THE DRIVING force behind Toyota’s aggressive Salon stable is Akio Toyoda, the company’s new petrolhead CEO.

He’s kick-started a campaign to build “more interesting cars” (Aussie translation: “a lot of our cars are automotive Valium. I’m going to sort that right out”).Cue the FT-86 G Sports Concept, the latest and hardest version of the new rear-drive coupe, best known as the ‘Toyobaru’ (because Toyota and Subaru are cooking it up together, based on the Impreza platform and powered by Subie’s flat-four engine).In the metal, this coupe looks taut and tough: sharp flanks, chiselled, shark-like nose, matt-black bonnet and sexy new wheels.Okay, so the spoiler is straight out of Japan’s D1 Drift series, but that’s pretty much the point here.On the grunt front, the Toyobaru’s 2.0-litre Subaru Boxer four has gained a turbo, for outputs of approximately 200kW/340Nm and guaranteed sideways shenanigans…

NO, it’s NOT the bastard child of a union between Honda and Holden Special Vehicles. Instead, this matt-black monster is the reincarnation of Honda’s stillborn NSX super coupe.

Honda had been teasing us for years with plans to revive the NSX, but that pesky GFC saw the project crash and burn. Until now.What you see here is the Honda HSV-010 GT (in this case, HSV stands for Honda Sports Velocity), packing a 3.4-litre V8 good for around 370kW and 400Nm stuffed into an 1100kg carbonfibre racer. Racer?Yes, the HSV GT is Honda’s entry into Super GT for 2010 (think the Japanese version of V8 Supercars) and this ‘next NSX’ isn’t scheduled to be produced as a road car. Ever.Honda’s not too keen to broadcast the point, but the HSV has risen from the ashes of its long drawn-out plans to build a new-gen NSX.When the original NSX went out of production in ’05, Honda started work on a new, upscale front-engined V10 version to tackle the likes of the Lexus LF A and Aston Martin DB9. We saw one concept at the 2007 Detroit show, then things got more serious. That car became the Acura Sports, which was to be built in two guises.For the road, the Acura (Honda’s luxury arm) Sports got a 5.0-litre V10 and a trick new-gen version of Honda’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. It was envisioned as a full-house, hi-tech flagship.But the blades of the GFC cut deep and Honda scrapped the NSX, along with its Formula One program. Instead, funds were diverted to volume-selling fuel sippers such as the Insight hybrid, rather than expensive-to-develop, slow-selling supercars.Shrouded in secrecy, however, Honda was also prepping a separate, pure race-car version of the Acura Sports, and it’s this front-engined, rear-drive V8 coupe we’ll see rubbing doors with Nissan GT-Rs throughout the 2010 Super GT season.Up front, the HSV’s 3397cc HR 10EG V8 is a spin-off from the engine Honda runs in Japan’s Formula Nippon single-seater race category.

Insuring your car is one of those things that we all love to hate but we all know we need it.

And research has found that Sydney drivers cop it the worst, when it comes to comprehensive car insurance. So are Sydneysiders getting ripped off? Or is there anything you can do to avoid the sting

Financial comparison website RateCity conducted a comparison study involving 23 Australian car insurance companies. Their research found that when compared to other major cities such as Melbourne and Brisbane, Sydney was the most expensive to insure your car.RateCity used the same driver profile for each city location and found that the average annual premiums for Sydney siders were a whopping $1,158, which is a lot when you compare that to Melbourne which averaged $890 and Brisbane which was $621. Sydney is almost double Brisbane’s average, and nearly $270 difference compared to Melbourne!“The average cost of comprehensive car insurance for the three-city metro locations was $890 and compared to the lowest average national quotes of $584, it’s possible that Australian drivers could save $300 each or $3.36 billion as a whole,” says RateCity CEO Damian Smith.Budget Direct ruled as the overall cheapest comprehensive car insurance provider in all three states, followed by Ozicare.

Excessive costs

When it comes to excesses, there is a noticeable difference in the average cost for each state as well, with Sydney at $564, Melbourne at $516 and Brisbane at $481.The cheapest average standard excess was recorded by ANZ and ING Insurance at $450, with AON and Westpac not far behind on $467.There a number of reasons behind these excessive price differences with insurance premiums and excesses. One main factor being that Sydney is a larger and more highly populated city than the others, with a population of over 4.3 million, compared to Brisbane’s 1.9 million and Melbourne with over four million.Car insurance companies look at crime rates for suburbs, as well as other factors which affect your premium including your age, sex, type of car, if your car has after-market modifications, the age of car, where you park your car, as well as your past driving history including how many claims you have had.Nonetheless if you didn’t have comprehensive insurance and your car was stolen or you were involved in an accident where you were at fault, you would be stuffed. Not only would you be out of pocket for potentially thousands of dollars but you could be left without a car and have nothing to show for it but perhaps a large debt.Comprehensive insurance covers you for theft and collisions caused by yourself and other parties, so for peace of mind it is the smarter option to have insurance.

Here are some tips to save hundreds on your car insurance:

Compare car insurance quotes onlinePay your premium in full if you can as this works out cheaper than paying by the monthKeep your driving record clean and drive carefully, as this increases your no claim bonus and will cost you lessAfter-market modifications cost more to insure your car so keep these to a minimum or before you get them done get a quote to find out how much extra it will cost you.Use your car less, some insurers charge you for how much you drive. RateCity’s comprehensive car insurance comparisons, as at December 2009

Officially it’s only a concept, but have no doubt that the stunning petrol-electric 918 Spyder will pave the way for Porsche’s next supercar, which our sources say will go on sale in 2012.

The hybrid stunner also looks to be the car that will kick-start a new direction for supercars in general, ensuring the very survival of the species in the face of diminishing oil reserves and climate concerns.The sexy spiritual successor to the Carrera GT packs a 373kW mid-mounted petrol V8, all-wheel drive and three electric motors – two driving the front wheels, the other assisting the rears. The V8 engine and rear electric motor channel power rearwards via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, while the two front-mounted electric motors drive the front wheels exclusively.The electric combination adds 160kW to the Spyder’s already impressive petrol-V8 bite, enabling Porsche to claim a 0-100km/h sprint of just 3.2sec en route to a 320km/h top speed, pus the potential to lap Germany’s famed Nurburgring in a Carrera GT-humbling 7m 30s.That’s good, but what’s even better is that the 918 has the ability to silence grumbling Greenies by travelling up to 25km on electric-only power, meaning zero-emissions for shorter trips. On longer journeys careful drivers can still expect to extract an impressive 3.0L/100km with the car operating in frugal hybrid petrol-electric mode. That’s Ferrari fast with Fiesta frugality and it all comes packaged in simply stunning sheet metal.Want to know more about the Porsche 918 Spyder, or simply stay abreast of the best motoring news, views and reviews? Then grab a copy of Wheels’ April issue – on sale now at newsagents, supermarkets and convenience stores.

A rare 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, described by mane as the most sort-after Ferrari in the world, has been sold privately by RM Auctions.The Ferrari 250 GTO is one of only thirty-six originally produced and one of a limited few with Series II GTO bodywork. In April 1963, 4675 GT left the factory finished in Rosso Cina.It was raced by such drivers as Guido Fossati, Jean Guichet, Oddone Sigala, Vincenzo Nember and Luigi Taramazzo and proved itself a tremendously capable racing car, rarely finishing outside the top three in its class and achieving numerous race wins.In addition to being considered one of the most beautiful cars ever built by Ferrari, the GTO, with 302 bhp @ 7500rpm and a top speed of 174 mph, was tremendously successful in competition, securing multiple World Championships for the Modenese car builder.

UNLESS you’ve been summering in Moscow, you’ll know that Ford Australia’s venerable Boss 5.4-litre V8 has fallen victim to stricter Euro IV emissions regulations that come into force on July 1, and will be replaced by an all-new 5.0-litre V8, dubbed ‘Coyote’ and developed by Ford USA.Wheels has driven the 2011 Ford Mustang, the world’s first Coyote V8-powered Ford, and it’s an absolute cracker. Said our Stateside correspondent: “With its flat torque delivery, steel-cut snarl, and incredibly smooth wind-up to its 7000rpm redline, the 5.0-litre feels more like a European gran turismo thruster than a Detroit donk.“Rated at 307kW and 529Nm in the 1635kg Mustang, the 5.0-litre has no trouble lighting up the rear tyres and making the 100km/h mark in a hair under five seconds.”As reported by Wheels in February, the smaller, lighter, more powerful and economical bent-eight should, in supercharged form at least, catapult FPV ahead of HSV in the performance game. We also cast doubts over the future of XR8, but at the time Ford Oz hosed down speculation. Despite this, rumours of XR8’s imminent demise – to make way for an entry-level, naturally-aspirated FPV – continue to gather momentum.If the rumours prove true, Ford Performance Vehicles will use the Coyote V8 exclusively, and we expect to see it in September, along with minor cosmetic updates to the range.The all-alloy 5.0-litre Coyote V8 tips the scales at 195kg in atmo Mustang spec, 135kg lighter than the Boss 5.4. Even allowing a generous 30kg for a supercharger and intercooler set-up, all Coyote-powered Falcons stand to lose around 100kg. Coupled with the driveability improvements, the performance potential is huge.In Mustang’s naturally-aspirated form, the quad-cam, 32-valve V8 outputs of 307kW and 529Nm would give a 100kg-lighter XR8 a power- to-weight figure of 183kW/tonne (up from 163kW), streets ahead of the Commodore SS’s 152kW/tonne.Add FPV’s Roots-style supercharger installation and outputs climb to an HSV-humbling 335kW/600Nm. In FPV GT guise, we’re talking 191kW/tonne – kicking sand in the face of the HSV Clubsport’s 175kW/tonne.Wheels believes that a big-boost, big-hitting supercharged version of the Coyote will also power the return of the GT-HO in 2011. With higher boost pressure, intake and exhaust mods (see sidebar, opposite page), and a water-to-air intercooler, 375kW/650Nm is well within reach of this reborn legend. If Ford does drop the XR8 and hand the Coyote V8 wholly to FPV it would be a perplexing, but not entirely surprising, move.In January, Ford Australia president and CEO Marin Burela told Wheels, “We’re studying multiple options. One is keeping the XR8 with a different engine calibration for FPV. The second is [dropping XR8] and there’s probably a third option. We don’t have to make a decision until March or April. But we’re prepared either way.”

That ‘decision’ appears to be whether there’s room for both a Ford and FPV V8 in the $50-$55K bracket, or, if not, which badge the atmo V8 will wear.Remember, FPV recently tested the waters with the $54K GS limited-edition model. Anecdotal evidence suggests the GS wasn’t a runaway success, partly because it had little extra power and torque compared with the $6K-cheaper (and lighter) XR8. But a Coyote-powered model should be more successful.But this still doesn’t tell us why Ford would surrender XR8 sales potential, especially to a company in which it owns only a minority 49 percent (Prodrive owns 51 percent). And the XR8 has been a quiet achiever in showrooms – in 2009, 1577 XR8 sedan and utes were sold, which suggests a Coyote-powered XR8 could top 2000 units a year and swing the sales split between XR6T and XR8 (currently 60/40 to the Turbo), in the XR8’s favour.Furthermore, Ford’s decision to drop the XR8 for an FPV cheapie would be unlikely to change anything from a manufacturing perspective, as Ford currently builds the FPV cars before sending them across the road for bumpers, badges, wheels and spoilers.The question then becomes: how many of the XR8’s projected 2000 sales could FPV handle and how many of those sales might be lost? FPV sold 1976 vehicles in the 12 months from February 2009 to Feb 2010. If the switch to the Coyote engine could generate even an additional 1000 sales, the bottom line would be bolstered considerably. And FPV would be breathing down HSV’s neck; Holden’s hot-shop moved 3163 vehicles in the same period.Another consideration is that Ford may be trying to reduce local engine complexity in preparation for Falcon’s new EcoBoost engine and Territory’s new diesel, both due in 2011. With these two engines, plus the existing petrol and LPG in-line sixes, and the turbo I6, the Coyote V8 would bring Ford’s range of local engines to six.Whatever the final outcome, in the Coyote the Blue Oval finally looks to have the V8 firepower to outgun Holden and HSV.

Alfa Romeo is using the combined forces of Hollywood star Uma Thurman and the unique wordsmith skills of William Shakespeare to launch the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in Europe.Under the line “We are such stuff as dreams are made on” as spoken by Prospero in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the star of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, combines an ice-cold, untainted image with aggressiveness and beauty in the new Alfa Romeo advertisement.The international campaign plays on the actress’ personality and how it’s reflected across the different features of the car. Uma Thurman ends up playing five roles in the TV commercial; which the manufacturer hopes will identify with five key consumer archetypes.

BMW’s famous M-division is set to redefine the fast four-door with its forthcoming M5. Due in 2012, the big news is it will ditch the current car’s strato-revving naturally aspirated V10 for a twin-turbo V8 packing a 430kW and 720Nm punch!The M5 adopts the smaller, turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 and a raft of cutting-edge tech as a means to slash consumption, which insiders say will improve by as much as 30 percent. Not only that, the bahn-storming 2012 M5 will comfortably outsprint its predecessor. Packing some 200Nm of extra twist, word is it will have the muscle to demolish zero to 100km/h in 4.4sec.Performance and efficiency enhancing measures also include a beefy seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, a stop-start system, a host of smart aero and some truly clever state-of-the-art fuel-saving tech…Not only a glimpse into BMW’s future, the next M5 also hints at the design and technology local muscle car makers FPV and HSV could adopt for future GT and GTS flagships.For all the details on BMW’s next M5 plus all the latest automotive news and views from around the globe, grab the June issue of Wheels, on sale now.

Mazda dumping ‘Nagare’ design language, wants to be the ‘Japanese Alfa Romeo’.Mazda’s chief of design in Europe has confirmed this week that the Japanese carmaker will soon move away from the ‘Nagare’ design language, a styling direction that gave us Mazda’s smiling grille and sharp swooping lines.Speaking with British magazine Auto Express, Mazda Europe Chief of Design Peter Birtwhistle said that while the styling carried a ‘wow’ factor for the brand’s futuristic concepts, it had been difficult to translate to production models – particularly the new Mazda5 (not offered in Australia).“Nagare is done. After the 5, it’s highly unlikely that there will be another nagare car. Mazda has moved on,” Birtwhistle said.With Nagare’s creator Laurens van den Acker departing for Renault last year, it now falls to Mazda’s new chief designer Ikuo Maeda to determine the look of the Japanese carmaker’s next-generation range – likely beginning with the Mazda6, the oldest model in the current line-up.Interestingly, Mazda – the only one of Japan’s bigger international brands no longer offering a separate luxury line-up – appears to be pushing for a more upmarket feel for its future models.Birtwhistle said that Maeda and Mazda management are looking to turn the brand into “a Japanese Alfa Romeo, producing cars which are great to drive, but crucially that also have the right premium feel, particularly inside.”

Mercedes to have 16 new or upgraded models by 2011.Following a global sales increase of 17 percent in May, beating Audi’s 15 percent growth and 11 percent for BMW, Mercedes-Benz has announced it will launch 16 new or upgraded models by 2011.On the schedule of new models is the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, the B-Class F-Cell and the A-Class E-Cell. Mercedes will also launch new ‘BlueDIRECT’ turbocharged V6 and V8 engines, featuring direct injection and offering a 24 percent improvement in fuel consumption.Select models will also be offered with a stop-start system for even great efficiency.While Mercedes has not disclosed the full list of updated models, recent spy photos have revealed that an updated SL-Class, C-Class and the 2011 CLS 63 AMG will likely figure among the ‘new’ models.Beyond 2011, Mercedes-Benz is expected to launch an even greater number of new models, including a new C-Class Coupe, the roadster version of the SLS AMG and a new ML-Class.Mercedes-Benz has also launched a new advertising campaign, dubbed “The Best or Nothing.” A new version of the famous three-pointed star is also expected to appear over the next year.