Snowman

I still like to boast that I'm the only current Dutton Rally winner to do so with a full interior and working DVD player and there's no reason to stop taking the mickey out of these people who take themselves too seriously just yet either Plus at the end of the day this car is still street registered, so it's more of a road car I have some fun in than a race car.

It's a bit of a drive and still a long way off but this could be some fun http://www.tcac.net.au/files/events/175/Mt...0Flyer%2009.pdf

- now where'd you find that??

I did that a long time ago after an airbag in an R33 GTR went off for no reason I could understand on a skidpan and basically knocked myself out. I paniced it may happen on a track to me one day so it's plug was pulled back then (and I have a piece of tape covering the annoying flashing airbag light ).

It works perfectly well.

Yep - Merridian is doing it. And Steve you are wrong. 1. The car is MUCH quieter with the rear seats in and they are costing me a whole lot less than what that sound deadening stuff does. 2. We also now have somewhere safe and easy to put our helmets between stages rather than again having to spend money on carry netting etc. 3. The seats only weigh about 3kgs so I'm not losing much in that front either

Well I can't find it anywhere yet. LOL But I was told it was being published in the media somewhere today!? Anyways since they aren't putting it up the other things I do know is the differences between the 2 models. It's bugger all really (and the small price difference reflects that). All cars are Jap Spec for the mechanics side (engine, brakes etc) etc Standard gets Silver Rims, Dunlop Tyres, "basic" stereo and plain black leather seats. Premimum gets Gun Metal Rims, Bridgestone Tyres, Bose Stereo and Black leather with red piping. And I was told the drive away price for the Premium is $170,518.00 and the base is "about $4K cheaper" And there's 11 national dealers and they are possibly only getting 15 cars each a year (not sure on the truth of that one though).

A couple more updated cage pics with the central cross, single diagonal (if you can spot it!) and the double side intrusions which I'm VERY impressed with. They have done such a great job of working around all the trims etc. It really looks fantastic. Really only the extra central horizontal is left to go in after that.

Thats news to me. Last year there was no supply of 265's for about 6 months but they came into the country eventually. Much like there wasn't 265's available in the Dunlops around Targa time last year.

The funniest thing is that "carl" has probably made more posts than what Jeff has. lol You should have infact borrowed Sputnik of Bris

I don't have your number?

PS - carl???? lol

Please tell me you are coming for a visit today Jeff If not I'm happy to come visit you!

Sorry - media launch. There will be no physical launch other than what is at the motorshow. They will be listing the 2 models, the specs for each (VERY similar - mainly cosmetic differences and the price is less than $5K between the 2), colors, prices as well as the 11 national dealers.

tomorrow But I have a price for the Premium. $170,518 drive away. The rest you can find out tomorrow. But I wonder how much the last month has hurt the price? (Given we've lost around 25% on the yen)

Actually it was the lap in the Golf GTi around the Nurburgring that got me started and it's been going downhill everytime I've driven one of these DCT's since.

Since when do Golfs come with 200kw 2.0L turbocharged engines and AWD? Or do you mean they have just taken the best bits of all the golfs and put it into one car and then put a different badge on it? (And hopefully the same sound system as the S8 has - now THATS impressive).

Ah see here's what I'm talking about. I litterally just read that the new 2009 Audi S3 will have DCT. They will start coming in droves (and this car could be just what I'm looking for!)

Ever heard of left foot braking?? It's this little thing some racecar (and forklift) drivers do

Meh - it's not a dual clutch which is what I'm looking for And I'm happy to call it a DCT rather than DSG. But sometimes the 1st ones just stick. It's like ordering a scotch and coke rather than a scotch and cola. It's the same thing even if its made with Pepsi Yeah but in all the ones I've driven when you have been driving around town they are perfect in Auto mode. As that is when having the Auto option is gold. When driving the EVO back from Syd we had the car in Auto when cruising along the freeways and when driving through Canberra but as soon as we got into the twisties the SST was turned on and the stability control was turned off and the fun began in ernest. It really was the best of all worlds. The only problem was it's an EVO. But the R36 is a corker of a car from the short time I had in it But it sounds like the VW's and the EVO are all we have as options right?

So all Golfs have DSG's or just the R32 and GTi which I already mentioned?

DSG's (or should I say a dual clutch transmission) are one of those new automotive toys that will eventually dominate the automotive world much like its predecessor the tiptronic gearbox did. But unlike the tiptronic gearbox - which really is rubbish - the DSG is a truely great thing and the more I've been exposed to them the more I think I may never want to buy a genuine manual gearbox again. So many forum hero's rubbish these things and I know it's been one of the complaints of the new GT-R but if you ever really get a chance to see what one of these things can do and understand how much the driver still needs to input one to make a car drive perfectly and yet discover how much one of these things can improve your driving compared to a manual stick you'll understand why some people like me think they are the bee's knees. The hardest part is finding cars which actually have one that normal people can afford. Just because a car as some flappy paddles attached to the steering wheel doesn't mean it has a DSG gearbox. The ever reveired Jerermy Clarkson often goes on about how he hates "flappy paddle gearboxes" but usually the ones he complains about are actually just tiptronics (which I agree are rubbish). More and more he is starting to compliment them and everytime he has it has been a DSG box and yet he has never publically put 2 and 2 together on this front. I guess the hard part is people keep calling all these things different things. For example - BMW have their SMG gearboxes but they are just a tiptronic gearbox. They have just released their first DSG style box in the new M3 only within the last month and won't be available until the end of the year I think. Other big names like Aston Martin, Porsche and Mercedes also use tiptronics which are really no different to the ones found in all the falcadores and magnas. The first experiences I had with a propper DGS was in a Maserati Gran Sport which is the same unit as found in the 360 Straddale, which has been since improved in the F430. The one in the Audi R8 is just as brilliant especially on a track. But the hard part is all of these cars are so expensive and the new GT-R is going to fall under this catagory as well. So the point of this thread was to try and work-out which cars currently that fall under "Affordable" (which I'm classing as under $100K) actually have one of these gearboxes as last night I could only think of a few. I've driven both the VW Golf R32 and the Passat R36 and their ones are one of the best. So much so that it was one of the deciding factors in my ordering one of the new R36 Passat Wagons for the Mrs. The GTi also has it but I'm not sure if other VW's come with it or not? I also just drove one of the new EVO X MR SST's back from Syd to Melb the fun way and again the gearbox in that was great and really what made me start this thread. But they are the only cars I can think of that have one. Is there any others I'm missing??

So Stu - are you going to be releasing the courses and regs together tomorrow??

I think what they need to do is on the last lap drive into the Stadium and cross the finish line in there Marathon style.

http://www.rampant.net.au/ Or if he doesn't have them now drop him (Aaron) an email. I got my TE37's and a number of other thing through him.