Ford's Mad Max Concepts To Show In Melbourne

Mad Max will crash into the 21st century next month with the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) debut of a pair of scale model 'Interceptor' concepts designed at Ford Australia earlier this year.

Developed as an after-hours project inspired by the original Interceptor - a 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon Coupe - the new Mad Max Interceptor concepts are the work of Ford Australia designers Chris Svensson, Todd Willing, Nima Nourian and Simon Brook.

"Our entire team was very excited to be involved in this after-hours project and they approached it with a great deal of enthusiasm - even those that were too young to remember the first Mad Max movie," Svensson said.

"We had a special screening of the original movie so they could understand it."Both Interceptor concepts, at 40 percent scale, are to celebrate the cinematic return of the 30 year-old movie franchise. The new interpretations of the Mad Max original make their global debut at the July 1 opening of this year's AIMS in Melbourne.

Speaking of his Transformer-look concept, Nourian said he was inspired by the original film's high-speed chases and on-road clashes.

"I thought I'd take that one step further, so instead of having weapons and machine guns, we've got an industrial strength taser that'll zap cars dead and out of the way," Nourian said.

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The Australian International Motor Show opens at 6pm on Friday 1 July and runs through until Sunday 10 July at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Other new models and concepts confirmed for the 2011 AIMS include the 2012 Subaru Impreza, Toyota Prius V and Prius C, the Suzuki Swift S-Concept, thePeugeot 508, the Range Rover Evoque, the Toyota FT-86 II Concept, the 2012 Audi A6 and the 2012 Jaguar XF.

Appearances have also been confirmed for the all-new Lamborghini Aventador, the Lexus LF-Gh concept, the Mazda Shinari concept, and a preview of Australian carmaker JOSS Developments' upcoming JT1 supercar.-themotorreport.com.au

BMW reveals official details and images of 2012 M5

With leaked photos doing the rounds online, BMW has decided to drop the official images and details on its fifth generation 2012 M5.

The much-anticipated super saloon comes packing BMW’s a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine behind its double kidney grille. It shares this powerplant with the X5M and X6M high performance SUVs and the V8 replaces the previous M5′s exotic 5.0-litre V10 unit. The new high-revving engine packs a heavyweight punch with power output of 415kW and peak torque of 680Nm. This marks a huge 30kW and 150Nm increase over its predecessor. Fuel consumption has also been improved with a quoted figure of 9.9l/100km combined.

Transferring power to the rear wheels is a seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission linked up to an electronically controlled multi-plate limited-slip differential. A manual transmission is expected to be added at a later date.

Performance figures are impressive with the new M5 sprinting to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, 0-200km/h (124mph) in 13.0 seconds and a limited top speed of 250km/h. If you have to go even faster the optional M Driver’s package raises top speed to 305km/h.

Standard equipment on the M5 includes M-specific suspension, a lightweight compound high-performance braking system and the M-tuned Servotronic steering. High-tech electronic aides include an M Drive system that allows drivers to store two individual modes for a range of programmable parameters including accelerator response, M Servotronic response, Drivelogic shift program, DSC mode, Dynamic Damper Control a special Head-Up Display unit that provides extra info.

In terms of exterior design the new M5′s tweaks are fairly reserved with subtle features including bulkier front and rear bumpers, side air vents, bespoke 19-inch alloy wheels, a minimal boot lid spoiler and quad tail pipes.

The 2012 M5 will make its global debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, expect more details to be released closer to that date.-carandsuv.co.nz

Till then check out images of BMW’s new bahn stormer in the gallery below.

Gallery

First Look: Chevrolet Colorado Rally Concept

The slow tease of the next-generation Chevy Colorado continues. GM just took the wraps off its Chevrolet Colorado Rally Concept at the Buenos Aires International Motor Show.

In contrast to the debut of the Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck at the Bangkok International Auto Show in March, the Rally Concept's double cab sheet metal is much closer to what the production pickup will look like.

The Rally Concept highlights off-road prowess, which fits right at home in Argentina, co-host country (along with Chile) for the Dakar Rally. Consider it a little brother to the GMC Sierra All-Terrain conceptand heir to the famous Chevy S-10 ZR2 legacy.

The Colorado rally rig features aggressive 305/60R18 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A tires and a high-performance long-travel suspension with remote reservoir shocks, similar to the All-Terrain's dampers. Winches are integrated into the front and rear bumpers, so it doesn't matter which way you're pointed if you get stuck. A spare wheel and tire is mounted in the cargo box.

The rally theme continues inside to the Colorado's twin cockpit design. Baja-ready race seats feature five-point harnesses to hold the driver and navigator in place. The center console sports controls to adjust tire pressure and suspension settings on the fly. Acrylic windows protect against side impacts and have molded inlets for air circulation. There's also a fire extinguisher - just in case.

Under its hood is GM's new 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that sends power to the wheels via all-wheel drive.

We still expect a version of the second-gen Chevy Colorado will be built and sold in the U.S. and Canada, but it’s unlikely that a North American version will offer a diesel engine because of strict U.S. emissions regulations.

With a gas engine for the U.S. and Canada and diesels overseas, second-generation Colorado sales could exceed 100,000 units of production annually, exceeding worldwide sales goals for one of its major competitors, the recently introduced Volkswagen Amarok.

"The success of this concept in Buenos Aires will be a preview of what we see on the streets around the world in a while," said Carlos Barba, general director of design at General Motors South America.

According to manufacturing documents we've obtained, the Colorado's start of regular production is slated for Oct. 3, 2011, in Thailand and Jan. 16, 2012, in Brazil, where it will likely be sold as the S-10.

According to our sources, the code names for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon versions for North America are 31XC and 31XG. Start of U.S. manufacturing is scheduled for around July 2014, though production of the current Colorado and Canyon are expected to end by 2012 at the plant in Shreveport, La.-news.pickuptrucks.com

Official: Honda Fit Shuttle goes on sale in Japan in gas and hybrid spec

Honda has launched a new compact wagon in its home market of Japan. Called the Fit Shuttle, the mini MPV comes in two flavors; the Fit Shuttle 15X and the Fit Shuttle Hybrid. The 15X gets its name from the 1.5-liter i-VTEC motor under the hood, which returns nearly 44 miles per gallon using the Japanese 10·15 testing procedure, which matches that of the standard Fit. If you desire even more fuel efficiency, the Fit Shuttle Hybrid utilizes a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine that's paired with Honda's IMA hybrid system. The hybrid will leisurely sip fuel at a rate of nearly 59 miles per gallon using the same test, again matching the regular Fit Hybrid.

Both Fit Shuttle variants are five-passenger people movers that feature a veritable arena of cargo space, relative to the vehicle's compact size. Storage is readily available above the low load floor, but there's more hiding underneath. The rear row of seats can be stowed, creating a flat cargo space. The varying rear end arrangements allow for a wide variety of cargo to fit inside the Fit Shuttle.

Besides the cargo being comfortable, passengers will be entertained by the InterNavi system that's equipped with the Linkup Free system. Utilizing a 3G connection, Linkup Free allows users to quickly transmit and receive data while on the go.

The Honda Fit Shuttle 15X starts at 1,610,000 Yen, or about $19,943 U.S. at current exchange rates. Pricing for the Fit Shuttle Hybrid begins at 1,810,000 Yen, which is around $22,420 U.S. Click past the jump for the full press release, and check out the all-new Honda Fit Shuttle in the included image gallery.-autoblog.com

2012 Chevrolet Cobalt Concept Revealed In Buenos Aires

 

The Cobalt badge has been resurrected in South America this week - three years after its US-market predecessor was retired in favour of the global Cruze small car.

Revealed at the Buenos Aires Motor Show today, alongside the Colorado Double-Cab Rally, the new Cobalt Sedan Concept offers a glimpse of a new small sedan expected to hit a number of markets around the world.

However, with dimensions that appear to place it somewhere between the new 2012 Barina and the larger Cruze (measurements haven't been revealed), it remains to be seen where the Cobalt will fit into the company's line-up.

The concept shown here is described as a sports variant, wearing skirts all round, a bootlid spoiler, dual exhaust outlets and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, the Cobalt concept gets a two-tone leather trim with chrome highlights and a full-roof split sunroof design. Rear passengers also benefit from front headrest-mounted screens.

Power for the Cobalt will come from a range of four-cylinder petrol, diesel and ethanol engines, ranging in size from 1.3 litre to 1.8 litres. Automatic and manual transmissions will be offered.

Australia

With Holden's light and small line-ups taken care of by the upcoming Barina hatch and sedan, and the Cruze hatch and sedan, don't expect to see the Cobalt on Australian roads.-themotorreport.com.au