Tag: Australia

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BMW

BMW M3 GTS – Technical specifications

BMW M3 GTS

A couple of weeks ago BMW released news saying the M3 GTS was ready for its market launch. Overnight they released a set of technical specifications. You can download those specs after the break.

The GTS has an increased capacity 4.4 litre V8 producing 331kW. It has BMW’s latest 7-speed DCT transmission, to offer lightning quick gear changes. BMW say it can reach 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, that it can cover the standing kilometre in 22.5 seconds and go on to reach a v-max of 305km/h. To break it down further the M3 GTS asks each kilowatt to carry around 4.6kg. Its engine produces 75.9kW per litre.

They are some tidy numbers, but the only number that counts for Australian readers is 0. That is the total amount of M3 GTS models BMW have assigned for our market. It’s not a lot is it! Especially when you consider Car Advice reports around 30-40 M3 GTS examples will now be built in right hand drive. This is in contrast to original news that said the M3 GTS would be left-hand drive only.

However, we can thank our wonderful Australian Design Rules for ensuring the M3 GTS will not be sold down under. BMW Australia spokesman Piers Scott told Car Advice, “unfortunately, Australia’s ADRs prevent us from being able to licence it here,” explaining, “that it’s too loud and too low.”

This is rather disappointing given the aim of BMW M GmbH, according to its CEO, Dr Kay Segler, was to, “develop a model variant that would prove its outstanding potential both on the road and at club sport racing events.”

Bureaucracy strikes again! C’est la vie. More pics, words and a video can be seen below.

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Skoda

2010 Skoda Superb Wagon – Australian pricing

Skoda Super Wagon

Recent vehicle sales may indicate an upward trend in the SUV segment, but Euro wagons will always rate highly on the AUSmotive cool wall. If you need a large family-sized car, buck the trend and get a Euro wagon. They have a je ne sais quoi that cannot be matched by any SUV.

The new Skoda Superb Wagon perfectly fits the estate car mould that says no to bling and just goes about its job without fanfare and without screaming look at me.

Space aplenty, quirky features and an engine range catering for all desires are just some of the attractions with the Superb. An entry list price of $40,990 is also quite a hook for a car of this ilk. That gets you the excellent Volkswagen Group 118TSI four cylinder in Ambition trim. As you move up the price range you can say yes a 125kW TDI ($43,990), and you can even say yes again to the 118TSI, this time in Elegance trim ($46,990). What you really want, though, is the V6 powered 191FSI 4×4 ($57,990).

The V6 is sourced from the very tidy Volkswagen Passat R36 and while marketing forces rob 19kW when the 3.6 litre narrow angle engine is found under a Skoda bonnet it will still provide enough poke to give you one of the coolest sleepers on the new car market today.

A Skoda wagon with a Haldex IV all-wheel drive system that accelerates to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds, while sounding as angry as a Rio Tinto executive at a Labor Party conference, well, sign me up!

Skoda have stuffed plenty of kit inside the Superb Wagon, too. Park Assist is one example you will find across the entire range. For more info and a full list of prices take the jump and read what Skoda’s PR team has to say.

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Volkswagen

First Volkswagen Scirocco R arrives in Australia

Volkswagen Scirocco R

Back in March AUSmotive exclusively revealed news that the Volkswagen Scirocco could be imported to Australia under Federal Government’s Specialist & Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme. Under the conditions of the limited approval only two models of Scirocco are eligible, the top of the range Scirocco R and the Scirocco 2.0T.

As the image above shows the first Scirocco R to be imported to Australia under this scheme has now arrived in Sydney. The car was shown at an invitation only preview this morning at Scuderia Imports in conjunction with City Performance Centre.

AUSmotive could not be there but thanks to readers Eddie and Nathan we can bring you these pics. The Scirocco is a fantastic looking car and one has to question why Volkswagen Australia continues to sit on its hands in regards to official imports of this model.

As to the future of this first Australian Scirocco R, AUSmotive understands the owner has big plans for the car. Once it’s ready to go, expect to hear about it—it should be very special and definitely unique.

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MINI Challenge

Team Australia set sights on Spain’s MINI Challenge

MINI Challenge - Team Australia

The MINI Challenge has many great aspects about it. One is the fact you can buy a MINI John Cooper Works from your local MINI dealer that is pretty damn close in performance to the track-only racecars. Another is that the series is run in a number of countries. This aspect provides opportunities for cross pollination of competitors.

In addition to the Australian championship there are MINI Challenge competitions currently held in Germany, Spain, UK, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. And it is MINI Challenge Spain we focus on here. Next month at the Jarama circuit near Madrid Paul Stokell and Chris Alajajian will combine forces to form MINI Challenge Team Australia.

Paul and Chris, normally direct competitors, earned the right to represent Australia due to finishing first and second in the 2009 Australian MINI Challenge championship.

The guys leave for Spain at the end of this month and will prepare for a three race program starting on 5 June. At the wheel of their specially designed Team Australia MINI each driver will compete in a 20 lap sprint race on the first day of racing. On day two they will share duties in a 50 lap enduro.

Chris Brown, Marketing Manager MINI Australia says there is more to come as well, “These money-can’t-buy opportunities to race overseas are key benefits of being involved in an international category like MINI Challenge. This is only the beginning of a broader international outlook for MINI Challenge.”

Alajajian is excited to be working with Stokell, “Normally Paul and I are the greatest of rivals so it will be different working as a team but I think this will give us an opportunity to learn from each other, driving the same car for the same team.”

“The main objective is to be consistent and show pace and I think if we both have that same objective we can offer a great package for MINI Challenge Team Australia. I really like the style of this ‘teams’ racing format, it makes me even hungrier to get out there and post some top results,” Alajajian said.

Both Alajajian and Stokell are in good form leading the 2010 championship table and here’s hoping the lads can put in a good effort for Team Australia in Spain. In exchange it is hoped a Spanish team will take place in the final round of the Australian MINI Challenge at Homebush in December.

The full press release from MINI can be viewed after the break. Also available is a YouTube video of a 2009 MINI Challenge racecar competing in the recent CER Jarama event.

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Porsche

Porsche GT2 RS coming to Australia

Porsche GT2 RS

The most powerful street-legal Porsche ever—the 911 GT2 RS—is coming to our shores, albeit in small numbers. A Porsche Germany spokesman has confirmed with AUSmotive that they “expect to sell about 5 to 10 GT2 RS in Australia”.

Porsche have scheduled a September–October release for the GT2 RS. They tend to launch their cars simultaneously in all markets. So, factor in around 6 weeks for shipping times and we should be seeing the most potent “widowmaker” down under just in time for Christmas.

If you’ve been a bad boy this year and Santa doesn’t give you a 620bhp 911 then you’ll probably need to find around $500K to buy one for yourself. And you would, if you could. Wouldn’t you?!

Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber claims pole for Spanish Grand Prix

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber has set pole position for tomorrow’s Formula One Grand Prix in Spain after he steered his Red Bull Racing RB6 to a scintillating time of 1:19.995. He was the only driver to break the 1 minute 20 second barrier in the final session of qualifying. It is Webber’s third career pole, following the Malaysian Grand Prix in April and last year’s German Grand Prix.

Teammate Sebastien Vettel will start the race alongside Webber after setting the second fastest time, some 0.106 seconds behind the Australian. There was a big gap of 0.728 seconds back to Lewis Hamilton, who qualified his McLaren in P3.

Webber topped the times in all three qualifying segments and speaking after claiming pole he told he is enjoying Red Bull’s current good form, “Christian Horner (Red Bull team boss) told me before the session ‘you probably won’t get to drive a car like this around this track very often – so go and enjoy it!’

“Well, I did. It was a sensational quali session for me. Now I just have to go and complete the job. It has been a terrific effort by the whole team on both sides of the garage.”

The omens for a race win are good for Webber. The previous nine winners of the Spanish Grand Prix have all started from pole position. Conversely, this is the third 1-2 qualifying result for Red Bull Racing in 2010 and in all three of those races the pole sitter failed to win. Here’s to Mark putting that record right tomorrow night.

A complete list of qualifying results for the Spanish Grand Prix can be seen at Formula1.com.

[Pics: Getty Images]

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Volkswagen

New Volkswagen Polo – Australian pricing & specs

Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo—current European and World Car of the Year—has just been released to the Australian market. List pricing starts at $16,690 for the entry level Trendline, fitted with a 63kW 1.4 litre engine. Sitting in the middle of the range is the 77TSI Comfortline featuring a 1.2 litre turbocharged engine producing 77kW. Its list pricing begins at $19,850. Topping the current Australian range is the 66TDI Comfortline model, which starts at $22,350. The Comfortline models are available with a five-door body only, while the Trendline is a three-door only.

Larger and and safer than the previous model the new Polo can be bought with either manual or 7-speed DSG transmissions. The manual is a 6-speed on the 77TSI, while the Trendline and 66TDI come with a 5-speed manual. Those wishing to go for the excellent DSG box will need to add a further $2500 to the list pricing given above.

All models are fitted with ESP technology and the Polo has been awarded a five-star crash rating under the new tougher EuroNCAP testing regime. This rating has been honoured by the Australian authority, ANCAP, as well.

Overall the new Polo represents a forward step over the model it replaces. This is immediately noticeable with the Polo’s interior, which now has a quality feel more comparable with its larger Golf sibling.

I suspect a lot of readers will have their eye on the new Polo GTI and its 132kW twin-charged 1.4-litre engine. With a confirmed kerb weight below 1200kg this should be one feisty pocket rocket indeed. Volkswagen Australia have confirmed the Polo GTI will be on sale before the end of 2010.

A full list of specifications and pricing for the current Polo range is available below, along with a few extra goodies.

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MINI Challenge

2010 MINI Challenge – Round 3 Preview

Chris Alajajian, current series leader, 2010 MINI Challenge

This weekend’s MINI Challenge round at Queensland Raceway includes a few firsts for the series. The most obvious is the debut of the John Cooper Works MINI Challenge racecars on the Ipswich circuit. In addition the usual three race program will be replaced with a four race card, including two races on Saturday and two races on Sunday.

MINI Challenge Category Manager Ted Toleman is looking forward to the weekend, “It is great to see a four-race format for the first time in our series. We have seen some incredibly close racing over the last two events and now the fans in Queensland will be treated to even more of this exciting racing. We have competitors as young as 16-years-old in the series and for the young guys there is nothing better than experience and track-time to help them progress positively through their careers.”

Another first this weekend will be the appearance of Sarah Harley, who will be the first female to race in the MINI Challenge for 2010. She will be joined by a number of V8 Supercar drivers, including Warren Luff, Luke Youlden and Dean Canto.

Steven Bradbury returns to the MINI Challenge grid at the wheel of the Pizza Capers Ãœber-star car and he hopes this experience will allow him to further his motorsport ambitions, “I love driving race cars and I’m counting down the days until I hit the track at QR. The experience I gained last year in the MINI, and having driven at QR before, will hopefully enable me to be quite competitive. I have longer term aspirations in motorsport and driving the UberStar Car is an opportunity that might help me realise those aspirations.”

With 16 cars to line up this weekend the action is sure to be fast paced and full of thrills. Can Chris Alajajian continue his early season speed, or will defending champion Paul Stokell start a charge up the points table?

A few press releases from MINI can be found after the jump and if you can’t get to Queensland Raceway this weekend make sure you book some time on the couch the following weekend for the Channel 7 highlights package scheduled for 8 May.

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MINI Challenge

2010 MINI Challenge – Round 2, Melbourne

MINI Challenge, Melbourne

This MINI Challenge wrap of Round 2, held during the Australian Grand Prix weekend at Albert Park, has been a little delayed because I was waiting for the television highlights. However, due to a few reasons it looks like the highlights package won’t be going to air, which is a great shame for the series.

On to the racing, then, and Chris Alajajian was able to build on his Round 1 success by placing on the podium in all three races. He has now established a 46 point lead over Sean Carter and Peter McNiven, both on 218 points.

Alajajian was happy to claim a win in the final race and is enjoying the racing so far in 2010, “We finished all three races on the podium this weekend and it was great to be able to end the weekend with a race and round win.

“Two round wins in a row is really making things look good for my championship hopes, he said. “There was some really close racing once again and I can’t wait to see what round three will bring.”

Round 3 of the Australian MINI Challenge takes place this coming weekend at Queensland Raceway (television highlights are scheduled for broadcast on 8 May).

More images from Melbourne and the series table can be see after the jump.

[Pics: Spherix]

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Skoda Targa Tasmania

Skoda Octavia RS-P ready for Targa Tasmania

Skoda Octavia RS-P

Skoda Australia’s wicked one-off creation, the Octavia RS-P, is all set to make its tarmac rally debut at Targa Tasmania which kicks off next week.

The recipe is pretty simple, take one standard Octavia RS, turn up the boost of the 2.0 litre turbo, fiddle about with the intake and exhaust. This will see you increase power from 147kW to around 190kW. Then throw on some adjustable suspension, a few strut braces, some uprated brakes and fit semi-slick tyres to great looking 18″ alloys and you’ve just cooked yourself one very cool, and surprisingly rapid, Euro estate. Five stars!

At the wheel of the Octavia RS-P will be Mike Sinclair, Editor-in-chief of carsales.com.au, with Justin Hunt guiding the way in the nav seat. Further detail, and extra pics are available after the jump.

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Categories
BMW

New BMW 5 Series – Australian pricing

BMW 5 Series

The new F10 BMW 5 Series will go on sale in Australia this June. At initial launch there will be a four-pronged model line up, consisting of six cylinder 528i and 535i models, as well as a V8 powered 550i. A four cylinder turbo diesel 520d will join the range in September. Those wanting more space from their 5 Series will have to hold on a bit longer for the October release of the Touring version.

Manufacturer’s list pricing starts at $83,300 for the 520d; $99,900 for the 528i; $128,900 for the 535i and tops out at $178,900 for the 550i. More detail is available below in BMW Australia’s press release, and they have also included this handy spec comparison PDF (60kb) which highlights the increase in spec of the new 5er over the outgoing E60 version.

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Audi

Audi Centre Canberra acknowledged for excellence

Audi Centre Canberra

The Audi Mark of Excellence awards were held earlier this month and Audi Centre Canberra was named the Metropolitan Dealer of the Year for 2009. This is the third major award for the Canberra dealership after winning the Provincial category for 2007 and 2008. Audi Centre Canberra happens to be my local dealership and after adding one sale to their tally last year I can say that Richard and his team do a great job servicing the Canberra region.

Audi Centre Townsville took out the Provincial award for 2009, a great boon for the dealership after opening a new showroom just over 12 months ago.

Further details after the jump.

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