The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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scott
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The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

Post by scott »

A thread for all motoring issues- from new vehicle releases,recalls and other general car discussion to bring it all under one roof

I know there are other car related forums around, but the aim is for more general all makes automotive discussion rather than focusing on one.

To kick off- Nissan's all new Patrol http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/f ... 25rpz.html

Bloody expensive with a price range from $85,000 to $115,000 (estimated), but the toffs who live in Brighton, Toorak and Double Bay would probably like it. No diesels in the new range, the previous series Patrol will remain on sale in diesel only form with the trusty ZD30 powerplant (some people call it the grenade as some of these engines are known to self destruct)
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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This new Patrol is apparently made to suit the tastes of the Arabic nations-which with their cheap and plentiful fuel tend not to care if it burns 20 or 30 litres per 100. It's primary design brief was to be able to go up and over the sandhills they have out there with ease. It remains to be seen how well it will go off roading in other contexts but Nissan are no different to how Toyota have split the Land Cruiser into the 70 series for people who want a hardcore off road 4x4 and 200 series "Toorak Tractor" type 4x4. The GU Patrol is basically a licence to print money for Nissan as the underlying chassis is basically unchanged from the GQ series if 1988 and the bodyshell was last updated in 1998 so their investment is well and truly paid off by now. We will have the GQ until at least 2015 before the ZD30 will require updating to the new emissions standards and apparently Nissan are considering either installing the 2.5 litre unit presently in the Pathfinder and Navara or more realistically using the V6 diesel also offered in the Navara.

It's interesting to note also that Nissan are pricing the new Patrol about the same as Toyota prices the Land Cruiser. This is a big statement from them, they obviously think they have the car that is equal with Toyota to be able do this, up until now the Patrol has been the "poor man's Land Cruiser" so for them to price equal to Toyota is as I said a substantial statement to the market.

They have mostly worked out the grenading in the ZD30 but I wouldn't call it trusty, not by a long shot. The ZD30 doesn't even compare to the TD42, it's been said a TD42 at 600,000 km is about as worn out as any other engine at 200,000 km. Somehow I don't think we'll be seeing as many ZD30's get to 1,000,000 km as we have seen TD42s reach 2,000,000.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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Toyota released a stripper GX version of the 200 series Cruiser in the last 12 months to appease the mines and recreational 4WD'ers for a pricetag of $77,990. When they finished the 100 series, they did not have a standard version.

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/52812/ ... -australia
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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Mercedes Benz has joined Nissan, Holden & (ugh :P) Ford, for the V8 Supercars, starting with The Clipsal 500. All Benz's are E class AMG vehicles :D more - http://www.news.com.au/sport/motor-spor ... 6477498324
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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I'm wondering how much longer it will be before Chrysler enters the 300C. It'd be a perfect fit for the V8 Supercars given the market the new 300C is trying to compete in.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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The Victorian taxi industry has written to car manufacturers to design a super taxi from Melbourne, sorry it is a bit of a read.

From Herald Sun

"The Victorian Taxi Association has written to car manufacturers including Ford, Holden, Kia, Nissan and Toyota to see if they could design a Melbourne super cab, where the driver and passengers are separated in different compartments by a solid screen.
It wants purpose-built people movers or vans seating at least six passengers and a wheelchair-accessible version to replace sedans, many of which are ex-executive cars bought at second-hand auctions and retro-fitted.
Taxi inquiry head Prof Allan Fels and the Victorian Taxi Directorate, which would have to approve the vehicle, welcomed the VTA's proposal.
In a letter to car chiefs, VTA CEO Neil Sach said driver safety was a key reason behind seeking expressions of interest.
He said the organisation's ideal vehicle configuration, with USB ports for customers to charge their mobile phones and dual airconditioning controls, would revolutionise cabs in Victoria and possibly Australia.It's unlikely customers would sit in the front seat but the taxi would remain the famous "Kennett yellow".

VTA spokesman David Samuel said the organisation felt drivers and passengers could no longer have physical contact, highlighted by the murder of cabbie Stephen Seymour and the recent bashing of another."We would think the best design would be moving away from that sedan model into the vans, and largely that's to accommodate being able to separate the driver compartment from the passenger compartment but still being able to retain a high level of passenger comfort," Mr Samuel said.
Prof Fels said the taxi inquiry had pushed the point of a purpose-built taxi for almost 18 months and welcomed the VTA's in-principle recognition of the reforms.
"I would be mildly concerned if this initiative is a publicity stunt and not a true move to a customer responsive industry," Prof Fels said.
Victorian Taxi Directorate spokesman Bob Neilson said the regulator "considers any application to licence a vehicle in line with existing applicable vehicle standards".
He said the design and development of a super cab was a matter for vehicle manufacturers and the taxi industry, but the VTD believed any new vehicle should promote accessibility"

Nissan have got a design that they are rolling out in New York that could be easily adapted in Australia and could be a contender. I don't see Holden and Ford being able to do much, but maybe they have something up thier sleeve. I remember back in the early 1990's Melbourne had some imported Metrocabs taxis, which were repowered with VP Commodore V6 engines, but they were a disaster and did not stack up against the XF-EB Falcons and VN-VP Commodores that were operating at the time, the last Metrocabs unit I saw was in about 1998 or so.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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Also, NSW Police have a new acquisition to it's fleet- A Porsche

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glanceview/2 ... che.glance

I know it is not going to be used in high speed chases, but it would be useful. Just imagine sticking a crook in the back seat- a quick trip back to the lock up.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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A quick guess would be the Porsche Panamera?
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

Post by John »

scott wrote:Nissan have got a design that they are rolling out in New York that could be easily adapted in Australia and could be a contender. I don't see Holden and Ford being able to do much, but maybe they have something up thier sleeve. I remember back in the early 1990's Melbourne had some imported Metrocabs taxis, which were repowered with VP Commodore V6 engines, but they were a disaster and did not stack up against the XF-EB Falcons and VN-VP Commodores that were operating at the time, the last Metrocabs unit I saw was in about 1998 or so.
The Toyota Hiace commuter could also be a possible contender.

Ideally, it would be great to see something developed and produced locally.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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scott wrote:Also, NSW Police have a new acquisition to it's fleet- A Porsche

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glanceview/2 ... che.glance

I know it is not going to be used in high speed chases, but it would be useful. Just imagine sticking a crook in the back seat- a quick trip back to the lock up.

I found this interesting:

"NSW Police are the first force in Australia to get a Porsche included in their fleet of Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons."

There are very few Police Falcons and Commodores around where I am, and those that are, are normally Highway Patrol SS Commodores and XR6 Turbo Falcons. I can only recall seeing one non XR6 Turbo Falcon Police car recently, most cars now are either 4 cylinder Camrys, Ford Ranger utes which are/were the standard Government vehicle and Toyota Hiluxes. I have been told that fuel economy is a big deal even for the police, hence the General Duties officers getting Camrys-not even Aurions.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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It's safe to say this video is perfectly aimed at bogans :P :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkeMvvm5sGA
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

Post by MetroTasCatcher »

Albatross wrote:
scott wrote:Also, NSW Police have a new acquisition to it's fleet- A Porsche

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glanceview/2 ... che.glance

I know it is not going to be used in high speed chases, but it would be useful. Just imagine sticking a crook in the back seat- a quick trip back to the lock up.

I found this interesting:

"NSW Police are the first force in Australia to get a Porsche included in their fleet of Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons."

There are very few Police Falcons and Commodores around where I am, and those that are, are normally Highway Patrol SS Commodores and XR6 Turbo Falcons. I can only recall seeing one non XR6 Turbo Falcon Police car recently, most cars now are either 4 cylinder Camrys, Ford Ranger utes which are/were the standard Government vehicle and Toyota Hiluxes. I have been told that fuel economy is a big deal even for the police, hence the General Duties officers getting Camrys-not even Aurions.
Just your typical 'general' comment made by the media source. Not an accurate statement at all really, as most police services across the country now have a hugely varied vehicle fleet. Toyotas and other makes are just as popular as the Holdens and Fords it seems.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

Post by ScaniaL94UB »

I found what you said quite interesting MetroTasCatcher.
You will quite easily find that Tasmania Police's fleet can be varied: Commodores, Camrys, Falcon XR6 and HiluxWorkMate's. The recent Police cuts happened, now we don't have as much vehicles as we did before. That's why someone formed "Safety in Numbers" you can find them on Facebook.

The Holden Omega proves quite popular too within the Police sector.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

Post by MetroTasCatcher »

ScaniaL94UB wrote:I found what you said quite interesting MetroTasCatcher.
You will quite easily find that Tasmania Police's fleet can be varied: Commodores, Camrys, Falcon XR6 and HiluxWorkMate's. The recent Police cuts happened, now we don't have as much vehicles as we did before. That's why someone formed "Safety in Numbers" you can find them on Facebook.

The Holden Omega proves quite popular too within the Police sector.
I didn't say the Tasmania Police fleet wasn't varied? The media stated NSWPF only had Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons, I was saying that was somewhat incorrect.

The recent budget cuts in Tasmania mean the police fleet has been reduced in size and vehicles purchased in the future are cheaper, smaller and less powerful. The variety of vehicles still remains however. There are many unmarked police vehicles across Tasmania that you would not ever pick as being police vehicles.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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I Had the opportunity to drive a BA Falcon ute today, with a completely empty trayback body. That plus leaf spring live axle rear made the back end an interesting experience. I have missed having 182 kw and 380nm under my right hand foot. My thoughts were basically summed up by saying "V8's are redundant", it'll be a shame if [even I now admit, more accurately "when"] the Falcon is discontinued to lose such a wonderful car with an excellent driveline. I'm waiting to have an opportunity to drive one with the 6 speed gearbox as I imagine it would be quite a package to drive.

I'm tempted, I saw a BA Futura sedan with 320,000 km but still in good condition for sale for $3,750 the other day. Someone offered me $3200 for the Commodore...
It's tempting.
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Taking delivery this Friday of a brand new Mercedes Benz C250 sedan (petrol) in tenorite grey.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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Holden are unveiling some new product at the Sydney Motor Show:-

Almost a decade after killing off the Jackaroo 4WD, Holden have released the Thai built Colarado 7. All Diesel engined and automatic only. Good nickname is the Jillaroo, I don't think this thing will knock Toyota off it's perch.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/196538/holden-colorado-7-2/

The Holden Malibu- goes on sale mid next year, automatic only

http://www.caradvice.com.au/196722/2013 ... ian-debut/

Cruze Wagon- imported from Korea,again automatic only

http://www.caradvice.com.au/196581/2013 ... ian-debut/
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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Oh dear, more mediocre imports from Holden ... why one would buy a Colorado 7 or Malibu is completely beyond me. Seriously, without the Commodore sitting up there as the Holden Halo, they might as well stick a Chevy badge on the front on all of them (like what GM has done in so many markets with their Daewoo, oh I mean GM Korea, products), or better still, just stick on a Daewoo badge.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

Post by Daniel »

hillsboy wrote:Taking delivery this Friday of a brand new Mercedes Benz C250 sedan (petrol) in tenorite grey.
Congratulations! I hope pictures will be provided!
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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Daniel wrote:
hillsboy wrote:Taking delivery this Friday of a brand new Mercedes Benz C250 sedan (petrol) in tenorite grey.
Congratulations! I hope pictures will be provided!
Yep, will try and post some pics today.
They are delivering it to my house, they said about 1.30, so about 43mins to go lol
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Car has arrived, drives amazing cant upload pics as it appears the resolution is too high.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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There is a new Acura (Honda) MDX about to be released. But hold your horses, it'll never come to Australia :(
I actually like the old MDX, it actually did okay in the large SUV market a while ago. Just what are Honda thinking :roll:

-------

Tonight, I hopped in a taxi with my mum which turned out to be a Lexus CT200h. It was a really smooth ride to he honest. It did good on 80km/h roads. There needs to he more of these taxis in the streets of Melbourne :P
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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Earlier this year, GM purchased a 7% stake in PSA Peugeot Citroën. Initially, they were planning to work together to save on procurement costs. This week, it has been announce the pair will co-develop and share four platforms. It is inevitable in my opinion that eventually the two will consolidate production facilities once these new platforms go in to production. Opel is in trouble in the EU and GM has been putting off tough decisions such as laying off workers and the closure of plants.

Ford in Europe has announced three plant closures in the past week. Two in the UK and one in Belgium. There seems to be mixed opinions on the Ford closures; I have read about the reasons being cited as the EU crisis but have also seen that these plant closures are part of the "one Ford" strategy that will probably see the Falcon and Territory eventually killed off.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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John wrote:part of the "one Ford" strategy that will probably see the Falcon and Territory eventually killed off.
I'm waiting to see what comes of the 2015 Mustang and the 2014 Falcon before I go declaring anything killed off. Ford has confirmed the new Mustang will be a rear wheel drive, Independent Rear Suspension equipped vehicle. Falcon is the only Ford platform globally that is RWD with IRS. It's also no secret that Ford in the US as well as the Middle East is missing not having a large RWD sedan. I have heard rumours that Ford is considering adapting the Falcon platform to three separate wheelbases, short for the Mustang, medium for the Falcon and long for a US sedan and possibly a re-introduced Fairlane/LTD here. They could even adapt the live axle ute chassis to be an American "cop car" sedan to make it a real successor to the Panther platform.

Of course, I admit this is probably just fanciful thinking, and the Falcon will become a FWD blandmobile with a pathetic AWD tacked on in a vain attempt to appease the masses. One can still hope however.
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Re: The Motoring Thread- for the motoring enthusiasts here

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The Ford Ranger ute is selling gangbusters, with quite long waiting lists, giving the true blue home grown Aussie Falcon ute a run for it's money. BHP have ordered a large batch of them for their fleet.

One of my work colleagues went to a Ford dealer to test drive an Ecoboost G6 and an EcoLPI, the dealer would not do a test drive as they had to move a lot of cars around to get the two vehicles out. If their attitude is lke that, then no wonder they are struggling.

After that, he went to another dealer who said Ecoboost G6's are in short supply and will have to be ordered as Ford are building to order these days, but were quite eager to show off a Mondeo.
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