Autoblog

Say it ain't so: Ford Falcon could go front-wheel drive

Dan Roth — 2008-08-26T10:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Ford, Australia, FPV

"You guys are obsessed with rear wheel drive," Alan Mulally mused to the Australian press after a browbeating about which pair of wheels might propel the Falcon into the future. Try as they might, the Ford Chief would not be pinned down about the chassis architecture of future Falcons, saying only that the choice would be customer driven, and plugging front and all-wheel drive vehicles as "pretty spectacular."

Mulally is right that Ford's global push to put exceptional small cars in showrooms is what the automaker's focus is and should be. The Falcon has long fallen off its sales peak from the halcyon days of two decades ago, and while Mulally agrees that it's "an absolutely dynamite vehicle," small cars in the future will prop up the more niche-y vehicles like the FG Falcon. Mulally went on to say that Australia will serve as an engineering and product development outpost for Ford, and the big-vehicle prowess in Oz will be useful regardless of layout. As Ford pulls its global platforms together, the Ranger and Focus will come at us from Australia, too.

Continue reading Say it ain't so: Ford Falcon could go front-wheel drive

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Line Forms Here Down Under: Top Gear Australia begins filming

Noah Joseph — 2008-08-25T09:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Australia, Event Alert

All around the world, thousands upon thousands of automotive enthusiasts wait with baited breath, remote controls, YouTube clicks and torrent downloads for new episodes of Top Gear. Some satiate their cravings with Final Gear in the meantime, but as Clarkson and company seek to rebuild the British empire one commercial deal at a time, soon we'll have two new series to keep our interests piqued. Because not only are we getting our own version of Top Gear here in the United States, so our own mates down in Australia.

While the American pilot has already been shot, Down Under they're just gearing up, and they're now accepting applications for tickets to the filming of the first episode of Top Gear Australia. So if you live in the Outback, put down your boomerang and ride your ~~kangaroo~~ Holden over to the Special Broadcasting Service website to fill out the form.

[Source: SBS via FinalGear.com]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford Australia boss calls it quits after job cuts

Michael Harley — 2008-08-22T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Australia

After holding the title for just over six months, the President of Ford Australia has resigned and is moving to the United States to "fulfill a career dream." President Bill Osborne, who took the position only in February, insists his departure has nothing to do with the fact that the company just announced 350 jobs will be cut at Victorian plants. Mr. Osborne is mum on where he is heading, although a company spokesperson said it is outside the automotive industry. Ford has not announced a replacement, but the new boss will have his or her work cut out as the Australian market adjusts from its high-horsepower diet to more fuel efficient vehicles. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

[Source: News.com.au]

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pre-pro Pontiac G8 GXP spotted in Australia

Jeremy Korzeniewski — 2008-08-04T15:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac, Australia

Click above for more spy shots of the G8 GXP from G8 Nation

Although we thoroughly enjoyed the fleeting time we spent with the Pontiac G8 GT, what whith its 361 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque and all, it's the upcoming GXP model that truly looks to catapult the Australian-bred sedan back into musclecar territory. We, along with just about every other gearhead, are especially looking forward to the six-speed stick and clutch pedal with which the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 making 402 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque will be paired. Of course, the rest of the car needs to be up to snuff too, so we are happy to take a gander at these spy photos of a pre-production prototype in Australia that indicate the nineteen-inch GXP-specific wheels and big Brembo disc brakes are present and accounted for. A slightly revised front fascia with a lower splitter combine with the rear diffuser to further signify that this is the high-zoot version of Pontiac's sport sedan.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Pre-Production Pontiac G8 GXP

[Source: LS1.com.au via G8 Nation]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Parking garage signage depends on your perspective

Jonathon Ramsey — 2008-08-04T13:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Australia

Click the image above for a gallery of Axel Peemoeller's 3-D signage

Elvis lives. Tupac lives. And we have just discovered that M. C. Escher is also alive, well, living in Australia, and going by the name of Axel Peemoeller. Designer Peemoeller worked out the math to create, optically, directional signage that appears to hang in the air. Found in the carpark of the Eureka Tower in Melbourne, there's no technowizardy here, just a man with a can of paint and a few severely skewed letters. The result: mindbending. And bloody genius. Well done, Mr. ~~Escher~~ Peemoeller. Check out the gallery below for more of Axel's work.

Gallery: Axel Peemoeller Carpark Signs

[Source: Ride Lust via Digg]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Australia may switch to bi-annual auto shows

Chris Shunk — 2008-08-01T08:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows, Australia

The exorbitant amount of money required to participate in an Australian auto show has resulted in automakers demanding a cut to one show per year. The shows in Sydney and Melbourne would need to alternate years for this to happen, but the two shows are run by different groups that don't want to give up the income. Cash-strapped automakers have already begun selectively attending the two shows, with big-time brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz joining 12 other automakers that skipped out on this year's Melbourne show. Sydney and Melbourne organizers are getting the hint, and the two sides are discussing how best to move forward. Word is that the show count will be reduced to only one next year.

The move to alternating shows makes sense, and there is precedent to support it. The Paris and Frankfurt motor shows alternate each year, and both are far larger events than what the car-crazed Aussies put together. Tokyo is also a huge show, and it runs on a bi-annual basis, split between passenger vehicles on odd years and commercial rides on even years. Sorry, but we won't be covering Japan's trucks this October.

[Source: Drive]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elfin releases sketch, details on upcoming Type-5 roadster

Noah Joseph — 2008-07-23T18:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Holden, Australia

Think "Elfin" and you're liable to (quite aptly) conjure up images of point-eared fantasy creatures (thank you Mr. Tolkien and Jackson). But to Lotus and Caterham fans, a group as enthusiastic to its realm as hobbit geeks are to theirs, Elfin is another beast entirely. Sprightly though they are, Elfin sportscars offer some of the best power-to-weight ratios on the market. But as we reported previously, the Australian niche automaker is preparing to bust out of the confines of the Super-7 kit-car scene with an entirely new model of its own.

Known internally as the Type 5, the new vehicle is targeted at the likes of the Lotus Elise and Ariel Atom as an open-air track-car. Power will come from the turbocharged four in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline, packaged in a completely new chassis with styling penned by sister company HSV's design studio. Pricing, released along with the design sketch you see above, is pegged at AUS $65,000 (approximately $63k in today's devalued American greenbacks). That's significantly less than a supercharged Elise, but with more power and even less weight, which sources suggest should allow it to hit sixty in a scant 3.7 seconds. We'll be watching closely to bring you the latest once the Elfin Type 5, or whatever Tom Walkinshaw's outfit chooses to call the vehicle, makes its anticipated debut down under sometime next month.

[Source: PressPortal.com.au via World Car Fans]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Oz-some: HSV W427 launches Down Under

Alex Nunez — 2008-07-23T14:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, GM, Holden, Australia, HSV

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the HSV W427

"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." That's what Han Solo says about the Millenium Falcon. You could apply the same saying to the HSV W427 super-duper sedan just launched by Holden's in-house performance division. I mean, that front end has some serious issues, but the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8 lurks behind it, and it's no joke, giving the four-door 500 horses and 471 lb-ft of torque. Production is limited to 427 units total, 90 of which will be produced this year. All of those have already been spoken for at a heady $154,500 Australian dollars, including luxury tax. Buyers also get the opportunity to tour the cars' production facility, and get a letter from Tom Walkinshaw, who started HSV some 20 years ago. The "W" in the car's name is also a tribute to him. HSV says that the W427's angry fascia emphasizes the cooling needs of the 7.0L V8. We think it mostly tells drivers who catch it racing up in their rearview to simply move out of the way...or be swallowed whole. We hear the car runs best when fed a steady diet of FPVs.

A slew of new photos have dropped in conjunction with the car's production launch, all of which can be seen in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2008 HSV W427

[Source: HSV]

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Camaro debuts in Australia along with lineage

John Neff — 2008-07-23T13:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Chevrolet, GM, Australia

Click above for high-res gallery of the Camaro's Melbourne reveal

While General Motors debuted the 2010 Chevy Camaro in Detroit and L.A. on Monday, they also gave it a proper debut in Australia where much of the car's development work was performed. The General just published some new pictures from the car's Melbourne debut in which the new Camaro poses for the camera with a second generation model, two third generation models, a fourth gen and a very cherry 1969 Camaro SS owned by reigning V8 Supercar champion Garth Tander. Those pics plus GM's own shots that were taken at the live reveal in Detroit have been added to the first gallery below, beneath which we've included our own updated gallery of live shots from the Detroit reveal that includes images of the car after it was driven outside.

Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro: Live Reveal

Permalink | Email this | Comments

I want my FPV: Super sedans hit the desert in new TV spot

Alex Nunez — 2008-07-04T08:38:00+00:00

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Australia, FPV

Click above for photo gallery. Follow the jump for the video.

Ford Performance Vehicles' new range of Ford FG Falcon-derived super sedans and utes is mind-bendingly appealing. Big turbocharged or NA power, bright colors, and that menacing Alice Cooper eye makeup in front make for an entire farmer's market of forbidden fruit. Sure, on this side of the world, Ford's SVT performance division gives us the Shelby GT500 and the even more monstrous Shelby GT500KR -- but seriously, as hot as the factory super-Stangs are, the lineup of FPV rides you see above is hot enough to turn that desert sand into glass. Only, they can't -- because everything you see there is virtual. Both the backdrop and the cars are CGI. The photo-realistic vehicle models were created using the real cars' CAD data for a brand new FPV TV spot that premieres in Australia this Sunday. If you don't live in Oz, no worries -- FPV sent us a copy of the spot, which is now embedded after the jump for your enjoyment. And you will enjoy it. Right now, there's a void in our lives shaped like an all-black FPV F6, and this commercial's as close as we're going to come to filling it.

Gallery: FPV's New TV Commercial

[Source: FPV]

Continue reading I want my FPV: Super sedans hit the desert in new TV spot

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elfin to unveil all-new sportscar in August

Noah Joseph — 2008-07-01T09:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Australia

Elfin is preparing to unveil a brand new sportscar this coming August, according to the latest reports. The small Australian automaker is known mostly for producing Lotus/Caterham 7-style classic roadsters, with the new model replacing the outgoing Type-3 Clubman kit car and joining the V8-powered MS8 Streamliner (pictured above) in the company's line-up.

The news was revealed by the company's owner Tom Walkinshaw, the Scottish racing driver behind the eponymous Tom Walkinshaw Racing outfit. According to Walkinshaw, the new lightweight sportscar - which has yet to be named - will feature "electrifying performance and go-kart handling" with an atmospheric power-to-weight ratio thanks to a 1500-pound curb weight and 260hp coming out of the turbocharged two-liter four from the Pontiac Soltice GXP. A six-speed manual will round out the package, along with ABS, power steering and traction control. The new vehicle, which will sell for under $60k, is anticipated to be based on a tubular chassis with a composite body that eschews the classic design of the Type 3 in favor of contemporary styling, while still integrating open wheels with cycle-style guards. The new model promises to separate Elfin from the myriad companies churning out Caterham replicas and distinguish the company as a competent sportscar-maker.

[Source: Inside Line]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Holden W427 limited to 427 units costing $150,000 AUD each

Jonathon Ramsey — 2008-06-20T10:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Holden, Australia, Special/Limited Editions

Click above for high-res gallery of the Holden W427

They are having a different conversation in Australia than we are having up here, and we want in on it. Holden has just announced that the limited-edition Holden W427 will have 500 hp and 471 ft-lb of twisty motion. Sure, we have the Corvette Z06 -- which donated its engine for the W427 -- but Australia's only got 20 million peeps. And a bunch of them don't live in places where you could give this Holden a proper whipping.

The car will be held to just 427 units, and these units and their screaming red interiors will be arriving at dealerships with an MSRP of $AUD 150,000... plus taxes. Dealer allocation will be based on sales figures from last year. The W427's limited run will help it, to be sure, but the price is more than double the price of the Ford FPV F6, which goes for $AUD 65,990. The Falcon is down about 80 horsepower vs. the Holden, but it's also down on weight. We think it might be time for Holden to invite Autoblog Down Under to settle this once and for all.

Gallery: 2008 HSV W427

[Source: Car Advice]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Australia gets market-specific Subaru Liberty GT tuned by STI

Alex Nunez — 2008-06-10T18:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Subaru, Australia, Special/Limited Editions

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Liberty GT tuned by STI

Subaru's Australian outpost is set to deliver a localized special edition Liberty GT (Liberty = Legacy) that's been upgraded with a laundry list of components from the STI catalog. The Liberty GT tuned by STI makes 260 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and will be made available with either a 6-speed stick or a 5-speed sportshift automatic. Brembos, Bilstein shocks, STI springs, a new muffler, lightweight Enkeis, and leather-and-Alcantara sport seats are but a few the features included in the 250-car limited edition, which is now on sale in Australia. Hey Subaru of America, where's the love like this for U.S. customers?

Gallery: 2008 Subaru Liberty GT tuned by STI (AU)

[Source: Subaru Australia]

Continue reading Australia gets market-specific Subaru Liberty GT tuned by STI

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota beats Holden, Ford: Will build Camry Hybrid in Australia

Chris Shunk — 2008-06-10T15:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Toyota, Australia

Back when North American markets shunned RWD cars in the '80s and '90s, Australians couldn't get enough of them. That sentiment has been rapidly changing as the blokes down under are increasingly looking to integrate more efficient transportation into the Outback. The Australian government is in on the hybrid game, too, and has promised that any domestic automaker that produces a hybrid will be greeted with a fist-full of orders. Toyota is listening, and the Japanese automaker has green-lighted the production of 10,000 Camry hybrids per year at its Altona plant in Australia, making it the first automaker to build a production hybrid in the land of Oz. The announcement comes only a few days after an Aussie legislator singled out Ford of Australia and Holden, GM's Australian division, as companies that need to produce hybrids domestically so the government doesn't have to buy imported Toyotas and Honda hybrids. Looks like it's time for the Australian government to make with the checks. Its domestically built hybrid is on its way care of the Japanese.

[Source: Car Advice]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive

Jonathon Ramsey — 2008-06-09T11:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Ferrari, Australia

It wouldn't be correct to say that all Ferrari drivers can't drive. What we can say is that a lot of Ferrari drivers are probably not short of ego, and also probably have little idea of what their cars can do when pressed. Combine a robust confidence with a watching crowd, add a high-powered and sometimes testy car, thrown in a little bit of ignorance... and a pole.. and what you get is the image above.

A man in Australia pulled out of a garage in his Ferrari 360 Spyder, took his chance to impress some gathered folks at cafes lining the street, and floored it. The car, as they say in the business, got away from him. The pole in the median did not. We're never happy to see (another) wrecked Ferrari, or to see a man carted away from his toy by the police, so to you kids with Ferraris, please learn from this and stop the madness.

Our favorite part of this picture is that, having made his boo-boo and probably realizing what he's in for, the driver is still just sitting in the car, although the guy in the blue shirt flexing in the background also gets a special mention... Thanks for the tip, Sam!

[Source: EHOWA]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Australian government asks for hybrid, promises to buy it

Chris Shunk — 2008-06-06T17:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Ford, Holden, Australia

The Australian government has both feet firmly planted on the hybrid bandwagon, and the blokes down under are looking for more of the automotive combo platter in its fleet. The government already has 355 Toyota and Honda hybrids in its fleet, but Aussie lawmakers would like to utilize its own home-grown workforce for future models. NSW Premier Morris Lemma wants the option to purchase hybrids from both both GM-owned Holden and Ford of Australia, and has even guaranteed that his government will be one of the first customers in line if Holden offered a battery-assisted Commodore within two years, as has been reported. Unfortunately, a promise from the government for a few hundred sales is hardly enough incentive on its own for an automaker to begin developing a hybrid, so both Holden and Ford will no doubt be investigating closely whether or not there's enough demand in the Australian market for a gas-electric hybrid to support the investment.

[Source: The Australian]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aussie Ford FG01 V8 Supercar unveiled

Alex Nunez — 2008-06-06T10:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedans/Saloons, Ford, Australia

Click above for a high res gallery of the new FG01 racing car

Just as civilian Ford Falcon drivers have a new ride in which to roll, the racers who pilot the competition version of the sedan in Australia's V8 Supercar series now have an FG Falcon to call their own. The FG01 V8 Supercar will be officially unveiled at this weekend's race in Melbourne, where it'll entertain with some demo laps and then reside in the pits. According to Ford, the race car was designed to maximize driver safety while minimizing teams' operating, maintenance, and repair costs. Best of all, unlike the "stock" cars run in our various NASCAR series, Australia's V8 supercars actually bear more than a passing resemblance to their production counterparts -- four doors and all. There's no mistaking the fact that this car is derived from the Falcon XR8. Plus, it has a Giant Effing Wing that makes the apparatus hung off of some Pikes Peak hillclimb cars look like the ducktail on a '73 Carrera RS. Awesome. The FG01 will go into battle against its Holden counterparts next season.

Gallery: Ford FG01 V8 Supercar

[Source: Ford Racing Australia]

Continue reading Aussie Ford FG01 V8 Supercar unveiled

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spy Shots: Pontiac G8 Sport Truck snapped in Australia

Michael Harley — 2008-05-23T08:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Car Buying, Spy Photos, Trucks/Pickups, Pontiac, Australia

Click on image above for more spy shots at G8Nation.

Two 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Trucks were recently spied in Australia loaded on the back of a transporter. Although seemingly dipped in camouflage decals, the profile of this not-going-to-be-named-El-Camino is easily distinguishable, even without a clear shot of the obvious Pontiac grill. Previewed at the 2008 New York Auto Show, the G8-based Sport Truck will be powered by a 6.0-liter V-8 rated at 361 horsepower. It should scoot to 60 mph in just over five seconds. Those of us in North America can expect this cargo-bedded Aussie import to arrive on our shores in late 2009.

Gallery: 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck - Live Reveal

[Source: G8Nation]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pickuptrucks.com performs Ultimate Sh-Ute-Out

John Neff — 2008-05-20T11:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Ford, Holden, Australia

Click either image to view high-res gallery of the Ultimate Sh-Ute-Out

While the U.S. is about to get its first taste of two-door, rear-wheel-drive, car-based pickups in the form of the Pontiac G8 ST (official name still TBD), Australians have been enjoying these things, called utes, for decades. While Holden introduced a new version of its Commodore-based ute last year, Ford has just gotten around to meeting the challenge with its new Falcon-based ute. And you know what that means: Ford vs. GM cage match in Koala Bear country!

Pickuptrucks.com has pitted the Holden SS Ute and Ford XR8 Ute, both top-shelf sports models, against each other in this Ultimate Sh-Ute-Out for the ages. For as similar as these utes are in price and power, we were surprised to learn how different they actually are. The Ford ute, for instance, is considered more of a workhorse than the Holden and thus continues to use a leaf-sprung rear suspension instead of an IRS like the Holden. Apparently it's the more truckish of the two, as evident by its separated cab and bed compared to the clean one-piece design of the Holden. Both models tested use big V8 powerplants, but the XR8's Boss V8 was more high-tech compared to tried-and-true Gen IV pushrod.

Being that Pontiac is about to start selling the Holden Ute in the U.S. as the Pontiac G8 ST, this comparo is a good Beginner's Course in the wonderful world of Aussie utes. And who knows, if the Pontiac G8 and G8 ST sell well, that may just be the urging Ford needs to bring the Falcon stateside sooner than the next-generation model. Check out the gallery of insanely cool high-res shots from the comparo below, courtesy of Pickuptrucks.com, and hit the source to read the comparo from start to finish.

Gallery: Pickuptruck.com's Ultimate Sh-Ute-Out

[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Holden Commodore hybrid and turbo'd four under consideration

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-19T07:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, GM, Holden, Australia

Two separate reports out of Australia say that Holden is looking to maximize the Commodore's fuel efficiency in an effort to stoke sales. Both stories quote General Motor's Asia-Pacific vice president, Nick Reilly, but the separate reports, while sharing a common theme, come to decidedly different conclusions about how the General plans to proceed.

The first story from the Sydney Morning Herald (thanks Patrick!) cites Reilly as saying that Holden is looking into hybrid technology to power the Commodore. "[It] could be one of the first hybrids that you will see," but Reilly insists that a gasoline-electric Commodore is still a few years out.

The second report comes courtesy of Drive.com.au, who also spoke with Reilly and asked if a four-cylinder version of the Commodore was in the cards. "It makes a lot of sense," Reilly said, "and therefore we're probably looking at it, but I can't tell you when." While that's far from a confirmation that a turbocharged four is on the way, it coincides with earlier reports that the new Camaro, which shares its platform with the Commodore, might benefit from the same 260 hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter found in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline.

Both stories are somewhat devoid of hard details, but despite that, it may be proof that General Motors' operations Down Under are willing to look at a variety of solutions to address the Commodore's slipping sales.

[Sources: SMH, Drive.com.au]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments