It was a risk for Audi to agree to let us spend six months behind the wheel of its S1 hot hatch.

At the time it had just lost a comparison to the Volkswagen Golf R and then had a solid, if unspectacular, showing at Bang For Your Bucks. Our general feeling towards the S1 was that it was a good car, but a little on the pricey side for the performance it offered.

But the S1 perfectly encapsulates why we do long-term tests. In the cold, objective environment of a review or comparison test, any car’s faults are brought into sharp focus

Which is as it should be; everyone wants to know what the best car is in absolute terms. Over the course of six months, certain strengths and weaknesses pop up that aren’t always apparent in the one or two days of a regular road test. Take the S1’s price for instance.

In a direct comparison that’s bad news as there’s plenty of other faster or more practical choices at the same price point. That said, having lived with the S1, I’m not sure the price is particularly relevant. This is a very small car with a lot of engine and a manual gearbox; no one is buying one because they need it, they’re buying it because they want it. As long as it delivers what it promises on the box, those keen on the idea of a tiny hot hatch are probably going to be pretty pleased.

And it does. You may be able to buy more power for your dollar, but thanks to 370Nm from the 2.0-litre turbo four, the S1 never felt short of poke. I still think it should have the full 210kW S3 engine tune, but that’s more because it kind of annoys me that Audi went out of its way to detune the S1 rather than any performance shortfall.

Traction is brilliant, yet it still manages to avoid feeling too front-wheel drive, which is a common problem with a lot of Haldex-based all-wheel drive systems.

Its diminutive dimensions were one of its best assets. We live in a society where bigger is always better, but being able to slot through gaps in traffic and squeeze into parking spaces abandoned by the SUV brigade constantly proved helpful.

Obviously, the compromise is less interior space, but transporting four adults was never really a problem for most journeys and with the back seats folded there’s plenty of room for luggage. You can even fit a full-size bicycle in the back, though it does require some fairly expert manoeuvring to do so.

The Audi S1 is going to appeal to a very specific buyer, but that person is probably going to be very happy, as it’s small, fast, stands out and has a premium feel. It’s been an enjoyable six months and while I wouldn’t buy one myself, I can totally understand why someone would.

Month: Six Liked: Squeezing through traffic Disliked: Tight bends are a bit frustrating in the S1 Favourite moment: When the whole $54K tiny performance car thing suddenly ‘clicked’

Fuel this month: N/A Average: 9.2L/100km Distance this month: 0km Total: 8,394km

Want to see more of our Audi S1 long-termer?

How the French revolutionised the small car.

First published in the November 2015 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

LIKE all France’s carmakers, Renault has a proud history of innovation. Among the Regie’s most daring mainstream models was the humble Renault 4 of 1961, a pragmatic small car acclaimed as the first mass-produced hatchback.

The 4 was also a gamechanger in the minds of Renault’s uppermost management. Its interior packaging and the versatility of its porte de service (the unromantic name for its hatchback door) would be responsible for overhauling the design of Renault’s next full-sized sedan.

Three years into the 114’s development, in 1961, Renault CEO Pierre Dreyfus declared: “We have to do things differently. Cars must no longer be just four seats and a boot. It must be viewed as a volume.”

Project 114 was axed. The engineering and design teams, under product director Yves Georges, were instructed to redefine the (European) family/executive car, at that time typically a four-cylinder, rear-drive, three-box sedan. Project 115, the Renault 16, was launched at the 1965 Geneva show.

Juchet clothed it in a breathtaking two-box shape with a sloping hatchback. Its pagoda-style roof dispensed with drip-rails, and the low waistline and enormous glass area enhanced the interior space.

The roomy cabin boasted six different seating configurations, thanks to a versatile (and removable) rear bench. ‘Family car’ meant everything from bread-winning delivery van to seating five people to the act of procreation itself.

The 16 was justly acclaimed for its ride comfort, handling and quality. Performance stepped up in 1968 with the 1.6-litre TS, which brought an auto transmission option, and in 1973 the upmarket TX introduced a five-speed column manual.

A worthy 1,845,959 examples were built over 15 years, the last five of those overlapping its supposed successor, the Renault 20.

Long, and longer

THE in-line engine with gearbox out front improved weight distribution, and front discs were impressive in this class, while the long-travel suspension (longitudinal torsion bars with double wishbones up front, transverse parallel torsion bars with trailing arms out back) maximised interior space – and made the left-side wheelbase 70mm longer than the right!

The A team

THE 16 launched Renault’s A-type engine, an alloy-block pushrod-ohv four-cylinder developed from the stillborn Project 114’s 2.2-litre in-line six. Initial 1470cc unit made 41kW at 5000rpm and 104Nm at 2800, via a four-speed column-shift manual. Later 1565cc TS, with Gordini-devised hemi head, upped it to 62kW/118Nm; plush TX (’73) got 1647cc, 68kW/129Nm and five speeds.

CLEVER interior design and materials vamped-up even the base 16s, which had plush seating throughout and acclaimed heating/ventilation. Spare wheel was stowed atop the gearbox. Column-mounted shift liberated more front space, while the rear bench flipped and folded in several iterations; top-spec Grand Luxe folded into a double bed. Australian TS versions from 1970 had a distinctive brass-plated instrument surround.

Fast & factual

1. Inspiration

The Renault 16’s most obvious beneficiary was VW, with its 16-inspired Passat B1 (1973) and Golf (1974)

The 16 was assembled in Australia at a plant in West Heidelberg, Victoria, from 1968 until a change of ADRs in 1976

Renault rallyist Bob Watson won the 1969 Victorian rally title in one of three 16TSs prepared pre-HDT by Harry Firth

4. Resistance

Nutbag 1970s left-wing German terrorists Baader-Meinhof seemed to have a taste for 16s, twice evading the police in them

5. Maxi factor

The Brits shamelessly tried to copy the 16’s roomy, six-window style and hatchback practicality, and ended up with the Austin Maxi

First published in the July 1990 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

Okay, so Ford realised the decision to kill off the V8 was a bad one. Here’s how they breathed new life into it.

FORD’S’ BRAWNY V8 is back with a vengeance. The return of the big-banger engine to Ford’s local line-up was approved by company headquarters in Dearborn only days ago.

Although it remains a tightly guarded secret, Wheels has confirmed that by April next year, Ford Australia will be selling V8-powered LTDs, Fairlanes and Falcons, returning the company to the high performance market for the first time in nearly a decade.

As predicted in our news pages last January, Ford has chosen the American-built 5.0 litre High Output engine, best known for its fitment in the Mustang HO. It produces marginally more power and torque than Holden’s born-again eight-cylinder Statesman and Holden Commodore.

And Ford’s slight performance edge may grow larger as the company strives to re-establish a presence in the market it abandoned when it axed local production of the V8 in 1982.

Officially, Ford is denying that the return of the big eight has been signed, sealed and delivered – but impeccable sources in the USA say the first batch of 12,000 fuel-injected engines will begin flowing from the company’s Cleveland plant before Christmas.

“We’re putting the package together right now,” Ford engineer Wallace Beaber told Wheels in Detroit. “The only changes we have to make is so you guys can fit your steering wheel on the other side. Functionally, it will be just the same as the Mustang HO engine.”

Initially, Ford will mate the all-iron HO engine to its BTR-sourced four-speed electronic automatic.

Eight cylinder LTD, Fairlane and Falcon fitments should appear simultaneously, possibly as early as the Melbourne Motor Show next March. The V8 manual combination will arrive some months later, probably as a direct rival to the Holden Commodore SS VS. Ford Australia president Jac Nasser Is also keen to establish a “hot-shop” special vehicles division to build an image-leading Falcon V8. Wheels understands discussions have already taken place with Peter Brock, Ford specialist tuner Mick Webb and Allan Moffat. Webb’s SVO operation would seem to be most logical, although the man himself declined to comment beyond confirming that he had “met Jac in April”.

Depending on which final drive ratio Ford chooses, the Falcon V8 auto should post 0-100 km/h times around 8.0 seconds with the standing 400 metres in around 15.5 seconds. The heavier Fairlane and LTD models should be closer to 9.0 seconds from rest to 100 km/h and around mid-16s for the metric quarter mile.

Ford’s decision to go with the V8 follows the end of the Bill Dix/Max Gransden era at Broadmeadows. Gransden, the marketing vice-president who axed the VS in 19S2, was a vocal opponent of anything greater than six cylinders throughout the remainder of the decade. Upon his retirement in 1989, he conceded the decision to abandon the V8, while right at the time, was a mistake – given the benefit of hindsight.

Holden nearly went down the same route. Only a last-minute re-think saved the GM 5.0 litre from extinction when unleaded fuel was introduced in 1985. After making that investment, Holden went on to substantially upgrade its powerplant in 1989, adding computer-controlled fuel injection, a stiffening package for the cylinder block, ram-tuned inlet manifolding and more durable high-tech internals.

In 1982 it was dusted off for a new role. Ford chose to drop the 2.3 litre turbo four-cylinder from its Mustang line-up and re-instate a modernised version of the V8. Ford engine-man Wallace Beaber was involved in the update: “The 5.0 litre was brought back to fill the gap,” he says. “In engineering, we decided it ought to come back not just as a run-of-the-mill V8, but with a little more sparkle. We put in a new camshaft and two-barrel carb, freed-up the induction system, and opened out the exhaust side. Suddenly we had a good performing production engine.”

The improvements didn’t stop there. In 1983 the 5.0 litre went to a four-barrel carburettor; 1985 saw exhaust extractors, 1986 the addition of Ford’s EEC-IV electronic fuel injection, the same computer controlled system employed in the Australian Falcon. In 1987 a better breathing package was engineered.

David Hagen, Ford’s engine division manager in the USA, claims the 5.0 litre HO is the most reliable, durable large displacement production engine in the world. Ford executives confirm the engine, made at the huge Cleveland factory, has the lowest warranty claims of any powerplant the company makes.

Check out Wheels Archive online now for other great Ford Falcon features and more from decades past!

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It’s a nervous time for the crew from Clayton. Oh sure, there’s still a good 12 months or so before HSV’s supply of Commodores dries up, and given just how damn good the current crop of cars is, it’s a given that it’ll sell every single car it can.

Having Australia’s fastest car in the GTS certainly doesn’t hurt, either. But what next? HSV’s raison d’être has always been Commodore conversions. It’s dabbled in smaller stuff – remember the VXR frontdriver? – and made noises about having irons in the fire to survive the most momentous shift in its business model since 1988.

As it happens, we’ve got an idea… General Motors has this little rig called a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. You’ve heard of it; big V8 in the front, driving wheels down the back, goes like a cut cat with a 6.2- litre blown V8 stuck to it. Our plan?

Right-hook conversions are a snap nowadays with 3D-printed comgen reflected dash pieces making the task much simpler, while some good ol’ Aussie know-how in the chassis and drivetrain department will definitely bring out the best in one of ’Murica’s favourite sons.

Here’s how we’d do it

1. Cost Crunch

If HSV follows a two-vehicle plan, the R8 version will be the more affordale. Though the donor car won’t be that dear, the cost of conversion adds considerably to the sticker price. A stripper R8 might sneak in under $100K, while the full-fruit GTS will nudge $120K. Still cheaper than a C63, though…

2. Track Toy

An entry-level R8 Clubsport should be equipped with GM’s naturally aspirated LT1 6.2-litre V8 tuned up for throttle response, matched with the excellent six-speed manual and an electronic limited slipper. Call it a 340kW/630Nm combo that weighs in around 1600kg. Mmm.

There’s also the supercharged LT4 route. Turn up the wick and pull 440kW/750Nm out of the monster 6.2litre motor via a retune and new bi-modal exhaust, and back it with GM’s new 10-speed auto… you’re starting to get the picture.

A set of six-piston Brembos up front on steel rotors, along with a fixed-rate, well-matched Eibach spring/Bilstein damper tune would sort the R8’s chassis. For the GTS: carbon ceramic rotors with AP Racing calipers, a recalibration on the MRC active dampers and a torque-vectoring rear diff with Bosch Australia’s input. Job done.

The Camaro runs staggered wheels, with 20 x 10-inch rims running 285/35 ZR20s up front and 20 x 11s out back with 305/35 ZR20s. A slender-spoke alloy wheels for the R8 and optional carbon rims for the GTS would reduce unsprung weight and add mucho bling. A set of Continental ContiSportContacts all round, and you’re good to go.

1. It might have a new name (though it did appear briefly on a special edition Colorado 7) but Holden’s Trailblazer SUV isn’t all-new; it’s an extensively re-engineered mid-life facelift of the Colorado 7, with a new front (bonnet, headlights, grille, bumper), new wheels (on LTZ model), a new dashboard and fresh interior trim, giving it a much more sophisticated appearance.

2. The handsome new face isn’t just bluster – this is a significantly improved car under the skin, with thicker front door glass, additional or enhanced cabin sealing, an engine acoustic pack, new body mounts, vibration-damping transmission technology, and new-compound tyres all contributing to its refinement.

3. For an SUV riding on a truck chassis, the Trailblazer does an impressive job passing itself off as a passenger wagon. With seven airbags and a five-star ANCAP crash-test rating, it’s competitive in terms of passive safety. The up-spec LTZ model also receives forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert and tyre pressure monitoring.

4. The sole engine offered in the Australian-spec Trailblazer is a muscular 2.8-litre Duramax turbo-diesel four, tied to a six-speed automatic gearbox. Other markets have a 2.5-litre option, while Brazilian Trailblazers are available with the 3.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol V6 used in the Holden Commodore.

5. Despite obvious similarities on the surface (dashboards, front seats, door trims and exterior styling from the B-pillar forward) the Colorado ute and Trailblazer SUV are different under the skin. Where the utility version has leaf springs in its live-axle rear suspension, the wagon uses a more sophisticated five-link, coil-spring arrangement for a smoother ride and better axle location. The Trailblazer is tuned for greater comfort and is exclusively available with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Colorado offers manual and automatic six-speed ’boxes.

6. The Trailblazer nameplate was first used on a now-defunct Chevrolet SUV (1999-2009) that is completely unrelated to our version. But in Asian markets, the Holden Colorado 7 has been called the Chevrolet Trailblazer since release in 2012. Holden’s name change in 2016 simply brings our version into line with the Chevrolet-branded car.

7. The Holden Trailblazer is built alongside its Chevrolet Trailblazer twin in GM’s Rayong plant in Thailand, which opened in 1999. The Holden Colorado ute is produced in the same factory.

Iconic sports cars racing up a hill climb, a moving motor show of the latest road cars, world-famous drivers mingling casually with tens of thousands of enthusiasts… We could be describing the UK’s annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, but these are set to be future scenes from Australia’s own Bathurst 12 Hour.

England’s four-day “motorsport garden party” is providing some of the inspiration behind Supercars’ plans for the endurance race event, after it bought the rights in 2015. The grand plan is to create a full-blown, week-long festival, with a range of attractions as diverse as the nationalities competing in the increasingly popular half-day GT race.

It’s 25 years since the first 12 Hour and 2016 was a further evolution of an event that was discontinued after just four years in 1995, revived in 2007 and then morphed into an internationally established race with the introduction of GT3 and GT classes.

Supercars’ management this year ramped up the television product for Channel 7 with extra cameras and technology. Big-name brands including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan also stepped up their investment in on- and off-track activities.

“The 12 Hour race will always be at the heart and core of this event and I think the opportunity we’ve got is to grow it into an event which has a bunch of other dimensions and propositions that are interesting to people who love cars.

“The race might be interesting to some, but not for 12 hours and they might be interested in other aspects of the festival.

“If you think about Goodwood, it is a wonderful piece of inspiration as to what’s possible. I’m not conceited enough to say we’re going to turn the B12 into Goodwood … we need to think carefully what’s right for this market, what’s right for Australian fans.

Ferrari Australasia’s CEO, Herbert Appleroth, is a passionate supporter of the festival approach, acknowledging there are some perfect synergies between Ferrari’s legendary cars and the fabled bitumen of The Mountain.

“Just seeing the reaction of our clients who have driven some of the great tracks and roads of the world … to see their faces on Mount Panorama while driving across the top, you could see boyhood dreams being fulfilled,” says Appleroth.

“2016 was great for everyone to experience. People were there for the love of cars not just motorsport – and that’s what appeals to us.

This year, Ferrari had a small display of models ranging from a 246 Dino to the latest 488 and Appleroth said the company would love a future B12 to incorporate a Concorde D’Elegance-style “tailgate party” similar to Goodwood’s Cartier display. Next year he’s also hoping to take a large, 100-plus Ferrari cavalcade through the streets of Bathurst before converging on The Mountain.

With an Australian motor show, either in Sydney or Melbourne, now a seemingly permanent no-show, Ferrari isn’t the only manufacturer that recognises the potential for a far more dynamic version, albeit with fewer cars.

Goodwood refers to its version as the ‘Moving Motorshow’, which was introduced in 2010 and last year attracted 18 manufacturers. It included opportunities for punters to drive around a specially constructed course. The chance to hit the Bathurst circuit without worrying about its usual 60km/h limit was the big drawcard in 2016 for many customers.

Audi used the event to promote its new R8 supercar, while Mercedes unveiled its new AMG GT3 race car and brought 200 customers along to the event as part of its Festival of AMG driving experience that also includes the Australian Grand Prix and Queenstown Snow Challenge.

The supercar spin-off division of Formula One team McLaren is also keen to use the 12 Hour to help grow its profile in Australia. That would have been helped by an overall victory for its factory-backed Tekno team and the company is likely to return next year.

“The 2016 edition of the Bathurst 12 Hour was the best yet and was an advertisement for all that is great about endurance racing,” says McLaren’s marketing manager, Geoff Tink.

It will be joined by a works team from compatriot brand Aston Martin, which will enter a car with drivers that will include the company’s boss, Andy Palmer, behind the wheel.

Nissan is the only manufacturer of the prominent brands in 2016 to be keen to race in both of Bathurst’s major annual races, though the German and British brands clearly see a greater affinity with the race that doesn’t have a long history associated with domestic Fords and Holdens.

They will be encouraged to hear that Supercars wants to ensure both events retain their own different personalities – while no longer preventing Supercars series drivers from competing in the longer enduro, as it did controversially in 2015 before it acquired the 12 Hour rights.

“The crossover is relatively small. Of course there’s a group of people who are total enthusiasts and it wouldn’t matter what event is.”

For now, it’s difficult to see the GT3-based event outgrowing Australia’s biggest motorsport spectacle, The Bathurst 12 Hour attracted a record attendance of 37,079 in 2016. That’s a strong 14 per cent increase on 2015, though put quickly into perspective by the Bathurst 1000’s 200,000-plus figure (similar to the number of people who attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed). Television ratings are also superior for the 1000, which is run in October – eight months later than the 12 Hour.

However, with continuing grumbles from fans about Supercars coverage being restricted to pay- TV (Foxtel) and the future of the Supercars category facing question marks after Volvo’s withdrawal and Holden’s delay in committing to the series for 2017, it’s the Bathurst 12 Hour that’s currently the more likely to be in a partying mood.

It’s a common question among retirees looking to buy a new car: Spend your hard earned money on the dream car, or take the practical path to Boringville?

With the ageing population (65 and over) expected to increase to 6.2 million by 2042 and driverless cars still a number of years away, there’s going to be a lot more senior drivers on the road.

But thankfully, there are a few car features that make life for the older-gen a little easier, and safer.

Safety

• Heads up display can come in handy for those with ageing eyes. It presents the important information on the windscreen in-front of you so it’s clear and easy to read.
• Automatic headlamps are handy at the best of time, but add automatic high-beams which dim when facing oncoming traffic, and you’ve got yourself one less thing to think about when on the road, and improved visibility.
• For those with arthritic or stiff hands, push start buttons can be easier to use than having to fiddle with the keys.
• Big side mirrors can improve visibility and help avoid twisting to check blind spots.
• Automatic parking doesn’t just come in handy for people over 65. Who doesn’t want a car that can park itself?
• Also to stop the twisting when trying to see what’s behind your car, a rear view camera, or better still, a 360 degree camera can help. A feature that’s becoming standard these days.
• Blind spot warning is another active safety feature fast that can help with those pesky blind spot issue.
• Emergency braking is fast becoming a standard on cars, especially those wanting a five star safety rating. It’s a great technology that can combat slowing reaction times in drivers.

• Design is a big part of the car industry, but doors that have an unorthodox shape can make getting in and out difficult. Likewise, vehicles like coupes which have bigger doors can cause some problems in narrow car parks.
• While you might be dreaming of spending your hard earned dollars on your dream sports car, keep in mind these often sit quite low to the ground. So if you struggle with agility, it might be best to opt for a more powerful sedan which often sits a bit higher.
• And while you’re steering clear of sports cars, avoid the sport seats too. The bolsters on the side can be really uncomfortable on the hips.
• One of the more important creature comforts in a car is electric adjustable seats which can be adjusted to multiple seating positions.
• Speaking of seats, heated seats are one of life’s little luxuries. But they serve a greater purpose than just keeping your backside warm if you suffer from back pain.
• Did you know you can get heated steering wheels these days too? They come in handy when you’ve got trouble with your hands, along with thicker steering wheels.
• Most importantly, keep it simple. Cars with fiddly interiors and lots of little buttons can be frustrating at the best of times.

First published in the November 1989 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

The big Ford at last gets the four-speed auto it needed. Other subtle changes help make the 1990 Falcon a much improved car.

IT’S NOT OFTEN that a car is judged on the strength of a new automatic gearbox, but Ford is pinning a lot of hope on what has been loosely termed the EA Falcon Series II, the chief merit of which is a new automatic gearbox. This is the locally designed and locally built unit that should have been in the EA Ford Falcon from Day One.

In fact, the EA engines were specifically designed to mate with this box, which goes some of the way towards explaining why the Fords have so far never really felt or sounded happy with the three-speed auto. Indeed, the transformation is surprising, and tends to reveal things we may never have expected of the Ford overhead cam engines.

Now that extra ratios are available, there’s no longer any real problem with the engine’s torque range. There are also gains in bottom-end performance and fuel economy, and in general driveability.

The 85LE four-speed auto, four years in the making after the design was set in late 1985, was developed by BTR – the current incarnation of Borg Warner in Australia- and represents $100 million in development costs. it is an electronically controlled unit that differs mainly from other electronic boxes in the fail-safe techniques used.

Durability runs on the dynamometer now extend to 360 hours, compared with the previous 150 hours, while the shift cycles have gone from 7000 to 10,000.

The 85LE is, as Ford takes pains pointing out, a new-age transmission that offers development potential ensuring its survival to the end of the next decade. The point being made here is that Holden’s hydraulic THM700 transmission is nearing the end of its service life.

The four-speeder is slated for export markets, but the major user for the time being is Ford Australia, which will be taking 70,000 units a year – around 50,000 less than the capacity of BTR s factory in Albury, NSW.

The auto’s operation, like other new-age electronic transmissions, is a combination of electronics, hydraulics, and straight mechanical action. Predominant among the things the designers are particularly happy about – and the subject of international patents – is the twin line pressure system, each of which is operated by its own solenoid. Put in simple terms, this means each line is dedicated to more specific tasks than your average auto. One looks after general transmission operation while the other tends exclusively to upshifts and downshifts. The fail-safe aspect comes via a watchdog component in the main system which notes the time taken for the change to take place, and steps in to complete the job if it’s taking too long, signalling an incipient malfunction with a more harsh-feeling shift.

Ratios of the 85LE’s lower three gears are identical to the old box, and fourth is an 0.69:1 overdrive. To spread things out better, Ford has gone for lower final drive ratios, so there’s more bite down low while the overdrive looks after highway cruising.

Multi-point engines get a 3.23:1 differential to maximise performance, while throttle-body injection units use 3.08:1. Whatever the ratio, top gear engine speeds are down substantially multi-point autos give 100 km/h for every 1897 rpm, while the more frugal throttle-body requires only 1815 rpm for the same road speed. The old auto had the engine turning at 2450 rpm for 100 km/h. Little wonder then that Ford’s claimed economy advantages favour the highway cruise.

Most models across the range, with the exception of the multi-point GL wagon and the Fairfane, which boast improved factory test figures, are quoted as identical on the urban cycle, but all benefit significantly on the open road by anything up to 1.4 litres/100 km.

The performance aspect is interesting. Ford’s new auto still doesn’t allow the multi-point to match the lighter Holden V6 off the line, although Ford engineers tell us their overtaking brackets are superior. Count on less than 10 seconds to 100 km/h and 400 metres in under 17 seconds with an automatic multi-point.

There can be no argument that the 85LE is straight away a sweeter transmission. Shifts from first to second and second to third are smoother- no doubt a legacy of the separate line-pressure systems – while third to fourth is close to undetectable. Ford is still working on refinement of the earlier shifts, but is happy with the competitiveness of the box at this stage.

The lock-up is arranged so that it will drop out on over-run – which helps minimise jerking and other misbehaviour when a trailer is being towed – and cuts in and out much the same as a proper gear.

The downshift strategy works through the four ratios, plus the lock-up top gear, with an eye on maximum advisable downshift speeds. It is generally unobtrusive, although Holden’s THM700 is acknowledged as better in this area. The advantage with the Ford is that maximum downshift speeds are controlled on all gears, rather than just first, as is the case with the Commodore.

The selection pattern allows unrestricted movement without detent everywhere except first and reverse/park slots, and the economy/power selector switch, on floor-shift models, is on the console to the right of the T-bar. It’s on the instrument panel of column-shift models.

Although there was never any doubt the Ford would ‘be happier with a four-speed auto, it’s liXely that few would have expected it to transform the EA to the extent it has. The engine feels sweeter, less obtrusive at speed. And it works its way through the shift range more comfortably than it did with the three-speed.

On dirt roads the Ford Falcon still feels nervous, although the car’s overall handling has been improved by a host of suspension changes. A minimal slurring of the shifts takes away practically all of the harshness without dramatically affecting the continuous supply of power. Part-throttle downshifts come quickly without the histrionics some four-speed autos are prone to, and anticipate the driver pretty well. A floored accelerator will see the auto seeking out the lowest practical kickdown gear, but once again it won’t get too radical with the carefully mapped downshift strategy, even in the more responsive power mode. Flat-out upshifts occur at similar, though not exactly the same, rpm in both modes.

Essentially, the tuning of the transmission – relatively easily achieved via the electronics, to the point that a complete change in characteristics can be effected in something like half an hour – has been executed in three different modes which suit the characteristics of the models concerned; throttle-body injected sedans are aligned towards a more economical style of operation, while Fairlane/LTD and Ghia models lean towards the performance side. In the middle are the multipoint GL and Fairmont sedans.

The NVH improvement comes from more than just the fact that there are extra gears to play with, and that they’re selected more gently. Dampers attached inside and outside the driveshaft, a stiffer fixture of the engine to the transmission, a tuned mass damper, and a certain degree of compliance engineered into the system via a ‘torsional isolator’, all work together to smooth out the big Ford.

A bold further move in the cause of improved NVH in Fairlane and LTD models (and multi-point wagons) is the adoption of an aluminium driveshaft. This approach was chosen in favour of a more expensive, heavier and more complex two-piece driveshaft because it was considered better suited to lock-up transmissions, particularly during take-off and gearshifts. The 82 mm aluminium shaft from Dana in the US weighs between two and three kilograms less than a steel shaft and incorporates a tuned damper placed to minimise bending.

From outside. there’s little more than a body-colour B pillar, a couple of new paint hues, plus a rear window stoplight to give the game away. Inside it’s pretty much the same story. A few welcome touches such as the use of a spot of fabric on base-model doors, a centre console containing air ducts to the back, map pockets behind the front buckets, rear door ashtrays and new trim materials about cover it.

What’s important is the stuff you can’t see. Ford has been working away refining the EA since Job One, and although the Series II doesn’t specify any mechanical changes other than the new auto, there’s a lot that’s different about the latest Fords.

Most significant is the progressive work that’s been done on suspension. The underpinnings on today’s Falcons, from GL through to Fairmont Ghia, now differ only in ride height from the S model.

Shock absorbers have gone from 25 mm to 30 mm across the board, springs went from 40 to 45 Nm in October last year, and front stabiliser bars, now mounted more effectively, have been upped to 26 mm from 23.5 mm, an increase even for the S which originally used 25 mm bars.

At the rear there have been fewer changes. Nothing has been done to springs or dampers, but closer attention is being paid to ride height, especially in self-levelling models which have tended to kick their tails up beyond the specifications, causing warranted discontent.

Criticism of driveline snatch in five-speed manual cars has been reacted to as well. Ford’s team has worked on reducing driveline backlash by resetting the pinion nose wind-up in the rear axle, and firming the four lower-arm bushes.

Anyone who remembers how the original EA Falcons felt on the road will notice a big difference in the current model. Although some of the unsettling early model vagueness is still there, the car feels more secure, more accurate on the road – which is the positive side of a firmer, slightly less absorbent ride. The Watts linkage assists straight-line tracking ability on broken bitumen, but unsealed roads still leave the Falcon’s rear end feeling a little unhappy.

Our new generation S test car showed a tangible improvement over earlier versions, even though the changes at this specification level are less extensive than anything else in the range. Basic understeer is still there, but the turn-in feels better and the car appears less affected by weight transfer in tight, alternating right and left corners. Considering the fundamental simplicity of the Ford’s suspension it behaves well enough for a 1600 kg vehicle, although the S still doesn’t go far enough for some of the engineers and we should see a less compromised version sometime early in 1990.

The EA Falcon, Series II, is the car Ford should have given us in early 1988. it’s good enough to repair the corporate reputation damaged at the hands of a new design/development philosophy which people needed more time to adjust to, but it’s not going to do that overnight.

For it is, after all, hardly a new model and doesn’t have flash needed to drag the curious into showrooms. What it is, is an evolutionary, much improved Falcon that reinforces the old philosophy that you never, never go out and buy an all-new car as soon as it’s released. You wait until the manufacturer gets to know his product, and learns to build it properly.

And, considering Ford sells only 15 per cent or so of its Falcons as manuals, there can be no harm in having what is arguably the best auto in the class.

Victoria’s Labor Government has increased speed limits on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway as part of its recently launched Dynamic Speed Trial.

While Labor recently culled open road limits in the Northern Territory, the new trial on the Monash, which began in early July, sees the speed limit increased or decreased based on live traffic conditions between High St, Ashburton, and Glenferrie Rd, Toorak.

Crucially, limits can rise from 80km/h to 100km/h when it’s safe to do so, with existing CCTV and road sensors used to judge traffic and weather conditions. Electronic speed signs display the speed limits.

The trial is being introduced in three phases over six months and is currently in its second phase, where speeds are adjusted at night and off-peak periods. From Christmas the system will run round the clock.

It also runs alongside the recently launched Monash Speed Trial, which limits the speed of trucks to 90km/h between Oakleigh and Rowville and will see them eventually banned from the right lane.

Luke Donnellan, the Andrews Labor Government’s Minister for Roads, said it’s been done to improve the safety and efficiency of Melbourne’s roads without impact to the freight industry. Citing it will add only a minute to the travel time for trucks.

The Australian-first system might be applied to other Melbourne freeways if deemed successful.

Think it’s the right, or wrong, move? Drop your two cents in the comments below.

Porsche Australia has defended open speed limits in the wake of the Northern Territory Government’s decision to remove unrestricted speed zones.

With a landslide election in the Territory last month, the new Labor Government confirmed plans to restrict speed limits to 130km/h.

Paul Ellis, the director of public relations for Porsche Cars Australia, told the ABC the decision to slam the brakes on the NT’s open speed limits will come at a cost for international car companies such as Porsche, stumping its ability to use the roads for testing and marketing purposes.

“We’ve done a pretty good job of killing off the local car industry, the manufacturing of local cars in Australia, and now it seems the Northern Territory government’s doing its best to deter international car companies from coming to Australia to spend money and invest in the local economy,” he told the ABC.

Sturt Highway between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek has allowed motorists to drive at unlimited speeds along a 200km stretch of road since 2014 as part of a two-year trial put in place by the Country Liberal Party. In July, the government added another 100km of open limits, extending the network to 300km, removing trees, widening curves and improving signage.

But this isn’t the first time the Northern Territory has changed speed restrictions. In 2006, the NT’s then Labor Government reduced the open speed limits to 130km/h. In the six years that followed, more deaths were recorded than the six years before.

Incoming Chief Minister Michael Gunner, who had support from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, said the changes were made in favour of public safety and will be applied by the end of the year.

But Ellis still disagrees, telling the ABC: “Speed does not kill, bad driving kills. And it’s just a shame we’ve taken a nanny state approach.”

Open speed limits have long been open to debate with one school believing it reduces fatalities, while others showing concern for the safety of motorists. With speeds above 130km/h, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Denmark all record lower deaths per year compared with Australia.