CarAdvice.com.au
Audi probably have some stats on how many of their RS series owners get speeding tickets, or maybe they just like to have some fun. Either way, someone in South Africa had the time to take this photo for everyone to see!
A new RS6 hasn’t come out in Australia since the old one (2004) stopped selling, but even that was around $220,000!
Induction: Twin Turbo intercooled
Power: 331kW @ 5700rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 1950rpm-5600rpm
Acceleration 0-100Km/h: 4.7 secs
Subaru today confirmed that premium versions of its Model Year 2007 Liberty and Outback will feature the little known Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) system. Subaru says that the SI-Drive offers the option of three different drive experiences in the car.
The modes are easily selected using a centre console dial (pictured), or steering wheel controls. For those wanting to achieve optimum fuel consumption and ride comfort in stop-start traffic around town, or cruising on the freeway, Intelligent mode is activated by simply pressing the button. By accelerating gently and noting an Eco gauge on the instrument cluster, Subaru claims that drivers can achieve maximum economy.
Sport mode is activated by turning the button left. It is ideal for everyday flowing traffic, including on urban roads. Sport # mode is activated by turning the button right. It is aimed at producing great car response for enthusiastic drivers on open roads. In other words, when you just need to go… really fast.
Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia, said:
SI-Drive is a simple, easy to use system that produces distinct driver benefits. There are visual cues in each mode that help the driver attune to the individual mode. As the name suggests, if Subaru Intelligent Drive is used intelligently, and the driver interacts with the attributes of each mode, it produces a fantastically satisfying drive.
Model Year Subary Liberty and Outback MY07 will be launched in the first week of September 2006.
Fifth Gears review of the Lamborghini Gallardo SE
The new 4-seater Audi Cabriolet is now available in Australia. The new look of the Audi Cabriolet is apparent at the first glance, thanks to Audi’s dynamic single-frame grille. The newly-styled front and rear lights are further visual cues of this new model. The car’s taut styling, clear surfaces and tension-packed shoulder line point to the Cabriolet’s apparent sporting performance.
In Australia, two engines are available from launch, including the much used 1.8T with 120 kW and 225 Nm. A new 3.2 FSI petrol direct injection V6 is also now available with 188 kW and 330 Nm. FSI technology combines high performance with a spontaneous response to every movement of the accelerator pedal and a peak-torque range at a high level.
The new Audi Cabriolet is priced at $83,400 for the 4-cylinder and $107,800 for the V6 model. Befitting a new model with the pedigree of the Audi Cabriolet, innovative and sophisticated technologies are of course present, from the Xenon Plus headlights with automatic beam angle adjustment and daytime driving lights (optional for the 1.8T), to adaptive headlights using swivelling cornering lights available as an option for both models. Comprehensive occupant protection systems – including a two-stage driver’s airbag and side airbags – together with the highly complex, latest-generation
electronic stabilisation program ESP, provide high reserves of safety.
Features specific to the Cabriolet include improved side impact protection and the active roll-over protection system with two roll-over bars which are projected behind the rear seats. The design of this new generation is self-assured.
The fully automatic, electro-hydraulic hood can be operated when driving at a speed of up to 30 km/h, a useful feature while driving in the city, for example, where it is not always possible to stop suddenly to close the roof. Thanks to excellent thermal insulation and glass rear window, the Audi Cabriolet can also be used without restriction in the winter. The standard heated front seats are another excellent touch for winter Cabriolet driving.
The set-up of the dynamic suspension system, with four-link front and selftracking trapezoidal-link rear suspension, has been completely modified and numerous new components added. Audi’s chassis engineers have made extensive changes in the area of elastokinematics, and to the spring and shock absorber settings.
At a glance: The new Audi A4 Cabriolet
Engines (longitudinally installed):
Mazda Motor Corporation has announced today that it will introduce an iPod® connection adapter. This is the first of its kind for any volume-selling model and allows the driver to play their iPod through the car’s audio system.To be launched in Japan on August 22, 2006, the company will put the device on sale as a vehicle accessory available from Mazda dealers in countries throughout the world. Mazda is the first to offer iPod adapters across their entire future product range, including the new cross over SUV the CX-7 and their new pick-up truck the BT-50. Owners of current Mazda passenger vehicles and Tribute SUV will also benefit from this technology as they too can fit the new iPod connection adaptor to their vehicle. This accessory can also be fitted to some previous Mazda models including 121, 323 and 626 released since 2000.
“This is a very exciting development for Mazda,” Mazda Australia managing director, Mr Doug Dickson, said.
“Drivers can now listen to their iPod through the quality audio systems in Mazda vehicles. Not only does this technology provide better sound quality, it is also much safer as drivers do not have to look down at their iPod when changing the song.”
The iPod connection adaptor will be on sale in Australia in early October and retail for $265 (excluding installation).
Product features of Mazda’s iPod connection adaptor accessory:
The ALFA ROMEO 8C will be available for test drive in Australia this coming September the Italian car maker announced today. The Alfa Romeo 8C is a concept car produced by the Italian car maker as its proposal for a super car, will be available for 1600 kilometre Test Drives in Australia from this September.
Powered by a supercharged 4.3 litre V8 engine boasting more than 400 bhp, the Alfa Romeo 8C has a top speed in excess of 300 kmh and goes from 0-100 kmh in less than 4.5 seconds. The advanced drivetrain is clothed in a gracefully aggressive body made from carbon fibre that has been praised for its beauty and integration of a host of styling links to classic Alfa Romeo models of the past.
Despite the rarity of the Alfa Romeo 8C and its performance potential, Alfa Romeo Australia is expecting thousands of people across the country to Test Drive the Alfa Romeo 8C, especially as there is no time limit on the test drive and the 1600 kilometre test route may be repeated as frequently as each Test Driver wishes.
There is one requirement, though. Each Test Driver must be in procession of an Xbox 360 or, later in the year, a PC, PS2 or PSP, along with a copy of Atari’s TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED, Alfa Romeo seems pretty happy that the game designers had picked to put the car in the game and so thisi co promotion works well for both parties involved.
“Driving a supercar, especially one as rare as the Alfa Romeo 8C, used to be an almost impossible dream,” says David Stone, General Manager for Alfa Romeo in Australia.
Designed and developed at the Alfa Romeo Style Centre, the 8C Competizione is a new icon for Alfa Romeo, evoking the great sports car tradition of which the name is part. In the Thirties and Forties, the ’8c’ signature identified the racing and road cars that were equipped with the new eight cylinder engine developed by the famous engineer Vittorio Jano. The term ‘Competizione’ is a tribute to the 6C 2500 Competizione, the sports coupé driven by Fangio and Zanardi in the famous Mille Miglia race in 1950.
Therefore, ’8c Competizione’ is not an invented name, but a clear reference to Alfa’s racing history. And of course the Alfa Romeo legend was created to a great extent by the victories its cars achieved on race courses all around the world. There were so many of them that alone they represent a long, fascinating chapter, made of men and competitive spirit, engines and cutting edge technical ideas.
The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione is a generously proportioned carbon fibre two seater, as indicated by its measurements: 1900 mm wide, 4278 mm long and 1250 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2595 mm. The body is given extra dynamism by the horizontal furrow cut into the side above the front wheelarch.
In addition to this, the large tyres (245/40 – R20 at the front and 275/35 – R20 at the rear) and the powerful, muscular rear wings accentuate the strong, forceful personality. This does not detract in any way from the elegance of the lines that run smoothly from front to back, to the light clusters set into the integral bumpers. A stylistic balance that has its maximum expression in the daring design of the rear window that covers the rear and partially envelops the rear pillars.
The front elements have been repositioned as they were on the most important Alfa racing cars of the past – the side grilles and the shield are aligned at the same height – a decision of historical and evolutionary significance. But a rapid glance will reveal that the styling of the whole exterior is full of classical references, an ideal opportunity for a modern interpretation of traditional Alfa stylistic cues. For example, the front end recalls the former 33 Coupé Stradale, while the rear sports the characteristic round light clusters of the Giulia TZ.
It is difficult to be indifferent to the ’8c Competizione’ concept car, because it is the pure expression of Alfa Romeo’s concept of the car. And with this new model, Alfa’s stylistic language takes a further step forward. Compared to another concept car, the ‘Nuvola’, which also featured the shapes and surface treatment of the new Alfa Romeo aesthetics, the styling approach of the Alfa 8c Competizione enhances the brand’s DNA with a modern hi-tech interpretation of the most famous designs in Alfa Romeo history.
Nor can it be forgotten that the Alfa Romeo sports cars of the past and the present all share a particular feature: the ability to thrill even the most experienced drivers when they take the wheel. And the Alfa 8c Competizione is no exception. Suffice it to say that under the bonnet lurks a supercharged 4.2 litre V8 (90°). This powerful unit delivers over 400 bhp at 7000 rpm and together with a 6-speed manual rear transmission, takes the prototype to a top speed above 300 km/h, accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometres in just 4.5 seconds. This engine commands not only absolute performance and outstanding peaks of power and torque (over 45 kgm at 4500 rpm), but also smooth, effortless delivery even at low speeds. The result is a car capable of exciting performance that is perfectly at home on everyday roads and not only on the racetrack.
The 8c Competizione combines this brilliant performance with extraordinary roadholding and the handling of a true thoroughbred. This is achieved via dual wishbone suspension at front and rear, which ensures extremely enjoyable handling, combining the control expected of front-wheel drive with an exceptionally sporty drive and pinpoint response, which are particularly important on mixed roads. Alfa Romeo chose rear-wheel drive for the 8c Competizione to support the exuberant engine and to deliver truly unbeatable emotional experience behind the wheel.
| ENGINE | |
| no. of cylinders | 8 in 90° V |
| timing gear | two overhead camshafts per row |
| no. of valves | 4 per cylinder |
| turbocharging | volumetric compressor |
| capacity | 4244 (92 bore x 79.8 stroke) |
| max. power output | over 400 bhp at 7000 rpm |
| peak torque | over 45 kgm at 4500 rpm |
| TRANSMISSION | |
| gearbox | mechanical 6-speed |
| position | rear axle |
| drive | rear wheel |
| CHASSIS | |
| front suspension | dual wishbone |
| rear suspension | dual wishbone |
| front brakes | floating ventilated disc 380×34 mm |
| rear brakes | fixed ventilated disc 330×28 mm |
| front tyres | 245/40 R 20″ x 8.5″ |
| rear tyres | 275/35 R20″ x 10″ |
| DIMENSIONS – WEIGHT | |
| wheelbase | 2595 mm |
| front track | 1610 mm |
| rear track | 1580 mm |
| length | 4278 mm |
| width | 1900 mm |
| height | 1250 mm |
| weight empty | approx. 1500 kg |
| fuel tank capacity | 90 litres |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| top speed | over 300 km/h |
| 0-100 kmh | 4.5 seconds |
Toyota has announced that the new generation Toyota Camry will be released this coming monday, 7th August 2006.
Below are some serious technical specifications:
ENGINE
Euro IV compliant
Engine type – Petrol
Engine code – 2AZ-FE
Engine displacement – 2362cc
Engine configuration – 4 cylinder in-line
Valve train – Double Over Head Camshaft (DOHC)
with 4 valves per cylinder
VALVE MECHANISM
Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i)
Max. power – 117kW/5700rpm
Max. torque – 218Nm/4000rpm
FUEL
Fuel system – Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI)
Fuel type – 91 RON unleaded
Fuel economy – Manual 8.9 L/100km
Fuel economy – Automatic 9.9 L/100km
EXHAUST
Variable back-pressure muffler
TRANSMISSION
Transmission – 5 speed manual (Altise & Sportivo only)/ 5
Speed Automatic with uphill/downhill control and gated shift
gate (Available on all grades)
STEERING
Steering system – Rack and pinion
Power steering – Hydraulic
Turns lock to lock – 3.2
Turning circle at kerb – 11m
BRAKES
Front – Ventilated discs
Rear – Solid discs
Active Braking with intelligence (AB-i) incorporating
Anti-skid Braking System (ABS) with Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA)
SUSPENSION
Front – Macpherson strut type
Rear – Dual Link strut type
DIMENSIONS
Overall length: 4815
Overall width: 1820
Overall height: 1480
Wheelbase – 2775
Front and rear track – 1575mm/1565mm
Ground clearance – 129mm
WEIGHTS/CAPACITIES
Seating capacity – 5
Fuel tank capacity (litres) – 70
Tare mass (kg)
Altise manual – 1415
Altise automatic – 1450
Ateva automatic – 1460
Sportivo manual- 1430
Sportivo automatic – 1470
Grande automatic – 1480
TOWING CAPACITY
Without trailer brakes – 500kg
With trailer brakes – 1200kg
Mitsubishi Motors seems to be on the come back this year after a period of uncertainty, Mitsubishi claims that it has continued to improve its business position, as well as exceed many of its business targets during July. Despite all these efforts though, the Mitsubishi 380 is still not selling despite being named the safest Australian made car ever.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (MMAL) has made another substantial repayment to its parent in Japan. MMAL continues to track ahead of its plan for the first quarter of its financial year, and with its new products just coming on to the market is confident of continuing the general upward trends throughout its business.
‘The launches of the Mitsubishi ML Triton and Ralliart Colts have just been completed very successfully, and we have had very positive feedback on those products,‘ President and CEO Robert McEniry said.
‘We are holding an order bank on ML Triton that stretches out a couple of months, and the order bank on Colt is also very impressive. Our dealer network is seeing very strong demand for these products, and that gives us great heart for the coming months.
‘We are satisfied with the way we are tracking at the moment. To be ahead of our plan at this stage of our financial year is encouraging, particularly when we still have new Pajero and Outlander to launch in the next few months.
‘Stock shortages in significant product lines has contributed to our lower sales result in July. Lancer continues to perform fantastically, even though we had stock shortages throughout its range, and we were also very limited on Pajero Exceed and the fast-selling Pajero VRX diesel. The VRX has captured the imagination of the market with its distinctive styling and great value for money. And, of course the diesel engine in this car really is a cracker, which puts us in an enviable position because diesel really is the fuel of choice for larger SUVs in the current climate,‘ Mr McEniry said.
Mitsubishi’s not so popular 380 suffered a slight sales downturn this month, but it was also hampered by stock issues on some product lines. However once we consider the overall Large Car segment decline and with consumers waiting to see the newly released Toyota Camry and Holden VE Commodore before buying any new car, Mitsubishi says that it was satisfied with its sales running rate.
‘The good news with 380 is that it is running encouragingly ahead of its cumulative target for the year to date, and it has gained sales in a market that has lost over 8,000 units in that time. Also, it is continuing to gain conquest sales from other brands in many smaller business and government fleets where it is now their preferred car. We expect it will continue to grow again in future months,‘ Mr McEniry said
As Fuel Prices go higher and higher, more and more people are turning away from the traditional Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons and moving towards the likes of Toyota Camry and the ever popular Toyota Corolla.
Toyota should be proud of the Corolla as it has again topped Australia’s motor vehicle sales charts (second month in a row) giving Toyota awell deserved lead over its nearest competitor (Holden) for the 2006 sales race.
Official VFACTS figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show that 4711 Corollas were sold in July – almost 700 more than the traditional top-selling car. In total 77,562 cars, trucks and buses were sold in July – down 1079 vehicles on the all-time record for the month set in 2005. Corolla also outsold its nearest competitor in the booming small-car segment by more than two-to-one.
If you want to know what I mean by people loving the Toyota Corolla, lets just say that Toyota sold so many Corolla’s that it’s sales alone exceeded the total sales for each of 5 car companies in the bottom of the top 10 list.
“It’s hugely significant that after many years of large cars being Australia’s biggest sellers, Corolla has now topped the charts three times in the past 11 months,” said Toyota Australia’s senior executive director of sales and marketing, David Buttner.
“Although we expect that large sedan sales will rebound a bit in coming months, it’s clear that the old car-market certainties no longer apply.“
Toyota retained its grip on market leadership with 16,977 sales in July ahead of Holden (11,129) and Ford (9627).
“Toyota traditionally records very strong sales at the end of the financial year, so to continue that momentum with a strong result in July is an exceptional performance,” said Mr Buttner.
“Toyota’s July result augurs well for the success of the new-generation locally built Camry which will soon arrive in dealerships,” he said.
Among the standout performers apart from the Corolla were new-generation Yaris, Prius, RAV4, HiLux and HiAce, which all had record July results.
“The trend is pretty clear: every new model Toyota has launched over the past 18 months has been a huge hit with consumers,” said David Buttner.
HiLux and HiAce helped push Toyota’s light-commercial vehicle sales to a record of 4698 in July, beating the previous mark of 3898 set last year.
Toyota now leads Holden by 36,068 sales and Ford by 51,692 for the year-to-date for 2006. See the full table above for more details and a comparison to 2005.
Prime Minister John Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello today confirmed the obvious as they both agreed that fuel prices are not coming down anytime soon. Petrol prices in Australia have hit record highs amid a fabricated spike in crude oil prices.
“At the moment there is no comfort on the petrol price front, particularly given the chaotic situation in the Middle East and the conflict that is going on there,” Mr Howard said.
Unfortunately for Mr Howard, he should realize that our Fuel Prices don’t need to be linked to the middle east since we don’t actually get much of our fuel from there in the first place. If you’re interested, I wrote an article a while ago explaining fuel prices.
“I can promise all Australians that we are all the time looking at trying to help at the margin, but it’s very difficult because we can’t ignore the brutal laws of economic arithmetic.”Mr Howard said.
Mr Howard said there was no simple way to cut the price of petrol, given the high price of crude oil and other factors pushing up demand.
“There is the possibility of cutting excise, but to cut excise by a meaningful amount, which would be about ten cents a litre, would cost almost $3 billion. And there are many people in Australia who would argue very strongly that if the Government has got $3 billion it should use it in some other way.“ Mr Howard said.
The government continues to state that there is nothing it can do to lower the fuel prices while we continue to to buy oil on international markets. Perhaps the option of reversing the 1977 decision by the Australian Government to match the price of fuel in Australia with international markets would be a good idea?
“The price of oil is around $US75 a barrel and these are all-time records. I can’t see the price coming back in the near term, I would not want to see them go to $250 a barrel, and I wouldn’t expect that. But I can’t see any relief on the world oil price in the future.”
“The Government cannot do anything about the world price of oil. Australia is a net oil importer. That means we take the world price like every other country and the world price is now at all-time records. You feel that at the bowser. That is not good for anybody. It’s not good for consumers, it’s not good for the economy, it’s not good for the Government.”
“But whilst you are buying your oil on international markets, you’ve got to pay world price. A government doesn’t control that price. ” Mr Howard Said
At this rate, the price of petrol is going to hit $2 by this time next year, however one will hope that greed on the part of oil companies will subside just a little bit as more and more people turn away from fuel and look into other options. What other options you ask? Well, God forbid, a bicycle can be a useful tool sometimes!