Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear Season 18 preview

Top Gear Series 18

The Transmission blog over at the official Top Gear website brings us a preview of Series 18, which starts on BBC2 on Sunday 29 January.

Without giving too much away there’s promise of Richard in a NASCAR, James in a wig blowing up a caravan, a C63 AMG Black in a cloud of tyre-smoke and a new, dapper incarnation of the Stig.

If you want to read more and even see a short teaser clip, make sure you follow the source link below.

[Source: Transmission]

UPDATE 18 January: Video preview now added below (contains spoilers]

Continue reading “Top Gear Season 18 preview”
Categories
Motorsports

Official 2012 Dakar recap

Two weeks of 2012 Dakar competition has been captured and reduced into just under three minutes. It tells us who won and how, but doesn’t give any insight into the sometimes spiteful relationship between the MINI and Hummer camps.

Hummer say they were the quickest cars and that what counts, MINI meanwhile, is enjoying the spoils of victory. If you want to join in you can check out MINI’s photo gallery on Facebook.

Categories
Lotus News Proton

Malaysian Government sells its share in Proton

Proton dealership

News reports tell us the Malaysian Government has sold its stake in Proton for a reported AU$401m. An announcement on the implications for Lotus, owned by Proton, is expected in the next 24 hours or so.

Khazanah Nasional, the state owned investment company, sold its 42.7% share in Proton Holdings to DRB-Hicom, which has also agreed to submit an offer to buy Proton’s remaining shares. The total deal could be around AU$933m.

DRB-Hicom has links to European car makers Mercedes and Volkswagen as well as Honda. It is hoped the cash-injection and renewed impetus from Proton’s new owners will help revive its recent flagging fortunes.

[Source: Autocar & Business Spectator]

Categories
Green Machines Motor Shows Toyota

Detroit 2012: Toyota NS4 concept

Toyota NS4 concept, Detroit 2012

We don’t usually spend too much time covering Toyotas here at AUSmotive. But while going through the pics for our Detroit Motor Show gallery we thought, credit where credit is due, this Toyota NS4 concept actually looks half decent.

So we figured we’d take a proper look at the car, which Toyota says uses a more efficient “next-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive plug-in system”.

Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, said, “NS4 demonstrates Toyota’s take on the human connection to the car with technology that considers both emotional and rational relationships, person-to-car and car-to-society.

“The continued success of our conventional hybrid vehicles has laid strong groundwork for market acceptance of future advanced technologies.”

Taking centre stage in that human connection is the smartphone-inspired Human Machine Interface (HMI). As well as handling the expected duties of basic driver information and HVAC controls, the HMI system has the ability to learn the preferences of the driver and anticipate certain responses.

Sounds interesting, if a little scary as well. Find out more after the break.

Continue reading “Detroit 2012: Toyota NS4 concept”
Categories
MINI WRC

MINI WRC team ready for Monte Carlo Rally

2012 MINI WRC

After something of a false start when they missed the registration deadline for the 2012 WRC season, MINI will be ready to field two cars at this week’s Monte Carlo Rally (17–22 January).

There’s no good news for Kris Meeke, though, who will miss the first two races, at least, to cashed up drivers able to help cover the budget shortfalls faced by the MINI–Prodrive partnership. Frenchman Pierre Campana will be at the wheel for the Monte and Swedish driver Patrik Sandell will take the seat for Rally Sweden (9–12 February).

In other garage news for the MINI WRC team Prodrive Chairman Dave Richards will no longer hold the role of team principal. Dave Wilcox, Prodrive technical director, will takeover the head role.

“It was always my intention to take a step back in the team’s second season and pass the responsibility over to Dave,” said David Richards, chairman of Prodrive. “During the last year he has proved he has all the right skills to lead the team and I have no doubt the MINI WRC Team will continue to go from strength to strength under his leadership.”

Obviously the Monte Carlo Rally is a special event for MINI, following three wins in 1964, 1965 and 1967. It’s just a shame their return hasn’t quiet begun in the most ideal circumstances. Dani Sordo showed some great promise in the limited program run by MINI last year; who knows, perhaps a fairytale win could be on the cards.

Continue reading “MINI WRC team ready for Monte Carlo Rally”
Categories
MINI Motorsports

Peterhansel wins 2012 Dakar with MINI

Stephane Peterhansel, X-raid MINI All4, 2012 Dakar

It’s now official, Stephane Peterhansel has won the 2012 Dakar rally for the X-raid team driving a MINI All4. He enjoyed a comfortable 42 minute margin over his X-raid temmate Nani Roma. It’s the tenth win for the 46-year-old Frenchman who won his first Dakar way back in 1991 in the motorcycle class on a Yamaha YZE750T.

He won five more Dakars with Yamaha over the next seven years. The first of what is now four wins in the car class was in 2004 at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero. He enjoyed two more wins with Mitsubishi in 2005 and 2007.

Despite Peterhansel’s impressive run of success the victory was the first for the X-raid team and the first for MINI.

Speaking after the event Peteransel said, “When you think of how hard it is to win a Dakar, it’s incredible that I’ve been able to win ten of them. It’s been a long time, I’ve been waiting for five years to win again.

“To take the victory in South America is a huge relief, it ranks among my best triumphs. Winning the rally for Team X-raid makes it even more special, since Sven Quandt has been waiting for years for this to happen. I don’t know what I could do to go one better. Beating this record is going to be difficult … for the others!”

Continue reading “Peterhansel wins 2012 Dakar with MINI”
Categories
BMW

A brief history of the BMW 3 Series

BMW 3 Series

The BMW 3 Series has been with us for almost 40 years. Next month, the newest in the range, the F30 3 Series will be on sale in Australia. It’s quite timely, then, that BMW Munich has released a short history on the 3 Series with comments on all six generations.

Here’s the full 3 Series family tree and you can check out the comments from BMW after the break:

  • E21 – 1st generation (1975–1983)
  • E30 – 2nd generation (1982–1993)
  • E36 – 3rd generation (1990–1997)
  • E46 – 4th generation (1998–2005)
  • E90 – 5th generation (2005–2011)
  • F30 – 6th generation (2011–)

Click HERE to read the details on Australian pricing for the new 3 Series. To coincide with the launch of the new model BMW Australia is running a comp for current and previous 3 Series owners via their Facebook page. The prize is the use of a new 3 Series for a month, among other things. If you’re a fan it might be worth taking a look.

Continue reading “A brief history of the BMW 3 Series”
Categories
MINI Motorsports

MINI on verge of dominant Dakar victory

MINI All4 Countryman, 2012 Dakar

The MINI All4 X-raid team is set to cap off a dominant two weeks in South America by handing Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel his tenth Dakar victory (three wins in cars, six on bikes).

The start of the final stage, with only 29 timed kilometres, is not too far away and Peterhansel currently enjoys a lead of almost 43 minutes over his X-raid teammate Nani Roma.

While the MINI All4 has been a familiar face at the top of the leaderboard throughout the event, Peterhansel has been under strong pressure from American Robby Gordon in his Hummer. Sadly for Gordon he had a horrible day yesterday which ended his remote chances of success and saw him lose two hours to Peterhansel.

The second last day managed to catch out a lot of competitors as well and Peterhansel can thank a 20 minute lead going into the day which allowed him to take a slightly conservative approach.

“It was not a stage we were trying to win. We wanted to avoid falling into traps, especially after getting stuck in the sand yesterday,” Peterhansel said after finishing the day unscathed. “It was the toughest stage of the entire Dakar with regard to the dunes. We made a tactical choice to start with lower-than-normal tyre pressure, so we had to be very careful at certain points, but we did well on the dunes.”

There’s a brief video recap from Dakar YouTube channel after the break and we’ll be back with more from MINI assuming victory is the formality it should be.

[Source: MINI motorsport]

Continue reading “MINI on verge of dominant Dakar victory”
Categories
Lexus Motor Shows

Lexus LF-LC named Detroit’s best

2012 Detroit Motor Show

The Lexus LF-LC concept has been given the gong for Design Excellence (Concept Category) by the EyesOn Design judges at the Detroit Motor Show.

The judging panel consists of retired and active design-related members from both automotive and academic fields. The most recent winners of the Concept Category include the Porsche 918 RSR, GMC Granite and Audi Sportback Concept.

Speaking on behalf of Lexus, US Group Vice President and General Manager, Mark Templin said, “The LF-LC is a striking design and breathtaking in its beauty. The team at Lexus quickly fell in love with this concept vehicle and it’s rewarding to see that the industry agreed. Receiving the EyesOn Design Award is a great start to what promises to be a fantastic year for Lexus.”

Designed in Calfornia at the Lexus Calty studio, President Kevin Hunter said, “The LF-LC was a dream car to design and a true collaborative effort at Calty. It is an honour to have that work recognised by our peers and to receive the award.”

In the production category, the Design Excellence award went to the Ford Fusion.

Categories
Audi Bentley Chevrolet Ford Honda Hyundai Mercedes-Benz Motor Shows Nissan Porsche smart Volkswagen

2012 Detroit Motor Show photo gallery

2012 Detroit Motor Show

Here we have a selection of images from the floor of the Detroit Motor Show, or more correctly, the North American International Auto Show.

Unlike Tokyo late last year there’s a noticeable lack of weird and wonderful concept creations, but we certainly applaud the appearance of the Honda NSX Concept. It’s easily the clear star of the show in our eyes.

Not so fortunate is the Chevrolet Code 130R concept; a BMW 1 Series Coupé that somehow turned out all wrong. So, too, the Chrysler 700C. Seriously, does anyone actually look at these things before they are put on the stand. And if they do, then we’ll have some of whatever it is they’re smoking please.

Equally, we can’t quite understand the fascination the North American audience has had with the Ford Fusion. Its poor mans Aston Martin-like grille is an embarrassment.

Anyway, there’s 50-odd pictures for you after the break. Why don’t you be the judge and tell us what you like and don’t like.

Continue reading “2012 Detroit Motor Show photo gallery”
Categories
BMW

BMW announces plans to build X4

BMW X4 rendering (unofficial)

BMW brings word it plans to spend US$900m on its Spartanburg production facility in South Carolina. Frank-Peter Arndt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production, says the bewildering demand for the BMW X-line of models is the cause.

“This is in response to rising global demand for our BMW X models and the expansion of the BMW X family to include the BMW X4,” Arndt explains.

Confirmation of the X4 was announced at a special event to celebrate the two millionth car to roll of the Spartanburg production line.

Okay, the more conventional X5 and X3 models we can understand. And, it’s true, BMW make some awesome cars. So why on earth do people want to buy so many X6s that BMW sees fit to make an X4 too?

But then, if faced with the prospect of an owning X6, we’d much rather a 5 Series GT; a model almost everyone seems to hate. All that really tells us is BMW is creating market segments to prove people will buy anything if it has a BMW badge. Good luck to BMW, then!

[Unofficial rendering: Inside Line]

Continue reading “BMW announces plans to build X4”
Categories
Motorsports Porsche

Jason Richards drives the Porsche 962

Here’s a nice feelgood piece for you with footage of the late Jason Richards driving the 1987 Le-Mans winning Porsche 962 around Eastern Creek at last year’s Muscle Car Masters event.

We’re not exactly sure what the circumstances were that led to Jason getting some seat time in one of motorsport’s most iconic cars, we just hope that somewhere he is still enjoying the moment.

The video was published to YouTube by Porsche in November last year, a few weeks before Richards passed away. It’s a nice and simple clip too. No overproduction or crazy music. Just man and machine.