Ford has today

released a Limited Edition SR2 Territory ahead of next week’s Australian International Motor Show.

The special value pack offers Territory customers an extensive feature list over the standard TX model on which it is based including an Alpine 10.2? screened rear DVD entertainment system with wireless headphones, seven spoke 17? alloy wheels, body colour cladd pack, leather trim pack, cruise control and SR2 badging.

The extra kit amounts to $5,654 of additional gear for RWD models and a further $1,000 for the AWD unit and as if that’s not enough, there’s also the availability

of two additional colours ‘Seduce’ and ‘Sensation’ (previously reserved for Territory Ghia) which will be made available exclusively for SR2 purchase
ers.

The SR2 rear wheel drive and all wheel drive go on sale today

and are priced at $36,990 and $42,990 respectively.

You won’t find any passenger car

s sold in Australia that don’t at least offer driver side airbags. Safety technology has improved think about
ably over the last decade, so much so that some car

s now come with 10 airbags, yet, there are still more vacant positions for the life saving feature.

Toyota has just announced it has developed the world’s first SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) rear window curtain shield airbag.

Where does it go? Between the rear window and the rear passengers head, protecting the occupants’ heads in the event of a rear-end collision.

The new airbag deploys from the the roof lining and we should anticipate
to see the technology used first in Toyota’s little

four-seater iQ car

.  The Big T say

s the rear airbag will approximately double the iQ’s rear passenger head protection performance.

Toyota has also outlined an initiative to help develop safer car

s.

Development of even safer car
s and technologies
Participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment, and
Activities designed to educate people on traffic safety.

Click above to view video after the jump

The Saab 9-4X has been caught in these new spy shots without the Keith Haring tape job it was wearing the last time we saw it. Features like the converging window lines on the side, the rear lights, and the Saab grille, give away its lineage. From the side, especially from the A-pillar back, you could be forgiven for confusing the Saab with a lot of other CUVs, while lines that are quite distinctive on the smaller 9-3 and 9-5 look to have been stretched into rather bland expanses on the 9-4X. It’s still early, so we look forward to seeing the fully Saab-ified retail version. If Saab’s managing director is to be believed, what will not
be bland is one of the engine choices: a diesel with 250 hp and 406 lb-ft. That’s the kind of quirky we can get behind. [Source: Left Lane News]

Igor Krasnov is a Russian designer on car

design.ru, with great skills. What you see above is his view on Ferrari’s Four-Door Coupe. It’s a supercar

gone wild with a great long body, small but sharp headlamps, a red interior and some James Bond styled wheels to make the whole image complete. We’re not sure if Ferrari reads it or if they’re going to use any shapes from this rendered speculation, but we do know that it’s gorgeous and that the sheiks are selling oil at high prices to purchase
it if the Italians will build it.

How would you improve it. What is it that you love and what’s
it that you’d change ? – via WCF

Tags: Coupe, ferrari, Ferrari Four-Door Coupe, four-door coupe

California recently banned talk

ing

on cellphones, and then followed up by making texting illegal, while driving. For a mom

ent there, it was looking like all you were going to be able to do behind the wheel in California was, you know, drive. But thanks to the dedication of Governor Schwarzenegger, individual freedoms haven’t
been extinguished. Promising to only sign bills that are “the highest priority for California,” Arnie vetoed a bill that would ban driving with dogs in your lap. While we comprehend
the spirit of the veto — California does have much massive

ger issues to deal with than lapdogs — we do sometimes wonder why a 40-pound kid has to be in a child seat, but a 40-pound, unpredictable animal can take a nap between you and the steering wheel. [Source: AP, | Photo CC | Credit: Katrinkles]

Click above for a high resolution gallery of the S3 Sportback

After its initial success in the Targa Tasmania earlier this year, Mazda will use its performance in the upcoming Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge to evaluate whether it will enter the full 2009 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) season.

Brother and sister rally combo Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Smyth will drive a near-standard 190kW turbocharged Mazda3 MPS in the event’s Showroom category.

At just 20 years old, Brendan Reeves will become the youngest driver in Mazda Motorsport history, having won the Victorian Autocross Championship at the age of 16 and participating in an exclusive three-year Rally Development Program by the Australian Institute of Sport.

“Driving for a factory team is exactly what you set out to achieve in a motorsport car

eer, so I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity,” said

Brendan “As a road car

the Mazda3 MPS is a fantastic car

to drive. It’s sporty, nimble and fun to drive. I can’t wait to get into its rally sibling on Wednesday for some pre-event testing.”

If successful, 2009 will mark the first time Mazda has competed in a full ARC season since it won the Championship in 1989 with the Mazda 323 4WD Turbo driven by Murray Coote.

However Mazda has no plans to establish a full rally sport division and instead intends to compete with a near showroom spec iteration of its front-wheel drive Mazda3 MPS.

“Over the past 12 months we’ve been in heavy discussion with CAMS over the introduction of the new ARC regulations, and the introduction of a separate championship for production based two-wheel-drive car

s,”

Mazda is seeking to convince CAMS officials to think about
a two-wheel-drive class which would see the MPS on equal footing with highly-altered
, four-wheel-drive car

s.

To honour its long tradition of motorsport success, Peugeot Australia has secured a limited run of just 75 examples of the special edition 207 “Le Mans Series”.

Based on the 207 HDi – paying homage to its recent diesel-powered endurance racers, the special edition model features a comprehensive list of unique additions.

With global production of 2000 units, each Australian-delivered 207 “Le Mans Series” is numbered individually with an alloy placar

d on the steering wheel.

Buyer’s can choose

between two colours – Bianca White and Obsidien Black, with the special edition models boasting a red stripe running down the centre of the car

and lion’s head insignia on the doors.

The 1.6 HDi engine delivers maximum power of 80kW maximum torque of 240Nm from just 1750rpm.

Equipped with a Diesel Particle Filter System (FAP), fuel consumption is just 4.8 litres per 100km in the combined cycle, while emitting only 126 grams of CO2 per km.

The 207 “Le Mans Series” is distinguished on the exterior with several features as follows:

Sport front bumper with Shadow aluminium grille
Black Chrome headlights with AFS
Body coloured side mouldings, bumpers strips and side view mirror
Long racing stripe trimmed along the bonnet, roof, and rear spoiler
Decal accents include a Peugeot logo striping on the doors and Le Mans Series logos on the tailgate
Multispoke 17-inch Pitlane aluminium wheels
Rear spoiler
Chrome exhaust extension

The interior receives:

Aluminium finish décor on centre console and dash surround
Front and rear bucket seats finished

with Leather bolsters, contrasting white stitching and Alcantara inserts
Front and rear car

pet mat covers
Steering wheel with aluminium finish ring
Dark window tinting on rear side windows and rear tailgate
Gearshift lever knob, pedal assembly, foot rest and “Peugeot” door sill in aluminium
Sports white dial inserts on Instrument Cluster

Other standard Features include:

ESP
Athermic windscreen
Electric Folding Mirrors
Dual Zone Climate Control
Auto Directional Headlamps
Rear Park Assist
RD4 Radio with MP3

The 207 “Le Mans Series” is now on sale from only $31,990 plus dealer delivery and on-road costs.

To all those MINI fans out there (like me), I’ve
good news. I’ve got my hands on a couple of new MINI Cabrio pic
s
. But, I also have bad news. Apparently we’re not going to see it before the Detroit Auto Show in January or get it before March 2009. However, meanwhile we can enjoy the looks. We only know that the new MINI Cabrio is going to feature the same 3-in-1 folding soft-top as the current model, an integrated automatic sunroof and a heated rear window.

Enough for you to purchase
a new MINI Cabrio? – via motoringfile.com

Tags: Cabrio, MINI, MINI Cabrio, new MINI Cabrio