Section: Misc. Auto Shows
Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 29th, 2008 11:00 AM
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GM unveiled the production-ready Holden VE Sportwagon yesterday at the Melbourne International Auto Show. The VE Sportwagon is the wagon variant of the popular Commodore sedan.
The VE Sportwagon can be equipped with a wealth of different engines, including a 3.6-liter V-6 and a 6.0-liter V-8. The engines output ranges from 240 horsepower on the V-6 to 360 horsepower on the 6.0-liter V-8. The Sportwagon has the option of a four-speed, five-speed, or six-speed automatic transmission, depending, obviously, on the engine option. A six-speed manual is available on a few of the engine choices.
(Click on the thumbnails to view the gallery. Press release after the jump)
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 29th, 2008 9:00 AM
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GM Holden debuted the Coupe 60 concept yesterday at the Melbourne International Auto Show. The concept celebrates Holden’s 60th anniversary.
The Coupe 60 is about two-and-a-half inches shorter than the VE sedan and, obviously, sits lower. It’s sitting on 21-inch alloy wheels with Kumho semi-slicks. The body is covered in high-gloss carbon fiber (door, trim, etc.).
Under the hood is the 6.0-liter V-8 with Active Fuel Management and it’s calibrated for E85, of course. We could go on, but just check out the photos of this stunner.
(Click on the thumbnails to view the gallery and click through the jump for the press release)
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Written By: Evan McCausland
February 29th, 2008 8:00 AM
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The muscle car wars may just be in their revived infancy here in the United States, but they’re alive and kicking in Australia. Unveiled at the Melbourne Auto Show, the latest weapon from Holden’s HSV tuning wing - the W427 - stuffs the Corvette Z06’s LS7 into one mean Commodore sedan.
Taking its name from the motor’s displacement, HSV squeezes the 427 cubic-inch (7.0-liter) small-block V-8 underhood, coupled to a six-speed manual transmission. Although the motor makes 505 horsepower in the Z06, it’s been mildly de-tuned for the sedan, producing 496 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque - still plenty for a modern muscle sedan.
(Click through for more on the W427 sedan, including a gallery and a release from Holden)
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Written By: Evan McCausland
February 26th, 2008 12:01 AM
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Although auto shows do a great job of showcasing the latest and greatest supercar or passenger hybrid, they’re not ideal for launching a new commercial vehicle. Perhaps that’s why the refreshed 2009 E-Series, the darling of commercial fleets across North America, debuts this week at the 2008 Work Truck Show in Atlanta.
2008 E-Series vans sported exterior styling similar to the Super Duty range of pickups, but left the interior alone. That changes for 2009; the largest change for the large van is an all-new dashboard and front door panels, giving those in the front row something new to look at.
(Click through for a gallery and more on the new E-Series)
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 25th, 2008 6:00 PM
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Rage Motorsport will be making its Australian debut at the 2008 Melbourne Motor Show. And, in tow will be showing off its new high-performance R180T Rage Buggy.
The racing-tuned off-and on-road buggy features a 998cc Honda engine – the same used in the Honda Fireblade Motorcycle – and pushed 180 horsepower. Needless-to-say, it’s quick. The R180T has 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph.
The R180T Rage Buggy is street-legal. However, it’s not cheap at a mind-blowing $78,409. But, if you’re looking for an off-road toy with some get-up-and-go, the Rage Buggy is your ticket.
(Press release after the jump)
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 20th, 2008 4:00 PM
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A survey by the British International Auto Show has found that getting your first car is better remembered than your first love.
The first car memory ranks higher than a Brit’s 18th birthday, first girlfriend/boyfriend, and higher than their first kiss, according to the research. Sixty percent referred to their first car as a female and 25 percent giving the car a name. Hell, 43 percent even remembered their first car’s registration number.
The survey also found that most first cars were between 6 and 10 years old, with 62 percent being the cars last owner before scrapping it.
Do you have fond memories of your first car? Let us know in the comments.
+ Auto Trader UK: First car more important than first kiss (via The Car Connection)
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Evan McCausland
February 18th, 2008 4:30 PM
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Think that new 2008 FG Falcon XR8 isn’t sporty enough for you? Fear not, for Ford Performance Vehicles - the SVT of FoMoCo’s Australian operations - has revealed it’ll be putting its sport-touch on the Blue Oval’s new rear-drive range. The new range of performance Falcons will make their debut at the Melbourne Auto Show next week.
Although the cars are supposed to emphasize brute force, we sadly won’t know any performance figures until this summer, but we do expect the FPV Falcon range to use the new 4.0-liter turbocharged I-6 and the 5.4-liter V-8 in the new FG Falcon. We’d hedge our bets that both will debut with at least some bump in horsepower, although both seem fairly powerful in their stock form.
(Click through for more on the FPV Falcon, including a release from Ford)
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Written By: Evan McCausland
February 18th, 2008 2:30 PM
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Beg, plead and pout all you want, folks, but the cars you see here won’t be arriving at a friendly Ford dealer near you anytime soon. Thanks to a decision stemming somewhere within Ford’s corporate ranks, the new 2008 FG Falcon - unveiled today at the Melbourne Auto Show in Australia - won’t be exported Stateside in the future.
That’s a shame, as what from we can glean, it seems to be an attractive package wrapped in attractive packaging. No, the Falcon doesn’t sport the intricate sheetmetal detailing used on European designs like the Kuga or Fiesta, but the look is clean and muscular without becoming overbearing. We also see interiors that could feasibly put the Taurus - or perhaps even some Mercurys or Lincolns - to shame.
(Click through for a gallery of the new FG and more on the car)
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Written By: Eric Moretti
January 20th, 2008 2:00 PM
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Well, if you planned on watching anything other than the over-the-top car auctions on Speed Network this Saturday, you were out of luck. For 10 hours yesterday, it was nothing but bidding action that continued well into the morning. The $1.6 million dollar question of the day was the Corvette Rondine, which came to $1,760,000.00 after auction fees. You might need a minute to let that sink in.
(Click through to read more about the Barrett-Jackson action.)
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Written By: Evan McCausland
January 11th, 2008 10:00 AM
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North Americans certainly have had their fair share of expensive throwbacks to the past (need we mention the Ford GT?), but now India has their own heritage-sourced halo car. Enter DC Design’s Ambeirod, scheduled to be unveiled this week at the New Delhi auto show. The conceptual retro ride, should it go on sale, would carry a steep RS 4 crore - or $1 million - price tag.
So what’s the inspiration for this piece of Bollywood bling? Ford’s Forty-Nine concept? The Nissan Figaro? Try the illustrious Hindustan Ambassador - the same Morris-based sedan that India adopted as it’s native automobile for the past fifty years. That car’s shape is there, hence the rounded fenders, circular lamps and that oh-so-unusual roofline. And, as the late John Z. DeLorean would confirm, nothing screams futuristic like a good pair of gullwing doors.
(Click through for more on DC’s Ambassador revival)
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Written By: Evan McCausland
January 9th, 2008 1:30 PM
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If Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class Sport Coupe was a success in Europe, those in charge of the three-pointed star chose not to mess with it. A new version will make it’s debut during Berlin’s Fashion Week later this month, hence the enigmatic photo Mercedes released of the car alongside a model.
Although her scarves could hide the remainder of the car for dramatic purposes, it’s perhaps to avoid disappointment. Although the front fascia has been revamped to reflect the current C-Class, we’re told the rest of the car - including that love it/hate-it hatchback - has been left the same. That includes the platform itself, it continues to ride on the platform of the last-generation car, not the new and current C.
We’ll know more about the C-coupe - now referred to by Mercedes as the CLC - sometime around January 27, when Benz and dozens of fashion brands hawk their wares in Berlin.
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Written By: Evan McCausland
January 8th, 2008 3:27 AM
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Headlines touted the fact that GM would bring a concept car to the Consumer Electronics Show, but we’re now getting our first glimpse at it. The Cadillac Provoq concept, a fuel-cell driven, techno-laden compact SUV, will bow today at the Las Vegas show before heading its way to Detroit next week.
At the heart of the Provoq lies GM’s E-Flex system, making it the fourth concept to theoretically use the plug-in series hybrid powertrain (following the two Volts and the Flexstreme). This iteration is the closest to the fuel cell-based Volt shown in Shanghai, but GM claims this particular fuel cell stack is its most production-ready design yet. Many of the required assemblies, including cooling and venting systems, are integral to the stack; previous stacks from GM used hand-built systems with separate components.
(Click through for more on the Provoq and a release from GM)
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