Mazda Motor Corporation today held a rollout ceremony for the all-new Mazda2 (known as the Demio in Japan) at its Ujina Plant No.1 (U1) near Mazda’s headquarters in Hiroshima. Approximately 550 people, including Mazda’s Executive Vice President, Robert J. Graziano, together with other Mazda executive officers, union representatives and employees, gathered to celebrate the start of new Mazda2 production. The first car to come off the line is bound for the Japanese market, with sales due to commence in summer 2007.

Mr. Graziano greeted the attendees, saying, “The all-new Mazda2 is the first of Mazda’s new generation products to evolve to the next stage. While the current model was intended for the domestic market, the new model has been developed into a globally competitive car. I wish to congratulate you all on your hard work, which has now successfully brought us to the start of full mass production. I am convinced that the all-new Mazda2 will capture the hearts of our customers and demonstrate to drivers the world over that, ‘Mazda vehicles look inviting to drive, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive them again.’ The new Mazda2 offers an exhilarating driving experience that is the soul of Zoom-Zoom and we will continue to build cars with the strong understanding that safety and environmental friendliness are a vital part of making cars fun-to-drive.”
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One of the international fashion industry’s most highly sought-after photographers has brought his art to life in the form of the 2007 Life Ball MINI.

The theme of this year’s annual charity Life Ball, to be held on 26 May at the Vienna City Hall, is “Celebration of Life”, which has a universal appeal.

This year’s belle of the ball is a new MIIN Cooper. Finished in Astro Black it bears the dramatic pyrotechnic artistry of Pervuian-born, London-based celebrity and fashion photographer, Mario Testino.
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Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited today reported a net after-tax loss of $40.3 million for its 2006 fiscal year, compared to an after-tax profit of $148.2 million in 2005.

Net sales revenue was $3.3 billion from sales of 114,965 vehicles. Overall market share was 11.9 per cent, down from 12.7 per cent in 2005, resulting from a year-on-year decline in sales of 14,175 units.

“This was an extremely challenging year for Ford in Australia,” said Ford Australia President, Tom Gorman. “Numerous external factors had an impact on our overall business, including consumer demand moving away from large family sedans, which drove a reduction in our sales volume.
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The Audi TT clubsport quattro study reduces the TT Roadster to a pure driving machine. A powerful engine, state-of-the-art technology and numerous traits borrowed from the world of motorsport are the dominant features of the TT clubsport quattro.

The goal that the development engineers set themselves for this vehicle study was to achive purism at a premium level. No hood, no A-post – instead, a wraparound windscreen kept extremely low which deliberately evokes images of a speedster. The flat, slightly tinted window strip surrounds the cockpit. The panoramic windscreen and the two humps located behind the interior in place of the hood compartment are reminiscent of a racing car. The rollover bars familiar from the TT Roadster are kept flatter and are the same height as the sports bucket seats.
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In a special ceremony held at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, today, PSA Peugeot Citroën has been presented with the award for Best Engine in the 2007 Van Fleet World Honours for its 1.6 litre HDi engine.

The high pressure common-rail direct injection engine, developed jointly with Ford in the world’s largest diesel engine manufacturing programme, is available in a wide range of passenger cars in the Peugeot, Citroën and Ford group ranges. This engine is widely recognised in the LCV market for its excellent fuel efficiency and low emissions, coupled with refined driving capabilities.
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The BMW Group celebrated the 30th anniversary of BMW Driver Training this week with a birthday celebration at the Driver Training Centre at Munich Airport.

The actual “birthday” of BMW Driver Training was in fact 22 April 1977. This was the date when drivers carried out the first training manoeuvres in a BMW 320i.

BMW was one of the first automobile manufacturers to offer customers the opportunity of optimising their know-how at the steering wheel.

Dr. Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management at BMW AG, commented: “Even three decades ago, the BMW Group recognised that developing sporty and dynamic automobiles wasn’t the only part of the equation. As a company keenly aware of its responsibility, our aim was also to promote driving skills on the road.”
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The BMW Group sees further growth potential in the USA and will therefore expand its activities in its largest single market. “We will expand the production capacity of our US plant in Spartanburg in the medium term from the current 140,000 to well over 200,000 vehicles per annum“, stated Norbert Reithofer, the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG at the Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday in Munich.

“This is one element of our future strategy. Taking this step will help to lower our US dollar currency risk“, he added. The adverse impact for the BMW Group from the weak US dollar and Japanese yen in the last financial year alone totalled euro 666 million. The group currently manufactures the Z4 and X5 in the USA. The X6, as well as a possible successor to the X3, are to be built there in the future.
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Australia’s top selling imported medium car, the Mazda6, now offers more value, more features and a revised model line up.

From this month the top-selling Mazda6 sedan, hatch and wagon range is available in Sports, Classic Sports and Diesel variants. The 190 kilowatt turbocharged, all-wheel drive Mazda6 MPS range continues unchanged.

The Sports models, which are priced from $28,990 for the six-speed manual sedan, replace the Classic models which were priced from $31,980 (manual sedan).

The Sports model adds new cloth seat trim with blue highlights (depending on the car’s exterior color), black brush centre console and door switch trim panels, high gloss finish 16 inch alloy wheels, chrome door handles and a rear spoiler on the sedan and hatch variants.
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Images of the new Saab 9-3 range released for the first time today, reveal the new 9-3 will feature bold styling, inspired by the award-winning Aero X concept car and cutting edge technology for greater driving appeal.

With all-new front bodywork, ‘signature’ lighting, new door panels and rear styling features, the latest generation 9-3 acquires a more focused, assertive stance, reflecting the introduction of technical advances aimed at delivering an even more rewarding experience behind the wheel.

Most noticeable is the sharper frontal styling, which adopts grille and hood themes first seen on the Aero X concept, together with a return of Saab’s classic ‘clamshell’ design. This new ‘face’ is reinforced by other exterior changes that all combine to give the range a clearer, more distinctive Saab identity.
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* Brilliant talent Lewis Hamilton scores third consecutive second-place finish and now leads the World Drivers’ Championship
* Current World Champion Fernando Alonso finishes third
* Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes leads the World Constructors’ Championship

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in second position. It was his third consecutive second place. Today’s result means that he takes the lead in the Drivers’ Championship with 30 points. After 65 laps, Lewis came home 6.7 seconds behind winner Felipe Massa.

Fernando Alonso ended up third following an incident at the first corner and is second in the Drivers’ Championship with 28 points.
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With popularity for the Chrysler 300C at an all time high and sales up 15% year to date, it’s no surprise that 300C ownership isn’t limited to private ownership.

Chauffeur drivers around the country are thrilled at the fact that they not only have an alternative when choosing their next vehicle for their Chauffeur business but one that ticks the right boxes.

Initially launched in 2005 with a choice of both petrol V6 and V8 engines mated to a 5 speed automatic, the 300C range was later expanded with the introduction of the wild 6.1-litre high performance SRT8.

But it was the diesel with a whopping 510Nm of torque and a combined fuel consumption figure of 8.2 L/100km that made the Australian chauffeur industry really take notice.
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When the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers head out onto the Circuit de Catalunya for today’s opening free practice session, the rear wing of their BMW Sauber F1.07 cars will be sporting a new message. The striking “BMW Power” lettering which has occupied this prominent area of the car up to now will be replaced by the web address www.active-steering.com for the Spanish Grand Prix.

As Dr Klaus Draeger, member of the BMW AG Board of Management responsible for development and procurement, explains: “In Formula One the focus is on guiding the car quickly and precisely around the track, which is why F1 cars have extremely direct steering. Road cars, however, have to meet additional demands. In order to achieve the same level of agility as a racing car, series-produced models require variable ratio steering. And that is where BMW Active Steering comes in. This system adjusts its responses constantly to the speed of the car. BMW Active Steering breaks new ground by combining excellent stability at higher speeds with flexibility under heavy steering. Precise directional stability and assured steering movements maximise roadholding and take the strain off the driver. And reliable steering feedback also enhances driving pleasure at high speeds.”
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Audi has received the “Engine of the Year” crown for the third year in succession. A jury of more than 60 recognised trade journalists from 30 countries named the 2.0 TFSI engine the winner of the prestigious award.

The jury opined that this impressive four-cylinder unit is the dominant engine in its class, giving the verdict that it is “not only incredibly versatile and clever, but also remarkably powerful”. The 2.0 TFSI combines vigorous pulling power with particularly high everyday suitability. The jury also observed that Audi has demonstrated the best engine development in the 1.8-litre to 2.0-litre segment this year, too.

The 2.0 TFSI unit was initially fitted in the Audi A3 Sportback and now also features in the A4 and A6 model lines as well as in many other Volkswagen Group models. This Audi engine is available in output versions ranging from 170 bhp to 265 bhp, from the exceptionally fuel-efficient A4 2.0 TFSI e to the particularly sporty Audi S3.

AutoPacific, a leading US automotive industry research house, recently reported that Hyundai had the largest opinion improvement of nine major car brands in its initial wave of Image and Consideration Tracking Research.

In the AutoPacific poll, which also evaluated Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Honda, Nissan, VW, BMW and Chrysler Group, 1254 panelists responded to an Internet survey concerning their opinion of these brands in the USA. The survey’s key question was whether the respondent’s opinion of a manufacturer had changed in the last year. Over 5,000 verbatim comments were collected in relation to opinion and attitude toward various aspects of a manufacturer’s image.

Hyundai’s image improved by 32 percent, ahead of Toyota up 23 percent, Honda 19, GM 17 and Nissan up 13 percent.
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Success at this year’s International Engine of the Year Awards has underlined PSA-Peugeot’s petrol engine prowess.

The 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder direct injection, turbo petrol engine developed by PSA-Peugeot and the BMW Group has won the 2007 International Engine of the Year Award for the 1.4 to 1.8 litre category.

The award winning engine currently powers Peugeot’s recently launched 207 GT with an output of 110kW, and in it’s 128kW guise will be seen in the soon to be launched 207 GTi and 207CC, as well as the already launched MINI Cooper S.
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