Articles by Press Release

At midday on Tuesday 7 February it will lead the $6 million Motor Show Cavalcade down Swanston Street to Federation Square. After taking part in the 10-car display until 2.00 pm, it will be taken to the Motor Show in time for the public opening at 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 February. The luxurious four-seater Azure, which goes on sale later this year, is the production version of the Arnage Drophead Coupe show car which was first unveiled at the Los Angeles Motorshow in January 2005. In true Bentley fashion, it blends the most traditional of craftsmanship with the most modern of engineering to deliver a car which is much more than it seems. The Azure shares its face and driveline with the Arnage, and seats four adults in an opulent cabin beneath a fabric folding roof that can be lowered in 30 seconds. Its double-wishbone suspension and general body structure are adopted from the Arnage, along with its twin-turbocharged V8 engine which develops 336 kW of power and a massive 875 Nm of torque. Where the Azure differs from the show car is in having lightweight carbon fibre, under-floor cross braces for exceptional body stiffness that enhances refinement, ride and handling. In addition, the chrome trimmed bumpers and sills of the show car are now painted in body colour with a delicate chrome trim that runs the length of the car, enhancing the flowing lines of the Azure body.

When the Motor Show opens its doors at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre at 5.00 pm on 9 February, the Tiida will be one of the most significant affordable new models on show.Australia is the first major market outside Japan to receive the Tiida, ahead of the USA, UK and Europe.Tiida promises a giant leap forward with its modern design, premium finishes and spacious interior. Its name was coined from the English word "tide," and refers to the ebb and flow of the ocean.The interior features a clean, simple design that accentuates the space, and soft-feel materials on the instrument panel padding, door trim fabric and headlining add an air of luxury.Powered by an all-new aluminium DOHC 16-valve 1.8-litre engine developed with Renault, the Tiida boasts continuous valve timing control (C-VTC) for better efficiency and 93kW of power.Manual Tiidas are the first cars in their class to get a six-speed transmission as standard, and a four-speed automatic is also available.Standard equipment in the entry-level ST includes dual airbags, air conditioning, keyless entry, CD player and power mirrors, while higher models add a wide range of safety and comfort features.Pricing continues Nissan's value tradition by offering the entry-level ST sedan and hatch for $19,990, while the Ti Sedan, available with automatic transmission only, is priced at $26,490.

The mid-engined Cayman will also appear two days before the show at the Motor Show Cavalcade in Federation Square from midday to 2.00 pm on 7 February.Derived from the Boxster but equipped with more power and a hatchback coupe body style, it offers performance midway between the Boxster S and the flagship Porsche 911 series.Although it is a hatchback, Cayman S is unlike any ordinary hatch, and will compete with the Mercedes-Benz SLK and the planned BMW Z4 coupe.Its 3.4-litre boxer six delivers 217 kW of power and 340 Nm of torque for a 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 275 km/h.Porsche says the Cayman S body is 50 per cent stiffer than the open-topped Boxster and sets new standards for torsional stiffness in the sports coupe market. The $148,500 coupe is practical too, with 260 litres of luggage space under its hatch to supplement the 150 litres up front where Porsches traditionally hold their luggage.Porsche expects Cayman S to win about 100 to 150 Australian owners in the course of its model life, with demand likely to outstrip supply for quite some time.Melbourne International Motor Show runs from Thursday 9 February to Sunday 19 February at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, and is organised and promoted by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce through its dealer division the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Vic).

The LF-A high performance concept car will be accompanied by the the world?s first luxury hybrid sedan and the next generation of the best selling local Lexus ever.Leading the performance charge is the LF-A concept car, a two-seater supercar powered by a 373 kW-plus V10 engine. for an estimated top speed of more than 320 km/h.This performance is complemented by Lexus levels of luxury, comfort and equipment, and the styling is a clear indication of where Lexus is heading in the next few years.Lexus is leading the high performance hybrid charge with its GS450h, which combines a 218 kW direct-injection 3.5-litreV6 with a 148 kW electric motor for breakthrough levels of hybrid car performance.Due to go on sale in the first half of the year, the world?s first luxury hybrid is designed to deliver the performance of a 4.5 litre engine with the economy of a 2.0 litre engine, and extremely low emissions.Also making its Australian debut at Melbourne will be the next generation of the most successful local Lexus model ever, the soon-to be-released RX350 luxury SUV.The RX350 expands on the virtues of the RX330, three-time winner of Australia?s Best Luxury SUV award among other national and international accolades.With a new dual VVTi 3.5-litre V6, the RX350 offers improved power and torque over the RX330 and is due to go on sale in March.Melbourne International Motor Show runs from Thursday 9 February to Sunday 19 February at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, and is organised and promoted by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce through its dealer division the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Vic).

Australia's adoption of Euro-standard diesel fuel from the start of this year has enabled Jaguar to offer its most advanced diesel engine here for the first time.So advanced is the state-of-the-art twin turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 diesel engine in the S-TYPE sedan that it outperforms the 3-litre V6 petrol version of the same car.Jaguar says the engine is very petrol-like and is best described for what it isn't - it isn't noisy, it isn't slow and doesn't emit black sooty smoke.The engine's specifications make for impressive reading, not unlike Jaguar's best petrol engines, with four cams, 24 valves, twin turbos and direct fuel injection.Its 435 Nm of torque is more than the Jaguar 4.2-litre petrol V8, yet the diesel V6 has 47 percent better fuel consumption - and can still do 0-100 km/h in 8.6 seconds.S-TYPE Diesel goes on sale in April at $101,490 with a standard six-speed automatic transmission.It shares standard features with the S-TYPE 3.0 V6 Luxury, including park sensors, Bluetooth, rain sensing wipers, satellite navigation, power seats, leather upholstery and 6-stacker CDNow that Australia has high quality diesel fuel, Jaguar is hoping to emulate the recent growth of the European diesel market, which now accounts for 40 percent of sales in the premium segment. 

With only six Superamericas coming to Australia, there won't be too many sightings on the street of the exclusive 320 km/h convertible.Just as impressive as its top speed and its 0-100 km/h time of just 4.2 seconds, the glass roof can open in just 10 seconds - even on the move.The Revocromico roof can change its light transmission properties to let through anything from one per cent to 99 per cent of the sun.Powered by a 5.7 litre 375 kW V12 engine from the 575M Maranello, the Pininfarina-designed Superamerica is produced in a limited series and is available with either an F1-style or manual gearbox.Also on the Ferrari stand at the Melbourne International Motor Show will be the mid-engined F430 and F430 Spider.The F430 is the benchmark mid-engined sports car, and the F430 Spider combines all of its style and performance with a carefully strengthened body and an automatic electric top.Joining them will be the F612 Scaglietti, a proper four seater with a generous boot that embodies the true spirit of a grand tourer and is powered by the same mighty V12 as the Superamerica.Melbourne International Motor Show runs from Thursday 9 February to Sunday 19 February at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, and is organised and promoted by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce through its dealer division the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Vic).

Fiat will offer the Grande Punto for sale mid-year, joining the Fiat Ducato commercial vehicles and its Alfa Romeo cousins in the market. The Grande Punto is a brand new model, setting a trend for all Australian-market Fiats to be all-new models from the Italian maker. As with Alfa Romeo, Fiat will launch its models in Australia as they are launched in Europe, and the initial dealer network will largely comprise established Alfa Romeo dealers. There will be a full range of Grande Punto versions, including a diesel, and all will be uniquely specified for the Australian market and priced to match their Japanese and European rivals in the premium small car sector. Grande Punto is aimed at buyers moving into smaller cars, but not willing to give up the style, equipment and performance they are used to in larger cars. Judging by the enthusiastic reception received by Alfa Romeo when it returned to Australia just over seven years ago, Fiat can expect to be one of the top show attractions for Italian car enthusiasts. Along with Italian supercars from Ferrari and Maserati - corporate relatives within the Fiat family - the Grande Punto delivers a distinctive Italian flavour that sets it apart from its rivals. Melbourne International Motor Show runs from Thursday 9 February to Sunday 19 February at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, and is organised and promoted by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce through its dealer division the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Vic).

The Phantom EWB, as it is known, will be an undisputed star of the show when it opens its doors at 5 pm on Thursday 9 February at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.Remarkably, it will not be the Show's most expensive car - that will be the $1.2 million Pagani Zonda Roadster - but it does have vast potential for optional equipment.It has an extra 250 mm in the wheelbase to create additional space for the rear occupants and for specialist items crafted by the company's Bespoke design and engineering team.Rolls-Royce owners can choose from a palette of 45,000 paint colours, special woods, fridges, wine cellars, safes, humidors and computer equipment.Regardless of Bespoke equipment, all the beautiful wood and leather fittings are created by Goodwood craftsmen and women.Rolls-Royce is the world's top selling super-luxury car, and last year sold 796 Phantoms in more than 40 countries, including Nigeria, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan - and, of course, Australia.The new Phantom has attracted a new type of owner, which has resulted in higher average mileages - up from around 3000 km to almost 10,000 km, and in some cases as much as 50,000 km.As average mileage goes up, the average age of owners is coming down - it now stands at around 56 years old, and many of these customers are new to the brand.