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NEXT CAR'S NEWSLETTER
24th DECEMBER, 2004


WELCOME
to our newsletter #44




FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Friends,

Many thanks for your patience with our last newsletter. It was published about the same time as our web host decided to replace some equipment. If you missed it, there's a link to it at the bottom of this newsletter.

We're about to conclude our first year of operation. The success we've enjoyed will produce some new developments in 2005. Some of those will be outlined in our next newsletter. Also in the next issue will be an outline of what new models we can expect on the Australian market next year. Be sure to see it, as there are some surprises involved.

It has been a rather busy year for news and road tests. Next year promises even more as we expand our operations and introduce additional marques into our very full road test programme.

Warm regards,
Stephen Walker

The Editor and the new Mitsubishi Grandis at Little Beach (Nelson Bay) NSW
The Editor with a
Mitsubishi Grandis

Location: Little Beach (Nelson Bay) NSW





In this issue:
  • The Editor's Desk
  • Contents & Greetings
  • Road test - Audi A3 TDI
  • News summary
  • Car Club Corner
  • Looking Back - MG RV8
  • Housekeeping

The reason for the season ....
the birth of the baby Jesus.



Happy Christmas from the Next Car Team!





2004 Audi A3 TDI

2004 Audi A3 TDI

Click the image for the road test

Audi A3 TDI road test

Despite its price, the A3 TDI is a particularly attractive proposition. At 4.2 metres long it offers a good sized package, with outstanding fuel economy. The combined rate (in European tests) is an amazing 5.8l/100kms. This is exciting fuel consumption for a car with such reasonable size and performance qualities.

Click here for the Audi A3 TDI road test.

Other road tests are here.









NEWS SUMMARY


  • Record Sales For Maserati in Australia
    6th December, 2004
    Maserati monthly sales reached an all time high last month in Australia with 18 deliveries ..... more

  • Ford Records Best November Sales Since 1989
    6th December, 2004
    Ford Australia continues to post strong sales results as the local auto industry closes in on a record year for new car sales ..... more

  • Mitsubishi's all-new Raider pickup and latest Eclipse
    6th December, 2004
    Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc will give the all-new Raider pickup and the latest Eclipse sporty coupe their world premiere at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show ..... more

  • Citroën C3 VTR
    6th December, 2004
    Citroën has used Bologna to release the hot version of the Citroën C3, the VTR ..... more

  • Glasgow Audi ..... the world's largest Audi dealership
    6th December, 2004
    The largest Audi dealership in the world has opened in Glasgow, Scotland ..... more

  • Mini Cabrio arrives next month
    8th December, 2004
    BMW have the new Mini cabrio arriving in Australia next month, following its debut at Sydney's 2004 Motor Show ..... more

  • Smart Promotional Tower
    8th December, 2004
    A Smart Tower is the promotional tool being used to promote the tiny Smart brand ..... more

  • Nissan Continues Sales Success
    8th December, 2004
    Nissan Australia has achieved its best monthly sales result since June 1990, with 6,716 units sold in November, representing a market share of 8% ..... more

  • Strong Mazda 3 Sales Secure November Record
    8th December, 2004
    Good supply of the Mazda 3 got Mazda Australia’s sales back on track last month, delivering the company’s best November on record, according to VFACTS figures ..... more

  • Porsche Reveals The New 911 Carrera Cabriolets
    8th December, 2004
    Porsche will introduce the 911 Carrera Cabriolet and the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet throughout Europe on 2nd April 2005 ..... more

  • Land Rover Discovery 3 wins ..... again!
    8th December, 2004
    Land Rover's all-new Discovery 3 scooped its third accolade of 2004 at the recent Top Gear awards, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson in London ..... more

  • Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDI
    12th December, 2004
    Volkswagen’s multi award-winning Touareg lineup has been expanded with the arrival of a new five-cylinder turbo diesel model called the R5 TDI, which is priced from $69,900 ..... more

  • Alfa Romeo Spider Comes To The End Of The Road
    12th December, 2004
    Production of the Alfa Romeo Spider has ceased. The last of this model is still available in Australia whilst stocks remain ..... more

  • Smart Sales on the Way up
    12th December, 2004
    DaimlerChrysler’s niche brand Smart, recorded its best-ever retail sales month in November ..... more

  • Mercedes-Benz M-class for 2005
    13th December, 2004
    The 2nd generation M-class will debut next month at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show. Three of the four engines available for the 2005 model are hot off the press and outstrip the output and torque of the power units for the outgoing model to the tune of up to 38 per cent ..... more

  • BMW 3 Series Convertible upgrade
    13th December, 2004
    BMW will add another member to the 3 Series Convertible in April 2005, making the drop-top even more special ..... more

  • Honda MDX Gets Curtain Airbags in '05 Update
    13th December, 2004
    Honda has added greater value to its luxury SUV, the MDX, with more equipment and revised styling for 2005 ..... more

  • Peugeot 206 GTi 180 Selected for Targa One Design Class
    13th December, 2004
    Peugeot Automobiles Australia has joined forces with Targa Tasmania Competitors, Don and Margie McIntyre to launch a Targa One Design Class car ..... more

  • BMW M6
    14th December, 2004
    The first details of the 2006 BMW M6 have been announced. The Next Car Team is first with the news in Australia ... again! Powered by a 5-litre V10, the M6 can do 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds ..... more

  • Rolls-Royce wins with innovative airbag concept
    14th December, 2004
    Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' innovative passenger airbag concept has won the Society of Plastics' Engineers' (SPE) Grand Innovation Award ..... more

  • Mazda's MX-Crossport Concept to Debut at Detroit Motor Show
    15th December, 2004
    Scheduled to be shown in public for the first time at the 2005 North America International Auto Show next month in Detroit, the MX-Crossport design concept represents a new direction Mazda is considering as it works to expand its line-up of products ..... more

  • Volkswagen Passat for 2005
    15th December, 2004
    Volkswagen has released the first pictures of the sixth-generation Passat, ahead of its public debut at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. Naturally, Next Car is the first media outlet in Australia to publish the pictures ..... more

  • PSA Peugeot Citroën and BMW Develop New Engine
    15th December, 2004
    BMW Group and PSA Peugeot Citroën have unveiled the state-of-the-art technologies deployed in their new petrol engines, the first to be jointly developed and produced by their cooperative venture ..... more

  • Audi Launches Ultimate TT Variant
    16th December, 2004
    Audi is presenting its TT Coupe for the first time in Australia with a six-cylinder engine and innovative transmission technology ..... more

  • Ford & PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) Increase Production With Joint Venture Diesel
    16th December, 2004
    Ford Motor Company and PSA Peugeot Citroën are planning to expand production capacity for the 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0 litre high technology diesel engines from the ongoing cooperative agreement between the two companies ..... more

  • Subaru Impreza WRX WRP10
    20th December, 2004
    What would happen if you took a Subaru Impreza WRX, added key STI components, Australian planning, design and engineering? ..... more

  • Alfa Romeo GT JTS
    20th December, 2004
    The GTV has gone but now we see a $64,950 version of the GT coupe added to the Alfa range. The Alfa Romeo GT JTS Selespeed will be available next month ..... more

  • Mitsubishi Colt Convertible For Europe
    20th December, 2004
    Unique to Europe, from 2006, will be the Pininfarina built Colt convertible, which will feature a folding hardtop ..... more

  • Suzuki Concept X
    20th December, 2004
    Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced it will preview its first ever midsize SUV concept, named ‘Concept X’ at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show (USA) ..... more

  • Holden Commodore SV8 & SS Upgrade
    20th December, 2004
    There's an early upgrade for the Commodore SV8 (VZ series) to bring its odd-man out styling into line with the popular SV6. And there's the slightest possible upgrade for the SS. Both are due in February ..... more

  • Nissan AZEAL Concept Set For A Detroit Debut
    21st December, 2004
    Nissan's AZEAL Coupe, the first concept car designed at the new Nissan Design America, Inc. studios in Michigan, is set to debut in Detroit next month ..... more

  • Kia Cerato sedan wins major award in Canada
    21st December, 2004
    The Kia Cerato sedan has been named the Canadian Economy Car of the Year for 2005 ..... more



All these stories and the previous news stories can be accessed
from our NEWS PAGE.
Simply click on the link above.





Rickshaws On The Foreshore 2004
Click the image for a larger view

Car Club Corner

Here's a listing of some of the nation's car clubs.



And some photographic pages

14/11/04 Rickshaws On The Foreshore ...

Gallery #1     Gallery #2

26/09/04 Central Coast British Car Club Run ... here

06/06/04 Great Lakes Historic Car Club Run ... here

07/03/04 Bay City Chrysler Car Club Expo ... here

26/01/04 Motorfest 2004 (Sydney) ... here




LOOKING BACK

From the latter 1970s, MG could best be described as having mixed fortunes. In Australia, MG had already disappeared from the market.

Following the 1988 takeover by British Aerospace, plans were developed to re-introduce the MG marque as a sport car. MG saloons were discontinued in 1991. The first MG to be introduced by British Aerospace was the limited production RV8, which arrived in 1992. This car featured a re-styled version of the classic MGB roadster bodyshell. It was powered by the 3.9-litre V8 engine from the Range Rover. Two thousand examples were produced.

This model put MG back onto the market and prepared the marque for the future return of regular production.

1993-1995 MG RV8
1993-1995 MG RV8





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That's it for now ...... we trust you're enjoying a great week!

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