Holden Calais unveiled, previews Chevrolet SS

General Motors' Australian subsidiary, Holden, has revealed its new VF series Calais -- the rear-wheel-drive sedan that in top-of-the-line, V8-powered, left-hand-drive form -- will be exported to North America and sold as the Chevrolet SS. The new Calais sits at the top of what Holden describes as an “extensively upgraded Commodore” range, with right-hand-drive Australian sales set to get underway in June. The Holden Commodore and its more luxurious Calais derivative have underpinned General Motors' sales in Australia since its introduction in 1978.

Toyota/Scion coupe specs reach the Internet

Specifications for the Toyota FT-86 and Scion FR-S coupes have leaked on the Internet via scanned images of the training manual, posted at www.ft86club.com. If the site's translations are correct, the 2,667-pound coupe will use a 2.0-liter flat-four engine that makes 197 hp at 7,000 rpm and 150 lb-ft of torque at 6,600 rpm. It looks as if the FR-S will come in two trim levels: a higher-spec variant that features a limited-slip rear differential in both manual and automatic versions of the car and a lower-spec model that has only the limited-slip diff with the manual transmission.

UK car sales slump as credit crunch bites

By Nigel Wonnacott Motor Industry 07 July 2008 13:18 It’s finally happened. The new car market has succumbed to the economic slowdown and punters are staying away from showrooms in droves. Latest figures from industry trade body the SMMT showed an 11.9 percent fall in private sales in June 2008 to 83,425 cars.