Motor shows worldwide love a chance to show off new designs for the future. Whether it’s some crazy wheelless sports car powered on air, or a car that could double up as a flying saucer, it’s all a bit of creative fun. Or is it? Could these futuristic creations ever make it from Spielberg movie to our personal garage?

Buying a safe and reliable car is top of most people’s wish list. However, as car manufacturers fight to stay ahead of the game developing new high tech systems, it’s easy for basic functions like solid brakes and good steering, to be left behind.The result? Accidents and recalls. Or both.Check out our list of stand out recalls from the past 40 years, clearly dominated by a select few unable to learn from mistakes…

OF ALL the marketing-bullshit-soaked labels BMW hurls around – iDrive, Adaptive Drive with Dynamic Drive, Comfort Access – ‘Pure’ is by far the most meaningful for drivers.It is, in fact, a no-BS, truth-in-naming special. An M3 sedan or coupe with all the bits purists need – 309kW V8, six-speed manual, variable M diff lock, beefy 265/35 R19 rears, carbonfibre roof on the coupe – and nothing they don’t. To the bin labelled ‘Affectation’ goes the M Drive with its total of 53 settings for steering, throttle, ESC and adaptive damping. In the M3 Pure, you get one Power button to sharpen throttle response, and another button to switch off the ESC. It’s left to M division engineers to determine the single best steering and suspension setting (not nuffies like you or I swirling a knob), which is exactly as it should be.Since leather trim ain’t worth a thing to speed or fun, it’s been flicked for black cloth with blue-and-red stripes, allowing a cow to die another day. Other items given the toss are the alarm, adaptive headlights, CD changer, keyless go and front seat heating – no need to pass a tissue.Okay, so I don’t exactly need 19in alloys, bonnet air vents and side gills painted in high-gloss black, or a grille surround and exhaust tip in dark chrome, yet these unique-to-Pure styling bits also make for what I reckon is the best-looking E92 M3.The regular M3 is already a nine-out-of-10 car. After driving a lap of Tassie in an M Drive- and dual-clutch-equipped sedan (Wheels, Jan ’10) all of our test crew had superlatives gushing freely at every driver swap and lunch stop.But after a thrash on a favourite NSW country road, the M3 Pure proved better again. There are few motoring pleasures like extending the 309kW/400Nm 4.0-litre V8 to its 8300rpm redline before slamming home the next gear. The zingy, metallic shrill of this atmo donk only coaxes the driver to push harder and go faster. My heel-and-toe and wrist-flick downshifts are mocked by the optional dual-clutch gearbox and its blink-fast shifts, but the sheer mechanicity of the six-speed manual – slightly rubbery, lightly gritty, but direct – means any warm-blooded non-PS2-bred driver will pick it every time.At urban speeds, the steering is now much lighter – the M Drive’s two weight settings have been canned – and the Pure is all the better for it. The rack-ratio remains brilliantly quick, teaming with the M3’s pointy front-end to help it turn-in with the alacrity of a Mazda MX-5.Only, with the M3, you’re balancing 309 kilowatts on your right foot, delivered through precise millimetres of throttle (and attitude) adjustment as the 265mm rears grip and the variable M differential shuffles torque across the rear axle.The only thing I missed is the M Drive’s reduced-intervention ESC setting. In the Pure, the stability control is either on (and overly sensitive and intrusive) or off (you’re on your own), though the M3 is a communicative, safe partner at the limit.Unlike, say, Porsche, BMW doesn’t charge more for less. At $131,700 (sedan) or $145,000 (coupe), the Pure limbos a full $10K under the standard M3. Only 50 units are available of each bodystyle, though as we went to press, BMW informed us that M Drive is no longer standard on M3 sedan and coupe; it’s now a $3500 option. So you’ll still be able to score an M3 for purists – minus the special-edition marketing tag.

Skoda’s Fabia RS may look like a Suzuki Swift Sport gone wrong, but it drives like a VW Polo GTI done just right.There’s already evidence to suggest the Czech branch of the Volkswagen empire employs the best chassis tuners in the group, and the fastest Fabia, headed for Australia in early 2012, adds further weight to the growing pile.The RS rides with the kind of supple fluency that’s surprising in a diminutive hot hatch, and its handling doesn’t seem to suffer for the improved comfort one little bit. The feisty little Fabia’s nose snaps in the direction of an apex like a hound catching a whiff of fox. Then, with a muted bark to mark each upshift, it bounds eagerly towards the next corner. The Skoda is a playful puppy of a car, and seemingly without any chew-your-shoes behavioural flaws.Good thing, too, as it’s an energetic performer. The Fabia RS is basically Skoda’s version of the Polo GTI. Built on the same platform, it also shares the Volkswagen’s drivetrain. In case you’ve forgotten, this is a combination of twin-charged (turbo and supercharger) direct-injection 1.4-litre four with seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.Fractionally larger than the GTI, the RS is also a little heavier, which slightly affects both performance and fuel economy. The Skoda takes (according to factory claims) 0.4sec longer to go from 0-100km/h than the VW. And its European combined cycle fuel consumption is 0.1L/100km greater. Big deals at the dragstrip or in a fuel economy challenge, but not in the real world.For differences worthy of serious consideration, price is a better place to look. Skoda Australia is aiming for $27,000 or under for the five-door hatch version of the RS. Assuming they achieve this objective, the Fabia RS will be at least $2000 cheaper than the five-door version of the Polo GTI.Where the money has been saved is apparent inside the Skoda, at least if you’re not being distracted by its speed and agility. Some Fabia interior materials, those in the dash especially, clearly aren’t as expensive as those specified for the Polo. And neither is the Skoda’s interior design a match for the stunning (yet sometimes sterile) perfectionism inside the VW.Still, enough is shared – important touch-points like switches and knobs – that the Fabia RS does convey a reasonable impression of functional quality. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with the Skoda’s supportive front seats or driving position ergonomics.Strong performance and entertaining handling, at an affordable price, is a blend with enduring appeal. What the Suzuki Swift GTi once was, the Fabia RS may become.

It’s no surprise that it’s the US who has the largest network of highways in the world and therefore claims many of the longest roads in our top 10 list.However, a few other countries do get an odd look-in too, not to mention our home grown Highway 1…

After more than a year of speculation and anticipation, BMW has finally lifted the lid on its fifth-generation M5.An aggressive front bar and rear diffuser, hallmark M side gills, flared wheelarches to emphasise the wider track, and 19-inch M light-alloy wheels with large-pizza-size discs and blue-painted rotors, define BMW’s latest-gen full-size sports sedan.Using the F10 5 Series as its base, BMW’s M division has wicked the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 to a mighty 412kW and 680Nm. Traditionalists will bemoan the loss of the high-revving V10, but this new twin-huffer donk produces peak power from 6000-7000rpm and maximum twist across an astonishingly broad 1500-5750rpm. Allied with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and transferring drive to the 295/35 R19 back wheels via M’s variable sports differential, the V8 motivates the 1870kg M5 to 100km/h in a claimed 4.4 seconds.Since economy and emissions are the primary reason BMW is replacing its high-revving naturally-aspirated line-up of M engines with smaller-capacity turbocharged units, the new turbo-V8 M5 is rated at 9.9L/100km combined, compared with 14.8L/100km for the old 373kW/520Nm atmo V10-engined M5. Stop-start and brake energy regeneration tech are standard on the new car.Like its M3 sibling, the new M5 scores an Active M Differential, which varies distribution of drive to the rear wheels by 0 and 100 percent. Electronically-controlled adaptive dampers, variable-ratio hydraulic power steering and six-piston front (400 x 36mm) and rear (396 x 24mm) brakes also feature.BMW’s M Drive system now includes two driver preset buttons located on the steering wheel. The adaptive dampers can be switched between Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus modes; the variable-ratio power steering offers separate Comfort (slower), Sport (quicker-ratio) and Sport Plus (quicker, heavier) options; the stability control can be switched to a less-intrusive mode or turned off completely; and the seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box offers D1, D2, S1, S2 and S3 presets, progressively upping shift speed and aggression. A full manual mode with paddle shifts is also available.The previous-gen M5 V10 was criticised in some circles for lacking low-down torque, yet others loved its great-sounding high-revving nature. In the new M5, there’s torque aplenty, but we’re hoping for a great soundtrack to match.Come 2012 we’ll know for sure, but E63 AMG and XF-R won’t have it good for much longer…

I’m a sucker for a random racecar sponsor.If a racing car sponsored by an automotive brand is logical, then these days food and drink brand sponsors aren’t unusual. In fact, in elite European motorsport, beverages are big – alcoholic, energy, even water and juice.But to me it’s far more interesting if the sponsor is a bit left-field. In the case of foodstuffs, I’m thinking of the 1986 Bathurst-winning Grice/Bailey Chickadee VK Group A Commodore and the Peanut Slab and OXO Supercube Group A Sierras of the late ’80s, here.Moving from the culinary field to the arts and in an Aussie take on the BMW art car, we saw the Pro Hart VK Group A Commodore at Bathurst in 1985.And from arts to … domestic cleaning products, we witnessed the Mistic Mould Destroyer VL SS Group A SV a few years later.From there to, ahem … services, like those spruiked by the Daily Planet Commodores of the same era.The Bernie Stack-driven and Everlast-sponsored Commodores are favourites not for outright randomness, but because the former did what it said on the tin and the latter didn’t, lending themselves to commentary gold unmatched until the likes of Neil Crompton and his V8 big, ahh … guns at Bathurst 2008 (Youtube it if you haven’t. And if you have, Youtube it again).It’s no coincidence that all of my favourites are all from the mid ’80s to mid ’90s. To me, this was a golden era in local tin top racing (and sponsor randomness), when the Australian Touring Car Championship was battled out between multiple brands, engine types and drive configurations. But that’s a subject in itself…So, what are some of your favourite random-sponsored racecars?

The list of concepts and new models destined for July’s Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Melbourne is growing.Suzuki has announced that its display will be headlined by the unique Swift S-Concept, following its debut in Geneva earlier this year.Developed specifically as a one-off design study, Suzuki admits that the Swift S-Concept could offer a glimpse of what we might expect if a Sport model joins the new 2011 Swift line-up.“Certainly, many people will have fond memories of their younger years at the wheel of cars like the original Suzuki Swift GTi – they have a joyous and youthful spirit to them,” AIMS Event Director Russ Tyrie said.“Cars like the Swift S Concept will always be popular with showgoers – especially given this little Suzuki genuinely looks like a rally car for the road.”Power for the Swift S-Concept is provided by a 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine, mates to a six-speed manual transmission.Power figures have not been revealed, although the engine is likely a version of the 92kW four-cylinder engine that powers the current Swift Sport.The Australian International Motor Show opens at 6pm on Friday 1 July and runs through until Sunday 10 July at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

AT FIRST glance the 2011 Mercedes C-Class looks much the same: the facelift brings a stronger nose, more squared-off two-tier headlights and angular bumpers.All standard midlife revisions that remain true to the W204 C-Class origins. Still, Mercedes claims the facelift consists of 2000 new parts – more than any other in its history – and proof that the engineers have gone through the C-Class, enhancing the good bits, while rectifying any weaknesses, to create a mid-sized premium sedan that remains fully competitive. Especially when, engine-for-engine, prices will be unchanged when it arrives in June.The transformation of the interior is the big story, but there are also major changes to the drivetrain, while the switch to an aluminium bonnet saves 9.2kg and, because new tooling was required for the material change, allowed the designers to rework the headlight shape.The styling is more aggressive, especially the Avantgarde sports version with its open grille and massive three-pointed star. The class-leading 0.26 Cd remains unchanged.Criticism of the previous interior centred around the pop-out multimedia screen. Happily, it’s been dropped in favour of a slick horizontal replacement with a brilliant high-definition screen. The plastics are higher quality, and there’s a classy metal finish on the console that looks as if it comes straight from the SLS gullwing.On the road, the new C-Class always feels solid and planted and, especially with the optional Dynamic Handling Package, more nimble than the old car through reworked spring, damping and anti-roll bar rates.Buyers can choose between wafting about in mini-S-Class-like comfort via the supple ride of the standard car (essentially an Elegance without the badging) or opt for the Avantgarde’s extra dynamism and superior body control, chiefly through the transitions, and a decidedly firmer ride. It’s an intelligently broad choice.All four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines are essentially unchanged, but benefit from the belated fitment of Mercedes seven-speed automatic and start-stop technology. Strangely, the revised auto works far more effectively on the C-Class than the SLK.Kickdowns happen just when you want them, and the adaptive technology now seems to function as promised. In 250CGI form, the direct injection four works brilliantly, in cruise mode or when driven hard, when it takes on an edgy, sporting character. So effective is the 150kW 250CGI that Mercedes-Benz Australia has decided not to take the new direct injection 3.5-litre V6 petrol variant.The idea that it’s now a mini S-Class is reinforced by the availability of 10 new driver aid systems, including Adaptive Highbeam assist, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Parktronic.

When it comes to buying a brand-new car one of the first questions we tend to ask ourselves is, “How can I get a good deal?”We sift through countless friends in the hope one of them happens to be a car dealer or is a friend of a friend who is. We tend to ask lots of questions — although usually not the right ones — and worse still take hearsay advice on finance, market trends and/or buying strategies.Needless to say the shopping experience can quickly turn from excitement to uncertainty. And with so many variables to consider it’s easy to take the wrong turn only to realise there was a better deal around the corner — if only someone had told you.So to keep you away from a dud deal and instead happy you’ve driving away with the best possible, check out our latest top tips on how to beat the car dealer.