The Phantom Drophead Coupe – only the second new model from Rolls Royce since 1998 will be launched at the Detroit Motor Show on January 7
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will unveil its new Phantom Drophead Coupé at the Detroit Motor Show on Sunday 7 January. Production of the new car will start at Goodwood in the [...]
A sneak peek at what Suzuki has for the US market in 2007
Suzuki has released details of the vehicles it will be releasing in the United States in the new year.
2007 Suzuki XL7
Three trim levels are offered: XL7, Luxury and Limited. The XL7, offered in five- and seven-passenger configurations and either front-wheel drive or available [...]
Today’s Brisbane Courier Mail is reporting that the chief executive of Ford in the United States had talks last week with the chairman of Toyota with a view to forming some sort of ‘partnership’
It seems that Ford wants some help in reducing production costs.
Now why would Toyota want to align itself with a lame [...]
… that my 2000 Hyundai Grandeur has developed a fault that no one has heard of before?
by Stuart Livesey
For the latest on this story see Hyundai Meltdown
Our 2000 Hyundai Grandeur has been running a little sluggish lately and She who must be obeyed and who only knows two speeds (flat out and stop) decreed that [...]
Mixing attitude with functionality
There were a number of concept cars at the recent Los Angeles Motor Show and American Honda had their own styling concept car on display.
According to Honda “the REMIX explores the shape and design of a two-seat sports car focused on agile and fun-to-drive performance that can also provide exceptional practicality as [...]
by Stuart Livesey
Who is going to be the world’s number one car maker? Toyota is!
On Friday Toyota is set to announce it’s production numbers for the coming year. That number is thought to be a whopping 9.45 million units (it also includes the production numbers for Toyota’s subsidiaries Hino and Daihatsu)
And that number is around [...]
Get a sweet suspension deal
The new BF Falcon XR6 Cab Chassis MkII is one mean combo of workhorse and sports machine and it comes at a sweet price that, for a limited time, is one hell of a lot sweeter.
Now you get to choose between half-tonne suspension and 17″ alloys or a one-tonne suspension [...]
See our latest road test of the 2009 Toyota Prado 3-door SX here, here and the full road test here
New turbo-diesel and upgraded specifications
Toyota’s popular SUV – the Prado – has just received an upgrade that includes a new DOHC four cyclinder turbo-diesel engine, an extra cog in the transmission and some trim upgrades across [...]
by Stuart Livesey
Autocar magazine’s Car of the Year 2007
This year the magazine’s award went to the BMW 335i which was also winner of the Best Performance Car category.
Other category winners included:
Holden VE Calais V8 – Best Executive Car
Nissan Maxima Spec-R – Best Large Car
Mazda3 SP23 – Best Compact Car
Mitsubishi Outlander – Best Crossover
Suzuki Swift Sport [...]
by Stuart Livesey
Now the Australian car makers want the Government to help
If there is one thing that history teaches us it’s that we never learn a damn thing from history whether it’s ancient or much more recent.
In the United States Ford, General Motors and Chrysler are all in varying degrees of trouble because they [...]
A Driver’s Car with SUV Tendencies – or so they say
Kia Motors Corporation has released a preview sketch of the all-new ‘Kue’ concept car, which will make its world premiere at the upcoming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in early January.
The Kia Kue concept employs a different approach to the crossover [...]
Of course, it’s a BMW
The world’s first hydrogen-drive luxury performance car has been unveiled at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Known as the Hydrogen 7 the car is based on BMW’s familiar 7 Series model and is equipped with an internal combustion engine capable of running either on hydrogen or on petrol.
With the BMW [...]
Sleek and impressive
Lexus will stage the world premiere of the 2008 IS-F sport performance car and an exciting concept vehicle at a press conference at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The IS-F is an all-new high-performance version of the popular Lexus IS 250/350 sport sedans. It will feature unique styling and a [...]
It was designed in China for China and it sure looks different
The Volkswagen Neeza is a concept car … so far … but when Volkswagen released the Neeza at this year’s major Chinese auto show – Auto China 2006 – there were plenty of hints that the concept might soon turn into a production model.
The [...]
Well at least that’s the way the UK sees it
Kia Motors has been named ‘Global Automotive Manufacturer of the Year 2007’ by the UK’s Institute of Transport Management (ITM) in its recent report into global manufacturing processes and companies operating within the industry.
The award recognizes the considerable progress Kia Motors has made in promoting [...]
Just when everyone will be watching
Financial pressures on the struggling Betta Electrical group will mean that Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup will be racing at at Phillip Island without the Betta Electrical brand appearing on their cars or uniforms.
Lowndes and his team had already signed a major sponsorship deal with Vodafone for next year and [...]
SUV of the Year and Best Midsize SUV
The fourth annual Autobytel Editor’s Choice Awards is a listing of the best new 2007 vehicles on the market in the United States and the review team consists of veteran automotive editors.
This year the Hyundai Santa Fe was adjudged the best midsize SUV and it [...]
Nissan claims its first hybrid will be on the road within three years
A Japanese business magazine has reported that Nissan will have its first hybrid on the road within three years. The vehicle will be sub-compact that will be powered by lithium-ion batteries that Nissan will develop themselves.
Nissan is also planning on releasing a gas-electric [...]
Five-Star crash safety rating for entry level SUV in frontal and side impact crash tests
The 2007 Kia Sportage earned a five-star crash safety rating, the highest possible, for all seating positions in the latest frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
SUV sales are also recovering in November
Sales of light cars and Sports Utility Vehicles have helped the Australian motor vehicle market to a strong monthly result in November.
Figures released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show that a total of 83,927 cars, trucks and buses were sold last month – down just [...]
