Holden to pull out of Australia from 2016

"Holden has made the decision to pull out of Australia as early as 2016, according to senior Government ministers. The ABC has been told the announcement was supposed to be made this week but has been put off until early next year. Holden says discussions with the Government on its future are continuing, and it says it does not respond to speculation. The Federal Opposition has warned Holden would make the decision before Christmas if the Government did not announce an assistance package for the industry before then. The Government has previously said it would wait for the findings of a Productivity Commission inquiry, due in March. However, one source has told the ABC that Holden wants to leave Australia, regardless of any assistance package. Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says he has spoken to Holden and they have denied the reports."

This is amazing news. Holden is one of my favorite vehicle brands and I have owned a Holden Epica for two years. From my perspective, Holden has some advantages, including reasonable prices, relatively lower fuel assumption and better after-sale services. I love this brand, but unfortunately, it will leave Australia. (Baron Zhang)

Audi Sport quattro eyes production with Vegas-bound laser light concept

An updated Audi Sport quattro concept will be unveiled at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, suggesting the hybrid sports car is another step closer to becoming a production reality. Barring its new dual laser headlight system, Plasma Red paint finish and mildly revised wheels, the CES Audi Sport quattro matches the bright yellow concept first seen at last year’s Frankfurt motor show and remains powered by a 515kW/880Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8-based hybrid system. Combining the car maker’s matrix LED and laser light technologies, the outer and inner trapezoidal elements visible within the headlight clusters generate low beam LED and high-beam laser light respectively. Audi says not only do laser diodes measure a few microns in diameter – “significantly” smaller than LED diodes – high-beam laser light will illuminate approximately twice the distance (nearly 500 metres) of LED high beam lights and at three times the luminosity. The system will also be used on the 2014 Audi R18 e-tron quattro (pictured bottom) set to compete in the LMP1 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) – alongside Mark Webber and the Porsche 919 hybrid – highlighted by the Le Mans 24 Hour in June. Inspired by the Sport quattro of 1983, the re-imagined version incorporates four-wheel drive and an eight-speed ‘tiptronic’ automatic transmission to claim a 3.7-second 0-100km/h, 305km/h top speed, 2.5L/100km fuel consumption and 59g/km CO2 emissions. With a production variant already tipped for around 2016, the latest concept evolution bolsters reports from December that Audi is currently evaluating the model for production along with the 400kW/1000Nm 5.0-litre V10 twin-turbo-diesel Audi Nanuk quattro concept also seen at Frankfurt. The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show begins on January 6. (James Liu)

Source: http://www.caradvice.com.au/265282/audi-sport-quattro-eyes-production-vegas-bound-laser-light-concept/

My Dream Car: SL63AMG

The SL 63 AMG Roadster impresses with its expressive design and innovative technology from the world of motorsport. Its dynamic exterior looks and exciting interior design allow one to conceive the power it conceals in its interior.

Exterior-Faster even than it looks The exterior of the SL 63 AMG clearly underscores its inner qualities. th the flowing transitions of its striking front and rear aprons, and its powerful side sill panels, the roadster presents itself to the fascinated beholder as superior and dynamically sporty.

Interior-dynamism at your fingertips The exterior of the SL 63 AMG impresses with its exceptional sportiness, an impression that is continued consistently in the vehicle interior. Sit down, for example, in the nappa leather AMG sports seats and feel the extraordinary dynamism of the SL 63 AMG seated at the AMG Performance steering wheel.

Technology at finest The SL 63 AMG harbours a true milestone of superb performance in its interior. The unmistakable full engine sound of the AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine makes heartbeats speed up. This power pack is embedded in a well-thought-out drive concept in which the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission and the AMG sports suspension are optimally attuned to each other.

This is my dream car. I hope I will really own such a car in the near future. Happy New Year. (James Liu)

Types of Car

Most people are keen to learning some knowledge about car brands, speed, petrol assumption, exterior looks and interior equipment. However, few people would like to know about types of car. Here, I will share some knowledge about vehicle types.

4-Door Sedans - Sedans are a good choice for most automobile shoppers. The enclosed trunk offers security, while the rear doors allow easy entry for rear-seat passengers. Most luxury vehicles are four-door sedans because they're more comfortable than most other body styles. 2-Door Coupes - Coupes are usually driven by single adults or childless couples. Many of them have a hatchback instead of a trunk, to allow large items to be carried for short distances. The rear seats are difficult to access, as the front doors must be used. Station Wagons - An active family will want to look at minivans, sport utility vehicles, or station wagons. In the rest of the world, station wagons remain the first choice for active families. Convertibles - Most convertibles are sports cars, meaning two seats, high-performance engines and superior handling. Convertibles are great when the weather's perfect, but their drawbacks are obvious. Sports Cars - Sports cars were originally European two-seat roadsters designed for both daily travel and week-end racing hobbyists. A few 1950's manufacturers (notably Jaguar and Alfa-Romeo) put permanent tops on their roadsters, resulting in the sports coupe. The term sports-sedan is a more recent term to describe a four-door vehicle that handles like a sports coupe or roadster. Recently we've seen luxury cars advertised as luxury sports sedans. Mini-Vans - If you're constantly carting kids or cargo, a minivan may be your best choice. Most newer models offer an additional 4th door on the driver's side and offer comfortable seating for seven. Don't look for minivans to handle the boat or trailer towing duties, as front wheel drive vehicles have a very limited towing capacity. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) - Although they're designed for off-road usage, 90% of them never leave the road, fortunately for our wildernesses. They include the BMW X-5, the Lexus RX 300, and the Mercedes-Benz ML320, ML430, and AMG-tuned ML55. Pickup Trucks - The smaller models now offer quad or crew-cab four-door versions, with seating for 5 adults. Full-size models offer extended cabs with smaller third and fourth doors giving access to the rear seats. Standard rear-wheel drive versions don't handle well on snow or ice without a substantial amount of weight in the rear of the truck. When equipped with towing packages with 8- or 10-cylinder engines, these rear-wheel drive vehicles can tow large boats and trailers. Full-size 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive pickups get about 15 miles per gallon. Vans - If you transport large amounts of cargo or need room for more than seven adults, a full-size van is your only option. They're available with and without windows and in payload capacities of over one ton. Extended vans can seat up to 15 adult passengers. Towing packages with 8- or 10-cylinder engines will allow these rear-wheel-drive vehicles to tow large boats and trailers.(Baron Zhang)

Five of our favorite German sedans of 2013

2013 Porsche Panamera GTS The Panamera GTS is about as brutish as they come. The humpback whale sedan is probably Porsche's only design miss, but that's where the function comes from. The Panamera is one of the few coupe-like sedans that has headroom in the rear. A 430-hp V8 doesn't hurt, either. "Porsche purists might scoff at this car's very existence, but I loved it. And for cynics who say the Panamera is just more proof after the Cayenne that anything will sell with a Porsche badge stuck on it, I say that's not necessarily true. If the Panamera GTS turns out to sell well, it will be because it's a really good car. If it was a turd, that fact would spread like wildfire and I submit sales would suffer accordingly."

2013 BMW M6 Gran Coupe Continuing with the coupe-like sedan theme is the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. The four-door Gran is powered by a 560-hp, 500-lb-ft of torque V8, and momentum is scrubbed by some of the best stock brakes in the business, helped by its (relatively) trim 4,133 pounds. "The M6 Gran Coupe is distinguished from standard 6-series Gran Coupes by a deeper front bumper with big cooling ducts, adaptive headlamps and wider front-wheel arches. Wheels are 20 inches in diameter -- 9.5 inches wide up front, 10.5 inches rear, shod with standard 265/35 and 295/30 profile tires."

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA We couldn't talk about German sedans without bringing up one of the biggest of the year, at least in significance if not size. The Mercedes CLA is nowhere near brutish, either, but it could be a status symbol. The newest addition to the Benz stable is meant to be an entry point for German luxury. Check out Autoweek West Coast senior editor Mark Vaughn as he explores all the details in this video.

2013 Audi S6 Way back in 2007 we spent a year with an Audi S6, and it was a sledgehammer from day one. The 2013 model ups the ante considerably despite the fact it lost its V10 in favor of a turbocharged V8, which makes 420 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. "The engine is lively with peak torque available way down low at just 1,400 rpm and it pulls smooth and strong throughout the revs. It sounds OK, but I wouldn't mind a slightly deeper exhaust note. But then again, I don't remember the V10 in the old car being very loud and instead had a lower key rumble."

2013 BMW 760Li The V12-powered 760Li is as big and brutish as German sedans come. It will seat four extremely well-proportioned adults in comfort and send them hurtling forth for the low, low price of $159,395. It delivers 536 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, and according to BMW, spends a lot of time as a Chinese limousine. "I'm not, nor have I ever been, in the market for a $150,000-plus luxury sedan, so I don't pretend to fully grasp the purchase motivators of this clientele. As an enthusiast with the good fortune to experience many of these cars, though, it's difficult to imagine what, besides a badge, an owner could want that the 760Li doesn't deliver. More wood, more metal, more exclusivity? Perhaps. But the law of diminishing returns kicks in quickly above this point -- the 760Li truly is a remarkable machine."

Source: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140101/CARREVIEWS/131229942 (James Liu)