This week’s hot news

Image for the article Park Your Maserati on Your Balcony

Park Your Maserati on Your Balcony

When the day comes that you can no longer expect to find a parking spot on any of the streets within an hour of your apartment—even though you’ve got a parking permit, damn it all—German company CarLoft may have just the solution for you.

Continued

Image for the article Gran Turismo TV Debut on PlayStation 3

Gran Turismo TV Debut on PlayStation 3

If you’ve got a PlayStation 3, and I suspect you do, then you’ll be keen to know that Gran Turismo TV is debuting this weekend. For a small fee, you’ll be able to download episodes of Top Gear, Japan’s Best Motoring, and much more.

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Image for the article 2008 Yamaha Vino 125 - Affordable Mediterranean Cool

2008 Yamaha Vino 125 - Affordable Mediterranean Cool

At a low $3299, and with petrol prices sucking wallets dry, Yamaha’s new XC125 Vino scooter will be sure to find a lot of friends. That price, in case you’re unaware, is a full $1200 less than when the Vino was released in 2006.

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Image for the article 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX Powers Up

2009 Subaru Impreza WRX Powers Up

Subaru knows that it’s going to have a real fight on its hands in the near future. Mitsubishi has been steadily turning up the wick with each new announcement and model release and it looks like Subaru is readying itself to return fire with the 2009 Impreza WRX.

Continued

Image for the article Third Party App Turns iPhone Into iDatalogger

Third Party App Turns iPhone Into iDatalogger

Wish you had something akin to the GT-R’s multifunction display in your hand-me-down Corolla? Well, if you’ve got an Apple iPhone, you could transform that slab of plastic and metal into a bona-fide performance meter/datalogger.

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Image for the article Mazda Divides 6, Gets 2010 Mazda3

Mazda Divides 6, Gets 2010 Mazda3

Word is that an aggressive-looking MPS version of the new 3 is definitely on the cards, into which Mazda is expected to shovel the 5-cylinder turbo from the Ford Focus XR5, offering in the vicinity of 190kW.

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Image for the article Anglo-Italian Alliance: 2010 Elise to Underpin Abarth Roadster

Anglo-Italian Alliance: 2010 Elise to Underpin Abarth Roadster

The folks over at Autocar have confirmed that Lotus is collaborating with Abarth on their new mid-engined sports car project, which will be based upon the same extruded aluminium chassis of the third-generation Lotus Elise that’s due to drop sometime in 2010.

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Image for the article 2009 Porsche 911 Targa Details Revealed

2009 Porsche 911 Targa Details Revealed

Porsche’s new glass-roofed 911 Targa is on its way to Australian shores later this year, and is set to feature the latest in Porsche technology.

Continued

Image for the article General Motors Working on Visibility Augmenting HUD

General Motors Working on Visibility Augmenting HUD

GM is looking at improving visibility on what is traditionally what you’re looking for outside the windshield: the road. Using cameras to watch the road, the system uses a computer and a laser drawing system to “draw” the road onto the windshield.

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Hot New Content

THE INSIDER REVIEW

Feature Photo for Road Test: Ford Mondeo TDCi versus Saab Aero TTiD

The Insider takes a look at two diesels from opposite ends of the spectrum. The results may surprise.

TMR ROADTEST

Feature Photo for 2008 Mazda CX-9 Review

Klosey's daily driver is a 4X4, so he's no stranger to big cars—but big luxurious people movers? That's a different story.

TRACK DAZE

Feature Photo for Godzilla attacks! R35 GT-R goes racing at Superlap Time Attack

Tony O'Kane packs his bags for Superlap Time Attack, a new racing format on the Aussie track scene.

Stratton Finance - Car Finance, Great Rates, No Ongoing Fees, No Payout Penalties, Click Here for an Instant Online Quote Upcoming on The Motor Report

TMR News and Features

Author Page for Steane Klose

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It’s probably not too often that a beefy Aussie bloke spends a week in a little three-door hatch and genuinely laments handing back the keys. Let’s be realistic here, most of the cars in this class are targeted to female buyers. They’re cute, cool and sometimes sassy but rarely a ripper drive. With small four-cylinder engines, they’re tuned for fuel-sipping in the shopping strips as opposed to sling-shotting away from the lights.  Driving this type of car can be - in fact, is expected to be - a little ho-hum.

However, there are exceptions to every rule and the little 2 is one such exception. » Read Article

Author Page for Daniel McCoey

evo-cornering

Prepared to be Shocked!

If you, like me, have friends who enjoy tinkering with cars and working out how to get the most out of them, then the conversation at some stage would have turned to upgraded suspension components. High on the list of topics being shock absorbers.

So what benefit comes from an upgraded shock absorber? » Read Article

Author Page for Mike Stevens

bmw-vinyl_01

One rapidly growing trend in automotive aesthetic modifications is the use of adhesive, conformable vinyl in the place of paint for changing the colour of your car. 

A member of a E90 BMW enthusiast forum recently undertook the task on his BMW 335i coupe, and kindly documented the process in photos for his forum compatriots. 

Originally a black model, ‘gerritg’ took his Beamer to vehicle signage specialists to be wrapped head to toe (so to speak) in brilliant white vinyl, made by the gurus at 3M specifically for conforming perfectly to the contours.

» Read Article

Author Page for Tony O'Kane

DB2008AU00878

After the recent leak of official Golf MkVI press photos let the proverbial cat out of the bag, Volkswagen has decided to follow it up by revealing the nitty-gritty details on its upcoming hatchback.

Aside from the new look, the sixth-generation Golf brings with it a new body, new engines, new transmissions and an all-new take on Volkswagen’s most successful car. But that doesn’t mean VW has forgotten the Golf’s heritage: indeed, with its horizontally-slatted and blacked-out grille, a prominent VW badge calling to mind the first and second-gen Golfs, and the characteristically thick C-pillar carrying over from the previous model, the MkVI displays its lineage with pride. » Read Article

Author Page for Alan Li

peugeot-205-gti1

It was twenty five years ago that the class of giant killers known as the hot-hatch found another member. You will remember the Volkswagen Golf GTi had earlier pioneered the class by offering a performance version of what was already a ‘hot-hatch’ when it arrived in the mid-seventies. (Renault, of course, with the R16, is recognised as the ‘inventor’ of the hatch-back.)

In the 80’s, another French car emerged to rule the hot-hatch roost. That car is the Peugeot 205. » Read Article

Author Page for Tony O'Kane

image47392_b

It might be facing trouble in the form of declining big-sedan sales, but Ford’s latest iteration of the perennial Falcon sedan has carried out a major coup by attaining the first ever 5-star ANCAP rating for an Australian-built car. Initially we thought that the 5-star score would only be awarded to the G6E and G6E Turbo, the only Falcons fitted as standard with curtain and thorax air-bags, but we happily stand corrected - every Falcon sedan (with the exception of the eGas range which does not currently feature DSC) is now a 5-star ANCAP performer. » Read Article

Author Page for Mike Stevens

eastern-creek_3

The Australian Racing Drivers Club has today announced that massive works would be undertaken in its plan to turn Eastern Creek Raceway into a world class venue, both to cover for the loss of Oran Park, and to ensure Eastern Creek’s viability into the future as a venue of choice for international racing events.

When quizzed on the chances of acquiring the necessary funds to make the plan a reality, John Cotter, president of the ARDC, was confident, saying that it was a “90 percent” likelihood. » Read Article

Author Page for Dan Fewster

 

f1-kers

While KERS may not have had a trouble free run during testing and development, it’s almost certain we’ll see the system utilised in ’09’s Grand Prix series.

With safety concerns and costs high on the agenda, F1 teams have met twice in the last 7 days to discuss the possibility of delaying introduction until 2010, lead by Renault boss Flavio Briatore.

» Read Article

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