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The second-generation Chevrolet Volt won’t go on sale in Australia as GM will not convert it to right-hand drive.
- The Holden Volt is dead (CarAdvice)
It appears a Holden version of the second-generation Volt will not come to fruition as General Motors has decided not to build the car in right-hand drive. Bolt still on the table. - Confirmed: Rams going to Australia, NZ (Allpar)
Specialist company Auto Distributors Asia – Pacific Limited in New Zealand will be importing and converting Ram 2500 and 2500 series trucks for sale in NZ and Australia. - Outsider’s Perspective: Peak Marketing (Hooniverse)
Be careful of car dealer ads in Honduras. Thanks to a devalued local currency, you could pay much, much more toward the end of your loan term. - Jaguar adds horsepower to the dashboard (Automotive News, sub. req.)
Jaguar Land Rover’s infotainment systems have typically been horribly slow and clunky. A new Linux-based quad-core system aims to change that. - $800 Two Stroke: Running 1966 Saab 96 3 Cylinder Project (Bring A Trailer)
This Swedish beauty exists solely so you and your rag-tag team of masochist idiots can go to LeMons. - Super Troopers 2’s crowdfunding campaign ends with over $4 million donated (AV Club)
Adding this for one reason: the original Super Troopers is the only movie (that I know of) to ever feature a Miata vs. Crown Victoria car chase. - McRae’s protégé breaks his WRC duck (AutoCar)
British WRC driver Kris Meeke brings 13 year losing streak to end for UK
17 Comments on “While You Were Sleeping: No Holden Volt, Super Troopers 2, and Meeke Gets a Win...”
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Now see, if it weren’t for Australia’s protectionist regulations about the side the steering wheel was on then the Australians would have more choice when it comes to Hybrid vehicles. Pity thier government wants to prop up Toyota.
You mean GM won’t convert it to wrong-hand drive.
They are obviously scared of the competition and hiding behind traffic and safety regs to stifle competition and prop up the Prius.
I don’t think this is the case. Australia already has more brands available than in the US market.
You are blinded by your patriotisim and the fact you can’t see due to your protectionist traffic laws.
@Mkirk,
You are a raving idiot. I wonder if you have gone beyond the confines of your State?,
Interesting that you recognize your own idiotic ramblings parodied back. You and your little buddy…Just like Boss Hogg and Roscoe P. Coltraine!
Well good riddance to a vehicle, the Volt, that none wanted
I am guessing you’re talking about Australia? Does it have anything to do with the pricing of hybrid vehicles in general in Australia that is out of whack?
Please, give us some insight on this subject.
@pdl2dmtl,
No they rather drive a diesel car , that gets staggering fuel economy. Hybrids have not had much of an impact here, even when offered at reasonable prices i.e. Toyota Camry
@pdl2dmtl,
The pricing of these vehicles varies widely. It comes down to how much in handouts is offered to the consumer.
If little is given, little will sell.
I do believe here in Australia handouts for EVs and Hybrids isn’t as extensive as in many other OECD economies.
This is good. As this gives a real indication on the desirability of this vehicle.
It isn’t wanted and those that do want one will only buy if they can get them with a handout.
Handouts is bad for a nation as the money could of been better spent than giving money to a person who already can afford to own and operate a vehicle.
Silly, isn’t giving money to a person who has enough to buy a new vehicle.
I want a Volt.
I’ll cross shopping it against a bunch of EVs for family transportation duty, though, so we’ll see where the chips land when it’s all said and done. But I really liked the Volt a lot when I drove it (the NVH was fantastic), and it *is* an answer to a question I asked.
I live in the US, though, so my opinion is a little offtopic.
Super Troopers 2??? I want to see it meow!!
How does one make a RHD version of the dash without factory assistance?
@jpolicke
Came from Factory as RHD
The irony is that the GM decision reflects what I think is one of the big planning flaws within GM.
Some companies will design vehicles at the initial stages to include both LHD & RHD as its cheaper to includes this in the early stages. I think Ford with its one world philosophy and Toyota because of its local market reflect this (Yes, I know there are local market exceptions to this rule, mainly reflected in US specific models).
Whereas GM seems to put together individual business cases for each market and wonders why it has so many fails.
A RHD Volt platform would have indicated Holden pretends to care for the environment. And meant potential for RHD Opel Ampera for the UK and/or a RHD Caddy for UK/Japan/Australia/India markets.
Still I’m not surprised given how many failed models and business models GM has tried in Australia. They can’t seem to work out what they stand for in the market and continue to lose market share.
You would think they would have designed this car with right or left hand drive at the outset, especially since there was an Opel model that was to be sold in Europe. The self handicapping that GM does is mind boggling. GM engineering has done some brilliant work in upgrading the power train on the Volt, bringing it up to a purported 50 miles on a charge, yet they’ll limit its availability to buyers by refusing to do what is a fairly simple conversion for a company with the sort of means they have at their disposal. I’ve always maintained that GM never intended to build the Volt, but when bailout time came they used it as a way of convincing the government that they were worth saving and had lots of new products that fit with the green image of the then new administration. Just about the time I’m beginning to think my assessment was wrong they do something to show that despite some good engineering, it wasn’t thought through on the executive and marketing levels very well at all.