In the final part of our series celebrating 30 years since Group B, rallying’s wildest era, we’re taking a look at the cars of the 2017.

The new technical regulations to be introduced in 2017 will result in the fastest World Rally Cars in history, and by quite a substantial margin.

In an attempt to make the cars more spectacular, the FIA has increased the engine restrictor size from 34mm to 36mm, which is expected to lift power outputs from the current 230kW to around 280kW.

Minimum weight will decrease by 25kg, the bodywork can be 55mm wider with greater front and rear overhangs, there is much greater aerodynamic freedom and active centre differentials are once again allowed.

The teams are tight-lipped, but it’s been suggested that this new breed of WRC cars will be up to two seconds/km quicker than the current machines, which equates to 10 minutes (!) over the 300km of competitive stages that constitute most modern rallies.

Here’s who’ll be fighting it out for WRC honours in 2017.

Volkswagen Polo WRC

The reigning world champions were first to start testing a 2017 car and have undergone an incredibly extensive program, with former world champion Marcus Gronholm handling much of the early development work.

What effect team boss Jost Capito’s departure will have remains to be seen, but VW still has the biggest budget and the world’s best rally driver in Sebastien Ogier, so has to start the year as the favourite.

Citroen C3 WRC

Citroen has ditched its World Touring Car Championship program to once again concentrate on rallying. One of the sport’s most successful marques, Citroen has taken a sabbatical in 2016 to fully focus its effort on creating the ultimate 2017 car.

It’s an odd-looking machine, the new C3 looking almost SUV-like, but with Kris Meeke as the lead driver Citroen is likely to be VW’s closest challenger. The second seat is yet to be filled, with current Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville linked to the seat.

Hyundai i20 WRC

Hyundai introduced an all-new car for 2016 just for one year, and the need to develop it slightly delayed work on the 2017 machine. This has now begun in earnest, and the all-new i20 looks like a proper weapon.

Kiwi star Hayden Paddon will be joined by Spanish veteran Dani Sordo, but they’ll have their work cut out for them keeping up with Meeke and Ogier. Likely to regularly feature in the top five with regular podium appearances, though.

Toyota Yaris WRC

It’s been almost 20 years since a Toyota graced the world’s rally stages, but 2017 will very much be a learning year for the Japanese giant. The car looks and sounds good, with team boss Tommi Makinen handling much of the early development work.

There are still question marks about the Toyota operation, with the technical director recently leaving and still no drivers confirmed for next year. Still, it’s a huge boost to the championship and come 2018 it’ll be all guns blazing.

Ford Fiesta WRC

As the only ‘manufacturer’ without full manufacturer support, M-Sport is in a spot of bother. It’s started testing extremely late, partly because the 2017 Fiesta will be a new model and cannot appear in public for a little while yet.

M-Sport make money by selling rally cars, but with the FIA restricting which drivers can drive these new rocketships, it’s currently unclear how much of an effect these new rules will have on its business model.

Still, M-Sport has been building rally cars for a very long time, so it would be unwise to write it off.

Cars of Group B: Part 1

Cars of Group B: Part 2

Cars of Group B: Part 3

My God, they don’t make ’em like this any more. Actually, they’re not allowed to.

This story first appeared in the February 2012 issue of MOTOR.

See, the Lancia Stratos HF might have been a road car, but it only really existed at all to win rallies. And win it did, with multiple World Rally Championships under its belt and a reputation for being unbeatable in the mid- and late-70s.

That it was a road car at all is purely because the racing rules of the day demanded that 500 road-going versions of a car needed to be built and sold to homologate the design for rallying. But the fact that this was a competition car first and foremost was obvious from the moment the wraps were hauled off the prototype at the Turin Auto Show of 1971.

By the time the fluoro red Turin show car had been unveiled, the Stratos was running the Ferrari-derived V6 that would be the car’s showpiece, but what many people didn’t know at the time was that Lancia had been trying all sorts of mid-mounted powerplants on for size.

The 1.6-litre V4 with the single cylinder head from the Fulvia got a look-in and so did the two-litre, DOHC four-cylinder Beta engine. But, ultimately, it was decided that only a V6 would do.And what a V6 it was.

In the 1080kg Dino the lump was good for a top speed of 238km/h, according to independent tests of the day. In the 980kg Stratos, top speed was about the same, but the Lancia could get from rest to 100km/h in under five seconds.

So tuneable was the V6 that, for racing purposes, engineers managed to extract up to 209kW from it (still 2.4 litres remember), turning the Stratos into a proper hot rod. But the rest of the Stratos package was also mind-bending.

Overall, the Stratos was a pert 3710mm, but the wheelbase was a tiny 2180mm. What’s that mean? Well, consider that a Holden Barina – a tiddler by any stretch – has a wheelbase a good 300mm (a whole foot in the old money) longer and you can see how the Lancia, with a front track of 1433mm and a rear track of 1457mm, was almost square. That meant it could change direction very quickly, but it also meant that it was a real handful on the limit. Only the very best drivers could manage to hold the Stratos in a slide.

Weight distribution was quite good, thanks to the mid-mounted V6 which was also turned around and mounted transversely (like a Lamborghini Miura) to the five-speed transaxle (also lifted from the Ferrari Dino). A ZF limited-slip diff was also part of the rally-bred package.

Front suspension was by double wishbones and coil-over units with an adjustable anti-roll bar. The rear end consisted of MacPherson struts with a lower control arm, coil-overs and an anti-roll bar. Even then it wasn’t that simple and the suspension at either end was, in line with racing practice, partly rose-jointed.

Front stoppers were Girling ventilated discs measuring 271mm and pinched by two-pot callipers, and because of the mid-engined layout throwing more mass to the rear, the anchors on the blunt end were also 271mm rotors with smaller-piston two-pot calipers. There was, of course, no servo assistance even in the road car version.

Power was up to about 265 horsepower (just on 200kW, thanks to a small bore-out to take capacity to 2444cc), there were higher-compression slugs, a heat-treated crank, two-ring pistons, high lift camshafts, 48mm IDF Webers (up from the 40mm units of the road car), electronic ignition, bigger valves, a baffled sump, lightened flywheel and, of course, a big, blaring, flame-spitting exhaust.

The five-speed gearbox remained in principle, but for the Group 4 cars (as the race cars were known), there was an interchangeable gearset that, without altering the ratio of the 40 percent-locked diff, could give a top speed of anything from 153km/h to 225km/h. And you better believe that when it was geared for 153 flat-out, it got there awfully quick.

A heavy duty clutch was fitted, the stock suspenders were diced in favour of competition units and the Stradale’s brakes were replaced by – curiously – slightly smaller 267mm rotors front and rear. The real gain, though, came with the calipers; four-pot grabbers on the front and rear, made from aluminium rather than the roadie’s cast-iron. Oh yeah, the Group 4 also got 15-inch wheels which were eight inches wide at the front and a monster 12 inches across at the rear.

THE GOOD

1. A rare racer Although reports vary, Bertone’s official claim was that only 502 Stratos’ were built. Worth a mint, too.

2. Paved the way It essentially ushered in the era of purpose-built rally cars, rather than merely converted high-volume sellers.

3. Cult following The instant success of the Stratos made it a sentimental favourite, and it’s still cooler than an eskimo’s Ray-Bans.

1. Even rarer roadie Hard to find a good one, as most have been thrashed, crashed or both. Parts and services are rare and expensive.

2. No road manners It was designed for the track, so things like rear vision and seating left a lot to be desired on daily drives.

3. Specialised weapon Extra-stiff and offset clutch and throttle pedals made it an extra-hard beast to tame for the simple everyman.

By 1974, the Stratos was homologated for the WRC and immediately started thumping everything else on wheels.

It won the Championship in ’74, ’75 and ’76 in the capable hands of Bjorn Waldergard and Sandro Munari, claiming the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally in ’75, ’76 and ’77 in the process.

It was looking good to continue its winning ways until – as is so often the case when it comes to those crazy Italians – politics got in the way.

Lancia was swallowed up by the government-owned Fiat juggernaut, whose grand plan for World Rallying called for the 131 Abarth to become the rally weapon of choice.

So, suddenly, the mighty, still competitive Stratos was on the outer for no reason other than somebody within Fiat wanting a car with a Fiat badge to be on the front page. Typical.

Just to show what a dopey move that was, a few private teams kept the Stratos going in the WRC, still picking up results as late as the early ’80s.

First published in the January 1979 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

We finally get our Aussie designed and developed Ford Falcon.

IF FORD’S new XD Falcon had appeared six months earlier – before the Holden Commodore – chances are it would have been greeted as the great leap forward – an automotive panache – by both the motoring press and the public. But the Falcon follows the Commodore, in time if not philosophy, and the superlatives that were heaped on the new Holden won’t be lavished quite as liberally on Ford’s $102 million XD. And yet in its own way the Falcon represents a greater step forward for the local car industry because it was conceived and developed in Australia and not around the world as part of a world car program. Of course both systems have their advantage – and problems – but the Falcon’s advanced plastics and electronics technology are first in the Ford world and represent the state of the art. And there can be no doubt that the new smaller, lighter Falcon with its increased room, improved fuel economy and better performance is a giant step ahead or the old Ford Falcon XC. It is as if all the criticisms of a now ageing car have been wiped away while all its virtues have been retained. It is hard, indeed impossible, not to compare the XD with the Commodore, despite Ford’s assertion that the Falcon is in a different class because it retains the XC’s wheelbase of 2818 mm – that’s 150 mm longer than the Commodore. Ford’s protests aside, the public will see them as direct competitors and rate them directly against each other – unless there is a large price difference. Those uncommitted buyers who need or want a full five-seater will go for Falcon’s greater interior width and rear leg room. But there will be many more people who will choose one or the other for private, different reasons and that is why it’s a cut-throat battle between Broadmeadows and Fisherman’s Bend.

• lt retains a long wheelbase but is only a couple of centimetres longer than the Commodore

• lt’s big inside but small enough outside to change big car thinking

• Its 3.3-litre six performs as well as the old 4.1

• lt’s lighter and more efficient

• But it’s not a car that makes you forget it’s a Ford

The Falcon’s beginnings are very different to those of the Commodore. Ford began researching its replacement ot he XA-XC Falcon in late 1973. The choices were many.

It made sense then – and it still makes sense after driving the XD in 1979.

The new Falcon still feels like a Ford. You don’t, as was necessary with the Commodore, have to look for a badge to confirm its identity. The XD is a Ford Falcon and many will be the customers who’ll appreciate that. Ford believes strongly in the healthy future of what it calls the E-car class – Falcon/Holden Kingswood/Valiant – and it sees the Commodore as a D-class car – Granada-like – and as being closer to the Cortina in size. In Ford talk the Cortina is in C/D-class, the Escort being a C-class car. But the divisions between classes are not precise and it is the extra width which really gives the XD its advantage over the Holden Commodore.

Width was required for the Fairlane/LTD models which will be built on the same, longer 2946 mm wheelbase as the Falcon station wagon. Because the Commodore is relatively narrow it’s hard to imagine GMH stretching it in wheelbase and length to create a new Statesman. Hence the General’s need to reskin the HZ.

Ford’s research shows that 35 percent of Falcons are in rural areas, that 53 percent are owned by fleet or governments and that 53 percent have tow bars. All good reasons for retaining a medium-sized five or even six-seater sedan – yes, bench seats and three-on-the-tree column gearshift live on in the XD.

But the new Falcon isn’t the slightly claustrophobic, obviously big, car of old. It is space-efficient, has improved manoeuvrability and with 20 percent more glass area has far superior all-round visibility. In fact the driver can see each corner of the boot lid from behind the wheel. The XD has 332 degrees of visibility compared to 309 degrees on the XC.

Ford Australia’s styling department developed the XD – you can trace its evolution through various clay models in our photographic study on page 93. It was never an instant car but certainly improved with every clay. Superficially, it shows a great deal of resemblance to the European Granada, especially around the nose but only the Bosch headlights are common to both. It is modern, crisp and sharper in outline than the Granada with its rounded corners and smoother edges yet the new Falcon is as European in appearance as the old XC was American. When you see the old and the new together the XD appears to be two styling generations ahead. And with a wheel in each corner there is even something of a 450SLC Mercedes-Benz about the tail.

The waistline is low, 50 mm below the XC and it is straight through and starts well below the lower edge of the windscreen, a first for a Ford anywhere. It’s a practical shape and we think Australians will like it for it retains some of the muscle and aggression that the best looking Falcons have always had but this time in a modern idiom.

After wind tunnel tests on a three-eighths model, Ford claims it has 10 percent lower drag than the XC as a result of a smaller frontal area; integral front air dam below the bumper bar; an aerofoil grille blade design which passes air through the radiator at lower speeds but directs the flow up over the bonnet at higher speeds; and the squarer styling that allows better separation of the air flow at the tail. Concealed drip gutters on the A-pillars and flush-fitting exterior mirrors reduce wind noise as well as assisting in lowering drag.

The reduced weight gives a saving of around 0.5 mpg and means better acceleration – the new high compression 3.3-litre six performs as well as the old 4.1 XC – and that the very heavy imported axle previously fitted to the 5.8-litre models could be replaced by a lighter local axle.

Injected moulding bumpers, which are stronger than steel and will absorb a four km/h crash without damaging the body or lights, saved 19 kg; the plastic petrol tank (hung outside the car) saved 11 kg; and the box of the old front end has been replaced by longitudinal members welded to the firewall for a saving of 11.5 kg.

Ford fans will pick the few carry-over items used on the XD – like interior door handles – but under the skin (apart from transmissions and modified engines and some suspension components) only the toe board panel that runs up the firewall and the centre floor panel follow the XC.

Unlike the Commodore, there have not been fundamental changes to the suspension. Many people will probably be surprised to learn the XD retains leaf springs al the rear. Certainly they loo strange hanging down below such a modern body but if our driving experience with the car is typical Ford’s engineers have refined them to new heights. Heights, we should add, which we believe don’t reach those of the Commodore when it comes to reaching new levels of ride/handling. But subtle refinement has indeed raised the art of the leaf spring suspension. And a lot of people use their car for towing, Ford will tell you.

Ford’s long lead preview for magazine editors – including Road and Track’s Editor in Chief Tony Hogg – was held in the Flinders Ranges: A tough backdrop in which to release any car and one which shows the company had a great deal of faith in its new product. Five cars (from the three-sedan/two wagon product range) were on hand for testing, but no wagons were included for the mid-February drive program.

In the new range the old 500 has been replaced by the GL, then comes the Fairmont and the new top-of-the-line model is the Fairmont Ghia which takes over that role from the GXL.

The new dashboard with its electronic instrumentation is very easy to read although we were disappointed to find the dash comes in any color you want so long as it is black. The handbrake may bring some criticism for its handle protrudes out of the lower dash and needs to be pulled out and slightly to the left of the steering. Steering wheels are soft rimmed but we found the Ghia’s two-spoke wheel rim rather too square in its forward edge. The power steering is slightly heavier – achieved by revised valving – for better feel although it doesn’t have the same is-this-really-power feel of Commodore. The manual steering still has five turns lock-to-lock but the tighter turning circle and a 10 percent faster ratio make it far more direct.

Still , the XD is not as responsive on the road as the Commodore. Tidying up the inlet ports for smoother gasflow, raising the compression ratio from the XC’s 7.8 to one to 8.8 to one and adding more spark advance has produced marked improvements in the 3.3-litre six – at the top end, anyway. With enough road, the 3.3 litre six will push the base car to 170km/h, with the only limiting factors being a long road and the realisation that the brakes are likely to lock in a panic stop. Ford claims 82kW at 4200 for the reworked six as opposed to the XC’s 75 kW at the same revs. Torque is said to be up 11Nm to 228 Nm and is reached 100 rpm lower than the XC’s 2500 rpm.

Power and torque gains in the 4.1-litre six aren’t as dramatic, with the XD,s 94 kW only 2 kW more than the XC’s 92 but arriving 100rpm sooner, at 3600rpm. Maximum torque for the 4.1 is up three Nm, at 295 Nm, and is reached 100 rpm sooner at 1800 rpm.

Both sixes and 4.9 and 5.8-litre V8s breathe through carburettors, Ford having temporarily shelved plans plans for fuel-injection for the XD. Ford engineers say injection would add $300 to the price of each car.

They also say, however, they are still assessing some of the big-name injection systems.

The most throttle-responsive of the carswe drove in the Flinders was the 5.8-litre GL manual with 2.92 diff – the closest thing you’ll find today to the old Falcon GT, pre 27A. Although it’s noisier in its S-pack form, the 5.8 manual is a rapid car.

But it’s in the area of weight saving and subsequent power-to-weight improvements that Ford’s engineers are claiming major gains for the XD. Wherever possible, weight has been pared down so that the XD weighs 116 kg less than the XC, at 1367 kg. Much of the weight saving has come from the use of plastics, moulded in Ford’s incredible plastics factory – apparently the most diversified plastics factory of its type in the world – but a lot of work has gone into re-designing many of the XD’s components in high strength low alloy steel (HSLA) and by using lightening holes in some of the panels.

As Ford engineers readily admit, “With the XC, weight just crept up on us.”

As an example of the· application of HSLA steel, the engineers saved 15.4 kg in the XD’s four doors by using HSLA single-piece door intrusion beams. The front end of the car got the lightening treatment, too, and is 11.3 kg lighter than the XC. The onus has been very much on lightweight, highly-stressed designs.

Suspension members have also been significantly changed. Front anti-roll bar diameter has been increased from 18 to 20 mm in the sixes while spring rates have been softened all round. Ford says the aim is for increased roll stiffness, softened ride and dynamic tuning of the seats. Shock absorbers have been re-calibrated to suit. Steering tie-rod ends and the tie-rods themselves have been stiffened to reduce deflections in the recirculating ball steering system.

The result is a flatter-handling car than the XC and possibly even a car with less initial body roll than the Commodore. The front will plough at the limit but the car responds well when you lift off the accelerator.

Like the Commodore, the XD is a car that surprises you when you look at the speedometer. Because so much has gone into sound-deadening in the car, you tend to drive more quickly than you feel you are. It’s the old theory – and a correct one – that to most of us speed is related to wind noise: take away much of the wind noise and you drive faster. lt’s so easy to sit on 80 km/h and think you are built-up-area legal.

lt’s also a car that encourages you to go more quickly than usual over dirt roads. Whether it’s the plastic liners inside the wheel arches or some advanced engineering Ford isn’t mentioning, there is very little gravel noise on dirt roads. Much of the Flinders drive program was over dirt roads we’d covered in the Commodore session and it seemed entirely appropriate that the XD should face the same “Waves of Destruction” section of road which surprised Editor Robinson (WHEELS, March, 1979). GMH engineers took their car over the undulating torture strip at 130 km/h with little or no trauma and while the XD was barrelled through at 120 km/h there was definite trauma. The XD may have taken the whole thing flatter but each undulation brought the car down hard on its bump stops and shook the four occupants. Not something you’d want to do every day but, as Robinson says, ”People drive through the Flinders Ranges and they meet sections of road like that.”

Ford says the XD has 332 degress visibility, helped no doubt by a 76 mm lower boot and thinner C-pillars, and the immediate impression on getting into the driver’s seat is one of airiness. The lower waistline means you see much more on either side of you, as well. The car doesn’t have the same intimidating first impression of the XC and immediately feels more manoeuvrable, simply because you can see the extremes of the car more easily.

All centre console dials and switches are clearly labelled, too, which is nice.

Ventilation and heating is through two centre-console-mounted vents and single vents at either end of the dash – the any color so long as it’s black dash. The main glovebox compartment swings down and is lockable but all models get a gaping parcel shelf above – though why it doesn’t have a sliding or movable cover of some description, we don’t know. Rather than slope downwards, the shelf is horizontal, so bits and pieces will end up in the passenger’s lap when you brake.

You’ll see from our accompanying measurements that the most startling difference between XD and Commodore interior dimensions is in shoulder room – and it feels that way. Where in the Commodore the driver can reach across and touch the passenger door (with a bit of lean), it’s a Iot further across the XD.

The new-design seats help make the interior feel more airy, too. Though we felt the new seats didn’t give enough lumbar support – especially in the lower back region – and the squab was too short, Ford’s product planning people say their research has found that’s the way people like them. A lot of people, they say, complain about a seat that gives plenty of lower back support. Ford says it’s still looking at a tilt mechanism.

Seat backs are adjustable through the range (except in the bench seats, of course) but what spoils the driving position is the too-close steering wheel. The Ford men won’t confirm or deny it but it seems the protruding steering column was left that way to accommodate the three-on-the-tree which is standard on the GL and GL wagon.

Change-up points in drive were 65km/h at 4250 rpm and 100 km/h at 3800 rpm.

Next up was a 3.3-litre six Falcon GL, with the three-speed T-bar. This was the car we wound up to 170 km/h and in which we had brake lock-up when we tried a panic stop it was no surprise, really, because the brakes felt less progressive after the Fairmont and the pedal felt lighter. This car didn’t have a tachometer but was fitted with air and the new digital clock/date readout on the console: Leave it alone and it tells the time, press a button and it shows the date.

We’ve detailed the model range further on but it- might be worth explaining that the Fairmont GXL has gone, to be replaced by the Ghia though, like the Cortina, the Ghia badge doesn’t mean the car was designed by that studio. To the Ford people, the name will represent sporty luxury, or so the product planners say. Though it’s the top equipment level, the Fairmont Ghia lacks air, a cassette .system, driver’s seat height adjustment, headlight wiper/washers and the option of central locking – all of which are fitted to the Commodore SLE.

Still, the XD Falcon represents a new level in Australian-Australian cars – cars developed and built in Australia for Australian conditions. lt is a car which doesn’t have the subtlety in dynamics of the Commodore – the car which Ford insists isn’t of the same breed but a car which Australians will nevertheless use as their yardstick for a long time. If that is the case, it’s probably significant that Ford engineers believe the Commodore is too responsive for Australians.

Only the sales figures will tell.

The XD is a very good car, a car that’s a long way ahead of its predecessor in many ways. And it is a car which will be extremely popular. Like the Commodore, Ford hopes its new Falcon will draw customers away from the European imports and into a big/small Australian car. It has aimed at making the XD an easily serviced and maintained car in an effort to make its upkeep as attractive a proposition as the aesthetics of the styling; it’s a very pretty car. Whether those aesthetics can be carried through in the XD’s LTD/Fairlane derivatives – an area of the market Ford has always dominated – when they appear late April, we’ll have to wait and see.

One Ford executive explained the LTD/Fairlane market domination as “…one of the advantages of being first on the market”. lf that’s the case, the Commodore may just have that edge, too.

First published in the May 1996 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

Wheels sits down with the guy who took one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time hostage.

In 1958, a year before Castro seized power, his followers were trying to attract international attention. It was the eve of the Cuban GP…

Arnol Rodriguez is talking about the last time he saw Fangio alive: “In February this year, a few months before Fangio died, I was in Buenos Aires and I went to visit him. He was very sick and because he was a national institution, the greatest racing driver ever, nobody was allowed to see him.

“But when I got there I was shown in and Fangio was sitting in a chair, and he was really ill. He looked up, recognised me and with a great effort tried to get up from his chair. He rose halfway, opened his mouth and said ‘Arnol’. He managed another word, ‘Cuba’, and then he slumped back in his seat, hunching his shoulders as if to say ‘I’m sorry’.

“And he could say no more.”

Arnol destroys the cloud of cigar smoke with a wave of his hand and stares into the middle distance. The memory of this last meeting still upsets him and for a moment the only sound to be heard is the splat of the afternoon Havana rain hitting the palm leaves around his terrace. Then he smiles at another recollection, this one from four decades back: “You know, Fangio told us afterwards what went through his mind when we first pointed the gun at him in that hotel lobby.

“He thought to himself: ‘I’m about to enter a dangerous curve and in this case, I’d better know how to handle the car.’”

At this, the old kidnapper chuckles.

In February 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio, five times F1 World Champion, and to many the greatest driver ever, won the Cuban GP. A year later he arrived back in Havana, intent on repeating the success, but never got near the start grid. Instead, he became the focal point of one of the strangest incidents in motor racing history when, on the eve of the race, the driver was kidnapped by revolutionaries fighting with Fidel Castro to overthrow Cuba’s dictator, President Batista.

Today the surviving kidnappers live quietly in Cuba and, after being tracked down, agreed to recount their version of the extraordinary event which, they say, helped win the revolution and deeply affected Fangio’s attitude towards racing.

Of the 13 gang members involved in the Fangio kidnap, the most important survivor is Arnol Rodriguez, who fought alongside Castro and Che Guevara and became, upon the revolution’s success, Cuba’s deputy Foreign Minister.

During the ’50s, Arnol was a student committed to the overthrow of Batista’s regime and a member of a revolutionary group called the 26th July Movement.

“When Fangio arrived in Cuba in 1958 he was already five times world champion and incredibly popular,” says Arnol. “We realised kidnapping Fangio would give us the publicity to tell the world about the corrupt regime in Cuba. Under Batista the Congress had been disbanded, universities closed and 20,000 had died. Political prisoners were murdered and tortured – it wasn’t technical but brutal: people were drowned, had their fingernails torn out, and given electric shocks. I was arrested three times. They tied me in a chair, put a wet towel over my face to suffocate me, and punched me in the stomach so that I was forced to try and breathe in.

“Fangio arrived in Havana on February 21 and we started following him. The idea was to kidnap him as soon as possible and one option was to grab him when he was walking the track.

“But the government had given him two bodyguards when he was out, so that didn’t work. Then we heard he would be having dinner in his hotel on Saturday night, and that was our last chance; it had to be that night.”

On Saturday evening, February 23, sometime between 7.30 and 8.00pm, Fangio stepped out of the lift into the hotel lobby in the Hotel Lincoln. Angel Paya Garcia, another gang member, remembers the next few minutes well: “Two of the guys, Manuel Uziel and Reynaldo ‘Papito’ Rodriguez, saw Fangio talking to some friends and decided to make their move. Uziel went up to the world champion, pointed his gun at him and told him to come with him.

“As they left the hotel, Uziel warned everyone to stay inside for five minutes as there were four machine guns pointed at the entrance. All the time Fangio remained very calm.”

According to both Angel and Arnol, the deadly serious events then began to take on an air of black comedy.

“We saw Fangio taken to one of the waiting cars and we were meant to follow behind, protecting it,” Angel recalls. “But we had trouble getting ours started and when we did get it going we set off at great speed and crashed into a car that was pulling out. Fangio’s car got away but a passing police car saw the accident and blocked the road. Quickly I got the driver’s gun off him and walked off. We met up with Fangio later.”

Meanwhile, the racing driver was being whisked to the hideaway. Almost.

“Something unexpected happened next,” laughs Arnol. “The guy driving the getaway car took a detour and stopped by his house, because he wanted to introduce the great Fangio to his wife and newborn baby. Fangio chatted to the wife and signed an autograph for the baby, then we took him to a second safe house but we couldn’t stay there because it was already being used by a wounded guerilla fighter. This guy told Fangio: “Don’t worry about anything, you’re in good hands.”

A few miles away, at No 42 Calle Norte, in an upmarket suburb of Havana, three women were worried. All members of the 26th July Movement, they had been told their house was to be used as the hideout for the great J M Fangio: “We were still talking about the risks when they walked straight in with him,” recalls Aymee Moran, one of the women. “We prepared a meal for him – steak, salad and chips followed by peaches and cream cheese and then after dinner we let him rest. We gave him my mother’s bedroom, with its own bathroom. Angel and Manuel Uziel guarded the house the whole night.”

With Fangio in their hands, the revolutionaries didn’t waste the opportunity to convince him of their cause. During the following day, members of the movement came to the house and explained their grievances to Fangio: “All the time he was very polite and controlled,” says Arnol, “and gave full attention to our explanations.”

Meanwhile, the kidnap was having the desired effect, as newspapers round the world started to pick up the story. “And out on the streets of Havana, patrol cars were screeching round everywhere, houses were being raided and people arrested. You could feel the anger.”

Everything may have been going well for the kidnappers but, as race time approached, the man who should have been on pole was locked in a bedroom several miles away.

“You could tell he was annoyed, but he never showed any anger,” says Arnol. “Around 2pm the TV was switched on so that he could watch the race, but soon after the start there was an accident and one of the cars went into the crowd, killing six people. Fangio asked for the TV to be switched off, he didn’t want to watch anymore,” says Aymee.

“Later there was one moment when we were alone, Fangio and I, facing each other, and his face was very serious.”

As the day wore on, something unexpected happened. Fangio and his kidnappers started to get on. Apart from his growing understanding and sympathy for their plight, the world champion also believed in fate, saying that racing was 25 percent luck, and now he began to feel that the kidnap had perhaps been for the best. During practice he’d complained that his Maserati 450S was slewing about on the track because of previous crash damage. “I think part of him believed our kidnap had saved him,” says Arnol. “Something was telling him enough was enough and it was time to retire [Fangio did retire later that year].

“He said: ‘Perhaps in the long run, I will have to thank you’.”

As Fangio sat in the house, listening to music and tales of Che and Fidel, the kidnappers discussed how they would release him. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“We had an informant inside the government who told us that Batista was planning to tum the kidnapping into a propaganda victory of his own,” says Arnol. “As soon as we released Fangio, Batista’s people would kill him and blame his death on us. Eventually we contacted the Argentinean embassy and arranged to make the handover late at night in an apartment it owned.”

At midnight, Fangio said his goodbyes to the women. “We were all nervous,” says Aymee. “For us, he was an idol. He said goodbye very kindly and asked for one of the movement’s flags as a memento, but we only had a small Cuban flag, which he tucked into his shirt pocket. Then he left through the kitchen door.”

“We drove him to the apartment building.” says Arnol. “When we went inside, we were facing some embassy officials and the whole situation was very tense. Then Fangio broke the ice. He smiled and said: ‘I’d like you to meet my friends the kidnappers’.

“We apologised formally and promised he would be invited back as a guest of honour at the revolution victory and then left.”

Sitting on his terrace, with the evening drawing in and his granddaughter on his knee, Arnol lights up another cigar.

“Fangio and I stayed friends and he invited me as a guest of honour to the Fangio Foundation, and in 1981 he came back to Cuba to meet Fidel and the kidnappers. I remember his brother who said on very few occasions had he seen Juan Manuel cry, but his reunion with the kidnappers was one of them.”

Puffing on his cigar, he thinks for a moment. “I don’t know if the kidnapping was a significant turning point in the revolution, but the friendship we struck up was important. He knew the admiration we felt for him. He not only forgave us, he understood us.”

Ford says there’s scope for significant sales growth of the four-cylinder version of the Mustang that continues to sell strongly off the back of the iconic V8 model.

The so-called EcoBoost 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo produces 233kW and 432Nm – similar to a V8-powered Ford Falcon from 15 years ago (220kW/435Nm) – but it doesn’t have the sound and character of the hero car.

Besides, people splurging on a Mustang aren’t usually buying to save money or find the most economical engine, so they don’t mind splashing out on the 5.0-litre V8 for the full 306kW/530Nm experience.

Little wonder, then, that almost 90 percent of Ford Mustang sales for the first 10 months it’s been on sale have been for the V8.

“What we’ve seen in mature markets like the United States is you have initial extremely strong demand for the V8 model and then, ultimately, after a while it starts sourcing from other segments rather than being a third vehicle [in the garage] or things of that sort,” says Echlin.

“We haven’t scratched the surface of the EcoBoost portion of the segment, which is priced at around $40,000.”

But Echlin believes the V8 will continue to sell strongly, too, a sign he says shows the Mustang’s unexpected sales – it sold 3118 in the first seven months of 2016, more than the Ford Fiesta, Falcon, Mondeo and Kuga – should continue to be strong once the newness of the car wears off.

Ford says it had planned to have the supercharger kit available for the Mustang by now but that it was still going through government approval as part of the Australian Design Rules process.

Echlin says there is plenty of potential for Mustang special vehicle packs (SVP) and options through the Ford Licensed Accessory program.

The current generation of Peugeot 308 made a big impression when it first launched, finishing as a finalist at Wheels Car of the Year. Now, after a lengthy wait, Peugeot has added two faster GTI versions to the 308 line-up, and they’re already doing battle in the fiercely contested hot hatch segment. So let’s see what makes them tick.

WHAT STANDS OUT

The two 308 GTI varieties are separated by power outputs and a few performance extras. Both cars are seriously quick! The normal GTI 250 makes 184kW, and with even more turbo boost the GTI 270 makes 200kW. Both versions use a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual gearbox that puts power down through the front wheels.

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Dynamically, the Peugeot 308 GTI is a brilliant car to drive and an ideal weekend warrior. Its handling is excellent, it rides well, and it has oodles of grip. It’s relatively lightweight too, at a hair over 1200kg, and its brakes, especially in the GTI 270, are super strong.

So we know it’s fast, but we shouldn’t forget the GTI’s hatchback practicality. Boot space is decent, and the interior is roomier than the old one. There’s a good set of safety features, too.

WHAT’S INSIDE

This interior is full of racey touches like a compact steering wheel with rally-style centre line on top, and supportive Alcantara-trimmed sports seats. The instrument cluster is oddly located above the steering wheel, and has a tacho needle that runs anticlockwise for some reason, but once you adjust to its position Peugeot says it’s less fatiguing to use.

Both versions have cruise control, keyless start, reversing camera, sat-nav, a big touchscreen display and even an air-conditioned glove box. Additional features in the GTI 270 include a limited-slip differential, huge 380mm carbon front brakes, 19-inch alloy wheels and unique Peugeot Sport bucket seats.

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CHOOSING YOURS

Once you’ve weighed up the opposition and decided on the 308, there’s only one more choice to make. If we were buying, we’d stretch to the GTI 270. It feels the most special and its performance will make even a Golf GTI seem a little bit slow. If that’s beyond your budget, the GTI 250 is a great package, and won’t leave you disappointed. Both GTIs have a magnetic personality and that’s something we love about French cars.

SUMMING UP

Peugeot has moved the goalposts forward with its new 308 GTI. The French hot hatch has serious performance credentials in a car you can live with every day. It’s extremely capable, well-made and more than just a one trick pony.

• Update #1
• Update #2
• Update #3

I mention this because I feel I’ve found a kindred spirit in my new long term Holden Astra. In a world of newer rivals, it too is no longer a spring chicken.

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This model first hit Aussie roads in 2012, then badged as an Opel, and will be superseded by the new-generation hatch late this year, though the coupe body style of my Astra GTC Sport is likely to remain until at least 2017. So while I may not feel it, my Astra is literally entering its twilight years.

Not that you’d know this from looking at it. After gazing at its seductively shaped body through my window for the past month, I’ve reached the conclusion that it’s the best looking hatchback currently on sale in Australia.

GTC Sport models, which slot into the upper end of the Astra range below the top-spec VXR, add bigger 19-inch wheels shod with 235/45 rubber, LED tail-lights and a sportier body kit, all of which deliver a look that’s chunky, bold and aggressive.

I especially like it in profile, and from the back, where its fat Kardashian booty reminds me of a Porsche 911. I’m even enjoying the Sunny Melon paint, which is so bright that I constantly catch the Astra’s good-looking reflection in shop windows.

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It feels young at heart too, thanks to its new-generation 1.6-litre engine. This is the same 147kW/280Nm donk that powers the new-gen Astra hatch and in my car is mated to a six-speed manual. It’s a lively drivetrain with a fat mid-range, backed up by some throaty induction noise above 5000rpm.

It’s also stronger and more tractable than I first thought. In the first weeks of ownership, I found myself dropping back to second, or even first, at roundabouts and speed humps because the donk felt lacklustre below 2000rpm. Since then I’ve learned to push through the initial deadness and now leave it in third where, after a breath of hesitation, it pulls with authority.

A month stuck in city traffic means I’m yet to fully exploit the handling balance, but early signs are it feels suitably tied down and grippy. Helped no doubt by its HiPerStrut front suspension, which separates the damper unit from the steering to reduce torque steer.

All of this gives the Astra a strong warm-hatch feeling, which is suiting my inner-city lifestyle perfectly. The taut ride has a welcome suggestion of sportiness, yet still clambers over bumps with controlled compliance. And the engine has proved thriftier than expected, its 6.6L/100km figure bettering Holden’s combined claim of 6.9L.

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There are a few wrinkles, though, most of which are inside. For example, the eight-way adjustable driver’s seat seems to move in every direction bar the one I want, which is down.

And I don’t like the long-throw gearshift, which isn’t as slick as I’d like, or the chunky gear lever that looks like a prop from Star Wars. There’s also no reversing camera, which would have been welcome given that the swoopy exterior design limits rear visibility. And I’m hoping the button-heavy central stack and finicky infotainment system become easier to navigate with greater use.

Still, these age spots are mostly overcome by the Astra’s youthful looks and character. It feels so young and hip that driving it has been a soothing balm to my fear that as I get older, my best days are behind me. The car has been much more helpful than my wife, who after listening to me complain suggested that I should “grow up”. This proved she clearly doesn’t understand me at all. “That’s the problem,” I shouted back. “I am!”

Reaching for it

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So far my chief complaint with the Astra is the placement of its seatbelts, which are so far behind the driver’s seat that only Houdini and Olympic gymnasts can reach them. Normal humans like you and are I left to lunge hopelessly over our shoulders as our finger tips graze a belt that’s tantalisingly out of reach. Front passengers fare much better, as they can simply slide their leather pew all the way back, grab the belt with ease and revel in acres of legroom.

Sliding doors

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Chief complaint #2 is the size of the Astra’s doors, which when open are so long they look like the wings of an Airbus A380. This makes getting in and out of tight spaces tricky and means every time you open a door, you run the risk of becoming one of the vilest humans in existence – someone who opens their door onto other cars. They’re heavy buggers too, and with gravity on their side close with a vice-like suddenness capable of squashing slow-moving fingers and feet.

Update #1

By Alex Inwood

THE second month of any relationship is often more difficult than the first. Mostly this is because, having already acknowledged obvious strengths and weaknesses, month two is devoted to a deeper kind of critique.

Instead of noticing your partner’s sense of style, for example, which you once thought effortless and beautiful, you begin to fixate on some not-so-smooth details. Or a slightly dumpy behind that gives the impression of having soiled one’s underpants. It’s these little foibles that can make or break a relationship. And so it is with my Holden Astra.

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Now familiar with the broad strokes of its ability, I’ve begun to delve deeper into the nitty gritty of its personality. Most of what I’ve uncovered is positive, like using the cruise control, which is not only a breeze to operate but doesn’t disengage when I press the clutch to change gears. This means that, unlike most manual cars, I don’t have to keep resetting the system every time I drive up a hill or slot into a higher gear to save fuel.

The idle-stop function is brilliant, too, and has none of the frustrating jerkiness or sluggishness of other systems. Select neutral at the lights and the Astra seamlessly shuts off the engine before restarting quickly when you depress the clutch.

I’ve also realised why gripping the leather steering wheel imparts such a strong sense of sportiness. While it might look round, it’s actually subtly shaped like a hexagon, with a flat bottom and moulded sides for your hands.

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The biggest revelation, though, has been the MyLink system. After initially dismissing it as convoluted and pointless, I’ve since familiarised myself with the idiosyncrasies of its many menus and now use it on every journey. The sat-nav is quick to react to wrong turns and rivals Google Maps for selecting the fastest route.

I’ve developed an unhealthily dependant relationship with the female tones of the voice command, which understands nearly all of my requests and reads me my text messages in a soft American accent.

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Better still, MyLink lets you respond to texts while driving. Hitting the reply button throws up a screen of pre-programmed replies, which after a month of replying to everything with “Call me, I’m driving” I’ve now discovered can be altered or rewritten altogether to suit your needs.

So, far from spoiling the relationship with crooked teeth, month two has revealed a welcome depth to the Holden Astra’s personality, to match its swoopy, good-looking exterior. I’ve stumbled across some new foibles, the most annoying being air conditioning that struggles to provide the icy coolness I’m used to from Aussie-built Holdens, but so far the positives easily outweigh the negatives.

Save it, sucker

Oh what a fuel-sucking fool I’ve been this month. After recording an impressive 6.6 in month one, I became overconfident about how efficient the Astra is. I should have remembered last month’s reading was helped by long stints on the freeway; instead I descended into lead-footed madness, racing between lights and shifting at the 6500rpm redline. Heavy traffic compounded the issue. The result was a dismal 10.4 for month two. Hopefully the next reading is somewhere in the middle of those extremes.

Update #2

By Alex Inwood

WE’VE had a turbulent month, the Astra GTC and I. Those familiar with my time with Holden’s Sunny Melon hatch will know I’m in love with its swoopy design, its perky 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and the way it strikes a sweet balance between handling and ride comfort, even on 19-inch wheels.

But this month we hit a hurdle. It arrived in the form of a tight and eerily dark underground car park where the Astra’s poor visibility, lack of reversing camera and wide 11.9m turning circle combined in a perfect, swirling storm of frustration. Let’s just say I haven’t completed that many three-, five- and seven-point turns in a very long time.

As good as that sexy, narrow glasshouse looks, it leaves you with zero reference as to the rear extremity of the car, so you’re totally reliant on the incessant beeping of the Holden Astra’s overly sensitive parking sensors.

Even when you’ve parked, the irritations aren’t over because you then have to clamber out of the thing. I’ve moaned about the Astra’s enormous doors before, but they really are heavy and cumbersome enough to taint a potential ownership proposition, especially if you live in the inner city.

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All of this is sounding rather negative, which is disappointing because the Astra has excelled and surprised in other areas.

After three months trapped in Melbourne’s choking traffic, an 1100km round trip to the Murray River town of Mildura finally gave it a chance to stretch its legs. And I can report that on the freeway the Astra chewed up the kilometres with quiet and efficient ease. Sitting in sixth for most of the journey returned a fuel figure of 7.3L/100km, the seats are comfortable, there’s plenty of useful storage and the door bins swallow two bottles of water.

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Part of the trip even saw me cram two fully grown adults into the back, and as dubious as the Astra’s coupe exterior made them feel, they soon realised the back seat not only has a supportive and deep cushion but is seriously roomy.

The one annoyance on the trip was the ride, which felt pattery and struggled to settle on sub-par tarmac. A downside to those big, good-looking 19-inch alloys.

Another bummer is that the road to Mildura is mostly straight and featureless, so I’m yet to truly explore the Astra’s dynamic ability. This really is something I need to do, not least because it’s fitted with GM’s exciting-sounding HiPerStrut front suspension, which is meant to reduce torque-steer, and a Watt’s link rear-end. I feel an early morning blast on some choice mountain roads coming up.

Eco nonsense

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It’s taken a while to figure out what the Astra’s Eco button, which sits loud and proud at the top of the button-infested centre stack, actually does. I’d prodded and poked the thing, but it didn’t seem to change anything. Throttle and engine response felt just the same. Realisation finally hit when stopped at a set of lights and

I discovered it controls the Astra’s idle-stop system. With Eco on, the system is engaged. Switch it off and the engine, and the air-con, continue to run, which is handy on hot days.

Update #3

By Alex Inwood

IF YOU read the previous update, you’ll know I finished it by planning an early morning mountain blast to properly tap into the Astra’s dynamic ability. I’d been scratching at what felt like a promising depth of talent, conveyed by the Astra’s taut, well-controlled ride and grippy front axle, but needed a proper dawn drive to see if things got better or worse when push came to shove.

Well, that didn’t happen.

The ink had barely dried on my previous report when the phone rang with bad news. On the other end was Holden, telling me the Holden Astra had to go back. “But,” I sighed into the receiver, “it’s not scheduled to return for another two months!”

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The problem was the Astra’s registration, which was due to expire later that week. “And we’re not renewing it,” was the stern message coming down the line.

So my time with the egg-shaped Astra was brutally and unexpectedly cut short. I barely had time to give it a tub and a tank of fuel before dropping the keys onto the countertop at Holden’s Port Melbourne HQ.

This left me with the task of signing off on our time together prematurely. And the twinge of sadness I felt as we parted ways showed there’s much to like about Holden’s ageing hatch.

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Its design may not be as cohesive as the short-lived Opel Astra it replaced, but its swoopy coupe profile and tough stance on 19-inch wheels still make it one of the best-looking hatches around. The new 1.6-litre turbo four, which will also feature in the all-new Astra five-door hatch that arrives here later this year, is also a highlight, especially when paired with the six-speed manual.

It’s hardly the slickest shift around, but does provide a welcome 22kW/20Nm power hike over the 125kW/260Nm auto-equipped GTC Sport.

It also has oodles of personality, especially in that bright Sunny Melon hue. It’s a surprisingly roomy and comfortable four-seater, and even sounds alright high in the rev range.

For buyers chasing the looks of a hot hatch with more manageable performance and a cushier ride, the GTC Sport offers a sweet, much more affordable, option. The harder, faster 206kW/400Nm Holden Astra VXR costs 10 grand more.

This doesn’t mean there weren’t negatives. The doors are huge and heavy, rear visibility is poor, and the button-heavy dash really is starting to feel last-gen.

That said, the Astra was faultlessly reliable during its three-month stay, and the cabin quality is top-notch, unlike Damo’s Thai-built Focus, which has a flimsy gearshift boot and a self-detaching parcel shelf. Still, at least his Focus has rego…

Euro vision

Its stint in Australia might have been short-lived, but I reckon the Opel Astra’s design is better than the Holden-badged version that has replaced it, especially around the nose. The Holden’s chrome badging looks heavy-headed in comparison and the grille, which has been cut into in order to fit the number plate and tow point, looks messy next to the Opel’s more cohesive design.

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Still, there’s no denying both are lookers. And the one carrying a Holden badge is cheaper and faster than its now-defunct Opel sibling.

On a little prayer, the C63 takes us there.

First published in the August 2016 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s most experienced and most trusted car magazine since 1953.

THE warnings came like the sky was about to break: severe weather right down the east coast, nailing Sydney and its surrounds right about when I needed to point the Mercedes-AMG C63 north to attend a mate’s boozy LA homecoming.

Now, the sensible Nathan lurking somewhere deep inside would have ignored the Cup-tyred AMG sitting in the backyard and chosen the soothing suppleness of the Ford Mondeo Titanium Ecoboost parked out front. Believe me, I did consider it. But what kind of test would that be for this four-door sports car wearing the summeriest of summer tyres?

Orthopaedic pillow packed and tunes prepped – Madonna’s Like A Prayer has stood the test of time better than you’d think – the C63 casually thundered and threaded its way, at the sat-nav’s insistence, via the Lane Cove tunnel and up through Ryde to the Pacific Hwy and the M1. Nice change, I thought, even though I have a deep mistrust of sat-nav.

Besides the rejection of Madge’s vocal stylings by the centre dash speaker, its grille buzzing to each beat as if being put through interrogation, the trip to Wamberal was uneventful. A pleasantly brisk and tuneful 120km/h cruise up the freeway, a duck into Dan’s in West Gosford for refreshments, a servo stop for chewy, and an hour and 20 minutes later I was parked. Only the speed hump I accidentally nailed at 60km/h on Old Gosford Road invaded the calm.

The way home, on the other hand, was a different story. It began innocently enough, cruising down Ocean View Drive feeling slightly dusty, intending to catch a glimpse of the raging surf, but instead treated to blankets of salt spray and a wall of white. Terrigal Drive threw a fallen tree into the mix, while Erina offered up some flash flooding, like we were in an AAMI commercial, which the Benz barged its way through.

Then came the freeway and a pounding from above. For 30 minutes from Kariong to Wahroonga, the C63’s wipers never once cooled off from maximum thrust. I had the cruise set at 120km/h but the steep climb from Mooney Mooney Bridge saw rivers of water washing across the road, making any level of auto-pilot feel disconcerting, so I flicked it off, locked my thumbs onto the wheel spokes and hyper-focused.

Soon 120 became 110, then 85 as the C63 enjoyed moments of aquaplaning and the occasional drift of the right wheels into the breakdown lane. Nothing too serious, but enough for the odd intake of breath.

To maintain our pace on a road relatively free of traffic, I stuck to the centre lane through corners just in case 120km/h of forward momentum added an unwanted diagonal component to the mix, but the C63 did a top job of keeping its cool and powering through Mother Nature’s treachery.

The living end

Having spent nearly 3000km in a BMW M4 Coupe a year ago, the difference in liveability between the M car and the AMG is quite stark. Despite its manual transmission (which I loved), the M4 seemed the sweeter of the two in full urban conditions. Softer seat padding, a slightly less rigid ride and a properly round steering wheel made up for the greater difficulty manoeuvring the M4’s longer doors. But the C63’s bad-boy personality and greater dynamic finesse are hard to beat.

Read part three of our Mercedes-AMG C63 S long-term car review.

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Price as tested: $165,610 Part 4: 373km @ 16.5L/100km Overall: 3755km @ 14.5L/100km Odometer: 6268km Date acquired: December 2015

Children are one of the deepest roots of my driving anxiety. From school crossings, to driveways and quiet family-homed streets, I’m the person who slows the car down to near-stop speeds and covers the brakes when I drive through any area I think children may be present.

You only need to look at the frequency these types of events appear in the newspaper to discover just how common this kind of tragedy is. It’s an unfortunate mistake. In a split second, two people in the wrong place, at the wrong time, can cause a catastrophe that’ll change the lives of so many people.

All it takes is for a child to be sitting out of sight behind a car playing on the driveway. Or another to suddenly chase their ball onto the usually quiet road.

Thankfully, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your kids are kept safe when there’s a car around.

Talk the talk and walk the walk

Kids live by example, and your example is one of the most influential on their life. So talk to them about road safety and follow your own rules.

Stop, look, listen and think. Look both ways before crossing the road. Always choose the pedestrian crossing. Hold an adults hand. If you do these, they’ll follow.

When in doubt, let Elmo and the RACV do the talking for you with this Elmo Stays Safe campaign:

Keep your kids in sight

Most new cars these days come with a reversing camera, or at least the option of one, and a suite of rear-alert technology, so the risk of not noticing a child sitting behind your car is not as high as it used to be. In saying that, I’ve driven plenty of cars that sometimes beep at you for the slightest of reasons, so I don’t always heed the warnings. It can also go the other way, don’t always trust the sensors to tell you if a kid is suddenly in your path.

It’s important to make sure you know where the kids are. Whether this is because they’re in a spot in front of the vehicle where you can see them, or you’ve said your goodbyes inside the house before leaving.

Leaving your window wound down when reversing out of a driveway or car park can also be beneficial, so you can use sound cues to hear if anyone is nearby or if you need to stop suddenly.

Several sources also suggest keeping your driveway and yard separate and turning your driveway into an ‘off-limits’ zone for playing or even saying goodbye.

Remain in control

While you should always have a visual on your kids, it’s important you keep the control in your hands. That’s not to say put them on a restraint, but keeping them in a pram or even just maintaining physical contact by holding hands can be the difference between them staying by your side or running out onto the road.

Yes, that also means any time you’re outside your car, your kids should be too. An average of five emergency calls to children left in cars is made each day during the hotter months. Don’t become a statistics.

1. The New Mazda3 comes in six petrol versions available in either hatch or sedan. All models can also be had with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.2. The mid-spec Mazda 3 Touring Hatch auto, tested here, costs $27,290.3. Its direct-injected 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine generates 114kW of power and 200Nm of torque. These numbers provide adequate, if not sparkling, performance. For an extra $400 drivers can upgrade to the 2.5-litre SP25 powertrain with much-needed additional oomph (138kW/250Nm).4. The Touring comes with leather trim – a classy finish for a competitive price.5. Its suspension is exceptionally smooth thanks to the smaller-than-average 16-inch wheels. Chalk up another handling win for smaller alloys and bigger tyres.6. Claimed fuel consumption is a very low 5.8L/100km. The reality, over more than 160km of stop-start city driving, was closer to 9.3L/100km.7. The Touring comes with an easy to use, intuitive multi-media system and a 7.0-inch touchscreen that also offers click-wheel controls.8. While the rear seats are comfortable for either two adults or three small kids, they lack both air vents and adequate storage options.