Car News

Sales of Chinese cars in Australia have rise by an average of 48.2 per cent in the first seven months of this year – as the overall market slowed by by 19.2 per cent. Four Chinese brands are currently offered to consumers in Australia – namely MG, LDV, Great Wall and Haval.

The 2020 Fiat Professional Ducato has been announced for Australia, with a significant powertrain overhaul, and new safety features to help the Series 7 van catch up to newer competitors. Under the bonnet Fiat has switched to an all-new ‘Multijet 180’ 2.3-litre turbo diesel four cylinder engine, producing 130kW and 400Nm when matched to a six-speed manual, or 450Nm when paired with the new nine-speed automatic.

A one-off supercar inspired by the iconic Ferrari F40 could be about to be revealed, according to a report from The Supercar Blog. Sources have said Ferrari is getting ready to unveil the secret project, known internally as 'SP42'. Like the original Ferrari F40, the homage will use a twin-turbo V8 powertrain, thought to be the 3.9-litre engine borrowed from the Ferrari F8 Tributo.

Bridgestone’s new Potenza RE-71RS tyre has gone on sale in Australia, positioned as an entry-level motorsport offering within Bridgestone’s high performance range. Stepping in for the previous RE-71R, the new RE71-RS fills the range between the high performance road-focussed RE003 and S007A, and the track-only RE-11S. According to Bridgestone, the RE-71RS delivers a five per cent increase in wear life over the tyre it replaces, while also boasting lower noise during road use.

The parent company of Mercedes-Benz has agreed to settle an investigation and lawsuit into diesel emissions cheat software in the US. An announcement by Daimler – owner of Mercedes-Benz – outlined the settlements to US authorities and those included in the civil lawsuit, totalling almost US$3 billion (AU$4.15B).