Holden HSV W427

Holden Special Vehicles today revealed that the HSV W427 is coming in August and will cost $150,000 AUD. This makes it the most expensive Australian production supercar ever. Holden Commodore-based HSV W427 has a 500 horsepower, V8 engine given it the distinction of being the fastest and the most powerful car from HSV. Not surprisingly, only 427 W427s will be built (hand built), and all will be made to order at the Clayton production facility.

Just to ensure that everyone knows what we are taling about, Holden is GM’s Australian auto brand and Holden's in-house tuner is named HSV which stands for Holden Special Vehicles.

HSV’s owner and founder Tom Walkinshaw has confirmed the final power output figure for the W427 will be 375kW (502hp) @ 6500 rpm and 640NM (472 ft/lbs) of torque @ 5000 rpm coming from the 7.0-liter LS7 V8 engine. This powerplant has been source from Chevrolet's Z06 Corvette but for W427 special HSV specific calibration has been done. Walkinshaw also informed that HSV has already received expressions of interest from 1500 customers. Now this baby seems to be already sold out more than three times.

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Photo Gallery: Australias New 2009 Holden HSV W427 Super Pictures.

Ford Release 2009 Focus XR5 Turbo's Specs & Photos

The first Focus to debut Ford’s new Kinetic design philosophy, the iconic German-built XR5 Turbo flagship looks simply stunning. Powering the new XR5 Turbo is a 2.5-litre 166kW Duratec five-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, offering peak torque of 320Nm from 1,600rpm right through to 4,000rpm.

It looks as well as it goes too, with a completely new, more aggressive front bumper flanked by distinctive re-styled fog lamps and finished with a graphite mesh with signature honeycomb pattern. At the rear, the XR5 Turbo gets a new bumper with an integrated lower diffuser framing two generously proportioned exhaust pipes, with full LED tail lamps and an oversized rear spoiler.

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Photo Gallery: 2009 Model Ford Focus XR5 Turbo High-Res Pictures.

Toyota TRD Aurion Pro-FX Launched

Toyota unveiled the TRD Aurion Pro-Factory Xtreme (Pro-FX) drag car at Willowbank Raceway in Queensland ahead of its debut outing at the biggest event in Australian drag racing, the 2008 Winter nationals.

Run by former Australian champion Tony Wedlock and his Ultimate Motorsport team, the TRD Aurion Pro-FX has a top speed of more than 350km/h. Powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder Toyota engine, the TRD Aurion Pro-FX produces 1300kW and launches from 0-100km/h in less than one second. Wedlock will debut the car at this weekend’s Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) Winternationals - the headline event of the 2008 Australian season.

Source: TheyReviewed

2008 Australian Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen's First Compact SUV: The New 2008 Model Tiguan
VW has entered the thriving Compact SUV segment in Australia for the first time with the all new Tiguan - offering the versatility and spaciousness of an SUV and the quality, style and technology of a VW.The Petrol and diesel engines are combined with 6 speed manual and automatic transmissions, and Volkswagen's latest generation 4MOTION all wheel drive system.

The recent awarding of the prized five star EuroNCAP safety rating highlights the safety credentials of the Tiguan, which includes 6 airbags and Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) as standard. Safety is complemented by a number of the most desired styling and convenience features such as alloy wheels, roof rails, cruise control and multi-function steering wheel, also standard across the entire model range.

The Tiguan also introduces a number of innovative new options such as Park Assist technology, an electrically operated panoramic glass sunroof and Volkswagen's new RNS510 satellite navigation system with Rear View Camera (RVCPlus). With recommended retail pricing from $33,990, the Tiguan offers a very competitive European alternative to a familiar field of Japanese and Korean branded vehicles.

Three engine specifications are available, two petrol with TSI technology (125kW & 147kW) and one TDI (103kW). All are charged without exception, delivering thrust just above the engines idling speed. Today, the new and remarkably quiet common rail TDI combined with Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) already satisfies the Euro-5 standards that do not go into effect in Europe until 2009.

The rear bench seat is split with a 60:40 ratio, it can be adjusted 16 centimetres in the longitudinal direction, and the rear seatback has multiple tilt adjustment settings. This provides either more legroom in the rear or additional space in the cargo area. Even with five persons on board the cargo area can stows 395 litres. Up to 1,510 litres and 650 kilograms payload can be stowed in the Tiguan when the rear seats are folded down. This moves it right next to genuine mid-class station wagons.

The 103kW 2.0TDI and 125kW TSI are delivered with six-speed manual transmissions as standard equipment. As an option, the Tiguan may be ordered with a six-speed tiptronic automatic, which is standard in the 147kW TSI model. The manual transmission can be driven at an engine speed of 1,000 rpm or vehicle speed of just 6.69 km/h, for example; this practically equals the crawler gear of a reduction gearbox. The automatic transmission has gear level pre-select; in off-road use, it prevents shifting to the next higher gear.

Source: TheyReviewed

Photos: 2008 Australian Volkswagen Tiguan Pictures