World debut for Toyota GT 86 in Tokyo

The anticipation is over. Toyota's new GT 86 sports car has made its world debut today at the Tokyo motor show.

The compact 2+2 model, one of the most keenly awaited new cars of the coming year, will go on sale in European right hand drive markets next summer.

The car has been conceived as an entirely driver-focused machine, designed to deliver the core qualitites of the classic sports car experience. It will appeal to those for whom driving is a passion, not a necessity.

Rather than fitting a heavy, large capacity powertrain, Toyota has opted instead to go back to its sporting roots, installing a compact, front-mounted, free-revving petrol engine that drives the rear wheels. This four-cylinder 'boxer' unit generates 197bhp and has maximum torque of 205Nm. The engine is the result of ajoint Toyota and Subaru development programme that brings together their technical know-how and mutual passion for sports cars.

Motor man calls on industry to support amputees

Well-known motor industry figure Seamus Ryan, former General Manager of Ballsbridge Motors now retired, is calling on colleagues in the motor industry to give their support to the Amputee Ireland organisation and their call that Government should preserve the entitlements due to amputees, despite the difficult economic climate that prevails.

Seamus, himself an amputee, states that there are some 4,000 amputees in Ireland at present. "In my time in the motor industry, amputees represented a small but important niche market whose needs I was happy to supply, little knowing that, one day, I also would be one of them."

Against this backdrop, and in light of the increasing number of diabetics now in Ireland for whom the risk of amputation is an ever present reality, Seamus believes that the motor industry can have an important role to play in influencing Government and politicians generally. In this regards, focus is being placed on the issue next weekend with events to mark European Limb Loss Day on 3 December.

Amputees face a host of daily challenges including personal mobility, dexterity, delays in access to healthcare and decreased employment options. Support charity Amputee Disability Federation Ireland (Amputee Ireland) welcomes European Limb Loss Day amid calls for better care structures and free prosthetics for amputees. Visit www.amputee.ie

Nissan Juke Nismo concept revealed

Lower, faster and visually even more dramatic and with a tougher stance, the Nismo know-how redefines the Nissan Juke, writes Trish Whelan.

One of the stars of the Tokyo Motor Show, the Nissan Juke Nismo shows how a premium sports version of the compact crossover could look. Nismo is the company's performance arm applying tuning and performance expertise learned on the racetrack to Nissan road cars.

Even standing still you can see this is a performance car.

The chassis has been lowered and stiffened while the 1.6 direct injection turbo petrol engine now delivers more power and performance.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd says Nismo brings new levels of individuality to mainstream Nissan cars like Juke. The future for Nismo is to develop premium sports designs for an ever-widening range of Nissan customers.

Toyota Fun-Vii is a smartphone on wheels!

Imagine changing the look of your car as easily as downloading a phone app or uploading an image to facebook. Imagine a car that reflects how you feel, and what you are doing every hour, every minutes ...

The Toyota Fun-Vii is just such a car.

This is one of several concept cars being shown by Toyota at this week's Tokyo Motor Show. The ultimate in personalisation, the Fun-Vii allows you to alter the content displayed on the interior and exterior with the same ease as downloading an application.

The whole vehicle body can be used as a display space, with the body colour and display content changeable at will. So the entire car can function as a display for messages or images as you choose.

Inside, there's more of the same with the interior adjustable to match the mood of the moment. A network update function makes sure the software for the drive, control and multimedia system are always up-to-date.

This concept is also able to link with surrounding vehicles and infrastructure, so it can detect any potential hazards in advance, or connect with friends driving nearby.

Alfa Romeo now with Five-Year Warranty

Alfa Romeo Ireland will have a new five-year, 100,000km warranty, complete with five years roadside assistance cover, that will be standard on all vehicles bought in Ireland from January 2012 onwards.

This makes Alfa Romeo the first premium manufacturer to offer such a lengthy and comprehensive warranty package.

Alfa Romeo expects the new warranty to give its vehicles an edge with business users and fleet operators who will now be better able to predict the running costs and future value of Alfa Romeo vehicles. In addition to a five-year warranty, all Alfa Romeos offer low fuel consumption and low road tax.

New Ford Dealerships opens in Rathfarnham

This week marks the opening of Rathfarnham Ford on Whitechurch Road, which sees the return of the blue oval to the Rathfarnham area and brings with it employment for 20 people. The outlet is being headed up by Aidan Kane, a well known figure to Ford customers in the locality with almost 20 years of car retailing under his belt.

Rathfarnham Ford is located on the site of the previous South Dublin Ford Centre. With a modern showroom and dedicated service area, the full-service dealership will cater for new and used car and commercial vehicle sales, as well as providing a complete service offering and a full range of parts for Ford and other makes.

Rathfarnham Ford is part of the Fort Motor Group which celebrated 50 years in business in 2009.

The opening coincides with Ford's Open Event promotion which offers a range of special packages for customers who order their 2012 Ford within a limited period. These include free extended warranty, servicing and roadside assistance for up to four years in the case of the Mondeo, C-MAX, S-MAX and Galaxy, or an low 2.9 per cent APR loan rate for prospective Fiesta and Focus customers. The 2.9 rate is provided by Ford's own finance house, FordCredit.

Fitting extras as standard gives E-Class a boost

Mercedes-Benz has given its 2012 E-Class models a boost by taking a range of optional extras and fitting them as standard features.

Valued in total at just over €7,000, the additions include full leather upholstery, a parktronic and park guidance system, heated front seats, media interface with audio streaming, alarm, 17-inch alloys, LED lights and an ECO stop/start function.

The sale price of the entry-level E200 CDI remains unchanged at €42,130 ex works, with a road tax of €156 per annum.

Coming just over two years after the new E-Class was introduced, this improvement is seen by Mercedes-Benz as giving a valuable enhancement to a range that remains the backbone of the company's product offering in Ireland.

Irish Tarmac Championship Awards Night 2011

Irish Tarmac Champions Tim McNulty (Driver, Meath) and Paul Kiely (co-driver, Sligo) are pictured receiving their trophies at last Saturday night's TROA awards night at the Silver Springs Hotel, Cork.

The awards ended a great year for the crew in their Subaru WRC winning both the Irish Tarmac Championship and the National Rally Championship.

Also pictured are Daragh O'Riordan, Tony McDaid (2nd overall Tarmac Championship); Garry Jennings, winner GpN Tarmac Championship; Paul Kiely and Tim McNulty, the overall winners of the 2011 Irish Tarmac Championship.

Photos by Ger Leahy Photography.

Irish firm develops portable charging station for EV cars

Irish company, JTM Power Ltd of Rathnew, Co Wicklow, has developed the world's first portable charging station for electric cars - the EV Charge4kW - which will be sold in Ireland and in other EV developed countries.

This is a stand-alone portable Electric Vehicle charger which charges an electric car independent of the electricity supply network. This means that an electric car can be powered up by the EVCharge with 20km of range in 30 minutes to allow the driver to get to the nearest public charge point or to the motorist's own home charge point.

It is ideal in an emergency situation to bring energy to the roadside or in any location where there is no grid connection, and it can be brought to the car rather than being towed away by a recovery truck to a nearby charging station.

JTM is one of the first Irish companies to become involved in Electric Vehicle product development and received technical advice from ESB eCars. Pictured at the launch are Paul Mulvaney, Managing Director eSB eCars and James Tracey, Managing Director of JTM Power Ltd.

Five-Year warranty for Fiat

Fiat Group Automobiles Ireland is introducing a new five-year, 100,000km warranty, complete with five years of roadside assistance cover, on all Fiat vehicles sold in Ireland from January 1st 2012.

The comprehensive warranty package is designed to give buyers of Fiat and Alfa Romeo vehicles added peace of mind and underscores Fiat Group's confidence in the quality and robustness of the vehicles it produces.

The five-year warranty, which is amongst the longest available to Irish car buyers, will also help ensure strong resale values as the warranty can be transferred to subsequent owners provided the vehicles are maintained according to the service schedule by authorized service agents.

Fiat have an array of new vehicles coming next year, and have a new flagship dealership opening alongside their new headquarters in Dublin (off the Naas Road).

Mazda to showcase 'i-ELOOP' system at Tokyo Motor Show

Mazda Motor Corporation has developed the world's first passenger vehicle regenerative braking system that uses a capacitor. The ground breaking system, which Mazda calls 'i-ELOOP', will begin to appear in Mazda cars in 2012. In real-world driving conditions with frequent acceleration and braking, 'i-ELOOP' improves fuel economy ay around 10 per cent.

The system is unique because it uses a capacitor, which is an electrical component that temporarily stores large volumes of electricity. Compared to batteries, capacitors can be charged and discharged rapidly and are resistant to deterioration through prolonged use.

'i-ELOOP' efficiently converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into electricity as it decelerates, and uses the electricity to power the climate control, audio system and many other electrical components.

Mazda will debut the system at next week's Tokyo Motor Show in the Takeri concept car, a next generation mid-sized saloon that features SKYACTIV Technology and KODO -Soul of Motion design theme.

2012 MY Toyota Avensis now on sale

Toyota Ireland has announced extensive interior and exterior changes for its 2012 Avensis model which is now on sale, specifically tailored to the Irish market writes Trish Whelan.

The new car builds on the spaciousness, practicality and fuel efficiency of the current third generation model and features a bolder and more refined exterior design, with interior improvements to finish quality, comfort and noise.

Two body styles are available along with five power train options; three diesels and two petrols. Emissions for the 124hp 2.0 D-4D turbo diesel have been lowered by some 14 per cent from 139 to just 120g/km in both saloon and tourer versions, making it a Band A car for annual road tax of just €104 a year.

In addition, there is also a 150hp, 2.2 D-4d with a Diesel Particulate Filter; a 2.2 D-CAT automatic, as well as a choice of 132hp 1.6 Valvematic and 147hp 1.8 Valvematic petrol engines.

All manual transmissions are 6-speed. Four model grades, including a new Luna grade on the revised 2.0 D-4D, are available.

Safety features include seven airbags, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control as standard.

Priced from €24,995-€31,250.

New Ford Focus gets four Euro NCAP advance rewards

Named last week as Continental Irish Compact Family Car of the Year 2012, the new Ford Focus has become the first ever car to receive four Euro NCAP Advanced safety rewards after its Driver Alert and Forward Alert technologies were honored this week.

Euro NCAP Advanced rewards were introduced in 2010 to recognize car manufacturers who make available new safety technologies. Ford is one of only two manufactures to hold four of these rewards and the only carmaker to achieve this with one product.

It's estimated that 1,300 people a year die on Europe's roads as a result of driver fatigue. Ford's Driver Alert system is designed to detect tired driver behaviour using advanced camera technology and on-board sensors to evaluate vigilance levels. If it detects the driver is tired and needs to rest, it will advise first by a soft warning and then with a harder warning. This system is available on new Focus, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy.

Ford's Forward Alert accident warning system uses radar technology to scan the road ahead for slowing traffic. It is designed firstly to warn the driver, and then to reduce the severity of an impact by applying the brakes. Forward Alert is currently available on new Focus, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy.

Keary's Motors Cork is the first Renault PRO+ Dealer

Keary's Motors Cork is the first Renault PRO+ Dealer in the country. Renault PRO+ is a franchise dedicated to business customers, from sole traders to local fleet and semi-state companies.

Renault PRO+ offers fleet expertise through dedicated and highly trained staff, comprehensive sales service, after-sales service and finance solutions. It can offer the customer converted vehicles tailored to their needs with Renault's conversion partners can offer very specific vehicles such as ambulances, fridge units, box bodies and crew cabs.

Pictured are Eric Basset, Renault Ireland; Keith Duffy, Keary's Motors Ambassador; Paddy Magee, Renault Ireland; and Bill Keary, Keary's Motors.

Ford of Britain 100: Image of the week - Ford Capri

This week's photo from Ford of Britain's photo archive of rarely seen images hails the launch of the Ford Capri (the car you always promised yourself) in 1969 which introduced a sleek and sporty car into that market. It was claimed that the Capri had a spacious rear seat ensuring enough room for two adults as well as offering Custom Plans allowing customers to personalize their Ford.

The Capri was re-launched in 1968 after the original Capri 109E, 116E and GT models sold well in the early 60s. The new Capri featured a long bonnet and Ford Mustang-like styling with a range of extras to choose from. These included chrome wheel trims, reclining seats and a map reading light.

The Capri impressed customers and sold nearly two million units in Europe in only five years.

Today, the Ford S-MAX balances sporty aesthetics with a practical design.

This seven-seater offers high performance from Frod's new 240PS 2.0 EcoBooast engine, while providing ample storage space, multiple seating arrangements and plenty of options for customer personalization. A far cry indeed from the first Capri.

Volkswagen show first images of its Passat Alltrack

Volkswagen has today released the first images of the new Passat Alltrack which makes its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show next week, ahead of its introduction to the market in early 2012.

Based on the Passat Estate, the Passat Alltrack ads 4MOTION 4WD and a raised ride height that give it greater agility off-road. Body enhancements also provide some protection from scrapes when covering rough terrain. Other features include matt chrome roof rails, window surrounds, grille and exterior mirror casings.

The Alltrack is the same length as the Passat Estate, and is just as dide at 1,820mm. The suspension is raised to increase ground clearance from 135 to 165 mm.

In the UK, the Passat Alltrack will be offered as a 2.0 TDI 140 PS with six-speed manual gearbox or a 2.0 TDI 170 PS with six-speed DSG transmission. First deliveries there are scheduled for July.

Climax of FIA Formula One World Championship in Brazil on Sunday

After nine months, 18 races in 17 countries across five continents, the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship finally reaches its conclusion on Sunday next, 27th November, with the last race on the calendar; the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The race is held at the Autodromo Jose Carlow Pace (pictured) in the megalopolis of Sao Paulo. But it's more commonly known as Interlagos. It was renamed in 1985 after the Brazilian Formula 1 driver who died in a plane crash in 1977. The city is located on a plateau in the Brazilian Highlands with an average altitude of 800m above sea level.

The track is a 4.309km roller coaster ride of a track set in a natural amphitheater and features a twisty back section with off camber corners, radial turns and tightening belts, all of which feature several large bumps. The final section is an uphill straight which requires good acceleration.

Renault engines have won a quarter of the 28 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos with Rene Arnoux taking the first win in 1980. Nigel Mansell won in 1992, with Schumacher, Hill and Villeneuve taking victory from 1995-1997. Red Bull Racing Renault has won the past two races there with Webber victorious in 2009 and Vettel taking the spoils in 2010.

ESP now compulsory on all new car models

The potentially life saving ESP (Electronic Stability Program), safety system will be in every second new vehicle worldwide by 2013 writes Trish Whelan.

From the start of this month (November) all new car and light commercial vehicle models in the EU must be equipped with the anti-skid system ESP. This applies to all vehicles with type approvals issued after this date. ESP will subsequently become compulsory in all new existing EU vehicle models from 31st October 2014.

Making ESP compulsory is part of a comprehensive European Commission strategy to improve road safety. It can prevent up to 80 per cent of all skidding accidents and is the most important vehicle safety system after the seat belt.

The system was co-developed by Mercedes-Benz and Robert Bosch. It uses intelligent sensors to check 25 times per second whether the driver's steering input matches the vehicle's actual direction of travel. If the system detects some discrepancy and identifies that the vehicle is likely to become unstable, ESP kicks in by reducing the engine torque in order to restore stability. If that isn't sufficient, then it additionally brakes individual wheels. ESP also incorporates the functions of the antilock braking system (ABS) and traction control.

IMWA chairman supports call for change in registration system

2011 was a year of two halves in the motor industry with the end of the Government Scrappage in June followed by critically slow sales since then, and the prospect of 2012 looking to be just as difficult.

In his address to the Continental Irish Car of the Year Awards ceremony at The Convention Centre in Dublin attended by leading figures from the motor industry, Irish Motoring Writers Association Chairman Gerry Murphy (pictured) added that a new year brings its blessings and hopefully 'plenty of orders'.

He said to its credit, the motor industry continues to plough on. Some 46 new cars were eligible for this year's Continental Irish Car of the Year award, that is nearly one new product per week brought into Ireland over the last twelve months - not including upgrades and derivatives. Few other industries, he added, can boast such activity levels in stringent times.

The IMWA Chairman supported the SIMI's call for a change in the car registration system, which he felt was the right call and would go some way towards eliminating the seasonal nature of the business and bring some balance to the year as far as sales and cash flow are concerned. It would also add some stability to the dealer network and protect some vulnerable jobs. He also supported the SIMI's call for allowing registrations between counties to be changed for a small fee.

He finished by saying that winning the Continental Car of the Year adds value to the winning car and is good for the winning brand. (The Kia Rio subsequently won the overall title).

Opel gets safety award for lights system

Opel has been given a special Advanced Euro NCAP Award for its Adaptive Forward Lighting system, designed to save lives by making driving after dark safer.

The Award is one of a new series being promoted by the ENCAP crash test organisation to encourage carmakers to develop road safety technology.

Opel was the first carmaker to fit the AFL system, back in 2002. It is now available on the Corsa, Meriva and Zafira. The system combines dynamic curve and static cornering lights to improve night-time visibility.

A more advanced system, AFL+ adds eight more automatic functions and is available on the Astra, Insignia and Zafira Tourer.

Windsor Airside is Peugeot Dealer of the Year 2011

Windsor Airside, Main Peugeot Dealers, Airside Motor Park, Swords in Co Dublin has been crowned Peugeot Dealer of the Year 2011.

Dealer Principal, Peter Nicholson, was presented with the much-coveted title at the annual Peugeot Dealer Conference held at Farnham Estate, Cavan.

Windsor Airside opened a new 7,000sq ft Peugeot showroom at Airside Motor Park in December 2009. From a standing start in 2010, the Dealership has risen to the top of Peugeot's Dealer Sales Performance chart in 2011. Recognised by Peugeot's Sales and After-Sales team for the excellence of their all-round service provided, Windsor Airside was a clear winner of this year's title.

Peter Nicholson paid tribute to his Sales and After-Sales team who he said 'have worked with me steadily in a very difficult climate to ensure our customers enjoy their buying experience. It is extremely gratifying to win such an accolade'.

Pictured are from left - George Harbourne, peugeot Managing Director; Peter Nicholson, Peugeot Dealer of the Year 2011; and Des Cannon, Peugeot Sales & Marketing Director.

Toyota's 'See It. Drive It. Win It' promotion this weekend

Christmas will come early for three lucky people from this Thursday through to Sunday, that is the 24-27 November when Toyota Ireland will give away a brand new Yaris, Auris Hybrid and new look 2012 Avensis during their 'See It. Drive It. Win It.' promotion, writes Trish Whelan.

Over the course of the four days, anyone who visits Toyota dealerships around the country and test drives either the new Yaris, Auris Hybrid or 2012 Avensis models will be in the running to win the car they test drive.

Each driver will then be put into a draw where three names will be chosen at random.

One lucky visitor to a Toyota Dealer will also win €5,000 in cash as part of the culmination of Toyota's Find the Sweet Spot competition on its Facebook page.

More information can be found on www.toyota.ie