Simple Tower Defense 3

tower defense

 Simple Tower Defense 3

Description Game:

50 levels of an another tower defense game. Don’t forget to setup air attacking towers.
(Visited 25 times, 1 visits today)

How to play Game:

Use mouse to interact.

Zombie Survival Quiz

scary games

 Zombie Survival Quiz

Description Game:

Do you have zombie knowledge and physical ability to handle zombies in real life? Take this quiz and find out!

How to play Game:

Random Defence

tower defense games

  Random Defence

Description Game:

Yet another variation on the tower defense games.
This game has all the ingredients to make you sit down and don´t stop playing. Various enemies with multiple speeds, well thought out upgrade paths for all of the respective towers and an excellent difficulty curve.
(Visited 22 times, 3 visits today)

How to play Game:

Kill the creeps, earn money to build more structures or spend it on upgrades.

Metal Arena 3

Kizi

 Metal Arena 3

Game description: Actions shooter. Battle in the arena against waves of enemies. Earn money to upgrade your tank in the workshop. Try to destroy your opponents as fast as possible to score a higher combo multiplier and make more money.  
Game controls: W, A, S D / Arrow Keys - Move.Mouse - Aim / Shoot.H - Repair Kit.

NBA Shootout

basketball game

  NBA Shootout

Description Game:

Being an NBA guard is hard! I’d rather play with guns. Shoot basketballs and get some more bling bling firepower!
(Visited 8 times, 1 visits today)

How to play Game:

This game is played with mouse only.

Grand Bike Canyon

dirt bike game

  Grand Bike Canyon

Description Game:

Defy the most well-known Canyon of the world on your bike. It’s a hostile and potentially deadly environment for unprepared humans. Are you prepared to face it?

How to play Game:

Use the Arrow keys to move.

Highway Escape

disney car

 Highway Escape

Description Game:

Highway escape is a great car racing game! You are on the run trying to escape. Drive as far as you can on the highway! Do not hit other cars and trucks. Your fuel is limited, so collect all the cans on your way. How far can you drive?
(Visited 8 times, 1 visits today)

How to play Game:

Use the arrow keys to steer the car, press space to use the horn.

Happy Bike

happy wheels 2

  Happy Bike

Description Game:

Nice bike racing game Happy Bike. Relax, drive your bike and be happy!

How to play Game:

Up / Down Arrow Keys - Forward / Backward. Left / Right Arrow Keys - Balance. Enter / Spacebar - Change Direction.

Free Murfy Maths

cool math 4 kids

 Free Murfy Maths

Description Game:

Mathletes rule! Link up mathematical equations to reach your goal. Work quickly, using special power-ups for bonus points. Get past level 5 in Arcade Mode to unlock Blitz Mode…
(Visited 16 times, 1 visits today)

How to play Game:

This game is played with mouse only.

Billiards Frenzy

pool games

 Billiards Frenzy

Description Game:

Sink all the pool balls, without missing more than 5 shots, to advance to the next level.
(Visited 18 times, 2 visits today)

How to play Game:

Mouse

Foxy Sniper 2

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  gun games
  
  

   Foxy Sniper 2

  Description Game:

  Now, your missions are harder, and require new skills. When she delivers death to your door, you still give her a big tip!
  (Visited 3 times, 1 visits today)

  How to play Game:

  Read missions. Mouse to aim and shoot.

Super Fighter

fighting games

 Super Fighter

Description Game:

A great beat ‘em up game, quite hard but lots of fun.

How to play Game:

Instruction and Controls are in the game

Batman Soccer

batman games

 Batman Soccer

Description Game:

Kick start Batman to play football! Try to avoid opponent players and reach the goal post. Collect powers given at different level.
(Visited 2 times, 1 visits today)

How to play Game:

Use your mouse to play this game

Kid's Room 4

Game Info - Help this little girl manage her room by putting items in the best order that you think is possible. Have fun!
Game controls - Mouse - To interact.

The Torture Game 2

Game Info - New ways to torture somebody.
Game controls - This game is played by mouse only.

Star Wings

Game Info - Fly in this top-down space shooter as you blast away enemy ships and try to take out huge bosses.
Game controls - Use mouse to move and aim and shoot.

Flower Shop

Game Info - Your objective is to collect the requisite money by selling bouquets.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Sponge Bob SquarePants Trail of the Snail

Game Info - A bunch of matching games from the SpongeBob Squarepants universe. Can you finish them all?
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Headshire Throw

Game Info - Each day gather enough resources before the nightfall. Press mouse button on the resources, aim to corresponding bubble and release the button. Catch dropped coins or gems.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Brink of Alienation II

Game Info - The sequel to a very good action game just got better. A side scrolling action game where you must kill the aliens.
Game controls - Left / Right Arrow Keys - Move.
Up Arrow Key - Jump.
Down Arrow Key - Duck.
Spacebar - Shoot.
Shift Key - Grenade.

Dressing Up in Short

Game Info - Dress up this girl in summer fashion.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Reindeer Jumping

Game Info - Jump off the cliff with your reindeer and perform tricks before you land in the water.
Game controls - Spacebar - Run / Jump.
Arrow Keys - Tricks.

Magic Fairy Dressup

Game Info - Dress up the prettiest fairy of them all.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Mr Mucky Guitar Legend

Game Info - Mr Mucky paints the town red! In this funny 'Guitar Hero' DDR game you can choose your instrument and start playing.
Game controls - Optional Controls:

Sofa Bash

Game Info - Destroy the sofa with some fiendish weapons as quick as you can in this mouse-click frenzy.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Uniforms

Game Info - You either love them or hate them. But did you know uniforms can be stylish too? Then come play this game!
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Bee Commando

Game Info - Take charge of a tribe of bees and reclaim central park.. Defeat the enemy tribe!.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Way to School Coloring Book

Game Info - Color and paint as much as you want.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Bratz Fashion Designer

Game Info - Show your skills and design an outfit for Bratz!
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Spider-Man 3 Photo Hunt

Game Info - Follow the onscreen directions. Once you arrive at a scene, your cursor will turn into a camera reticle. Aim the reticle at whatever you'd like to take a picture of and click to snap a shot.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Princess Belle Online Coloring

Game Info - Paint your Princess Belle Online Coloring Page with your favorite colors.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.

Metal Slug Crazy Defense

Game Info - Metal Slug Crazy Defense is a cool metal slug shooting game. Take down the incoming waves of enemy troops before they overwhelm you, earn point by killing the enemies and use them to upgrade your weapon.
 Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.

A Seasons Hottest Hue Dress Up

Game Info - Pink may be the season's hottest hue, but that doesn't necessarily make it easy to carry off. Find out how to look great in pink.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Ninja Rampage

Game Info - Ninja Rampage is a superb action skill game and reminds a lot of Ninja Rinseout. Sneak up and attack enemies.
Game controls - Left / Right Arrow Keys - Move.
Up Arrow Key - Jump.
A, S, D - Attack.

Ben 10 - Ben Ten - Savage Pursuit

Game Info - Dr. Animo sends his mutant animals to retrieve the components for his transmodulator. Ben, Gwen and Grandpa Max know that Animo is up to something. They decide it to check io out themselves. Ben must recover the components before Animo completes his device
Game controls - Arrow Keys - Move / Choose an alien form.
Z - Enter the transformation panel.
Spacebar - Attack.

Princess Bella

Game Info - Dress her up and her Prince before the ball begins.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.

Dragon Fist 3 - Age of the Warrior

Game Info - Select your character and beat all other warrior to prove to be the best!
Game controls - Read game instructions for player controls

Momentum Missile Mayhem 2

Game Info - Here comes the second part of the action turret defense game. Shoot the approaching enemies and benefit from the billard effect.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.

Colouring 6

Game description: Color and style this santa's little helper.  
Game controls: Use mouse to interact.

Dream Dancer Dress Up

Game description: Your doll is getting ready for her audition! she wants to take part in the stage musical Arabian Nights! Can you make her look the part?
 Game controls: Use Mouse to interact.

Scooby Doo - Daphnes Fight for Fashion

Game description: Fight the voodoo people as Daphne. Kick, punch, and dodge to stay alive.  
Game controls: Up Arrow - Jump. Down Arrow - Duck. Left Arrow - Move Left. Right Arrow - Move Right. Z - Kick. X - Punch.

Easy Bake

Game description: Use the ingredients and decorate your own cake.  
Game controls: Use Mouse to interact.

Manhattan Shopping Girl

Game description: Can you select a nice dress and trendy accessories for this lovely girl before she go shopping in downtown Manhattan?  
Game controls: Use mouse to interact.

Garden Girl Make Over

Game description: Be creative and make her look like a garden princess.
 Game controls: Use Mouse to interact.

Transmigration

Game description: Transform into a dragon, a shark and birds and use your power to kill all the enemies! Game controls: Arrow keys- To move. Space bar- To fire.

Copa America Argentina 2011 (english)

Game description: Play this exciting soccer tournament in which you can play with the best teams and players to win the Copa America, Messi, Robinho, Forlan, and all the best soccer players  
Game controls: This game is played with mouse only.

Successful Experiment

Game description: Lab rat...or Nobel Prize-winning physicist? Manipulate each experiment to get the ball across the finish line. Rack up points and show off your physics know-how!  
Game controls: This game is played with mouse only.

Thing Thing 4

Game description: Shoot all the enemies in this action sidescroller. Lots of weapons, action, blood, and body parts!
Game controls: A / D - Move. W - Jump. S - Duck. Spacebar - Drop Current Weapon. 

Street Fighter Alpha

Game description: Fight head to head with your opponent in this flash version of street fighter game!
Game controls:

Kukoo Machines

Game description: Your shop is now open for business. Serve your customers burgers, fries, drinks and more. Make sure the order is right so the leave happy.
Game controls: This game is played by mouse only. 

Aquarium Pool

Game description: Pop all the fish into the pockets. Use the mouse to control the direction and the speed of the white ball.
Game controls: This game is played with mouse only. 

Sleepwalk

Game description: Help the sleeping penguin to get back to his bed and go through the ice world full of funny situations and creatures. Use your mouse to point and click causing a chain of actions and reactions that will guide you back to penguin's house while he is sleeping.
Game controls: This game is played with mouse only. 

Rough Roads

Game description: Dodge your way through the cars and traffic
Game controls: Left/ Right Arrow keys to steer left and right. Your vehicle will auto accelerate. 

BMW details new 1 Series three-door

Bigger, more unique new 1 Series three-door also promises better dynamics and efficiency

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As night follows day, so a cut-down version of BMW’s 1 Series follows the full-strength version.

Though BMW Australia has yet to confirm it will come to Australia, the Bavarian brand’s new 1 Series three-door is now bigger inside and out and more frugal to boot.

For the first time, too, it scores a glasshouse design that lends it a separate character to its five-door sibling and it will also usher in BMW’s first all-wheel drive 1 Series, too.

It has grown 85mm longer, mainly to give BMW’s designers more space to curve a unique design character into its glasshouse, making it look less stumpy looking than its predecessor.

While it’s the same height (1421mm) as the outgoing three-door, the new 1 Series rides on a wheelbase that’s 30mm longer, which combines with the option of two or three seats to add space in the rear.

It also promises to be a more stable drive with crisper handling, being 17mm wider in the body than the old car  games at 1765mm, with the tyres pushed even wider out than that. The front track width has grown 51mm and the rear tyres sit 72mm wider than they did before.

While the old 1 Series was criticised for its inability to take odd-sized loads through its awkward hatch opening, the new car has a slightly wider hatch shape and its luggage capacity has increased by 30 litres to 360mm. There is also a 40:20:40-split folding rear seat that can be dropped flat to boost luggage space up to 1200 litres.

Of far more interest to true petrol-heads, the three-door will also form the basis of the first petrol-engine model from BMW’s new M Performance Automobiles brand.

Either BMW-hot or M-lite, depending on your viewpoint, the M Performance brand made its debut earlier this year via the 5 Series-based tri-turbo M550d xDrive and will follow this up with the M135i in both three- and five-door form.

Powered by a turbocharged, direct-injection, inline 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, the M135i will scoot to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds, so it’s nobody’s mug. It’s actually two tenths of a second faster to 100km/h with its eight-speed automatic transmission than it is with the six-speed manual, which bodes well for the one-handed all-rounder option.

It’s a familiar motor and has just been seen in the 6 Series GranCoupe, so it should make light work of the 1 Series body. It has 235kW of power at 5800rpm, and its 450Nm torque peak arrives at just 1300rpm.

It’s not just quick to 100km/h either, taking 23.9 seconds to burst across the standing kilometre before topping out at a limited 250km/h, even though it’s 1425kg kerb weight adds 120kg to the base 114i’s figure. BMW uses the lighter DIN figure (most European players have moved away from the EC figure that demands a 75kg occupant and some fuel be included), so be careful in your comparisons.

Some of that weight is a result of its tauter M Sport suspension gear, some comes via a body kit that drops it 10mm lower and stretches it 16mm longer than the stock car. Some of it, too, is found in its meatier brakes and the larger 18-inch rubber, with 225/40 R18 tyres up front and 245/35 boots at the back.

Still, the automatic uses 7.5 litres per 100km on the combined cycle thanks to its Eco-Pro mode (the manual is 0.5L/100km thirstier), which translates to 175 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

But while it’s the fastest, it’s far from the most frugal. That goes to the base diesel model, the 116d, at just 4.3L/100km. Though it’s an unlikely starter for Australian roads, the 116d isn’t the slowest of the three-door models, posting a 10.3-second 0-100km/h figure to go with its 114g/km of CO2.

It shares the same 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine as the stronger, faster 118d and 125d variants (it’s all in the tuning) and all three of them slide below the 5.0L/100km barrier for their combined fuel economy figures.

While the middle-ranking 118d is under consideration for Australia, with it 105kW of power and 320Nm of torque, it’s the thumping big brother that will attract most attention. With 160kW of power, it has the same 450Nm torque figure as the M135i and sprints to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds, even though it returns 4.9L/100km.

The slowest of all is the 114i, with a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol four-pot offering a paltry 74kW of power. It’s also the lightest of the models, with a 1285kg kerb weight, but even that leaves it limping to 100km/h in 11.3 seconds.

The 118i is a memory for now, with BMW instead sticking with a 116i that shares the 114i’s engine but adds 26kW of power to cut nearly three seconds off the sprint to 100km/h without changing the 5.5L/100km consumption figure.

The range then skips up to the 125i, with its TwinPower 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, complete with a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel-injection and precise Valvetronic valve control. It’s an engine that delivers 160kW of power (precisely the same number as the 125d) and a 6.4-second sprint to 100km/h, while using another 1.1L/100km of fuel than its 116i sibling. All the three-door 1 Series models will come with the same 52-litre fuel tank.

The range won’t finish here, though, because BMW will bring xDrive all-wheel drive to the 1 Series for the first time in November (in Europe at least), for both the 135i and the 120d. And there looks like there is enough space in the petrol-engined range to re-introduce a 118i or 120i between the 100kW 116i and the 160kW 125i.

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Citroen establishes bespoke DS styling team

Design of premium range will be allocated to new department headed by former Renault styling chief
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Thierry Metroz has been Citroen's Styling Director since 2010, but with effect from next month he takes charge of a new design department to handle future Citroen DS models. The company plans an even more distinctive look for the premium line and the change to the organisational structure is felt to be the best way to accomplish that.

“To support the move upmarket and international expansion of Citroën, particularly in China, it is important to make a clearer distinction in styling between the C range and the DS line, each in their respective fields,” said Frédéric Banzet, Citroën MD, as quoted in a press release.

Metroz's counterpart in the current design department, which will continue to style the C-range models, is Alexandre Malval, who was responsible for the styling of the DS5 and also the C5. Both men are former employees of Renault, but Malval left earlier than Metroz, to work with Volkswagen before migrating to Citroen in 2001. Metroz, aged 47, is Malval's senior by five years. Both are graduates of France's Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d’Art, but Malval has also studied at the Royal College of Art in London.

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Ford to triple EcoBoost production

Blue Oval closing in on target of half a million EcoBoost vehicles to be built annually by 2015
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Ford plans to be building around 480,000 EcoBoost engines a year by 2015, according to a press release issued by the company's European arm over the weekend.

And within that same three-year timeframe, the number of EcoBoost-equipped models in Ford's European range will double, from five to 10. EcoBoosted models are expected to account for more than half of all petrol-engined Fords sold in Europe by that time.

“Our plans to expand EcoBoost availability are aggressive, but we believe as customers experience this engine family, they’ll understand why,” said Sherif Marakby, powertrain director, Ford of Europe. “We’re at the cutting edge of innovation and the 1.0-litre engine, for example, cannot be matched for its balance of efficiency, power and refinement.”

Ford's engine plant at Bridgend in Wales is building the 1.6-litre EcoBoost four for domestic consumption and export. To date the plant has produced over 120,000 units of the turbocharged and direct-injected engine, with 230,000 planned to be manufactured before the end of this year. Ford has long planned to introduce EcoBoost variants to each and every one of its models sold throughout the world, with the local Falcon being the latest to offer consumers the technology.

“Whether it’s the 125PS 1.0-litre engine in the Focus or the high-performance 250PS 2.0-litre version in the upcoming Focus ST, EcoBoost delivers a combination of fuel efficiency and performance that would have seemed impossible in a petrol engine just a few years ago,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “It provides all the performance, refinement and torque customers want with the fuel consumption of smaller engines.”

If Ford's half-million unit goal is to be achieved, it will be a joint effort by the Bridgend plant, the Cologne facility where the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine (for the EcoSport) is built and the Valencia (Spain) factory that manufactures the 2.0-litre engine that powers the Falcon.

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Renault loads Mégane and Fluence

Renault has landed the new Mégane and Fluence with more value, more equipment but no diesels
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Renault Australia's new Mégane and Fluence small cars go on sale this weekend (November 1) with a loaded equipment list, driveaway pricing, but petrol powertrains only.

On its third relaunch of recent years, Renault Australia is banking heavily on the success of the new twins under the skin. Mégane and its various versions account for close to half the marque's sales Down Under.

In the new line-up, in addition to the five-door Mégane hatch and Fluence sedan, Renault is also launching Mégane Renault Sport 250 three-door hot hatch and a new coupe-cabriolet variant of the Mégane. Key to Renault's relaunch strategy, all four models have significantly simplified model ranges and limited options. Offsetting any potential flak will be boosted standard equipment list and what Renault describes as clear, consistent driveaway pricing.

New Renault Australia Managing Director, Justin Hocevar, announced his plans for the new-look range this week at the cars' local debut in Melbourne.

"All our new generation vehicles will be notable for their very high level of standard equipment and unique-to-class, user-friendly features... This is one of the key pillars of the new Renault in Australia, resetting expectations of what European cars can offer in the light and small car segments, by equipping them with the standard safety and convenience features previously only available optionally, or in larger, more expensive vehicles," Hocevar told the assembled media.

Buyers of the new Mégane and Fluence can choose from Dynamique and Privilege model grades only. The entry-level six-speed manual Dynamique model kicks off at $22,990 or, as will be advertised, $25,990 driveaway. Auto transmission (in the case of all Mégane and Fluence models, a constantly variable transmission) adds $2000. The auto-only Privilege is priced from $29,990 in both hatch and sedan versions.

Powered by a single 103kW/195Nm 2.0-litre DOHC petrol engine, the new range eschews a Euro staple -- the offer of turbodiesel torque. Hocevar says the lack of a suitable automatic transmission and home market diesel demand has hamstrung the brand in this regard. He says a new dual-clutch transmission under development will be matched to a turbodiesel in both hatch and sedan ranges, though cautioned it is unlikely to arrive Down Under until late 2011 at best.

Matched to the manual transmission, the petrol engine is Euro 5 compliant and returns a combined fuel economy rating of 8.2L/100km. The CVT/engine pairing satisfies Euro 4 but is more economical at 7.9L/100km.

Built in Turkey, the Mégane hatch is offered in a five-door body style only. Even at entry-level Dynamique grade it is well equipped with standard features including 16-inch alloys, Smart Card Key entry and start, auto lights and wipers, aircon, foglights, electric window and mirrors, cruise control with speed limiter, USB interface and streaming Bluetooth audio and hands-free. Metallic paint and satnav are offered as options.

Step up to the top-grade Mégane and a TomTom integrated satnav system, upgraded audio, electric glass sunroof and rear park sensors are added. Other 'Privilege' grade standards include dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, folding exterior mirrors and 17-inch alloys.

The Fluence pairing follows the Mégane's lead with only minor equipment differences compared to the hatch's corresponding grades.

All Australian delivery Renaults include a full safety kit of safety gear. With EuroNCAP five-star ratings for both Mégane and Fluence, standard features include stability control and antilock brakes as well as a minimum of six airbags including side curtains.

Launched at the Paris show two years ago, the latest generation Mégane is longer (now 4295mm, was 4228), wider (now 1808mm, was 1777) and sits on a longer wheelbase (now 2641mm, up from 2617) than the model it replaces. Renault claims it's more spacious, but hands-on experience suggests it's still one of the tighter cabins in the class.

The Fluence sedan features a stretch on the Megane's wheelbase of 61mm. Overall length is up 323mm (compared to Mégane) with front and rear overhangs substantially longer than the hatch's. Wedgy styling yields a large-car-like boot volume of 503 litres.

Front end styling is unique to the sedan and features a more traditional grille in comparison to the hatch's aero look.

New boss Hocevar believes the re-born Mégane range will bring new customers to the marque. It needs to! Renault's total local new vehicle sales are over 30 per cent down on September 2009, year to date.

"We are confident our improved product substance will resonate most strongly with customers... With these new cars we will be redefining the standards for the segments in which we compete, and saying clearly to our customers they no longer need to make any compromises. We have designed the cars and the specification with our customers in mind," he opined.

"Fundamentally, with our accent on safety equipment, quality and accessibility, we will make Renault the destination of choice for a far larger group of Australian consumers," Hocevar stated.


Renault Mégane Hatch
Renault Mégane Dynamique (Manual) -- $22,990
Renault Mégane Dynamique CVT (Auto) -- $24,990
Renault Mégane Privilege CVT (Auto) -- $29,990
Note: Dynamique manual is offered at $25,990 driveaway from launch


Renault Fluence
Renault Fluence Dynamique (Manual) -- $22,990
Renault Fluence Dynamique CVT (Auto) -- $24,990
Renault Fluence Privilege CVT (Auto) -- $29,990
Note: Dynamique Manual is offered at $25,990 driveaway from launch

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Ford chief's legacy

Marin Burela's departure from the top job at Ford Australia closes a significant chapter in the company's history
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There's good luck and then there's good management. Marin Burela has probably drawn on both as head of Ford Australia. Burela has presided over Ford's local arm for the past two years, but has been offered a posting to China and will officially take up the new role from November 1.

There was some luck in steering Ford Australia through the rocks and shallows of the GFC, which hurt sales of Toyota's large car, the Aurion, and conversely boosted Ford's share of the large-car segment -- which looks good on paper. Falcon's figure of 22,951 is less than 400 units ahead of where it was for the same period in 2009. But at least it's ahead of last year's tally. The Aurion has lost over a thousand units over the same period.

Burela has relied much more on his marketing savvy than luck however, and he has additionally brought passion and commitment to the job here. For anyone who thinks Ford Australia was just a stepping stone for Burela on the way to bigger and better things, he has a message.

"I don't think you'll ever have a bigger supporter of Australia in China and in AP&A [the Asia/Pacific and Africa region] than the person that you're talking to..."

When he arrived back in Australia at the end of 2008, Burela found a company that was demoralised by the decision to close the Geelong engine factory and lay off 450 workers at the Broadmeadows car plant.

A plan to build the Focus small car on the same production line as Falcon and Territory was meeting unexpected resistance or ambivalence: from the media, from Ford fans -- and even from Toyota, based on that company's experience of building a small car in Australia, one that ultimately failed.

The FG Falcon, just six months old at that time, had received critical praise, but hadn't fired up the large-car market in the way that the company had hoped; consumers were holding their breath waiting for a global financial crisis to hit and new-car buying was off the agenda.

In this scenario, Burela's talk seemed at times over-ambitious, to say the least. Yet looking back with the benefit of two years' hindsight, what he has promised has been largely delivered. Some of those promises won't be fulfilled until after he has left these shores, but the end results are in sight.

While many of the gains Ford has made in Australia during Burela's tenure were either based on the groundwork of his predecessors or were proposed and implemented by his executive team, it was Burela who faced the media or government to relay the tidings. Many of the changes in Ford's situation during the past couple of years were due to the direct involvement of the bloke at the top himself. But during the teleconference earlier this week for the announcement of his new role, he was generous in his praise of those working under him.

"The last two years... I've felt incredibly blessed; working with true professionals that have really driven the organisation in a way that has delivered the results that we have. There would be no T6 and global Ranger if it wasn't for the development team in Australia, working the way they have in the last few years.

"If you look at our manufacturing organisation, just look at what they've delivered: the complexity, the changes, the movements, the quality, the launching... it's just been continuous change. They've done this without even a simple glimmer of a flaw... just launched 'Miami' [supercharged V8 for FPV models] -- look at Miami, look at the accolades we're receiving right now. [And] the team is now getting ready for the new Territory."

"As much as I'd love to continue the journey with the team here, they are such a strong, viable and professional team, that they will just continue to bat on and deliver great results in 2011 and beyond..."

Burela doesn't subscribe to the view that he leaves loose ends at Ford Australia. There are new models still in the pipeline, but these are virtually a fait accompli.

"I walk away from Ford Australia with my head held very high, because when I look at what this team has delivered in such a short period of time, one can write books about this.

"To take a company that lost nearly $300 million in 2008 and to make a profit in 2009; to stabilise our business; to go out there and launch a brand positioning that is equal to none in the world; to go out there and have the most fuel-efficient car in the world; to go out there and announce $230 million of further investment when we were in the middle of a global financial crisis -- we did that.

"And then to go out there and put in a strategic plan for our casting division in Geelong that will make it a viable component supplier -- not only to Ford, but to industry suppliers -- we've done this at a time when others were out there licking their wounds."

The question of profit is an important rebuttal of the argument that Ford's overall market share in Australia is on the wane -- a point put to him during the teleconference. In answer to that, Burela spoke of the richer mix of Falcon and Territory sales, among other things.

"2010 was going to be a year for us that we were driving and looking for the quality of the share, not necessarily the share itself. Why? Because we knew that we were going to go through turbulent times, with segmentation shifts, we knew that we were bringing in different products and new model line-ups, new derivatives from our overseas locations; we knew that we needed to continue to enhance our current product line-up in Australia. We also knew that we were going to be coming out of [Falcon] wagon, we also knew that we were going to be transitioning out of Euro III e-Gas into the Euro IV e-Gas -- and when you start to look at all of that, all of those things have impacted on our share.

"The great news is though, that the share that we're holding is very good and solid quality of share -- and it's very profitable share. That has driven us here in Ford Australia. Our objective has always been profitable growth...

"I'm very happy with where we are and where we're heading."

Where Ford is headed in 2011 includes the introduction of many new or upgraded products, according to Burela.

"You're going to see some exciting things going on. 80 to 85 per cent of our total showroom will be either new or fully updated for 2011. For us to be driving and delivering the profits that we will be this year -- and then bouncing into 2011 -- we're in a good place and we're charging forward."

On his watch, Burela, either alone or with prompting and assistance from his management team, can take credit for the following:

    Successfully rolling out the WS Fiesta,
    Giving the go-ahead for a diesel engine and upgrade for the locally-manufactured SUV (due next year),
    Approving an EcoBoost four-cylinder and the long-awaited LPI system for the Falcon (also for 2011),
    Resetting the framework for the company's marketing -- particularly the more 'visible' TV commercials,
    Raising awareness of Falcon's fuel economy credentials with the six-speed ZF box,
    Promoting sustainable production of the Territory and Falcon, producing individual cars to order and 'right-sizing' the company's production capacity,
    Steering buyers into higher profit models of Falcon and Territory (with fleet queen Falcon XT reduced to just five per cent of total Falcon production),
    Putting the Falcon wagon out to pasture finally,
    Taking care to leverage the reduction of the imported passenger-vehicle tariff to five per cent without hurting the resale values of cars sold prior,
    Obtaining significantly stronger sales from Territory, despite the subtlety of the facelift and upgrade,
    Rescinding the decision to close the Geelong engine plant and end six-cylinder production,
    Opening the ACART research facility,
    Engaging Bosch as a customer for disc brake components from the Geelong casting plant,
    Canning the move to build the Focus 'C-segment car' in Australia,
    Supporting and promoting local R&D efforts, which will culminate in the T6 Ranger when it goes on sale here next year,
    Turning around the company's financial situation -- from a $274 million loss in 2008 to $13 million in the black from 2009.

On the other side of the balance sheet, he and his team cannot take credit for:

    Retreating from retail finance,
    Doubling sales of Mondeo (just 19 per cent ahead of last year's figures, year to date),
    Losing Team Vodafone (and Craig Lowndes) to Holden,
    Securing the Kuga SUV for this market (still yet to happen, if it ever does),
    Putting the Falcon wagon out to pasture finally (it depends on one's point of view).

So the scoreboard appears to hand Burela a win -- and you can bet that his record in Australia has not passed unnoticed in Dearborn, which is why he's moving to head up Ford's joint venture in China -- and join fellow Aussie Kevin Wale in one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.

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All the Lotus news from the Tasman Revival

Win a Lotus Elise for the price of $50 and support the Lotus Sydney Tasman Revival

The Historic Sports and Racing Car Association (HSRCA) is giving away a 2004 Lotus Elise in an art union lottery to be drawn next month. Some lucky punter -- one of 1250 with $50 to spare for a ticket -- will be named the winner at Sydney's Eastern Creek circuit, as the final act in the Lotus Sydney Tasman Revival.

Running over three days from November 26-28, the Revival is a race meeting that recalls the glory days of different racing categories -- everything from F1 and F5000 to touring cars. This year is the third occasion the HSRCA has held the event, which the organisers claim will be "New South Wales' biggest race meeting of the year".

Entries for the meeting are reportedly coming from overseas as well as local climes and are tipped to pull in big crowds. The event runs over three days with a three-day pass costing adults $50; children under 12 are admitted free. On the last day, Sunday, the lottery will be drawn and the winner of the Elise announced.

Restored by Lotus Australia, the 2004 Elise is said to be valued at $45,000 and has competed in the Lotus Trophy in the past. The car, which comes with registration and insurance, weighs 806kg and is powered by a 1.8-litre mid/rear-mounted engine driving through a five-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels.

For more information on the lottery and public admission to the event, check out the website at www.tasmanrevival.com.au or lottery tickets can be purchased directly from the HSRCA by snail mail: HSRCA PO Box 5063, Turramurra South, NSW 2074. The organisers request buyers provide a covering note with the buyer's name, address, contact phone number and number of tickets required. Tickets may be purchased by credit card, filling out a form online at the website and/or emailing details to members@hsrca.org.au.

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BMW Museum pulls down the barriers between visitors and exhibits

For one night only, the BMW Museum lets the visitors loose on the exhibits. You can even go for a ride – but you have to dress for the occasion
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Michael Jackson, your ride's here. It's Night of the White Gloves time at the BMW Museum in Munich. From 7.00 till midnight on one night only – tonight (Fri 26/11) – the annual thriller event turns expands an experience normally restricted to the visual into a multisensory one. With the donning of protective white gloves provided for the occasion, visitors are allowed to look with their fingers as well as their eyes.

The museum will open up the doors, bonnets and bootlids of 120 exhibits covering 90 years of BMW history, allowing visitors an intimate look through each. If the weather's okay, they'll even be able to take a chauffeured ride through the streets of north Munich in 1960s "New Class" models (the classification of sedans and two-doors from which the 2002 emerged – and no, not the beautiful 507 roadster, which even The Gloved One would have struggled to afford at the peak of his career...)

The program extends to what the museum calls "living workshops" giving visitors a detailed look into the myriad skills and attention to detail it takes to restore a car to museum standards of original authenticity.

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MOTORSPORT: Perth's grand day of speed

Deprived of V8 Supercar racing this year, WA motorsport fans are set to get an adrenalin rush this weekend with Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo driving a Red Bull F1 car in Perth

Webber, Ricciardo, Jones head WA festivities
Western Australia missed out on a V8 Supercar Championship round this year but the state's petrol heads have been compensated with a new Festival of Speed at Perth's Barbagallo Raceway this Sunday.

The highlight of the festival will be three runs by Australia's grand prix driver Mark Webber in a Red Bull Formula One car.

Webber, third in this year's world championship, is expected to slash the circuit lap record by about 5 seconds.

Perth's emerging openwheeler star, 21-year-old Daniel Ricciardo, the Red Bull reserve driver and who topped the two-day test for potential GP drivers in Abu Dhabi last week, also will take a turn at wheel of the car at Barbagallo.

Ricciardo is awaiting word from Red Bull motorsport supremo Dr Helmut Marko on his program for next year, but European reports are increasingly suggesting that he may land an F1 race drive.

Red Bull Racing has its new world champion Sebastian Vettel and Webber contracted again for next season and sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso announced months ago that it would retain Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari.

However, speculation is strong in Europe that Buemi is under pressure to keep his seat.

Ricciardo has maintained a low profile since returning to Perth for a holiday but F1's official website has published an interview with him this week (see here) and he will be in the public spotlight at Barbagallo on Sunday.

While Webber and Ricciardo will demonstrate one Red Bull car in WA, German world champ Vettel will drive another in Berlin tomorrow, before traveling to Dusseldorf to compete in the annual Race of Champions, where the line-up also includes Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, rally superstar Sebastien Loeb and Australia's retired five-time motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Perth's Festival of Speed, Terry Mader, says he wants "to build an internationally-renowned motorsports event in Perth".

Fourteen types of motorsport are on Sunday's program, including a V8 Supercar of WA competitor Dean Fiore, rally cars, exotic supercars, historic Bathurst sedans and other vintage racing cars and motorbikes, drag cars, drifting, off-road V8s, superbikes, supermoto and quads. More details here.

The event is serving as a launch for 1980 world champion Alan Jones' new AJF1 Fusion Supercar that is to go on sale early next year. The car's specifications are here.

Geoff Brabham, the eldest of triple world champion Sir Jack Brabham's three sons and a Le Mans 24-hour winner, will drive and represent BMW at the festival.

Sydney remembers Tasman Series and Warwick Farm
It will be a nostalgic weekend in Sydney, with the third bi-annual Tasman Revival at Eastern Creek.

Not only will the meeting pay tribute to the halcyon days of the openwheeler Tasman Series of the 1960s and '70s but it coincides with the start of celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the first race meeting at the sadly now-defunct Warwick Farm circuit.

Among the 400 cars competing this weekend are 22 bearing the Lotus emblem -- the most famous being the Lotus 49/R8 driven for the factory team by dual world champion Graham Hill, father of 1996 champion Damon, in the 1969 Tasman Series.

There's heaps on information about the revival meeting here.

New TV rules ensure a live Bathurst 1000
The Federal Government's new sports television rules announced yesterday will ensure the Bathurst 1000 remains live on primary Australian free-to-air TV for the next five years.

And live seemingly means properly live, after the "pausing" in this year's telecast which meant viewers saw the finish almost half an hour after the chequered flag was waved at the track.

While Bathurst is classified as a "Tier A" event under the new rules, all other rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship are in "Tier B" -- meaning they can be shown on one of the new digital channels of the free-to-air networks and could be delayed up to four hours after the live start time.

The new digital multi-channels only reach three quarters of Australian households at the moment, although within a couple more years everyone in the country should have access to them.

While the rounds other than Bathurst fall into "Tier B" that's not to say that at least some of them could not remain on a primary channel -- Seven for the remainder of the existing contract and it or another free-to-air network beyond then.

That will be a test of the true value TV chiefs place on the sport -- and of the negotiating strength of V8 Supercars Australia.

Ominous silence in GP dispute
Still no word of an "Organisation Agreement" between the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and the Confederation of Australian Motors Sport.

It is now two weeks since CAMS issued this statement (read here) after the claim by AGPC chairman Ron Walker that the GP promoter was being overcharged by CAMS.

It also is a beyond the deadline CAMS set for an "Organisation Agreement" to be struck.

While it is most unlikely the Australian GP scheduled for next March 24-27 will not proceed, it will be interesting to see whether the upcoming meeting of the Federation Internationale de l'Automboile (FIA) World Motorsport Council retains the event on the calendar or perhaps places an asterisk on it, subject to an AGPC-CAMS agreement.

A positive for Ambrose - Petty reclaims RPM
NASCAR "King" Richard Petty reportedly has "finished financially restructuring" the team bearing his name to ensure it fields two cars in the Sprint Cup next year -- one of them for Australia's Marcos Ambrose.

Petty supposedly has taken control of Richard Petty Motorsports, in which he has been only a minority shareholder, from financially-embattled majority owner George Gillett, who has been saddled with US$90 million of debt on his investment in the team.

Petty is said to have completed negotiations to free RPM from the problems resulting from the squeeze on Gillett, who recently lost control of the Liverpool soccer club in Britain.

Gillett faces a raft of legal actions, including one from another RPM minority owner, Ray Evernham, who entered a partnership with him in 2007.

While things appear to be heading in the right direction for RPM to survive, we understand that dual V8 Supercar champion Ambrose has been keeping in touch with the Australian scene in case his American option dries up.

After completing his fifth year of US stock car racing with JTG Daugherty Racing, Ambrose said this week: "At times this year we had a tough go at it due to things that were out of our control, but we did the best we could with the hands we were dealt to persevere.

"We wrapped up the 2010 season 26th in the championship points standings following an 18th-place finish in our freshman year (2009).

"We had some solid finishes, but were entangled in some accidents not of our own accord this year that caused us to not finish. If it had not been for that, we would have easily finished in the top 20 -- there's no doubt."

RPM has named Todd Parrott crew chief for the Ford Fusion that Ambrose is to race next season.

Parrott has worked with drivers including Matt Kenseth, Ernie Irvan, Bobby Labonte and Elliott Sadler and was the 1999 Cup-winning crew chief for Dale Jarrett at Robert Yates Racing.

Parrott has had 29 wins -- the third most among active Sprint Cup crew chiefs.

"I've been spending time with Marcos ... we've been talking, working on communication," Parrott said. "He's been getting fitted for seats and has some ideas of what he wants, what he's looking for, so the conversations between us have been very good.

"Once the dust settles and the smoke clears, it will all be good. The cars continue to get better."

RPM cars finished fourth and fifth in the final round of this year's championship last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway driven by Aric Almirola and A.J. Allmendinger.

Ford's Mustang will run in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series next year and chief Edsel B. Ford wants it to replace the Fusion in the Sprint Cup soon.

"The sooner the better," Ford said. "Let's be frank: Motorsports enthusiasts are not going to buy Fusions because they see a Fusion win here (Sprint Cup), are they?

"To have a Mustang on the track in NASCAR is the right direction."

A perspective on where IndyCar is at
It's two years now since the IndyCar series last came to the Gold Coast but many Australian motorsport fans still have fond memories of it -- and a continuing interest in it, particularly in light of Will Power's recent success.

ESPN.com's John Oreovicz has written an enlightening and optimistic column on where IndyCar's at, see here.

NEXT WEEK: Sydney's V8 Supercar finale

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HSV sold out for six months

Despite a supercharged re-entry from FPV, HSV's order bank is full

The new, supercharged Ford Falcon GT may have arrived with a bang, but it is yet to put a dent on sales of its arch rival, Holden Special Vehicles. In fact, such a long build-up to the all-new engine may have backfired on Ford.

Sales figures show that Ford Performance Vehicles is poised to have one of its weakest years on record -- heading for a tally of less than 1000 vehicles for 2010. HSV meanwhile is expected to post its third-strongest year on record -- and it claims its order book is full until April and May next year.

Speaking at the launch of the HSV range in Singapore overnight, HSV boss Phil Harding (pictured) told the Carsales Network: "We are flat out. If you want a GTS in Hazard yellow, it's sold out until April. Others are sold out until May production."

HSV says it has sold 2948 cars to the end of October, while FPV has tallied just 847 sales so far this year. FPV says this dip was caused by the much anticipated changeover to the new model.

HSV's best year on record was in 2007 -- the first full year of VE sales -- when it posted 5222 vehicle deliveries. This year HSV is on track to sell about 3400 vehicles, ahead of last year's tally of 3091.

Harding refused to comment on what impact the supercharged FPV has had on HSV.

"We know what's right for our customers and we're getting on with it. We're focussing on technology and the whole package, not just one element of a performance car.

"I know the media don't like to acknowledge it, but we see our rivals as European performance cars. That's what our feedback tells us, that's what we see from the trade-ins at the dealers," Harding stated.

Next-gen Dodge Viper to remain unique

Dodge boss Ralph Gilles has publicly stated the MY2013 Viper will maintain the coupe's all-American heritage

Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles has reiterated that the next-generation Viper sports car games  due in mid-2012 will retain its unique architecture, rather than pilfering from the parts bin of parent company Fiat.

The new Viper "is not based on anything else," he was recently quoted as saying by Detroit News, quelling speculation it would borrow its underpinnings from Ferrari or the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

Some sources had been tipping the next-gen Viper would be based on the 8C, but Gilles says the proportions of the two vehicles are quite different.

"Where the cabin is, relative to the wheels, is unique. The Viper cabin is very rearward and the hood is very long. Few cars in the industry are designed with those proportions anymore."

Gilles said "There won't be a part of the car that's untouched", vis-à-vis its predecessor (which was discontinued five months ago), and it's believed the existing V10 could be upgraded with Fiat's Multiair induction technology.

He suggested Fiat would also help develop the car's dynamic capabilities. "We will use their expertise to open the performance envelope in the Viper," Gilles told Detroit News.

"Fiat has an awesome ability to tune cars. I want the new Viper to be a more forgiving car to drive and accessible to more people. We've never had stability control on a high-performance car, which is about to happen on the new car."

Despite its lack of technical sophistication, the original Viper was an enduring sportscar, with a lifespan that stretched from 1991 to 2010, albeit with four generational evolutions along the way.

Its straight-line credentials remained almost unparalleled (certainly in its price segment) and the series-ending Viper ACR lapped the Nurburgring in 7min 22.1sec, quicker than the likes of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS (7min 24sec), 2011 Nissan GT-R (7min 24.1sec) and Chevy Corvette ZR1 (7min 26.4sec).

The last Viper rolled off the production line at Chrysler's Conner Avenue plant in Detroit on July 2 this year.

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Detroit debut for BMW 1-Series M

The American public will see BMW's hottest '1' coupe, but our man Michael Taylor has already driven it
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We can finally reveal that this is the 1-Series M Coupe that BMW will unveil during January’s Detroit Motor show.

The twin-turbo, rear-drive coupe, built to slot in underneath the V8 M3, will not just be the fastest, fattest, cheekiest M car in BMW's line-up, but it will also give us a first look at the brand's facelifted 1-Series as well, now that BMW has pulled the covers off the production version. We had previously driven the 1 Series M in pre-production form.

With a 250kW, 3.0-litre, straight-six engine up front, the car will sprint to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds and can burst from zero to 200km/h in just over 17 seconds, with its top speed limited by BMW to 250km/h.

And, while you might be able to get all this performance in a small package, you'll only be able to get it in black, white or this orange (pictured), because M will only provide three standard colours.

While the M3's engine is a naturally-aspirated V8, the 1-Series M Coupe uses an M-developed version of BMW's glorious force-fed six which produces a prodigious 450Nm of torque from just 1500rpm. For short bursts, it can even over-boost the turbos to deliver 500Nm.

The driver's enjoyment of all this may be limited to short bursts, though, because of the combination of a measly 53 litre fuel tank and a combined fuel-economy figure of 9.6 litres/100km (with a CO2 figure of 224g/km).

Revving to 5980rpm, the engine uses two smallish turbo-chargers to spin up quickly for better throttle response instead of a single, more-powerful large turbo.

But there are, as is M's norm, two different engine maps: one for aggressive driving and one for more relaxed forays and, based on our prototype test from a couple of months ago, its superb ride quality will help with the Jekyll and Hyde character changes as well.

Certainly, there's enough weight in the body to help keep the ride under control. At 1495kg with no liquids or people in it, the 1-Series M's mass has been a talking point even inside M as it tries to draw the obvious links to the original BMW M3, which is roughly the same size as its new car, though more than 400kg lighter.

Still, the stupendous urge of the direct-injection engine means it still has a power-to-weight ratio of 6kg per kilowatt (4.4kg per horsepower, for the old-schoolies).

Based around the 1-Series coupe, the 1-Series M Coupe scores typical M haus engineering details, such as forged aluminium suspension parts, monster brakes and the tricky, electronically-governed differential from the M3.

What it won't get is a paddle-shift gearbox, because BMW firmly insists the 1-Series M Coupe will only ever be sold with a six-speed, manual gearbox.

Besides, at €50,500 in its domestic German market, BMW insists the car is targeting a younger buyer group than the M3 or the M5 and its boffins believe younger buyers prefer manual 'boxes. Certainly (and somewhat paradoxically), the Americans do, with most of M's US buyers demanding "stick" shifters.

There's a fat footprint, too, and the car rides on custom-built, cast-alloy wheels with 245/35 R19 tyres up front and265/35 R19 rubber at the rear. The brake discs are also huge, with 360mm discs doing the job at the pointy end and 350mm discs at the rear, though both ends are clamped by M's traditional (but technically underwhelming) single-piston, floating brake calipers.

The new look is meant to be aggressive both inside and out, even if BMW hasn't skimped on the interior luxuries.

There are a range of new aero tweaks, including systems to close cooling vents to heat up the engine faster (to reduce emissions) and another system to reduce turbulence around the front wheels that saves 0.3 litres/100km by itself.

This explains the massive vertical chunks cut into the nose of the 1-Series M coupe, because they divert the onrushing air, channel it into a narrow duct and divert it around the front wheels, creating what BMW describes as a "curtain" of air that lowers aero drag around the wheels.

The two-door four seater is 4380mm long and 1420mm high, but it's also 55mm wider than the standard BMW 1-Series coupe and all of that extra width is reflected in the wider track and wheel arches.

M has gone to great lengths to accentuate the car's width, because the standard coupe looks a little too vertical for M tastes. That's why it scores the deeply sculpted air exit ducts in the rear bumper and four monster exhaust pipes at the outer edges, and it's also why it has such an accentuated, wide-mouthed air intake below the grille.

Inside, it's typically M, with high, strong seat bolstering, plenty of leather and Alcantara trimming and two huge dials for the speedo and the tachometer front and centre.

There's a tremendously fat steering wheel, too, and it has been given an M button so the driver can switch the car to the most-aggressive setup map (which will tighten throttle and steering response and move to a more-liberal ESP setting) without his/her hands leaving the wheel.

It scores BMW's new iDrive system, which thankfully (and belatedly) includes a button to easily go back one step if you get something wrong in the navigation or setup. There's also a 370-litre luggage capacity, which is not bad for a rear-wheel-drive car this size.

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The engine plant is working at full capacity, but demand for large-capacity V6 diesels from Mercedes-Benz is off the scale

Mercedes-Benz can't build enough of its larger-displacement V6 diesels. The engine plant responsible is operating at 'ramming speed', but the orders keep coming -- and not just from the company's own car-building plants either.

An industry insider, speaking with the Carsales Network on condition of anonymity, explained that the company was flat-out building the engines for its own vehicles.

"They're absolutely at capacity," he said, before further explaining that the company's Vito and Sprinter commercials are also powered by engines built in the same factory. In addition, Benz is supplying a lower-output version of the engine for Chrysler, in an agreement that still has a couple of years left in it. Chrysler has to continue sourcing the engine from Benz, because new parent Fiat can't offer the American brand an engine to suit. Indeed, Fiat itself has reportedly been in discussions with Benz for the supply of a large-displacement turbodiesel V6.

"Fiat face the same problem, [because] they don't have a large V6 diesel," said our undercover informant.

Fiat could, in theory, source suitable powerplants from Italian engine manufacturer VM-Motori, but it's suggested the VM-Motori product is probably too dated to meet Fiat's current needs. VM-Motori is part-owned by General Motors. GM, in 2005, was forced to pay a penalty of US $2 billion to Fiat for reneging on a deal to buy the Italian company's automotive division. That penalty payment has kept Fiat afloat during the GFC and has boosted the capital for the purchase of Chrysler. So perhaps supplying a diesel V6 to Fiat is not high on the list of priorities at GM? Not when the company is still bouncing back from bankruptcy in the aftermath of the worst economic and financial crisis in 80 years.

Apparently Fiat has also approached Benz to source diesel V6s, but the German company has "rebuffed" the Italians. The only immediate way for the Benz factory to accommodate a supply contract for Fiat would be by cutting back production of engines for the German company's own cars. Taken as a whole, there's more profit in Benz selling a car, including the engine that powers it, than selling just the engine alone to a rival company -- at wholesale prices to boot.

"Any increase in that plant capacity," said our insider, "is going [to] the 'three-pointed star'."

And that spells trouble for Nissan and Renault as well. Last we heard, Nissan is hoping for Benz to pull the fat out of the fire, by supplying a suitable diesel to power the new P61G Patrol for the Australian market. Without such an engine, the Patrol will not be able to carry the fight up to Toyota's 200 Series LandCruiser in Australia.

"I can tell you that [Nissan] has tested the higher output diesels..." said the insider, "but the problem [remains] that the plant is operating at capacity."

As the Carsales Network understands it, the lack of a diesel for the new Patrol is a debacle with its roots founded in decisions made some years ago, when Renault first acquired Nissan. Nissan originally planned to have a new engine reach the market here before the introduction of the P61G Patrol. Intended to replace the current 3.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder in the GU Patrol, the new V6 would have been state-of-the-art and capable of meeting emissions standards for years into the future.

We're told that Renault was originally tasked with developing this engine, but the project fell victim to cost-cutting that failed to take into account future needs -- and specifically the needs of tiny little right-hand drive markets for large-scale offroaders, marketed by the junior partner in the alliance.

The French company dragged out the life cycles of existing vehicles and drivetrains, only to find that in due course, all the stuff left on the backburner was suddenly in need of replacement or updating at the same time -- and there just wasn't the engineering resource available to handle all the new projects at once. That was when Renault decided to set action priorities for each project, culminating in a much lower priority for the new V6 diesel. Renault only planned to use it in its commercial vehicles and a few slow-selling luxury cars, so it was a logical choice to be cut off at the knees.

Once that news broke, Nissan had no choice but to embark on a series of upgrades for the existing 3.0-litre engine in the Patrol. Those upgrades, principally aimed at keeping pace with changing emissions standards, were much more costly than developing a whole new engine would have been in the first instance.

As for the new 550Nm V6 introduced to the Navara and Pathfinder ranges in recent months, our source argues that its output would be inadequate for something as large and as heavy as the next Patrol.

"It's not enough," he said. "[Patrol is] going to need 650 to 700Nm."

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