List of Australian Car Clubs and Specialists, New Car Releases and Owners' Car Reviews for Aussie motoring enthusiasts
When Range Rover released their new sports model in the UK there were some who felt that Range Rover was losing its grip. So the guys at Top Gear decided to put the new Range Rover to the ultimate test and try to outrun a Challenger tank. Don’t be so sure about the outcome. They […]
by Stuart Livesey I was just wandering around Motormouth, an interesting Australian automotive website and I was attracted by the results of one of the polls they ran a few weeks ago. The question was: What speed do you think it is reasonable to travel at in a 60km zone in good conditions? And the […]
I’m not sure what it is but it certainly looked and sounded great when we spotted it in Hervey Bay on Saturday morning. Fortunately she-who-must-be-obeyed had her camera in the car because I did not 🙂
A suitable sports car for the 21st Century When Toyota asked that question of their US design team the answer they produced was the Toyota FT-HS hybrid sports concept and it was revealed to the public earlier this year. The FT-HS incorporates hybrid capability while maintaining sports car essentials, such as a sleek profile, lightweight […]
There’s no doubt that the small car market is hot and getting hotter by the month and fuel consumption isn’t the only important factor in this market. Price point can be a major influence and there is a lot of competition at the lower end of the price range. But for some people price isn’t […]
Update – the Kia Kee has now been released at the Frankfurt Motor Show and you can see much clearer photos and the technical details here Kia has released another teaser photo of their new 2+2 sports coupe and has announced that this new coupe will incorporate “a host of elements that will become the […]
Worthless bits of paper or genuine peace of mind? by Stuart Livesey Extended warranties are big money spinners these days. You can get the peace of mind of an extended warranty for just about everything from an office chair to the car you just purchased but peace of mind comes at a cost. Recently an […]
Here in Australia July was a great month for car sales but over in America things were quite different. Most brands, even imported brands, suffered some serious losses. General Motors sales were down 22%, Ford dropped 19%, Chrysler fell 9% and Honda and Toyota fell 7%. Unsold inventory is becoming a major headache once again […]
Family car buyers have helped the Australian motor vehicle market continue its record run, according to figures released yesterday by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). VFACTS figures for July show that a record 86,291 cars, trucks and buses were sold last month – up 8729 vehicles or 11.3 per cent on the same […]
Well at the moment they’re all owned by Ford … but Ford would like to sell them … if they can find a buyer. On paper Volvo is probably the marque that’s got the most appeal to prospective purchasers but the reality is that Volvo isn’t doing quite so well as it appears to be […]
Well it’s obvious to us but sometimes it’s beyond the understanding of the Americans that their motor vehicles rank at the bottom of fuel economy standards in all industrialised nations. Just how badly they rank can be seen in this article where you will read that America consumes 21 million barrels of oil EVERY day.
Of course Hyundai – the car company – is not in meltdown. But back in December I wondered should I be thrilled when I found that a part of my Hyundai Grandeur had melted and was having a very adverse effect on the acceleration. It’s been so bad that our normally very responsive car has […]
We’ve always been a nation of big car buyers. There was a time when you weren’t a real man unless you drove a six cylinder, a V8 or even a big 4WD and you could have been considered unpatriotic if you drove anything but a car built in Australia – unless of course you were […]
Holden and Ford have long been Australian icons and they have a very vocal following among motoring enthusiasts … but out in the real world they just plain suck … and it’s official … almost. It seems that a consumer website here in Australia – ProductReview.com.au asked owners to rate their vehicles in a number […]
Chairman Mao would have been horrified – the epitome of capitalism is now right there in the centre of the home of Chinese Communism. Rolls Royce has just opened their first showroom in China in Beijing.
Even though the announcement is yet to be made everyone knows that Ford is set to close it’s engine plant in Geelong and switch to using imported V6 engines in the Falcon and Territory range that’s built here in Australia. It really is just one more nail in the coffin of the Australian motor industry […]
A couple of days ago I admitted that I liked quirky French cars and we looked at a real no-frills car from France – the Renault Logan; if it ever reaches Australia the Logan could retail for as little as $9,500. Today we’re going to look at another French car that certainly is quirky but […]
I have to admit to having a serious soft spot for French cars. My first French car was a Renault 12 sedan and my second was a Peugeot 404 wagon. They were different, they were quirky and they were reliable so it’s no wonder that I still look at French cars and sometimes get the […]
You know, marketing is a strange beast; sometimes you don’t want people to see the product until the day you’re about to launch it and other times you want them to see it way in advance and sometimes you don’t want them to know that you want them see it well before the launch. Confused? […]
Ford tried the Mondeo here in Australia a few years back without a great deal of success. These days you can pick one up at a private sale for under $10k and even one of the more recent upmarket versions is on Drive.com for $8,995. The lack of interest in the past hasn’t stopped Ford […]