Articles by Staff Writers

German car design house Mansory is set to work on a production model of its restyled Lamborghini Aventador Roadster.Mansory has already made two Aventador coupes that are sold under the Carbonado name. The exhaustive and expensive process involves buying an Aventador and then striping off the body panels.They are replaced with Mansory's own carbon-fibre panels with dyed fibre threads to create colourful and permanent patterns. The new body is 50mm wider and new axles are added to stretch out the track.While the car is disassembled, the drive train gets a once-over to boost power to 920kW and 1232Nm of torque, up from 515kW/690Nm thanks to the addition of two turbochargers.Also going up is the price. The $761,500 Aventador coupe, for example, has a sticker price as a Mansory Carbonado in Europe for the equivalent of $2 million – a cool $1.2 million upgrade. 

Watch the BMW 2 Series ad on our desktop site.Also watch: BMW M5 hoon video

Based on the dual-cab TDI400 and TDI420 Amarok Highline models, the Canyon Special Edition packs in extra equipment to tempt the premium ute buyer.Setting it apart from the rest of the Amarok line-up are gloss black sports and side bars, 17-inch Roca alloy wheels shod with Pirelli Scorpion AT-R tyres, an impact and UV-resistant load area coating in the tray, tinted tail lamps and special rear and side decals.Inside it adds satellite navigation and reversing camera, with two-tone Nappa leather interior and orange stitching that accents the exclusive Copper Orange metallic colour.Like the TDI400 and TDI420, it is powered by a 132kW/400Nm 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine, in the TD1400 version mated to a six-speed manual driving all four wheel with  Volkswagen's 4Motion selectable system and in the TD1420 with an eight-speed automatic driving the permanent 4WD version of the 4Motions system.Volkswagen Amarok Canyon Special Edition pricesAmarok Canyon TDI400 6-sp man:  from $56,990Amarok Canyon TDI420 8-sp auto:  from $59,990 

The Discovery Sport, to be launched next year, is the start of a new three-family group of vehicles marketed under the headings of Utility, Luxury and Versatility, said Jaguar Land Rover director of marketing Phil Popham.The Utility family will include a new Defender – slated for 2017 – which will be sold as workhorse cab-chassis and wagons. Popham indicates it could also include a leisure-oriented model.The Luxury family is the Range Rover Vogue, Sport and Evoque, though Popham didn’t dismiss the possibility of adding a smaller model. Land Rover’s third family will be sold under the Versatility label. This will include the Discovery 5 – due in 2016 – and the Freelander replacement, the Discovery Sport. If Land Rover decide to go ahead with a smaller Evoque, it may spin off the platform to a smaller Discovery.But Popham refused to talk about the replacement for the Defender. He said the company was involved in other projects and a new Defender wasn’t part of current plans. Land Rover has shown concepts of the Defender in the past, using them to gauge public opinion. The last concept was the DC100 which though receiving good reviews from attendees at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, was thought to be too “soft’’ for the Defender tag.The Discovery Sport – and the updates to the Evoque – will next year start to use Land Rover’s new engine family marketed under the Ingenium label. The first of the 2-litre petrol and diesel engines will be the oilburner that goes into production in the UK later this year.It will be used in the Evoque, Discovery Sport and be adapted for some Jaguar models, including the mid-size BMW 3-Series rival, the XE sedan. It could even be adapted to the F-Type, said a Jaguar representative at the New York Auto Show, though said there were no plans. In-house drivetrain production means Jaguar Land Rover will no longer be tied to the Ford-design 2-litre EcoBoost and Duratorq engines, so saving on costs associated with licences. The same split from Ford’s engines is also under way at Volvo, which – like Jaguar Land Rover – is also a former division of Ford.Jaguar Land Rover technical director Dr Wolfgang Epple said at the New York Auto Show that the new engines “are the core for our future’’. He said they are lighter, more fuel and emission efficient and more powerful than the existing 2-litre engines. 

Block's Ford Fiesta ST rally car comes up against an unlikely set of opponents.Turns out some of the world's best football players can take on one of the world's best driver... but who do you think comes out on top?Watch the desktop version of footkhana video here. 

The engines are alternatives to Murano’s ongoing 3.5-litre petrol V6. But Nissan Australia is yet to confirm any alternative engines to the carry-over V6. In New York last week, Nissan said its more edgy-styled Murano would be built in the USA with a V6 petrol engine and a continuously-variable transmission (CVT). However, Nissan boss Andy Palmer said in a press conference at the recent New York Auto Show that other engines would be available for certain global markets.These included the new Renault twin-turbo diesel, the 1.6-litre Energy dCi engine. It is rated at 118kW and 380Nm of torque with 90 per cent of that torque available from 1800rpm. This engine is likely to be the first choice for Europe, including the right-hand drive market of the UK. This could make the diesel a possible inclusion for future Australian-delivered vehicles.However, more likely for us is the hybrid Murano. Australia will soon get a hybrid version of the Pathfinder to be sold alongside the newly-launched V6-engined model. The Murano and Pathfinder share the same platform and engine options, so it could follow that to present a more fuel-efficient wagon, the Murano may borrow the Pathfinder’s hybrid.The hybrid is a 2.4-litre supercharged petrol four-cylinder with an electric motor in the flywheel. It delivers 187kW and 329Nm of torque, close to the 195kW and 336Nm of the petrol V6 but with a claimed 25 per cent lower fuel use.The Murano may be the first showing in a Nissan product of Renault’s twin-turbo 1.6-litre diesel engine. Renault-Nissan said the engine is designed for D and E-class vehicles, embracing everything from a Megane to an Altima, X-Trail and Pathfinder.The engine shares some design ideas with Renault’s Formula One engine. It has two sequential turbochargers. The first is a very low inertia turbo that delivers high low-end torque for immediate acceleration at revs barely above idle. Renaults said 90 per cent of the maximum torque is available from 1500rpm.The second turbo takes over at the middle to top-end of the rev range where it produces the magic 100hp/litre. This gives acceleration through to the red line. Its fuel injection system operates at a pressure of 1800 bar to function with the twin turbocharger. It complies with Euro 6b emissions legislation and incorporates a nitrous-oxide and particulate filter with a regeneration system. 

Holden's dealership video stunts have set up an actor posing as a dealer and pranking customers on test drives. But in this video the tables are turned when the dealer gets taken for a ride. And an offroad one at that...Thanks to 4WDTV's Simon and Miranda Christie, the test drive takes an unexpected turn when the couple - posing as regular customers - decide to test the Captiva's 7 offroad capabilities on a real 4x4 training course.Watch the Holden Colorado 7 test drive prank video on our desktop site.Also watch these videos:Alex Davis joins cheeky Holden prank Holden Trax test drive surpriseHolden customer gets Collingwood surprise 

They've taken a new tack inside too after feedback suggested that consumers aren't always looking for devices that do more, they just want it done better.Nissan found that people rarely read the directions for their smartphone because they know intuitively how to operate them. Nissan believe vehicles should behave the same way.Adding to the driver's sense of connectedness is Nissan's Advanced Drive-Assist Display - an enhanced version of the instrument panel feature offered in the new Altima and Pathfinder. For use in the new Murano, it includes a number of new features such as a 7.0-inch high-resolution color display.Nissan's NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats are standard for front and rear outboard occupants. The rear seats are a three-cushion design, a first for a Nissan vehicle. Climate-controlled seats (heating and cooling) are available in front, along with available Quick Comfort™ heated rear seats.Launching in Australia either late this year or early in 2015, the next Murano will be available with a carryover 3.5-litre DOHC V6 with Xtronic CVT in all wheel and front wheel drive versions.Nissan says fuel economy is up to 20 per cent better than before thanks to a weight reduction of about 50kg, aerodynamic and engine/transmission tweaks. Ride and handling is by four wheel independent suspension featuring a front strut/rear multi-link design. Wheels are 18-20-inch machine-finished alloys. 

The Mazda 6's safety has been enhanced with the availability of new i-ACTIVSENSE technology across the entire range and a new colour option gives the Mazda 6 more choice.

Holden's latest social media campaign takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to showing off the latest features in their vehicle range, such as the Pandora internet radio capability of the Trax. This is a fantastic feature for music lovers, just as long as you don’t have embarrassing music tastes…Watch the Holden Trax test drive surpirse video on our desktop site.