Comments on: Top Gear Australia episode two preview

By: smokin'R32

smokin'R32 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:00:05 +0000

Did anyone catch this last night? Im trying to download it now, ive heard it was a good improvement over the first episode. Fingers crossed it continues this upwards trend

By: Chipmunk105

Chipmunk105 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:53:46 +0000

Wow, talk about ethnocentric aussies who think Falcodores are the be all and end all of cars. It seems you are forgetting that Australians have moved from buying the “Big Aussie 6 or 8″ for the BMW 3 series, C-class Mercs, A4 audi’s, VW’s, etc etc….must be something to that surely.
Dont get me wrong, i drive a commodore because it suits my current circumstances, but its not a great car. It’s had more probs in the last 3 yrs than my 1980 BMW 323i did before it….and that car was 20 yrs old when i bought it.
Yes aussie cars have come a long way in the past ten years, and about time too….BMW had 4 wheel disc brakes and IRS on their cars back in the early 70′s, yet holden only put it into the commodore in 97 with the VT…
Commodores and Falcons are nice cars, and in a cost comparison they will win everytime against the europeans. However they will never have that finesse and refinement of a BMW or Mercedes, but then again, most Aussies only want their Falcodore V8 to put 22′ chrome wheels on, a big loud exhaust and do burnouts in…..but hey, as long as they yell “POWER (clarkson style) while doing it, good on ‘em!

By: The Salesman

The Salesman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:15:30 +0000

Correction,

Ford is now placed fourth, Hyundai – Kia id fifth

By: The Salesman

The Salesman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:13:13 +0000

Ford and Holden are not Australian,
The cars are built here specifically for our market, but, our market is changing. Even government fleet buyers are changing direction from the traditional Falcodore. Face the music, Holden and Ford rely on the big aussie six to hold up their sales, now that has dropped off they have to compete in the small car market, so , whets on offer here? Not much that the Koreans haven’t already dominated (yes I am aware most Holden’s come out of Korea)
So for all you’re arguing over who is better? I say who really cares? The writing is on the wall, Holden and Ford must adapt quickly. Ford has lost their global sales ranking to VW, slipping to fifth, just in froth of Hyundai – Kia. Holden lost their number one spot to Toyota.
Signs of the times ahead and very sad indeed.

By: Golfschwein

Golfschwein — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:48:38 +0000

I feel for Ford and Holden. I love them, but people like me aren’t buying their cars, and they’re not doing so in greater numbers than ever before.

We’re replicating the European experience of the last 10 to 15 years, where declining sales of large car staples eventually saw to it that a decades-old lineage of Zephyrs, Consuls, Granadas, Victors, Carltons, Diplomats, Rekords and Senators was discontinued.

Peoples’ tastes swung to tastier, yet smaller servings.

If the same thing’s happening here, I wish Holden and Ford full speed ahead on their manufacturing and export programs for whatever car’s going to hit the marketing nail on the head.

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:45:41 +0000

Tomas – if you want it so that the Australian Automotive Industry disappears and therefore Australians are held to ransom by the Overseas car companies than fine

Because there are some narrow-minded ill informed illogival people who seem th thiink that if/when tharrifs are reduced to 5% and eventually 0% that the imported cars will become cheaper.. initially they will but this will see the end of the Australian car industry

When that happens the overseas car companies will realise hey we’ve got something the Australians want/need and so we are in control and will be able to charge whatever want for them so don’t be surprised if they double in price because afterall BMW Merc etc are in business to make/increase profits

The situation would be made worse with the fact that because the Holden Ford and your beloved Toyota has disappeared 100s of 1000s of workers wouldn’t have a job not only in the Car industry but other industries including finance retail hospitality/tourism construction etc.. So very few would actually be able to afford a BMW either way.

Whereas if we still had a local car industry we would still have the option of buying a locally built car and people would still have a job

Mind you as there would be so many people out of work if tarrifs were to fall there would be a greater reliance on centrelink and the govt would have to increase its budget so they would probably increase income taxes on those who still have ajob which mewans they too would have less money to spend on a new BMW which remember BMW would have doubled increased the price back up to what they are now

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:33:14 +0000

Tomas – you say the only reason he Commodore is a winner in terms of bang for your Bucks is because of the tarrif protection

Yet if that is the case why was it on Top Gear when JC compared the Vauxhall VXR8 against an Audi Porsche and BMW it beat them all not only in a straight line but also for sheer driving excitement and fun..

I mean for the VXR8 to impress JC as much as it did [the same way the monaro did] shows that the VXR8 [commodore] is a fine performance car given that in the UK it doesn’t have protection and was pitted against similarly priced cars
And this is a man who drives cars from all over the world every day

I remember JC said something like “Sure its not as refined as the Euros but it was more fun”

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:25:17 +0000

Tomas79 – If you like German style beer and Wurst you should visit Hahndorf here in the Adelaide Hills… Its really nice – which you’d expect given that Adelaide has the the largest population of Germans and German decendants in Australia what with the barossa valley and all

By: o

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:28:30 +0000

Imagine if today the goverment got rid of all of tis tarrifs and imports taxes etc and BMW 5 sereies was equivialnt to a commodore in price i know what i would buy. It seems that you all love going how good aussie cars are but if they were priced equivialntly they would lose. A falcodore just doesnt have the tech that a german car does under the skin. Austrlalian cars are doomed and i really hope when the focus is built here that we dont miss out on certain equipment/tech rumor has it that hte next focus will have sat-nav standard

By: spam

spam — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:35:08 +0000

tomas79 you are so right , those with blinkers on will one day understand that its a changed game .

maybe ford and holden should share a platform and badge swap , after all there isnt much difference between the dino’s