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Welcome
fellow car lovers to the fabulous new TRACKER
Game!
Catch
the car criminals as they attempt to escape
through the city streets. Follow them undetected
in the TRACKER fitted Police car and make your
arrests. Experience at first hand how the Police
can recover your stolen vehicle through the use of
TRACKER technology. Playing is simple, click on
the image above to download the game.
(PistonHeads.com has checked the file for
viruses but we advise you to take your own
precautions when downloading files from the
internet) | |
| In
Brief |
New
frontal impact regulations in New Zealand are
causing grief with over a hundred car dealers now
threatening legal action against the Transport
Minister responsible for their introduction. The
source of their complaint is the fact that it will
prevent imports of some used Japanese cars into
NZ. Some cars made in the 1990's will no longer be
legal throwing a large spanner in the works of the
importers.
The Mazda MX-5 was named
the best-selling sports car by Guinness World
Records last week. More than 600,000 of the
popular roadster have been produced since it was
introduced in 1989. |
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Bitter Cobra Row Ends
Battle over Shelby Cobra ends with sniping from both
sides
The long running and bitter battle over the rights to the
Cobra name and even the shape of the car has come to an end
with an out of court settlement. The world's largest
manufacturer of Cobra replicas, Factory Five Racing reached
the agreement with Ford Motor Company and Carroll Shelby after
a two year fight.
The agreement reached allows Factory Five Racing to
continue to make their cars but not to describe them as Cobra
replicas. Shelby and Ford keep the rights to the names
including Cobra 289, FIA 289, 427, 427 S/C, Daytona Coupe and
GT350 and GT500. Shelby can also not contest the rights again
under the terms of the agreement.
Shelby had originally sought 10 million dollars in damages
and also wanted the destruction of the tooling and moulds used
to build the Factory Five kits. Shelby said previously, in an
interview with Automobile magazine's David E. Davis that he
would also seek $10,000 per vehicle from owners of
replicas!
It's an issue that has certainly irritated Shelby. Talking
of Factory Five's cars he said: "I just want to make sure
that anyone buying one of these knock-off kits knows that they
are not buying a Shelby Cobra, or anything close to a
legitimate replica of what we built in the 1960s. Like
many of these kit car builders, Factory Five takes a bunch of
used or recycled parts and surrounds it with a Cobra
body."
He concluded, "I may have started out as a chicken
farmer, but I learned a lot over the years."
David Smith from Factory Five Racing commented: "Despite
the tempest in a teapot that Shelby excels at creating, the
facts are quite clear. This was a big win for our company, our
customers and obviously the industry of kit makers. Shelby's
claims of victory are hollow as we continue building what is
now rightfully recognized as our own designs, whether they are
inspired by vintage cars or not."
A virtually identical lawsuit brought by Shelby and Ford
against Superformance is now in the process of being set for
trial in the same court.
Links: http://www.superformance.com/,
http://www.factoryfive.com/,
http://www.carrollshelby.com/,
http://www.shelbyamerican.com/
Hyundai HCD7
Is this the future for executive cars or a just an
oversized, front wheel drive, designer's wet
dream?
The look of 21st Century executive cars has yet to be
defined. BMW's new look 7 series and forthcoming 5 series will
certainly set a trend allbeit not a pretty one. Hyundai are
having a bash now with their HCD 7 concept shown at the
Chicago Auto Show last week.
The HCD7 is the product of the California-based Hyundai
Design Centre, which also produced last year’s popular HCD6
open-topped roadster concept and the Santa Fe SUV. It's a
front-wheel drive saloon (not a good start!) with an
all-aluminium DOHC 4.5-litre V8 engine, electronic traction
control and automatic ride-height control.
Roger Flores, Senior Designer at the Hyundai California
Design Center who penned the initial drawings for the concept,
said: "The HCD7 is designed to show what the next
generation of an advanced performance saloon might look like.
It’s the new look of luxury."
The aerodynamic exterior of the HCD7 was inspired by an
aircraft fuselage. Roger said: "This, along with the
clamshell roof design provides a sleek aerodynamic package and
results in less wind noise in the cabin."
Innovative features include a jewel-like headlight assembly
featuring upright projector beam lamps vertically stacked. The
tail lights are also vertically stacked and fitted into the
bold rear bumpers.
Martin Frost, Senior Designer at the Hyundai California
Design Center, and responsible for the interior design of the
HCD-7, said: "Inside we carried on with the aircraft theme,
creating a luxurious interior that might be found on an
executive jet aircraft."
To provide a feeling of even more space, there is no centre
stack containing the navigation and sound system controls.
Instead, there is a state-of-the-art seven-inch LCD flat
screen colour monitor that pops out of the dashboard when the
owner inserts the ignition card into a slot on the right side
of the steering wheel.
Dakar Shogun
Bolt on bits for your Mitsu 4x4
With a Mitsubishi Shogun/Pajero winning this year’s
notorious Dakar Rally for a record breaking seventh time, and
nine out of the top 10 places being filled by Mitsubishi
Shogun/Pajero or L200’s, Mitsubishi are riding high. To honour
the achievement they are producing a ‘Dakar’ accessory pack
for UK owners who wish to bask in the glory as they ride up
pavements and nudge their way into parking spaces.
The Dakar kit range from simple chrome light guards to a
sports headlight kit, or front bumper extension. Now you know
- don't get excited if the bloke in the pub claims to have a
Dakar Shogun...
Cosmetic Insurance
Now covers GRP bodied
cars
The End is Nigh?
Does the Avantime signal the
end for 'normal' saloons...?
Maybach HGV
Geneva build up for launch of
Maybach luxo-barge
Thunderbird Flares
Ford's retro-styled
Thunderbird is inspiring the return of nasty brown
suits... | 
