Category: News

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MINI CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIAL EDITIONS

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At the start of the year we ran a news piece on the MINI 60 Years Edition, but reported that it would possibly be sold only in the UK, with none coming to Australia. Thankfully that didn’t happen and they are definitely on their way Downunder. The complete range isn’t coming here, but the selections we do get are very much what Australian drivers are looking for. That is, 2.0-litre petrol powered MINI Cooper and Cooper S hatches in both three- and five-door body styles. The MINI 60 Years Edition… Read more

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PORSCHE CAYENNE S COUPE

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Porsche will launch another powerful Cayenne Coupe variant early next year, but has provided significant details to the Australian media on our imports. The Cayenne Coupe S has a 2.9-litre V6 engine with twin turbochargers to develop up to 440 horsepower (324 kW) and torque of a heady 550 Nm. The Coupe S accelerates from a standing start to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds in combination with the standard Sport Chrono Package. This figure drops to 4.9 seconds with the optional lightweight sports packages. Cayenne Coupe remains a four-door but… Read more

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MERCEDES X 350 d EDITION 1

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In July, Mercedes will import an Edition 1 X 350 d special model. Black is the new black in the pickup truck market at the moment so the Edition 1 has gloss black 19-inch twin-spoke alloy wheels, a black Mercedes star; twin-louvre radiator grille; front and rear bumper-bar valance; foglight surrounds; side door handles; rear tailgate handle; nomenclature badges; beltline trim strip; and roof rails. Sports stripes in grey adorn the bonnet; side mirrors; V6 badge surrounds; lower sidelines and tailgate. Inside are floor mats with Edition 1 embroidery and… Read more

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RANGE ROVER GETS NEW ENGINE OPTION

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Range Rover will soon be offered with a new high-tech Ingenium 3.0-litre straight-six engine. This unit, called Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV), is cleaner, uses less fuel and provides immediate power delivery. Its electric supercharger delivers virtually immediate boost by spooling in half a second to 65000rpm and coordinates with the twin-scroll turbocharger, to virtually eliminate turbo lag. Based around a new stop-start system it’s paired with an electric motor that can harvest energy through deceleration and store it in a 48V battery. This energy can then be re-deployed through… Read more

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TOYOTA RAV4 GENERATION FIVE

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Twenty five years after the first Toyota RAV4 arrived Downunder, Toyota is about to launch the fifth generation. In the intervening years SUVs have begun to dominate the market and now outsell passenger cars. Toyota is number one overall in our market and wants to make the midsize RAV4 a major player in its segment. New RAV4 is slightly shorter and lower than the model it supersedes, but has a wider body. It sits on a longer wheelbase and has wider front and rear tracks. The rear load space has… Read more

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UPDATED RENAULT MEGANE R.S. RANGE

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Renault has made major changes to its Megane R.S. range. The biggest news is the introduction of an Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) automatic to the Cup chassis model. The auto is already in use in the Sport chassis and has been strengthened to withstand the torque and revs of a high-performance engine. Based on the required take-off acceleration, in-gear acceleration and maximum speed, the Renault Sport engineers specific shift patterns: Comfort, Normal, Sport and Race. The EDC transmission also receives Multi-Change Down and Launch Control. Multi-Change Down drops several gears… Read more

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LDV T60 TRAILRIDER IS AN AUSSIE SPECIAL

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LDV has launched the Limited Edition T60 Trailrider special edition. The Chinese pickup provides suspension developed by the Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne. The emphasis is on ride and handling in tune with Australian consumer preferences. Trailrider is based on the range topping LDV T60 Luxe and only 650 vehicles are being built As well as the suspension re-calibration the LDV T60 Trailrider also has an additional equipment package: 12-spoke 19-inch black wheels; black grille, nudge bar, sports bar and side steps; and a lockable Mountain Top roller tonneau for… Read more

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AUSTRALIAN VEHICLE SALES REPORT: APRIL 2019

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The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the peak body for the Australian automotive industry, has provided the new vehicle sales figures for the month of April 2019. Total sales for the month were 75,550 units, an 8.9 per cent decrease on April 2018 when 82,930 sales were recorded. Year to date sales figures for April 2019 totalled 344,088 units, an 8.1 per cent decrease on the same period in 2018. Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, commented on the April sales figures: “The results for April are in… Read more

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PORSCHE REPRINTS MANUALS ON CLASSIC MODELS

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Porsche Classic has reprinted more than 700 original driver’s manuals, provided first-hand documentation for virtually all its early models, starting with the 356 from model year 1952 to the 911 type 996. Each reprint matches the original version in terms of the printing, look and quality. The documents are now available from all Porsche dealerships worldwide. Detailed information on the technical literature is available on the Porsche Classic website and the Porsche Classic online shop at www.porsche.de/classic-shop/ . The documents for older classic Porsches include not only the driver’s manual,… Read more

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CELEBRATION OF FOUR-WHEEL DRIVING

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This 1958 Land Rover Series I will be on display at the upcoming Celebration of Four Wheel Driving at Birdwood

Over 100 used and bruised 4×4 vehicles in full camp mode will be on display at Australia’s National Motor Museum’s grounds in Birdwood, South Australia. The one day event will be held on Sunday 19 May from 11am till 3pm. It’s part of the inaugural ARB and Battery World Celebration of Four-Wheel Driving. “There will be so many people, vehicles and campsites – it will be like a major expedition is about to commence,” said Museum Director, Paul Rees. “Most of South Australia’s 4WD clubs will be represented and they’ll… Read more