Wednesday, August 31st
2006 Toyota RAV4 Unveiled
Toyota will unveil the third generation of its compact RAV4 sport-utility vehicle at next month’s Frankfurt auto show in Germany, ahead of the SUV’s American debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas in November. The 2006 RAV4 is completely restyled and re-engineered, and grows up in size to allow for another future launch, the retro FJ Cruiser - a direct rival to Honda’s Element - to slot beneath it. The car’s move upmarket is also symbolized by a look that is “tougher” than the previous generations’ “cute-ute” appeal and the option of a V6, a first for Toyota’s compact...........[
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Tuesday, August 30th
Patriot Missile - Chevy's New Corvette Z06
Johnny O’Connell is in full manic race mode. Shoulders hunched. Feet dancing around the pedal box like Fred Astaire doing the tap. Slamming home the shifter like he’s punching-out some drunk. And the boy’s flyin’. Red-line in first through third. Flat in fourth with one-fifty-five showing on the speedo at the end of the main straight. Screaming through the Esses with not the merest hint of a lift. We’re at Virginia International Raceway, in the boonies close to the Virginia state line. Flame-haired O’Connell, top wheelman with the Corvette Racing team, still grinning from his Le Mans 24-Hour GT win...........[
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Friday, August 26th
Cadillac's V-Series Tackle Europe
Cadillac is ready to challenge the likes of BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions at their own turf, as the American automaker intends to introduce European versions of the STS-V and XLR-V high-performance cars at next month’s Frankfurt auto show in Germany. The introduction of the STS sedan and XLR hardtop roadster will give the GM division a full performance lineup in Europe, as the Corvette-powered CTS-V sedan has been on sale there since earlier this year. The STS and XLR will be available to European customers in early 2006 - the same time both cars will go on sale...........[
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Thursday, August 25th
All-New Bentley Azure Set for 2006 Debut
Volkswagen-owned Bentley has confirmed that the Arnage Drophead concept unveiled at last January’s Los Angeles auto show will become the company’s flagship model when its production version debuts on Spring 2006. Set to revive the Azure badge that identified Bentley’s previous top-of-the-line entry (discontinued in 2003), the new convertible, based on the platform of the Arnage sedan, features a canvas top and seating for four. Power comes from a twin-turbo 6.75-liter V8 good for 450 horses and 645 pound-feet of torque. As for pricing, don’t expect much change from your house and a little extra, as the 2003 Azure had...........[
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Wednesday, August 24th
ALL 17" and 18" BK Racing Alloy Wheels reduced
We have just reduced the price on ALL 17" BK Racing Alloy packages by £50 and 18" BK Racing alloy wheel and tyre packages by £100. This fantastic deal gives you an even better reason now to look at the fantastic range of styles and buy while the Summer is still here. To see the range of BK Racing Alloy Wheels click here...........[
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Mitsubishi Evo Tipped for Radical Future
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a rally-bred sportscar that can outrun much more expensive iron thanks to its oversized turbocharger and four-wheel drive. But the Evo’s mighty soul remains concealed in a conservative Lancer body, something the three-diamonds brand plans to address with the next generation of its global compact. Set to be unveiled at next month’s Frankfurt auto show, Mitsu’s Sportback concept previews the looks of the next-gen Lancer, which will appear in 2007 as a five-door hatchback - the current car comes in four-door sedan and five-door wagon flavors. The Sportback’s visual strength is highlighted by a huge...........[
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Tuesday, August 23rd
Suzuki Introduces All-New Grand Vitara
American Suzuki unveiled its all-new 2006 Grand Vitara this Monday in Vancouver, Canada. New from the ground up, the five-passenger SUV boasts sleeker styling and a larger, more powerful standard V6 engine. Deemed the “cornerstone” of Suzuki’s '06 lineup, the new Grand Vitara offers consumers extra headroom and more front and rear legroom in addition to much-improved interior materials. Front and rear side-curtain airbags and keyless entry and start are also unusual novelties for the compact, “cute-ute” segment, as is the Vitara’s body-on-frame construction - most small SUVs have unibody designs. Also new for 2006 are two available four-wheel-drive options...........[
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Monday, August 22nd
2005 Corvette Convertible: Look Out Main Street
What’s set America apart from the rest of the world is a bigness that stops just short of overkill, a physical, spiritual and emotional craving for all things grandiose, dramatic and exceptional. We love the majestic, the sensational and the spectacular. We conceive of and create what the rest of the world never could: The Grand Canyon. Fourth of July fireworks. The New York skyline. The Quarter Pounder. The space program. Bruce Springsteen. The rest of the world buys fuel in liters, we buy it by the gallon, even if costs three bucks each. If you’re American, Making a Statement...........[
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Friday, August 19th
Audi Q7 SUV Shown Undisguised
Audi’s slow stripping of its maiden entry in the lucrative premium SUV market, the Q7, has finally come to an end as the house of Ingolstadt has released the first fully undisguised images of the imposing off-roader, even though the car’s official world premiere is still about a month away - it will happen on September’s Frankfurt auto show. Besides an uncanny resemblance to the Pikes Peak Quattro concept, the photos reveal a vehicle distinctly larger than its direct competitors, the BMW X5 and the Mercedes M-Class. Rising on a modified version of the VW Touareg/Porsche Cayenne platform, the Q7’s...........[
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Thursday, August 18th
Tiger Alloy Wheels’ Steal
JSE-listed international automotive alloy wheel manufacturer Tiger Wheels says it expects to grab 5-10% of the American original equipment alloy wheel market by the end of 2006. OEM alloy wheels are specified by car manufacturers. Tiger Wheel’s expected increased share in this market is the result of a $24-m acquisition of a Kentucky-based large-diameter wheel plant dedicated to supplying Ford motor manufacturing plants. Tiger Wheels already has a manufacturing facility at Auburn, Alabama. Tiger Wheels says the acquisition – which was made by its German-based subsidiary ATS Beteiligungs GmbH – is at a large discount to the $45-m book value...........[
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Wednesday, August 17th
Nissan Z Tops 1.5 Million Sales
As Nissan North America prepares to unveil the refined 2006 Nissan 350Z sports car to a group of enthusiastic owners at the 18th Annual International Z Car Convention in Syracuse, New York, the Nissan Z - at age 36 - shows no signs of slowing down. As one of the true international success stories in the automotive industry, the Z today is sold in more than 80 countries, with over 1,535,000 cumulative units sold to date - the world’s best-selling sports car ever. The first four generations of the Z, which debuted in the United States in the fall of...........[
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Tuesday, August 16th
In Racing: Montoya Glad About McLaren Switch
A man that suddenly looks a lot smarter in the Formula 1 paddock is Juan Pablo Montoya, who chose to trade Williams for McLaren some two years ago besides being contractually forced to stick around for another season in Sir Frank’s squad. With today’s confirmation that the former BMW factory team will be powered by “boutique” engine builders Cosworth next year (click here for story), JPM - who’s won a single race so far at McLaren - celebrated his decision to go Mercedes’ way back in 2003. “I feel it was the right decision, even if at first, things did...........[
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Monday, August 15th
Streetka Sees Red
Just 500 style-lovers will take to Britain's roads this summer in the limited edition Streetka Red, launched as part of Ford's "summer of love" marketing campaign. The striking red leather interior combines with three exterior colours to get these lucky Streetka drivers noticed. At £13,995, Streetka Red comes with £200 of extras: a "Quickclear" heated front windscreen, windbreak and Streetka-branded carpet mats as standard. Combined with the other standard features of CFC-free air conditioning, heated front seats and metallic paint, this makes a unique luxury package. Streetka Red has a punchy 1.6i petrol engine and 14-inch alloy wheels. (this article...........[
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Friday, August 12th
Next TT's cover blown
Pull back the covers - it's the most important sports car of 2006! This week we can exclusively reveal Audi's next-generation TT, caught on test wearing only a light disguise ahead of its official launch in the spring. While much of the new machine is shrouded in secrecy, the mag's pictures give us the best view yet of Audi's redesign for its most famous model. We can also reveal how both the Roadster and Coupé will look free of any disguise. And it seems that the company has turned to German rival BMW for some inspiration. Styling chief Chris Bangle's...........[
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Thursday, August 11th
247hp for New Golf R32
The next generation of Volkswagen’s hugely successful Golf R32 will make its world premiere on Septmeber’s Frankfurt auto show in Germany. Based on the Mk.V Golf, still unavailable in America but scheduled to debut still in the 2006 model year, the new R32 has kept the 3.2-liter V6 engine that, coupled with four-wheel-drive, has helped the previous-gen car to more than double VW’s initial sales expectations. But thanks to the VW Group’s new FSI direct fuel injection technology, the new car now develops an impressive 247 horsepower, 10 more than its predecessor. While in Europe the R32 battles in the...........[
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Wednesday, August 10th
Peugeot 307 SW SE HDi 136
There's no doubt that times have been tough for the Peugeot 307. Under fire from the new Ford Focus, Citroen C4 and Volkswagen Golf, the Lion's family favourite has had to work extra hard for sales over the past 12 months. Now, all that effort is about to pay off. Having held its own against such tough opposition, the hatchback is getting a facelift. But do the changes go far enough? Auto Express took to the wheel of the first seven-seat 307 SW estate to hit the UK to find out. The most obvious difference has been made to the...........[
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Tuesday, August 9th
End of the Line for Monaro
Vauxhall is axing its mighty Aussie-based Monaro after just two years. The move is the result of fellow GM company Holden halting production of the super-saloon Down Under. Supply of Vauxhall versions will stop next spring. Holden is parent firm GM's leading rear-wheel-drive chassis developer, and the factory space currently occupied by the Monaro production line is needed for other, more profitable projects. More than 400 of the V8 sports saloons have been sold in Britain since the car's launch in March 2004. Initially, only the 354bhp 5.7-litre version was available, but a 382bhp 6.0-litre VXR flagship followed shortly after...........[
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Monday, August 8th
Smiths Kraken Alloy Wheels now available
After a very long wait, the much anticipated Smiths Kraken Alloy Wheels are now available in the UK. Available in a wide range of 17" fitments, these Alloy Wheels are a complete departure from anything seen in the UK ever before and will make your car stand out from the crowd for some years to come. Packages will start from £620 including tyres so give Topgear a ring now on 0800 980 5338 to get yours on order before they sell out...........[
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Volkswagen Passat Estate TDI DSG
Style is as important as storage in the ultra-competitive estate sector, which is why VW says it's expecting big things from the load-lugging version of its new Passat. And with good reason - Auto Express was so impressed by the saloon, it won the best family car title in our recent New Car Honours 2005. We tried the 138bhp 2.0-litre TDI estate, which will be the range's biggest seller when it goes on sale in November. Our model featured the optional £1,500 DSG sequential transmission, but a six-speed manual box will be standard. The saloon's stylish lines haven't been harmed...........[
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Friday, August 5th
2005 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas: Grace, Space, and Pace Defined
The all-new-for-2005 Jaguar XJ features what might be the most thorough and least noticeable overhaul of a large, luxury sedan in recent memory. The XJ, the pride of the Jaguar fleet, has a long and noble heritage as a premium luxury sedan. More than any other Jaguar model, the XJ sedan truly represents the Coventry, England-based automaker’s mantra of “grace, space and pace.” The Big Cat is the very embodiment of traditional English values: It’s as conservative as a Savile Row suit and every bit as elegant. It exudes Old Money, but does so with a whisper of course, not...........[
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Thursday, August 4th
Honda Civic
The transition from show car to showroom is complete! When Honda's Civic concept stunned visitors at the Geneva exhibition in March, few believed the production version would be as radical. But, as these first official pictures prove, it will be virtually unchanged when it goes in sale in January. With a public unveiling set for next month's Frankfurt Motor Show, Auto Express had exclusive early access to see what buyers can expect. In the metal, the Civic is a dramatic-looking family car - particularly when compared to its Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra rivals. All the key features...........[
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Wednesday, August 3rd
Audi's New Off-Roader Shown in the Open
Lightly disguised images of Audi’s first-ever full-blown sport-utility vehicle, the Q7, have been released by the German company ahead of the off-roader’s official world premiere, set for September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. A direct rival to the BMW X5 and the Mercedes ML-Class, the Q7 is also tuned for on-road performance rather than heroic off-roading. Audi has opted for its business-as-usual Quattro all-wheel-drive system rather than the heavier - and more capable - transmission employed by its corporate sibling, Volkswagen’s Touareg. Unlike the Touareg, for instance, the Q7 won’t offer locking differentials. Another Q7 innovation is an extended wheelbase to accommodate...........[
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Tuesday, August 2nd
Ferrari's Arab Connection
Italian bank Mediobanca has sold its five-percent stake on legendary Italian sportscar maker Ferrari to Mubdala, an investment company owned by the Abu Dhabi government, one of the United Arab Emirates. The transaction was valued at 114 million Euro, or circa $138 million. Ferrari’s parent company, volume automaker Fiat, has faced steep losses for the past few years and is in dire financial condition, in spite of a recent billionaire settlement with General Motors that allowed the American company to terminate its partial ownership of Fiat. Ferrari’s road-car division has experimented repeated sales successes, but the company is not a...........[
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Monday, August 1st
The Hummer H3
You either love or hate Hummer. Originally a military vehicle builder creating huge 4x4s designed to follow in tank tracks, it now spends as much time in the limelight as the battlefield. That's due in large part to celebrity endorsements by Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Beckham and a host of hip-hop artists. In 2001 the firm introduced the H2, either the ultimate off-roader, or the most socially unacceptable car on the planet - depending on your view. Conscious of this car's impact, and keen to expand its range, Hummer has now launched its smallest SUV - the H3. Right-hand-drive examples arrive...........[
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