AUSTRALIA’S peak professional motorsport has opened the door to cars such as BMW’s M4 and even the four-cylinder Ford Mustang as it attempts to reinvent the sport and remain relevant beyond the end of local car manufacturing.

V8 Supercars announced today that it would relax and expand the rules governing which vehicles qualify for the sport, paving the way for turbocharged four- and six-cylinder vehicles to take the field as early as 2017 against existing V8-powered cars.

An important point of order, though, that allows vehicles such as the M4 to compete, is the stipulation that a vehicle must have at least four seats – not the traditional five that the crop of current-generation cars adhere to.

According to V8 Supercars, the “Gen2” Supercar will need to be loud, look like the road-going version on sale here, use Car of the Future chassis and control components, and adhere to strict engine and aero parity rules.

“The cars will continue to be loud and high powered, irrespective of their engine configuration,” a statement from V8 Supercars said.

“The competitiveness and dynamic racing the sport is renowned for will not be compromised.”

V8 Supercars chief executive James Warburton said the sport had to change to stay relevant, particularly if it wanted to attract a younger audience.

“The current climate in world motorsport is absolutely clear. Manufacturers want choice in what they go racing with, otherwise they won’t participate,” he said.

“They want their DNA represented and so do we. We will not compromise our DNA – fast, loud and fierce racing.

“The sheer brute power and sound of V8 Supercars is synonymous with the sport,” Mr Warburton said.

“A key area will be retaining the acoustic effect of high-powered race cars no matter the engine or make.”

Over the next 12 months, two working groups will focus on engines and bodies to draft technical specifications and rules to ensure “no engine or body configuration has any advantage or disadvantage over another”.

By mid-2015, the group will have draft rules in place that will allow testing to take place in February, 2016.

One thing that has not yet been flagged, though, is a what name the motorsport division will wear once the string of four-, six- and eight-cylinder cars join it.

Cars are

NEW vehicle sales cracked the magic one million in November, as the industry starts to lose some heat in the run to the end of 2014.

More than 1.016 million new vehicles were registered to the end of November the latest VFACTS data shows, with sales for the year so far down 2.2 percent compared with the same period last year. Sales are more than 23,000 behind the 11-month period to November last year when Australia posted a record 1.136 million sales.

November also saw Hyundai outsell both Mazda and Holden, ranking it second behind market leader Toyota, which alone accounted for almost one in five new vehicles sold.

Hit hardest were sales of city cars such as the Holden Barina Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Micra. Buyers switched off and cut the segment’s sales in half compared with the same month last year –it’s also down 30.3 percent on year-to-date sales.

By contrast, Australia’s love affair with small SUVs continued, with the segment up 17.5 percent year-to-date, with models such as Hyundai’s ix35 and the Mitsubishi ASX – and even the higher-priced new Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class – catching buyers’ eyes.

The wait for new models from Ford and Holden – a new Falcon and Territory went on sale this month, while a refreshed Commodore range went on sale last month – has the local manufacturers plumbing new depths.

Only 7561 new Aussie-built vehicles were sold in November, a 36.2 percent hit compared with the same month last year.

Holden’s Commodore only managed to attract 2200 sales for the month, snaring fourth spot on the bestsellers’ list, while the Cruze small car dropped completely out of the top 10 list with just 1393 sales.

Ford’s Falcon sales rebounded slightly to 411 units, meaning it was outsold by the Ranger ute, Focus small car, Fiesta city car, Kuga small SUV, and even its locally made stablemate, the Territory mid-size SUV (679 sales).

The Falcon woes are nothing compared with Toyota’s six-cylinder rival, the Aurion. That fell to just 336 sales for the month, sliding 44.6 percent compared with the same month last year. Year to date, the V6-engined large car is down 25 percent.

Toyota’s four-cylinder and hybrid Camry fared better, selling 1981 units for the month, down 16.6 percent compared with November last year, but only down 7.8 percent in year-to-date performance.

In the battle for outright sales, the Mazda 3 small car has wrested the monthly bestseller title away from Toyota’s fleet-friendly Corolla, with its tally of 3499 for the month out-pacing its rival by 235 units. The rivals are neck-and-neck for 2014 line honours, the Toyota only 679 units head in the race at 40,189 to the end of November.

A surprise entry in the top 10 brands list is Mercedes-Benz, which has nibbled away at Honda’s position to slip in at the bottom of the table for November.

It had a gangbuster month, with sales up 32.6 percent compared with November 2013. Strong performers included the new C-Class sedan (817), A-Class small hatch (421) and CLA-Class (397) small sedan, with its recently refreshed ML-Class (341) also bolstering the monthly tally.

In terms of buyers, mums and dads, and government departments are keeping their wallets shut, with passenger-car sales falling more than 17 percent in both segments compared with last November.

The winner – again – was the SUV segment, attracting 7.3 percent more private buyers, 8.3 percent more business buyers, and 4.5 percent more government buyers for the month.

BMW’s innovative i3 hatchback has now joined the electric car showroom, and sales in the segment are up by a third for the month compared with last year. Unfortunately, the i3 is not part of BMW’s November sales data so we’ll have to wait until December to see how it performs. As at the end of November, 108 electric vehicles were sold here.

In terms of other fuels, private buyers are still shunning diesel, LPG and hybrid vehicles – unless they come wrapped in an SUV shell, where sales are bubbling along strongly.

Other hot market sectors include sports cars priced from $80,000 – the hunting ground of the two-door BMW 4 Series range and the older Mercedes C-Class and mid-size E-Class coupes – up by more than 18 percent year-to-date.

If you don’t think there’s much money kicking about, think again, as the upper-large car segment – models costing more than $100K – has more than doubled so far this year. Sales in the segment are led by the likes of Maserati’s Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, the refreshed Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine, BMW’s 7 Series limo, and the equally corporate Audi A8.

Also doing well are people movers – think the new Honda Odyssey, Hyundai’s van-based iMax and the soon-to-be-replaced Kia Carnival – up by 12.5 percent over the same 11-month period.

According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, which compiles the monthly sales data on behalf of participating car brands, the Australian market is on track to sell about 1.086 million vehicles in 2014 – down about 50,000 sales on 2013’s result.

TOP 10 PASSENGER CARS FOR NOVEMBER 2014

TOP 10 BRANDS FOR NOVEMBER 2014

With four seats, the ForFour has double the passenger capacity of the stubby Smart ForTwo. But unlike Smart’s first attempt at a larger car a decade ago, this one sticks with the brand’s trademark rear-engine and rear-drive layout.

WHAT IS IT? Product of a city-car collaboration between Daimler, owner of the Smart brand, and the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the Smart ForFour is the same car under the skin as the quite differently styled new Renault Twingo.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT Smart’s future here is unclear. Mercedes-Benz Australia must soon decide whether to withdraw the brand from the market or commit to importing the new-generation Smarts. Driving the ForFour (and ForTwo) at the recent European launch was a chance to answer this question: Should they stay or should they go?

MAIN RIVALS Forget comparisons with cut-price micro-horrors like the Holden Barina Spark and Suzuki Alto. Instead, think Fiat 500 design stylishness plus the thorough German engineering of the discontinued Volkswagen Up. But with the engine in the back, not the front.

THE WHEELS VERDICT Premium-priced city specialist that’s quite good at what it’s been designed to do. But the ForFour would be more fun to drive if it felt, well, more rear-engined.

PLUS: Ride; interior class and cleverness; overall refinement; turning circle; new double-clutch auto MINUS: Slow and feel-free steering; handling; fat A-pillars; expensive

THE WHEELS REVIEW SMART’S new ForFour isn’t the first. The Daimler-owned city-car specialist did it once before, in 2004.

That car was essentially a front-drive Mitsubishi Colt wearing a thin veneer of Smart-ness. Built in a factory in Holland jointly owned (at the time) by Mitsubishi and Volvo, it shared nothing in common with the contemporary ForTwo. It failed to sell and was dropped after only two years.

This time round, Smart has done something smarter. The second ForFour shares drivetrains, major interior components like the instrument panel, and much of its body and chassis structure with the third-generation ForTwo.

Thanks to a co-operation deal inked between Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the new ForFour is also a technical twin of the equally new Twingo. Both are manufactured at a Renault factory in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. (There’s no Renault relative of the two-seat ForTwo, which continues to be made in Smart’s own plant in Hambach, France.)

Although the rear-engine and rear-drive layout has been out of small-car fashion for decades, it’s been a trademark of Smart’s stubby two-seaters since 1998. And it makes good sense for the revived ForFour.

With the engine tucked between the rear wheels, the front wheels are free to swing through a greater steering arc. The new ForFour is just under 3.5 metres long (70cm longer than the ForTwo) and has a turning circle of only 8.7 metres.

This isn’t the Smart’s only trick. The ForFour may be tiny, but its rear doors swing open to almost 90 degrees for easy access. While the pair of rear seats isn’t sprawlingly roomy, there is a lot of useful space inside.

Smart’s new 52kW 999cc naturally aspirated and 66kW 898cc turbo three-cylinder engines are related to the Renault triple in the Clio IV. The French company redesigned their engine, tilting it 49 degrees from vertical to fit beneath the rear cargo compartment floor.

Smart, working with transmission specialist Getrag, handled development of the new six-speed double-clutch transmission, which weighs only 68kg. There’s also a five-speed manual.

The larger but less powerful atmo 1.0-litre seems a sweeter engine than the 0.9-litre turbo, with more precise throttle response. But the extra thrust of the elastic little 0.9-litre turbo was welcome among rushing Spaniards in Barcelona.

On roads outside the city the ForFour was easily able to cruise quietly at 120km/h. Ride comfort is remarkable for something so small, too, but the handling fails to deliver any of the snappy agility expected from a rear-engined car and the electrically assisted steering is slow, light and lifeless.

Smart’s engineers have set up the suspension – front struts, de Dion axle at the rear – for safe and sound understeer, but the steering fails to inform of the onset of front-end slip. It could have been so much better…

Where the car succeeds most emphatically is design. The interior is a colourful environment that’s visually entertaining and remarkably useful, while the two-tone exterior offers ample scope for self-expression.

It’s a very different city-car formula than the cheap and cheerless fare Australians are used to. In the new Smart four-seater you can see, hear and feel reasons to pay more for something so small, even at the potential $22,000 starting price in Australia for the 1.0-litre engine with five-speed manual combo.

Unlike the first ForFour, this one deserves to survive.

SPECS Model: Smart ForFour Engine: 898cc 3-cyl, dohc, 12v, turbo Max power: 66kW at 5500rpm Max torque: 135Nm at 2500rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual Weight: 995kg 0-100km/h: 11.2sec (claimed) Fuel economy: 4.3L/100km Price: $24,000 (estimated) On sale: TBA

Ford will no longer offer factory support to V8 Supercars teams from 2016.

As reported by sister mag Auto Action a statement from Ford Performance Racing confirmed the Blue Oval’s departure from local racing.

FPR CEO and team principal, Tim Edwards, said of the decision: “Ford Australia’s decision to not extend its commercial relationship with our team beyond the end of next season is extremely disappointing for our large and loyal fan base, but as a business this decision now allows us to concentrate on our long-term future.”

Ford Australia’s withdrawal is unsurprising given local production of the Falcon will cease by October 2016 at the latest and General Marketing Manager David Katic’s recent comments that while V8 Supercars is part of Ford’s heritage, he believes it has little to no effect on road car sales.

Edwards stated that FPR intends to run its Car of the Future Falcons in FG X guise next season and possibly in 2016 before V8 Supercars undergoes major regulation changes in 2017.

V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton has previously promised that he would reveal the next generation technical rules by this weekend’s Homebush season finale at the latest.

In a strange coincidence, the last time Ford pulled out of local touring car racing was following Allan Moffat’s famous Bathurst victory in 1977, just as Ford’s latest decision comes on the back of Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris’ sensational victory at this year’s Bathurst 1000.

Mid-life update of the Volkswagen Polo GTI adds a huge dollop of driver appeal. Highlights are a new, more powerful 1.8-litre turbo engine and the return of a six-speed manual option.

WHAT IS IT?: Performance version of popular European B-segment hatchback. The GTI is lower, more powerful and sharper handling than anything in the standard Polo line-up. More expensive, too, but the return of a manual version means a lower starting price than the current, auto-only Polo GTI.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT: This major mid-cycle update of the hottest Polo will be out soon in Germany. The official European reveal in Spain was our first chance to sample the improved GTI, months ahead of its Australian launch in the second quarter of 2015.

MAIN RIVALS: Ford Fiesta ST, Peugeot 208 GTi and Renault Clio RS200 Sport

THE WHEELS VERDICT: This punky little brother to the Golf GTI could have what it takes to challenge established small hot-hatch favourites

PLUS: New 1.8-litre four; choice of transmissions; agility; five-door flexibility MINUS: Interior presentation; stiff ride; Australia won’t get adjustable dampers

THE WHEELS REVIEW: COMPARISONS will inevitably follow the new Polo GTI’s launch in Australia around May next year. They will settle the question of whether the updated version of Volkswagen’s small hot hatch packs enough heat to torch the reputations of the Ford Fiesta ST and Renault Clio RS200 Sport.

Volkswagen has dropped the previous Polo GTI’s turbocharged and supercharged 1.4-litre four, replacing it with a turbo-only 1.8-litre to neatly leapfrog the 1.6-litre turbos of the Fiesta ST and Clio RS200.

The new Polo GTI engine is a short-stroke version of the iron-block 2.0-litre turbo four in the Golf GTI, sharing the same cylinder bore and spacing dimensions.

The 1.8-litre’s 141kW maximum is a 9kW increase compared with the old Polo GTI and competitive with the Fiesta ST and Clio RS200. But its extra capacity brings a significant torque increase, jumping 70Nm to 320Nm, at least in manual form.

Volkswagen offers Polo GTI buyers a choice between six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmissions, something neither auto-only Ford nor Renault do. Volkswagen Australia plans to offer the manual version at a competitive, sub-$28,000 price.

Despite the version of the engine that’s teamed with the DSG having a serious torque-ectomy, this doesn’t dent the maximum power figure (see sidebar) and an identical 0-100km/h time of 6.7sec is claimed for both variants.

The 1.8-litre turbo is a charmer. It’s refined and smooth, but its voice grows growly approaching the 6000rpm redline. There’s no doubt the high-torque calibration of the engine delivers snappier response and greater thrust in the middle of the rev range. But the low-torque version is anything but sluggish, and the seven-speed double-clutch is a sweet match. In Sport mode, the DSG does a great job of shifting gears when driving hard.

Volkswagen hired the Circuit de Valencia for the Polo GTI launch, and the seven-speed DSG shone on the track. It snatched higher gears at the right time and made perfect, throttling-blipping downshifts when braking for the Moto GP track’s tighter corners.

But the chief reason Volkswagen wanted track time was to highlight new suspension and chassis technology. This Polo GTI is the first to offer adjustable dampers. The Sport Select suspension, with its two-stage Bilstein dampers, is the centrepiece of the optional Sport Performance Kit package. Its presence in the Polo GTI is signalled by a Sport button in the row of switches between the central face-level air vents and the infotainment screen. In Germany, the package costs just €285 ($A420).

Stabbing the Sport button switches the Bilsteins from sporty comfort to stiffly sporty, increases the electric steering’s weight, sharpens throttle response, switches the DSG (if fitted) to Sport mode, and adds drama and volume to the engine note with a sound actuator.

Around the racetrack, the Polo GTI is fine fun in Sport mode. The car is agile and responsive, with decent front-end grip, good sensitivity to throttle adjustments and a pleasant bark to go with its bitumen bite. Switched to normal mode, the Volkswagen feels doughy, with way too much understeer for track enjoyment.

But the advantage of the Sport Select dampers and Sport Performance Kit package is made obvious by sampling a Polo GTI without it. On public roads the standard dampers are borderline brutal. The optional suspension’s normal mode is more comfort-oriented, according to chassis tuning engineer Karsten Schebsdat.

Except for its ride, the standard Polo GTI possesses real public-road prowess; great steering, excellent agility, strong brakes, entertaining drivetrain. The affordable optional suspension promises amelioration of the car’s one obvious dynamic shortcoming, plus amplification of its talents.

Volkswagen Australia, we hear, plans not to offer the Sport Select and Sport Performance Kit package for reasons of cost. If true, this is a grave mistake, one that could affect the outcome of those inevitable comparisons…

SPECS: Model: Volkswagen Polo GTI Engine: 1798cc 4-cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power: 141kW @ 4200rpm Max torque: 320Nm @ 1450-4200rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Weight: 1272kg 0-100km/h: 6.7sec (claimed) Economy: 6.0L/100km (EU) Price: $28,000 (estimated) On sale: May

V8 SUPERCARS: Marcos set for Homebush

WITH the 2014 V8 Supercars title already resolved and the crown plonked on the head of Jamie Whincup, prime interest in the final round of the year at Homebush next weekend centres on the return of Marcos Ambrose.

It is one of the most asked questions in motor sport: How will two-time champion Ambrose fare after nine years away in NASCAR?

The man himself talked down expectations, before, during and after giving his Xbox DJR Falcon two days of testing at Queensland Raceway in preparation for the Sydney NRMA 500.

Ambrose has been at the DJR team headquarters at Staplyton, getting to know his new engineers and mechanic, and says his focus is on next year and the opening race, the Clipsal 500.

Chatting after the completion of the test, Ambrose said: “Really, the hardest part to get comfortable with is [to] get the brake zone deep enough. I’m learning the new shifter as well, the sequential box – something new for me.

“The car feels pretty comfortable to hustle around the track here. It’s been hot every day we’ve been out in the car, so the grip level’s not there – but the speed will come when we get good track condition.”

Getting specific about the Homebush weekend, Ambrose admitted it’ll be a jump in the deep end. He’s never raced at the street circuit, not that this should trouble someone of his vast experience.

“[I’ll] just try to survive Sydney, but I’m learning all of that stuff that I won’t need to when I get to Clipsal. So it’s certainly fast-tracking our 2015 campaign.”

SPORTSCARS: The Hulk for Le Mans

NICO Hulkenberg will race for Porsche in endurance races at Spa and Le Mans next year.

The German ace will become the first active F1 driver in five years to race in the world’s best-known sports car classic.

The 27-year-old has been granted permission by his Force India F1 team to moonlight in the six-hour race at Spa on May 2 and the 24-hour race at Le Mans on June 13-14.

“Porsche and Le Mans – this combination probably attracts every race driver,” said Hulkenberg.

“I’ve been a Porsche fan for a long time and have been watching their return to the LMP1 class closely. The desire grew to drive that car at Le Mans.

“I am very pleased the 2015 F1 calendar allows for it and I’m grateful to my Sahara Force India team’s generosity to let me go for it. Now it’s up to me to work hard to satisfy both commitments.”

Hulkenberg’s signing for Porsche has done little to quell speculation that former world champion Jenson Button will also be part of the 2015 squad.

V8 SUPERCARS: Bathurst 12-Hour clash goes global

IT SMACKS of pettiness, and it may bite the perpetrators on the bum(s).

The insistence of V8 Supercars and its telecaster Fox/Ten that its official and mandatory pre-season test be staged on the same weekend as the annual 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour sports car race has whipped up a fury that has now gone global…

Until recently, it was only the local media and fans infuriated with the seemingly malicious determination of officialdom to prevent V8 Supercars stars Craig Lowndes, Rick Kelly and others driving in the 12 Hour.

But the rank stupidity of the gaffe has not gone unnoticed by people outside Australia.

Getting all heated last week was US website Beyond The Flag, on which writer Adam Johnson roundly blasted the perpetrators of the ban, asking several pertinent questions including why the hell would you NOT want your top drivers to showcase your series in other races?

Johnson pointed out that in the 1960s and 1970s, race drivers were jack-of-all-trades. On any given Sunday you could see grand prix drivers running NASCAR, British touring cars, Trans-Am, sports car racing, even motorcycle racing if you were Mike Hailwood. And fans loved this inter-breeding between series.

Certainly local V8 fanatics last year relished the sight of Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Rick Kelly, Will Davison and others racing the exotic GT3 weapons wheel-to-wheel with international aces such as Mika Salo.

They were looking forward to a re-run of this exciting scenario in February.

Warming to the task, Johnson used V8 Supercars’ own rules from a past race weekend to hammer James Warburton’s troops even harder.

“Let’s not forget, less than two years ago the Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercars event had a rule in place which made it mandatory to have a co-driver from an international motorsport series, which saw the finest from Indycar, WTCC, ALMS and more all came to play on the sunny beaches,” he wrote.

If not long ago they wanted the world to come play in their garden, why are V8 Supercars now banning their own drivers from playing with their neighbours? Johnson asks.

There is much sensitivity about the new V8 Supercars TV package, which has led to the ban of drivers double-dating on that weekend in February.

For the first time, in 2015 the V8 races shown live on a free channel will be limited to six marquee events, the rest bundled into a highlights package shown in the late afternoon.

Fox is making a big deal about its coverage, which includes all practice sessions, qualifying and races – live – but the new TV deal has embittered hundreds of thousands of fans accustomed to watching their racing live on free-to-air channels. They are unhappy about the idea of paying for what they have been getting for nothing.

Some observers also believe V8 Supercars is simply very worried about the potential of the Bathurst 12 Hour, much of which will be telecast live (and free) on the Seven Network.

V8 Supercars Australia has been defending the indefensible while CAMS, which should have done something to prevent the clash, is doing SFA.

Fans and the drivers are the losers in this bitchiness.

Nissan’s global motor sport boss, Darren Cox, who was hoping to employ Rick Kelly to again race a GT-R in the 12 Hour, recently hit out at V8 Supercars in an interview with Radio Le Mans.

“It’s another case of the politics getting in the way of sport,” Cox said. “I think there’s only one loser and that will be the sport, unfortunately.

“If V8s think they’re the only game in town, then things are changing down there and I think the Bathurst 12 Hour will only grow and grow.

“I think V8s taking them on is the wrong thing to do. I think there’s room enough for both championships. This one will rumble on, I think.”

Mark Webber and Eric Bana have also joined the rising chorus of critics while writer Johnson suggests V8 Supercars is moving perilously close to scoring perhaps the biggest PR own-goal in history.

Fuming motor sport enthusiasts – and this includes an army of V8 Supercars supporters – are adamant their support on that February weekend will be with the Bathurst 12 Hour, which has a growing entry by the day and is becoming increasingly irresistible to genuine fans of motor sport.

V8 SUPERCARS: Wall for Volvo

VOLVO has confirmed David Wall as the second driver for the factory Polestar/Garry Rogers Motorsport squad for 2015.

When Wilson Security moved its sponsorship recently from Dick Johnson Racing to Volvo/GRM, it was logical that Wall, who has enjoyed ongoing support from that company, would follow.

Wall replaces Robert Dahlgren, who will return to Sweden after next weekend’s racing at Homebush.

In further developments, 26-year-old Queenslander Ash Walsh will drive in the main game for Erebus AMG next year, replacing Lee Holdsworth, who has signed on with Ford’s Charlie Schwerkolt Racing.

V8 SUPERCARS: You truckin’ beauty!

DEFYING a tough economic landscape that has seen a number of prominent sponsors abandon V8 Supercars – including Norton, Lockwood, Jen-Weld and yet-to-be-confirmed Ford – Brad Jones Racing has reversed the trend and snaffled a multi-year naming rights deal with Freightliner, a Daimler brand.

BJR, respected for fighting above its weight throughout a 25-year stint in many theatres of motor racing, will swap the Lockwood for Freightliner on Fabian Coulthard’s Commodore from the start of next season.

The expanded deal came on the back of a 2014 season that saw Freightliner supply BJR with prime movers.

The Freightliner Racing naming rights sponsorship will run for a minimum of three years.

“There are strong parallels between the V8 Supercar audience and Freightliner trucks,” said Daniel Whitehead, managing director of Daimler Truck & Bus in Australia.

“Freightliner trucks are as traditional as the much loved Aussie V8 sedan; big and powerful that cover huge distances with ease.”

MARK Webber was badly shaken but otherwise unhurt in a huge shunt that destroyed his Porsche 919 Hybrid in the closing stages of the Six Hours of Sao Paulo – the final round of the World Endurance Championship – at Interlagos this morning.

Running sixth with 26 minutes remaining, Webber lost the #20 Porsche at the flat-out turn that swings on to the start-finish straight and crunched the wall.

Rescue and medical staff took time to carefully extract Webber from the remains and clean up the wreckage of the Porsche and another car caught in the crash, a Ferrari driven by Matteo Cressoni.

The race finished under the safety car with Webber’s team-mates Neel Jani/Marc Lieb/Romain Dumas landing the first WEC victory for the returning Porsche factory squad, while Toyota sealed the manufacturers title.

Late rain added to the drama and intrigue at Interlagos but only heightened the intensity of the battle; with 90 minutes remaining the LMP1-H fight was still raging with all manufacturer entries in contention.

Webber’s Porsche, with co-drivers Tim Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, controlled the early stages of the race until a problem with the car’s ERS cost a couple of laps. Then came the crash.

Webber was stretchered to the infirmary but gave the thumbs up.

Anthony Davidson/Sebastien Buemi took second place for Toyota, while Le Mans superstar Tom Kristensen finished his brilliant professional career with a podium in the Audi he shared with Lucas di Grassi and Loic Duval.

Davidson and Buemi had already secured the World Endurance Championship for drivers so the final race of 2014 focussed mainly on the manufacturers battle, the Japanese giant leading Audi by 40 points (with a maximum of 43 available to the Germans).

Qualifying brought a milestone for Mark Webber, the first time since his Porsche WEC career phase begun that his #20 919 Hybrid nailed pole.

The WEC qualifying is decided by the combined average of each driver’s fastest two laps.

“I was driving way over the top in the first session here,” Webber said. “I was braking too deep and expecting too much of the car, so I had to really peel it back, and then Timo [Bernhard] really put the session back on the rails and showed what the car could do. The tyres weren’t too bad when I got back in and I was pretty confident we could improve the average, which we did, and I was really happy with my last lap.”

But, as Webber already knew, the real contest happens on Sunday.

RESULTS

Teacher’s pet. Having taken a rest from massive growth over the past decade Mazda is poised to jump back on the horse and get the chart pointing north again. There’s little reason to doubt the CX-3 will be anything other than another class leader from a brand doing so much right.

Rank*: 3rd Sales*: 83,867 (-2.7%) 2014 sales forecast: 98,000 Wheels prediction for 2015: 2nd *To end of October 2014

FEW brands selling cars in Australia have had as many reasons to pop the champagne corks as Mazda since the turn of the century. It was the first import-only brand to crack 100,000 sales, and the Mazda3 was the first imported car to top the local sales charts.

More impressive is the long-term growth from a brand that has religiously stuck to its “Zoom-Zoom” marketing philosophy. While the brand is on track for its second successive year of lower sales – just – it has otherwise been on a steadily upward path since 1999.

The key appears to have been consistency, listening to customers and getting the basics right.

While there are plenty of segments Mazda doesn’t play in, it tends to be extremely strong in the ones it does. The Mazda 2 and CX-5 lead their segments, while the Mazda 3 is consistently one of the top two selling small cars. And the Mazda 6 is a clear number two in the medium segment, beaten only by the locally-produced Camry.

Throw in almost 15,000 ute sales and a few thousand from the ageing CX-9 and Mazda’s annual total is one many are jealous of.

Some older models in the last couple of years have taken the gloss off the growth, but the overall tally has been one of envy for many rivals.

OPPORTUNITIES

FROM one big year to the next: Having ushered in all new 3 and 6 ranges over the last few years Mazda more recently replaced its 2; the impressive light car will get to prove its mettle in 2015 and has the substance to maintain its segment-leading ways. The update to the 6 unveiled at the LA motor show will arrive here early in 2015 bringing styling tweaks and more equipment. Inside, too, the 6 gets a major update with much of the upmarket infotainment controls from the Mazda3. Similarly, Mazda’s CX-5 will get a facelift to maintain interest and improve the value equation, again picking up the revised interior systems and better controls. Then there is the all new MX-5, a car that’s been eagerly awaited – short of the conspicuously absent RX models it is the image hero in the Mazda lineup ¬– and represents the biggest change to the two-seat roadster since its introduction in 1989.

CHALLENGES

FEW brands have as many targets on their backs as Mazda. Having barely put a wheel into a kerb for the best part of two decades, Mazda has the all-important, more lucrative private buyers queuing up to own one.

If you added up the brands keen to take a chunk out of Mazda’s market share, and how much they each wanted, there would be no pie left to carve up.

Top of the list is Toyota, which is eager to claw back the sales Mazda has stolen from it over recent years. The battle to keep Corolla at the top of the sales charts is testament to that, while the CX-5 – Australia’s best-selling SUV – is another model that Toyota would love to take down with its RAV4, the car that popularised the light duty SUV segment back in the 1990s. The rest of the market is also trying to work out how to emulate Mazda’s successful formula.

Subaru, too, could inflict some damage on the fickle mid-sized market with its new Liberty.

Hyundai is also an emerging threat; the South Korean brand is consistently attracting buyers who previously would have tended towards Japanese brands – and that means some would-be Mazda customers.

Volkswagen is a brand that also potentially talks to Mazda’s buyers; once it moves on from its recall-induced sales downturn it could prove harmful.

But Mazda’s challenges are not just external. It also faces the likelihood of sales cannibalisation. The Mazda 3 has been running hot and it’s likely some of those would-be buyers may consider a CX-3 instead.

One bonus could be the imminent implementation of the Japanese free trade agreement, which would allow more margin (which could translate to extra equipment or lower prices) on some important models, including the 3, 6, CX-5 and CX-9 (the Mazda 2 and BT-50 are out of Thailand, where there is already and FTA, so the five percent import tariff on Japan-sourced models doesn’t apply).

Grade: A+

– Back to The Wheels Report results

RESULTS

Needs to apply more in light of intense competition. Share has slipped but Toyota retains solid grasp on number one position. Growth tricky to come by but recently updated Yaris and new HiLux and Camry should keep competitors at bay in key segments. If all else fails, marketing prowess should provide worthy safety net.

Rank*: 1st Sales*: 168,491 2014 sales forecast: 197,000 Wheels prediction for 2015: 1st (by 60,000 bumpers) *As at October 2014

TOYOTA has dominated the Australian market for more than a decade. In 1996 it was outgunned by Ford and Holden but by 1997 it had overtaken Holden to sit behind Ford in the sales race.

While the two traditional combatants worked out ways to muscle sales off each other – relying heavily on their main weapons, the locally produced large cars – Toyota not so quietly assumed the number one spot in 1998. A tussle with Holden ensued over coming years but since 2003 Toyota has remained unchallenged, at one stage commanding almost one in every four new vehicle sales.

The Japanese brand’s market share has since slipped, but the grasp on that top sales spot has never been firmer – a bit like Mercedes in Formula One this year as its rivals fought over the minor placings.

Toyota has never abandoned its goal of achieving 25 percent market share, however unrealistic that may seem in a mature market with 60-odd car brands and 1.1 million annual sales.

In 2014 Toyota has shed more share, but still commands 18.2 percent of the market. It also sells the country’s most popular car – the Corolla small hatchback and sedan – and is strong in almost every segment it competes in, from Camry (number one in the medium segment), Yaris (a close second in light) and HiLux (still the top-selling ute despite a late surge from Ford’s Ranger) to the RAV4 (second in medium SUV), Prado (second in large SUV) and Kluger (third in large SUV). Even the 86 two-door coupe leads the sports car segment and brings decent volume; it comfortably outsells many family cars, including the Honda Accord, Subaru Liberty and Hyundai i40.

The Aurion is arguably its most disappointing model, comprehensively outsold even by the Ford Falcon – with the Commodore somewhere over the horizon. But it’s a market Toyota has all but given up on, instead investing in the Camry that uses the same body but is more frugal and, therefore, more appealing to the fleets that flock to it.

OPPORTUNITIES

THE Camry gains a major update in the first half of 2015. Rather than the new wheels and nose that typify most facelifts, the Camry gets fresh sheetmetal on all panels except the roof. The interior will be revised, although not as comprehensively as Camrys sold elsewhere; put that one down to the cost, especially considering local production ceases by the end of 2017. Suspension will also be tweaked although the four-cylinder drivetrains – including a hybrid – are unchanged.

It will be accompanied by a milder facelift to the V6-powered Aurion.

Bigger news comes in the form of an all-new HiLux, a model that can’t come soon enough for dealers forced to lower prices to compete with newer, more competent utes. The long awaited new HiLux – the current shape went on sale in 2005 – is expected in the second half of 2015.

The HiLux-based Fortuner SUV, which has been spotted testing in Australia, is another due later in the year to rival Ford’s upcoming Everest and its competitors.

Toyota is also keen to defend its traditional SUV turf, although there’s no major model activity. The expected sub-RAV4 small SUV is years away and the Prado and LandCruiser will soldier on with some special editions that add more features and a dose of marketing activity. Similarly the Kluger and RAV4 should get a tickle from the special editions department.

CHALLENGES

“THINK like number one, act like number two” has long been a Toyota internal motto and it’s one that could come into its own in coming years.

The likes of Hyundai, Kia and Nissan would love to carve a bigger chunk out of the company’s share.

And there’s plenty to be worried about.

Ford’s Everest will have the Prado square in its crosshairs, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee that’s already used its towing might to cut into the Prado’s dominance is showing no signs of slowing.

New utes from Nissan and Mitsubishi will target more of HiLux’s dominance, while the Camry faces fresh competition from the just updated Falcon and expected Commodore facelift.

But relief could come in the form of the imminent Japanese free trade agreement, which would wipe the 5 percent import tariff from the likes of the RAV4, Prado, LandCruiser and Corolla hatch (the Corolla sedan and HiLux are sourced from Thailand, and the Kluger from the US – countries with FTAs already in force). However Toyota has shown its hand with pricing policies gained via trade pacts, choosing to load the Corolla sedan with equipment rather than pricing it sharper than its more heavily taxed hatch sibling.

Looking at the big picture, the brand is clearly concerned about its Australian position. Senior execs recently embarked on a 20,000-kilometre lap of the country to talk to customers, learn more about the sorts of cars they should be building and devise what else the brand needs to do. The global head of the company – Akio Toyoda – even made a surprise appearance to the NSW north coast for a first-hand look and listen.

Like Ford and Holden, Toyota also has the unwanted distraction of shutting down its local manufacturing operations. However, given the Camry is a global car (it’s built in eight other plants around the world) and 87 percent of Toyota’s volumes is imported, it is best positioned of the Australian car makers for life after locally produced cars; Toyota is already generally considered by the public as an importer rather than a local manufacturer, even though its export program has meant it’s long produced more cars than Ford and Holden locally.

Grade: A

– Back to The Wheels Report 2014 results

Product placement

PURE coincidence, or a clever case of marketing on Ford Australia’s behalf?

Motoring scribes driving the last-ever version of the locally made Falcon sedan and ute, and Territory SUV in northern Victoria early this week were treated to the sight of a pair of development mules for the locally designed and developed (but Thai-built, once it goes into production) Ford Everest seven-seat SUV.

Despite meeting face-to-face with the mildly facelifted Aussie SUV, Ford Australia is not flagging the Everest as a Territory replacement – that job is squarely on the shoulders of the Ford Edge after Detroit cast doubts on adding a steering wheel to the right-hand side of its all-new Explorer after it was launched Stateside at the recent LA motor show.

Anyway, we’re told Ford insiders had no idea the Everest mules would be anywhere near the Falcon/Territory drive route. Timing, as in comedy, is everything.

Green hell

BMW has laid out plans to develop a supercar-beating drivetrain producing a monstrous 500kW and a bitumen-peeling 1000Nm – all wrapped around a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

Unveiled beneath the skin of a 5 Series GT late this week for the company’s annual Tech Day, where the German luxury car brand hints at what’s around the corner, the petrol engine drives the front wheels as well as helping to juice up batteries connected to front- and rear-mounted electric motors.

Before you start screaming “2 Series Active Tourer” in disgust, BMW says the concept hybrid is rear-drive under most real-world scenarios, with the front motor and engine kicking in only when needed to provide all-paw grip. The set-up also means the hybrid drivetrain can run on electricity alone for up to 100km – well within the average everyday commute.

The cutting-edge drivetrain has also been tipped as an under-bonnet replacement for Rolls-Royce’s traditional V12.

Didn’t make it

STRUGGLING parts makers received a kick in the teeth this week.

A review of the federal government’s decision to pull $500 million out of a support package set up to help wean them off Australia’s doomed car industry reckons that ripping off the Band-Aid is the best thing for everyone.

The $500 million is money that was earmarked to help car parts makers find something else to supplement their living beyond 2017 – the year that Toyota and Holden shutter their local production lines (Ford is switching off the lights a year earlier).

Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party representative Ricky Muir, although not part of the review, joined former federal industry minister Kim Carr in calling for the money to stay in place until 2020 – the previous end date of the Automotive Transformation Scheme, as the multi-billion dollar package is formally known.

Without it, Senators Muir and Carr warned, car parts makers could fall over financially, forcing the car makers to close up shop earlier than planned.

Toyota rolling out more in-car safety

TOYOTA will deliver more driver safety aids to domestic buyers from next year, the Japanese car maker says, with other markets worldwide – potentially Australia – joining the party from 2017.

Rather than breaking new ground, the tech-fest is limited to a host of already-seen bits and bobs such as autonomous emergency braking, which hopefully gains a makeover to improve it, beeps that alert you if the car strays out of its lane, and radar cruise control. However, one piece of tech is the “invisible” car, which gives the driver a digitally enhanced view while reversing, somewhat akin to sitting in Wonder Woman’s plane.

Wheels contacted Toyota Australia to ask which models were likely to upgrade to the new safety systems, and when, but the only information the car maker was willing to share was that when it did arrive, it would extend beyond just the tech-heavy Prius range.

One thing is for certain: it won’t appear on the heavily facelifted Camry due on sale next year, which will miss out on significant safety upgrades that will be fitted to US versions of Australia’s best-selling mid-sizer. By the time Toyota’s tech-fest does arrive, it will be too late for the locally made Camry, with local production of the car due in the knacker’s yard by late 2017 – we’ll have to wait for the fully imported one.