Raw Video: Driver, Beware of the Spicy Newscaster…

We can't see what reporter Alison Ariotti from Australia's Nine Network was wearing during this live TV broadcast, but the…package must have been interesting enough to distract the driver of the black Mazda CX-7 SUV who zoom-zoomed his attention from the road and on to the young lady and as a result, collided with a Mazda parked behind her.

So the lesson here folks is that if you happen to stumble upon a TV crew filming in the side of the road, please keep your eyes where they should be…

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HDT Commodore VL/VE Group A is a Retro Throwback to the 1980s

If you're not from the Land of Down Under or at least an avid Holden fan, then you're probably unfamiliar with the 1987 HDT Commodore VL SS Group A prepped by Australian racing legend Peter Brock. So before we get into the details on the new VL/VE Group A package, allow us to fill you in on a bit of the history.

Up until the late 1980s, Peter Brock was running HDT, or Holden Dealer Team, but GM's Australian division subsequently cut ties with him after he began publicly supporting and fitting all HDT models with the a device called the "Energy Polariser".

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Holden Goes Back to the Future to Restore its First Concept Model, the 1969 Hurricane

Most people around the world know Holden for building the 2000s Monaro coupe and Commodore sedans but the Australian company that became a GM subsidiary in 1931 has a rich history that goes well beyond those two models.

In 1969, the Melbourne-headquartered automaker presented its first ever concept model, the Hurricane, codenamed RD 001. It was a futuristic research vehicle described by the company at the time as an experiment “to study design trend, propulsion systems and other long-range developments”.

Some four decades years after it captured the headlines at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show, and Holden decided it was time to restore the historic concept back to its original condition and showcase it to the public once again.

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Awesom-O: TomTom Navigation Launches Top Gear Voice Pack with Jeremy Clarkson [Video]

Gone are the days when you're navigation voice choices were limited to Tom, Dick and Harry Sally. Now we get all sort of options ranging from cartoon and movie characters such as Homer Simpson and Master Yoda to Top Gear presenters like Jeremy Clarkson who loaned his voice to the new TomTom GO LIVE Top Gear edition satnav.

The new navigation package combines Jeremy Clarkson's directions with a Stig-mode and Top Gear selected points of interest such as race track and raceway locations related to the long-running TV series.

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QLD, Australia Speed Camera Site Nabs 37,000 Motorists and Earns at Least $5 Million in Less Than Two Months!

Talk about milking a cash cow… A new speed camera site with four fixed cameras mounted on a bridge eyeing over motorists on the M1 at Loganholme in Queensland, Australia, has nabbed close to 37,000 motorists since they were installed on August 2.

“The M1 at Loganholme is of particular concern where 36,661 vehicles have been detected speeding since it was switched on,” said State Traffic Support Branch Acting Chief Superintendent Dale Pointon in a statement on the Queensland Police website.

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Ad Watch: Toyota Gets Tough and Cheeky with New Hi Lux Commercials

In of those rare moments when advertisers not only manage to get the message through but also capture our attention with their commercials, Toyota launched a series of ads to promote the recently facelifted HiLux pickup truck.

The common theme line for the humorous TV spots, which were shot for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, is that the new HiLux is "unbreakable" and extremely lovable – or so Toyota claims.

Turn the page to watch all three ads.

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It Came from eBay Hell: Once a 1974 Toyota Celica GT, Now a Faux Ferrari

The first generation if the Toyota Celica is somewhat of a cult hero here in Australia. Affordable, sporty-looking and well equipped at the time of its launch in the early 1970s, it proved a popular alternative to the heavier, thirstier American and Australian built offerings of the time.

Let’s put that aside for one moment and focus on our eBay entrant for today. It’s a 1974 Celica GT model that’s been the victim of one of the shoddier-looking Ferrari conversions featured on this site. It’s supposed to look like a 308 GTB, though at best it looks like a 400 that’s been severely shortened.

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First Drive: New Peugeot 508 GT 2.2-liter HDi Sedan

It’s been a long time since Peugeot had a serious contender in the hotly contested sub-premium segment. The 407 was unloved and lacking in style; a “307 with a boot” purchased exclusively by the brand faithful. It was a bit bland and outdated compared to its major European competitor: the Mk 4 Ford Mondeo.

With the 508, Peugeot hopes to change all that. A carbon copy of the Peugeot 5 Concept that premiered at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the 2011 Peugeot 508 puts the verve – that oh-so-important French flair – back into Peugeot’s line-up.

We take the wheel of Peugeot’s flagship, AU$52,990 508 GT with a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel and a 6-speed automatic for a week-long road test and review.

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McLaren Opens New Showroom in Singapore

Ron Dennis is a man with a plan. When possible, McLaren’s mastermind has arranged the grand openings of new dealerships to coincide with the local Formula 1 Grand Prix events.

He did it in Germany, then in Italy, and now it’s Singapore’s turn – both for McLaren Automotive and the F1 race. The new showroom belongs to McLaren Automotive Asia Pte Ltd, which is based in Singapore and will manage the Asia Pacific dealer network.

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GM Prepares All-New 2012 Chevrolet Colorado for Launch, but it won't Come to the U.S.

After traveling all around the world in concept format, the new 2012 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck has entered the final testing phase in Thailand before the introduction of the production model that will go on sale towards the end of the year.

Today, General Motors released some new photos showing the prototype models being put through their paces as the company prepares to produce the midsize pickup in its Rayong assembly plant in Thailand.

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Subtle Updates for 2012 Holden Commodore

While Holden's engineering team is working hard on the development of the new generation Commodore dubbed VF, which is expected to launch within the next two to three years, the company's designers took some time off to spiff up the current model.

For the 2012 model year, Australia's homegrown Commodore VE (sold as the Pontiac G8 in the States before the brand was axed) receives some minor exterior and interior enhancements, plus the introduction of the track-inspired FE3 sports suspension on the Redline series.

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In the Works: Become a Car Tycoon in New Automation Game

There are all sorts of games for car enthusiasts in the market ranging from racing to action, but a young startup from Melbourne, Australia, called Camshaft Software, promises to offer something entirely different in the form of a game that will allow players to become car tycoons.

The game, which is still under development, is named Automation and it's the creation of Caswal Parker, the Lead Programmer and Andrew Lamb, the Lead 3D Artist, with the additional help of Jayelinda Suridge, Games Engine Programmer, Bernardo Del Castillo, 2D/3D Artist/Programmer and Stephan Schutze, responsible for Sound Design/Recording.

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Mazda Australia Spicing Up New BT-50 with Locally Developed Accessories

When the new generation of the 2012 Ford Ranger’s Japanese sibling, the Mazda BT-50 pickup truck, goes on sale in Australia later this year, it will be available with a wide variety of locally designed and built genuine accessories, the company said today. Read more »

Double Standards, or how (Not) to Sell Cars to Women

In the 1950s, products for women were no doubt designed and marketed by men. Take for example the 1955 Dodge Le Femme, a truly absurd car (by today’s standards) that came with a matching purse, raincoat and umbrella as well as a bright pint interior with rose-patterned trim.

It’s the equivalent of offering a car today with a…tampon dispenser in the glovebox.

Across the pond there was the Daimler 104 Ladies’ Model with electric windows, a simplified gear change (no, I did not make that up), an umbrella and a vanity case under the dashboard.

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The Price of Parking: Colliers’ Releases Results of 2011 Global Survey

The results of Colliers International’s 2011 Parking Rate Survey are in for the U.S., Canada and the rest of the world, and there are few surprises.

The U.S. national median monthly parking rate is US$155.22, with the highest being midtown Manhattan at US$541 and Renoa at US$45 the cheapest. In Canada, Calgary topped out at US$486 followed by Toronto at $342 USD and Montreal at $305 USD.

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2011 Australian International Motor Show Photo Galore

Even though it’s not as famous as its Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo or Detroit counterparts, this year’s edition of the Australian Motor Show, which takes place in Melbourne from July 1 to 10, has some interesting debuts including the Mad Max Concepts pictured above as well as a number of new production and prototype models from the local divisions of General Motors (aka Holden) and Ford.

You can take a look at all the vehicles in our comprehensive photo gallery right after the break. For those of you interested in learning more about the Ford-badged Mad Max Interceptor prototypes, check out our previous post here.

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Volvo Unveils S60 Performance Concept with 330HP

Volvo’s Australian arm has pulled the wraps off a conceptual performance version of its S60 sedan. Based on the S60 T6 R Design, the S60 Performance Concept is an Australian initiative and utilizes two partnerships within the Volvo family - Polestar and Heico - for some very discreet upgrades.

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New Toyota Yaris Wears a Sport Kit for its Australian Debut at the Melbourne Motor Show

After its world premiere in Japan last December as the Vitz, Toyota is gradually introducing the new generation of the Yaris in other markets around the world. Now, with the European version out of the way, it’s time for the Yaris to make its first appearance in Melbourne at this week’s 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS).

Revealed in show car form, the Yaris is fitted with a TRD-like sports kit comprising of a honeycomb grille, a restyled front bumper with larger openings and a chrome trim around the lower grille, side skirts, chunky alloy wheels and a new rear bumper with a diffuser plus a roof spoiler.

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FPV’s Murdered-Out Falcon GT Concept with Supercharged Boss 5.0 V8 Debuts in Melbourne

Not to be outdone by rival Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) unleashed its first-ever concept car at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne.

Unlike HSV and its Black Edition Clubsport and Maloo R8s, FPV went for an all-blacked out look for its bespoke GT muscle car, which is based on the local market, rear-wheel drive Falcon sedan.

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2011 AIMS: New HSV Black Edition Versions of Commodore Based Sedan, Station and Ute Models

General Motor’s Holden Special Vehicles unit in Australia is following in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division as well as more recently, Porsche, with the presentation of a black-themed and named special edition series based on the E Series 3 range launched last September.

Making its world debut at the 2011 Australian motorshow in Melbourne, the SV Black Edition package is offered in the ClubSport R8, Maloo R8 and ClubSport R8 Tourer, which are the sports versions of the Commodore sedan, ute, and station wagon models respectively.

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