Motor Shows

New GT Falcon on show at Melbourne Motor Show

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Ford Performance Vehicle’s brand new muscle car the FG GT Falcon is being showed for the first time at the Melbourne Motor Show. Due to go on sale in May 2008 the V8 GT Falcon comes in a complete new body and interior and a range of bright colours. Price and performance figures are  yet to be announced but it is expected to be the most powerful Falcon ever overtaking the current 302 KW engine. For the first time in Falcon GT history the Ford badge is replaced by the Ford Performance Vehicle stylised Falcon badging. There will be 3 models of the GT they will be the GT and GT-P which have been available in earlier models and for the first time a stylish new luxury GT-E sedan. The vehicle is also sold in a utility vehicle and called the Pursuit. Other Ford Performance Vehicle Falcons on offer include the Turbo 6 Cylinder F6 range.

Toyota IQ

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The Toyota IQ was a concept car first shown at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 2007. At only 3 metres in length it will be one of the shortest cars about when a car based on the concept goes into production around 2009. The majority of sales are expected to be in Japan and Europe where kei class or city sized cars are popular. The IQ should make some good competition for the Smart ForTwo, its hard to believe but it does seat four people…well two adults and two very small kids. Watch the short video above for a rundown of Toyota IQ. 

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Ford releases new Australian FG Falcon

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Today’s launch of the all new Ford Falcon FG series has been one the most anticipated releases in Australian motoring history. It is hoped the new model range will help boost the large car market in Australia which has been suffering from dropping sales over the past few years. The new FG Falcon comes in a range of models including a new G series which is the luxury flagship for the model. The range also features a sporty XR6 with turbo charged six cylinder engine and an aggressive XR8 V8 vehicle. The vehicle comes in two body styles a sedan and a utility vehicle which is sold in both tray and tub form a must for any Aussie tradesman. The all-new FG Falcon offers fuel economy improvements AND increased performance – as well as introducing new passive and active safety features across the range.

 

See our photospread of the other Falcon FG models.

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Rinspeed sQuba

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Rinspeed are a car design company based in Switzerland that you may know from their concept cars that they regular develop. First there was the Presto that transformed into half the size and then they made the Splash that turned into a boat, now they have created the sQuba, the diving car inspired by the Bond diving car in The Spy Who Loved Me. Unlike the movie this squba diving car is the real deal, it also produces zero emissions thanks to its electric motor that gives it a top speed of 120kl/h on land and 3kl/h up to a depth of 10m under water. Because this car is a convertible and not designed to be a closed in submarine it is also fitted out with squba tanks, the face masks and squba controls are located between the seats headrest for you to pop on when you want to take a dip. Although this car is a concept and will never make it to production it makes us ask the question would you buy a car to give you a drive through under sea experience or would you rather get out of the car to go swimming with the fishes? 

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The World’s most expensive Fiat 500

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This blinged out Fiat 500 has just been put display at a luxury show in Rome called the Scrigno, Tesori d’Italia. It features a special 24 k gold paintwork on the exterior and tyres, rich leather from various animals, Swarovski crystals stuck to the handbreak and gearlever as well as cashmere floor mats. We like the Fiat 500 and don’t mind a bit of gold but we really are not sure if the two should come together, I mean could you imagine taking this thing down to the local supermarket carpark? Also at 60,000 euro you could get a lot more car that wont depreciate 5000 euro every time you scrub the tyres against a gutter.  

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Now thats a truck

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We’d be the first to admit the only thing we know about trucks is that they are big and kinda cool, well they dont get much bigger and cooler than the 2009 International Lonestar that has just ben released at the Chicago Auto Show. The truck features cool things like a Workspace to plug in laptop computers and work in a desk-like setting, a Mini refrigerator, Wood flooring in the sleeper cab and a built in blutooth hands free kit. The interior of this thing looks nicer than many hotels and with an 11 speaker stereo system Johnny Cash never sounded so good.

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Los Angeles Auto Show concepts

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The LA Motorshow brought a few very interesting concepts to the stands and today’s You Tube video gives you a really good up close look. Some of the highlights include the Mustang Giugiaro, Ford got some really good Italian style to make this lovely vehicle. Honda showed a clay concept called the Remix which may become a future CRX style car. Hyundai showed their Hellion, this interesting vehicle with a very aggressive and curvy look. Like the host of our video we are not sure what Acura was doing with their so called Advanced Sedan, it is awful but there’s some clever technology going on, not half as good looking as the Mazda Nagara which gives a glimpse of Mazda’s new DNA.

Audi R8 Diesel Supercar

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In a motoring first Audi has shown its R8 V12 supercar in turbo diesel form. The engine pumps out a whopping 500hp with 1000 nm of torque. Using an engine closely releated to the Audi R10 Le Mans winning vehicles the car is a true super car. Top speed is well over 300 kph and it can do 0-100 in 4.2 seconds. The engine was built at the Gyor plant in Hungary nd it looks that the TDI V12 will go into production for this amazing vehicle. The engine already fulfills all the Euro 6 emission standards which wont be in effect until 2014. One intresting styling feature on the vehicle is red illuminated LED’s in the engine bay so the engine can be seen through the window all lit up at night. How cool is that!

For more Information:

Audi official press release for the R8 V12 TDI

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