Articles by Staff Writers

Chrysler majority owner Fiat has announced that the US cluster of car brands will not launch a public stock offering this year. In a statement yesterday, Fiat said Chrysler's board has decided an initial public offering would be "not practicable" this year. Instead, Chrysler Group LLC will keep working towards an IPO in the first quarter of next year. Fiat holds 58.5 per cent of Chrysler's shares, with the rest owned by a United Auto Workers union trust fund. The IPO would consist of the trust's shares. The CEO of both car groups, Sergio Marchionne, is keen to avoid an IPO and have Fiat buy the trust's shares so the two companies can be fully combined, allowing him to spend Chrysler money on Fiat operations. "I'm not selling anything and nor do I think we need to do so," Marchionne said in October. However he filed the paperwork for an IPO as he and the trust have been in conflict over the price for a sale of the trust's share to Fiat, with no agreement reached. Last month, UBS AG set the value of the trust's stake at $US5.6 billion ($A6.1 billion). Fiat has gone to court seeking a judgement on the price, but the trial date is set for next September. While Fiat stepped in as a perceived 'saviour' to shore up the struggling Chrysler by buying into it two years ago, Chrysler's profits have been propping up Fiat on the balance sheet during 2013 as the Italian carmaker struggles in the European economic slump. Chrysler earned $US464 million last quarter on US sales of the Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee, its ninth-straight profitable quarter. The results boosted Fiat, which earned $US260 million in the third quarter. Without Chrysler's contribution, Fiat would have lost $US340 million.  

The new Mini arrives here early next year with new efficient engines, a larger body and some changes to styling, but largely continuing with the signature design recipe. It has however  grown 98mm in length to 3821mm, 44m in width to 1727mm and 7mm in height to 1414mm on a 34mm longer wheelbase at 2495mm to give more cabin room and an additional 51 litres of luggage space. There's big news under the skin too, where the Mini debuts the new UKL platform that will in time underpin more new Minis and some new models from parent company BMW. Watch the 2014 Mini Cooper unveiling video on our desktop site. _______________________________________  

Revealed at the LA motor show, the 2014 Subaru WRX has a smaller engine and will be available in sedan body only due to weak hatch sales.A turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer engine with 199kW of power and 349Nm of torque will replace the current 2.5-litre engine. But the WRX STi will continue to have a 2.5-litre. There will be a choice of a six-speed manual or CVT transmission.Prices, specs and official performance data should be announced closer to the WRX's local arrival in March 2014.Watch the desktop version of the 2014 Subaru WRX video here. _______________________________________ 

Nissan is putting some heat into several of its passenger models courtesy of its Nismo performance arm, and the US-market Sentra is the latest to score the Nismo treatment. Revealed at this week's Los Angeles motor show, the Sentra Nismo is a tweaked version of what Australia knows as the Pulsar sedan, with more than 179kW and 325Nm screwed from a turbocharged version of the regular Pulsar's 1.8-litre engine. This represents a boost of about 40kW and 85Nm over the 1.6-litre Pulsar SSS we see here, and is complemented by comprehensive chassis and brake upgrades, and a Nismo body treatment that transforms the Pulsar sedan's subtle styling.     Watch the desktop version of the Nissan Sentra Nismo's unveiling video here.     _______________________________________  

The Nissan GT-R Nismo has logged the fastest "volume production car" Nurburgring lap time of 7:08.679 but still behind the Porsche 918 Spyder's record of 6:57.It gets a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine with 441kW of power and 650Nm of torque, 37kW and 22Nm more than the current versions 404kW and 628Nm. The GT-R Nismo will roll into overseas showrooms at the beginning of next year but there is currently no plans to bring the model down under.Watch the Nissan GT-R Nismo Nurburgring video desktop version here. _______________________________________ 

Nissan revealed the hottest version yet of its Juke baby crossover in  LA this week, in the form of the Juke Nismo RS. Outputs for the 1.6-litre turbo have been boosted to 160kW/285Nm, representing a 13kW/35Nm over the existing Juke Nismo available overseas.   The gains are a result of ECU adnd exhaust tweaks, and and LSD has been added along with tighter ratios for the the six-speed manual version.  The ride height has been reduced, with stiffer components and extra bracing, plus revised steering and bigger brakes. With the regular Juke Nismo still under consideration for Australia, it's not likley to arrive on our shores any time soon.    Watch the desktop version of the Nissan Juke Nismo RS official video here.   _______________________________________  

Mercedes Benz took up the challenge of creating a 'Vision Gran Turismo' concept for the the Gran Turismo 6 game.The Vision has a front mid-mounted handcrafted AMG V8 biturbo engine delivering 430kW of power and 800Nm of torque. With the signature gullwings of the SLS AMG and an F1-inspired cabin it fits the bill for supercar styling.Watch the Mercedes AMG Vision Gran Turismo desktop video version here. _______________________________________ 

The IDx concepts unveiled by Nissan at this week's Tokyo motor show are a clear throwback to the iconic Datsun 1600 of the late 60s. The road-spec IDx Freeflow features several design details that echo the standard 1600, while the IDx Nismo reflects the classic model's rich racing heritage.  With a turbo 1.6-litre engine driving the rear wheels, a production IDx could be an ideal Nissan answer to the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ.    Watch the desktop version of the official Nissan IDx concepts video here.   _______________________________________  

The aggressively styled two-door Lexus RC coupe will arrive in Australian showrooms in 2014.It will sit alongside the new IS sedan with versions of the IS 350 and 300h’s 3.5 litre V6 engine with 234kW of power and 2.5 litre hybrid drivetrain with 162kW.Watch the 2014 Lexus RC coupe desktop video version here. _______________________________________ 

Most never make it past the designer's desktop, but it still doesn't stop us dreaming. At this year's Tokyo motorshow we take a look at the coolest concepts and futuristic rides unveiled. Toyota FV 2 Toyota unveiled a set of five crazy concept cars at the show, but this wacky racer stands for Fun Vehicle and doesn't feature a steering wheel. Instead, the driver shifts their body weight to navigate. How fun that sounds after hours on the road is another thing, but it'll give the abs a good toning. The idea is to ignite a similar "relationship" to that of a rider and their horse. You won't be feeding it carrots, but it will be able to sense your mood and suggest destinations based on previous driving history. Other technology includes intelligent transport information system that connects with other vehicles and offers safety advice at junctions or blind corners. Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV Mitsubishi exhibited three concept vehicles built around "@earthTECHNOLOGY" which is its manufacturing process vision of the future. The principles involve environmental responsibility, driving pleasure, toughness and safety. The result is this next-generation compact SUV with advanced connected car technologies within the cabin. There's e-Assist active safety, which includes a danger detection system that will urge drivers to seek repairs to any parts that might be wearing out and a high-capacity battery to complement the 1.1-litre engine. It looks Iron Man cool on the outside and the bizarre futuristic interior has us hooked. Suzuki X-Lander This year Suzuki is designing around the theme "small cars for a big future" and rolled out some striking concepts packed with "leading-edge technology". The X-Lander caught our eye as it's a hybrid 4x4 that looks like the Warthog from Halo. Nissan IDxNismo Designed for a younger audience who have grown up in the digital age, the ID is inspired by cars featured in racing games over the years the intention is to bring simulation to reality. Most of its design is a mashup of cars from yesteryear and present with new details that are supposed to "exude cool". It also features a flexible interior with consoles and gauges designed to be installed or removed in a modular way. Honda S660 It's been a busy couple of weeks for Honda after unveiling a hydrogen fuel cell concept prior to LA's own motorshow. Back in Japan it has taken the wraps off a new sports car concept - the S660. It's a mid-engined model designed to bolster their activity in the more exotic market. Read full story: http://www.news.com.au/technology/design/the-coolest-concept-cars-at-the-tokyo-motorshow/story-fnjwucvh-1226765377288 _______________________________________