Porsche Cayman 2006 News

One of the headline acts will be the French star of recent independent crash tests - the Citroen C6 - which has been acclaimed as the safest car yet tested by the New Car Assessment program.The C6, set to go on sale in Australia by the middle of the year, is the fi rst car to earn the maximum four stars from Euro NCAP for its pedestrian safety rating, as well as a maximum fi ve stars for occupant protection.It's also won an award as the world's most beautiful large sedan.The C6 is offering two V6 engines - a 2.7-litre 150kW turbo diesel or a three-litre 155kW petrol engine; both drive the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.Alfa Romeo's 156 range brought the Italian brand back to the fore in Australia with fl air and passion. It's replacement, the 159, continues in that tradition. It will offer more modern drivetrains - and even a V6 with Australian roots - when it hits the market mid year.Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre, the new car will come in both front and all-wheel drive versions, with the Q4 permanent four-wheel drive system using three diffs to split drive.The Alfa Romeo 159 is the first of a whole family of new Alfas due over the next two years, including the Brera.Lexus will be the fi rst car maker to offer a luxury hybrid model, with its GS petrol-electric hybrid offering plenty of performance with the thirst and emissions of a two-litre.The Toyota-owned luxury brand also has a hybrid version of the RX SUV but the company's stand in Adelaide will feature the RX350 - which sees the looks get a nip and tuck, with a new more-powerful and more fuel-effi cient engine beneath its sculpted snout.When Volkswagen went back to the factoryowned subsidiary, they announced high hopes of surpassing 20,000 units by now. They haven't got there yet but with more than 15,000 sales last year the German car maker is on the right track.The prestige segment will see the Passat return with a vengeance this year, with direct-injection two-litre petrol and turbo-diesel engines, or a V6 petrol engine, on offer in either sedan or wagon body style.The sales have had a boost from the new Golf and the newly-introduced (and keenly-priced) Jetta, giving the German car maker plenty of ammunition to work with.Peugeot will give Adelaide show-goers a look at its new 407 Coupe, a sleek, powerful and attractive 2+2 that will be offered in petrol and diesel models on sale in Australia as the show opens.The coupe will be offered with a three-litre 155kW/290Nm V6 petrol engine with either a sixspeed manual gearbox or new six-speed automatic transmission for $65,990 and $68,190 respectively.The sleek Pug will also be offered with a 2.7-litre V6 HDi twin-turbo diesel offering 150Kw and 440Nm with a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard. It will be priced at $72,500.Porsche chose to introduce the Australian motoring media to the Cayman S in the countryside surrounding Adelaide and its fi tting the German brand returns to the motor show this year with the same model.The Cayman S is more than a Boxster with a roof, sharing inlet systems and some other nice bits with the 911.The bulk of the DNA traces back to the midengined Boxster, which gives the two-seater Cayman the same basic powerplant - although slightly larger - plus the superb road manners and balance that has made the convertible a popular option among Porsche buyers.Chrysler has returned to the Australian market with plenty of enthusiasm and some interesting product, the latest and most powerful example of that statement being the 300C sedan.Soon to be followed by diesel and wagon variants, the V8 300C has serious visual impact and packs plenty of equipment to take on the big locally-built luxury sedans.The Chrysler has the added attraction of displacement on demand, which drops fourcylinders from use to save fuel when light throttle loads are required.

At $1.3 million the V12 Pagani Zonda roadster, pictured, one of the most expensive cars to be revealed in Queensland, will roar to life among close to 20 environmentally friendly diesel and hybrid (petrol/electric) examples.Queensland's annual motoring extravaganza has drawn a record number of cars making their Australian or Queensland debuts which reflects the buoyant state of the local new car market.More than 216,000 (22 per cent of the national market) new vehicles were purchased in Queensland last year, with the Sunshine State leading the way in growth.What has also helped build the imposing list of Motor Show exhibits is the scheduling of the show a month later than normal because it swapped dates with Melbourne which avoided clashing with the Commonwealth Games."Visitors this year will see more than 50 cars that either are just released or still to be released, while there are quite a few more they may never see on the roads, such as the Holden Efijy concept or ultra-rare exotics like the Pagani Zonda," Chris Beecham, chairman of the motor show organising committee said."By putting on their best displays the companies are acknowledging the growing influence of Queensland car buyers."From the industry's viewpoint, the show provides a strong kick-start to the sales year."Also competing for exotic bragging rights will be Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti and F430, the $650,000 Bentley Azure convertible, Maserati GranSport Spyder, the Lamborghini Gallardo Roadster and Murcielago, Jaguar XK convertible and Australia's 300km/h Redback Spyder which is featured on the cover of the motor show program in The Courier-Mail today.The Porsche range returns after several years which features the all-new Cayman S coupe which sits between the Boxster and the 911.The traditional display of motorcycles will have a spectacular star, with predictions the "Croc Chopper", being custom-built on a special show stand, could fetch up to $120,000 when it is auctioned on the final night for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation charity.Fuel-efficient, environment-friendly cars will appear in record numbers.Lexus debuts Australia's first luxury sedan with petrol-electric hybrid power, the 450H, and Honda with an all-new Civic hybrid.The latest examples of clean, powerful and economical turbocharged diesel engines will be displayed by traditionally sporty brands BMW, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar.Citroen, Peugeot, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Holden will show "oil-burners".An added attraction will be the staging of the official V8 Supercars championship launch featuring all cars, drivers and transporters at South Bank from 10am-2pm on Saturday.Both Little Stanley St and Glenelg St, just outside the motor show, will be closed for the free event.While the V8 launch only runs on one day the motor show continues until Saturday week.

Wedged curiously in between the Boxster and the 911, Porsche have come up with a BMW M3 fighter called the Cayman.The Cayman S makes its debut in Brisbane and from early assessments is singing all the right tunes.It is available now but Porsche is constrained to merely 150 this year.The mid-engined Cayman is priced at $148,500 for the six-speed manual and undercuts the coveted 911 by the best part of $50k. Underneath it is based on the Boxster and has tasty performance.And the numbers are tasty to boot.According to in-house testing at the famed Nordschleife Nurburgring, the Cayman is merely four - repeat four - seconds in arrears of a 911 after a 100-plus turn and 21km tour of this fabled piece of bitumen.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 217kW of power and 340Nm 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 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.

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).