SPY SHOTS: 2011 Chevrolet / Holden Captiva SUV with Aveo-esque Fascia

Chevrolet's European arm is moving along with the development of the facelifted Captiva that's due to go on sale on the other side of the Atlantic later this year. Judging by these spy photos, if not all, most changes appear to be concentrated on the SUV's redesigned front end that looks heavily influenced from the Aveo RS concept we saw at this year's Detroit show.

Details remain scarce for now, but it is possible that Chevy might also perform some upgrades to the 2011 Captiva's interior and mechanical hardware.

The same changes will also pass on the compact SUV's siblings, the Australia-market Holden Captiva 7 that's sold alongside its sister model, the Opel Antara-based/rebadged Captiva 5 (known in the States as the Saturn Vue) and the South Korea-market Daewoo Winstorm.

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Current Chevrolet / Holden Captiva

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The Folden: New Zealanders Create Half Holden HQ, Half Ford Mustang Mechanical Frankenstein

Is it a Holden? Is it a Ford? Well, according to the folks from the New Zealand music radio station, 'The Rock', neither. They say it's a Folden and it was born from the unholy -or so to speak- union of a Holden HQ and a 1969 Ford Mustang.

The culprits are The Rock's Drive show announcers, Robert Taylor and Jono Pryor, who claim that they created the Folden because they were "fed up with the ongoing battle between their listeners over who is mightier - Ford or Holden."

Their goal was to fuse the rear 3/4s of a 1970's Holden HQ sedan with the front-end of a 1969 Ford Mustang with power being provided by 302 cubic inch V8 Ford engine.

After 3 months and more than 800 man hours involving a couple of dozen of businesses, and not to mention a total cost ranging somewhere between NZD$85,000 to $95,000 (about US$62,000 to $69,500), the project was finally completed.

Other treats include one-off Chip Foose 20-inch alloy wheels, a gun metal gray paint job with orange racing stripes, a custom interior fully rebuilt, high-end audio system, and last but certainly not least, a cool badge that puts the Mustang horse and Holden lion together.

And what now? New Zealanders have the chance to bid for the Folden as the car is being auctioned on "Trademe" with proceeds to be donated to the NZ Mental Health Foundation for Out Of The Blue, an organization set up to help combat depression in men.

At the time the article was written, the highest bid on the website was NZ$62,700 or close to US$45,800 at today's exchange rates. The auction will end on May 6, 2010.

Links / Source: The Rock & Trademe

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VIDEO: Shocking MINI Racer Accident in Australia

A horrific crash involving a MINI Cooper S racer took place this past weekend at the Ipswich Raceway in Brisbane, Australia, when debutant racer Kain Magro, 23, literally cart-wheeled out of control over a barrier and into a crowd of spectators during a racing event that preceded the Ipswich 300 V8 Supercars race.

Miraculously, the driver was unhurt while only two people from the crowd were treated for minor injuries. Check out the video after the break.

Hat tip to Braddo!

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Lotus Cutting Prices from $10,000 to $18,500 in Australia

Following the Australian government's move to reduce import duties earlier this year, Lotus Cars of Australia has announced significant price reductions across the model range, with savings of up to $18,500.

Lotus Cars Australia Managing Director John Startari explains: "The government's import duty reduction at the start of 2010 has offered some assistance, whilst favorable foreign exchange rates have been a further catalyst to these announced price changes."

The British automaker's range starts with the facelifted 2011 Elise, formerly known as the Elise S, that's priced from AU$69,990. The 2011 model year Elise R and SC as well as the Exige S and Cup 260, all see a AU$10,000 base vehicle price reduction, while the 2-Eleven, an AU$18,500 drop.

The Evora flagship sportscar is also reduced by $10,000, in both 2+0 and 2+2 versions, and now starts from AU$139,000.

Furthermore, Lotus' Australian arm has also announced adjustments to retail pricing for all Option packs, stand-alone Options and Metallic, Lifestyle and Premium paint throughout the Lotus Elise and Evora platform.

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Ford Australia's Falcon Wagon to Bite the Dust in June, Replaced by Mondeo Wagon

In an ominous sign for the rest of the Falcon range, Ford Australia announced that the Falcon Wagon will be axed in June. Ironically, the announcement comes a few months before the company celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Australian Falcon that was launched onto the market in June of 1960.

Many Australians had anticipated the demise of the RWD Falcon Wagon after Ford's decision to tweak the older BA/BF version instead of presenting a new model based on the latest FG Falcon series.

"It's time to retire the Falcon wagon," said Ford Australia president and CEO Marin Burela said. "We have moved on."

And by "moved on", the Ford exec means that the company's Australian / New Zealand division will concentrate on the new FWD Mondeo station wagon.

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New Hyundai i45, in other words, the 2011 Sonata, Coming to Australia in the 2nd Quarter

In keeping with its new nomenclature for certain regions, Hyundai announced today that the 2011 Sonata will be called i45 in Australia adding that the mid-size sedan will be launched onto the market in the second quarter of the year. The Australian-bound i45s will be manufactured in South Korea.

"We are very excited to be launching the all-new i45 mid-sized sedan in Australia in the coming months, said Oliver Mann, Hyundai Motor Company Australia's Marketing Director. "Already breaking records in South Korea and receiving awards in the U.S., i45 is going to make a considerable impact in the competitive Australian mid-sized segment."

Hyundai did not release any details on the powertrain choices for Australian customers.

In the U.S., the Sonata is currently offered only with a 198HP/200HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit with direct-injection, but the South Korean brand is planning to extend the range with a 2.0-liter Theta II turbocharged GDI gasoline engine as well as a 2.4-liter Hybrid Blue Drive model featuring the firm's lithium polymer battery pack, with both models expected to be unveiled at the New York Auto Show at the end of March.

US-Spec 2011 Hyundai Sonata

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