expected the F55, which will be around 50mm longer than the F56, will debut later this year. And after initially being a bit reluctant to accept this model we can see where BMW is going with this approach. After all, we don’t even give a second thought to a Volkswagen Polo with two or four doors, and MINI has every right to compete in that space.
[Source: MotoringFile]
One of the biggest issues we all face as road users is the ability to self-critique. We all think we’re good drivers. So, perhaps, when we see a road safety campaign we might think to ourselves, “Yeah, but I’m a good driver so that message doesn’t relate to me.”
Hopefully, you do have the willingness to assess and modify your own behaviour, when required, while sharing the road. But, if you’re unable to see the mistakes you might make, maybe it’ll be easier for you to turn the tables and think about the mistakes other people might make.
What if two people, about to meet at an intersection, do one thing each, which in isolation is not so bad, but could combine with dramatic results?
This new road safety campaign for the New Zealand Transport Agency shows what could happen next:
No one should pay for a mistake with their life. When we drive, we share the road with others, so the speed we choose to travel at needs to leave room for any potential error.
[Thanks to Matt for the tip]
Ever since BMW decided to introduce the 2 Series badge it’s been assumed (by us at least) that would pave the way for the eventual introduction of an M2 as the replacement for the rather clumsily titled 1 Series M Coupé.
According to BimmerFile the official word out of Munich when asked about the M2 is, “There are no plans and we’re not working on it.”
We don’t like the sound of that at all. If nothing else the M235i Racing, with its flared guards, has teased us as to what an M2 might look like. And we like what we see!
As BimmerFile speculates, the willingness of AMG to “age-down” its brand with models like the A45 AMG and CLA 45 AMG should force BMW’s hand on the M2.
That’s if Munich’s hand needs forcing at all. The 2 Series is still very new and with a multi-year life cycle ahead of it we can probably expect BMW to hold off on the release of the M2 for a few years yet. That’s often been the way with the brand’s high-end M products.
Yes, BMW is launching the M4 pretty much straight after the release of the 4 Series Coupe, but we still think BMW will do the right thing and deliver us an M2.
[Source: BimmerFile]
I want you to do me a favour please. You can trust me, you’ll like this one.
Close your eyes and picture yourself in the French riviera. Good start?
Now, imagine you’re behind the wheel of a Ferrari F12 berlinetta. Remember, it’s got a 544kW V12 engine. Getting better?!
You’re at the bottom of a very large hill, with a winding road and you’re pointing towards the summit.
READY, SET, GO!
What do you think that would sound like? Check the clip after the jump to find out…
[Video: Marchettino | Thanks to Tim for the tip]
It’s a fact of the modern automotive world that the manual gearbox is fast becoming the poor cousin of the double-clutch transmission.
Lamborghini has put a cross through the manual box and worse, the purist’s supercar—the Porsche 911 GT3—is available exclusively with PDK. The same is happening at the cheaper end of the market, too. Even the model name of the new Clio RS 200 EDC (efficient double clutch) tells us there’s no manual here.
The end is nigh.
Steve Sutcliffe from Autocar has taken a look into this phenomenon and found that, in the UK at least, the manual ‘box still lives large. A whopping 75% of all new cars sold in the UK last year was fitted with a “proper” transmission. Unsurprisingly, the US is in complete contrast with just 7% of new cars having a manual. We expect Australia is somewhere in the middle, with slushboxes and dual-clutch transmissions forming an overwhelming majority.
Autocar went to the manufacturers seeking answers and while mostly predictable, to do with gear change efficiency and fuel economy, here’s a couple of the more intriguing replies (use the source link below to check out the article in full)…
Ferrari chief of engineering, Roberto Fedeli: “Greater integration with all the vehicle’s other electronic control systems – E-diff, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS, magnetorheological suspension – allowed by the DCT has given us even more advantages, not least the ability to build a car that is supremely agile yet controllable on the limit, as well as being more frugal.”
Porsche head of GT car development, Andreas Preuninger: “The ‘simply add lightness’ philosophy to make a car faster, especially the past three GT3 generations, just does not apply any more. Nowadays, systems that add extra speed over-compensate their extra weight very clearly. Purism and performance are no longer inextricably linked. Indeed, they turn more and more into opposites today.
“It’s also vital to note that we built a 991 GT3 with a manual gearbox and ran it during development alongside prototypes with the PDK – and in all cases, both emotionally and empirically, the PDK came out on top. And that’s why we built the car this way.”
Whatever the future holds, we’ll always prefer changing gears by ourselves, no matter how much slower it might be.
[Source: Autocar]
Australians signed on the dotted line for more than one million new vehicle sales in 2013, for just the sixth time on record. The final tally last year ended at 1,136,227 vehicle sales. Loosely broken down, that’s 566,454 passenger vehicle sales, 333,511 SUVs, 204,566 light commericals and 31,696 heavy commercials.
Looking at the different market segments Tony Weber, FCAI Chief Executive, said: “Passenger cars remained the largest selling category in 2013 with 49.9 per cent of the market. However, this is a slight decrease compared to 2012, where passenger cars held 51.7 per cent of the market.
“The SUV and light commercial segments increased their share of the market in 2013, holding 29.4 and 18 per cent, respectively, compared to 27.6 and 17.8 per cent in 2012.”
The list of best selling car makers was headed by Toyota (214,630), Holden (112,059), Mazda (103,144), Ford (87,236) and Nissan (76,733).
Despite all the doom and gloom over the country’s financial state it’s worth nothing that almost all prestige car makers with a presence in Australia recorded an increase in sales compared with 2012: Aston Martin (+5.3%), Audi (+10.1%), Bentley (+86.2%), BMW (+11.5%), Ferrari (+8.2%), Lexus (+1.2%), Jaguar (+40.6%), Maserati (+8.1%), Mercedes-Benz (+23.0%), McLaren (+13.0%) and Porsche (+38.7%).
While the overall volumes for the prestige makers isn’t always high, the three main players—Audi (+1,474 sales), BMW (+2,109) and Mercedes-Benz (+5,150)—are statistically relevant. Even Porsche sold 532 more new cars in 2013. That’s 44 per month, or almost 1.5 more sales every day.
In contrast, despite the overall new vehicle market growing by 2.2% (24,195 sales) in 2013, the top three sellers all recorded a slight drop in sales on 2012 results: Toyota (-3,546 sales, -1.6%), Holden (-2,606 sales, -2.3%) and Mazda (-742 sales, -0.7%).
Indeed, of the top six selling car makers, only Hyundai recorded a growth in sales (+5,470 sales, +6.0%), with Ford (-3,172 sales, -3.5%) and Nissan (-3,014 sales, -3.8%) registering declines.
The highest selling models were the Toyota Corolla (43,498), Mazda3 (42,082) and Toyota HiLux (39,931). The best selling Australian made car (while we can still use that phrase) was the Commodore (27,766), in fifth place, behind the Hyundai i30 (30,582).
NOTE: You may have noticed we stopped doing a monthly report on sales figures last year. Please let us know if that is something you would like to see return in 2014.
Subaru has confirmed it will be revealing its brand new WRX STi at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week.
While the new STi will be based on the new WRX (revealed in LA last year), we’re still not totally sure what engine it will feature. It could be powered by an upgraded 2.0 litre turbo from the new Rex or perhaps STi may choose to stick with a 2.5 litre capacity. Either way, expect power to be around, or over, the 300hp region (220kW+); the standard WRX boasts 199kW.
A large group of Ferrari fans have held vigil outside the Grenoble hospital where seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher remains in a medically induced coma.
Here’s a selection of images showing the fans’ tribute which took place yesterday, Schumacher’s 45th birthday.
It’s also emerged that Schumacher was wearing a helmet camera at the time of his accident and the family has handed the device to investigators. Michael’s teenage son, who witnessed the fall, has also been interviewed.
[Pics: AP, Getty Images, Reuters]
Audi is showing off the third iteration of its Sport quattro concept, following previous examples from 2010 and 2013. This example will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week and is heavily based on the 2013 concept.
That means its V8 petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain produces 515kW/800Nm and can propel the 1850kg concept to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds. What makes this concept different and relevant to the CES audience is the “laserlight” headlights.
According to Audi the laser diodes are much smaller than the soon-to-be passé LED diodes. Despite being only a few microns in diameter Audi confidently states they can light the road 500m ahead with double the range and three times the luminosity of LED high beams. We’ll get a chance to see the technology in action later this year when the 2014 R18 e-tron quattro hits the racetrack.
The front grille also offers a preview of what to expect future sporty models from Ingolstadt will look like; including the next TT perhaps?
There’s new bells and whistles inside as well. First there’s the main TFT dash display, which allows the driver to choose from a selection of modes, including a traditional speedo, navigation display and media lists. Audi insists the large display responds quickly thanks to its Tegra 30 processor from Nvidia.
“The new show car demonstrates technical ‘Vorsprung’ on many levels,” says Prof Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s head of Technical Development. “On-board this car we have e-tron technology with 515 kW of power and 2.5l/100 km fuel economy; laser headlights that leave all previous systems in the dark with its higher performance as well as new display and operating systems with cutting-edge electronic performance. We are showing the future of Audi here.”
That’s great Ulrich, but can you please just make sure you guys build the thing instead of constantly teasing us with these stunning concepts!
This is one of the latest spy shots of the Porsche 911 Targa, expected to debut at the Detroit Auto Show later this month. Reports suggest the main roof panel will be removed electronically. But how?
Looking at the rear of the car you can see the engine cover looks like it will have similar opening to the 911 Cabriolet, which does fold away its roof at the touch of button. Meanwhile the spy shot after the break, which shows the Targa with the roof panel removed, the finish is neat and tidy. Suggesting the rollover hoop may somehow fold out of the way during the removal of the roof panel.
Regardless of how this system operates we trust Porsche can make it work. And for the first time, we think we’re going to genuinely lust after a 911 Targa.
[Source: Autocar]