The Motor Report Auto News Blog

Word on the street last year was that Ford Australia execs were reviewing the manufacturers involvement in motorsport, including the holy-grail – V8 Supercars. At the time, Ford’s continued involvement in the premier class of Australian motorsport appeared to be less than guaranteed, however a press-release issued yesterday by Ford Australia confirms that they are committing to an ongoing significant investment in V8 Supercar racing.

Ford’s involvement in V8 Supercars will remain the company’s single largest sponsorship and category investment. However, Ford will be seeking to leverage their return from this involvement by more closely linking it to their performance car line-up.

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The folks over at G8 Nation share a rather close working relationship with the General, or at least the General’s Pontiac division. Rising fuel prices have got the Pontiac folk considering a second engine option for the upcoming Pontiac G8 ST, until now a V8 only proposition. In this case the engine under consideration is the 265hp/197kW 3.6-litre engine that we know as the Alloytec - the same engine that powers our VE Commodore and the Pontiac G8 sedan.

The idea of a second more economical engine option is still being kicked around the Pontiac boardroom but I’d almost be prepared to put money on it being given the final tick of approval.

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The floodgates have broken, folks.  Here’s yet another speculative rendering of what the next-gen Mazda 3 might look like, and I have to say, I’m not sure which one I prefer.

According to InfoMotori, this is a concept their designer has put together based on rumours, likely platform, and the lines of the new models and the various Mazda concepts we’ve been seeing over the past year or so.  Virtually production ready, this is probably the most viable looking concept I’ve seen thus far and, frankly, pretty close to what I’d imagine the finished product to look like.  if anything, the shape of the headlights fall a  little short of the accepted Mazda language, and the Taiki-like front bar probably wouldn’t make the cut either.

Speaking of cuts, there’s a couple more images under the line. » Read Article

Mercedes-Benz Australia has released the E 280 Sports Edition for a limited time only. The Sports Edition is priced from $98,000, a saving of $11,000 over a similarly optioned E 280.

The Sports Edition version of the E 280 features a swag of normally optional kit as standard, including metallic paint, electric sunroof, COMAND APS stereo system combining MP3 playback and satellite navigation, lowered sports suspension, dual chrome exhausts, 18 inch alloy wheels, double stitched sport seats, steering wheel shift paddles and a glass electric sunroof.

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