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In 1954 a special and unique hand built vehicle appeared from the workshops of Daimler-Benz: The Mercedes Benz racing transporter. With its deep blue coloured Daimler-Benz paintwork,the soft curves of the chassies and the max speed of 170 km/h it caused just as much wonderment as the racing cars W 196 and 300 SLR on the loading bed. After Daimler-Benz withdrew from Formula 1 racing at the end of the 1955 this vehicle disappeared from the public view. Sadly the original was scrapped in 1967. At the beginning of the 1990’s Damler-Benz under the direction of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center a replica of the original was again constructed,bringing the solitaire “back to life”. On the occasion of the 100 year company anniversary parade for the brand Mercedes-Benz in 2001 the racing car transporter was presented to an excited public at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood in South England. Technical data of the original vehicle: * 6-cylinder in line engine (300 SL) * Fuel direct injection * Max output 192 hp at 5.500 rpm * Displament:2.996 cm * Topspeed:170 km / h * Tank volume: 150 L * Length:6.750 mm * Width:2.000 mm * Total weight:2.100 kg

TechArt MAGNUM Cayenne Turbo 29-11-2006 TechArt MAGNUM with 600 hp / 442 kW twin-turbo V8 and muscular designer outfit: This is the exclusive high performance SUV Made by TechArt Automobildesign. The TechArt engine department was hard at work developing an extremely powerful version. The TechArt TA 048/T3 performance kit consists of two larger turbochargers, a high performance intercooler, the TechArt sport exhaust system as well as a redesigned intake manifold. A newly programmed Motronic and a sport air filter complete this tuning level. In this guise the twin-turbo V8 engine delivers 600 hp / 442 kW and a peak torque of 865 Nm. The 4x4 storms from rest to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 292 km/h. The perfect complement to the power kit is the TechArt fully stainless-steel TechArt sport exhaust system. Cayenne owners can choose to combine the rear muffler with the stock tailpipes of the car or with four chrome-plated TechArt tailpipes. The fender flares of the TechArt MAGNUM body conversion add eight centimeters to the width of the SUV from Zuffenhausen. That means there’s room for king-size 10Jx22 one-piece TechArt Formula light-alloy wheels all around. The ContiSportContact 2 tires in size 295/30 ZR 22 on front and rear axles are approved on the Cayenne for speeds up 300 km/h. The TechArt MAGNUM front apron looks great with its strikingly styled large air inlets. It features two fog lamps and two high beams, and its refined shape reduces lift on the front axle at high speeds. The TechArt MAGNUM side sills form a harmonious transition between front and rear fender flares. The TechArt MAGNUM rear apron features custom cutouts for the two intertwined oval-shaped tailpipes of the stainless-steel TechArt sport exhaust system. An integrated diffuser helps reduce lift on the rear axle. TechArt Automobildesign further refines the Cayenne body with headlight moldings, a three-piece tail lamp molding and a rear panel that carries the shape of the rear apron over to the tailgate. The new TechArt hood is strikingly styled and features air outlets for improved venting of hot air from the engine bay, thus contributing to a thermally healthy engine. TechArt Automobildesign also modifies the suspension of the widened Cayenne extensively. For vehicles equipped with air suspension there is the TechArt sport module, which can lower the ride height of the SUV for on-road operations by up to 60 millimeter. For tough off-road use the ride height can be increased by up to 70 millimeters. TechArt Automobildesign can also refine the Cayenne interior in countless ways. The options for the Porsche Cayenne range from exclusive cockpit accessories to the completion of the leather interior available ex-factory to an entirely new individual TechArt fully leather interior. Also available is a stylishly integrated state-of-the-art multimedia system. Text and photos courtesy of TechArt

Re im averaging a super low 22.6L per hundred...aircon off, that's not tooo bad is it.....? WHAT the are you doing ?? The most I ever used was 15.5 Litres per 100km.

Hi Lumpy Did you know that :

November 21, 2006 Beijing, China - Defects found in 77 percent of Chinese-made cars have been blamed mainly on a price war that has forced automakers to cut corners. The state-owned China Daily quoted a survey by the China Quality Association that showed the defects, found within six months of a car being bought, mainly involved tyres, air-conditioning, brakes, locks and steering wheels 'The defects are a result of automakers constantly reducing prices and sacrificing quality' . Association director Fan Tianshun said: "The defects are a result of automakers constantly reducing prices and sacrificing quality." The report said there were an average of 338 defects for every 100 new cars, much higher than the 246 reported in 2005. It said China's car prices had dropped by an average of about A$ 1,600 each year over "the past few years" in the booming market. * The index was based on a poll of 4648 participants in 36 cities. - Sapa-AFP

New threat to Commodore Ajax supplies many fasteners for Holden's new Commodore. Major vehicle parts supplier goes bust, leaving Ford and Expensive Daewoo production in doubt By NEIL McDONALD 30 November 2006 FORD and Holden's end-of-year sales race for its large cars is looking increasingly in doubt as a supplier dispute threatens production. Both are now actively seeking an alternative supplier – in Australia or overseas – to replace Ajax Engineered Fasteners in Braeside, Melbourne, which closed its doors earlier this week and is now in receivership. As GoAutoNews closed for publication, the dispute between workers staging a sit-in at the factory and the company and receivers KordaMentha was entering its third day. Ford Australia spokesperson Sinead McAlary said Ford had been "looking at other options", which included sourcing components from another Australian supplier or obtaining the components overseas. GM Expensive Daewoo spokesman Jason Laird said it was also seeking alternative suppliers, and was hopeful of finding a local supplier in preference to one from overseas, which could be more expensive for the company. "We've been forced into this position and we're looking at the situation now," he said. "Where possible we will be sourcing locally." Although Ford did not envisage any production slowdown or halt while the dispute is sorted, Expensive Daewoo was less confident. "We will be moving heaven and earth to ensure there is no downtime," Mr Laird said. Expensive Daewoo has been working to resolve the issue with Ajax for the past 18 months. "We're paying well above the odds for the parts and providing them with extra money to continue trading and keep their doors open," Mr Laird said. "We didn't quite make half-way, through no fault of ours." Both the Ford and Expensive Daewoo internal customer groups are clearly at the end of their tether over the on-going issues with Ajax, one of the latest smaller components suppliers to come under the spotlight locally. "The administrator has asked for another $5 million just to deliver the parts they've already committed to delivering," Ms McAlary said. "It's a demand we can't and shouldn't meet either for the sake of our own business and the precedence it sets." Back in August, both car companies had delved deep in a multi-million-dollar bailout of the company but specific details were never revealed. Ms McAlary said Ford had been committed to remain with Ajax until March next year "and we had no plans to change that but the appointment of a receiver has changed that for us". Earlier this week, 189 Ajax workers were stood down and subsequently staged a sit-in at the factory to secure their entitlements as receivers moved in to liquidate the company's assets to pay out $4.5 million to Allen Capital, the company's owners. Ajax supplies various nuts and bolts to Ford and Expensive Daewoo for use in their engine, driveline, vehicle assembly and brake systems. Apart from the 121 components for various Holdens, it also supplies a crucial bolt for Holden's Family II export engines.

Battle of the Xs Southern Ocean smashing into the rocks below; sheer rock face climbing into the Otways above; a long, thin stretch of bitumen snaking between. It can only be the Great Ocean Road. Climbing, falling, fast, slow, closing, opening, rough, smooth -- Australia's best driving road is an intoxicating mix that constantly challenges geometry, grip, brakes, response, sinew and nerve. And parked here beside it are a Subaru Impreza WRX, Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo, and this bright orange newcomer, the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo. The WRX is a global icon, the XR6T the most capable mainstream muscle-car ever built in Australia. And despite its localised name, the XR5 is the latest graduate of Europe's tough hot-hatch school. All three should be right at home here then, honed and sharpened for a challenging road despite their massively different technical origins: Rear-wheel-drive Falcon, front-wheel-drive Focus, all-wheel-drive Impreza. Turbo engines all round, but a home-grown 4.0-litre in-line six for the Falcon, Volvo 2.5-litre in-line five for the Focus, and Subaru's ubiquitous boxer four for the Impreza, albeit boosted from 2.0 to 2.5 litres for 2006. Why no Golf GTI, when it shapes as the XR5's most obvious rival? That comparison will happen, but it makes sense -- in a year where hot-hatch interest is growing exponentially -- to wait for the Expensive Daewoo Astra SRi Turbo, HSV VXR and Mazda 3 MPS. But the XR5 demands our attention now. And that's why it's been lined up against the best mass-market sports stars Australia and Japan have to offer. It's a fight between ideologies and philosophies as much as a comparison for potential buyers. But if you do fall into that category, then no doubt the XR5 Turbo will attract your attention before even a wheel is turned. An astonishingly good $35,990 starting price guarantees a second look, even if the package is bereft of cruise control, full-size spare tyre, or the option of an automatic transmission alongside the standard six-speed manual. It's $5000 cheaper than the Impreza, more than $10,000 cheaper than the Falcon, but looks more expensive and imposing than either of them. Coated in optional ($1800) Electric Orange paint, a belligerent yet graceful bodykit, elaborate 18-inch alloys, and a colour-co-ordinated interior that includes Recaro sports seats, it's the car your eyes lock onto. Except for its signature bonnet scoop, the WRX looks underdone. The aircraft-inspired front-end is contrived, the basic interior hinting at none of its performance ability. The XR6T is also guilty of not offering greater visual differentiation from mainstream Falcons farther down the evolutionary chain. It's a more pleasing effort than the Subaru, but still pales in the XR5's neon glare. And yet, up and running on the Great Ocean Road, or on the highway, or in town, it is quickly apparent that the XRs have more in common than badge engineering. The XR5 Turbo is flexible and powerful, yet comfortable, accessible and surprisingly quick across country. It's a familiar feel, yet delivered via a unique engineering amalgam that shows just how thoroughly Ford prepared for the second-generation Focus. The basis is an architecture called C1 Technologies, co-developed with Mazda and Volvo so it could also be used for the 3 small car and the S40/V50 sedan/wagon. Crosscheck the specs and you'll find a common 2640mm wheelbase, front strut and rear multi-link (or Control Blade in Ford-speak) suspension, and electro-hydraulic steering. This commonality meant slotting the potent Volvo T5 engine into the Focus was a straightforward exercise, one that was planned from the early days of C1. Still, open the bonnet and you'll see it's a tight fit, made possible by an intentionally long piston stroke that allows skinnier width and shorter overall length. The all-alloy engine is fundamentally unchanged from its Volvo application, apart from reduced flywheel mass, more direct accelerator-throttle connection, new injectors and ignition strategies. It has double overhead cams and independent variable timing of its 10 inlet and 10 exhaust valves. A mild 0.65 bar (9psi) of maximum boost is provided by a KKK K04-2080 D turbocharger, resulting in 166kW at 6000rpm and a significant 320Nm from 1600rpm to 4000rpm. Fire it up and there's no doubt you're sitting behind a Volvo in-line five. There's that throbbing idle, then the growl as revs rise. But hang on, the noise is getting louder and louder, much more prevalent than anything offered in the current Swedish line-up. Two reasons for this: the first is a voluminous silencer mounted under the boot from which two fat, chrome-tipped pipes exit either side of the tailored rear bodywork. The other is a little more ingenious. It's a thin hose Ford calls the 'symposer', which runs from the heart of the engine bay right up behind the firewall, effectively transmitting the vocals directly into the cockpit. It's an elegant solution to modern-day drive-by noise requirements. And it works: the XR5 offers little external auditory stimulation, but there's a party going on inside the cabin, including some snap, crackle and pop on the over-run. There's massive substance to back up that soundtrack, too. Virtually no turbo lag means instant throttle response and a rolling swell of bottom- and mid-range grunt. There's none of the traditional Great Ocean Road hot-hatch gear shuffling -- just lock into third and enjoy thrusting out of one long radius corner into another. It's an indefatigable pleasure. Only the tightest hairpins demand second gear, and it's a change made easily courtesy of a light shift and a civilised clutch. Keep the revs going beyond 5000rpm and there's a brief eddy as torque drops away while power is still climbing towards its peak. There's a kick again from 6000rpm, but the best results are long gone. There's simply little point in operating up around redline -- or beyond it. Where the Focus is at its weakest is getting its power to the ground from a standing start. In first gear, it's rev-limited to 3500rpm -- and dropping the clutch at that point on a slippery Calder Park drag strip simply produces an excess of axle tramp. Engage stability control and the XR5 virtually stops before regathering itself and producing even slower times. Best to slip the clutch at lower revs with DSC off, but whichever way you go, it's still the slowest in a straight line. It's not all a sad stats story, though. The XR5 shines in rolling tests, where wheelspin is a non-issue and its torque dominates. It also leads the fuel consumption comparison. Its on-test average of 13.4L/100km was two litres ahead of the Subaru and four litres thriftier than the Falcon. Of course, the XR6T offers a stunning level of performance in return for the extra 95 RON it gulps. The BF upgrade brings more power, torque and refinement, and it feels like it. Such is the engine's effortless ability and the serenity of the cabin, a speedo check often shocks. It simply doesn't feel like it's travelling that fast. Essentially, the XR6 offers a similar engine philosophy to the Focus. The Barra 245T I6, with its independently variable cam timing and low-blow Garrett turbo, is as lagless as the XR5 and even more potent, using all of its 480Nm from around 2000rpm to 5000rpm to provide unrelenting, unstoppable progress. Only the whooshing induction disappoints, although it sounds much meatier from the outside. The Tremec T56 six-speed manual gearbox is a carryover from the otherwise virtually invisible BA Mk II update, and that's no bad thing. It's robust at the drag strip, where the XR6 Turbo is consistently the quickest from a standing start. On the Great Ocean Road, just like the XR5, slot it into third and let the engine do the work. It's heavier and firmer in both shift and clutch feel, but hardly bothersome. If you can't cope, there's always the excellent ZF six-speed auto. No such luxurious choices for the Impreza, and nor should there be. Sure, the WRX is user-friendlier for '06 with a wider spread of torque, more capacity and a new MHI turbocharger. But this is still a focused beast, with noticeable turbo lag, a big kick-up in performance from 3500rpm, and an explosive top-end that simply embarrasses the XRs. It screeches, shakes, rattles, fizzes and goes off like a grenade. Chasing launch times is an exercise in gratuitous punishment, building revs to 6000rpm and dropping the clutch. There's a bang and shudder as the drivetrain and body absorb the twist and the bonnet points to the sky. It steams off the line, wavers momentarily, and then goes again, revving furiously to its 6800rpm cut-out. It has a notchy gearshift, with one ratio less than the other two, and a finicky clutch with a narrow take-up. But on the road, short gearing (fifth at 100km/h equals 2900rpm) keeps the Impreza on the boil and your attention fully engaged. This is a car that simply gets better the harder it is pushed, and that includes the brilliantly controlled suspension tune. Ultimately, the WRX boasts the highest handling limits. Its combination of all-wheel-drive grip, fast steering, responsive braking and intimate tactility deliver an astonishingly vibrant experience. Corner exits are its forte and the Great Ocean Road allows it to show-off time and time again. Just tramp the new-for-'06 electronic throttle, and the Impreza harnesses its power and slingshots forward. Push too hard into a corner and you'll eventually encounter understeer -- easily corrected by a lift and a tuck. Go in way too hot and you'll feel the tail swinging wide. The XR5 is saner, safer and only a tad slower. Just like the regular Focus, this is a pretty neutral car that transforms into a predictable lift-off oversteerer at the limit. It's just that the XR5's limit is much higher. It really is quite amazing how comfortable, co-operative and confidence-inspiring this car is despite the torque load, the front-wheel drive and the absence of a limited-slip front diff. Compared with the standard Focus, the XR5 Turbo gets an additional crossmember between the struts, the anti-roll bar diameter is increased, ride height is lowered 15mm, dampers recalibrated and the springs stiffened by 30 per cent. But careful spring tuning means travel remains around 200mm and that helps explain how smoothly this car rides at pace. The fine-tuning of the stability control system (DSC in Ford-speak) shines, too. Away from the race track, it takes a lot of speed to make this car scrabble its inside front tyre for traction, but even then it's only moderately intrusive. No doubt the excellent 225/40R18 Continental SportContact2 tyres help. But the biggest footprint here also increases noise intrusion; rear-seat passengers are inundated by tyre roar just like the standard Focus. The steering is eight per cent faster than the standard car, yet is heftier, more composed and inspiringly corruption free. The computer-controlled electric steering pump can even be adjusted between Comfort, Normal and Sporty maps. Sporty was our set-and-forget option because of its instant response. It's the same story for braking. Caress the pedal, and the four-piston front calipers start clamping onto the 320mm ventilated discs, but retardation is dependent on your foot pressure. As it should be. In some ways, the Falcon is dynamically the most impressive drive here. Taking into account its size and 1700kg bulk, its litheness is sensational. Shagged rear tyres betrayed our test car a little, but the competence of the chassis, allied with that amazing engine, make this a Falcon that handles like no other that has come before it. On the Great Ocean Road, it works hard to hang in there with the XR5 and WRX, using the solidity of uprated-for-BF ‘Performance' brakes and hammer-throw corner exits to provide a dramatic counterpoint to the nimbleness of the smaller, lighter cars. Even more than the XR5, DSC aids the Falcon's fast, smooth progress. It's constantly -- but surreptitiously -- there in the background, guiding, caressing and mollifying, yet permitting the rear-end drifts and twitches that aid its poise, and communicate so much back to the driver. Steering remains a moot point; more weight and more off-centre feel would be ideal. More unsettling is how high the driver sits, accentuating the car's body roll and weight shifts. The XR5's otherwise excellent Recaros have a massive base that also push the driver higher, but the car's cornering attitude is so flat it's barely an issue. By contrast, you really sit down in the WRX's snug winged seats. But apart from that and its nicely machined Momo steering wheel, the Subaru runs a distant third in terms of any interior measure you care to cite, from quality to space. Spartan, scratchy, cheap plastics, an aged look and cramped rear seat without split-fold leave a lukewarm impression, not helped by the flimsy feel that is accentuated by its frameless windows. And Wheels' Verdict... If you want space and solidity, then the XR6T is the choice, of course. But again, it's the XR5 that brings the whole picture together, marrying functionality with form. There's a good dose of room and flexibility courtesy of its five-door layout (there's also a three-door sold in Europe), even if the modified exhaust chews into boot space (hence that spacesaver spare tyre). Yes, there are other faults to nit-pick: The buttons are rickety on the good-looking Sony stereo, the readout for the digital clock is hard to read, and, like the standard car, it's hard from certain angles to see the trip computer readout over the steering wheel. Big deal. The XR5 Turbo wins anyway. How could it not when such a significant price advantage is married to a great look and feel, and an all-round ability that puts it within reach of the WRX's narrow-focused excellence while retaining the effortless liveability of the XR6 Turbo? Let's not detract from the immensity of the Impreza and the Falcon; they are both wonderful cars. But like the Great Ocean Road on which it thrives so impressively, the Focus XR5 Turbo is undoubtedly something very special.

Call for auto industry assistance Government 'must do more' to save car jobs Unions say the federal government must do more to save the future of Australian car industry jobs, by investing in technology. The call followed an announcement by Expensive Daewoo on Wednesday that 200 jobs would be shed from its engine assembly operation at Port Melbourne, due to a fluctuating export market. The move was prompted by a downturn in demand for the Family II four-cylinder engine, which is used in Daewoo cars sold in South Korea. There have also been job losses recently at car component manufacturers Huon Corporation and Ajax Engineered Fasteners. The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) said thousands of jobs had been lost in the car industry in the past 12 months. "We say the federal government needs to be more actively involved in supporting the manufacturing industry," AMWU spokesman Steve Dargavel said. "These are redundancies associated with four cylinder production and it's because we haven't had the level of investment in plant and equipment technology domestically that we needed. "It's not enough for the federal government to say they have been doing plenty, the evidence is that they are not doing enough. "There needs to be a rethink, fundamentally, on government approach to industry policies so that we get the right environment, so that we get companies like GM investing in new four cylinder plants." Mr Dargavel said the job losses at Expensive Daewoo had the potential to flow through to other areas of the industry such as component suppliers. "When Expensive Daewoo announces 200 jobs what that will result in is ... three times that number, effectively." The AMWU has held talks with the car maker on Thursday and said more discussions about the redundancies would take place on Monday. Expensive Daewoo said the voluntary redundancy packages would be offered to staff over the next two weeks.

Re NSW Police Fleet Management Services will replace the last 39 Ford XR8 BA series vehicles. And here is the first new one.

Ford Mustang Giugiaro Concept Ford Press Release Visually, the Mustang by Giugiaro appears more compact than the production car, thanks to a reduction of the rear overhang and a signature Giugiaro 'trick' of tapering the angles on the car to the limit of its mechanical outlines. Still, the Italian version of America's most popular muscle car hasn't lost any of its swagger. The vibrant orange concept is wider than the production version. The Giugiaros added 30 millimetres to the front, gradually expanding the width by a full 80 millimetres toward the rear, which is typical in Italian design. With its longer hood and the trunk barely visible, the car looks more of a fastback in side view. But details throughout reinforce the freedom and rebellion synonymous with Mustang. Fabrizio Giugiaro's favourites include: The interior featuring a dramatic instrument panel that sweeps the width of the car; circular gauges that project from behind the steering wheel; dark brown horsehide covered headrests with horse logo accents; and seat cushions and backrests elaborately upholstered in dark brown mottled horse hides. The single curved glass panel that bridges the windshield and rear window, serving as the concept's roof. Produced by Solutia of Detroit, the panel is made from a special type of crystal that filters out 100 percent of UVA rays while providing unfettered vista views. Its dramatic doors, which are hinged at the base of the upright A pillar and open vertically at the touch of a button. Bespoke taillights, which are three separate elements as found on the 1964 Mustang but reinterpreted into a more dramatic arrow shape that links to the louver panels that replace the rear side windows. The visible curl that sweeps into the crest of the concept's carbon fibre fenders, hinting at tail fins that defined American cars of the '50s. The sporting but elegant unique 20 inch rims, fitted with 275/40 tyres on the front and larger 315/35 tyres on the rear. As its wheels and tyres suggest, the Mustang by Giugiaro is more than just a tribute to Mustang design. It also is an exclamation of the car's heritage of performance. The concept features a powertrain and chassis enhanced in conjunction with Ford Racing which is responsible for Ford Motor Company motorsports development and operations. Ford Racing's efforts include the development and sale of a race prepared version of the Mustang, called the FR500C, for the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series. In its first season alone, the FR500C scored five wins in the 2005 GS Class, including the manufacturers' championship, in which Mustang bested other production based sports cars, including the BMW M3 and Porsche 911. This Mustang, a turn-key race car sold to privateers, provided the inspiration for the Mustang by Giugiaro concept's performance and handling attributes. Ford Racing improved on the already robust 300 horsepower all aluminium 4.6 litre 3 valve V8 engine in the production Mustang GT by adding an intercooled twin screw supercharger for the new concept. Additional improvements include fuel injectors from the Ford GT and a unique engine calibration. Engine air intake is increased with a larger 95 mm mass air metre and a conical air filter. Exhaust performance is enhanced with new Ford Racing mufflers and an X-pipe. The powertrain upgrades deliver an estimated 500 horsepower, complete with a boost level of 11 psi from the Ford Racing supercharger. A high efficiency Ford Racing aluminium radiator provides increased cooling capability to accompany the extra 200 horsepower provided under hood. Under the car, the FR500C inspired chassis tuning is accomplished with a tailored Ford Racing Handling Pack. This package, available through Ford Racing for the Mustang GT, adds new Dynamic tuned dampers, lowering springs and anti sway bars. The changes give the car a lower stance while sharpening handling response. The car rides approximately 1.5 inches lower than the production Mustang GT. 'The Mustang by Giugiaro drives as good as it looks,' said Fabrizio Giugiaro. 'After taking it to the limits on streets outside of Turin, I can honestly say this car was well worth the 30,000 hours of blood, sweat and tears that we invested to create a modern performance classic.'

And this, Rocky road ahead for Ford By Guto Harri BBC North America business correspondent When you're the oldest, and one of the biggest, it must be humiliating to feel so vulnerable. Ford has been around for more than a century, and for most of that period, it could do little wrong. This year, however, some analysts believe its losses could reach $9bn (£4.8bn), and the company itself doesn't expect to be profitable again till the end of this decade. Henry Ford, the man who made the company, would be embarrassed; but it was he who famously told Americans they could have his Model-T Ford "in any colour as long as it's black". It wasn't really a problem then, but his company recently has become a little complacent about its customers. It has wrongly assumed they were still happy with the bulky, thirsty models rolling off the assembly lines, when competitors were wooing them with more imaginative, practical and more fuel efficient models. "They should really be designing cutting edge products, cutting edge cars for middle America, the blue collar people out there," says George Magliano, director of Global Insight. "That was the cornerstone of their business years ago." 'Steroids' Unless Ford starts produce more attractive cars, the savings predicted by the latest round of cost cutting will not save the company. Even if they work, they'll be painful. While Ford is calling its restructuring "The Way Forward", David Cole, chairman of the Centre for Automotive Research in Michigan, describes it as "The Way Forward on steroids". He believes that Ford has been forced to make drastic changes "because all the escape routes are sealed off". The one advantage of being in such a tight corner is that Ford's main US union, the United Auto Workers (UAW), seems to have appreciated what was at stake. No trade union really wants to encourage its members to take early redundancy or retirement, but Bob King, vice-president of the UAW, has recognised in an e-mail to workers that he's been "deeply concerned" about Ford's loss of market share. That decline, of course, hasn't necessarily been halted. Kevin Tynan, an analyst at Argus Research, fears their share of the market will slip further. "You can throw eyebrow-raising numbers out there but I think the fact is that they are not done losing market share, and ultimately that's going to be painful," he says. Higher costs There are financial challenges for Ford too. Shedding staff saves money over time, but costs a fortune in the short term. Local politicians will be worried about the impact of heavy job losses in the run-up to mid-term Congressional elections. Yet US politicians are partly responsible for the difficulties encounter by Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. For years, managements at "The Big Three" have warned that the high costs of their healthcare, wage and pension packages have saddled their US operations with costs Asian and European carmakers didn't have to bear. These so-called "legacy costs" have recently added up to $3,000 to the cost of every vehicle. There are pensions and benefits to be paid in most advanced industrialized countries, but the USA puts the added burden on companies to fund the healthcare of their staff. Interestingly, Ford's plants in Canada, where there's a national health service, are due to expand production, just as US plants contract or close.

BBC NEWS: Published: 2006/11/29 16:25:45 GMT Ford redundancy plan gathers pace Ford has revealed that 38,000 of its unionised workers have agreed to take voluntary redundancy as part of a plan to transform the struggling business. Ford is seeking to cut its US workforce by up to 30,000 staff by 2008 and has offered unionised staff a number of voluntary severance deals. About 46% of United Auto Workers (UAW) union affiliated staff at Ford have now accepted one of these offers. Ford has struggled with falling sales and mounting losses in its home market. 'Difficult decisions' It has faced fierce competition from Japanese firms such as Toyota, while its own labour and employee costs have mounted. Ford workers accepting voluntary redundancy will leave next year, although under the terms of Ford's offer, employees are free to change their mind right up to the last minute. Ford said reducing its workforce would make the firm more efficient by better matching output to demand. "While I know that in many cases decisions to leave the company were difficult for our employees, the acceptances received through this voluntary effort will help Ford to become more competitive," said chief executive Alan Mulally.

All about the Man ( Jeremy Clarkson ). If it's not in here he didn't do it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Clarks...levision_career

Jeremy Clarkson, British Automotive Journalist, rips into the Track with the GTX1. See it @ http://www.gtx1.com/ I made it a Right Hand Drive.

Well...The Executives still get their exorbitant salaries. The banks still receive money at their terms of usury. The government still receives their assorted taxes and GST.Oh...workers? They're just the poor sod's who do the work. They don't earn the money. Who cares about them anyway? Lumpy ← And all the People that do have a job, please

South African company to make fuel out of algae November 29, 2006 South African fuels firm De Beers Fuel Limited plans to produce 16 to 24 billion litres of bio-diesel a year from algae within five years with an initial investment of 3.5 billion rand ($487.4 million), it said on yesterday. The company has bought licenses for 100,000 acres to be developed into algae farms - for which the initial investment is targeted - and within five years from now the intention is to increase that land area to 800,000 acres. De Beers Fuel, which is unrelated to the world's biggest diamond producer De Beers, said in a statement that South Africa uses about 8.1 billion litres of bio-diesel yearly. De Beers Fuel already runs a plant which produces 144,000 litres of bio-diesel daily from sunflower seed oil, at Naboomspruit in the northern Limpopo province. A bio-diesel algae reactor installed at the plant will be showcased to investors, experts and the media later this week. "The project is highly capital-intensive. The first 100 acres will require about 3.5 billion rand, this has been sourced mainly from foreign private equity groups," Hendy Schoombee, a senior official at De Beers Fuel said. "We had initially intended to list the company to raise the money. We might list at a future date to raise money for further expansion," he said. One acre of algae can produce 92,000 litres of bio-diesel, compared to 350 litres produced from one acre of a sun-flower seed farm, he added. The company will use land that is not arable or useful for most other purposes, and will also generate electricity from waste material out of the bio-diesel-making process. Its bio-diesel will be targeted for industrial use and for future exports, and is based on technology supplied by a US company, GreenFuel Technologies Corporation, while Green Star Products, also of the US, will build the bio-diesel reactors.

Brock car fetches $500,000 November 29, 2006 - 8:26AM The car in which motor racing legend Peter Brock drove to victory in the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1974 has sold for a record price. A Melbourne construction company owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, paid $500,000 for the Expensive Daewoo Torana, the highest amount paid for a Holden. The Torana was owned by the family of former Expensive Daewoo Dealer Team mechanic Ian Tate. The mystery owner said he saw the car in storage and had to buy it. "The Tates wanted the car to stay in Victoria and I had been looking for that kind of car for a while," the man told News Limited. Brock drove the car to victory in the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1974. He also finished second at Bathurst in the car in 1973. Brock died in an accident while taking part in the Targa West rally in Western Australia on September 8 this year.

Here is the A to your Q, By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS 31/10/2006 FPV IS deadly serious about blossoming – let alone surviving – in the tough world of big Australian six-cylinder and V8 performance sedans. And while its new Force 6 and Force 8 luxury-sports strategy is not really fresh as a flower – even Ford did it way back with the XB Falcon GT-replacing XC Fairmont GXL in 1976 – there is something tangibly intriguing about experiencing a more-sophisticated FPV GT-P or F6 Typhoon. With a nod to the old school American and European sedans of the 1960s, the considered smattering of chrome against a more sedate coloured body gives the Force models a classier appearance against their lairier stablemates. What it also does is bring out the inherent German surfacing and detailing that so lifted the 2002 BA Falcon from its sad-sack AU predecessor. This is most obvious around the boot and tail-lights, that have long offered Audi-esque looks, but which have been lost in the groundswell of a million beaten-up Falcon taxis carving us up in traffic and – quite ironically – not using their indicators often enough. Elegantly serious-looking wheels and subtle body kit also do their bit to lift the FPV, even if the mesh grille and Force 8 bonnet bulge are reminders that this particular member of the family still has a boorish party streak, like a bawdy uncle at a wedding. And the interior treatment – especially with the sumptuously Italianesque red leather seats and barely-there woodgrain finish matched by matt chrome trim – is smartly contemporary, underlining how progressive BA interior guru (and more recently VE Late model camira cabin creator) Sharon Gauci was all those years ago. Unfortunately the basic AU body structure – hit-your-head door openings, slightly confined windscreen header and curiously too-small steering wheel position – undermine the FPV cars more than ever. Roll on 2008’s next-generation models. Yet, underneath all the upmarket makeover of this ageing workhorse beats the heart of a classic Australian thoroughbred. As with all of the latest fast Falcon-based Fords, the multi-link rear suspension is backed up by a solid body, an optimised steering system and advanced electronic drivetrain aids to make the FPV BFII still more than competitive in the handling and roadholding stakes. Even with all the newer machinery out there, you still find yourself marvelling at the high dynamic standards that these Fords adhere to. More importantly, in the Force models, it is all sufficiently refined to partly offset the high $70K-plus ask, especially when you also factor in the tantalising levels of performance on offer. Remember how fantastic the German ZF six-speed automatic seemed this time last year? Well, it still leads the HSV and Chrysler 300C units for slickness and breadth of ability. The ZF also works exceptionally well with both turbo-six and V8 Force applications. Like we said in 2005, everything that Ford Australia’s engineers have done to beef up the chassis to give the BF Falcon exceptional steering and handling comes together powerfully in the turbo-six auto sedan. It gives the car, and the V8 its head, for keen drivers to fully exploit the power and speed on offer, with smooth gear changes that bypass the hunting, jolting or indecision of lesser automatics. As with the F6 Typhoon it is based on, the Force 6’s lighter front end compared to the V8 car makes for nimbler manoeuvrability and quite astonishing poise. The only slightly less wieldy GT/GT-P-derived Force 8 also deserves the grand tourer moniker, with exceptionally long-legged cruising abilities mixed with that great V8 growl. We think FPV is dreaming if it thinks BMW, Audi or Benz buyers will even consider the Force 6 and 8 – it’s just too much like a Falcon for that.

Volkswagen to Spend $530 Million on India Car Factory By Anand Krishnamoorthy Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Volkswagen AG, Europe's largest carmaker, will spend $530 million to set up a factory in India, where it trails General Motors Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp. The company will sign an agreement with the western state of Maharashtra tomorrow, according to an e-mailed invitation from the German embassy in New Delhi. Volkswagen will make small cars at the factory. Expanding into India, Asia's fourth-largest economy, may reduce Volkswagen's dependence on China, where increased competition has eroded its market share. India's car market is set to triple to 3 million annually by 2015, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. ``Automakers are rushing to India to take advantage of rising disposable incomes,'' said Dipen Sanghavi, an analyst at Pranav Securities Ltd., who has a ``buy'' rating on shares of carmakers Maruti Udyog Ltd. and Tata Motors Ltd. ``India is emerging as a big story in the passenger car market.'' India's economy has grown an average 8.2 percent in the past three years, lifting salaries and creating more jobs. The nation's economy may grow at 8.5 percent this year, putting more money into the hands of its 1.1 billion people to buy cars and sport-utility vehicles. Competition The German automaker's announcement follows similar plans by other carmakers. General Motors, the world's biggest automaker, said it will spend more than $300 million to set up a second car factory in the country and win 10 percent of the market by the end of the decade. The company now has 2.9 percent of the market. Suzuki, the maker of half the cars in the South Asian country, will spend about $2 billion by 2010 to expand capacity and set up a new diesel engine factory. Renault SA, France's second-biggest carmaker, this month said it will build a second factory in India. ``A lot of new models are coming out from the existing automakers in India, so the new ones have to be extremely aggressive to get a share of this growing pie,'' said K.K. Mital, who manages 1.75 billion rupees of stocks at Escorts Asset Management Ltd. in New Delhi. India has about one car for every 142 people, compared with one for every 100 in China and one for every two in Western Europe, according to last year's estimates by London-based analyst Neil King of Global Insight Inc. Small Cars Volkswagen's assembly plant will begin production of a small car model in the second half of 2009, the company said in a Nov. 17 statement without naming the model. The carmaker's supervisory board approved the plan on that day. Juergen Kornmann, a spokesman for Volkswagen, declined to comment, when contacted on the phone in New Delhi. Shares of Volkswagen rose 1.2 percent to 80.99 euros in Frankfurt today. The plant will be built north of the city of Pune. Maharashtra state, the biggest contributor to India's GDP, is already home to factories of DaimlerChrysler AG, Fiat SpA and Tata Motors Ltd. General Motors is also building a factory in the state. Chief Executive Officer Bernd Pischetsrieder, who is stepping down Dec. 31, said in September the Volkswagen brand would eventually build 100,000 vehicles annually at the India factory. The company already makes about 10,000 Skoda-brand vehicles a year in the country. In China, the company expects to sell more than 600,000 vehicles this year. Volkswagen's market share in China has fallen to less than 20 percent from more than 50 percent in the last decade as other overseas automakers have entered the country. Maruti's Dominance Suzuki's India unit, Maruti, dominates India's passenger car industry with half the market, followed by Hyundai Motor Co.'s 19 percent and Tata Motors Ltd.'s 16 percent. Hyundai is investing $1.5 billion in India and Tata Motors is spending $2.5 billion. The plant will be the Volkswagen group's second in India. Skoda AS, Volkswagen's Czech unit, has operated in India since 2001, and has a plant near Aurangabad, also in Maharashtra state. Volkswagen had initially planned to enter India a decade ago. A breakdown in talks with Eicher Motors Ltd., Volkswagen's planned partner, delayed the start of operations. Volkswagen was also delayed by a police investigation of its employees. Volkswagen in July 2005 said it's conducting an internal investigation and a criminal probe into two former employees setting up shell companies in India, Angola and the Czech Republic to enrich themselves. Ps, IMO when you look at those numbers who needs and cares about the Australian Car Market.

Finance News Expensive Daewoo abandons Ajax negotiations Expensive Daewoo abandons Ajax negotiations 5:09 PM November 28 Expensive Daewoo has walked away from negotiations with beleaguered Melbourne car part manufacturer Ajax. Ajax went into receivership yesterday and administrators were seeking a new rescue package from the car companies that buy its parts. Expensive Daewoo says it had no choice but to abandon the negotiations, and it will now source parts from elsewhere in Australia and overseas. The car maker says it must protect production and the 4,000 workers at its Elizabeth plant in Adelaide's north. It says it is confident there will be no stand-downs at its factories in South Australia and Victoria. Expensive Daewoo spokesman Jason Laird says the rescue package negotiated in August for Ajax cost the industry $3 million, but ultimately gave the car companies no security. "We've been forced into a position where we've had to seek alternative supplies," he said. "Ajax has stopped supplying to us for the second time in three months, that's extremely frustrating given we spent so much time and so much money signing up for the six-month agreement in August. "As it turns out the agreement lasted less than half of that time before our supplies were denied us." But Cesar Melhem from the Australian Workers Union (AWU) says Expensive Daewoo has turned its back on Ajax workers. "I feel really disgusted with Holden's decision," he said. Ford says it is also seeking other suppliers. The company is hopeful of finding a new supplier by January and says it has sufficient supplies until then. Ford says it is confident there will be no need for stand-downs in the short-term. Source: ABC

Finance News Expensive Daewoo criticised over car parts decision 7:00 AM November 29 The Australian Workers Union (AWU) says Expensive Daewoo is turning its back on local jobs by looking overseas for parts. Yesterday the car-maker announced it was walking away from the Victorian components maker Ajax Fasteners. Expensive Daewoo says it can no longer prop up Ajax - which is in receivership - and it now plans to source specialist nuts and bolts elsewhere. AWU Victorian state secretary, Cesar Melham, says Holden's position is disappointing and will hit local jobs. "I think the car companies have made a decision, they're not interested in the components industry in Australia, they want to turn themselves into an assembly corporation and have the bulk of their parts manufactured overseas," he said. Mr Melham says Expensive Daewoo is being selfish and it is hurting the components industry. "Look, that's not the first time they've done it and I don't think it's going to be the last time," he said. "It's an absolute disgrace and I think the Federal Government should intervene immediately and basically put a policy in place to avoid these situations." Source: ABC

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Ajax workers walk as closure looms Dewi Cooke , The Age, 28/11/06 Almost 200 workers at a major Melbourne car parts manufacturer have been stood down, leaving Australia's automotive industry facing possible shutdowns as supplies dry up. http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleD...eID=21856&vf=12

Hand here is some more from drive.com.au http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleD...ArticleId=21853