Volkswagen moving forward faster than ever
There are many new VW vehicles showing up on the road now and in the very near future for us all to aspire to. The all-new Beetle, the second generation Touareg and the convertible Golf returns with great style.
The new generation Beetle id brings a well needed masculinity and strength to the table. Coupled with sportiness, trademark interior styling and today’s technology, it is a winner. The Beetle’s engines are those of the award winning Golf to offer you the performance you have come to expect from VW. It is longer, wider and lower than its predecessor which gives it a purposeful stance on the road. VW has incorporated new front end styling and a meaty rear spoiler to add to its modern touches. The Australian specifications are not yet announced but it will be hitting Aussie shores in 2012.
New Nissans on the horizon
Nissan have announced the launch of four new models between April 2012 and March 2013; the new Micra platform ‘Almera’, the Leaf Electric Vehicle, Patrol SUV and the Tiida replacement into the Australian market. The Tiida replacement vehicle will either be known as the ‘Pulsar’ or the ‘Versa’. The brand Tiida failed to capture the Australian market with sales dropping a whopping 41% this year alone. We assume they will return to the Aussie loved Pulsar, but corporate decisions are sometimes not based on human reality. Go figure.
There may be some difficulty in brand recognition initially as the ‘Almera’ was the name for the European Export of the discontinued Pulsar, now they are moving it to the Micra replacement. Luckily here in Australia, we like our cars simply to sound like a ‘car’ and if they don’t, we simply don’t buy them. Let’s hope they spend enough money on the advertising to make us all ‘see the light’ of yet another branding change.
Who’s the Oldest Driver Now?
It probably hasn’t caused much of a stir in the motoring world at large, but one of the world’s notable drivers has just died: Ellen Noy. Ellen Noy wasn’t a racing driver or anything of that sort, but she was the holder of a very significant world record: she was the oldest living driver in the world, still pottering around the place without a blemish on her driving record and still fully licensed at the age of 105.
Ellen Noy was a New Zealander who learnt to drive in the little town of Kaiapoi just out of Christchurch where she was living (and driving) up until her death last week. She learnt to drive back in the 1950s, taking her husband’s vehicle out at odd moments and in the weekends, although she didn’t get a proper license until 1965. Obviously, they did things a little differently back then, or else she knew how do dodge the boys in blue (and it was just boys back then, for the most part) when she was learning. She taught herself to drive, too – she just got in and had a go, rather like Bertha Benz, wife of the automotive pioneer.
Interbrand Ranks Toyota No.1 for 2011
In July 2011, Interbrand, the World’s biggest brand consultancy, ranked the Toyota brand as the number 1 most valuable and most green car manufacturer on the planet. Toyota was quickly followed by Mercedes Benz, BMW, Honda and VW. Audi, Hyundai, Porsche, Nissan and Ferrari made it into the top 100 companies worldwide. The details are here http://www.interbrand.com/en/knowledge/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-2011.aspx
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