Car News Articles

Troy Bayliss would not say whether he was a Ford or Holden fan, but V8 Supercar spectators may find out next season.

Bayliss has previously declared his interest in V8s and hinted last week it could be an option, but the topic was off the agenda during his final world superbikes outing at Phillip Island at the weekend.

A reportedly impressive test-drive in an Aston Martin sports car in Europe earlier this year has only fuelled the speculation.

Bayliss, 38, has announced he will leave superbikes at season’s end, but is adamant his racing days are not over.

“I don’t think I’m finished with racing. All I know is I’ve had enough of racing world superbikes,” he said yesterday.

“I love touring cars . . . I’d rather watch touring car races than any other racing. It’s close and it’s full-on, just like superbikes.”

Bayliss, plans to base his family on the Gold Coast from next year, and he has the cash and talent to be competitive either as a driver or by buying a Supercar team.

“I’m still going to be involved in motor sport in some shape or form,” he said.

“I’m not sure what exactly, but it won’t involve too much travel.”

It was the constant travel, rather than age or injuries, that triggered his decision to retire.

“I’m over planes,” he said. “The travel, the time away from family . . . I’ve had enough of all that.”

“That said, I’m still going to work with Ducati and I’ll probably go to four or five events a year.”

“The difference is it will be as it suits both of us.”

Bayliss’s Phillip Island win has given him a 27-point championship lead over Spaniard Fonsi Nieto (61 points).

Championship officials will review the Ducati 1098’s performance after the next round — and the team could be handicapped if it has too much of an advantage over the 1000cc Japanese bikes.

- Herald Sun

Isuzu has launched its first new model since 2000, writes GRAHAM SMITH

IN A bid to become the heavy truck heavyweight, Isuzu has launched a new 4×2 Giga model aimed at meeting a demand for prime movers for semi-trailers and cubic B-double combinations.

The EXD 4×2 prime mover is the first of several new models expected to be added to the E Series range in the next year or two. It’s the first new model since the Giga was launched in 2000 and the first 4×2 Giga E Series Isuzu has offered.

“We’ve seen a small growth in reasonably high horsepower 4×2 prime movers in fleets engaged in metro delivery and intrastate delivery,” Isuzu product planning and engineering support manager Simon Humphries says.

“We couldn’t cover that with our current range of models.”

The 41-tonne GCM EXD has a compact 3450mm wheelbase that delivers good articulation in loading bays, a low tare weight, and tapered chassis for easy trailer coupling.

Standard anti-skid brakes, along with EBS electronic braking, boosts the safety and braking performance of the EXD and gives superior balance between the prime mover and trailer brakes.

Isuzu’s reliable SiTEC 425 engine provides the grunt with 316kW at 1800 revs and 2059Nm at 1100 revs. A tough-as-nails Eaton Fuller 18-speed transmission delivers the power to the road through a rugged Meritor differential centre and 13-tonne Isuzu rear axle.

A standard rear differential lock provides improved traction.

“The combination of the proven SiTEC 425 engine, rear air suspension, enhanced braking and predominantly American driveline in a compact package will appeal to the market,” Humphries says.

Along with all 2006 Giga models, the new EXD is readily identifiable by its revised front bumper and improved fog lamp integration.

It also has a new low-micron, high-flow fuel filter/sedimenter for better protection from dirty fuel.

- Herald Sun

Here’s a look at Volvo’s compact SUV gambit, the XC60, as it appeared at the Geneva Motor Show on March 4.

The RAV-sized car introduces City Safety — a new safety technology that Volvo says enhances the ability to avoid or minimise the effects of low-speed impacts through automatic braking if the system senses the car is about to drive into the vehicle in front.

“We are the first manufacturer in the world to offer this type of feature as standard,” says Volvo Cars president and CEO Fredrik Arp.

“The car is packed with our accumulated safety know-how and technology, both when it comes to preventing accidents and protecting all the occupants in a collision.”

The first XC60s are scheduled to arrive in Australia at the beginning of 2009. Local specification and pricing are yet to be confirmed.

- The Daily Telegraph

Say “Italian-styled Cadillac” and any car person will shoot back “Allante.” It does appear, though, that Zagato executed coachwork on top of a fourth-generation Eldorado before Cadillac ever thought of shipping its wares to and from Pininfarina. This Eldo looks a lot like a Ferrari, and there’s a reason for that, according to the seller. The bodywork on this car was reportedly designed by Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari racer and the first Ferrari agent in the United States. Chinetti went on to found the North American Racing Team, also an official Ferrari venture, and that might explain why this car has NART prominently displayed on its nose.

The NART badging is the only thing this custom Caddy shares with the Ferraris under Mr. Chinetti’s umbrella, though. The success of his Prancing Horse franchise is likely why this prototype, which was displayed at the Turin and New York auto shows in 1971, never went anywhere. Currently, the car is in Brussels Belgium, and potential buyers are invited to make offers. If the provenance holds up, we doubt it’ll be a small selling price. At least you’ll get 1970’s Italian style with the inexpensive upkeep of 1970’s American running gear.

[Source: Hemmings]