Performance News - 28 August 2001

Quickies

• The Australian Rally Commission has decided, subject to the approval of the Board of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), to allocate a round of the Australian Rally Championship Super Series to New South Wales on the condition that the event be based on Sydney.

• In an effort to keep the US factory that builds Camrys running strong, Toyota has dropped the US price of the redesigned 2002 Toyota Camry by as much as US$1,800 below comparable 2001 versions.

• Orbital Engine Corp Ltd reported an operating loss after tax of $26.8 million for the full year ending June 30, 2001. The chief executive of the Perth-based company, Kim Schlunke, said the result was not acceptable and has prompted a review and restructure of the business. "It is disappointing that anticipated commercial progress was not completed in line with expected timeframes and this is reflected in a financial result which is not acceptable to the company," he said. "This has resulted in the review and restructure of our business."

• Ford Motor Company has unveiled a new high-tech $10 million simulator in Detroit designed to gather information to address one of the most talked about issues today - the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices in cars and trucks. Most current telematics were developed without benefit of driver data related to distraction and performance. The new simulator, called VIRTTEX, will change that, delivering data that can be used to make safer and sounder choices with new emerging communications technologies in Ford vehicles. Developed over six months, VIRTTEX is designed to register a driver's eye, hand and foot reactions as they juggle tasks while driving.

• Volkswagen AG may reposition its brands in a bid to revive flagging lines such as Seat and Audi, analysts said last week after meetings with VW. Analysts who met management board member Bernd Pischetsrieder said VW was considering focusing design and marketing activities on two distinct "aggressive" and "conservative" groups. There has been mounting speculation in recent months that VW is considering a shake-up of the company.

• BMW has produced its 100,000th X5 sports activity vehicle with the Siena Red X5, with beige Montana leather and wood trim, rolling off the Spartanburg, South Carolina assembly line last week.

• Niki Lauda has wrested control of Jaguar Racing after a meeting of the company's management last week resulted in the axing of the team's chief executive Bobby Rahal.

• When Toyota Matrix sport wagon - to debut in the US early next year - will be featured in a Universal Studios movie, displayed in a Universal Studios theme park, touted on a Universal Web site and promoted in television ads with music provided by a Universal Studios label. The Matrix could also be included in a Universal interactive computer game.

• Subaru has introduced the Traviq MPV in Japan, with Subaru intending to sell 12,000 Traviq MPVs each year in Japan. The model is a re-badged version of GM's Zafira.