How a Ford Falcon ute became a Nissan The Ute

-
Once upon a time, in 1980s Australia, Senator John Button came up with a strategy to rationalise our local car manufacturing industry. Dubbed ‘The Button Plan’ (its formal name was Motor Industry Development Plan), the idea was for rival manufacturers to share platforms – and models – across their brands, giving us identical cars, but sporting different manufacturers’ badges. Thus, badge-engineering was born.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2023 Porsche Taycan GTS review

-
Image
Whether on the back of a 911 or a Cayenne, the GTS badge has always denoted a special kind of Porsche. Now the electric Porsche Taycan gets the GTS treatment. Skip ahead: Introduction Running costs Price and specification Energy use Interior space and comfort On-road assessment Connectivity and infotainment Summary Safety 2023 Porsche Taycan GTS Nothing prepares you for it. It’s visceral, punching you in the guts, grabbing your heart in its sweaty fist and squeezing to the point of breathlessness. It’s the first heady rush of acceleration, a rush of speed unencumbered by the limits of traditional internal combustion. It shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore.   Meet the 2023 Porsche Taycan GTS , the mid-spec variant in the wider Taycan range that takes everything you think you know about the physics of driving and then stomps on it. Yes, there are faster Taycans – Turbo and Turbo S anyone? – but in terms of bang-for-your-not-inconsid...
Read more

2024 Toyota Yaris Cross updated in Europe with new tech, more hybrid power

-
Image
Europe’s Toyota Yaris Cross has received a mid-life update with more power, a revised look and new technology. Plans for the Australian version are yet to be announced. The updated 2024 Toyota Yaris Cross small SUV has been unveiled in Europe with an upgraded hybrid powertrain and new styling.  This is the first update for the Yaris Cross – the SUV sibling to the Toyota Yaris hatch – since it was first introduced to the Australian market in 2020.  Mirroring changes to the European-market Yaris hatch, the 2024 Yaris Cross in Europe brings with it mild styling changes to the exterior and interior of the SUV, improved safety features, and a more powerful hybrid system.  While pre-orders in Europe are due to commence this month, there’s no word on when we can expect to see the updates flow onto the Yaris Cross in Australia.  European-market Yaris Cross vehicles are manufactured in France, whereas Australian-delivered examples are built in Japan. Most ...
Read more

Ineos Grenadier gets converted into a camper with Australian-made pop-top

-
Image
Mere weeks after hitting the road in Australia, this Ineos Grenadier has already had the roof chopped and converted into a pop-top camper. Ineos Grenadier Pop-top camper The Ineos Grenadier four-wheel drive now has a pop-top conversion available , thanks to Australian company Expedition Centre. Based in Sydney, Expedition Centre has been making pop-top conversions for Land Rover Defenders and Toyota LandCruisers since 2009. But now with the Ineos Grenadier hitting the road in Australia, Expedition Centre has quickly turned its attention to the new, old-school four-wheel-drive wagon. Similar to conversions Expedition Centre has been doing on Defenders and LandCruiser Troopcarriers, the roof of the Grenadier is removed and modified to fit in a slatted 1.3-metre wide Fanello Bed. Hinged at the front and latched at the back, the roof can ‘pop’ open to create additional sleeping and living space inside the vehicle. The roofline of the Grenadier is raised by around 250...
Read more

Renault and Nissan production delays due to global cyber attack

-
Image
Renault and Nissan ‘s Sunderland production facility has been the victim of a global cyber attack, causing costly production delays. The global cyber attack began late last week and has so far affected more than 75,000 systems in 100 countries. The attack hits vulnerable Microsoft Windows machines and encrypts the user’s filesystem, taking it ransom. The user is asked to pay a fee of US$300 to have their computer unlocked. While the attack can easily be prevented by updating the operating system, many automated machines and dumb terminals connected to the internet are being infiltrated. A Renault spokesperson told  Autocar, “Groupe Renault confirms it was impacted by the global cyber attack that began late on Friday May 12. It consists of a Ransomware virus. Proactive measures were taken immediately in order to stop the spread of the Virus and protect the group,” the spokesperson said. “A full diagnosis is in progress in order to put in place the appropriat...
Read more

2024 Mazda 3 update due this year with technology upgrade – report

-
Image
The Mazda 3 small car is slated to receive an upgraded interior with a larger infotainment screen in the coming months, according to a new report. The current Mazda 3 pictured throughout. An updated 2024 Mazda 3 small car is coming soon to showrooms with improved technology, according to a new overseas report. Japanese website Creative Trend reports the Mazda 3 hatchback and sedan range is slated to receive a moderate upgrade in the northern spring of 2023 (Australia’s autumn, from March to May) – about four years after the current model went on sale. Leading the updates is said to be a larger infotainment screen, now measuring 12.3 inches in top-of-the range models – up from 8.8 inches today, and matching Mazda’s newly-introduced CX-60 SUV. This update is expected to serve as the mid-life ‘facelift’ for the Mazda 3 – which went on sale four years ago – but unusually, the Japanese website says there are “no major changes to the interior and exterior design” p...
Read more

The mysterious origins of the Isuzu MU

-
Image
Long before the Isuzu MU-X made a name for itself as rugged tow vehicle, the Japanese brand was employing wizardry and mystery when it came to naming its off-roaders. The letters following the humble Isuzu badge don’t really give a hint at what’s to come. After all, we’ve become accustomed to car names over the decades that feature a string of letters or numbers after their maker’s badge. And, for the most part, we know what those numbers and letters have meant: GT stands for Grand Touring , while RS , whether on a Porsche or Audi , denotes rennsport , German for ‘motorsport’. Other notable acronyms include Mazda’s MX-5 , the popular sportscar from the Japanese manufacturer deriving its nameplate from Mazda Experimental Project 5. Mazda’s Experimental Project 5 Ferrari takes its naming conventions seriously too with various models designated GTB , GTO , GTS or GTC which stand for, in order, Gran Turismo Berlinetta , Omologata , Spyder , and Coupe . And Ferrari’...
Read more

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross GXL Hybrid AWD review

-
Image
The Toyota Corolla Cross blends the brand’s excellent hybrid technology in a small SUV package that buyers are clamouring for. Is the all-wheel-drive GXL the sweet spot in the range? Skip ahead: Introduction Running costs Price and specification Energy use Interior space and comfort On-road assessment Connectivity and infotainment Summary Safety 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross GXL Hybrid It’s a dollop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of white bread, staples loved by many, if not all. The Toyota Corolla Cross is a new small SUV from the Japanese brand that takes the world’s best-selling car ( Toyota Corolla) and turns it into a compact SUV. But, if you’re expecting a jacked-up version of the Corolla hatchback, then think again. Externally, the Corolla Cross bears no resemblance to its small car stablemate. Instead, it presents more like a scaled-down version of the brand’s popular RAV4 medium SUV. And why wouldn’t it, the RAV4 the second-best-sel...
Read more

CarAdvice on YourMoney, 27 February 2018: What's on this week's show?

-
On this week's episode of CarAdvice, Trent Nikolic and Paul Maric look the sales numbers from January 2019, talk about Hyundai's first N-Line product, wax lyrical on the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and talk hail damage with Steve Price. First up: BMW has revealed its first-ever X3 and X4 M, complete with a hotter, meaner Competition variant. They're coming directly for the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S, which has exactly the same amount of power...
Read more

Retro comfort: Ford adds iconic Recaro seats to classic Mustang catalogue

-
Image
Restore or upgrade your classic Ford with a set of official Recaro seats that will suit a Falcon as much as they will a Mustang. The Ford Performance parts catalogue contains thousands of upgrade, dress up and restoration goodies for Ford owners that range from badges and decals through to Nascar-spec engine blocks. While most of the catalogue is devoted to newer machines, occasionally the Ford Performance team turn the clock back and place their attention on a car with a bit more of a retro focus. Celebrating the third-generation Mustang at Motorcity FoxFest in Detroit last week, Ford Performance unveiled a set of retro-look Recaro seats to help owners keep their classic ‘Fox Body’ Mustangs comfortable for modern backsides. Produced between 1978 and 1993, the third-generation Mustang used Ford’s compact rear-drive Fox platform (hence the ‘Fox Body’ nickname, which itself was simply one of a series of big-cat code names used by the American auto giant) and was off...
Read more