Autoblog

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You know how the Mazdaspeed3 is a pretty spiffy package, what with its 263 horses and 280 lb-ft of torque? The Australians have a better one. I know, I know -- shocking. Mazda Australia revealed the Mazda3 MPS Extreme at the Sydney Motor Show today, and it's a pretty compelling package. PCM reprogramming results in boosted mumbers of 281 horsepower and 313 lb-ft of torque. The fun doesn't end there either, as the Extreme gets a 2-inch exhaust and a suspension tuned by Murray Coote, who does the same for Australian race and rally cars. 19" BBS wheels with red MPS center caps fill out the fender cutouts, and the car itself is finished in red paint with black stripes and a black roof. It looks mean both in pictures and on paper, and it's just for our friends Down Under.

Follow the jump for the official press release and tech specs.

[Source: Mazda]

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We brought you word on the new FPV Cobra last week, and today it was officially unveiled at the Sydney Motor Show. Everything we told you already still holds true, so here's a quick refresher:

• Available in both sedan and ute bodystyles
• 5.4L BOSS 302 V8 (302 kW/540 Nm - 404 HP/398 lb-ft)
• 6-speed manual or ZF 6-speed automatic
• Sedan equipped with R-Spec suspension
• Brembo brakes standard, 6-piston front/4-piston rear upgrade available
• 500 cars total: 400 sedans, 100 utes
• All cars finished in white w/ blue stripes
• Pricing: Sedan - $65,110 AUD, Ute - $61,200 AUD

Follow the jump for the official FPV press release and check out the gallery below for a full suite of live shots from the floor in Sydney, as well as all the available press photos, including a few new ones.

[Source: FPV]


Live photos Copyright ©2007 Siddarth Raja / Weblogs, Inc.

Click the image above for a gallery of high-res pics of the Touareg R50.

After releasing a teaser last week, Volkswagen finally let loose official details about the Touareg R50 before its debut at the Sydney Motor Show this Sunday. VW tweaked the ECU to huff extra boost into the twin-turbo'd 5.0-liter V10 TDI, which now produces 350 HP at 3,500 RPM and peak torque of 627 lb.-ft. at 2,000 RPM. That allows the bespoke blue behemoth to sprint to 62 in 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 146 MPH.

The Touareg's R-treatment isn't limited to the extra grunt, as VW's Individual group equipped the R50 with 21-inch rollers wrapped in 295mm gumballs that frame blue-painted brake calipers. The front clip gets a revised bumper and a grille coated in a matte finish, while flared wheel arches and new side skirts give the R50 a more planted persona. The inside gets swathed in Nappa leather complete with the "R50" logo stitched into the seats and engraved into the doorsills.

When the Touareg R50 goes on sale this November, consumers will have their choice of five color combos: Biscay Blue, Campanella White, Reflex Silver, Black Magic and Atacam Gray.

Volkswagen's press release is posted after the jump.

click above image for more pics of the 8th generation Toyota Land Cruiser

We've already seen Toyota's 8th generation Land Cruiser thanks to a slip by the automaker's Honduran division, but that won't take away the company's pleasure of officially debuting the vehicle today ahead of its public reveal at the Australian International Motor Show in early October. The new Land Cruiser is completely redesigned with a look that evokes the Tundra's bold front end, but it's also 60mm longer and 30mm wider than the vehicle it replaces. The larger dimensions allow the new Cruiser to seat eight comfortably, though we'll wait until we sit in the third row ourselves to test that claim.

In Australia, Toyota will be offering the Land Cruiser with either a turbodiesel V8 or gas V8 engine. While the Australian press release didn't contain details on either powerplant, we found a European press release that states the diesel will be a 4.5L producing 286 HP and 480 ft-lbs. of torque, and it will be mated to a 6-speed automatic. The gas engine will be a 4.7L VVT-i V8 producing 288 HP and 328 ft-lbs. of torque, though its power will be divided by a 5-speed automatic. Since its sister SUV, the Lexus LX570, will go on sale in the U.S. with the Tundra's 5.7L V8, we expect the Land Cruiser to be offered in the States with that engine, as well.

[Source: Toyota]

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Presented to gauge interested in a possible sporty model, Hyundai unveiled its Sonata SXi concept in Sydney this week. Powered by the optional 3.3-liter V6 in stock form, the SXi features an upgraded suspension, a brake upgrade with red-painted calipers, new wheels and tires, and a very subtle body kit that add skirts to the car's flanks and rear bumper, as well as a new lip spoiler up front. A decklid spoiler rounds things out.

In front, the top part of the grille surround is now a red line (think VW GTI). The interior, which we unfortunately don't have photos of yet, features silver trim, black leather and red contrast stitching. According to Australia's drive.com.au, this car could hit the market in the next year or so.

(Additional photos after the jump)

[Source: Drive.com.au]

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Toyota is teasing Aussie customers with a very hot-looking show car that takes the new Aurion in a very sporty direction. The car is purely a styling exercise, so there's no news regarding any newfound goodness underhood, but Toyota Australia is careful to note that many of the appearance mods seen here are under consideration for a potential future sports model, which would likely be powered by "a supercharged or turbocharged version of an advanced Toyota engine."

We'll take that as a wink-wink, nudge-nudge, seeing as the Aussies love fast saloons, and there's clearly a market for them on the island continent. Anyway, back to the Aurion Sports Concept.

It's finished in Inferno Red with contrasting metallic grey accents where you'd find the more pedestrian chrome bits on a regular Aurion. In front, the car's aero kit is complemented by a floating grille frame with a mesh insert. The grey accent color carries the grille and upper half of the bumper down to the lower lip spoiler, recalling the type of look VW went for with its R-GT Passat in NY last April. That's not a bad thing at all, actually. It looks great here. In back, the upgraded rear bumper features integrated exhaust outlets and a diffuser insert. The big 5-spoke wheels are painted in the same metallic grey finish as the rest of the car's trim pieces. Finally, the glass and roof all get a blackout treatment.

Good stuff. Let's see if TRD can work up something this cool for our version of this car, the Camry.

(Photos, press release after the jump)

[Source: Toyota Australia]

click on image to enlarge

The Mitsubishi 380 sold in Australia is basically a version of the Galant sedan sold in North America with a few minor styling tweaks. The car's share the same 3.8-liter MIVEC V6 from which the Australian version gets its name, which is why we're so jealous of the Australian market after seeing this 380 TMR concept being shown off at the Sydney Motor Show. The 380 TMR features a supercharged version of the MIVEC 3.8-liter V6 that produces 308 horsepower and 326 ft-lbs. of torque, which are scary numbers indeed for a front-wheel drive sedan, but assuredly entertaining, as well. Aside from the hopped-up engine, the TMR, which stands for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, includes six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes developed by Ralliart, a ride height lowered 50mm on adjustable Koni shocks, and 19-inch wheels bound with Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber. Styling is amped up with a new hood that sports twin scoops and aggressive body kit, while Recaro seats and a Fujitsu sound system are new additions to the interior.

Mitsubishi is seriously considering offering the TMR 380 to its Australian customers in one form or another, either as a two-tier model range with a lower-spec example sporting all the visuals and a top end version that adds the supercharged motor. The automaker might also make the components used to build the TMR 380 available as individual accessories. The business case seems solid, as Mitsubishi has already received orders for the car after it was seen on the internet.

Knowing that the 3.8-liter V6 powering the 380 is available in the U.S.-spec Galant, we're groaning out loud that this supercharged version wasn't offered in the Galant Ralliart. The Galant Ralliart sold here has a normally aspirated 258-horsepower version of the same engine that routs power through a 5-speed automatic. While 258-horsepower is nothing to scoff at, scoff we shall since more powerful motors are offered by the Galant's competition in models that are bereft of much sporting intent. The Toyota Camry's 3.5-liter V6, for instance, produces 268 horsepower, and it doesn't have a TRD badge on the back. It seems Australians have even more power lust than us in North America, and Mitsubishi is happy to feed their need.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Aussies hoping to see the new Porsche 911 Turbo, GT3, and Targa at the Sydney motor show should prepare to be disappointed.

Thanks to the unusually high number of exhibitors scheduled for this year's event, Porsche was unable to secure the spot they initially requested. Using the alternative offered by show organizers would have forced Porsche to alter their display in a way that was not acceptable, so they made a tough decision: Porsche would pull out of the Sydney show altogether.

For the area's Porschephiles, this has to be a bummer of the first order. Three new 911 variants and none of them are headed to Sydney. If it was us, we'd be unhappy, too.

[Source: drive.com.au]