Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
these are just a small sample of the Street Machines in Australia... found on streetmachinemag.typepad.com/street_machine/
Monday, September 5, 2011
Have you been over to Bring A Trailer lately? Good stuff showing up there
check out http://bringatrailer.com/ for all sorts of good finds, these and so many more
Friday, May 27, 2011
Hoon Crackdown: Two Anti-Hooning Ads from Different Ends of the Spectrum
In Australia and New Zealand, “hooning” is a term applied to any anti-social and often dangerous behavior behind the wheel of a car. Burnouts, car surfing and illegal street racing all fall under this rather broad definition. And it’s an ever-growing problem. Each year there are more reports like, “Hoons kill innocent driver in Dandenong, say police” and, “Man killed in Burwood Highway 'hoon' crash.”
So it’s obvious that cracking down on hooning is very important to the governments of both nations. Here we have two adverts, one from Oz and one from Kiwiland, that use tactics both old and new to get their message across. The Aussie one plays on that, “If you hoon, you’ll lose your car” message while the NZ one plays on the, “If you hoon, you’ll lose your life” vibe. Who knew that New Zealand’s roads were covered with hidden landmines?
Read more »Thursday, May 26, 2011
It’s Coming from Down Under: Joss Development’s JP1 Supercar
It’s been a very long time in the making, but it looks like Melbourne-based JOSS Developments is nearing the production phase of its V8-powered supercar model, internally codenamed JP1. The company today announced that it will preview the future production version of the JP1 at the forthcoming Australian International Motor Show (AIMS), which takes place this year at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center from July 1 to 10.
The Australian startup said it will showcase an evaluation prototype as well as a wind tunnel model of the production JP1 and select componentry from its technical partners. This will be the second time that JOSS Developments will be exhibiting the vehicle to the public after the appearance of an early prototype model in Melbourne in 2004.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Report: Next Holden Commodore VF to get Aluminium Panels, Electric Power Steering
*Current Holden WM Caprice pictured in the above development sketch
When Holden’s next-generation VF Commodore series launches in Australian in 2014, it will be the first locally-produced automobile to incorporate mass produced aluminium panels in its construction. In addition, the new large car, which will also spawn a long-wheelbase Caprice model, will get improved aerodynamics and electric power steering in place of the current-gen’s hydraulic unit. It’s all part of an effort by Holden to lighten up its flagship model and thereby make it more fuel efficient in an effort to remain competitive with the likes of the locally-produced Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Fuel savings are expected to be around the 7% mark, bringing the 9.1lt /100 km (26 mpg) combined rating of the 3.0 L V6 SIDI down to a more politically-correct 8.4 lt/ 100 km (28 mpg). Similar savings will be experienced with the older 3.6 L Alloytec V6: 9.1 lt / 100 km (26 mpg) down from 9.8 lt / 100 km (24 mpg). The program is part-funded by the Australian federal government, which poured AU$39.8 million in from the now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Report: Do Speed Cameras Save Lives?
No matter where in the world you live, speed cameras are bound to be a hot button item for most drivers and especially automotive enthusiasts. With a recent proposal by the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) suggesting that the operation of and collection of fines from speed cameras in the hands of local government, the issue has once again come to the forefront of public opinion. The big question on many people’s minds is: are speed cameras actually effective at saving lives and preventing accidents?
First, let’s eliminate any prejudice against speed cameras. I and many others object to the sometimes devious ways our nation’s police force use speed cameras. Camera vans hidden in the bushes, signage placed in front rather than behind the vans and the use of unmarked vehicles have all soured public opinion on this supposed accident-reducing device. This is not about how speed cameras are used; it’s a question of whether or not they actually do what they’re intended to do.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
BMW Bankruptcy Bust Up in the Bush: The Price of Luxury Car Loans Down Under
AU$18 million or about US$18.1 million at the current exchange rates. That’s how many Australian dollars some 226 plus Aussies owe BMW’s unimaginatively named financial arm "BMW Finance". The Bavarian automotive giant is now perusing bankruptcy proceedings against these persons in Australia’s Federal Magistrates’ Court in an effort to recoup the debt from hundreds of unpaid car loans.
It’s all rather depressing, really, especially in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. Take one man who bought an AU$80,000 Lexus on credit shortly before he lost his AU$110,000 job. Or the woman who signed her name on a car loan for her and her husband, only to have him leave her and get stuck with the debt. "They repossessed the car, but they still want [AU]$25,000. I don't know what to do,” said the 34 year-old.
That the woman earns just AU$36,000 a year is of no concern to BMW Finance. Peter Malone, a bankruptcy expert at CRS Warner Kuegel told the Sunday Herald Sun newspaper that creditors could, through a bankruptcy trustee, seize many of a debtor’s assets including their home, cash and shares.
Even if the car is repossessed or sold on, debtors still owe on the shortfall which can sometimes be big money. In Australia, one can be made bankrupt over as little as AU$5,000. Most of the claims the Herald Sun inspected fell into the AU$30,000 plus category, with one debtor owing a whopping AU$190,000.
It just goes to show that that old saying still stands up today, “They that dance must pay the fiddler.” Though in retrospect, why anyone would want to dance to a AU$190,000 tune is beyond my comprehension...
By Tristan Hankins
Source: Herald Sun
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