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Holden Kia Mazda Nissan Toyota VFACTS reports

New vehicle sales report – April 2012

FCAI banner

A total of 79,097 new vehicles were sold in April, official VFACTS numbers show. That’s an increase of 6.6% (4,833 sales) compared to same month last year.

While the demand for SUVs continues (27.6% of all monthly sales) there is an increasing trend for diesel powered SUVs, up 56% on the same month in 2011.

“Yet again, SUVs dominate the Australian vehicle market, with sales increasing for all sizes of SUVs in the private, business and rental sectors,” FCAI Chief Executive Ian Chalmers said. “This month however we can also see an interesting emergence of customer preference for diesel powered SUVs.”

The Hilux remains a leading product for Toyota and topped the sales charts in April, followed by the Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla. No surprise to see Toyota heading sales figures, in front of Mazda and Holden.

Remind us why the Feds are supporting the Commodore and Falcon again?

Categories
Aston Martin

Aston Martin One-77 now in Australia

Aston Martin One-77

The official Aston Martin twitter feed brought our attention to the One-77 you see above. The car is powered by a 7.3 litre V12 and made its Australian debut a couple of weeks back at the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast.

Taking a look at the Queensland plates you’ll soon guess the car is here to stay. It’s been reported the local purchase price was around $3 million. Wow!

The identity of the owner is being withheld for now, but we don’t imagine it will take too long for a shortlist of names to appear.

Turns out the V12 Zagato recently seen in Sydney was also on show on the Gold Coast. You can see a brief video from the swanky reveal after the break.

Categories
Porsche

Porsche Macan SUV seen out on the growl

Porsche Macan

Here’s your first look at the new Porsche Macan SUV. It’s built on the same platform as the Audi Q5, but as you can see strikes a strong resemblance to Porsche’s bigger Cayenne. If you check out the pics from Piston Spy though, you’ll see the makings of a more unique shape for the Macan. Especially over the rear quarter panels.

We expect we’ll be seeing a lot more behind the scenes Macan related guff between now and its launch in 2014.

[Source: Piston Spy]

Categories
News

Mateschitz wants Webber to stay at RBR

2012 Bahrain Grand Prix

Red Bull Racing’s owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, is reported to have given a short but unambiguous show of support for Mark Webber. No doubt questioned after the Webber to Ferrari rumours the Austrian billionaire told Swiss newspaper Blick, “I hope that he keeps driving with us for a long time.”

Looks as though those whipper snappers at Toro Rosso will have to bide their time for at least one more year.

[Source: motorsport.com | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

Categories
Vauxhall

Introducing the Vauxhall Adam

Vauxhall Adam

Seriously. What the hell is going on at Vauxhall HQ?

Adam—yes, that’s what their new model will be called—is designed to be a premium compact city car. Like a MINI, only a little bit dumbed down, we suspect.

For more of those crazy guys and gals and Vauxhall check out this PDF (3.8mb) and get more of that comic style stuff above to discover just what on earth they are thinking. Maybe we’re just too uncool and are missing the joke. But we don’t think so.

Frankly, and no offence to any Adams who may be reading, we’ve known a couple of Adams in our time and they’ve been dickheads.

Categories
Mercedes-Benz

Dark side of the hoon

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series

Here in Australia the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series is all sold out. No such problems in the US, though. Which is why MB USA has put together this video reminding us all what a hoon’s delight the C63 Black really is.

Categories
Ferrari Formula 1

VIDEO: Remembering Gilles Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve, Ferrari 312 T4

In addition to the still pictures Ferrari gave to mark their tribute to Gilles Villeneuve here’s a selection of videos to go with. We start with Jacques Villeneuve’s drive of the Ferrari 312 T4 at Fiorano.

We also recommend you check out this old TV interview with Gilles (embedding of clip has been disabled).

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear Season 19 to start in January 2013

Top Gear Season 19

Following our post earlier in the week, Jeremy Clarkson has confirmed via twitter that the start date for Season 19 of Top Gear will be next January.

Clarkson established there’ll be no more regular episodes in 2012: “There’s a rumour in internet land that there will be no more Top Gears this year. I’m afraid that apart from an Xmas special, it’s true.”

Before adding: “The good news is that the longer we have to make the films, the better they will be.”

Apparently the delay is due to the latest Simon Cowell sing-a-thon. Clarkson explains: “Top Gear is a medium sized van. Cowell is a juggernaut. When he has finished his singing competition, our new series will start.”

So there you have it, straight from the horses mouth. At least we’ll get the usual Christmas special before year’s end.

Categories
Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

“We drive like on raw eggs”

2012 Bahrain Grand Prix

Like, really!

Those are the words of seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher who is telling the world he thinks the 2012 spec Pirelli tyres are cabbage.

Speaking about the tyres to CNN the 43-year-old said: “I just think that they’re playing a much too big effect because they are so peaky and so special that they don’t put our cars or ourselves to the limit.

“We drive like on raw eggs and I don’t want to stress the tyres at all. Otherwise you just overdo it and you go nowhere.”

And you don’t want to overdo it because, well, burnt eggs taste like crap. You know, like sour grapes.

[Source: Autosport]

Categories
Ferrari Formula 1

Ferrari remembers Gilles Villeneuve

Ferrari remembers Gilles Villeneuve

Yesterday, 8 May, marked the thirtieth anniversary of Gilles Villeneueve’s death. He was killed in an accident during qualifying at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.

Ferrari honoured the memory of the flamboyant legend by inviting his son, Jacques, to Fiorano to drive the same 312 T4 that his father drove to three Grand Prix wins in 1979.

Jacques, 1997 F1 World Champion, was 10 when his father passed away. Speaking at Fiorano yesterday he shared his memories: “The whole family always went to the races and we lived in the motorhome…it was much better than going to school!

“Most of the memories I have are from the race track, sitting down watching the races. So ninety percent of what I remember of my father is him as a driver, not home very often, always on the go and if he wasn’t in a car, then it was a helicopter or a plane. But that seemed normal, he was my father.

“I think I am lucky to be driving at a time when cars are safer, otherwise maybe I’d be dead too, given that like him, by nature, I tend to go always right to the limit.”

Jacques was asked how he thought his father would have reacted to him racing: “He would have been happy, because it was his dream to see me become a racing driver.”

After the break there’s over 20 photos from yesterdays event along with three press releases from Ferrari.

Categories
Motorsports Porsche

Porsche at 2011 Nürburgring 24 hour race

Porsche at the 2011 Nurburgring 24 hour race

It’s almost time for the 2012 Nürburgring 24 hour race—one of the world’s truly great endurance races. For us, it’s a bigger highlight than the Le Mans 24 hour. So, in less than two weeks from now we’ll be conducting a vigil here at AUSmotive HQ while the race is underway (19–20 May).

To prepare for this year’s epic here’s a gallery of 50+ images from Porsche to help you relive last year’s triumph.

For our full coverage of the race make sure you keep an eye on AUSringers.com.

Categories
Formula 1 News

Rodrigo Santoro ready for Ayrton Senna biopic

Rodrigo Santoro to star in Ayrton Senna biopic

Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro is in discussions to play Ayrton Senna in a Hollywood biopic. Santoro revealed the news in an interview with Collider.

At this stage the movie has not been signed off by the Senna family and until that happens Santoro says he won’t agree to be involved. However, you get the feeling he’s keen to play the part.

“If we get this done, if we really move forward with this project, it will be with the family, with his family, it will all be done in a very, very careful and respectful way. So yeah that might be possible in the future. Right now, we’re still in conversations, but it is moving,” Santoro revealed.

The 36-year-old added, “And it’s an honor. If this whole thing goes forward it will be amazing. Right now we have nothing official, nothing to… I cannot say much because there’s nothing really there yet. We’ll see. If it’s meant to happen, it will.”

If the movie does get the green light, let’s hope the script is sharp and honest, and the director and producer understand the sport of F1. An all out Hollywood blockbuster could end up being a total disaster.

You can watch Santoro’s interview in full after the break.

[Source: Collider]