Eagle-eyed spy shooters for Car Advice in Australia have managed to snap off a series of photos of a new entry-level Ford hatchback that's likely headed to emerging markets like India, Brazil and some areas in Europe. The car seen in these spy shots is clearly disguised as the previous-generation Ford Fiesta, but it's believed that this new machine may actually be a production version of the Ford Verve concept that was first introduced back in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

If it ever reaches production, it's likely that the Verve will feature a range of gasoline and diesel engines varying in size from 1.2- to 1.5-liters. According to Car Advice, this new hatchback is expected to get a formal green-light from Ford sometime in mid-2010 en-route to production a few months later. For what it's worth, we don't expect to see this car come Stateside, as America will already have the new Fiesta subcompact followed by a new global Focus. Click here for the rest of the shots.



[Source: caradvice.com.au]

In 67 days, the Joss supercar will be revealed. The brainchild of Matt Thomas, an aerodynamicist with the short-lived Stewart F1 team, the car has been wholly designed and engineered in Australia. The details revealed so far might not make one immediately think "super" status applies since the car has "only" 469 hp and 479 lb-ft. of twist.

But the carbon fiber, mid-engined car with a home-grown 6.8-liter V8 weighs just 2,068 pounds, which means its acceleration runs should be enough to leave the driver singing "Let's Do the Time Warp Again." However, The Motor Report says that the supercar's 0-100 kmh (62 mph) stat is listed at 3.7 seconds. That's only a shade faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo, which weighs 1,400 pounds more and has about the same power numbers. Elsewhere, it's been mentioned that it will do the run in 2.5 and 2.98 seconds, which seems much more likely if all else comes to pass.

As you've doubtlessly already noted, the rear deck is bereft of a spoiler. TMR says that's because a rear venturi will create enough downforce not to need one (and the vortex-generating doors don't hurt), a trait the car shares with the McLaren F1. It also makes room for the top-exiting twin exhaust. And also like the McLaren, Joss is planning to run a version of the car at Le Mans sometime in the future. In two months, we'll begin to see how its chances rate.

[Source: The Motor Report]

According to Australia's Drive, Holden boss Mark Reuss has confirmed that General Motors' Australian outpost will produce a hatchback version of the Cruze sedan that it shares with Chevrolet.

The liftback will apparently be very much an Aussie product, with research and development being carried out Down Under, and there are plans to assemble the model at Holden's South Australian plant beginning in the fall of 2010. Critically, it's being built with foreign markets in mind, so that could mean that the model might find its way to North American shores, although const constraints would likely make such things difficult on such a low-cost model.

As it has here in the States, GM has halted importation of the European-built Astra into Australia due to cost concerns, and it also stopped selling the Korean-built Viva (a rebadged Daewoo Lacetti) earlier in 2009.

Interestingly, Drive suggests that the Cruze hatch model could be an upmarket stablemate to the sedan model, with different steering and suspension tunings, along with unique styling. While that sounds enticing, a higher-cost hatchback model might not go well with America's historically hatchback-averse marketplace, leading us to doubt that the car will eventually be offered Stateside.

As of yet, there are no official plans to build a version of the hatchback domestically in Chevrolet's Lordstown, Ohio plant where the Cruze sedan will be assembled.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

As previously reported, Ford's Australian arm is currently developing a new global small truck platform that will underpin the next Ford Ranger here in the United States. Codenamed T6, the truck is likely to be offered in both standard and extended cab configurations and offer various gas and diesel powerplants depending on the country it's sold in.

An eagle-eyed spy shooter in Australia managed to snap off a series of photos of the T6 Ranger out and about in the land of Oz being tested in predictably camouflaged form. Although it may look like a mangled Mazda BT-50, those body panels have only been fitted to mask the pickup's true identity. Previous reports suggest that a 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder powerplant with roughly 175 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque will be offered here in the States. Assuming the new truck does in fact make the trip to America, expect it to show up in 2012.

[Source: CarAdvice.com.au]

While they might lack the comedic punch of their seasoned British co-frères, the presenters at Top Gear Australia don't seem to have any electric car "issues". Indeed, in a recent episode they even held their own battery-powered build-off. Presenters Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati each took a car of their choosing, stripped out all the combustive components and inserted a rough and (mostly) ready electric drivetrain, before meeting up on a racetrack to compete for bragging rights.

Realizing that a decent electric vehicle shouldn't be too heavy, Pizzati decided to go with the featherweight Suzuki MightyBoy while his competitor settled on that great Australian classic, the HZ Holden Kingswood. This hulking station wagon weighs in somewhere between the QEII and the state of New Hampshire. While we won't tell you which conversion won straight out, we will throw out the hint that the triumphant strains of "Football meat pies kangaroos electric cars" could be heard coming from the passenger compartment of the conquering contestant. Follow the jump for the segment in two parts – as well as a bonus video of a very nice MightyBoy conversion.


[Source: YouTube]

Fiat recently released a selection of branded wines for Fiat, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo, now it's the Aussies' turn. But whereas the Fiat wines were about marketing, the Elderton 2008 Grand Tourer Shiraz is a tribute to Neil Ashmead, Elderton wineries' late owner. The wife and sons of the vintner, who passed away 12 years ago, commissioned Fuller to create a label to celebrate the man, his winery, and his passion for the Holden Monaro GTS.

As described in a wine auction brochure, the GTS shiraz is "The inaugural release from a biodynamically grown
block of old shiraz vines on the Elderton Estate, paying tribute to one of the co-founders of Elderton. This will be the only imperial of this wine to ever be released from the winery." A one-of-a-kind vintage to celebrate a man who loved wine and cars? Indeed, we'll drink to that.



[Source: Fuller via The Die Line]

It is the lap every driving simulator player dreams of putting together – except this one was real. It actually happened way back in 2005 (but has just come to our attention now and was too good to pass up), when Sydney motoring journalist Dean Evans drove in one of the Lotus Trophy Races that supported the Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar race in Australia. We hope the other drivers were taking notes, because Evans doled out some serious learnin.'

Starting in 16th, Evans has said that the track was greasy from rain, his car wasn't even the most powerful one in the race, and his right mirror was folded back because of some tight racing off the line, but not a single panel on the car was bent. He won the race by 14 seconds. With apologies for the video quality, follow the jump to see Evans put on a clinic.

[Source: Car Domain]

We're spoiled, us supercar fans. With so many awesome road-munching beasts on the market, we've grown jaded. Which may go some ways towards explaining the general reaction to the GTA Spano. Here's an accomplished racing team unveiling an 840-horsepower, mid-engined V10 supercar and all anyone could say was "ho-hum, another cookie-cutter supercar from a new upstart."

Admittedly, the apathy was mostly centered on the Spano's styling, for which the initial batch of photos didn't do any favors. But a machine as promising as the GTA Spano at least deserves a second glance, and we're glad the good folks over at CarAdvice.com.au got a chance to give us exactly that. (A little jealous, mind you, but glad nonetheless.)

These real-world photos reveal the unique lines in the Spano's design, especially the arc that swirls around the greenhouse and melds into the rear spoiler, giving the Spano a fluid yet aggressive shape. But don't take our word for it, see for yourself in the high-res gallery below.

As if to compound our jealousy, our friends down under also got to spend some time behind the wheel. But though that's on embargo until September when the production-spec model hits the market, they've given us a little teaser video, which we've included after the jump. Oh, and one more thing: Spano also says they're working on a supercharged version, which promises to boost the Dodge Viper-sourced V10 to stratospheric levels of output. The future's looking bright.




[Source: CarAdvice.com.au]

Top Gear's planned takeover of the world hasn't been going as well as scripted, and it's not because the Poles or the French actually put up a fight this time. The American series got axed before it even began, and the Australian version has turned out to be a big disappointment. But the producers at SBS, the Aussie version of the BBC, are keen to turn a new leaf and start over again. They've replaced lead host Charlie Cox with James Morrison, a locally revered musician (no relation to the Doors frontman) who appeared as a guest on the first series. Pictured above with Crocodile Stiggee, Morrison is the proud proprietor of a 100-car collection, and he even has his share of experience in motorsports.

Based on the huge popularity of the British series, the Australian version attracted a television audience of nearly one million viewers for the first episode, but disappointed by what they saw, a quarter of those eyeballs dropped off by the second show. Morrison figures the series needs a more Australian feel to it, sharing the spotlight with his co-hosts Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati instead of grandstanding like a certain Mr. Jeremy C, and generally giving the show its own unique flavor. We wish the new crew better luck this time around, but at least one of us wishes that Eric Bana had been available.

[Source: Herald Sun]

With Pontiac's death official, Holden stands to lose around $1 billion annually with the demise of the Pontiac G8. However, Holden doesn't plan to go quiet into night. The Aussie automaker has drawn up plans to offer the rear-wheel drive Commodore platform to Cadillac and GMC.

Although GM's CEO, Fritz Henderson, has confirmed that the G8 won't live on, there's a chance it could be used by law enforcement in the States, and with Cadillac's recent attempts to inject more RWD models into the mix (save the Epsilon II-based sub-CTS), the Zeta architecture could be used for a new line of Caddies.

More interestingly, with GMC safe – for now – from sharing a grave with Pontiac (not to mention the inevitable liquidation of Hummer, Saab and Saturn), Holden could make a case for importing the stillborn G8 ST 'ute to the U.S. as a fuel-efficient alternative to GMC's otherwise big and thirsty pick-ups. Where there's a niche, GM normally likes to fill it, and while the case for the Zeta-based Cadillacs could be made -- particularly as GM seeks to downsize the platform to aid its survival -- the G8 ST's revival seems far less plausible.



[Source: GoAuto]