Monday, January 11, 2010

Motoring: Ford casts doubt on Falcon's future





The all-Australian Ford Falcon could soon be a thing of the past, the world president of the American car-makers has warned.
The Falcon marks 50 years on Australian roads this year, but speaking at the Detroit motor show, Ford boss Alan Mulally said only one large car platform would be built for all world markets under the company's One Ford program.

"The best thing for Ford is to bring our scale and volume (to the market)," Mr Mulally told Fairfax newspapers.
"(Car-makers) who make one vehicle, a different vehicle for one country, I think those days are gone, because you can't compete with the global companies and Ford's going to be a powerhouse globally."

The likely successor for an Australian designed and engineered Falcon is a car based on the American Ford Taurus, which unlike the Falcon is a front-wheel drive car.
The Taurus was imported to Australasia in the late 1990s with very little success.
Mr Mulally would not say if Ford Australia would play a leading role in developing the large car platform, or whether a local version of the global car would be built in Australia.

"The all-new Falcon doesn't have to come into play until the end of 2014, early 2015, and we don't have to make a decision until 2011 on what that vehicle will be, in terms of styling, technologies " he said.
Mr Mulally said Ford Australia may help to develop the rear-wheel-drive Mustang platform.
The Ford Falcon was introduced to Australia in 1960.
The car has been the mainstay of Ford's Australian manufacturing operations.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival







Monster Energy 2010 National Kumeu
Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival.



What, Where, When?
The Autotrader 16th National Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival is January 16-17 2010. Easy to remember - it's always the third weekend of the new year. Head out to Kumeu in West Auckland via State Highway 16. The Kumeu A & P Shwogrounds is on Access Road (off SH16).

Saturday January 17
Gates open 7.00am

Sunday January 18
Gates and show sheds open 8.00am

Entry $15.00 (Kids under 12 Free)

More deatils kumeu-hot-rodshow


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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Motorsport: Murphy Joins Ingall as new Castrol Edge team

Murphy Joins Ingall - Castrol Edge Team


FOUR-TIME Bathurst 1000 race winner Greg Murphy has refreshed his career by being named driver of the new Castrol Edge car in next year's V8 Supercar Championship.
The car will be run by Queensland-based Paul Morris Motorsports as the partner to the Holden Commodore raced by Russell Ingall under the Supercheap livery.

Murphy announced along with Russell Ingall – nicknamed The Enforcer – as one of the new Castrol Edge V8 drivers for the 2010 Supercar Championship entered by Paul Morris Motorsports.

Both Commodores are being built by PMM on a design by championship-winning Triple Eight Race Engineering which completes the works on the cars before handing them back to PMM.
Although Castrol, and its Edge brand, has had some exposure on the Steven Richards' Falcon in the Ford Performance Racing team in recent years, this new deal will give it a bolder presence on the Greg Murphy No 51car.
Murphy, 37, is a veteran of the sport, having raced in V8s for more than 12 years, and that after racing in the two-litre SuperTouring category.
In his time in V8s he has won the Bathurst 1000 race four times, has been runner-up in the V8 Supercar Championship twice and holds the fastest-lap record at the Bathurst mountain circuit.
He almost won the Bathurst race again this year with Mark Skaife, but was robbed by a safety car intervention; the pair finished fourth.
At the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide Murphy has taken two second places and a third place.
He has just come out of an ordinary year with the Tasman-Sprint Gas team which has disbanded and he fits perfectly Castrol's need for a proven driver.
"I am very lucky to be in this position," Murphy said today at the unveiling in Queensland.
"To be driving a Castrol-backed, Triple Eight-built Holden Commodore for one of V8 Supercars' leading teams, Paul Morris Motorsports, in 2010 in extremely exciting for me."
PMM owner Paul Morris said Castrol had had a long and successful history in Australian motorsport.
"The key to achieving success is having a top-line driver, someone who can get the most out of a car and drag it up to the front - without doubt that's Greg Murphy."

Thursday, December 3, 2009

V8 Supercars: SGR ANNOUNCES CLOSURE

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V8Supercars: TASMAN QUITS V8 RACING

Sprint Gas Racing may have announced its closure but it certainly hasn’t taken its foot of the accelerator taking two top 10 results from the weekend’s racing in Western Australia.
Jason Bargwanna drove a superb race to finish seventh, adding to Greg Murphy’s eighth place in yesterday’s shorter race.
It was one of its best performances this year, showing that the team might be closing its doors but it certainly hasn’t given up on good results.
“We had a good race and the team gave me a good strategy,” Bargwanna said.
“Soft tyres were definitely an advantage, but you needed to use them at the right time.
“We knew that we would get forty-odd laps out of them thanks to Murph’s good run yesterday.
“I was looking good for a top five but the tyres went off in the last few laps of the race.
“There was nothing we could do about this - they’d well and truly done their job.
“I’m just really happy for the team. When a team closes it takes everything you have to keep motivated and the boys have not missed a beat. We have a committed bunch, so thanks to everyone in the team. You’ve done a great job.”
Murphy finished 19th today. He was up with the front runners early but was unable to hold his position.

“I was happy with my qualifying position, eleventh was a good effort, but we always new the race would be tough having used our soft tyres yesterday,” said Murphy.
“We probably did as well as we could have.
“Having only one set of option tyres means you’re going to have one good result over the weekend – and ours was yesterday.

“It was good for the team to come away with a couple of top 10 places though.”

Monday, October 26, 2009

NZ: New track opens - Hampton Downs

Hampton Downs Motorsport Park


Drivers took to the track at the new Hampton Downs Motorsport Park on the first day of the Dunlop Targa rally yesterday.
The seven-day event started in Auckland and will travel down the North Island to Wellington.
Labour Day saw racing at three tracks, Pukekohe Park Raceway, Hampton Downs and Taupo.
The rally was the first motorsport event at the newly completed track near Mercer.
Hampton Downs will host races as part of Rally NZ next May.
Construction of the 3.8km racing circuit began in February 2007, but was delayed by bad weather last winter.
The circuit runs clockwise and has nine corners, five right-hand and four left-hand.
The main straight is 950m long, with a kink in the middle and a 12m rise and fall.
New Zealand's newest motorsport complex, Hampton Downs is located near the existing Meremere drag strip and oval just south of Auckland.
It has three sealed circuits, pit buildings, industrial units, business park, lifestyle blocks, convention centre, restaurant and trackside apartments.

The goal has been to build an entertainment venue for the promotion of motor racing in New Zealand. The venue is proposed to be the country's premier venue and reflects a modern approach to circuit design and associated amenities.
There will be an emphasis on driver training and a testing facility.
Some privately owned trackside apartments will be available for renting.


Check out the Web site - Hampton Downs

Source: NZ Herald

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Malaysian ute's score lowest in Crash-test


The Proton Jumbuck ($24,000 NZD) available in New Zealand has being given a dismal safety ratings by independent crash test organisation Ancap (Australasian New Car Assessment Programme).
The two-door Jumbuck was awarded the lowest possible one-star rating after its performance in frontal offset and side impact crash tests.

Ancap scores vehicles from zero to five stars, depending on the safety features and protection of the driver and passengers.
The ute's cabin was severely deformed in the 64km/h offset crash test. It offered poor head protection for the driver and passenger, and poor leg protection for the driver.
It also lacked airbags, ABS, and electronic stability control - a feature that senses skidding and individually brakes the wheels, helping the driver to regain control.

Watch for yourself on You Tube

I wouldn't want to be carting my family around in one... I'd hate to see us go backwards in vehicle safety - and the Proton does that at lightning speed.

Its a cheap and nasty death trap...