This is seriously the Baskin Robbins ice-cream parlour for fast-car fans – the chance to buy driving rights to a smorgasbord of mouth-watering cars that would leave supercar enthusiasts weak at the knees.
The Supercar Club, who happen to have access to a shiny fleet of opulent cars, have developed Octane Supercar Events where, if you’ve got the cash to front, you can secure a seat in a Lambo Gallardo, cruise an Audi R8 through the streets of Melbourne, or lap the Ferrari 360CS around the paperclip in Queensland.As a price guide, it’ll cost you roughly $500 to sit tight in a Porsche 997 GT3 as it laps Eastern Creek, and for another 100 bucks you can drive the thing yourself.The alternative to fanging around race-tracks are the Road Events. A string of ‘drive days’ are scheduled in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in the coming months. The itinerary involves cruising through the city in each of a group of five seriously fast cars (each worth a few hundreds Gs), presumably turning heads along the way.Road Events cost more than the single-car race days – you have to cough up extra for the 8-hour duration, and the variation of the drives, and you can even pay more and choose two flavours for a double-drive combo.Included in the cost is a photoshoot with the car you rode in, and extras such as a DVD of your experience, a t-shirt and the like.
Just a few days after its star driver Felipe Massa was rushed to hospital with career-threatening head and eye injuries, Ferrari has turned back to its core business, releasing details of its newest model, the 458 Italia, a car that it claims represents one of the largest leaps forward in technology, performance and emissions ever seen out of Maranello.
Never mind that the top end of the luxury car business has been reduced to walking pace, Ferrari is bravely stirring the market with its new rear-engined rocket, capable of a zero-100km/h time of 3.4secs and a top speed of 325km/h.
That’s nearly 100km/h more than a Ferrari California reached recently in the hands of a motoring journalist on a Western Australian country road.The neat and compact Ferrari 458 Italia, the replacement for the 430, is a completely new car from every point of view – engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics.With the 458 Italia, Ferrari now offers two eight-cylinder models that share a common, competition-derived DNA.Both it and the California are sporty , though sporty and fun to drive, are aimed at two very different kinds of buyer. The California was created for owners requiring a more versatile sports car with a practical edge, while the 458 Italia is designed for owners for whom the priority is uncompromising on-road performance with occasional track day capability (but still with a side to its character that allows for reasonably functional day to day driving). Gee, this is sounding more and more like a Porsche 911GT3….Like most recent Ferrari production models, the two-seater leans heavily on the Scuderia’s Formula One experience and technology.The 458 Italia features an different driving environment with a new kind of steering wheel and dashboard that is the direct result of track activities. Once again input from Michael Schumacher – who was involved from the very start of the 458 Italia project – played a role.The Ferrari 458 Italia’s Pininfarina styling has been very heavily influenced by the requirements for aerodynamic efficiency, as can be seen from the downforce reading of of 140 kg at 200 km/h.The front features a single opening for the front grille and side air intakes, with aerodynamic sections and profiles designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and the new flat underbody. The nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag.The new 4499 cc V8 is the first Ferrari direct injection engine to be mid-rear mounted. It has a very low piston compression height typical of racing engines which contributed to achieving its compression ratio of 12.5:1. Equipped with the traditional flat-plane crankshaft, the engine delivers 425 kW at 9000 rpm.Its outstanding power output of 94 kW/litre sets a new benchmark not only for the whole Ferrari range but, the company insists, also for the entire market segment.Maximum torque is 540 Nm at 6000 rpm, over 80 per cent of which is available from 3250 rpm. Specific torque is a handy 120 Nm/litre.The car’s aurals are also typical Ferrari, with an powerful growl emerging from the engine before it channels through to the exhaust’s three rear tailpipes.The 458 Italia is equipped with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is a boost to both performance and economy (not that owners really give a fig about the latter).This new Ferrari is also a major leap forward when it comes to cutting emissions. Despite the fact that the new engine is significantly more powerful than the V8s that preceded it, the Ferrari 458 Italia produces just 320 g/km of CO2 and fuel consumption is 13.7 l/100 km (combined cycle)..Fuel efficiency and performance are also behind the weight reduction priority during the design phase. The 458 Italia has a dry weight of 1380 kg with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.42 kg/CV. Weight distribution is skewed to the engine’s rearward engine location – with 58 per cent over the rear axle and 42 over the front half.The aluminium chassis, is a technical tour de force and incorporates various types of advanced alloys along with aerospace industry-derived manufacturing and bonding techniques.Suspension features twin wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear.There has been further integration of the E-Diff and F1-Trac (now controlled by the same ECU) and their respective mappings, resulting in a 32 per cent increase in longitudinal acceleration out of corners compared to previous models. The evolution of the control logic, with even faster and more accurate calculation of levels of grip, gives the promise of slicker roadholding, better handling and ease of control on the limit.The same ECU also governs the high-performance ABS, providing even more precise control over the logic threshold and greater efficiency. The brakes also feature a prefill function whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied. This combined with the ABS has cut the 100-0 km/h braking distance to a mere 32.5 metres.Deliveries of the Ferrari 458 Italia to Australia and New Zealand will start in mid-2010, with orders already being taken by the Australian and New Zealand importer. Local prices and specifications will be announced when deliveries start.
Ferrari 458 Italia – Technical specifications
Dimensions
Length 4527 mm Width 1937 mm Height 1213 mm Wheelbase 2650 mm Dry weight 1380 kg * Weight/power ratio 2,42 kg/CV (7.16 lbs/kW) Weight distribution fr/r 42%/58%
Engine
Type V8 – 90° Displacement 4499 cc Maximum power 425 kW @ 9000 rpm Maximum torque 540 Nm @ 6000 rpm Compression ratio 12.5:1
Tyres
Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5″ Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5″
Performance
Maximum speed 325 km/h 0-100 km/h 3.4 s
Fuel consumption + emissions
Fuel consumption*** 13.7 l/100 km Emissions*** 320 g CO2/km
Gearbox
Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1
Electronics
E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS
* With forged wheels and Racing seats *** Combined cycle (ECE+EUDC)
As you likely heard, President Barrack Obama calmed a recent dispute about racism and the police by inviting the two parties involved in the disagreement to the White House to discuss the matter over a few beers.
While he was at it, Obama could have had similar discussions with experts and others about the effectiveness of government actions regarding the recent economic state of affairs …automotive bankruptcies, mortgage programs (and non programs), bank failures, executive compensation issues…though most likely there isn’t enough beer in the entire U.S. to have floated those talks.But there is no argument about the success of one program meant to give the U.S. economy a swift kick in the butt: Cash For Clunkers, which has the dual purpose of getting U.S. car sales off their recent 27-year lows and putting some Americans in new vehicles that have better fuel economy and give off lower emissions.Several countries have tried this, offering government rebates if you surrender your old gas-guzzler to buy a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. Success of these programs in some countries has been questioned, but here it appears to have worked in spades.Typical of government thinking, it couldn’t be kept simple, with the rules for the program filling a 136-page document. And there were last-minute fights over details and funding, which set aside $1 billion to cover the program until November 1.Guess what? Those monies were gone before the end of the first week, and our House of Representatives had to vote another $2 billion to cover the first full sales weekend of the program. Of course its sister legislative branch, the Senate, couldn’t get organized quickly so the White House had to promise it would find the dollars to keep Cash For Clunkers going throughout the weekend. Here are the basics.The plan applies to cars, pickup trucks, vans and SUVs. There are several provisos, but basically the vehicle must have been built within the past 25 years and managed only 18 mpg or less. It must be drivable and been registered and insured for the preceding year. Dump the old machine for a new one that gets 4-9 mpg better and you get credit on the new vehicle of $3,500. If the new car’s mileage is 10 mpg or more above that of the clunker headed for the crusher, you get $4,500. Several automakers matched the government’s offer with their own discounts, and if you opted for a hybrid, there were additional government breaks. These credits can only be applied to vehicles with price tags of $45,000 or less.Dealerships had to find a facility that could physically crush the vehicles on a list with the somewhat spooky name End of Life Vehicle Solutions. There were even portable crushers that could he hauled to dealerships.Before each vehicle was crushed, salvageable components could be removed and the engine had to be permanently disabled. One way to do this was to feed the engine a mixture of water and “liquid glass,” turn it over a few times and everything was locked solid forever.The results of the promotion were quite dramatic, and many dealerships were swamped. Those that had slimmed their inventory because of the recession were running out of qualifying cars. Salesmen who hadn’t done much for months but play Solitaire, drink coffee, eat doughnuts and go home early were working past midnight.Now the government has to figure out how long the program should continue and where it can find the funds to pay for it, but at a time when it seems like little has gone right, Cash For Clunkers did.Come the Monday following the start of the program, Ford was out with sales that were up 2.4 percent for July, the automaker’s first monthly increase in 19 months.There are those who argue that the requirements of the Cash For Clunkers program weren’t tough enough. Some environmental groups argued that the mileage limits were lax and an increase for some drivers of only 4 mpg was the equivalent of exchanging one gas hog for another.To many, however, just the possibility that the program might get new car buyers back in the buying spirit was enough.Ford had already had more momentum than General Motors or Chrysler, some buyers saying they prefer Ford because it has not received bailout funds or been pushed through bankruptcy.At first there were some calls to make certain the Cash For Clunkers program profited Detroit’s Big Three automakers (really the not-so-Big-anymore-Three these days), but that sort of supposed patriotism doesn’t work anymore.Here’s an example of why: According to Cars.com’s American-Made Index, the most “American” car in America is the Toyota Camry. This survey considers the vehicle’s percentage of parts that, by cost, are sourced in the U.S. and Canada, along with the vehicle’s U.S. sales volume.By this measure, only half the top ten list of “American” vehicles come from the Big Three, a trio of pickup trucks and the Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Taurus. The other five are the Camry, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Tundra and Toyota Venza.So much for defining what is an “American” vehicle.Another thing we won’t be having, apparently, will be more California-made cars. Another of the victims of the upheavals in the car business is NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc). This is the Fremont, California factory (near San Francisco) that has been a joint project of GM and Toyota since 1984, the place were the same basic vehicle could be built as a Toyota or GM product. But GM bailed out of the project in June and now Toyota will also apparently back away from its only U.S. factory with union workers. Thus ends a long history of automobiles being manufactured in the Golden State, which is now known for its unfavorable business climate. All that will remain are small assembly facilities, like Tesla.Things have quieted down in Detroit, particularly at Chrysler as it reorganizes itself under Fiat’s leadership, led by a board of directors that, other than Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne and Alfredo Altavilla, has little automotive experience. We have heard the first Alfa Romeo we will get will be the new Milano, which is slated for debut at next year’s Geneva Show. Incidentally, Chrysler has decided to not sell its Viper group, so the sports car lives on as will the PT Cruiser, though the latter is badly in need of a serious updating.General Motors–sorry, the post-39-day-bankruptcy New General Motors–has gone though a not-unexpected executive shuffle. Several long-tern execs have retired and, as an example of the sort of change taking place, Bryan Nesbitt, the highly regarded 40-year-old designer who gets credit for the PT Cruiser when at Chrysler, has been made head of Cadillac. The big surprise was that 77-year-old Bob Lutz “unretired” himself and jumped right back into the battles at GM as the “product meister.” Within minutes of his return he was blasting Buick advertising (for what was a dreadful, arrogant ad) and started stirring the pot at GM…which needs stirring up.This all fires the old argument about whether the same guys who, it can be argued, were leading GM when it tumbled into trouble should still be in charge again. Or is the car business so unique it is best run by to those with a sense of automotive business, engineering and art?Again, we’d need a lot of beer to get through that discussion.
Encouraged by the popularity of rival Toyota’s HiLux range, Mitsubishi is now rushing its revamped model year ’10 Triton line-up into showrooms to capitalise on the increased demand for the versatile work-and-play commercials.
With supplies of the ’09 Triton down to the odd vehicle here and there, Mitsubishi has brought forward the introduction of the Triton, which carries a host of changes led by a new high-performance turbo diesel and a longer deeper tray in the double-cab versions.Defying the soft market, Mitsubishi Australia has also reported a return to profit – albeit a small net figure of around a million dollars. That’s an impresive turnaround of $356.5 million in the bottom line.This change in fortunes comes on the back of significant restructuring, reduction of inventory, product line rationalisation and de-proliferation as part of detailed plan to ‘future-proof’ MitsubishiSales in 2008 were 60,692, down 7.2 per cent on 2007. The loss of the locally produced 380 sedan was a factor here.There is cautious optimism from managing director Rob McEniry that that the market can look forward to a slow but steady and sustainable recovery that will be more than a ‘dead-car bouncing’ from the impact of the GFC.Responding to a market that is seeing some ‘green shoots’ (don’t you love this marketing chat?), Mitsubishi is freeing up production and increasing sales forecasts.June brought the best ever sales month for Triton, and there is some more good product news in the offing.The 2010 Triton is an important model for Mitsubishi, accounting for 30 per cent of total sales.There is evidence that the Triton has been pulling passenger car buyers who see advantages in its versatility, reliability and toughness (if not fuel thriftiness).The Mitsubishi execs are ever candid and marketing chief Paul Unerkov admits that while the Trion’s looks have brought attention to the product, they are also polarising.Changes to the ’10 Triton include the dropping of the V6 from the 4 x 4 line-up, increased towing capacity, and to sate the needs of work/play sports ute buyers, the introduction of a mid-range GL-R variant in both two- and four-wheel drive.Exterior styling has been tweaked, along with new trim and more comfortable seats.The new 2.5-litre turbodiesel offers up 131kW and 400Nm – a jump of 11 per cent and 17 per cent respectively over the previous 4M41 3.2-litre engine. Combined fuel economy figure of 8.3 litres per 100 km (a 9 per cent improvement when mated to a manual transmission). Automatic variants generate a similar amount of power, 350Nm of torque, and achieve a combined fuel economy figure of 9.3 litres per 100 km.The two-wheel drive ’10 Triton retains the 94kW /194Nm 2.4-litre petrol engine and 100kW/314Nm 2.5-litre diesel engine from the current line-up.All 2010 Tritons have standard driver and front passenger airbags, front and rear door impact bars, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, front seatbelt pretensioners and child restraint points.Active stability and traction control is available on all HP diesel models and passenger side and curtain airbags are available on all HP diesel dual-cab models – and standard on GLX-R variants.The longer tray available on dual-cab Tritons offers a total tray length of 1505 mm, and total tray height of 460 mm – an improvement in both directions of 14 per cent.The 2010 Triton line-up has a five year/130,000km whole vehicle warranty, backed up by its 10 year/160,000 km powertrain warranty and a five year/unlimited kilometre roadside assistance package.Prices haven’t yet been revealed but we are assured there will be no sticker shock.Still in the rough stuff, the all-new Challenger, a genuine off roader with a turbo diesel engine and low range, will open more opportunities for its increasingly satisfied dealers, McEniry suggests. “Should give some of our softer competitors a shake,” Big Mac declared.As it emerges from dark days, Mitsubishi is getting back on the front foot on the eco front too.McEniry says it will have a few of the new plug-in i-MiEV electric cars here by the year’s end.Initially the i-MiEV, the first electric vehicle to get full compliance in Australia, will go to people who Mitsubishi describes as ‘good disciples’ of the concept who would promote the new technologies. IT groups for example.Demand will exceed supply, Mitsubishi says.Touted as the ultimate eco-car, a solution to the various challenges the automobile faces today including environmental pollution, global warming and the depletion of petroleum-based energy supplies, the i-MiEV has a range of 140km, more than enough for the daily commuting needs of most city drivers.It can be recharged overnight in a family garage equipped with 15 amp power.Mitsubishi Motors expects to distribute, on a maintenance lease basis, some 1,400 i-MiEV models in 2009 principally to corporations and to local government. A maintenance lease is a lease in which the monthly payments include some of the taxes, insurance and maintenance costs.
Ford Performance Racing will offer Ford supporters a chance to trade-in their soon-to-be-redundant Triple Eight merchandise at Queensland Raceway this weekend.
On the back of confirmation that Triple Eight will swap its racing Ford V8 supercars to move to Holden next season, Blue Oval supporters can pick up an official Ford cap for just $10 when they trade in their Triple Eight merchandise.The offer is a cute sidelight to the more serious business of trying to retrieve something from a largely barren season as the 2009 championship gets closer to the business end.Winterbottom and Richards have now conceded the V8 Supercar Championship is almost certainly out of their reach.That presents each round as a golden opportunity to shine as the conservative approach is thrown out the window to develop FPR’s base set-up and mount a campaign for the Ford faithful.“I go to every round expecting to be quick but Ipswich suits my style and I feel like I can drive the car a little bit harder there than I could at Sandown,” said Winterbottom.“I’ve raced at Ipswich in really good cars, really bad cars and everything in between and there are definitely ways you can squeeze a bit more out of the car there with a bit of track knowledge so I’m confident about a good result.“I’ve got nothing to lose now,” commented Richards. “We still want to finish but we can push that little bit harder.”“We’re trying to not get too carried away with a lot of changes; we’ve got a couple of significant things that we want to have a run with at Ipswich to review where we are. We hope that makes the car better but don’t want to step too far away from our normal set ups.”
Called the “Star of India” and built to order in 1934 for the Maharaja of Rajkot, this Phantom-based Rolls-Royce is set to become the world’s most expensive car, with experts predicting it could bring as much as £8.5 million pounds (A$16.91 million) at auction.
The Star of India is part of a sale of the entire Rolls-Royce museum in Muhlheim in Germany, owned by collector Hans-Gunther Zach.Predictions suggests the 1934 Phantom II 40/50 HP Continental “All-Weather Convertible” will trump the sale of a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa that sold at auction in May for a mere £7.2 million (A$14.32 million).The unique Star of India has several standout features including is extra headlamps ‘obey’ the steering wheel when the car is turning corners. Its pioneering technology was a precursor to the adaptive lighting offered increasingly on today’s premium passenger models.
Ford Performance Vehicles has revived a badge from 40 years ago – the GS – attaching it to a limited run of 302kW V8-powered Falcons with the aim of attracting enthusiasts to the brand at an attractive price point $54,950 (manufacturer’s list price) for the sedan and $49,950 (MLP) for the ute.
The revived GS is certainly a step up in performance – the original option pack GS for the base and Futura XW launched in July 1969 had just 220 horses on tap. Back then it was a comfortable low-spec alternative to the GT and, dare we say it, a bit of an old man’s car.But today the GS is Ford second most popular performance car collectible from the ’60s and ’70s, after the iconic GT range.Positioned neatly between the 290kW Ford XR8 and the 315kW FPV flagship GT, the new FPV GS gets a recalibrated FPV 5.4 litre V8 GT engine from the FG-model which along with the 302kW, also produces 551Nm of torque, through a standard six-speed manual transmission.The GS engine takes the twin throttle bodies and intake system of the GT engine, the GT headers and dual exhaust and a recalibrated ECU, all fine-tuned in an engine development program specific to the GS Series.Along with a slightly detuned GT V8, the new FPV GS sedan and ute get FPV chassis enhancements, bespoke GS graphics and FPV driver comfort features.Unique GS striping graphics, charcoal cloth interior, FPV GT instrumentation, gear knob, starter button and badging, premium sound system with iPod and Bluetooth integration, and dual zone climate control are all standard.The GS sedan also features 19-inch Graphite rims and a choice of six exterior colour/stripe combinations, while the GS ute features 19-inch Alpine Silver rims, FPV soft tonneau and a choice of three exterior colour/stripe combinations.The new GS will be limited to 250 units in the sedan and 75 utes.FPV admits happily that the new GS never would have happened without the global financial crisis and that’s it’s a car for the times.“We aimed to provide the GS Series owner with a GT driving experience with this engine,” FPV’s general manager Rod Barrett said. “At 302kW it’s the perfect entry to our range, which steps up to the turbocharged F6 at 310kW and the full GT-spec V8 at 315kW.”Options include a FPV-spec four-pot Brembo brake upgrade, a six-speed auto transmission recalibrated specifically for the 302kW engine, leather seats and sat-nav, and, on the ute only, a hard tonneau with spoiler.
To a car enthusiast who has only ever been to the Melbourne and Sydney motor shows in the past, the Geneva Motor Show was intimidating, to say the least. The first thing to note was the sheer size of it, and I have been told Frankfurt is bigger still.
After wondering where to begin, I quickly assumed an anti-clockwise spiral starting at the far corner would suffice for each of the two levels. And after circling the stages, the following cars are my picks of the show – in the order that I saw them, not in preference. Though the Ferrari was truly stunning to behold…
Ferrari 599XX (above)
My favourite Ferrari gets the racing treatment. The 599XX borrows certain cues from the latest F1 car which is looking nicely organic. The 599 is a beautiful car to start off with, and adding the F1 detailing works very well. One such detail is a fin that rises from the lower edges of the front and rear bumpers parallel to the wheels. It seems to float there, not being attached at the top, and gives a great fluidity to the bumper.
I’m not sure of the practical reasoning of this on the 599, but a visual link to the F1 branch of Ferrari is always fun to see. Vast amounts of matte black next to the glossy Ferrari red looks a treat.
VW Polo
Volkswagen have taken what used to be a slightly bubbly and chunky looking car and transferred its new styling treatment to it. The new Polo has a great stance and communicates the VW theme of strong geometric shapes and solid volumes.The sharp feature lines give the car a clear direction, however it seems if they aren’t doing Audi grilles – they’re borrowing headlamps. Nice detail but strong visual links to the Audi headlamps loses points for individuality.All up a great looking little car to bring the VW language to an increasingly competitive market segment, design wise.
Seat
Seat have had a strong name in European racing for some time now, and this reputation is being used to back up some very creative surfaces. It seems the Spaniards are joining the French in breaking convention. While we are seeing a trend for rising to the rear feature lines, Seat have them dipping from front to rear on the Leon, reminding us of the sweeping front fender back from the 40s.It’s an interesting one though, because it throws off the DLO, with no harmony between the two lines. The Ibiza does not incorporate this line to the same extent as the Leon. Instead it has two intersecting lines that do strange things with reflections. I’m not sure of its success, but it will be interesting to see where they take it in the future.
Subaru Liberty Concept
Subaru had its Liberty Concept on show. The body looks strong and solid, however graphically it is all over the place. It has a nice line that runs down the bonnet and passes the grille on both sides, but that is nothing new. Visually it seems no longer to be an accessible long wheel-based AWD cruiser. It now looks heavy and oversized with huge overhangs at both ends.Some larger wheels would have helped reduce the visual weight of the body however those headlamps could not have been saved by anything.It seems Subaru have been confused with their designs lately. The moment they were met with criticism of their Tribeca grille they withdrew it. I think with some persistence and a few tweaks here and there they could have had a really solid identity. Instead they have lost confidence and seem to be trying to blend in with the masses.Unfortunately this doesn’t work when the masses are stepping it up.
Idea Institute
Idea Institute presented a beautiful low slung roadster called ERA. The bonnet shows a trend I quite like, with two ridges extend from either side of the windshield and travel along the inside of each wheel arch. The effect is that of a furrowing brow and gives a great muscular feel to the bonnet.The pumped wheel arches are slightly off circular and, along with the bonnet, give the car some real direction.Overall it isn’t a busy car – like the Seats have a tendency to be – but what they have done has been with confidence and it has worked beautifully.
Pininfarina Bluecar
A very tidy small car that has entirely done away with a grille, however they have managed to create quite an expressive and distinctive face by incorporating solar cells and headlamps in one large graphic that tapers upward and rearward.Bluecar is a far cry from Ferraris, but it proves that this studio is not one dimensional and can pull off the understated subtlety that the iPod brought back to industrial design some years back. It has a great DLO and I really like how the rear graphic extends around the bodyside to meet two feature lines that run along the doors.
Fiat 500 Abarth
I’m a sucker for this little car, and to see it modified by Abarth tickles me. The friendly little Fiat base car has a great stance (minimal overhangs and a distinct forward lean) that has lent itself beautifully to the racing treatment. Under Abarth, the 500 goes from chubby cherub to a naughty brat in a devil’s costume.
KTM XBow
There’s no denying the Xbow’s intentions from the moment you lay eyes on it. The vast use of the dirt bike styling elements of exposed structures partially clad in brightly coloured panels gives the car a very fast, lightweight look. Couple this with massive expanses of exposed carbon fibre and it is clear that this car was meant for racing. Subtle vents and dimples in the surface are difficult to pick up on in the black carbon fibre but makes for a very refined outcome where no area has been left to chance. This unmistakable style of few sweeping surfaces, opting for the deconstructed look of KTM bikes, brings a whole new style language to the automotive market.
Mitsubishi iMiev
Mitsubishi brings a distinct Hello Kitty style to the iMiev, seen particularly in its front and fog lamp cluster. Overall it works well for the Mitsu, however a square panel at the front seems to have been pared back from a more expressive smile, which would have been in keeping with the rest of the car.On such a rounded off car, the Mitsubishi logo actually detracts from the look of the vehicle, which can never be good. Perhaps it is time for Mitsubishi to carry out a subtle facelift to its badges a la Citroen’s tweaking of the double chevron.
Mazda Kiyora
The Mazda Kiyora is out of this world. The styling of it is so organic it looks alive, as though it could swim away at a whim. The windshield is near on horizontal, a tangent the bonnet carries through and then dips rapidly at the front giving it a nice little bulge on its nose. The interior is beautifully sci-fi.I am not sure how well this radical styling will age, but for now, this Zaha Hadid formation sums up Mazda’s edge in design brilliantly.
Ford Iosis Max
The latest embodiment of Ford’s kinetic design language continues the distinct spears in the body side and a fast daylight opening. The tail lamps are reminiscent of Mondeo’s, with an extension that continues to the rear door. It is squared off and I am not sure how successful it is in keeping with the overall theme of the vehicle.The interior is playfully reminiscent of a sports shoe, and other sporting equipment. Bright glossy colours, white vinyl and leathers as well as “breathing fabrics” give a very athletic interior, and the absence of a B pillar gives an open, airy feel. The exterior, as an expression of itself, says slick people carrier. It is rather like a Fiesta for youngsters who want more space.
Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss
Mercedes had their gorgeous limited edition SLR on show. The exaggerated classic racing car proportions work well with the contemporary surface language of tapering spears and sharp surface breaks. It makes such a strong statement for itself that I doubt whether this car will ever age.The distinct bulge that runs down the centre of the bonnet to become the nose really emphasises the length of the car. The roll bars behind the seats are classic features but their cross sectional shape and forward lean bring them beautifully into the present. The front end’s use of strong tapers to the rear screaming of G force, the rear is more of a middle finger to trailing drivers. There is a definite frown in the rear lamps and the diffuser incorporates elements of a gaping mouth with bared fangs daring anyone to overtake it.
GTbyCitroen
This car had me stunned when it was unveiled last year. It had the same effect on me when I saw it in the metal. It has such a low stance that the greenhouse barely clears the wheel arches with a windshield so heavily raked it just about has the same gradient as the bonnet, an element that acts to bring the driver into the car.The pumped wheel arches have squared off tops that work to emphasise the length of the car, a feature accentuated by a strong horizontal that starts from the doors and rises to the rear, intersected by the rear wheel arch. The horizontal emerges behind the wheel arch through a gaping vent and continues to from something of a tail stretching out well behind the car. A distinct feature of the side is a beautiful air scoop that catches light as the body tucks out of sight.Such an eccentric exterior surely demanded a spectacular interior, and Citroen doesn’t disappoint. What looks like a solid copper dash has been created, with organic, sinew like buttresses that extend through the interior. It does not quite communicate racing, but in a car conceived for virtual racing alone (in which every parameter can be changed) I can see their justification.A summary of what makes this such a successful piece of contemporary car design would be the interplay between surfaces. Citroen have managed to get a solid looking car by incorporating hollows, scoops and bulk and tying it all together using traditional car design principles.
Alfa Romeo Mito GTA
Initially I wasn’t the Mito’s greatest fan. The GTA, however, changed that quickly. What it does to the base car is bring some much needed surface differentiation to the front end. Some extra breaks in the front bumper do a world of good, as does the blacked out air intake surround. A black roof creates a nice link between front and rear windshields, and brings a nice line to the AC pillar arch. By repeating the line of a bulge in the tailgate in the top of the diffuser, Alfa tie the sporty bumper in with rest of the car well. Centre mounted twin tail pipes bring a great racing feel.
RenaultSport Megane RS
Renault presented an outrageously gorgeous Megane Cup racing car. The unbelievably widened track, gaping intakes and vents and the rear end of a rocket ship was all they needed for me to fall in love with the “base” RenaultSport Megane. There is a great line that is repeated from the top of the headlamp through to the bottom of the air intake, intersected at various points by horizontals, that nicely sums up contemporary car design. It is about identifying a strong theme and carrying it throughout the car with subtle variations, surrounding it with complimentary as well as opposing elements, to create interest.A horizontal as that on the Megane front end is such an opposing element. It is unusual to see such a flat horizontal, but it seems to bring out the rest of the curves in the car by providing some relief. The blacked out panel is interesting and works well in emphasising the car’s sporty intentions.
Hyundai Ixonic
Hyundai, as well as other Korean manufacturers, is really maturing in style. Nice clean lines that bear a relationship to one another, and a strengthening theme throughout. Hyundai isn’t quite there yet, the grille mesh is a bit too organic for my tastes and does not relate to the rest of the vehicle, and the wheels look like giant mirrors. My preference would have been for a more structured mesh, and a metallic finish on the wheels as chrome has a tendency to confuse the eye over complex surfaces.To have had the opportunity to walk between the greats of the current automotive market has been a pleasure. The Geneva Motor Show exhibited the full range of the European market, and to be able to look at the design merits of a small hatchback next to a supercar and then hold them in as high regard as each other speaks volumes of how far car design has come in recent years.For anybody serious about making a career in the automotive industry, a trip to an international motor show is something to seriously consider, it has been incredibly inspiring, and it is something I intend to do again one day.
Far from turning the other cheek as Holden launches its high-tech new V6 engine in the Commodore, Ford has come out blazing with a great value limited edition model of its mid-range G6 Falcon at an attention-getting drive away $36,490 price.
While Holden has certainly attracted attention from the fleets with the economy claims of its new 3.0-litre V6 Commodore, Ford is for the moment using a value ploy to keep customers from being lured away.Ford boss Marin Burela says there is plenty happening at Ford, including a fresh wave of younger private Falcon customers. The average age has dropped dramatically from 56 to 45 years, and in just a year or so.Burela says his customers are telling him they want large cars, which is why Ford is investing $230 million more in the Falcon rather than building the smaller Focus in Australia.“We say the large car segment will continue to stay at 95,000-100,000 units annually,” Burela said, adding that it is appealing because there are just a few main players in the segment.The arrival of its turbocharged 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine early in 2011 will further strengthen the Falcon’s position with fleets that have a policy of buying four cylinder cars. Burela indicates the EcoBoost engine will be very cost effective versus hybrids and sixes. “It will be the most fuel efficient, eco friendly large car in the country,” he suggestsMeanwhile, the Limited Edition G6 offers customers a highly specced car offering around $13,000 more value than the standard 195kW 4.0-litre six-cylinder G6. In fact it undercuts the entry level Falcon and Commodore by $3000, signalling a serious intent by Ford to take the fight to Holden based on seriously good value for money.The Limited Edition G6, effectively a heady mix of G6 and the swisher G6E, catches the eye with 18-inch alloy wheels, colour accent treatments, fog lamp bezels, a rear bumper insert and Limited Edition badge, leather-detailed seat trim, leather wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control buttons, iPod and Bluetooth phone integration. More importantly perhaps, side curtain airbags are included.The Ford Oz boss says the limited edition car is just the start of a serious marketing onslaught using Falcon. “We’re testing the water with this car,” Burela declared, also hinting at some future model consolidation.As part of a thrust to push the Falcon positioning further up the totem, Burela says that the entry-level Falcon XT will be built only to order. Ford won’t be following the old ethos of “build ’em first; then sell ’em”.He said that when he arrived in Australia to take over, there were “hundreds of new Falcons on grass” waiting to be sold. Not now.Ford production lines are now struggling to keep up with demand with Territory in short supplyHe said demand for Territory was particular strong, with Ford short of stock.Like Falcon, the mix of the Territory is moving to the up-scale models and the local SUV will kick on again in 2011 when the 2.7-litre diesel, a superseded but still impressive V6 sourced from Jaguar, will become part of the engine choices.
Martin Robben is a Dutch timber merchant who now finds it hard to believe that speed cameras in the Netherlands don’t tell fibs.
Newspaper De Telegraaf reports that during one day, August 25, Robben’s truck was pinged for speeding on 45 occasions, though it was parked on the roadside in the village of Oldeberkoop.The potential fines amounted to thousands of Euros.“Sometimes there were only three seconds between the tickets,” Robben told the Dutch paper. “That’s impossible. Nobody can be flashed dozens of times in an afternoon.”Like the situation in Australia, the usual procedure in Europe is for the traffic authorities to mail off the bluey with no supporting photographic evidence of the so-called offence. The motorist charged needs to pay for a copy of the camera pic showing the misdemeanour.The Robben case hits the spot because The Netherlands is home to Gatsometer, the best-known and foremost manufacturer of speed cameras globally.This is far from being the first speed camera to err in finding stationary vehicles have been speeding.Other cases have been documented in France, the UK and Australia. In Wollongong, NSW in 2005, a magistrate acquitted an elderly motoring couple that received tickets from a notoriously unreliable speed camera. It had previously issued speeding tickets to a milk truck driver for driving at an unrealistic speed, and to a school crossing lollypop monitor whose vehicle was parked adjacent to the camera.Similarly there have been claims that cameras on Sydney’s Spit Hill have given false readings at times.Typically, the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority refused to concede that the accuracy of the cameras are in doubt.To his credit, the magistrate said he had grave concerns over the RTA’s refusal to do rectify the mistakes made by cameras until forced by the court to correct them.
