HOME PAGE


Australia's Easy Reading Motoring Website


NEXT CAR'S NEWSLETTER
23rd DECEMBER, 2005


WELCOME
to our newsletter #60




FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Friends,

Next Friday, at midday, we'll announce the car we have chosen as the "Top Drive of '05". The decision has been made! The good news is that subscribers will hear about the decision early. A special newsletter will issue on Friday morning with the announcement.

With holidays on the mind of many, it's time to recognise there is no let up in the news department. Just around the corner are motor shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Brussels, Geneva and Melbourne. In the traditional manner, we expect these shows to produce quite an amount of news. Stay tuned, because we intend to deliver the news throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

In the meantime, I trust you'll enjoy a peaceful and happy Christmas.

Warm regards,
Stephen Walker

The Editor road testing a 
Mazda 3 SP23 Leather Pack

The Editor road testing a
Mazda 3 SP23

Location:
Stockton NSW





In this issue:

  • The Editor's Desk
  • Contents
  • Looking Back - 1957 Chrysler 300C
  • Announcement - Rhema On The Road
  • Road Test - Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDI Luxury
  • News summary
  • Editor's Pick Of The News
  • Coming Events - Australia and Overseas
  • Announcement - Our "Top Drive of '05" will be announced on 30/12/05!
  • Road Test - Mazda 3 SP23 Leather Pack
  • Advertising
  • Silly Suburban Signs
  • Advertise with Next Car
  • Car Club Corner
  • Housekeeping



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



Happy Christmas from the Next Car Team!




LOOKING BACK

1957 Chrysler 300C

1957 Chrysler 300C

1957 Chrysler 300C

Dramatic new styling was matched by an even more powerful engine. During tests the 300 went from 0 to 60 mph in about 8 seconds and achieved 145.7 mph.

  • Engine: V-8 with overhead valves and hemispherical combustion chambers, 2 four-barrel carburetors and race-type camshaft
  • Displacement: 392 c.i.d./6.4L
  • Horsepower: 340 or 355 depending on compression ratio
  • Chassis: Heavy duty suspension (front torsion bar, rear leaf), solid rear axle, drum-type brakes, 3-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission (manual 3-speed by special order).
  • Weight: 4235/4390 pounds (convertible); Wheelbase: 126 inches
  • Total production: 2251 (1767 hardtops/484 convertibles)
  • Base price (USD): $4929 or $5359 (convertible)





PASS IT ON!

Please pass on this newsletter to family, friends and colleagues who have an interest in cars.
They are welcome to subscribe, if they wish.





'Rhema on the Road'

HEAR MOTORING NEWS ON RADIO

presented by Chris Goodsell, each Saturday on

94.3 Rhema FM Dubbo at 10 AM
99.9 Rhema FM Port Macquarie at 12 noon,
89.7 Rhema FM Tamworth at 2 PM and
106.5 Rhema FM Taree at 10AM

and in Queensland
each Friday at 4PM on Rhema FM 105.7 Mount Isa

Rhema On The Road





Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDI

Click the image for the road test

Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDI
road test

Yes, Volkswagen was slow to bring a largish 4WD to market. But the Touareg R5 TDI L demonstrates that at least VW got it right with their first endeavour in the largish 4WD market. The Touareg is a roomy and comfortable car. The drivetrain and driving dynamics (on-road and off-road) are superb. The fuel economy is beyond excellent.

Read our Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDI road test here.


Other road tests are here.





NEWS SUMMARY


    Monaro In Force for Queensland Police
    28th November, 2005
    Holden and the Queensland Police Service have joined forces in an effort to reduce the road toll and increase road safety leading up to the holiday season ..... more

    Land Rover G4 Challenge
    Australian Representatives Selected

    28th November, 2005
    Three outstanding world class competitors have been selected to represent Australia at the International Land Rover G4 Challenge selections event to be held at Eastnor Castle, UK in January 2006 ..... more

    New Look for Honda Accord Euro
    28th November, 2005
    Honda’s Accord Euro range receives a facelift for 2006 with a series of subtle improvements ..... more

    Nissan Launches D40 Navara Dual Cab Range
    28th November, 2005
    Nissan’s Navara line-up of utilities gains a new look dual cab range with the release of the D40 Navara ..... more

    Cayman S is now at German Porsche Dealers
    29th November, 2005
    The new Cayman S is revving up its engine: the sporty two-seater, developed from the Boxster series as a mid-engine coupé, started arriving at the 85 German Porsche dealers over the weekend ..... more

    Volvo Gets Top Scores in Whiplash Tests
    29th November, 2005
    Volvo has achieved top scores in the latest 2006 model year new car whiplash ratings by the UK's Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre in Thatcham ..... more

    Jeep Introduces the Most Prized of Birds
    30th November, 2005
    The Golden Eagle, which has been introduced to meet record demand for the iconic four-wheel-drive, comes complete with exclusive styling and bold graphics ..... more

    Return of the Blue Arrow Name
    30th November, 2005
    Mercedes-Benz Light Commercial vehicles today announced a limited edition of one hundred Blue Arrow Vito vans, to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz van manufacturing ..... more

    Morgan "drive-away" Prices
    30th November, 2005
    Consistent with the ACCC’s desire for “drive-away” car prices to be advertised, prices of all Morgan cars have been adjusted to reflect the “drive-away” price in Victoria ..... more

    Suzuki Announces New SX4
    1st December, 2005
    Following the recent success of the new Suzuki Swift and new Grand Vitara, Suzuki Motor Corporation has today announced it will start production of the all new SX4 at their Hungarian plant in December 2005 ..... more

    Europe's Fiat Sedici 4x4xSuzuki
    1st December, 2005
    The Fiat Sedici marks a veritable leap in the compact SUV scenario because it is the result of a style and design approach whose distinguishing feature is freedom of choice ..... more

    Volkswagen dominates "Auto Trophy"
    1st December, 2005
    This year's "Auto Trophy" produced some remarkable results: Volkswagen Group products were voted onto the podium 23 times by the readers of "Auto" magazine ..... more

    Volvo Driver Alert System
    2nd December, 2005
    Volvo Cars' long-term research and engineering innovation into occupant protection have taken a decisive turn toward crash avoidance ..... more

    Mazda Secures A Record November
    2nd December, 2005
    The year 2005 is on track to be Mazda Australia’s best ever sales year with November recording yet another record result ..... more

    Peugeot Round Australia Trial 50th Anniversary
    3rd December, 2005
    In April 2006, to mark the victory of a Peugeot 403 in the first Ampol Trial in 1956, Peugeot Automobiles Australia will sponsor the Peugeot Round Australia Trial 50th Anniversary Rerun ..... more

    Morgan 4/4 70th Anniversary Model
    3rd December, 2005
    In 2006, the Morgan 4/4 celebrates its 70th Anniversary and to mark the occasion, the Morgan factory has come up with a unique Anniversary version of the iconic 4/4 model ..... more

    Tune Into Citroen's New C-AirPlay
    4th December, 2005
    Citroën has premiered its brand new two-seater concept car, the C-AirPlay, at the 2005 Bologna Motor Show in Italy ..... more

    Holden Celebrates Four Millionth Export Engine
    4th December, 2005
    Holden has produced a range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines for export at Port Melbourne since 1981, and currently holds contracts to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America ..... more

    Safer car design has cut road casualties
    4th December, 2005
    Car makers deserve real credit for dramatic improvements in safety trends over the last 10 years ..... but there are duds, such as Landwind, a Chinese import into the EU ..... more

    World Debut Of Ferrari FXX
    4th December, 2005
    The Bologna Motor Show has provided the venue for Ferrari's world unveiling of the Ferrari FXX, a car aimed exclusively at a selected group of its most dedicated and passionate clients ..... more

    Meet The Bambino's Big Bro
    5th December, 2005
    So you thought Fiat only made small cars that are an essential part of any image of a European city, especially one sitting by the Mediterranean? ..... more

    Max-Air at the Top of Air Compressor Field
    5th December, 2005
    Leading Australian off-road accessory company Bushranger has scooped the pool in a major test of aftermarket portable air compressors ..... more

    X-Jack Wins Major Award in the USA
    5th December, 2005
    Innovative Australian off-road accessory company Bushranger has won a major accolade at the world’s largest aftermarket product expo, during the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas ..... more

    Ford's New Rally Challenger Launched
    5th December, 2005
    Ford of Europe has unveiled the new Ford Focus RS World Rally Car at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy. The car will be Ford's challenger in the FIA World Rally Championship from 2006 onwards ..... more

    World First For Citroën C6
    6th December, 2005
    The new Citroën C6, which is set to arrive in Australia in the middle of 2006, has become the very first car in the world to be awarded a maximum four star Euro NCAP pedestrian safety rating, as well as a maximum five stars for occupant protection ..... more

    Eclipse Spyder to Debut at NAIAS
    6th December, 2005
    Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) will push the limits again with the debut of two more vehicles that thrill – the 2007 Eclipse Spyder and the Concept-CT MIEV ..... more

    Peugeot 407 Coupé – 5 Stars for Euroncap
    6th December, 2005
    Elegance, power and outstanding handling and dynamics, the 407 Coupé is also distinguished by its high levels of passive safety ..... more

    Small Cars Push Motor Vehicle Market Towards Record Year
    6th December, 2005
    Another record month of small and light car sales has all but ensured that the Australian motor vehicle market is heading for its fourth straight annual sales record ..... more

    Holden Takes On Global Design Role
    8th December, 2005
    Holden will significantly expand its Port Melbourne design centre to design vehicles for General Motors markets around the world .....

    Swift Awarded Britain's Car Of The Year
    8th December, 2005
    In the UK, Car magazine has just named the Suzuki supermini its ‘Car of the Year’ ..... more

    The Big, New Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
    9th December, 2005
    Mercedes-Benz is to unveil a new Sport Utility Vehicle: the GL-Class. The big seven-seater off-roader pampers occupants ..... more

    Porsche Enjoys Continued Growth
    9th December, 2005
    Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG enjoyed continued growth in fiscal year 2004/05 (to 31st July). The manufacturer of sporty premium vehicles once again succeeded in selling more vehicles ..... more

    Nissan Releases the 2006 350Z
    11th December, 2005
    Nissan's iconic 36-year-old flagship sports car, the 350Z, has been released with new features including a more powerful engine and enhancements to its exterior and interior ..... more

    Audi On Target For New Record
    11th December, 2005
    Audi sold almost 767,000 vehicles worldwide between January and November, an increase of 8.8 percent on the corresponding prior-year period ..... more

    Pricing For 2006 Ford Fiesta
    11th December, 2005
    Ford Australia has released pricing details of its new Fiesta range, which goes on sale from January 2006 ..... more

    Global V6 Turbo Power For Saab 9-3 Aero
    12th December, 2005
    Powered by Saab’s 2.8 litre V6 Turbo, the 9-3 Aero Sport Sedan is the fastest accelerating car to carry the Saab badge ..... more

    Mitsubishi Outlander Tops 10,000 Orders
    12th December, 2005
    Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today announced that it has received 10,000 orders for the new Outlander in less than two months since its launch, in Japan, on 17th October ..... more

    Kia Sidewinder Hits L.A.
    12th December, 2005
    Kia Designer, Marc Mainville, has entered his radical design for the Kia Sidewinder concept into the Los Angeles Automotive Show design contest ..... more

    Alfa Romeo 147 JTD Arrives In Australia
    13th December, 2005
    Full deliveries of the Alfa Romeo 147 JTD, a car that offers better acceleration than its larger engined petrol counterpart while using little more than half the fuel, won't start until January ..... more

    Limited Edition For 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
    13th December, 2005
    One of the coolest vehicles in modern motoring has received a boost to its status with the introduction of the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser and the addition of a limited edition ‘Route 66’ model ..... more

    Audi To Compete With Diesel At Le Mans
    14th December, 2005
    Audi will become the world’s first car manufacturer to fight for overall victory with a diesel-engined sportscar in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours ..... more

    Mazda Kabura and Mazda CX-7 For Detroit
    14th December, 2005
    Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the Mazda Kabura sports coupe concept vehicle, and the Mazda CX-7, a crossover sports-utility-vehicle (SUV), at the 2006 NAIAS ..... more

    Chrysler’s 300C Australian Connection
    15th December, 2005
    The path to the development of the recently launched, Chrysler 300C has turned up a little-known connection with Australia ..... more

    Black Taxi is "the glory of London"
    15th December, 2005
    London’s iconic black cab has been hailed as "the glory of London" in a House of Lords debate ..... more

    Australian Know-How Behind India's New Ford Fiesta
    15th December, 2005
    The latest model in Ford's Fiesta range has just commenced sales in India – and it's thanks to a team led by Ford Australia engineers and designers that motorists in the sub-continent have a car designed specifically for their local conditions ..... more

    BMW Obtains Car of The Year Award
    16th December, 2005
    The BMW 3 Series Sedan has obtained the “Automobile of the Year” title for 2006 by Automobile Magazine in the United States ..... more

    Nissan Urge Concept Car
    16th December, 2005
    Set to make its world debut in early January 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the dynamic Nissan Urge concept ..... more

    VW EcoRacer Successfully Finishes First Test
    16th December, 2005
    Volkswagen's EcoRacer sports car has successfully completed its racetrack debut: 34 journalists from 9 countries gave the concept car a thorough test on the racetrack in Pau in the South of France ..... more

    Apple iPod Bites Into Volvo
    17th December, 2005
    Now it is possible for Apple iPod users to plug their entire music archive into their Volvo’s audio system ..... more

    Kia Takes The Soul Train To Detroit
    17th December, 2005
    The Kia Soul concept car will be revealed to the world when America's biggest car show opens its doors in Detroit on 9th January 2006 ..... more

    Limited Edition Outlander Released For Summer
    17th December, 2005
    Mitsubishi Motors is releasing a limited edition Outlander with a host of desirable features for the summer period ..... more

    Honda Wins Two Awards In USA
    18th December, 2005
    Car and Driver Magazine has named the 2006 Honda Accord as the "Best Family Sedan," and the Acura TSX (Accord Euro) as the “Best Sports Sedan” in its annual "10 Best Cars" award ..... more

    GM Engines Named Among Industry’s Best
    18th December, 2005
    Two of GMs newest engines – the 2.0-litre Ecotec Supercharged and 2.8-litre V6 Turbo – have been named among the industry’s 10 best engines of 2006 by Ward’s Communications ..... more

    Jaguar World-First Safety Acknowledged
    19th December, 2005
    The all-new Jaguar XK was awarded the Engineering and Technology Award at the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards in London ..... more

    Chevrolet Corvette Z06 in a Class of its Own
    19th December, 2005
    It isn’t often that a car is made that is so superior that it is deemed to have no competition at all, but this year, the Automobile Journalists of Canada declared the Corvette Z06 to be just such a car ..... more

    Mazda RX-8 Revelation
    19th December, 2005
    Mazda’s latest addition to its sports car line up is a limited edition RX-8. Known as the RX-8 Revelation, it exudes luxury and exclusivity, with the added enticement of only 100 vehicles available in Australia ..... more

    Audi's Capital Expenditure To Remain High
    19th December, 2005
    Audi is to invest considerable capital in expanding its model range significantly over the next few years. The company plans to invest a total of EUR 10.8 billion between 2005 and 2010 ..... more

    Rolls-Royce Commemorates 2,000th Phantom
    20th December, 2005
    Employees at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrated the production of the 2,000th Phantom earlier this month ..... more

    Fiat Produces The Three Millionth Ducato
    20th December, 2005
    The three millionth Fiat Ducato has rolled down the production line in Italy ..... more

    Volkswagen Crafter LCV Coming In 2006
    20th December, 2005
    Power on four wheels: Powerful and extremely frugal engines underline this new vehicle's confident character. A full engine range means that the right engine for the job is always available ..... more

    Lotus Europa S - ‘Business Class by Lotus’
    20th December, 2005
    The new Lotus Europa S, a Grand Tourer (GT) inspired two-seater will provide Lotus customers with a spectacular sportscar with significantly enhanced levels of touring and cruising capability ..... more

    Commodore Out In Force For Victoria Police
    21st December, 2005
    GM Holden and Victoria Police have collaborated in the design of 20 striking Commodore SS models to join the police fleet as state-of-the-art SMART cars (Special Mobile Anti-Road Toll Cars), to reduce the road toll and increase road safety during the 2005/2006 Christmas/New Year period ..... more

    Saab Announces New Pricing For 9-3
    21st December, 2005
    Saab Australia has realigned its 2006 pricing, reducing the recommended retail prices of its vehicles by up to $8,000 ..... more

    Aussie-Built V6 Engine Delivers Most Powerful Rodeo
    21st December, 2005
    Holden will match its high-tech Global V6 engine to the Rodeo to produce the most powerful V6 offering in the light truck’s distinguished 25-year history in Australia ..... more

    New Peugeot 307CC Lands in Time for Summer!
    21st December, 2005
    The first shipments of the new Peugeot 307CC (Coupe Cabriolet) have arrived in Australia; just in time for summer ..... more

    Good Demand For Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
    22nd December, 2005
    The Mercedes-Benz CLS Class is performing well a little over one year after its market debut. More than 50,000 units of the four-door coupe have been delivered worldwide ..... more

    Discovery 3 S – Amazing Drive Away Pricing
    22nd December, 2005
    Land Rover Australia has announced outstanding drive-away prices on the Discovery 3 S model in both V6 and TDV6 ..... more

    Jaguar XK Production Begins
    22nd December, 2005
    The first production all-aluminium XK sports car rolled off the Castle Bromwich production line this week ..... more

    Maybach 57 S Coming to Australia
    23rd December, 2005
    DaimlerChrysler has confirmed that the latest addition to the Maybach model line-up, the newly developed 57 Special, will be available in Australia from mid 2006 ..... more

    Mitsubishi Motors Announces Production,
    Sales and Exports for November 2005

    23rd December, 2005
    Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has announced global production, as well as domestic sales and export results for November 2005 ..... more



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




The Editor's Pick Of The News

After reading the news, which story did you enjoy the most?

Suzuki shows yet another new model. It shows a great deal of promise. Therefore, it is my pick of the news!

Read the story ..... here.

Stephen Walker


Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Click the image for the story





COMING EVENTS

AUSTRALIA

  • Motorfest 2006
    Sydney NSW
    Thursday 26th January, 2006
    In the streets around the Parliament House and Hyde Park area of Sydney

  • Melbourne International Motor Show
    Melbourne Victoria
    Friday 10th February to
    Sunday 19th February, 2006
    Melbourne Exhibition Centre

  • Brisbane International Motor Show
    Brisbane Queensland
    Friday 3rd March to
    Sunday 12th March, 2006
    Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

  • 5th HD/HR Nationals
    Melbourne, Victoria
    Saturday 10th June to
    Sunday 11th June, 2006
    Various Mentone, Melbourne and Point Cook locations

OVERSEAS

  • Los Angeles Motor Show
    Los Angeles, California, USA
    Friday 6th January to
    Sunday 15th January, 2006
    Los Angeles Convention Centre
  • Detroit Motor Show
    Detroit, Michigan, USA
    Saturday 14th January to
    Sunday 22nd January, 2006
  • Vancouver International Motor Show
    Vancouver, Canada
    Friday 31st March to
    Sunday 9th April, 2006
    BC Place Stadium
  • British International Motor Show
    London, England
    Thursday 20th July to
    Sunday 30th July, 2006
    ExCeL in London's Docklands

All events and dates are subject to change without notice.







ON 30/12/05 WE WILL NAME THE CAR
WE RATE AS THE TOP DRIVE OF 2005


You'll see it HERE after midday 30/12/05.





Mazda 3 SP23

Click the image for the road test

Mazda 3 SP23
road test

Whilst most buyers go for the other versions of the Mazda 3, the SP23 offers reasonable economy with adequate performance. But the 'Leather Pack' is a real treat for those who desire a little more than a regular small car. The sedan looks good, although the hatch is more popular. The Mazda 3 is a successful car and there is no reason to suggest that is about to change.

Read our Mazda 3 SP23 road test here.


Other road tests are here.





Advertisement

Shop on-line at Optical and Hearing
Shop on-line at Optical and Hearing for
contact lenses • lenses • frames •  sunglasses •  hearing aids


Click here to shop on-line at Optical and Hearing





Silly Suburban Signs


near Mulbring, NSW

Location: near Mulbring, NSW

Morriset .... NO!

It's Morisset .....
always has been, always will be!





Advertise with Next Car

To advertise with Next Car, contact us by e-mail from here.





Car Club Corner

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


Rickshaws On The Foreshore

Click the image for a larger view



And some photographic pages


07/08/05 All Holden Day - NSW ... here

29/05/05 Great Lakes Historic Automobile Club Church Parade ... here

26/01/05 Motorfest 2005 (Sydney)
Gallery 1   2   3   4   5

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





HOUSEKEEPING

If you enjoy our site and/or newsletter, please recommend it to others.
They can subscribe to our newsletter from this link: NEWSLETTER

OR

To subscribe,
simply send a blank e-mail from HERE for automatic subscription lodgement.



To unsubscribe,
simply send a blank e-mail from HERE to automatically cancel your subscription.
Such an e-mail MUST be sent from the subscription mailing address
to enable recognition of the subscription address.
Returned mail (twice in 4 weeks) will automatically cancel a subscription.



Your privacy:
We do not pass on your personal particulars, unless you have authorised us to do so.







That's it for now!

HOME PAGE


Click the logo for our home page


Did you miss our last newsletter? It's here.


E-mail Us

Next Car Pty Ltd   (ABN 47106248033)
Copyright © 2005. All rights reserved.