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News Top Gear

Top Gear Polar G’n’T causes unnecessary PMT

Top Gear Polar episode - Clarkson with Gin & Tonic

In a sign of further proof, if it were needed, that a professional wowser’s idea of entertainment is watching their own fingernails grow Jeremy Clarkson and James May have come under fire from the BBC’s independent watchdog over a light hearted gag from their Top Gear Polar Special. To illustrate their point that they could be pioneer explorers without breaking into a sweat—in this case attempting to be the first people to drive to the magnetic north pole—they made an otherwise innocent gag about drinking a Gin and Tonic while conquering one of the world’s few remaining frontiers. Nobody is denying the dangers of drinking and driving, however, the Top Gear duo were neither endangering the lives of others nor causing any genuine unnecessary risk to themselves. In actual fact, no footage of them actually drinking from their glasses went to air. Nor did they break any laws. It was a slice of humour intended to entertain, no more, no less. One day—I hope—we will live in a world where common sense and fun can co-exist. What do you think the chances are?

Source: ABC Online (Thanks to Andrew for the tip.)

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News Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia magazine – now on sale



BBC Magazines, the publishers of Top Gear magazine, have done a deal with Australian Consolidated Press to bring an Australian version of the mag to our newsstands. Edited by Ewan Page, the launch issue is on sale now. Looks like they have the finger on the pulse as far as humour goes.

Source: CarAdvice and TheGuardian (Thanks to Paul for the tip.)

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News Volkswagen

Volkswagen to launch ‘Twin Drive’ Hybrid by 2010

Volkswagen Twin Drive electric-diesel hybrid

Volkswagen is set to launch a ‘Twin Drive’ electric-diesel hybrid Golf by 2010. Hinting at the future of the automotive industry Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn stated, “the future belongs to all-electric cars.” In a switch to existing hybrid technology, the Volkswagen Twin Drive will source its primary power from an 82bhp electric engine, with supplementary power from a 122bhp diesel. Volkswagen has signed a deal with Sanyo to develop develop li-ion batteries, with current estimates for the Twin Drive suggesting a 50 kilomtere range to all-electric power.

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Audi News

Audi welcomes the machine at Goodwood

Nick Mason at the wheel of 1939 Auto Union

The 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed (11–13 July) will see the world debut of an “all-new” Auto Union “Silverarrow” Type D. An authentic reconstruction of the 1939 dual-compressor model, the car will be driven at the event by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. The project, commissioned by Audi Tradition, was undertaken by specialist workshop Crosthwaite & Gardiner in East Sussex, with bodywork completed by Roach Manufacturing, near Southampton. It took four years to complete.

The dual-compressor 12 cylinder Type D originally made its debut half way through the racing year at the 1939 Belgian Grand Prix and won two Grands Prix at the hands of Hermann Paul Müller (French GP) and Tazio Nuvolari (Belgrade GP). While heavily based on earlier Type D models, the bodywork of the 1939 car was modified to house the 485hp twin supercharger set up. Auto Union was split apart by Soviet forces after the completion of World War II, and as a result many of the technical drawings and records of their cars were lost forever. With only a few rare photos to work from the team at Roach Manufacturing had a painstaking task to recreate the Silverarrow’s exterior. The company already have a 1937 reconstruction on display at the Audi museum mobile, so their pedigree was well founded. At the completion of this project Keith Roach proudly declared, “it is one of our all-time masterpieces.”

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News Volkswagen

Volkswagen Australia confirms MkVI Golf plans

Volkswagen logoNewly appointed General Manager of Press and PR for Volkswagen Group Australia, Karl Gehling, has denied claims that the MkVI Golf will not be coming to Australia. A recent report suggested that the MkVI Golf would not be sold in Australia due to currency and return on investment concerns. In 2007, the MkV Golf was Australia’s best selling European car. That trend continues, with sales to the end of May 2008 up 25% from the same point last year.

Golfs delivered to Australia are built at Volkswagen’s Uitenhage plant in South Africa, with the exception of all R32 models and three door GTIs, which are built at Wolfsburg in Germany. Volkswagen plans to shift all MkVI Golf production to the company’s headquarters in Wolfsburg. The MkVI will debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show in October and should be at your local Volkswagen dealer in the second half of 2009. Keep reading AUSmotive.com for more.

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News Safety Issues

NSW Government to trial ‘Big Brother’ speed limiters

NSW Government speed limiters for carsThe use of GPS devices to monitor speeding motorists is set to be trialled by the New South Wales Government. Approximately 100 cars in the New South Wales Illawarra region will be fitted with the ‘Big Brother’ style device. The satellite based system will make a sound to alert the driver if they are speeding. Failure to slow down will prompt the device to cut fuel to the engine, forcing the car to drop its speed.

The trial is set to last for 18 months and, if deemed successful, the NSW Government could consider extending the use of the system.

Details of how cars are selected for the trial is not clear at this time and without firm details of how the system actually works, or how suddenly it cuts the fuel supply, there is potential for such a system to cause as many accidents as it will allegedly save.

Source: ABC

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News Volkswagen

Have Australia’s Golf prospects been sunk?

Will the MkVI Golf make it to Australia?Reports have emerged suggesting that the upcoming Volkswagen Golf MkVI will NOT be sold in Australia. You can read the original report, in German, HERE, or alternatively see autoblog and germancarblog for reports in English. To highlight the gravity of these suggestions, it has been said that the United States and Brazil will also miss out on the MkVI Golf.

AUSmotive.com contacted Volkswagen Australia earlier today, but at this stage no comment has been made to confirm or deny the Australian future of the MkVI. However, the suggestion of the next generation Golf not being sold in Australia is one that warrants close attention. The reports suggest it is the profitability of the MkVI that concerns Volkswagen chief Martin Winterkorn. On a global scale it would be hard to argue that Australia is a vital market for Volkswagen. But in a local context the current MkV Golf is sinking plenty of long range putts for Volkswagen Australia.

In 2007 the Golf was the highest selling car in Australia for a German manufacturer. VFACTS figures show 10,982 Golfs were sold in 2007. Well above the next best—the BMW 3 Series with 8716. In fact, even if you add 1 Series sales to the 3, the combined sales tally for the two BMW models—10,497—they still fail to overtake the Golf.

Peugeot’s entire model range couldn’t match Golf sales either, with a total of 8807 sales last year. A similar tale is told for stablemate Audi, with 7225 sales across the range in 2007. Subaru’s Impreza was another unable to match it with the Golf last year, although they were about par, with 10,853 Impreza sales.

Categories
News Top Gear Australia

SBS announces Australian Top Gear presenters

Top Gear AustraliaUPDATE: Meet the Top Gear Australia cast (watch video)

Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati will form the Australian cast of Top Gear to air on SBS. The trio were selected after the show’s producers—including Andy Wilman, executive producer of Top Gear UK—went through an exhaustive 4000 applications. It is said the show will have an Australian flavour, although the stereotypical Australian ‘ocker’ won’t be featured. The Australian producers will model their version heavily on the extraordinarily successful UK version which stars Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

Charlie Cox, 47, is an ex-Briton with a background in motoring journalism. Forty-something Warren Brown is best known for his role as a cartoonist with The Daily Telegraph—expect him to have a sharp wit. While thirty-ish Steve Pizzati brings some genuine driving credentials to the set thanks to his experience as an advanced driving instructor and racer with Porsche Australia.

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MINI Challenge News

Australian MINI CHALLENGE management rights up for sale

MINI ChallengeMotorsport Event Management (MEM), the agency contracted to run the Australian MINI CHALLENGE, has been put up for sale by current owner Iain Sherrin.

In a statement issued today by BMW Group Australia, MINI National Manager, Justin Hocevar said, “MINI is confident that any sale of MEM will be to a suitable purchaser who will continue to manage the increasingly popular MINI CHALLENGE series exactly in line with the arrangements MINI put in place with MEM.

“MINI had a five year plan for MINI CHALLENGE and we see no reason to deviate from that plan with the new owner of MEM. Iain Sherrin has indicated his desire to sell the category management business and focus on his multiple race teams. His team – Sherrin MotorSport – manages six cars for a number of clients, with one added to the stable last week,” Hocevar continued.

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Audi BMW Mercedes-Benz News

Australian International Motor Show – A German free zone?

AIMS logoGoAuto are reporting that Audi Australia has now been confirmed as the third major German manufacturer to withdraw from October’s Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Sydney. Only Volkswagen remain confirmed, with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and now Audi pulling the plug. BMW subsidary MINI has not had an official presence at either the Sydney or Melbourne shows for some time.

In our relatively small market it is no surprise that Audi has cited the costs of major stands at the Melbourne and Sydney motor shows as the main issue behind their decision.

From GoAuto: “The top three German makers in Australia are all lobbying for such an alternating arrangement on the basis of cost (a single motor show exhibit can cost anywhere between $300,000 and $1 million), but say the retail focus of smaller shows like Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide actually cover their own costs.”

As you can imagine the thought of rotating shows hasn’t gone down well with the organisers of AIMS, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, or the Melbourne International Motor Show promoters, the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce.

Click HERE to read the GoAuto article in full.

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MINI Challenge News

MINI Challenge statement on Ben Tune

MINI Challenge logo

Media statement: 11 May, 2008

Best wishes to Ben Tune

Former Wallaby Ben Tune was discharged from hospital in Perth today in good spirits and is looking forward to returning home to Brisbane.

Tune was injured in a single car accident when his car rolled over in the MINI CHALLENGE round at Barbagallo Raceway yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. He was taken by ambulance to hospital for precautionary examination overnight and underwent other medical tests today before being discharged.

Categories
BMW News

BMW’s twin-turbo 6 cylinder claims world’s best engine award

BMW 335i engine

For the second year running the 3-litre twin-turbo straight-six cylinder engine from BMW has claimed overall honours at the International Engine of the Year awards, announced last night in Stuttgart, Germany.

The 225kW engine as seen in the BMW 3 Series, BMW 1 Series Coupe and Convertible (released this month), as well as the upcoming X6, repeated last year’s victory in the 2.5 to 3-litre engine category.

BMW claimed several awards on the night and the overall win to the 3-litre six is all the more impressive when you take a look at some of the new engines in the mix, including the 3.8-litre from Nissan’s mighty GT-R, BMW’s own V8 from the M3, Volkswagen’s twin-charged 1.4 TSI and Audi’s monster V10 from the RS6.

For a full list of winners and categories read below.