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Toyota reaches 5 milllion sold cars in Australia
Toyota brought the first car Down Under in the early 60s, and it took it a good 20 years before selling 100,000 vehicles on the continent. After 47 years of importing its products, Toyota sold its 5 millionth cumulative vehicle last month in Australia. Consistently one of Toyota’s strongest global markets, Australians have bought about 2.9 million Toyota passenger cars and 2.1 million commercial vehicles. Toyota says that it hit the 4 million milestone about five years ago. IN comparison, in the last two years saw sales of a comparative 100,000 cars. In total, the mighty Japanese carmaker has now sold 5 million vehicles on the continent. Toyota says its all-time best-selling model in Australia is its Corolla sedan and hatchback lineup with about 1.1 million models sold, representing about one in five Toyotas in the market.
BMW Z4 GT3 laps Nurburgring
The BMW Z4 GT3 has begun campaigning on Europe’s race tracks. A new video released today offers ten minutes of in-cabin footage as Schubert Motorsport’s Richarad Goransson navigates the famed Nurbugring on a rainy day.
This BMW Z4 GT3 Nurburgring video features driver Richard Goransson going for some hot laps around the ‘Green Hell’. He’s definitely fast. The new BMW Z4 GT3 is powered by a 4.0-liter V8 engine taken out of an M3 E92 that has been juiced up to 480 hp and mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox. The BMW Z4 GT3 with a new aerodynamics package that creates real downforce for better traction, grip and handling. From the camera’s back-row vantage point, this video is about as close as most of us will get to experiencing the Europe-specific Z4 GT3. At €298,000 (AU$437,800), this hardcore Bimmer is out of reach for most – and if you want to race one here in Australia, you’ll need to get in touch with BMW’s Munich headquarters directly.
Just to pinpoint the difference between the Porsche’s and the Beemer’s, just watch how the Porsche pulls away on the straights. In terms of timing, the Porsche GT3 R’s were doing 8:21.5, while the M3 was doing 8:22.7. The Z4 GT3 however only managed a best lap of 8:33.9. However, its still a great 10-minute video of the Z4 GT3 charging down the ‘Ring, taking on position with ease.
The Z4 GT3 is powered by an uprated 360kW version of the M3′s 4.0 litre V8. Built to FIA GT3 specifications, the race-ready Z4 can compete in the FIA GT3 European Championship, the International GT Open and the ADAC GT Masters.
The upgraded V8 is paired with a six-speed sequential transmission, and ultra-light racing wheels with locking and safety clips, along with racing ABS complete the package.
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Cell Phones And Driving
Mobile phone use while driving is common but dangerous. There are two dangers associated with driving and cellphone use, including text messaging. First, drivers must take their eyes off the road while dialing. Second, people can become so absorbed in their conversations that their ability to concentrate on the act of driving is severely impaired, jeopardizing the safety of vehicle occupants and pedestrians. Since the first law was passed in New York in 2001 banning hand-held cellphone use while driving, there has been debate as to the exact nature and degree of hazard. The latest research shows that while using a cellphone when driving may not be the most dangerous distraction, because it is so prevalent it is by far the most common cause of this type of crash and near crash.
Many people claim they can multi-task and they are not the problem and therein is the biggest one concerning this topic. It doesn’t matter if you were born with a cell-phone growing out of your ear, if you are talking on the phone and driving at the same time you cannot possibly be giving your full attention to the road ahead and all of its perils.
Even drivers who are not distracted have accidents because that automatic pilot that all drivers exercise works just fine until something different suddenly happens. That’s when you need both hands on the wheel and that just may be the moment when they are not there because they are…well elsewhere.
Even the hands-free phones are only a little bit better. Your hands may be on the wheel, but your mind is on the conversation/argument you are having with your boss, spouse, etc.
If you are still not convinced, consider this startling fact: drivers talking on a phone are four times as likely to crash as other drivers, and are as likely to cause an accident as someone with a 0.08 blood alcohol content.
There are plenty of people out there who have a hard enough time texting while simply walking. Many argue that there is one simple solution and it may very well be a case of one-size-fits-all if given a chance.
Why not pull over to the side of the road if you need to make a call or send a text message on your cell phone?
Just think about that for a minute and…keep your eyes on the road!
Baby Benz SLS
To keep costs down the engineers intend to carry over the firewall, the front-mid- engine layout, the transaxle configuration and most of the suspension from the SLS. Wheelbase, length, width and height are sufficiently flexible to create a smaller, lighter, more compact car. Like the SLS, the SLV is likely to be built as a joint effort between Magna Steyr (the Graz plant would be in charge of the aluminium spaceframe body assembly) and Mercedes AMG.