Jan 29th, 2008 by Motor Dude
Well it looks like Australia will catch up with the rest of the world with the introduction of electronic stability control (ESC), albeit later rather than sooner.
In a case of 'better late than never' the Australian Automobile Association has thrown its weight behind calls to make ESC standard in all new cars by 2012.
Australia's peak motoring body – the Australian Automobile Association – has supported international calls for the life-saving vehicle safety technology, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), to be included in all new cars by 2012.
The AAA backed comments by the President of the FIA, Max Mosley, who has called on the European Union to meet its stated goal of fitting ESC on all new cars by 2012.
source: AAA media release
The AAA seem happy to quote figures celebrating the benefits of ESC, yet they are willing to wait until 2012 for it to become standard fitment. Lets be honest, at the rate ESC is being picked up by the market at the moment, the AAA et al could do nothing between now and 2012 and ESC will be fitted on 99% of new cars anyway.
Research shows that ESC has the potential to significantly reduce the road toll, so isn't it about time the auto world got serious about it, rather than paying it lip service and making warm and fuzzy motherhood statements in press releases? How about mandating the compulsory fitment of ESC for all new cars sold in Australia? How about including it in the Australian Design Rules? Instead of following the standard set by Europe, why doesn't the Australian car industry take the initiative and lead the way?
Yes it's good to set targets that are achievable, but how about setting some that would accelerate things a little? Grrr... this big on talk, low on action lip service announcements really annoy me!
Rant over.
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Jan 28th, 2008 by Motor Dude
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is to give the Prototype-S concept its global debut at the 78th Geneva International Motor Show which runs from March 4 through March 16.
Distinguished by the inverted-slant nose with trapezoidal grille front fascia that marks Mitsubishi Motors new design identity and with wide-and-low proportions that leave no doubt as to the concept underlying its design, Prototype-S uses exterior lines to craft a shape that is powerful and sporty even by European standards, echoing the acclaimed 2005 Concept-Sportback show car.
According to the specification data provided by Mitsubishi, the Prototype-S is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder DOHC MIVEC intercooler/turbocharger engine capable of 177 kW and 343 Nm. The full-time 4WD driveline features Mitsubishi Motors' Active Center Differential (ACD) that uses an electronically controlled multi-plate hydraulic clutch to optimally tailor front/rear drive torque split to different driving conditions and deliver the best balance between steering response and traction.
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Jan 15th, 2008 by Motor Dude
I've reported on the Mitsubishi Concept-RA previously, and featured some of the early concept sketches, and I have to say, this thing looks set to rock my stinky old socks off.
The Mitsubishi Concept-RA is a sport coupe concept that is said to fuse a passion for dynamic, exciting driving with a heightened sensitivity for the environment thanks to a clean, efficient drivetrain. The concept is powered by a new high-output, high-efficiency clean diesel engine and Twin Clutch SST automated manual transmission.
Also in Detroit, Mitsubishi will feature its new-generation high-performance 4WD sedan Lancer Evolution. It's sure to make the Evo purists drool!
To top it all off, Mitsubishi have announced two new additions to the ever green Lancer range. The 2.0-litre Lancer sedan will sit next to a new a 2.4-litre DOHC MIVEC engine variant and, later on in the US summer, will be joined by the Lancer Ralliart model. The Ralliart will be powered by a new 4-cylinder 2.0-litre MIVEC turbocharged engine that develops maximum output 177 kW (240 PS) and 343 Nm (35kg-m). The Ralliart Lancer will be one I will definitely be on the lookout for if/when it hits the Aussie shores.
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Posted in Mitsubishi | 3 Comments »
Jan 14th, 2008 by Motor Dude
Environmentally friendly and sports car, are not two things you normally associate with one another. Mazda have attempted to merge the two with their Furai concept car.
FURAI: (pronounced "foo-rye"), Japanese for sound of the wind.
One of Mazda's aims with the Furai was to bridge the gap between track car and super car. That said, Mazda neither intends to race Furai, nor is it a supercar the company plans to build and sell in the near future. Furai is a design study, a high powered experiment.
"The major element we did not change is the 450-horsepower RENESIS-based R20B three-rotor rotary engine that provides Furai ample Zoom-Zoom. The ultimate Mazda in our minds is rotary powered; as a company, we have no intention of abandoning that valuable asset. When people think of the very best sports cars in the world, the rotary powered Mazda RX-7 is always on that list," said Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda North American Operations’ (MNAO) Director of Design.
Furai not only probes future design possibilities, it also ventures ahead with alternative renewable fuels. Consistent with Mazda's recently announced "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom" initiatives, Furai’s three-rotor powerplant has been tuned to run powerfully on ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and ethanol gasoline blends.
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Jan 14th, 2008 by Motor Dude
The Mazda RX-8 has arguably been Mazda's most lauded product. It's picked up over 50 global awards since it debut in 2003, including a number of "Car of the Year" awards. For 2009, the Mazda RX-8 is looking to get a makeover, although fortunately, not an extreme one.
The RX-8 will continue to be powered by the twin-rotar RENESIS rotary engine. The new Mazda RX-8 will be available as either a 232hp model fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, or a 212hp model fitted with a six-speed Sport A/T automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, in the Formula 1-style.
The RENESIS engine is a high revving beast of an engine, capable of roaring all the way up to 9,000 rpm (7,500 rpm on Sport A/T–equipped models), whilst being around 60 per cent smaller in physical size than similarly powered V6. Continue Reading »
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Jan 5th, 2008 by Motor Dude
The Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 is one of those hero cars. The sort of car you dream about driving as a kid. It's the sort of car you drive around when playing Project Gotham Racing on the Xbox. The Skyline GT-R R33 is a quick enough car as it is, but when you modify the living daylights out of it to the point where it can put out around 1,000hp then you're going real quick! It's also around 200hp more than an average Formula One car.
Here's a clip of Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson letting a highly modified Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 off the leash.
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Jan 2nd, 2008 by Motor Dude
Subaru’s third generation constant All-Wheel Drive Forester has been unveiled in Japan, revealing a wider, taller vehicle with greater cabin space.
New Forester goes on sale in Australia in March and will build on Subaru’s strengths of safety, engineering, durability, versatility, value and a fun driving experience.
Whilst the Australian range and pricing details have yet to be announced, Subaru have release some pictures. Even if you don't like the Forester, you have to appreciate the scenery! 
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Jan 2nd, 2008 by Motor Dude
The Paragon Motor Club is still in the process of building its new website, so it seems somewhat strange that they’d request a ReviewMe review at this stage. Without being able to access their members section I was somewhat restricted in terms of the content I could view. My first recommendation to the Paragon Motor Club would be to develop a landing page. Currently, at first glance, it would appear that the Paragon Motor Club is a new start up, which, it would seem, is not actually the case.
When you buy your first car, there are two additional items you should add to your ‘must buy’ list. Car insurance and some sort of auto club membership. Car insurance is basically a no-brainer these days, but I’m sure there are quite a few people out there that decide to give auto club membership a miss, largely due to the cost, as well as not fully understanding what it is they will get for their money.
Paragon Motor Club offer one thing that is essential for any good motor club. Road side assistance. Road side assistance can be a life saver, whether you know your way around a cars engine or not. Paragon offer roadside assistance starting from $5.99 per month. In my opinion, roadside assistance is one of the main reasons that I would join a motor club.Paragon also offer extended warranty packages. What does an extended warranty package give to you?
Extended service contracts are typically referred to as extended warranties. They are most typically a promise to pay the repair facility to replace or repair a covered part and/or component that has failed or worn beyond the manufacturer's tolerances.
Some manufacturers already offer extended warranties, but if you’re picking up a car that does not come with an extended warranty, then you should consider whether it is worth your while to invest in one. As with all things, I’d recommend shopping around, and comparing the pro’s and con’s. The major positive that Paragon offer is that they can provide up to 7 years additional coverage. When you consider the wear and tare on an average car, then a 7 year warranty period could come in very handy.
Overall, Paragon appear to offer a solid service, and it will be interesting to see how they move forward with their new website.
This review was sponsored by Paragon Motor Club, via ReviewMe.
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Jan 2nd, 2008 by Motor Dude
The last few weeks have been a little slow in terms of Australian Auto News, but things look set to gear up again with the Brisbane Motor Show coming up in early February. BMW have already announced the debut of two of their new Twin Turbo models. The 135i Coupé and the X5 3.0sd will both make their Australian debuts at the Brisbane Motor Show.
The 135i Coupé comes packed with a Twin Turbo, 225 kW straight-six engine. The new body styling will also allow the 135i to catapult from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds. The 135i is capable of 400 Nm of torque between 1,300 rpm and 5,000 rpm.
The X5 3.0sd will also make its Aussie debut, following the successful launch of the X5 range in 2007. This X5 3.0sd has been tuned to deliver 565 Nm of torque for juiced up acceleration. Amazingly the X5 3.0sd returns an amazing 8.8 litres/100 km on the combined cycle, while acceleration from 0-100 km/h is a sensational 7.2 seconds. Top speed is a heady 230 km/h.The Brisbane Motor Show opens to the public on Friday 1st February and runs until Sunday 10th February 2008.
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Dec 17th, 2007 by Motor Dude
BMW have officially let their new X6 Sports Activity Coupé of the leash. In terms of styling, the X6 looks like BMW have cross bred their M3 coupé with their X5 SUV. The X6 is an all-wheel drive affair, seats four and features a massive luggage compartment.
The X6 Sports Activity Coupé comes with three engine options. The twin turbo 225kW version, 210kW variable twin turbo diesel and the 300kW twin turbo V8.
BMW have released the first production images of their X6 which shows that not a lot has changed between the production model and the concept X6 featured at the Australian International Motor Show in October, and the Frankfurt Motor Show.its international reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The BMW X6 comes as standard with BMW’s intelligent xDrive all-wheel drive technology and is the first vehicle in the world to offer Dynamic Performance Control for unique agility, tracking stability, precision and traction in all conditions.
The V8 engine, which as well as delivering 300kW of output and 600 Nm of torque, is touted by BMW as being the most efficient engine in its class, outperforming ULEV II and EU5 emissions standards. Even so, the V8 variant is capable of 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds.
The safety roster includes three-point inertia-reel seat belts on all seats, frontal and side airbags as well as side head airbags, and crash-activated headrests at the front. Bi-xenon dual headlights including a daytime light function, foglamps, two-stage brake lights, and runflat safety tyres on 19-inch light alloy rims all come as standard.
The new BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupé goes on sale in global markets next year and will be available in Australia from the third quarter of 2008. Engine line-up, price and specification details for the Australian market will be announced closer to arrival.
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