PEUGEOT introduced folding hard-top convertibles to the world in 1934, then resurrected the concept almost seven decades later with the 206 CC, and has refined — rather than revolutionised — the breed ever since.

Essentially, the 308 CC is a wider, longer and fatter 307 CC, meaning the architecture and many of the major components are carried over. The 308’s body has, however, been stiffened to fend off fatigue and flex and its facelifted pout pulled taut into a constant grin.Though it may sound unattractive on paper, in the metal it’s anything but. With roof up or down its stretched silhouette is more resolved than most of its contemporaries. Its sporting aspirations are flagged via a lower ride height and firmer suspension tune, while nifty technical advancements ensure there’s substance as well as style. For the first time in any of its CCs, Peugeot offers an auto diesel variant (starting at $52,990), while manual and automatic versions of the PSA-developed 1.6-litre turbo petrol are priced at $48,990 and $50,990 respectively.The refined 2.0-litre turbo diesel and six-speed Aisin sportshift auto combo is surprisingly quiet and won’t rattle CC lovers even with the top down at idle. The adaptive ‘box is sluggish at low revs or after long sixth-gear stints, but the plentiful torque — 320Nm from 2000rpm — copes well with its 1695kg burden, and the 308 CC proved surprisingly enjoyable on the flowing Byron Bay roads chosen for the media launch.The 308 CC mostly avoids the sloppy body and chassis flex that blighted its predecessor, but the rear end’s not the most sophisticated bit of gear getting around (it’s still a torsion beam) and on broken bitumen lacks finesse and stability. The weight of the folding roof in the boot when top-down can’t help, either.The turbo-petrol manual version is 108kg lighter than the diesel, but it’s a smooth torquer with a preference for short-shifting. And the high, slightly awkward pedal placement and low under-thigh support make the drive a little less sporting (and a little more French).Peugeot claims a few world firsts with the 308 CC, including front side head airbags mounted in the headrests of the seats. The 308 CC also offers an ‘Airwave’ system which blows warm air onto your neck and is standard in the top-spec S, but part of a $7K options pack for the base car bundled with bi-xenons, leather, seat heaters and wind diffuser.The split roof folds in 20 seconds and can be opened on the move, although at an achingly slow 12km/h. Top-down motoring shrinks the 465L boot to 266L, while classy interior design and soft-touch trim give the perception of high quality.At first acquaintance, the 308 CC seems to have the goods — and the good looks — to trouble the class-leading VW Eos.Peugeot 308 CC S 1997cc in-line 4, dohc, 16v t/d 100kW @ 4000rpm 320Nm @ 2000rpm 6-speed auto 11.8sec (claimed) $50,990

Volkswagen has introduced a mid-life spruce up to its current Jetta sedan range in Australia.

Revamping its engine and transmission offerings, mildly making over the interiors, and boosting the spec list as it seeks to retain its competitiveness with its mainly European rivals.Six and seven-speed twin-clutch DSG transmissions are scattered through the model list, and front and rear parking sensors combined with the Optical Parking System (OPS) are now fitted on every vehicle. New trims choices and a new steering wheel and revised instrument cluster give a fresh look.The entry level model, the $28990 1.6 TDI powered by a common-rail 77kW/250Nm 1.6 turbo diesel engine (also recently introduced to the new Golf range) and linked to a five-speed manual brings low fuel consumption (officially 4.9L/100km) and CO2 emissions, and good-enough performance to the Jetta catalogue. It did seem to lack hill-climbing torque, we thought.Driving normally on the journey from Tullamarine to the Yarra Valley, the 77kW TDI returned 5.4L/100km. Trying harder, this figure dropped below 5.0L/100km.There’s no doubt that fuel efficiency is a major marketing tool right across the motoring spectrum, even among the branks further up the totem pole.VW made mention that it has been teaching efficient driving techniques to its staff in order to spread the message that smart driving is just as important as the latest technologies in the fight to save our dwindling fossil fuels.The new seven-speed DSG gearbox is now available with the 1.6 77TDI Jetta as well as the 1.4 118TSI as part of a bewildering collection of engines and trannies across the VW range.More than a technical curiosity is supercharged and turbocharged (yet very fuel efficient) 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, which is complemented by the seven-speed DSG. Though it generously puts out 118kW/240Nm, its official fuel figure is an impressive 6.8L/100km.At the top of the seven-model line-up priced at $38,990 are two Highline models – the 2.0 TSI petrol with a spirited 147kW/280Nm on tap with and the 125kW/350Nm 2.0 TDI turbo diesel. Each has the standard six-speed DSG.Here is the full 2010 Jetta line-up, with prices:1.6 TDI five-speed manual: $28,990 1.6 TDI seven-speed DSG: $31,490 1.4 TSI six-speed manual: $30,990 1.4 TSI seven-speed DSG: $33,490 2.0 TDI six-speed DSG: $35,990 2.0 TSI Highline six-speed DSG: $38,990 2.0 TDI Highline six-speed DSG: $38,990Options: Metallic paint: $700 Electric sunroof: $1,900 Satellite navigation: $3,000Satellite navigation: $2,500 (Highline models) Media Device Interface: $300 Leather upholstery: $3,300 Leather upholstery: $3,000 (Highline models) Leather upholstery with power driver’s seat: $4,000 Leather upholstery with power driver’s seat: $3,700 (Highline models) Bi-xenon headlamps: $1,900 Front fog lights: $400 Alarm system: $600

It makes a strong fashion statement with its sporty coupe-like profile.

But Audi’s new A5 five-door Sportback quattro shouldn’t be called coupe, sedan nor Avant wagon though it offers elements of all, borrowing its emotional design from the A5 Coupe, adding the five-doors and load-carrying space of an Avant, and offering the generous passenger space of a sedan.

And as such, the A5 Sportback has no direct competitors in the market, says Audi Australia, although some observers have pitched up the Mercedes CLS as a notional rival.“No, the Sportback does not have any real competitors,” insists Audi’s marketing chief Immo Buschmann. “We are very confident we have something that is genuinely new, and have established a new segment between the sedan and Avant”. Buschmann says that it is a response to a demand from customers for more choices.If one were to be cynical, Audi might struggle to convince us that the A5 Sportback isn’t a hatchback with a flash title and frameless doors.The two engines available at the February 1 launch both come with an efficient seven-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission – mated to either a 2.0-litre TFSI turbo petrol engine or 3.0-litre TDI turbo diesel.Audi expects petrol versions to account for 70 per cent of the A5 Sportback mix. Priced at $78,400 (manufacturer’s list price) for the 2.0 TFSI and $89,100 MLP for the 3.0 TDI model, the A5 Sportback is expected to be a niche product that sells like a volume model.The German luxury car maker – inexorably closing down BMW’s lead in the Australian premium segment – predicts the Sportback will be the biggest seller of the A5 line-up here, and quite the volume seller with 1000 units in a full calendar year.The split is predicted to be 46 per cent Sportback, 35 per cent coupe and 19 per cent cabrio.The common-rail 3.0 TDI V6 is the acknowledged performer with 176kW and 500Nm propelling it over the standing 400m in 6.1secs and it’s certainly very driveable and lively. With an official government fuel number of 6.6 litres/100km, it is the 23rd model in the Audi range which uses less than 7.0L/100km.But the cheaper 155kW/350Nm four-cylinder 2.0 TDI is never shamed either and would probably be our value pick. With a standing 400m time of 6.6secs, it is also quite economical, with a figure of 7.5L/100km. The 2.0 TFSI is equipped with the Audi valvelift system for variable control of valvelift. This intelligent technology boosts performance while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption.The Sportback variant of the A5 is 86mm longer than the two-door coupe and cabrio versions that preceded it on to the Australian market, with the wheelbase stretched by 60mm.The space is noticeable in the two rear seats where a generously sized bloke like me can get his knees aboard without rubbing the front seats ahead. Many consumers will embrace the Sportback’s stylish shape and the functionality of four-adult accommodation and a cavernous 480-litre rear cargo space via the liftback fifth door. With the seats folded flat, the one-metre wide space more than doubles to 980 litres. The A5 Sportback duo both have a quattro all-wheel drive, unlike the coupe which has a mix of AWD and front drive. Aluminium suspension and front ‘guards help reduce weight.All models are equipped with a recuperation system that recovers energy during braking and deceleration, storing it temporarily in the battery. Standard equipment on both models includes three-zone air-conditioning, leather trim, daytime running lights, bi-xenon and LED headlights, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, stability control and eight airbags. The diesel also scores 18-inch wheels, front park assist and wood dash inlays.Optional extras include sat nav, blind spot assistance, and Audi Drive Select, which allows the driver to choose different settings for the steering, suspension, throttle response and gearshift patterns.An active sports differential for variable distribution to the rear wheels can also be ordered for the diesel model. Metallic paint must be sprinkled with gold dust – it’s priced at $1695. The supercharged 3.0-litre S5 is expected to go on sale here in the middle of 2010.

Right, let’s get this clear from the off: the three cars assembled here all deserve a category catch-all that transcends the mere ‘hot hatch’ tag.

Call them uber-hatches, mega-hatches or whatever, but the Ford Focus RS, Renaultsport Megane 250 Cup and Volkswagen Golf R all take a big step up from their respective XR5 Turbo, non-Cup-chassis RS, and GTI brethren.

In fact, to varying degrees, they do exactly what it says on the tin – shifting from a before-midnight soft-core film into, well, R-rated turn-on stuff. Not that you’d immediately group the three together from the way they look.

The Focus RS is definitely the most aggressive-looking of the trio. From some angles it looks almost like a caricature of itself, a concept car that has somehow made it all the way to production without losing its liquorice-profile tyres or its bulging, wide wheelarches, complete with air vents to expel its latent energy.And yet in its own way the Renault, too, appears just as flamboyant, even if its overall personality is marginally less cartoonish, and therefore slightly more elegant than the Ford’s one-dimensional Superman approach.It’s the Golf, however, that looks the most surprising to begin with, because it would seem to be a complete misfit beside the other two. The changes over the regular GTI are subtle: a different front bumper with LED daytime running lights, side skirts, bigger 18in alloys, blackened door mirrors and, like the old R32, centrally-mounted dual exhausts. It seems all a bit Q-car, but that’s perhaps the effect VW’s designers were seeking to achieve.But the Ford, Renault and VW’s differences aren’t limited to exterior styling. While all three of these cars aim for broadly similar results, the ways in which they go about delivering mega-hatch performance couldn’t be more different.Over ’ere in Blighty, the Renaultsport is the cheapest by some margin and the VW the most expensive. When the RS 250 and Golf R land in Oz later this year, their price tags should read $47K and $55K, respectively. Too bad you won’t be getting the Focus RS, which slots between the two on price.There are fairly obvious reasons why the Golf is the most expensive. One, it’s all-wheel drive whereas the Ford and Renault are front-drive. Two, it’s a VW, which is a much harder commodity to put a price on. Although there is undeniably an element of extra value contained within the VW brand, Ford and Renault, alternatively, might argue that, in this case, the sporting pedigree of the RS and Renaultsport brands are more than enough to offset the VW’s reputation for quality.Yet when it comes to the amount of firepower they each pack, the Golf doesn’t appear to provide much compensation. In simple terms, the Golf’s 2.0-litre turbo four serves up 199kW at 6000rpm and 349Nm at 2500rpm, enough for a claimed 5.7sec 0-100km/h. By contrast, the Renault’s 2.0-litre turbo engine produces a similar 184kW and 340Nm, sufficient for a claimed 6.1sec 0-100km/h sprint.The big hitter of the group, however, is the Ford, whose 2.5-litre turbo five cylinder thumps out 224kW and 439Nm. So even though the RS is the heaviest of the trio (just), it’s also the brawniest on paper by quite some margin, once the obvious advantage of the Golf’s AWD system has faded and they are up and running.On the road, in fact, the Golf initially feels comprehensively outclassed by the others for pure acceleration. You’d expect as much relative to the Ford which is an absolute monster in a straight line, but in reality the Renault also feels much more urgent than the VW.How so? Two reasons. One, the Renault’s gearing is closer and simply better suited where it counts, allowing it to breeze away from the lazier, longer-geared VW at the merest whiff of throttle in the intermediate ratios. Two, our test Megane felt lively compared with the version we drove on the launch late last year. And compared with the test VW, which had a triple-digit odometer reading, its engine was well and truly run-in.These two elements meant that the Megane could drop the VW without trying very hard at all. In fact, we discovered that for raw acceleration it was quick enough to get much closer to the mighty Focus than we were expecting. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. What’s more important than any power war is how these cars differ from one another on the road. Not just in a straight line but over poor surfaces, through corners, ambling along freeways and sitting in traffic jams.And the truth is, the more regular the situation, the more sense the Golf R tends to make. The moment you climb inside the VW, you become aware that it’s not even trying to emulate cars like the Focus RS and Megane 250. Yes, the driver’s seat is nice and supportive and, yes, there are hints of sporting intent in the thickness and shape of the flat-bottomed steering wheel. But the overwhelming impression inside the Golf R is that of a high quality, not-especially-thrusting kind of car.And when you turn the key and the engine fires, it doesn’t announce itself to the world with a blast of revs, or a dramatic bark from the exhaust. It just starts, then settles to a refined, slightly bassy, heavy idle, a subtle indication that a reasonable degree of potency is present, but nothing more. In the Ford, part of you feels you should be revving the engine like an adrenaline-wired teenager when you fire it up, just so you can hear that five-cylinder warble.The difference between the character of these two cars becomes that obvious, that quickly. Until you move away, at which point the gap grows wider still. Instantly, the Golf R has a much smoother, better ride than the Focus RS, and its smaller tyres also generate less road rumble than those of the Ford. Same goes for the Renault; its ride is calmer than the Ford’s, though nowhere near as soothing as the VW’s.Less impressive is the way the Golf R feels Passat-like in its demeanour, rather than super-fast Golf. This is in complete contrast to the Renault – which has a short, sharp, rifle-bolt-precise gearchange – and the Focus RS, which is somewhere between the two.The Golf R’s chassis is harder to sort or improve via the options list, although you can specify Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) to apply three different damping stages: comfort, normal and sport. The test car was so equipped, and having played with the various settings we’d say it’s an option you could probably go without. It doesn’t deliver anything like the dynamics available in the Ford and Renault, at any rate.Instead, the R is entirely predictable and extremely mature in the way it handles, but also just a touch on the ordinary side. Which is fairly odd considering how much more incisive the Scirocco R is on the road, which is front-, not four-wheel drive.Even with the ACC system set to sport, there is little true crispness to the way the Golf behaves, again quite unlike its Scirocco stablemate. It turns- in okay, it has huge traction and its body control is perfectly acceptable. Even when you drive it as hard as you can, this car does absolutely nothing you don’t expect it to do.But neither does it amaze, thrill or excite with the way it changes direction, or turns-in to high-speed sweepers – not like the Ford does pretty much every time you aim it at a corner. VW reckons that, at times, the upgraded 4-Motion all-wheel drive system can deliver 100 percent of its drive through the rear axle, but in reality no matter how you drive it, the Golf R always behaves like a front-drive car that has lots of traction.The sort of people who would naturally gravitate towards the Ford and Renault will find the Golf R oddly bland as a driving experience. As you may already have twigged, the Ford and Renault are singing from an entirely different, more exciting hymn sheet.So-called RevoKnuckle front axle or not, the Focus RS torque-steers, but the overall experience is well judged for road driving; it is exhilarating, confidence-inspiring and fun without ever becoming intimidating. And that firm urban ride translates into body control that is absolutely first-rate when the roads get really rough at speed.Generally, the Megane is impressively free from torque-steer, but first impressions suggest it isn’t as savage (read ‘fun’) as the Ford. However, the longer you spend with the Megane 250, the more you appreciate just how quickly it can cover ground. In fact, by focusing on control and precision rather than the Ford’s playfulness, it is the Renault that delivers more grip and agility (and the faster dry lap time).So with the VW out of contention, which is the better car overall out of the playful Ford and precise Renault? Well, be in no doubt that when the time comes and that great road opens out before you, the Focus RS still delivers the biggest thump of adrenaline.It remains the supreme being among mega/uber/R-rated hatchbacks when it comes to pure thrills, so, despite the Renault’s price advantage, the Ford has a rawness that is near-impossible to put a price on. It may even be priceless, in fact, which makes its absence in Oz even more lamentable and leaves the Megane 250 Cup virtually in a class of its own.

STOP DO NOT flick to the final paragraph to read the conclusion.

Yes, this is the exclusive first Australian drive of a right-hook Chevrolet Camaro, the closest thing Aussie fans have to the much-lamented Monaro. Given this, and the fact GM vice president Bob Lutz recently declared a right hook Camaro was most definitely on the cards, you’re understandably eager to get the Wheels verdict.

So allow me to save your fingers a walk by declaring right here and now that the Camaro is without peer in the world of Zeta-based performance cars. Better than an SS V; better than a Clubsport; better than a GTS; better. Full stop.We knew the Australian-designed and developed Zeta platform beneath the VE Commodore was good, but now, having driven a car developed from the ground up with the focus on performance as opposed to practicality, we realise it borders on greatness. So good, in fact, that it makes you wonder just how much better a VE-based Monaro, designed and engineered in Australia by Australians for Australians might have been?Sadly, that question is unlikely to ever be answered, but at least this right-hook Camaro provides solace.I wasn’t even a twinkle in my father’s eye when the original Chevrolet Camaro made its world debut in September 1966. But I was front and centre when the fifth and latest iteration of Chevrolet’s iconic Pony Car galloped into Detroit’s Cobo Hall on January 6, 2006, to steal the thunder at that year’s North American International Auto Show.At the time, ‘old’ GM was staggering through the global economic storm like a punch-drunk heavyweight in the final round of a fight it had already lost. Into this climate Chevy rolled out the bold Camaro concept, driving it through the show crowds for maximum impact.The perenially-tanned Bob Lutz sat behind the wheel, dipping the clutch and punching the throttle with cherubic delight; his grin growing wider with every revolution of the 6.0-litre V8 and every cheer from the parochial American audience.At the time, the little green Al Gore on my left shoulder thought this new concept car an apt poster-boy for America’s myopic malaise; instead of boldly stepping into an enviro-future, GM was grasping vainly for a reborn pony car to ride to redemption. But on the other shoulder, the little red fellow with horns and a GT stripe down his back didn’t give a fig.The unabashed car enthusiast in me wanted to shoulder Lutz out of the Camaro and race the rev limiter to the horizon. Today, four years later, I finally get that opportunity.Wheels is in Queensland to drive the first road-ready, right-hook Chevrolet Camaro in Australia. And no thanks to Holden. GM’s Australian subsidiary is yet to publicly commit to the Camaro (see breakout, page 50), which leaves a window of opportunity for aftermarket companies skilled in RHD conversions, like Performax International, which supplied the car you see here.As soon as I lay eyes on the big coupe, glinting in the blazing Queensland sunshine, I remember my Al Gore moment and realise I was wrong. GM needs cars like this. Holden needs cars like this. The world needs cars like this. The Camaro is bold, ballsy, and oozes self-belief.The pony car’s high bonnet and low roofline define the coupe’s sharp silhouette and reduce the windscreen to a letterbox slot. At 4836mm from tip to tail, the Camaro is 152mm shorter than an HSV GTS, but 19mm wider and with a roof slammed a further 81mm closer to the Earth.This particular version is a North American SS spec, top of the totem pole and powered by the same 6.2-litre LS3 V8 as our GTS. It lacks the GTS’s bi-modal exhaust, so produces 7kW less, at 318kW, but with 569Nm on tap, it out-grunts the HSV by 19Nm. As with the GTS, the Camaro channels its mojo via a Tremec T6060 six-speed manual transmission, mated to a slightly taller 3.45:1 final drive.That the Camaro weighs 88kg less than the GTS is cause for some delicious anticipation.The other big difference? Well, this one’s going to hurt, since Americans pay around US$34K to put a Camaro SS in their driveway. The one we’re driving has a Boston premium sound system, Inferno Orange leather and those big black stripes, taking the ask to US$36,000, or about A$40,000. HSV’s GTS is twice that, while settling this locally converted version in your driveway will cost close to $140K. Ouch!Sliding into the deep leather bucket, I’m immediately aware of how low I’m sitting, and how high the dashboard and bonnet are. I can’t see the road for at least a car-length in front. There’s no seat-height adjust, either – that’s on the passenger seat, which was the driver’s seat in this originally-LHD car. But despite the low roofline, headroom is decent. An exposed body-coloured swathe wraps across the dash, running from one door to the other. It’s a nice touch and is further enhanced by a strip of subtle upper-edge mood lighting that looks super cool at night.The steering wheel is classic American muscle-car: deep-dished and chunky, while the retro-inspired instrument binnacle houses a speedometer (Canadian-spec, so it’s in km/h) on the left and tachometer on the right. Ancillary gauges for battery voltage, coolant, oil and transmission temps sit in a bank ahead of the gearlever and below the centre stack. All very American Graffiti.That centre stack also betrays something about the economic turbulence GM was encountering as Camaro gestated from concept to production. Despite this being the top-spec model, there’s no climate-control, just one dial graduating between hot and cold; a second for fan speed. Above that sit the stereo controls, topped by a monochrome display – the same one used in the Holden Cruze. Further investigation turns up the Cruze’s indicator and wiper stalks, and its headlight dial. I know economy of scale across various model lines is vital these days, but still…All thoughts of penny-pinching evaporate as the 6.2-litre V8 fires into life, settling down to a 700rpm idle that isn’t quite Commodore-smooth. Every few seconds, the car shakes a little, as though straining to contain the explosive energy within. A short transport stage brings the first of a number of surprises: the Camaro rides bloody well.It feels no firmer than a Commodore SS, and is almost as good at soaking up bumps. The steering is light, almost effortless, yet there’s a softly transmitted feel for the road that makes me want to teleport instantly to the mountain stages and unleash the little red fella. The transmission’s short-throw shift is generally good, but proves reluctant to slot cleanly on occasions.Cruising at 100km/h in sixth the Camaro feels superbly relaxed, its tacho registering a lazy 1400rpm. There’s a reasonable amount of road noise from the 20-inch Pirelli PZero rubber but that only helps to smother the boominess of the exhaust, which tends towards the irritating on long stretches. Fortunately, there’s a solution readily at hand and slotting the shift back to fifth reveals a deeper, more attractive, bassy thrum.I’m relieved to find there’s none of the dreadful ‘wafting’ suspension Americans apparently demand in their cars. I’ll only know for sure once we get serious, but the early signs are good. The Camaro feels sorted.I’m also noticing a lot of traffic in orbit around us. Drivers match our speed so they and their passengers can ogle the hot orange coupe. One bloke mouths “cool car” as he rolls by; a teenage girl gives us the thumbs up; and the occupants of a V8 Commodore ute take a good, long look before flooring it into the distance. Knowing that Wallopers in the Sunshine State have become almost as zealous about revenue raising as their Victorian counterparts, I resist the urge to give chase, but only just.Veering off the main road, we lose our orbiting satellites and warp into another world. Down through the gears; fourth then third then… fourth … what the? Try again. Second. Now the tacho’s getting busy in the upper reaches of its 6600rpm range.Throttle nailed, the Camaro kicks like a brumby, using every bit of grip available by its 275/30R20 rear rubber. There’s little squat and only a slight lift of the nose as the LS3 unleashes its full force. The car thunders out of corners, its velocity escalating more ferociously than my memory says a GTS can. Indeed, this feels like a whole new level of Gen IV bent-eight fury, lending credence to Chevy’s claim of a sub five-sec 0-100km/h.Throttle response is excellent, with plenty of grunt from as little as 2500rpm, the engine displaying impressive immediacy and thrust. But it’s only when revs climb above the mid-range that the engine note truly matches velocity, the 6.2-litre V8 sounds ever crisper and angrier as it nears redline.The first of a series of sharp corners approaches and I’m hard on the four-piston Brembo brakes; the Camaro sheds speed, but not as quickly as I’d hoped. The test car has only 350km on its odo, however, so perhaps the brakes aren’t yet bedded in. Either that, or it’s under-braked. Or we’re simply carrying too much speed into the corner.Revelations and sensations clamour for attention. I turn in aggressively, and the Camaro cuts in crisply, the 245/35R20 front hoops biting hard into tarmac. The steering remains light, but there’s excellent feel telegraphing what’s happening at road level. The body begins to roll onto the outside tyres, but settles quickly without any dramas and the back end stays faithfully glued to its line. Have I gone in too slowly? More throttle, more speed. Still no complaint from the tyres. More throttle. Bap-bap-bap-bap. Rev limiter.The road straightens, and I gather my breath. Phew. The car’s grip is truly impressive; given that it wears the same Pirelli PZeros as the GTS, one assumes it’s the combination of less weight and a lower centre of gravity that elevates the Camaro to a higher dynamic plane.Despite the lack of Magnetic Ride Control dampers, the Camaro also manages the balance between compliance and competence beautifully. It feels marginally less composed over mid-corner bumps, but doesn’t surrender front-end grip or deliver excessive kick-back through the steering wheel.But the Camaro’s rear end can’t match the tactility of HSV’s homegrown heavies; there’s a degree of vagueness in the transition from grip to slide that’s not as polished as we’d like. The end result is that the shorter-wheelbase Camaro is not as malleable on the limit as a GTS, but there’s no denying it’s still a helluva muscle car.The Brembo brakes are a weakness (on this example at least); there’s simply not the stopping power that there should be for a car of this performance, possibly due to slightly smaller (by 10mm) front discs over a standard HSV GTS package. But with its stunning looks, storming performance and tenacious grip, it’s fair to say that the Camaro is indeed the top dog (or should that be ‘pony’?) of Zeta-based performance cars and a worthy successor to the Monaro. So come on Holden, extract the digit and stamp the Camaro’s passport for a long-term stay Down Under.

I left Maranello on an evening in October 2004 in total confusion.

The joy of discovering that Ferrari had set a new benchmark with the then-new F430 – nothing less than the best car I’d ever driven – was tempered by the presence of a fishing rod on the back seat. The rod, a gift from Ferrari, marked my decision to return to live in Australia; though the realisation that I might never again visit the most famous car factory in the world wrenched my guts. Fishing, even with a gun carbonfibre Camor rod, could not compensate for a life devoid of Ferrari.Five years later, in gloomy, damp November, I’m back in Maranello for the launch of the 458 Italia, the F430’s successor and the first genuinely new mid-engined V8 Ferrari since the 360 Modena of ’99. And I’m coping with the reality that if the F430 reached a new pinnacle for mid-engine sports cars, today’s 458 simply rewrites those rules.On a blank sheet, Ferrari has combined all the knowledge, experience and innovation, developed over the decades, in a road car so talented that it is an extreme sports car – the naturally-aspirated V8 soars to 9000rpm – yet even more capable than the softer California GT in dealing with the dramas of daily driving.Don’t doubt the 458’s extraordinary level of performance. In test driver Dario Benuzzi’s capable hands, the new car sets a Fiorano pace to match the benchmark 1min 25sec of the virtually race-ready 430 Scuderia. Believe it or not, that is as fast as the Enzo supercar. The V12’s superior power-to-weight ratio – 355kW per tonne versus 286 – amazingly is offset by the superior dynamic controls, brakes and suspension of the new 458. Which, by the way, is on regular Michelin road rubber and quieter, far more civilised and comfortable than either of the once hyper-performance Ferraris. The inevitable 458 Scuderia will surely smash the Enzo’s Fiorano time.The numbers, like a standing 400 metres in 11.3secs and zero to 200km/h in only 10.4secs, are outrageous, yet what makes the 458 so memorable – a near automotive miracle – is the quickened responses of all the key driving elements. Logical, since technical director Roberto Fedeli says this was the primary target for the new car. A day on the same mountain roads used by the development test drivers, plus a few hot laps of Fiorano, and I’m convinced there is a level of engineering maturity, integration and refinement to the 458 that no other Ferrari (perhaps no other car) has approached.From the moment I thread the car out of Fiorano and along Via Gilles Villeneuve and left turn into Via Dino Ferrari (Maranello understands the Italian marque’s heritage), it’s obvious that the steering, brakes, throttle and transmission are so much faster in their responses than the 430 – the 458 feels like a race car. Yet there is nothing harsh or nervous about the driving experience, more a calm communication that comes from the predictability of the dynamics and the controls, a sense that everything is working together to guarantee electrifying excitement combined with real finesse. Perhaps the best example is the super-quick steering.The 458’s 11.9:1 rack compares to the 430’s 16.9:1 to reduce turns lock-to-lock to just two, a full turn less than its predecessor. You can maintain a 10-to-2 grip on the wheel in second-gear hairpins and know exactly where you’re positioning the car. Tiny steering inputs deliver instant results, creating a staggering level of confidence and true precision, no kickback and, best of all, no edginess.At 220km/h (the best I saw), the aerodynamics (140kg of downforce at 200km/h) and the new multi-link suspension (developed for both the California and 458) mean stability is brilliant.Speed doesn’t build in the 458, the engine just delivers from 1500rpm all the way to the 9000rpm redline (up 500rpm), which is also the point of the 425kW peak power. A 20 percent increase in torque over the F430 – to 540Nm at 6000rpm with 432Nm on tap at 3250rpm – also helps. Reducing internal friction and

improving efficiency plays a role. Mostly, however, it’s a greater understanding of the engine’s ECU capability, enabling a different management tune for each gear, that’s responsible for the instant, super-sensitive throttle responses. (From January production, the California inherits a similar ECU.) It’s not just added power: fuel consumption has been cut by 13 percent for a combined 13.3L/100km, though reducing the fuel tank from 95 litres to 86 seems misguided on a car of this potential.Remember when carbon-ceramic brakes were noisy and grabby? (The Lambo Gallardo LP560-4 is the perfect example.) Not so on the 458; the standard six-piston front, four-piston rear Brembos are docile and smooth on public roads, fade-free and astonishingly strong on track with perfect pedal responses that are immediate and progressive across a diminutive travel. A subtle change in the curing process of the carbon disc surface helps, as does electronically controlled pre-loading of the brakes, which detects and analyses the speed with which you remove your foot from the accelerator to position the pads closer to the calipers in high-alert mode. These brakes cut the F430’s 200km/h-to-zero distance of 140m to just 128m.What of Ferrari’s decision to fit all 458s with a seven-speed Getrag dual-clutch gearbox? Sacrilege, or following the course of natural demand? Regrettable perhaps, for it means the end of the lovely open-gate manual Ferrari. But before you condemn the decision you should know that the new ’box is far, far better than the clunky, lurchy old single-clutch tranny in auto mode. It’s also smoother and more fluent than even the California, which shares essentially the same gearbox though with a shorter final drive ratio – 5.14 versus 4.444 – and taller first and seventh ratios.The lower gearing means the 458 will run to within a couple of hundred revs of the redline at its 325km/h top speed. Paddleshifts are lightning-fast, almost clinically efficient in the way they reduce Fiorano laps times. A manual shift is simply too slow in an era of low-3sec 0-100km/h times. I doubt, after trying the 458, you’ll miss the manual for more than a nanosecond. Press the ‘auto’ button on the console and the electronics take over, snapping off fast shifts or smoothly slurring between ratios in slow traffic. Picking up reverse is just as easy. It’s taken more than a decade, but Ferrari now has the paddleshift gearbox brilliantly sorted.Ironic, then, that the California – the ‘soft’ V8 – adds an all-new Graziano six-speed manual gearbox to the options list in January. There are no plans for a manual 458, though Fedeli admits, “we could do it.” Up in the hills, I’m enjoying the prompt responses, the benefits of the other technologies, and finding my way round the cabin. The view through the deep screen and over the low cowl that’s flanked by delicate pontoon-ish fenders, is superb. You sit surprisingly high on hard buckets – the optional sports seats are set 20mm lower – and there’s plenty of space. The steering wheel offers more controls than ever, even pushbutton turn indicators which eliminate the stalk control, an idea borrowed from the Enzo. A 10,000rpm tacho is in the centre, as it should be, flanked on the right by a screen that can display a number of different features: one of three speedos, radio information or the GPS map. To the left of the wheel is the VDA (Vehicle Dynamic Assistance) centre which displays the varied settings for all the 458’s electronic chassis and differential programs (and lap times), each tailored to a specific setting on the steering wheel’s manettino.A pictogram of the car shows when the engine, brakes and tyres are warmed up and ready for hot lapping. When they appear blue on the screen, they are not. When they’re green, it’s track time. When red, your tyres are probably stuffed. Not yet available but coming soon to the options list, one of the screens will show a much needed reverse-camera view.

Set the manettino to Sport or Race mode, pull back on the right-hand paddle, and the fun multiplies. Hit the throttle hard between 2500 and 3000rpm and the exhaust leaps from a low background murmur to a boomy, bass-heavy beat. It’s the natural complement to the metallic tone of the V8 as it races towards the magic 9000rpm mark.Try a small throttle opening at the same revs, and the engine reveals its flat-crank design, sounding like two simultaneous and coarse, high-revving fours, rather than a booming V8. The 458 needs plenty of revs to sound the way a Ferrari is expected to sound.The gearbox will upshift for you at 9000rpm unless you turn off the traction and stability controls. Brake hard into a corner and the ’box seems to know you are going to decelerate before you even lift your right foot, and seamlessly belts down a gear or two before you even start steering into the bend. Hands always on the wheel, all you have to do is concentrate on the road.The engine and gearbox combine intuitively, so that the 458 always seems to be in the right gear, with exactly the right power delivery. There is never any obvious throttle cutting, no buzzing to indicate brake intervention, just fantastic traction and thrust out of corners from an E-diff3 that works so well with the stability control. The suspension uses magnetic dampers – from Delphi, which also supplies HSV – to smooth out the lumps. Mark the ride as another 458 virtue.The 458 makes it all seem so easy, yet there is real driver involvement; no suggestion this is merely a mobile PlayStation. Never have automotive technologies been so brilliantly melded together in a road car. Predictably, Ferrari will charge 10 percent more for the 458. Expect $580K plus on-roads; yes, a massive ask, but it separates the luscious new V8 from the now entry-level and decidedly awkward-looking $472K California.The McLaren MP4-12C will need to be some car to deserve mention in the same sentence as the 458.What chance a comparison to take me back to Maranello in 2011?

So successful has been BMW’s foray into the realms of upmarket 4WD wagons that at the moment, every third BMW sold in Oz carries an X badge. So the plan to pop an X1 down towards the bottom of the range and scoop up buyers who might otherwise find themselves in a VW Tiguan, maybe an Audi Q5 or even fully loaded versions of Japanese soft-roaders, seems a no-brainer.Pop a boxy body on the 1 Series’ architecture, screw on a blue-and-white badge, issue a few enticing images accompanied by the words “lifestyle” and “premiumness” (yes, BMW has used it) and they are going to walk out the door, right?Sounds great, but the X1 is far from being that simple. For starters, it’s far less upright than you’d think. It looks lower and wider than the average SUV, running a bit more ground clearance than most cars but not much. The platform isn’t 1 Series, but 3 Series wagon with an identical 2760mm wheelbase. The body shell has a low floor and headroom is greater than in the taller X3.Despite car-like proportions of substantial wheelbase, short overhangs and a bonnet long enough to fit an in-line six, this is no shrinking violet visually. From the front, the mad, staring headlights and bulging two-nostril grille have all the aggression of Hannibal Lecter in his hockey mask strapped to a trolley. The rear? Could be a Kia if it wasn’t for the badge.Australia initially gets two models, both diesel-powered. The xDrive20d has BMW’s latest 2.0-litre oil burner producing 130kW and 350Nm; the 23d is a twin-turbo version of the same engine with 150kW and 400Nm. In June, we’ll get the price-leading 18i with a 110kW petrol four and the 25i with a 160kW petrol six. The 18i will come only with rear-drive (dubbed ‘sDrive’) and starts at $43,500 for the manual version, while all other models have all-wheel drive, or, in the case of the 20d, the choice of rear-or all-wheel drive.After driving the range- topping, $59,280 23d on Australian roads, any pre-conceived cynicism about half-car, half-SUV crossbreeds pretty much goes out the window. In this guise at least, the X1 has a gratifying togetherness about its performance, handling and even ride that turn it from a cute idea into a serious driver’s car.There’s grunt aplenty from the diesel donk (0-100km/h in 7.3sec is claimed), it’s channelled smoothly through the standard six-speed auto and the growly engine note is almost pleasant. The hydraulic power steering feels wooden at low speeds but improves in feel and accuracy as you press on. With all-wheel drive, optional 18in tyres and Performance Control electronics (see breakout) there’s loads of grip, lots of adjustability to the handling and plenty of fun to be had.The ride is on the firm side, but far from uncomfortable, even on the run-flat tyres. More questionable is the X1’s usefulness as a family wagon: legroom is limited in the rear, and there’s not much cargo space under the sloping rear hatch. And although a 40/20/40 split rear seat offers some flexibility, it doesn’t fold flat.If that’s a problem, maybe next year’s new X3 will solve it. In the meantime, buyers who want the BMW driving experience in a somewhat radically styled small wagon are filling the order books. It’s difficult not to see this X marking another sweet spot for BMW.

It’s all too easy to get caught in the political whirr surrounding this Oz-built Hybrid Camry.Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is championing the petrol-electric Toyota as the biggest thing since the Holden 48/215, Australia’s first locally-built car, launched in 1948. That might be shaking the sauce bottle a bit, but you kinda have to talk up the product into which you’ve invested $40 million of taxpayers’ money.What’s immediately clear, though, is that the Camry – king of averages, queen of the conservatives – finally has a genuine USP. Nothing in the Hybrid Camry’s $35-40K price bracket can blend five-seat family car space with 6.0L/100km ADR81 fuel economy and 142g/km CO2 emissions rating.The regular Camry’s locally-manufactured 117kW/218Nm 2AZ-FE four-pot donk and five-speed auto have been replaced by a fully imported petrol-electric drivetrain hooked up to a CVT transmission. The same-size 2.4-litre petrol engine is heavily based on the Oz-built unit, but features the same efficiency-enhancing Atkinson combustion cycle as the Prius.Power and torque outputs drop to 110kW and 187Nm, but are quickly boosted by the 105kW/270Nm from one of the two motor generators (MG1 acts as a generator to create electricity, and as the starter motor for the petrol engine; MG2 is the sole driving motor).The system works as a parallel hybrid; the powertrain can run as petrol-only, electric-only or both, depending on the situation.Toyota claims the petrol-electric combo is a full 1.0sec quicker to 100km/h than the petrol-only car (9.5s) and that weight distribution is a near perfect 50:50. The Hybrid is also the first locally-built car to get electric-steer, regenerative braking and electric air-con.Hybrid Camry will be offered in two grades: $35K base and $39K Luxury. The entry-level car is based on the ($2500 cheaper) petrol Ateva, and includes 16in alloys, fog lights, six airbags, ESP, rear-view camera with parking sensors and dual-zone climate control. Luxury spec adds leather trim, power front seats, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and rear lip spoiler, with sat-nav, and sunroof optional extras.Toyota claims its chassis engineers worked hard to make Hybrid Camry a better drive than its petrol sibling, seeking improved body control and better on-centre steering feel – two of the petrol-only Camry’s biggest shortcomings.Front and rear spring stiffness has been increased by 8.5 and 12.5 percent respectively, and damping is 10 percent firmer. On the road, the changes are definitely for the better, but (surprise, surprise) Hybrid Camry isn’t a driver’s car.Most successful is the revised suspension tune. Ride quality is quite firm, but the Hybrid feels much less floaty over scarred arterials or undulating backroads, and is therefore both more reassuring for the driver and comfortable for passengers.Less successful is the electric-steer set-up, which, while definitely sharper on-centre, has a treacly, artificial resistance and vagueness as lock is wound on. The Hybrid’s handling falls somewhere in between; it’s still a bit too pushy at the front end, and lacks the balance and crispness of the similarly-sized Mondeo. For people who enjoy driving, the TDCi version of Ford’s full-size Euro-import (rated at 7.3L/100km) is clearly worth the extra fuel spend.But let’s not take anything away from what is essentially a compelling package. Roomy, hugely efficient and affordable; it’s no 48/215, but, finally, this is a Camry you’d be happy to recommend to your neighbour.

ICONS never die at Porsche, they just develop carburettor trouble. For example, media types attending the Boxster Spyder launch near Monterey, California were offered rides in an original Porsche 550 Spyder – shortly before it broke down.Thankfully, the new Boxster Spyder is no 550.For one thing, it’s 750kg heavier, though at 1275kg it is 80kg lighter than a regular Boxster S and the lightest street-legal car Porsche currently builds. Think of it as being squeezed out of the same Cheez Whiz can as the lightweight GT3 RS. You pay more for less of everything except performance. It’s a marketing cow Porsche has milked many times, usually to enthralling effect.The metamorphosis from $140,400 Boxster S to $152,000 (estimated) Boxster Spyder happens like this: the power top is gutted, replaced by a canvas handkerchief that looks like it came off the Victoria Secret XXL rack.It hooks to the windscreen header and snaps to the roll hoops. Where the S has a steel boot lid and top cover, the Spyder has a single, spectacular 9.8kg bonded and blind-riveted aluminium panel with double-hump fairings reminiscent of those on the Carrera GT. Two long fingers of the top reach to exposed hooks in the panel – the only blemishes on an otherwise perfect bod – which serve as the top’s rearmost anchors.The top serves as a bimini-style sun shade or can be weather sealed with a separate snap-in panel that contains a plastic rear window. Or it rolls up and stores underneath the aluminium hatch. It looks hopelessly complicated the first 23 times a Porsche tech demonstrates it, but after a few tries you’ll soon match the pro’s one-and-a-half-minute roof-raising time.Elsewhere, an extended chin splitter and a large fixed rump spoiler identify the Spyder and help slash aerodynamic lift by a claimed 60 percent. Black striping and titanium-hued grille accents are among the eye candy. The Spyder drops 20mm on dedicated 19-inch forged aluminium rims and the suspension is retuned with shorter springs up front, stiffer springs in the back, and firmer shock absorber calibrations.An extra 8kW and 10Nm from the 3.4-litre flat-six and you have potential to hit 100km/h from rest in around 4.5sec (possibly faster with optional PDK). Organic steering and the brassy wail of a flat six are Boxster earmarks, but any suspension elasticity has been starched right out of the Spyder. It comically jiggles your softer parts as it shudders down city streets.The Spyder craves a track or, short of that, a spaghetti course of switchbacks to devour. The grip creates a g-force pile-on, and oh, the stability. A mid-engine Spyder stays glued and neutral, with none of the bounding and spooky steering wash-out that haunts all the rear-engine 911s. Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres aren’t the flashiest rubber in the catalogue, but they reveal no shortcomings fitted to this machine. This is the best handling stock Porsche, period.Power windows and door locks remain, but the doors are rendered in aluminium rather than steel and the bare door panels have a rudimentary pull strap a la GT3 RS. The seats are stiff, minimally padded carbonfibre buckets with manual sliders. The Spyder comes without air conditioning, stereo, or sat-nav, and with a smaller battery – but not in Australia, where the normal equipment will be fitted.People want what they can’t have, and with just 30-40 Spyders headed to Australia in 2010, expect the queue to be long and rowdy.

WHILE 2.6 tonnes is a lot of weight, the 375kW of the 2010 Range Rover Sport V8 Supercharged’s new 5.0-litre V8 engine is also a lot of power.Like a power boat when given the gas, the sportiest Sport’s bow rises and its stern sinks as it charges away from standstill, leaving churned and warmed air in its wake.Land Rover’s 0-100km/h claim is 6.2sec, and, it adds, the updated-for-2010 Sport V8 Supercharged can get from standstill to 161km/h and then stop before the old 4.2-litre Supercharged model could accelerate to the imperial ton.There’s no doubt that the V8 Supercharged is the attention-getter in the updated and uprated Range Rover Sport line-up. But others, too, benefit from the first-ever joint engine development programs between Land Rover and sister company Jaguar.While the new supercharged engine ups power by 88kW compared with its (Jag-designed) 4.2-litre predecessor, the new non-supercharged 5.0-litre V8 delivers 276kW, an increase of 36kW over the old (Jaguar-derived) 4.4-litre V8. At the same time, both 5.0-litre engines deliver slightly reduced consumption and CO2 emissions in the European combined cycle test.As well as the new 5.0-litre petrol engines, the 2010 Sport introduces a 180kW 3.0-litre V6 twin sequential turbocharged diesel (already seen in some Jaguar models, like the XF, again jointly developed), in place of the weedy 140kW 2.7-litre V6 turbo-diesel of the previous model.The only engine to remain unchanged in the 2010 line-up, in fact, is the 200kW 3.6-litre V8 turbo-diesel.This last was the only variant not sampled during a drive in the Borders region of southern Scotland. All three new engines are excellent. While the Supercharged is the star, the naturally aspirated does a fine job of delivering cultured performance.The turbo-diesel V6 is strong, wonderfully refined and (according to the official test results) impressively efficient. All drive through a ZF-sourced six-speed automatic that is lusciously smooth.Enhancements to the software in charge of the Sport’s off-road ability are effective. On-road handling is improved, too, again thanks mainly to system software upgrades.Despite the obvious effort that’s gone into making the 2010 Sport models better to drive, it’s the interior makeover that’s likely to be deemed the most important change by potential customers.The butch, blocky design of the old model has been replaced by something much subtler and simpler. As well as looking more, well, luxurious, the new interior is also more user-friendly. As with high-end audio, fewer switches and buttons are a sign of class.The face of the Sport has also been changed. A new two-bar grille and enlarged lower air aperture, plus double LED rings around the headlights, give the Sport a face that’s more aggressive than before.The new Sport comes in three equipment levels. The ‘basic’ version is available in $99,900 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, $120,500 3.6-litre V8 turbo-diesel and $125,900 5.0-litre V8 non-supercharged petrol engine forms. Moving up to Luxury means spending $135,500 for the diesel V8, $138,900 for the petrol V8. Standing alone, at $159,900 is the even more lavishly equipped V8 Supercharged.It’s easily the most tempting proposition in the range, despite the price. There’s nothing else that marries interior opulence, rock-hopping ability, and a long equipment list with so much thump-in-the-back and damn-the-planet acceleration when you press that pedal on the pedal on the right.