We Aussies are brilliant drivers with an unassailable knowledge of the road rules. Well, that’s what we tell ourselves and anyone else who asks.
But do you really know the road rules as well as you think?
We’ve trawled through the drudgery of the NSW road legislation to bring you the 10 road rules you had no idea you were breaking.
Having an animal or person on your lap while driving
Driving with your pet Pug on your lap — or another kind of special friend — is now considered not having “proper control of a vehicle”. The loophole here is that this does not apply if you are travelling less than 500m for the purpose of farming. Funnily enough, the rules do not specify if this loophole is only applicable to animals, though you’d need to be fairly creative to justify using your girlfriend for farming. Otherwise the fine is $324 and three demerit points, or $405 and four demerit points if committed in a school zone.
Turning left after a slip lane
The implementation of slips lanes has improved traffic flows, which is why you now receive two demerit points and a $189 fine if you ignore one and wait until after passing it to turn.
Beeping the horn
Sounding your horn wantonly is an offence. The only time it is permissible is when warning other motorists or animals of a moving vehicle, or if it is part of an anti-theft or alcohol interlock device fitted to the vehicle.
Continuously driving on the white edge line
100m is the total distance you can drive on the outside edge line of a road before it becomes a two demerit point and $189 offence. This includes when driving straight along a road, turning at an intersection, entering or leaving the road and stopping at the side of the road.
Splashing mud on bus passengers
According to the NSW rulebook you must slow down or stop completely so as not to splash mud on anyone in, on, entering, exiting or waiting for a bus. Otherwise you may incur a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units ($2,200).
Mobile phone use
Not using a mobile phone while driving doesn’t just mean not speaking on it — it also applies to holding a phone to or near your ear, writing, sending or reading text messages, switching the phone on or off, or operating any other function of the phone.
Having your music up too loud
Anything deemed to cause unnecessary noise or smoke can be considered an offence. So no burnouts and keep the One Direction at a reasonable level.
Riding an unlit horse at night
Even though the motor vehicle has been around for over 100 years, many people insist that literal horsepower is still the best way to go. And for those that do, the regulations are almost as strict as those on motorists. So for all you Amish out there, make sure you have the correct combination of red and white lights fitted in the correct places.
Road Rage
Shaking your fists at and abusing fellow motorists can become a costly mistake if you’re caught. Aggressive driving such as tailgating or sudden braking is also considered road rage. The maximum penalty for a first time road rage offence is $3,300 and 18 months in jail, while a second offence increases this to $5,500 and two years imprisonment. In both cases there is also the possibility of permanent license disqualification.
Riding a tricycle on the road
A 2008 amendment to the road rules defines anyone in a “wheeled recreational device or wheeled toy” to be a pedestrian rather than a motorist or rider. Therefore scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, tricycles and pedal cars cannot be ridden on any road which has a dividing line or a speed limit greater than 50km/h.
Far from the trauma of a mid-life crisis, BMW’s M (for Motorsport) division is proudly celebrating four decades of high-performance road and racing cars wearing the now famous single letter badge.
Kicking off in 1972, with 35 employees under the leadership of ex-Porsche works driver and Ford Racing Manager Jochen Neerpasch, BMW Motorsport began with a pure competition focus, that soon spilled over into production of powerful, finely-tuned road cars like the M5 of 1974, and the exotic mid-engined M1 supercar of 1978.
Through the ‘80s BMW M coaxed an extraordinary 1400hp (in qualifying trim) from a 1.5-litre, four cylinder turbo Formula One engine, based on a humble road-going powerplant. It went on to win the world championship, powering Nelson Piquet’s Brabham to the driver’s title in 1983.
In 1986, arguably the most iconic BMW M car of all, the M3 made its debut; originally in four cylinder form, and later in screaming in-line six and storming V8 versions. A range of other exceptional cars, such as V8 and V10-powered M5s, Z3 and Z4 coupes, as well as pumped up versions of the X5 and X6 SUV’s have since brought the M division to even greater prominence and popularity.
Porsche has released another batch of official 918 Spyder prototype pictures — this time with complete bodywork and ultra-cool 917 racing car inspired camouflage. It’s also confirmed the 566kW super-hybrid is still gunning for 3.0L/100km.
The Porsche 918 Spyder, lest we forget, was the absolute jaw-dropping surprise star of the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Mixing a 368kW race-spec 3.4-litre V8 with two electric motors, it promised a sensational 528kW but just 70g/km CO2.
While it quickly became clear Porsche was serious about building a new supercar successor to the Carrera GT, we were never entirely convinced it could actually pull off such an extreme efficiency to performance ratio. Clearly, we were wrong.
According to Porsche, the 918 is now not only pushing 566kW — that’s 38kW more than the original concept — overall fuel economy remains ‘in the region of three litres per 100km.’
Getting all of these components — not least the two entirely separate drivetrain systems — to work together in harmony is certainly taxing the collective Porsche brain (to paraphrase Member of the Executive Board Research and Development of Porsche AG, Wolfgang Hatz).
Other juicy details Porsche has re-affirmed included the full ‘carbonfibre reinforced plastic’ monocoque, fully adaptive aerodynamics (something we can also expect on the next hyper McLaren), F1-style top exiting exhaust pipes, and adaptive rear-steering.
The 918 Spyder remains on course for full production to begin in September 2013, with the first cars set to reach their customers by the end of next year. Boy, does it look like they’re in for a treat with an awesome machine.
Upmarket German vehicles dominated the recently announced list of cars that were named least susceptible to theft in Australia by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRD). Among them were the Audi A4, VW’s Passat, Tiguan, Polo and Golf, as well as the ultra-premium Jaguar XF from Britain.
However not everyone owns — or can afford — these super-safe cars. And with the latest data showing that a vehicle is stolen every ten minutes in Australia and one in every 120 households fall victim to vehicle theft, it helps to know some rudimentary ways in which you can prevent your car from being broken into and stolen.
Immobilise
It may surprise you to learn that vehicles over 10 years old make up the majority of cars stolen in Australia because their lack of modern security features makes them easier targets. Therefore the best way to prevent theft is by fitting an electronic device to stop the car being started under its own power.
“The best thing an owner of a pre-2001 car can do is fit an Australian Standards engine immobiliser,” says Geoff Hughes, Director of Strategy and Planning at the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council.
“All you’ve got to do is take the keys with you, leave your vehicle, and an Australian Standards immobiliser will arm itself in 40 seconds,” he said.
Always opt for an immobiliser over a car alarm as well. There’s no harm in having both, but an alarm will only alert you to “smash & grab” theft, while an immobiliser protects the whole vehicle.
That’s if you even take notice of car alarms.
“The community’s become pretty immune to them — they’re viewed as being a sort of environmental noise and quite often will be triggered by false alarms. Some of them are vibration sensitive or sound sensitive, so if a Harley Davidson rumbles by it’ll set the alarm of and it just becomes urban background noise.”
Leave nothing of value in your car
Its common sense but so many of us still encourage vehicle theft by leaving valuable items like laptops, mobile phones and jewellery in plain sight even though the car is locked. You should also never leave a satellite navigation system stuck to the windscreen.
Steering locks are mostly a waste of money
Once broken into, older cars can be manoeuvred away by simply disengaging the integrated steering lock — as long as someone else is behind pushing. A good way to discourage this is by fitting a club-style steering lock that fits over the wheel and can only be removed with a key.
However research by the NMVTRC has found that the majority of steering locks have relatively weak locks or can be easily cut through with a hacksaw.
Check your doors after locking
The most dedicated car thieves can use radar jammers to block the signal when you lock your car remotely. The range of these devices is fairly limited, so if you park near someone who looks suspicious always check your car is properly locked by trying one of the doors before you walk away. Unfortunately this doesn’t really work if you own a car with a keyless entry card.
Don’t leave keys in the ignition (even when it’s cold)
Never be tempted to switch your car on to warm it up before your early commute and then walk away with the keys still in it. Car thieves get up early too, so if you want to wake up to a warm car then invest in a timed heater for your car. Many of these can be remotely activated by your mobile phone. Otherwise a car that’s stolen with the keys left in it will leave you completely ineligible for an insurance claim.
Be wary when buying and selling used cars
Anything can happen when you hand over your keys to someone and let them do as they please with your precious ride. So no matter how trustworthy a potential buyer for your car looks, always insist on riding along during their test drive. There’s no reason someone who is genuinely interested shouldn’t be okay with this. Asking to take a photocopy of their driver’s license is also a good idea.
You can also lose a car — and the money you paid for it — that you have bought privately if the vehicle is later found to have been stolen. The best way to prevent this is by using the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) — a recently announced government initiative that allows buyers to check the complete history of any used car in the country they are considering buying. The on-line service confirms not just if a vehicle has been recorded as stolen, but also if the car has ever been declared a write-off. This is important because criminals will often use write-off status to disguise a stolen car’s true identity, or rebuild a damaged vehicle with stolen parts.
Say no to alarm branding
You might think it’s a deterrent for thieves to see the sticker of a name-brand alarm system prominently displayed on one of your windows. However all this does is provide them with more of the information they need to crack the system. A better idea is to use a more generic sticker that warns your car is tracked by GPS.
Secure your numberplate
Numberplate theft is also a big issue in Australia.
“It’s certainly a concern to police right around the country — primarily linked to the fluctuations in petrol prices. There’s a direct correlation between periods of elevated petrol prices which we’ve just gone through and numberplate theft,” says Hughes.
So if you don’t want someone else racking up speeding fines and demerit points in your name then consider getting some tamper-proof or one-way screws to fix your numberplate to your car. These can be found at most hardware stores.
Watch out for the key switcheroo
This is another trick to be wary of when selling your car privately. If an interested buyer takes an unusual amount of interest in your keys then they could be sizing them up to make a dummy set. Then when they return for a second inspection they can pull a swift switch-up without you noticing. Next thing you know your car is being driven away in the middle of the night while you’re left with nothing but a dud set of keys.
Don’t even think about picking up hitchhikers
Your mother was right when she told you not to talk to strangers. Hundreds of vehicle thefts have occurred because of good Samaritans thinking they were doing the right thing by helping out hitchhikers. Just keep driving.
MINI has announced a new version of the MINI John Cooper Works GP special edition, which will go on sale later this year in limited edition form.
Said to be the fastest MINI ever built, production of the new John Cooper Works GP will be limited to 2,000 cars, revealed the brand, as it unveils the car publically at the MINI United festival in France this weekend.
What does the MINI John Cooper Works GP look like?
This is the most extreme MINI yet, more focused and aggressive even than the original MINI JCW GP of 2006. There are larger front and rear aprons, beefier side skirts and a huge rear spoiler.
There are also extensive body graphics that cover the bonnet, side panels and even the roof. A bold ‘GP’ badge sits on the tailgate, opposite the John Cooper Works logo that also adorns the front grille.
MINI has also clearly been keen to hone the aerodynamics of the car — even going so far as to remove the rear wiper…
How many seats does the MINI John Cooper Works GP have?
The new John Cooper Works GP MINI, like the old one, has only two seats: the rear seats have been removed and presumably replaced with extra body stiffening bars, like the original MINI GP.
As the brand has not released any images of the interior, though, the exact arrangement is still to be confirmed.
How is the MINI John Cooper Works GP the fastest MINI ever built?
No specific engine details or power figures have been quoted for the new ultra-hot MINI, but it is expected to substantially beat the 155kW output of the standard John Cooper Works, with a breathed-on version of the familiar 1.6-litre petrol engine using a fast-reacting twin-scroll turbo.
The original MINI JCW GP boasted 160kW, compared to the 155kW of the standard car, meaning 160kW could reasonably be expected from this model — but could the firm stretch it even further?
How will the MINI John Cooper Works GP handle?
Anticipation is high for the new John Cooper Works GP MINI, given how extensively-tuned the first-generation car was. As before, MINI is promising bespoke and adjustable race suspension, which it claims will deliver “spectacular yet precisely controllable handling”
The car’s distinctive aero pack also has functional benefits. The large bespoke rear spoiler works with a new rear diffuser to optimise airflow beneath the car, reducing rear-end lift and creating aerodynamic-influenced stability at speed.
MINI has also fitted a full race-spec braking system, plus bespoke track-biased tyres, to fully maximize the potential of the chassis. It is far more than just a bodykitted special edition: real development work has evidently gone in to make this MINI really special to drive.
MINI and the Nurburgring
MINI took the old Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit to the Nurburgring, where it set a time of 8 minutes 42 seconds. The new car is undergoing final testing there now, and has already lapped the course even more quickly — in 8 minutes 23 seconds.
As MINI says, this puts clear space between itself and “numerous sports cars from loftier perches”.
BMW has revealed the new 3 Series Touring station wagon version of the highly acclaimed new F30 3 Series range. BMW is already claiming the new model, which goes on sale later in 2012, “sets the benchmark in this segment” for load capacity and practicality.
Surprisingly, BMW has undertaken some extensive engineering work to the standard 3 Series saloon to help improve interior space. The new BMW 3 Series Touring has both a longer wheelbase and a longer body, to give more room for passengers and luggage.
What does the new BMW 3 Series Touring look like?
The new BMW 3 Series Touring has the same sharp front end as the F30 3 Series saloon — it is identical up to the B-pillar — but is much differentiated at the side and rear.
The roofline has been stretched right to the rear and it curves slightly to give a more dynamic appearance. BMW has further extended it with a bootlid spoiler.
The famous BMW Hofmeister kink sits at the bottom of a steely-raked D-pillar, and the clever trick of extending the rear lights deep into the side panels of the car also makes the rear end appear much more sleek than before.
Those tail lamps boast BMW’s trademark ‘L’ shape, and help accentuate a 48mm wider track. They boast built-in LED bars for a distinctive look at night.
BMW has positioned the rear lights deep into the outer edges of the car, which makes the car appear wider, and, in BMW’s words, more “hunkered-down”.
How practical is the new BMW 3 Series Touring?
The 495-litre boot is 35 litres bigger than the current BMW 3 Series Touring. This has been achieved by a 97mm longer body and a 50mm longer wheelbase.
Standard folding seats split 40:20:40 and there is both a separate partition net and a folding luggage cover that stows away into its own underfloor compartment when not in use. At last, no debate of where to store the luggage cover!
When the seats are folded, the load capacity stretches to 1,500 litres: with the seats down, the load space is almost completely flat.
The BMW 3 Series Touring also has a separate opening rear window, and the loading sill is a low 620mm off the ground. Impressively, BMW fits a standard hands-free electric tailgate, operated by pressing the remote control, the A-pillar or the bootlid itself: a fourth option is optionally available, allowing opening by ‘kicking’ beneath the rear bumper.
Thanks to the wider body, the rear opening is wider than before.
Are rear passengers better off in the new BMW 3 Series Touring?
The longer wheelbase doesn’t just benefit rear luggage capacity. The rear cabin also has 17mm more rear kneeroom, while the different roofline adds 9mm to headroom.
The extra space means the doors and door openings are larger, making it easier to get in and out.
What engines power the new BMW 3 Series Touring?
BMW will launch the new 3 Series Touring with three engines — the petrol 328i and the diesel duo of 320d and 330d. Both manual and automatic gearboxes are available: the eight-speed auto is standard on the 330d.
The 330d is the most powerful engine, producing 190kW, with the four-cylinder 328i petrol just behind on 180kW and the 320d producing 135kW.
At the end of 2012, BMW will launch three more versions — the 320i, 316d and 318d.
The Aston Martin DBS Ultimate is one last hurrah for the British manufacturer’s flagship model before it is succeeded by something newer, faster and stronger. And Aussies can now get in on the limited edition action as it’s just been launched locally.
Exclusive features on the DBS Ultimate include exposed carbon fibre details on the exterior, black and polished silver alloy wheels, smoked grey taillights and Zircotec-coated exhausted pipes. The exterior colour can be either carbon black or silver.
The interior meanwhile is completely clad in black, with red stitching and gear paddles the only contrasting features.
Buyers will also be able to opt for either coupe or convertible versions of the Ultimate.
The DBS Ultimate’s powertrain remains unchanged from the regular DBS, with its 5.9-litre V12 making 380kW and 570Nm.
The DBS Ultimate will be limited to just 100 units, with only three or four expected to land on our shores.
If you don’t want one of these flying hovercrafts then there’s no other way to say this: you are lying.
Retail store Hammacher Schlemmer — which caters to all the needs of the wealthy gent — has begun selling The Flying Hovercraft. And as far as we can tell, this is the coolest vehicle money can buy.
The Flying Hovercraft not only glides over land and water, but it can also launch 6m into the air and travel short distances at speeds of up to 110km/h with the assistance of a pair of integrated wings.
The hovercraft’s thrust is provided by a turbocharged 96kW two-cylinder petrol engine which drives a 152cm wood/carbon propeller for sea travel. For land and air commuting, the engine diverts its power to a 86cm lift fan. Two 40-litre petrol tanks give the craft a maximum range of 260km.
Contestants fromThe Biggest Loser need not apply though. The hovercraft’s passenger payload for flying is only 270kg.
The hovercraft is safe to operate in both fresh and saltwater, and is also capable of travelling on sand, mud, grass, swamp, ice, and snow terrains with inclines of up to 30 per cent.
The hovercraft’s pilot steers the vehicle via a joystick and uses a motorbike-style twist throttle for forward speed. A variable drive system allows the lift fan to enable hovering.
The craft does need to be registered as a boat, meaning you’ll also require a boat license to operate one. There’s no mention of a pilot’s license being needed though.
The Flying Hovercraft is available now from Hammacher Schlemmer’s online store for $190,000.
This is Stompy: he’s a six-legged robot — or hexapod — that holds two passengers and is completely drivable thanks to a 99kW six-cylinder LPG-powered forklift engine.
Stompy is the result of Project Hexapod: an intensive robotics class at the creative projects studio Artisan’s Asylum in Boston, reports Wired.com.
The 2.5 tonne robot’s main party trick is being able to walk over a car thanks to its hydraulic legs and high elevation. This is especially handy since Stompy’s large size also means he takes up two lanes of traffic.
How to steer Stompy is still being figured out, but the most likely solution will involve two joysticks — one to turn and move the robot forward and backward, and another to rotate the cockpit independently of the legs.
While still a design concept on paper, project leader Gui Cavalcanti is confident a full-scale version will be built if a smaller prototype encourages funding from investors.
The team behind Stompy comprises 15 students and three instructors and is made up of robotics engineers, open-source software coders and a two-time BattleBots champion.
Team Stompy plans to launch the idea on creative project funding site Kickstarter in August.
Former world champion cyclist Graeme Obree is set on breaking the world speed record for a human-powered vehicle. But he has a strange way of going about it — he’s built a bike out of an old burnt saucepan set.
Obree, whose triumphs in the cycling world were immortalised in the 2006 film The Flying Scotsman, designed and built the bike himself and is confident of achieving up to 160km/h on it. This would be more than enough to beat the previous human-powered record, which stands at 133.284km/h and was set by Canadian cyclist Sam Whittingham in 2009.
The bike’s spartan design is being kept tightly under wraps by the former 4,000m world champion — who will only reveal that he has dubbed it “Pie in the Sky” and that the saucepan will be crucial to its success because of the light flat surface it provides for shoulder support.
It also features gearing unlike anything seen on traditional racing bikes. A single turn of the pedals in top gear will push the bike about 10m as opposed to regular bikes which give just over 3m. This is thanks to an unconventional two-chain system which makes the bike two-wheel drive, effectively doubling its power.
The bike’s unusual set-up also means that Obree rides it lying horizontally on his front, with his nose just centimetres from the road and his hands doing the peddling. This is vastly different from Whittingham’s record ride, which saw the rider pedal from a reclining position.
Obree has succeeded with rudimentary household equipment in the past. In 1993 he set the world velodrome record on a bike made from washing machine parts.
He will make his record attempt in September at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Nevada. The record must be reached within a distance of 200 metres after building up speed.
