HUMMER is going down under. GM Holden Executive Director Sales, Marketing and Aftersales (say that ten times fast), Alan Batey, just made the announcement at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. After announcing 16 other new models that will be arriving for 2007 and beyond, Holden pulled back a huge curtain to give Australians their first glimpse of the HUMMER H3. Continue reading Meet the Holden HUMMER: H3 to be sold in Australia
Presented to gauge interested in a possible sporty model, Hyundai unveiled its Sonata SXi concept in Sydney this week. Powered by the optional 3.3-liter V6 in stock form, the SXi features an upgraded suspension, a brake upgrade with red-painted calipers, new wheels and tires, and a very subtle body kit that add skirts to the car’s flanks and rear bumper, as well as a new lip spoiler up front. A decklid spoiler rounds things out. Continue reading Hyundai Sonata SXi Concept could be in Oz in a year
The new MAZDASPEED3 will be featured in the upcoming Electronic Arts video game Need for Speed Carbon, which will be in stores across North America on November 1. Leading nontraditional marketing company Channel M worked with Mazda and EA, as well as retailers GameStop and EB Games, to create a campaign around the car and the game. Not only will the MAZDASPEED3 be integrated into the game, but Channel M is going to have the car featured at the game’s debut in GameStop and EB Games stores nationwide. Continue reading Need for MAZDASPEED
John Cooper Works is the British tuning garage that created the original ’61 Mini Cooper as a sportier version of the base model. So when BMW revived the MINI, they turned to the same garage, now headed by the founder’s son Mike, to create a hotter new MINI. And with the release of the newer new MINI, John Cooper Works has come out with a series of enhancements to make the hot little hatch even hotter. Continue reading John Cooper Works package for new MINI
Renowned photographer Michael Muller just dumped a brand new Mercedes Benz GL450 into a swimming pool. And then he sent actress Eva Mendes in after it. In a dress. Now lest you think Michael a heel, understand that Eva was all for it. In fact, she seemed to quite enjoy it. You see, it was all done in the name of art. And it was done for a worthwhile charity to boot. Continue reading Mercedes GL450 goes swimming for art’s sake
With a 1-2 victory in the finale of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca (California), AUDI AG yet again has written a piece of motorsport history: The Audi R10 TDI is the first Le Mans Prototype to remain unbeaten in its debut season. The revolutionary diesel sportscar competed in eight races since the debut in March, crossing the finish line eight times as the outright winner. Continue reading Audi R10 TDI Ends Debut Season Undefeated
Sheer sportiness, a genuine driving experience plus high power reserves – cue the new TT Roadster from Audi. The open-top sports car retains the distinctive lines of its tremendously successful predecessor, but instils them with even greater emotion, performance and dynamism. Continue reading The New Audi TT Roadster
It is a genuine treat to be surprised by an automobile. Case in point is the all new Audi S6 which we had pegged for Audi’s continuing trend of overt understatement. Untangle that oxymoron for a moment: in our opinion Audi has been dangerously close to the just-too-darn-conservative precipice in many of its latest high performance offerings. We’re not asking for “Pimp My Audi†from the factory, but we are most certainly part of the chorus of Audi owners calling for greater differentiation between the well designed (but ultimately more utilitarian) base models and their more exclusive Sport brethren. Continue reading Road Test: 2007 Audi S6
34,000 spectators witnessed the successful debut of the DTM around the Circuit Bugatti at Le Mans and yet another thrilling race, in which Tom Kristensen was the best Audi driver. The Dane had put himself in an excellent position, to possibly take the championship fight all the way to the Hockenheim finale on 29 October, after securing a front row slot in qualifying. However, at the start the Dane lost three positions and the title chances as a result. Continue reading Le Mans Witnesses Exciting DTM Debut
Dave Schembri, tapped by Roger Penske to lead smart in the United States, sat in on Autoline Detroit recently and shared some info about the models we can expect to see when smart debuts here. There will be three models initially, a base, a top-of-the-line coupe, and a cabriolet, all versions of the smart ForTwo. Schembri also hinted that the next-generation smart lineup is slated to debut in Stuttgart with more information in mid-November. Continue reading SMART will debut in the U.S. with three-model lineup
In Europe, Volkswagen just unveiled three new “Tour” editions. The package, done in partnership with the travel agency, TUI, is available on the Golf, Golf Plus, and Polo. The program is straightforward: purchase any of the VW Tour models and you get one free day on TUI vacation packages of 7+ days (no flight) or 14+ days (including flights). To qualify for the deal, the reservations need to be made between Nov 1, ’06 and March 31 ’07. Continue reading Volkswagen Euro-models go on Tour
Per usual, as the year draws to a close, new car buyers are in a position to pick up outgoing 2006 models at discounted rates. Chrysler is no exception, but with huge supplies of pickups and SUVs laying stagnant on dealer lots, cash incentives began to go through the roof last week. The newest mound of bennies persuading would-be buyers is $1,000 on vehicles that have a dealer invoice before April 1, 2006. Since these vehicles have been the slowest to sell, DaimlerChrysler is looking to do anything to unload them as quickly as possible. Continue reading More cash on the hoods of 2006 Chrysler products