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Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson has been endorsing Italian carmaker Fiat's products for some time. She drives a Panda four-wheel-drive around London and often wears designer clothing featuring the Fiat logo. Now she will be seen driving Fiat's latest supermini, the Panda100HP, around the British capital. Fiat gave her the keys at the high-performance MPH06 car show hosted by Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson.
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Sales of motorcycles in New Zealand continue to soar. At the end of last month 15,935 motorcycles had been registered in 2006, according to Land Transport NZ figures. That compares with 5347 registrations for the first 10 months of 2002. Distributors expect the growth to continue and want the Government to take the role of motorcycles in transport policy more seriously. Said Clive Hellyar, spokesman for the NZ Motorcycle Distributors Association: "We want to work with the Government to achieve a positive environment for motorcyclists, particularly given the increasing numbers of two-wheeled riders on New Zealand roads, but so far we have been disappointed with the lack of action on the part of some Government agencies."
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Where is the traffic plan for the Auckland waterfront stadium the Government wants to build for the 2011 Rugby World Cup?
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Volkswagen HQ surprised the industry this week when it announced that CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder will step down and be replaced by Martin Winterkorn, chief of Audi. The usually vigilant German business press hadn't even hinted at the move, a rarity for one so big. Pischetsrieder has often hit the headlines since he was fired as CEO of BMW in 1999.
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Two new variants of the Mini are expected in the next couple of years. First up will be a station wagon named Traveller, using the same dual rear-door design as the original Morris of nearly 50 years ago. The Traveller is expected to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March and go on sale later next year. A turbodiesel version of the two-door Mini Cooper will arrive in 2008, powered by the 1.6-litre unit built jointly by Ford and the Peugeot/Citroen PSA Group.
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A survey in Britain has revealed that travelling with children affects a driver's concentration. Three out of four motorists said the stress of having kids squabbling in the back affected their driving. The most common complaints from children were the length of the journey (77 per cent) and travel sickness (20 per cent).
