BMW Australia has announced pricing for the 3 Series GT. It’s still a while away from finding its way into local showrooms, but the biggest 3 Series money can buy will kick off proceedings with three engine options:
(Manufacturer’s list pricing)
BMW Australia recently launched its new F10 5 Series Touring down under, albeit a little later than first expected. There’s two models to start the range, both with turbo charged engines, the 520d and the 535i.
The 2.0 diesel four cylinder in the 520d produces 135kW/380Nm and has a manufacturer’s list price of $92,800. While the petrol powered 3.0 litre straight six in the 535i has peak numbers of 225kW/400Nm and pricing starts from $138,900.
Euro Estate driving doesn’t get much better than a BMW wagon, but as you can see, you have to pay to play. You can access full Australian specs from this 4.2mb PDF. After the break you will find more pics and BMW Australia’s official press release.
A copy of a dealer bulletin for the 250kW 1M Coupé, produced by BMW Australia, has arrived at AUSmotive HQ. We thought it was only fair to share it with you and a screen grab of the email is shown in full after the break.
Included in the bulletin is the standard specification and options pricing for the entry-level M model. The official list price is not included in the email, however we understand BMW will price the 1M Coupé from $99,900 (plus delivery and statutory charges).
We expect BMW Australia to announce a limited run of 100 1M Coupés for local sale.
According to the email BMW Australia has kitted out the 1M Coupé with a comprehensive list of standard goodies. Just a handful of the included standard equipment reads Professional Navigation, Adaptive Headlights, harman/kardon Surround Sound, Voice Control and Internet.
The most notable item on the options list is metallic paint which will apply to two of three colours in the 1M palette. Only Alpine White is a no-cost option, while Valencia Orange and Black Sapphrie will attract a $1700 charge.
It looks like Audi will be giving BMW a free kick by not bringing in its comparable RS3, is BMW’s $100K price tag low enough to allow them to kick a few goals?
Alfa Romeo’s spunky little Giulietta has just arrived down under. There’s currently two models on offer, the entry level Giulietta, priced from $36,990 (not including delivery or statutory fees), while the powerful “Cloverleaf” QV model starts at $41,990. Both models can also be optioned with metallic paint ($995) and a full leather/sunroof package ($4000).
In the base spec you get a 125kW 1.4 litre MultiAir engine capable of reaching 100km/h in 7.8 seconds. A lighter foot will reward you with a combined fuel consumption figure of 5.8l/100km. That’s quite reasonable performance, really.
If that’s not enough, though, the 173kW 1750TBi unit is the one for you. As the name suggests, it’s a 1.75 litre four-pot turbo, and can propel you to the speed limit in 6.8 seconds. With a healthy 340Nm of torque on tap from 1900rpm you can access that power at virtually any time, as well. When you’re not in a mad rush you can expect to sip fuel at the rate of around 7.6l/100km.
Actually, the QV looks the value proposition here. For an extra five grand you get the go faster engine along with sports suspension (10mm lower), fancy seats with red stitching and microfibre trim, a Bose stereo and 18″ alloys to go over your flash red brake calipers.
It’s a pretty car, the Giulietta, but for similar pricing, does it make more sense than a comparable Volkswagen Golf, for example? Your heart might well say yes, but we’d love to hear if you’d actually go through with the deal.
More pics and detail from Alfa Romeo after the break. Alfa’s latest price list is also available.
Audi Australia previewed the A1 at the Australian International Motor Show in October. Now, they have released full details on the local specification. Dealers around the country have been receiving stock over the last couple of weeks, as well.
To refresh, Audi will be kicking off the A1 with two offerings, both fitted with a fuel efficient 90kW/200Nm 1.4 TFSI. The entry level Attraction, with 6-speed manual, starts at $29,900 and the Ambition model is priced from $32,650. Buyers wanting the 7-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission will need to cough up an extra $2350. A 66kW 1.6 litre TDI will be joining the range in the middle of 2011.
Audi Australia has been a bit light on with images of its next big thing, so you’ll have to make to do with AUSmotive’s images from AIMS to start with. Following the Audi Australia press release is a gallery of images sourced from Audi UK. Keep in mind some of the details and specs in these cars may not translate directly to our market, but they do give a good feel for the A1 in right-hand drive.
A closer look at specifications and options pricing for the Australian market is available via two PDFs, which can be found following the presser.
Technical details of the New Stratos have been published on the car’s official website. They tell us the F430-based sportscar tips the scales at 1247kg and a staggering 540hp (375.4kW) is produced from its 4.3 litre V8 at 8200rpm. Peak torque is on offer at 3750rpm and is rated at over 500Nm.
Weight is distributed 44:56 front to rear providing an good base for well tuned chassis balance. The brakes are supplied by Brembo and there’s 398mm six-pots up front and 350mm four-pots at the rear.
The donor chassis has been shortened by 200mm and a roll cage has also been fitted. Body panels are carbon fibre, which has been used extensively for the interior, as well.
Performance figures—aside from very quick—are yet to be announced and will be coming soon. In the meantime you can read the full tech data after the break.
[Source: New Stratos]
Nissan has just confirmed details of the MY11 changes made to its all-conquering GT-R. No car can show its face these days without LED daytime running lights, you see.
Of course, Nissan’s engineers went further than that, also trimming 10kg from the GT-R’s portly weight. Fuel consumption has been improved, along with a reduction in CO2 emissions. Minor tweaks have also been made to Godzilla’s suspension and brakes. These are complemented by new forged alloys from Rays.
Inside gets a once over, as well. Usual stuff like a revised instrument panel and nav display have been thrown in. But there are big changes, too. The steering wheel emblem now has “a new velour-like coating, expressing a glossy texture”. Amazing!
Outside has seen some cosmetic tweaks, notably the front spoiler can now feed in more air. These revisions also increase downforce by about 10%. Two new exterior paint colours—Jet Black and GTBlue—have been added to the colour palette.
However, the big news is more power. Quite a bit more actually. At its initial launch the GT-R had 353kW/588Nm. Well, now the little (big) Nissan that can boasts 390kW/600Nm. That’s quite a significant increase.
Australian deliveries for the MY11 model are expected from March next year.
Audi Australia has launched the RS5 with a manufacturer’s list price of $175,300. You’ll still need to pay a few statutory charges, but that’s about $4600 less than the AUSmotive prediction. A small saving, however, you still sense that price point is going to ensure Audi has to fight hard for every sale. Okay, it’s probably a bit tired to continually make this comparison, but you can bet the words BMW M3 will cross the lips of most RS5 buyers at some stage.
The RS5 has received extensive coverage on AUSmotive, so there’s no great need to go over the details again. The basics remain, that is the RS5 is powered by a 331kW 4.2 litre V8 driven by a quattro system featuring trick terms like torque vectoring and crown-gear centre differential. You can find out more on that technology here: quattro 101.
After the break you can read Audi’s press release and check out their latest gallery of images. It’s a great looking car, that’s for sure. Also included for download are the following items, all correct at time of publication:
Citroën has launched its funky little DS3 to the Australian market. The French usually get it right when it comes to hatchbacks, but the DS3 represents one of the more serious attempts to raise their sights to the premium segment. And Citroën has its sights firmly set on MINI.
Miles Williams, General Manager for Citroën in Australia, pretty much admits that with this comment, “The DS3 is a bold, definitive statement of intent for Citroën and a confident step in the opposite direction to its main competitors; it brings a real alternative to a market sector dominated by retro designs.”
Mind, this next comment from Williams could equally apply to the MINI brand, “DS3 is about modernity, creativity, individual style and a driving experience packed with personality. DS3 dares to be different – whilst delivering the comfort, quality, technology and ecologically considerate performance for which Citroën is widely recognised.” Williams is right, though, the DS3 is different and it does bring new life to the premium compact market.
The latest Mercedes ‘Gullwing’ model, the SLS AMG, has now landed in Australia. If you want to get your hands on one of these beauties you’ll need to pony up the cash for the $464,000 list price, and then some. AUSmotive is a massive fan of this car and if you do have a lazy 500 lying around that you feel like handing over to your local Benz dealership, would you mind lending me the keys!
One can only imagine the sensation the Gullwing’s 420kW and eight angry cylinders would provide. The interior looks fantastic, too. This is a very special motor car.
Mercedes-Benz Australia have obliged with some stunning images and you can see over 40 new pics after the break. You can also download a couple of PDFs, including full pricing details. Thirty grand for carbon ceramic brakes anyone?
Audi’s very svelte and very attractive S5 Sportback went on sale last week. Audi has set the list pricing for this car at $129,300.
For your money you get the same excellent 3.0 litre supercharged V6 engine from the S4 saloon. With that comes the same power specs, too; 245kW and 440Nm of torque.
It’s a ripping engine that offers plenty of poke through the entire rev range. In the S4, at least, it’s also well matched the the 7-speed S tronic transmission. Which is a good thing, because there is no conventional manual box on offer for S5 Sportback in the Australian market.
Mr Uwe Hagen, Managing Director of Audi Australia, said “the S5 Sportback is a great addition to our unique A5 Sportback range. It is not only practical enough for daily use, it is also sporty and fun to drive.”
Audi has modest sales expectations for the S5 Sportback, hoping to to sell around 10 per month. Full details and a nice gallery of local images have been kindly offered by Audi Australia and you can see them all after the break.
Official pricing and specifications for the 188kW Golf R have now been released by Volkswagen. These confirm most of the things we already knew, or suspected were correct.
This includes the leaked list pricing which emerged earlier this week: three door manual $48,490; three door DSG $50,990; five door manual $49,990 and five door DSG $52,490. That is very good pricing indeed and we expect Volkswagen Australia will sell a lot of these cars.
To put these prices into perspective the cheapest Audi S3 available in Australia, a three door manual, has a list price of $68,000. There are some equipment differences in standard spec between the two cars, but nowhere near enough to equate for the almost $20,000 premium asked for by Audi. Especially when you consider the cars share essentially the same chassis, engine and all-wheel drive systems. In the UK, for example, the Golf R is actually priced higher than the S3. This not only proves that comparing prices with other countries can be a worthless exercise, but it puts into context what a performance bargain the Golf R has become in Australia.
Rather than go over the finer details again, just go straight to the press release after the jump. Technical specs can also be downloaded below.
All you need to do now is work what colour you want. Your choices are Candy White, Reflex Silver metallic (pictured), United Grey metallic, Rising Blue metallic (AUSmotive’s tip) and Deep Black pearl effect. More pics of the Golf R can be viewed here.