Ben’s Car Blog

Channel 10’s “creativity” knows no bounds. DriveTV is a pretty much direct rip-off of Top Gear, from the unseated audience to the mystery driver who posts times in hot cars for comparison. Sadly, on DriveTV they mystery driver’s name is “The Chip” which is much less enigmatic than TopGear’s “The Stig”.

Michael Stahl, one of my favourite motoring journos, is the main presenter. He’s no Clarkson but with only one episode under his belt he might loosen up in a while.

It’s on Saturdays @ 4pm. If you’ve never seen TopGear, DriveTV is probably a revalation. If you have, well, it’s almost there.

Photos from the recent, inagural, RX-8 Nationals are on-line and available for purchase.

I really like this one.

I don’t mind the look of the 380 but I’ll reserve judgement for seeing one in the flesh. The base-spec cars look a little under-wheeled on their 16″ rims but that’s easy to fix.

Every Magna (post the original ones) I’ve been in has been very good and certainly above the quality of the same years Falcadore. I don’t care for their feel-free steering but their handling is “safer” feeling than pre-BA Falcons I’ve driven (whether that’s inherrent understeeryness I’m not sure).

If they sell these to people who would have bought an Accord Euro or Mazda6, instead of targeting fleet sales and Falcadore buyers, I think they’ll do well.

Of course, overcoming 20 years of prejudice against Mitsu’s and 10 years of heavy discounting will be the hardest part. Shame.

Today is obviously the end of the embargo on the new Mitsubishi 380 so it’s all over the ‘net and the papers.

See it at:

• Carsguide
• Drive
• Extensive coverage at CarPoint courtesy of Wheels 1, 2, 3
• Fullboost (including the best shot of the dash on the ‘net)

On the whole impressions are positive. Here’s hoping that they sell a heap of them.

This is cool. An Australian dude has inveted a tilting vehicle that seems to be farily simple and narrow enough to be sensible. Videos if you click through to the link.

Awesome.

Carpoint has the specs of the new Daewoo Holden Viva. At about 21k on-road they’ll be good value. Whether they’ll be good cars is something that will have to wait until the roadtests start coming out.

(Search car news - CarPoint Australia)

CarsGuide interviews Denny Mooney, Holden’s CEO.

Basically: Things are tough right now; VE will be really good; Ford beat us with Territory and we don’t have a counter-punch; small Korean cars will let us win the price war.

How are things at Holden?

Things are pretty difficult right now.

Anytime you make an announcement like we made on the third shift is difficult for everybody. Not just the people at the plant and their families. Everyone wonders what’s going on in the business and the future of the business.

It’s not unlike what’s going on in the auto business worldwide. I tell people that if they don’t like cars and you don’t like competition, they might not want to be in the auto business.

It’s certainly not the most positive of interviews.

(Holden crisis talks - Exclusive interview

According to the Adelaide Advertiser, Mitsubishi has no backup plan if the upcoming Magne 380 fails to generate enough interest.

The general manager of the local car maker’s parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Masahiko Takahashi, says the 380 sedan to be launched in October has a little more than a year to prove its worth.

The sales target is apparently 30,000 cars in the first year.

Mitsubishi also refused to discuss whether they would fit the 380 with the same 2.4L 4-cylinder engine used in the US-Market Galant and in the Australian delivered Outlander.

Tom Phillips, CEO of Mitsubisi Motors Australia and star of their recent ad campaign has resigned.

(Mitsubishi chief announces departure)

Ok, so Deathwatch is a bit over the top for a month where sales have been up and a year where a sales record seems likely. But, more small cars than large cars were sold in July and August for the first time ever in Australia.

Mitsubishi are releasing a new large car very soon and with sales of large cars being overtaken by small cars I will be watching the industry with great interest.

(Hot August bites)