Outrageous styling, Euro flair and retro features have taken a grip on this year’s Paris motor show, which starts next week. Many of the world’s leading carmakers will unveil futuristic concept cars as well as their next generation of production cars at Europe’s biggest show of 2006. Continue reading Paris Motor Show 2006 preview
The florid Yank leaned forward to emphasise his point, no mean feat given his girth. BMWs are fur the fellah whose makin’ his money. Mercedes, on t’other hand, are fur the fellah whose made his money,” he leered. This good ol’ – and no doubt oil-rich – boy was how a certain Merc buyer was described (well, more or less) by a marketing bloke when I asked him to define the marque’s demographic. Continue reading Mercedes E-class – all class
Theoretically, you could launch just about any motorised vehicle in Germany – a Korean sports car, a Yank tank, a hulky bulky SUV, you name it – and it would end up feeling fabulous. The joy of driving the country’s speed-limitless freeways and its smoothly surfaced and spectacularly twisty back roads is such that it rubs off a feeling of wellbeing onto whatever you happen to be piloting. Continue reading First test of BMW X3 SUV
Mitsubishi has finally released its Triton “urban sports pickup” truck in the Japanese market. Already on sale in Thailand (where it’s built), Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and many other global markets (but not the U.S.) the Triton has apparently been on Japanese customers’ wish lists for a while. Continue reading Mitsubishi Introduces the Triton pickup in Japan
We all know that in Europe you’re less likely to run across a full-sized van being used to haul around a plumber and his plunger than you are in the States. Over there commercial transportation is often based on smaller vehicles that are converted into city vans with just the right amount of space for a laborer and his tools. Continue reading Corsavan Concept redefines the work wagon
The Ford Transit has for decades been the standard working horse of Europe and much of the rest of the world – the F-150 for our friends across the pond. The versatile work-a-day hauler was recently named Van of the Year by a pan-European panel of automotive journalists. (Why didn’t they ask us? Just ’cause we can’t find “Yurp” on a map doesn’t mean we don’t have an opinion!) Continue reading Ford Transit gets 4WD
Volkswagen has revealed the new Touareg, which receives updates to both the front and rear fascias, as well as an interior refresh that includes new seats and a new high-zoot sound system. Up front, the Touareg adopts the current VW corporate look, getting Eos-style headlights and the chrome grille that’s now trickling across the entire model range. Continue reading Volkswagen unveils the facelifted Touareg