Australian Car Advice | News Blog

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

• Newly designed body with emphatically sporty styling
• Dimensions: length 4,573 mm, height 1,391 mm, wheelbase 2,650mm. Luggage compartment: 315 litres (246 litres with the hood open)

Engines (longitudinally installed):

• 3.2 FSI V6 developing 188 kW (255 bhp), 330 Nm, 0-100 km/h: 6.8 s, top speed: 250 km/h (governed)
• 1.8 T developing 120 kW (163 bhp), 225 Nm, 0-100 km/h: 9.4 s, top speed: 226 km/h
• - 7-speed continuously variable multitronic automatic transmission (in combination with front-wheel drive)
• - Front-wheel drive
• - Dynamic suspension: optimised four-link front suspension and selftracking
• trapezoidal-link rear suspension for precise, agile handling,
• brake system with improved performance, latest-generation ESP
• New: adaptive light (dynamic cornering lights)

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.

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!

Holden confirmed today that the next generation Holden VE Commodore Utes and Wagons will not get built for an unspecified period of time. Instead Holden says it plans to build two generations of Commodore at its South Australian vehicle operations at the same time to meet ongoing market demand for its wagon and utility body shapes.

Holden will not upgrade the VZ Ute and Wagon to the VE model but will instead manufacture them alongside the all-new VE Commodore and WM Statesman and Caprice. Holden denys lack of resources as the issue but instead says the decision to stick with the VZ model is much the same as the previous program with the VS Utility after the last new generation car, the VT Commodore, was introduced in 1997. The idea is to keep the focus on the current VE Sedan models before moving onto other body shapes.

Nevertheless, Holden claims the new 2007 model Holden Commodore Ute and Wagon come with some new and interesting things to keep the sales going. These upgrades include, dual fuel LPG systems will being offered as an optional on the automatic transmission version of the base level Ute as well as the auto-only Executive and Acclaim model wagons.

As part of the changeover, Holden will introduce an SV6 model in the Ute range to replace the outgoing S model.

VE and WM represent the biggest section of the market for our local manufacturing operations. We have spent more than $500 million preparing the plant to make the new cars. It has been critical that everyone at Holden has kept focus on these vehicles and done an excellent job of launching them into the market.

We believe our VZ Ute, Crewman, Wagon and Adventra have an important role to play in the marketplace, especially in the commercial market. It adds extra challenges to our manufacturing operations but we have heard what our customers have said and we will meet their needs. GM Holden Executive Director – Manufacturing, Rod Keane

Keane said the major upgrade works helped to enable the plant to manufacture two different model ranges at once, despite a range of manufacturing differences.

Our Bodyshop has significant flexibility. One section will focus on VE and WM, while another section will focus on VZ variants. The revamp of our general assembly will greatly enhance our ability to manage the increased complexity. Improvements include much wider laneways for material flow as well as manufacturing processes aimed at continuous improvement and first-time quality. he said.

Holden said the relatively low number of common parts shared between VZ and VE was a challenge from a logistic and supply perspective, but arrangements had been made to ensure VZ supplies would continue.

Crewman Cross6 and Cross8, One Tonner Cross6, Adventra V8 and Monaro coupe models have already ended production.

Details and timing for Holden’s future programs on wagon and light commercial applications have not been confirmed or announced.

VZ series model lineup

• Ute – Ute, SV6 (previously S), SS
• Crewman – Crewman, S, SS
• Commodore Wagon – Executive, Acclaim, Berlina
• Adventra – SX, CX, LX

Color changes

• Ignition (new) – chromatic red orange with fine mica gold highlight (S Crewman, SS Crewman, SV6 Ute, SS Ute)
• Nickel (new) - mechanical dark silver with coarse metallic highlight (Ute, SV6 Ute, SS Ute)

Devil Yellow Quicksilver and Turismo deleted

Recommended retail pricing

(excluding Dealer and Govt Charges)

Subaru has expanded its 2007 model year Forester range with the addition of exciting new features for Forester XS and XT. A factory-fitted rear roof spoiler and tinted UV glass on the rear passenger, quarter and back windows have been added to all XS and XT models.

Forester XS and XT also retain Luxury variants that comprise leather trim and a factory-fitted sunroof. XS and XT Luxury also offer a Sat Nav option. Both the XS and XT feature upgraded radios that scan for stronger frequencies, resulting in clearer reception.

Two new colours have been added – Urban Grey Metallic and Newport Blue Pearl - and all Foresters offer a choice of grey or beige interior trim. Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia said:

The popularity of the Forester continues to defy the normal model lifecycle and is consistently one of our strongest selling vehicles. Recently it was named the safest used vehicle in a 17 year study conducted by Monash University and it continues to dominate retained values rankings in the compact SUV segment.

We’ve added even more specification to the MY07 line-up which is sure to attract new buyers who are looking for fantastic value as well as a five star ANCAP crashworthiness rating for occupant safety and excellent resale values.

Forester pricing is:

• Forester X manual $31,990 RRP
• Forester X automatic $33,990 RRP

Forester X includes free CTP, Stamp Duty and Registration (not dealer delivery).

• Forester XS manual $34,990* RRP
• Forester XS automatic $36,990* RRP
• Forester XS Luxury manual $38,490* RRP
• Forester XS Luxury automatic $40,490* RRPForester XT manual $40,990* RRP
• Forester XT automatic $43,490* RRP
• Forester XT Luxury manual $44,490* RRP
• Forester XT Luxury automatic $46,990** RRP

Option pricing:

• *Satellite Navigation $2990 RRP
• **Satellite Navigation and VDC pack $3490 RRP (on XT Luxury automatic)

MY07 Colours include***

Forester X:

• Pure White
• Newport Blue pearl
• Premium Silver metallic
• Garnet red pearl
• Evergreen metallic

Forester XS / XT:

• Pure White
• Newport Blue pearl
• Premium Silver metallic
• Garnet red pearl
• Obsidian black pearl
• Champagne gold opal
• Urban grey metallic

*** Metallic paint is an additional $350 on RRP.

The largest ever gathering of Ferraris seen in the Southern Hemisphere will take place in Sydney on Sunday 13 August when more than 130 of the legendary Italian supercars come together to help raise money for the Westmead Children’s Hospital in the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre.

Organisers plan to have on display at least one of every Ferrari road car produced since 1960 and there will be a genuine Ferrari Formula One car on display as a representative of Ferrari’s unique record of success at the pinnacle of motorpsort.

Leading the display will be cars described as the greatest super cars of their eras, the Ferrari Daytona, the Ferrari F40 and the Ferrari Enzo, named after the automotive genius who founded Ferrari. Also on display will be latest examples of today’s Ferrari range, the F430, F430 Spider and the 612 Scaglietti. Other classic Ferrari models on display include the Ferrari 275 GTB and the 575 Maranello, named after Ferrari home town.

Alongside the cars, there will also be comprehensive displays charting the history of Ferrari and explaining the exceptional technology that has driven Ferrari forward at the cutting edge of both motorsport and road car development.

Organized by the Ferrari Club of Australia, the display will enable the public to see unique and rare cars that are normally hidden from public display. The Club members are also donating there time, as well as precious cars, to the event to ensure the maximum amount of money car be raised for the Westmead Children’s Hospital.

“It is more than 15 years since a display of this type was held last held,” says Ian Gow, Ferrari Club NSW President. “So this is a rare opportunity for people to see the best and rarest Ferraris in Australia. This year’s display is much larger than ever seen before and the array of cars is exceptional. Darling Harbour is the perfect venue and offers a great day out for the whole family. We are very proud to support The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and invite everyone along to help make the day a great success.”

The Ferrari display will be in Hall One, Darling Harbour. Tickets are $12 for Adults and Children Under 16 are free. The display is open from 9 am - 4 pm only on Sunday, August 13.

The BMW 7 Series has something special going for it, for a start it looks like an overgrown robot that is about to burst out of its carlike form and turn into some mech warrior and blast its way out of traffic. For some thats a scary thing, but for I’ve always been a fan of the 7 series even though sometimes its hard for me to work out why anyone would buy a 7 series instead of just a 5 series with all the extras?

Nevertheless the BMW 7 series accounts for 26 percent of the large luxury car market, while sales of the 7 Series continue to accelerate with a substantial 36 percent increase in registrations logged for the first six months of 2006, compared with the same period in 2005. The BMW 7 series is offered with a powerful V8 or BMWs famouse 6.0-litre V12.

BMW has announced that they will make 50 BMW Individual-inspired cars, dubbed Luminance Edition which will arrive in Australia around September 2006 (the picture above is not of the new edition, no pictures have been release yet). Luminance is an indicator of how bright a surface appears. BMW claims that the Luminance Editions will underline the pinnacle position of the 7 Series in the BMW range as well as hallmark its absolute quality, elegance and exclusivity.

The luminescent Individual paint colours on offer are Ruby Black, Blue Onyx and Moonstone.

Ruby Black

Just as the ruby is regarded as the king of precious stones, the Ruby Black metallic paint finish has a most regal bearing. The refined yet discrete effects allow the hue to appear to alter depending on the amount of light striking the coachwork.

When viewed in the shade, Ruby Black appears like Anthracite. As soon as it comes into contact with bright light, a dark red luminosity is released which appears to consist of countless pulverised ruby crystals.

Blue Onyx

The BMW Individual paint finish Blue Onyx metallic appears to capture pigments of one of the oldest gemstones in the world. From the depth of the blue shimmers the impenetrable black of onyx. In this way, the effect of this precious stone is transferred to the exterior and the dark blue is given a powerful expression of supremacy. It is almost as if this elegant paint finish were playing with the light.

Moonstone

Moonstone is well known for its perfect light shimmer, which achieves pristine transparency in the most valuable samples. It is less well known that this effect can only be attained by means of an extremely precise polish. Similarly perfect workmanship characterises the BMW Individual paint finish in Moonstone metallic. Only in this way can the three-dimensional depth be created which makes it a kaleidoscope of intriguing colours.

BMW in Australia will offer the Luminance Edition only on V8-powered 7 Series models: 740i, 740Li, 750i and 750Li models (non-Sport versions only). The Luminance Edition comprises the expressive BMW Individual paintwork, Nasca perforated leather in a choice of Cream Beige with Black piping or Black with Flannel Grey piping and floor mats with contrasting piping.

All interior trims will be Individual Piano Black that continues the luminous theme in the interior. The Luminance Edition will also have the added benefit of luxurious factory options as standard, including

• Comfort Access,
• Active Cruise Control,
• Soft Close Doors
• 20-inch 101 Cross Spoke Composite M light alloy wheels.

The front and rear seats are heated, while the front seats also gain the effective BMW seat ventilation system. The 740i and 740Li models add Comfort Seats, while the 750i and 750Li models add studio quality LOGIC7 Hi Fi.

The BMW 7 Series Individual Luminance Edition is expected to begin arriving in Australia from September 2006. The option adds $9,500 to the price of a 7 Series, although BMW claims that if the features were specified individually, they would cost almost exactly twice that.

“The BMW 7 Series Luminance Edition will enhance still further the reputation of the finest driving large luxury car in Australia, the BMW 7 Series is one of the most highly prized cars in our range, and the new Luminance edition vehicles will be highly sought after.

“We are certain this limited edition model will add even more lustre to the pinnacle of the large luxury car market. BMW Individual is famous for helping owners create personalised automotive works of art. At this end of the market, customers know what they want and BMW is able to ensure they get it.” says Tom Noble, General Manager, Marketing, at BMW Group Australia.

Offcourse BMW haven’t actually released a picture of the new paint jobs, trust me once I get my hands on one you will see it right here.