Chrysler is allegedly losing between 30 to 40 dealerships each month in the USA, with fewer than 3,200 remaining in business.

The Detroit News reports that dealership incentives will be halved by June. And without the incentive plans, the dealerships are dropping like flies.The most recent round of cash bailouts – a further US$4.5 billion in federal U.S. and Canadian loans approved at Monday’s bankruptcy hearing – will probably never be repaid, despite the beleaguered company asking for the government to forget about the US$4 billion loan from January. This comes on top of further salary cuts with workers asked to take a fortnight-long unpaid holiday to save US$21 million on wages, and news that New Treasury Department regulations will apparently set a cap of $500,000 a year for the new CEO and top 25 execs for any company receiving the industry bailout funds.Chrysler will return to court this week to discuss payments of US$6.9 billion owed to its major (first lien) creditors. While both Chrysler and the Obama administration want a quick settlement to keep Chrysler afloat and operating, the proceedings in New York have been slowed by some of these first lien creditors.Reuters reports that a group of creditors, who want the maximum amount of their money back and fear a quick bankruptcy solution would reduce their return, are stalling the bankruptcy hearings. Apparently fearing the loss of their legal rights and even death threats if their identities are revealed. However, the Manhattan court has given the group if objecting creditors until this morning to reveal their identities, or agree to allow the proceedings to continue at warp speed.

Aficionados of this uniquely compelling column would be aware that the Bulmer family has, from time to time, struggled with the space constraints of the C-Class Estate.

This problem loomed large over the Christmas break, in the form of a mountain of stuff on our garage floor — stuff which I initially mistook as emergency aid for flood victims. Not so, said the missus, assuring me that it was all essential luggage and must be conveyed. It was, she said, a matter of life and death. Mine, presumably, if I didn’t get it aboard.Staying within the Benz family I could, perhaps, have whistled up a Sprinter van, but the lack of rear seats would have created problems for the family member chosen to be ockey-strapped into its cargo bay. A Freightliner truck might also have been deployed, but my Jacky-Howe was at the cleaners and, anyway, I’d foolishly let the truck licence expire.These options exhausted, I searched this section of Wheels for an alternative … and came up with the Mazda CX-9. I recalled that Mazda had made much of the space advantages of its big SUV over rivals such as the Ford Territory and Toyota Kluger. And I knew, from having driven the CX-9 at COTY, that its dynamics and performance place it firmly at the pointy end of the SUV category.A couple of phone calls and a trip across town later, I had the wife and kids comfortably strapped into rows one and two of a silver CX-9 Luxury, with the third row folded flat to make way for our pallet-load of humanitarian aid. The CX-9 swallowed the lot, burped, and asked for more.Four weeks of highway and urban duties later, I came away impressed by the big Mazda’s performance in both applications. Its 3.7-litre V6 offered decent urge and respectable economy; its six-speed auto proved smooth and well calibrated; and, despite dimensions to the contrary, it never felt like a truck.The clumsy interface of its optional sat-nav and a tailgate that was deemed too high and too heavy by my vertically challenged wife were the only gripes. That, and the fact it doesn’t unload itself.

Date acquired: Dec 2008 Kilometres this month: 2200 Total kilometres: 2200 Av. fuel consumption: 15L/100km Maintenance: nilThe combination of a 3.7-litre V6 and 2080kg kerb weight means the CX-9 is never going to be super thrifty around town, delivering its worst figure of 19.9L/100km in this environment. On the flip side, its fully laden open-road averages of 12.1 and 12.8L/100km are commendable.

It looked, to me, as gorgeous as any other Aston Martin V8 Vantage, all pursed mouth, pert tail, paintwork you could swim in. Nobody inside the building, itself shimmering silver and immaculate, so much as looked away from their tasks when the flatbed truck pulled up.

Except Ron Goodman. From a good 20 metres away, his eyes twitched over the Aston for about three seconds. Tall, 50 and impossibly fit, Goodman wore the same smart, stiff-collared uniform as his 12 or 13 blackshirt followers. But some magnetic aura marked him clearly as the master of this spotlessly clean and efficient domain.Goodman is a man who has met concrete and fire at 280km/h in a NASCAR crash. He has broken his neck practising martial arts, his leg racing motocross. He has been clinically dead from a heart attack. He concerns his doctor because he has a diminished physical capacity to feel pain. He starts work here every day at 2:00am, rarely leaving before 4:30pm.Even without the newly arrived Aston, which was to join a DB9, a Lamborghini Murciélago and upwards of a dozen Porsches, Goodman’s Exclusive Body Werks looks less like a smash-repair shop, more like the lair of an obsessive Bond villain.I had to half-run to keep up with Goodman’s military stride. “Hmm, it doesn’t look too bad, but it will be bad,” he said, still 15 metres out from the Aston. “See how the bootlid is standing up by a few mill?”When we reached the car I could see that the bootlid was, by no more than the thickness of its rolled edge, sitting proud of the rear quarter-panel. Goodman nodded at the plastic rear bumper. “Depending on what’s going on with the aluminium behind there, that’ll run anywhere from 10 to 50 grand.”Goodman knows Aston Martins inside-out. Literally. His Exclusive Body Werks in the western Sydney suburb of Granville is one of only two factory-appointed ‘Category A’ repairers in Australia (the other being Gosney’s Panel Beating Works in Southport, Qld) authorised to make structural repairs to the bonded-aluminium British GT cars.And it’s not just Astons. He’s Australia’s only factory-approved structural repairer for Lamborghini (the Gallardo, of course, also being in bonded aluminium). One of nine factory-approved Porsche repairers in Australia. And the only factory-approved structural repair centre for Rolls-Royce in the entire southern hemisphere.This last company recently had Goodman packed for Mumbai, after an Indian owner drove a stake through a Phantom. “But the factory flew a mechanic over from England to assess it, and it turned out there was no structural damage,” Goodman said.“So we liaised with the guy, showed him where to measure everything, and he put all new suspension inside it. But if it’s structural, it gets shipped straight over here.”Shipping a Rolls-Royce to Sydney might add $10,000-$20,000 to a foreign owner’s repair bill. Which, expressed otherwise, might be only 10 percent of said repair bill.Any week of the year, EBW looks like a dream-car museum for masochists: “Ooh, there’s a Murciélago LP-six-f – aark, what happened to that?” “Hey, a 997 GT2, I haven’t seen one of th – ohh.”The 2900 square-metre workshop is in three main areas: the painting area, with its two Pan spray booths, currently being converted for water-based paints; the body straightening area, with four jigs and French-made NAJA robotic measuring equipment; and the sanding and preparation area, eerily dustless thanks to ducted vacuuming and EBW’s more usual practice of lead-wiping.The omnipresent Goodman ensures that even this, potentially the messiest of all work areas, is a showroom worthy of these marques.But it’s not a showroom; it’s the smash shop of the rich and famous. Outside of Lexus and possibly Porsche, EBW does not repair normal or affordable cars. “Most of the repairs we do here, the repair costs are dearer than buying a new family car,” Goodman said.Or a new supercar. With his strong Porsche ties, he fixes plenty of racing and track-day cars. Picture an Australian GT Championship shunt involving a 997 GT3 Cup ‘S’ and a works Aston Martin DBRS9; and a damage bill of up to half of each car’s value.EBW divides its time roughly equally between racetrack trip-ups and the prangs that make the social pages. You won’t get any names out of Goodman or his zip-lipped employees. But the blue DB9 on the hoist was a car I recognised.In 2004, it had been the first DB9 delivered in Australia, the subject of some friendly competition between a certain media scion and a property scion (the media guy won).It had since been sold, and its new owner had apparently lost it against a kerb. Both left wheels had the rims shorn from their hubs.Meanwhile, they were unloading the Aston out front. “It’s like burley,” Goodman shrugged. “We get one in, and it seems to attract them. Like that Aston [V8] on the jig – two days later we got the DB9 in, and here’s this [V8] that was rear-ended last night. On average, we probably get two and a half Astons a month.”I grimaced at the cost of repairing the half.The snotted V8 on the jig was exposing the large, aluminium beams of its ‘VH’ modular chassis. Goodman loves to work on these.“An Aston Martin, there’s not one weld on the whole car,” he said. “Well, there’s one brass weld on the V8, where you join the quarter panel. Absolutely everything else is bonded.“It’s easy as anything. We’ve got a special tool that just electric-cuts it all … we cut the glue, and then we re-activate the glue with a re-activator. It’s just like cutting a windscreen out of the car.”Likewise, new generations of high-strength steels cause no problems. “Most of it is just replaced. We just cut it all out.”Goodman keeps up to date, and maintains his factory-appointed status, with monthly in-house and annual factory training. “We do Rolls-Royce training in England and New York, Aston Martin in England, and Lamborghini training is in Italy. Every year,” he said. “We do Porsche training in Melbourne; they fly a guy over.”Then there’s the $20,000 Rolls-Royce rivet gun. “Which we need for two rivets on a Phantom.” And it gets used maybe three times a year? “No, not that often. But we need it, so we got it.”Rolls-Royces often come in merely for exterior detailing prior to a customer delivery. However, Goodman recently painted a Phantom Drophead Coupe whose owner decided he wanted its stainless-steel bonnet (a $20,000 option) concealed in body colour.Do the rich crash differently? “I don’t think they crash any differently, but they handle it differently,” Goodman said. “Some of the really rich have people to do it all for them. The medium-rich, they’ll ride the whole thing through until it gets here, then it’s ‘give me a ring when it’s finished’.“The only ones that ever really ride us are Boxster owners,” he smiled. “I think because it’s more of an entry-level car, they’ve always gotta have them for the weekend, to be seen in.”That said, this man who knows at a fundamental level the way cars are built, has an overwhelming admiration for Porsches. He owns, er, a few of his own, along with a collection of scale models said to be worth $100,000.Goodman’s 2:00am starts are simply a belief in the early-bird theory; he does quotes, studies new model manuals, sends job progress updates to customers by SMS and devises marketing ideas in these early hours.The downside happened three years ago: at four o’clock one morning, the non-drinking, non-smoking fitness freak had a heart attack. Alone, he called an ambulance and lay down on the cold, concrete floor. He died in the hospital. “But they jump-started me, put a stent in and I was back at work three days later.”As he waved his hands over a 996, showing me where the inertia of the engine creases the rear quarter panels in a heavy frontal impact, Goodman looked very much the maestro of metal. The older 911 models, he explained, contained the damage in one area, “but the people might not be walking in here the next day.”There’s not much that frightens him. Older, spaceframe Lamborghinis? “Hmm, until Audi took them over, they were tractors.” Then he remembered: “Actually, Porsche 928.” As he described removing the rear bar from a 928, I was picturing the removal of the nose-cone from a Boeing 747.Porsches were the backbone of the business he started building a dozen years ago, after the fiery conclusion of his NASCAR racing career. After a year of working for someone else, he spotted a niche in the market and went for it.And he believes Australia is the epicentre of smash-repair excellence. Last year, he rebuilt a Porsche 356 Speedster that took third outright at the Pebble Beach concours in California. Its owner had sent the car from Los Angeles. You mean, as in the home of car customising, Chip Foose, Overhaulin’?“Have you watched that show, how much ‘nicky’ they use?” Goodman said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve watched them film that show Overhaulin’, and it’s bloody rough, believe me.“It’s not because I’m biased – I’m nationally proud, 100 percent – but we in Australia are better with panels than anywhere else,” he said. “To us, in Australia, a car is our second-biggest purchase, and we care about it. You go home to your family in your brand-new 4WD, the whole family comes outside and has a look all over it. In America, a car is just a throw-away commodity.”

PPI Automotive Design, the spanner-wielding bunch that tunes up Audis with gusto to produce Frankenstein-esque Supercars, has released pics of its R8-based Razor GTR.

The limited production model premiered last month at Top Marques Monaco – the ultra-exclusive exhibition and toy store for the mighty privileged.The press release below claims a 0-100km/h in 3.7sec (down a full second from the standard R8) and 332km/h max top speed, as well as a 250kg weight reduction through the use of high-strength F1-proven carbonfibre.A specially engineered supercharger enhancement pulls maximum torque up to 600Nm at 6200rpm (the R8 V10 pumps 530Nm at 6500rpm).Have a good look and a read below, chances are it’s as close as you’ll get.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

April 9 World premiere of the Production PPI RAZOR GTRThe all-new PPI RAZOR GTR limited production Supercar – Intense driving pleasure in a strikingly bold design. More POWER More STYLE More PASSIONThe Exclusive German Audi-tuner, PPI Automotive Design GmbH intensifies the fire and presents the special limited production Supercar, the PPI RAZOR GTR.Performance Following the introduction of the wildly successful PPI R8 RAZOR at last year’s Essen Motor Show, PPI Automotive Design GmbH have used all its knowledge from the past year in competition, closed road races, open road races, and research and development in the wind channel, autobahn and track testing, to create a truly inspired production car. The Audi specialist turned its focus on optimising the power-to-weight ratio of the Audi R8 while simultaneously strengthening the motor, increasing performance, improving handling dynamics, and managing to reduce the weight of the Audi R8.The essential part of the motor alteration is the incorporation of a specially engineered supercharger. In addition, a ram-charged sport air filter system and a high performance exhaust system made of stainless steel have been designed and added specifically to work in conjunction with the supercharger system. These components are precisely adjusted to each other with the help of a new ignition map for motor electronics.The result, after this extensive modification, is a car with up to 580hp / 427 kW at 7,400 rpm, a maximum torque of 600 Nm at 6,200 rpm at its disposal, and a weight decrease of 250 kg over its serial counterpart (serial curb weight 1,580 kg). Providing the PPI RAZOR GTR with the ability to achieve speeds from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.7 seconds with a maximum top speed of 332 km/h. This insures the proper performance to easily meet the demands of its motorsports and enthusiast clientele.Aerodynamics In addition to the excellent driving performance, this PPI Supercar also has a striking widebody appearance with elaborate, wind tunnel tested aerodynamics. Special attention was paid to the reduction of the vehicle’s weight, which was achieved by PPI’s extensive use of the extremely light and high-strength formula 1 and aerospace-proven Carbon Fibre. All parts are made of this high-tech material, reducing weight and adding strength in the process.The PPI RAZOR GTR front bumper replaces the serial bumper and the new design in conjunction with a specially engineered front diffuser, reduces lifting forces at the front axle. Larger air inlets in connection with a new full LED-headlight unit present the two-seater with an even more athletic face. More importantly, these air inlets feed the radiators with additional fresh air and channels through the new front hood to provide optimal cooling to the brake system. PPI sideskirts highlight the sporty profile of the GTR and also diffuses the airflow around the sides of the car for improved aerodynamic stability.In order to perfectly balance out the down-force behaviour of the front-axle with the rear axle, PPI equips the RAZOR GTR with a special rear wing with an adjustable Gurney-flap. The motor cover, made of the light high-tech polycarbonate material Makrolon®, also has specially designed Carbon Fibre ram-charged air inlets that replace the heavy OEM Engine cover and aid in cooling, ensuring the consistent performance of the RAZOR GTR. Aiding in the engine cooling, are the newly designed side blades, rear fenders and rear bumper allow for additional motor bay and exhaust cooling that, in conjunction with the Carbon Fibre rear diffuser, optimises the airflow over and through the rear portion of this sharp performance car.Handling The overall appearance of the car is further enhanced by a new widebody skin to allow the PPI RAZOR GTR the proper structure to accommodate all the performance enhancements and wider wheels. The RAZOR GTR utilizes specially designed lightweight MAG9 Carbon Fiber forged aluminum PPI wheels. At the front, 10Jx19 MAG9 wheels weighing 8.8kgs with 255/35 ZR 19 Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres are fitted and an impressive 12.0J x 20 MAG9 wheels weighing 10.0 kgs with 325/25 ZR 20 Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres are used at the rear. This wheel and tyre-combination proves to be the optimal balance between comfort and control while maintaining proper road feedback for the driver.PPI also developed a special high-performance braking system available only for the RAZOR GTR that can be identified by its metallic orange-coloured brake callipers. The optimal deceleration and perfect pedal pressure control is now achieved by enlarged 6-piston callipers in connection with extra-large discs measuring 380 x 36 millimetres at the front and 356 x 32 mm discs at the rear axle providing greater pad surface contact area and heat dissipation.Nothing has been left untouched, as is evidenced by the new coil over kit developed in conjunction with technology partner KW Automotive GmbH. This system has been specially adjusted to the needs of the PPI RAZOR GTR. And comes equipped with a Hydraulic Lift System, which can increase ground clearance by up to 45 millimetres if needed and therefore enables the driver to enter underground car parks or drive over speed bumps.Interior “Performance” PPI completely re-designs the interior and turns the R8-interior into a “members-only” lounge with a motorsports flair. The serial interior is replaced by highest quality Onyx Nubuck-leather with orange-coloured accents and highlights. Additionally, PPI equips the limited edition RAZOR GTR with extensive Carbon Fibre throughout the cockpit; hand-brake lever, door sill protectors, Driver and Radio Console Surround, Door Trims, Center Console inserts, and kneepad trims, the ultra-light folding sport seats are also made of Carbon Fibre and bear the PPI “Sport Identity” style, following with the headliner, the steering wheel, shift knob, door panels and center console. The technical highlight of the interior is the ergonomically re-designed PPI sport steering wheel. Highlighting the exclusivity of this limited series production is PPI RAZOR GTR badging, threshold plates, and an aluminium production plaque framed by Carbon Fibre.The new PPI RAZOR GTR Supercar…. BOLD Design, SHARP performance, and EXCLUSIVE production, developed and presented by PPI Automotive Design GmbH, the only tuners for Audi automobiles with a true focus on “Engineering in Style.”

First impressions? Looks sharp, feels soft. Oh, and it smells “plasticky” inside, according to my astute teenage daughter.

Mind you, we’re not quite a week into a six-month stint. Two commutes and two outer urban crawls, 400km-odd, 80km/h tops. Hardly quality time. That’s to come.The new Wheels and www.wheelsmag.com.au long-termer is a relatively odd choice. Yet it’s a logical one. And the first Hyundai. And, to the great relief of my mountainous son, not a Getz.The i30 was styled in Germany. Our 1.6-litre CRDi (common-rail direct injection), five-speed manual SLX-spec i30 looks Euro-sharp; current Opel, perhaps.Because our Shine Red non-metallic i30 is an SLX, it rides on 16-inch alloys shod with 205/55 Kumho Solus tyres. Some i30s get Hankooks. Commendably, there’s a full-size alloy spare under the cargo floor.The top-shelf SR isn’t available with the diesel engine, effectively making our SLX the top-spec diesel i30.Like all Australian-market i30s, ESP now comes standard and the cars are well equipped and boast five-star safety. Driver and passenger airbags are standard across the range, but the entry-level i30 SX doesn’t get the side and curtain ‘bags that come with SLX and SR variants. Our five-speed manual SLX is $26,390. The four-speed auto is $2000 extra.Other car-makers might argue that turbo-diesel power isn’t a value proposition in a small car. But Hyundai claims 4.7L/100km fuel economy — almost hybrid-good, and at a cheaper purchase price. Of course, diesel is more expensive than petrol, so during our time with the car, we’ll learn, among other things, how much pump price affects the bottom line.The i30 has been selling well enough since its October, 2007 launch. But Hyundai Australia’s marketing boss, Oliver Mann, says he could’ve sold a lot more if there hadn’t been both supply and factory labour issues in Korea: The car proved popular in Europe, there was trouble brewing at the factory, and a new i30-dedicated plant in the Czech Republic had delays coming onstream.The new Czech plant started building cars in November this year, but we’ll still get Korean-built i30s. At least, Mann says, the pressure’s now off Korea, and supply lines will be freed. He’s cautiously optimistic about selling more cars here.So, brief first impressions are mostly good. Australian-market i30s are tuned, Mann says, with input from Hyundai Australia. Yet our car’s low-speed ride already appears to be fairly choppy on bumpy urban roads. And neither the gearchange, nor the steering, feel as responsive as the recently departed Skoda Roomster long-termer.The Hyundai-designed and built engine feels strong. Maximum power is 85kW at 4000rpm. Max torque is 255Nm, developed over a fairly narrow 1900-2750rpm rev range. And the car itself is a relatively heavy 1399kg.So no definitive verdict on our new i30 long-termer just yet, but all in good time.

Trendspotters will have long ago clocked my tendency to tick family-friendly traits in Wheels long-termers. Editor Ged is in the same boat, although his brood is burgeoning while mine is perched resolutely on the edge of the nest. Indeed, one’s just taken flight, with the help of our i30 CRDi long-termer.

No surprises, then, that my yardstick propped up against the i30’s shapely flanks measures family functionality, commuter friendliness and long-haul capability. Which, when you stop and think about it, is a fairly representative mix for most people.So, with its cruise control quirk checked and, we’re told, rectified (under warranty via a quick switch adjustment at Hyundai’s Sydney HQ), the stage was set for a full-on family functionality-fest.The outward bound leg of our 600km round trip to Canberra’s Australian National University (to where, says the proud dad, my son has flown the coop) was with the i30 loaded to the gunwales. Literally.Thankfully, the flip-and-fold rear seat made it possible. In fact, flipped, folded and flat, the car’s rear became almost van-like. Not quite as van-like as the lower-floored Jazz and Roomster (both previous long-termers), but flat and copious nonetheless.In short, it became a mini removalist van for a tall young man and a large chunk of his belongings (surfboards, mixing deck and expansive DVD collection excluded).And the bottom line? Our current long-termer easily swallowed seven (count ’em) of the humungous, stripey bags beloved by laundromat-goers, while their sizeable post-dance-party owner snoozed peacefully in the passenger seat to the hum of the i30’s 1.6-litre diesel.Pleasingly, there were no ride issues caused by the chunky load, although the trip was mostly freeway and highway both ways. And the interesting sound effects from the Kumhos on stretches of the Federal Highway were entertaining, rather than annoying. And the previously recalcitrant cruise control switch? Didn’t miss a beat. In fact, nor did the i30, whether fully laden or one-up and empty for the return leg. Date acquired: Nov 2008 Kilometres this month: 1560 Total kilometres: 5613 Av. fuel consumption: 6.4L/100km Maintenance: 1000km free service, cruise control switch adjustment (free, warranty).With cruise control resolutely set at 115km/h, the i30 averaged 5.4L/100km over 600km. Impressive, considering it was fully loaded for half of the trip. Like most diesels, i30 is at home on the highway.

Great news for the trendy crowd: Mini has finally got around to launching a second-generation version of its Cabriolet. Despite the visual similarities to the old model, it is different. Different enough that not a single body panel is common. The windscreen also sits more upright than before to ease entry.

To retract the roof one merely presses a button mounted up on the windscreen header rail. This folds back the soft-top and stows it (still in an exposed position) behind the rear seats in 15seconds. It can also be operated on the go at speeds up to 50km/h.We zig-zagged our way through rain, sleet and snow in the Austrian Alps to test the new Mini Cabriolet’s dynamic properties. There are not many small open-top cars that you’d choose on the strength of their performance and handling alone. But this is one of them.The new 128kW turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine is more responsive and discernibly smoother than the old supercharged unit. It sounds better, too — refined at low revs but with a rorty resonance when you lay into it.Mini claims the adoption of a twin-scroll turbocharger has virtually eliminated lag. We disagree. It’s fairly linear pulling away from idle, but you can still detect a rise in tempo as revs increase and the turbocharger begins to spin in earnest.Straight-line performance is exceptional, thanks, in part, to the closely stacked nature of the standard six-speed manual gearbox; the Cooper S Cabriolet still hits 100km/h in 7.4sec but top speed is by 7km/h (now 222km/h if your coiffeur can take it.) With brake energy regeneration and automatic stop/start now coming as standard, average fuel consumption is a staggering 1.9L/100km better than the old supercharged 1.6-litre model at just 6.4L/100km.It’s the handling, though, that really sets the convertible Mini apart from the competition. When you reach some decent roads, it’s remarkably agile and totally dependable — not quite up to the dynamic level achieved by the hatchback, but it’s not far off. There is some minor shake in the steering, but it still gives the impression of being stiff by traditional convertible standards.With 240Nm arriving at the front wheels at just 1600rpm, torque steer remains a problem under hard acceleration and the ride is overly harsh on less than smooth surfaces, especially on the optional 17-inch run-flats.Overall, the Mini Cabriolet is a well-executed upgrade — very solid in feel and a blast to drive. If you happen to fall within the target demographic, it’s a nice fit.Mini Cooper S Convertible Engine 1598cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max Power 128kW @ 5500rpm Max Torque 240Nm @ 1600rpm Transmission 6-speed manual 1-100km/h 7.4sec (manual, claimed) Price $47,500 (estimated) On sale Now

There’s nothing quite like a sea of blue uniforms and a double-demerit-point blitz to focus one’s attention. In fact, there were so many police evident on my 2237km Gold Coast-and-back trek that I got to wondering what they do the rest of the year. But that’s another story…

Trust a road trip to change perceptions about a lot of things. With kays to cover and thinking-time aplenty on your hands, much falls into place. Such as the practicality of small diesels, how they weigh up against hybrids, and, in the case of the i30 especially, just how monstrous trucks are when you queue with them on one-pump-only service station forecourts.To cut to the chase, I managed a neat 5.0L/100km with the air-con and cruise control on — more about the latter in a moment — and spent roughly $130 all up on fuel, or just six cents per kilometre. It’s clear that the $11,010 price difference between the i30 and the current Prius buys a helluva lot of diesel.While it’s caused me to revise my short-shift driving style around town, the i30’s tall gearing obviously makes sense on the highway, with torque-laden overtaking punch in third and fuel-sipping lazy loping in fifth.For the most part, the i30’s cruise control contributes effectively, too. The wheel-mounted controls are straightforward, and speed creep is minimal down hills. But I’ve got a gripe. Twice — once on the way up the coast, the other on the return leg — the system wouldn’t set, even though I’d pressed the wheel-mounted button to engage it. The ‘Cruise’ light glowed, but the next step — setting the required speed — refused to stick.I attempted to re-boot by stopping, counting to 10, and giving it another go further down the road, but to no avail. Perseverance paid off, and by intermittently pressing the button, it eventually came good, both dash lights again glowed, and the licence- and fuel-saving ‘Set’ function locked in.Wheels‘ long-termer: 1. Copper’s coffers: 0. Result.Date acquired: Nov 2008 Kilometres this month: 2612 Total kilometres: 4053 Av. fuel consumption: 6.3L/100km Maintenance: 1000km free inspection service The i30’s big trip north piled on the kays and lowered its overall fuel average by 0.8L/100km. Best figure we saw en route was a neat-as 5.0L/100km, which equates to a handy 1060-odd highway kays from the i30’s 53-litre tank.

Nobody with even a cursory knowledge of automotive history believes Ford’s claim that the new Fiesta represents the most significant model to wear the Blue Oval badge since the Model T a century ago. Yet, from Ford Australia’s point of view, it’s a realistic indicator of the importance of the new Fiesta in arresting the company’s declining fortunes. Both Ford’s European-sourced small cars – Fiesta and Focus – deserve to sell in far greater numbers, but despite glowing press reports, local buyers have preferred rival models from Toyota and Mazda; in ’08, the Fiesta was outsold by more than four-to-one by the class-leading Yaris, and more than two-to-one by the Mazda 2.

The new global Fiesta is to be made in Europe, China, the USA and, from 2010, Thailand – the latter to become the source for Fiestas sold here. Ford believes it’s good enough to transform the sales charts and elevate the Blue Oval’s poor performance in the light-car class. Can the challenger upset the status quo, represented here by the Yaris, 2 and Jazz? Let’s hit the road and find out.We still know this category as light cars – Australians have never taken to the more descriptive supermini label – but this current generation is a pointer to how cars inexorably grow in size and weight. Twenty-five years ago, Ford’s best-selling Laser small car (another model developed with Mazda) weighed 230kg less than this new Fiesta, yet virtually duplicated it in length (the difference just 10mm).You don’t always get what you want and we wanted manual, mid-spec five-door hatches to pitch against the competitively priced $18,490 Fiesta LX, in theory at the low end of a $680 price spread.Instead, Honda supplied an automatic Jazz VTi and Mazda an entry-level 2 Neo, though Toyota did find us a mid-spec Yaris YRS. However, since the Jazz is the only car in its class with a five-speed auto option, and with Mazda having upgraded the tyres on the Neo (after Wheels criticised their wet-weather behaviour) to 15-inch Maxx specification, it’s hardly a fatal compromise.In layout and drivetrain our foursome conform to the class-standard mechanical framework of front struts and rear torsion-beam axle, transverse in-line 16-valve four-cylinder engines of around 1.5-litres and electric power assisted steering. No surprises that the 2 and the Fiesta are essentially the same size (the wheelbase varies by an insignificant 1mm) since they share a jointly development architecture and 50 percent of their under-the-sheetmetal parts.Visually, the proportions of the Ford and Mazda are comparable: steep rising bonnet and wedged waistline, stretched headlights, similar overhangs, rounded rear. Yet the result is two contrasting designs, so there’s no chance of mistaking one for the other. The Fiesta looks bigger than the 2, its aggressive detailing in stark divergence to the simplicity of the more feminine 2, the Nike trainer shoes of cars. During our time with the quartet the testers came to prefer the more elegant Mazda to the trying-too-hard contrived look of the Fiesta. The recent minor facelift does the Yaris no favours, but it remains a good-looking car, a more conservative and taller interpretation of the Fiesta/2 school except for its notably shorter rear overhang that, despite Toyota’s claims, results in an appreciably smaller carrying capacity.The similarity of the basic dimensions suggest the Jazz is more of the same, but the priorities of Honda’s product planners were clearly on space, not style. More than anything else, this is a mini-MPV, the boxy styling replicated by an amazingly roomy and flexible interior. As one perceptive tester remarked, “The Jazz is for mothers, the others are for daughters.”Ford of Europe has developed a signature chassis feel over the past decade. Happily, the Fiesta inherits the attributes of the Focus and Mondeo: crisp steering, firm damping that beautifully controls body movements, and a ride that soaks up the worst ripples and bumps. All enthusiasts (and not just daughters) are going to love the way the baby Ford drives.The steering is a joy, with a super-quick rack – just 2.6 turns – so cohesively mated to the electric power assistance to produce beautifully linear responses. So good is the Ford’s system, only a chassis development engineer could pick the source of power steering assistance. Compared to the 2, which shares much of the same hardware, the Ford’s steering is tuned for greater feel and slightly heavier weighting.The Mazda’s off-centre reactions are instantaneous, and almost too immediate, so, good as the 2’s steering is, the responses to the helm aren’t quite as fluent or progressive as the Fiesta. The Yaris’s steering is almost as fast, but the impression that it feels artificial, as if the engineers wanted to eliminate all sense of connection between the driver and front wheels, never goes away. Yes, you get used to it, but the Yaris lacks the tactile connection that is so intrinsic to the appeal of the Ford.In isolation, the Jazz’s steering is accurate enough and consistent in its weighting, even if it is devoid of any feel. In this company, however, the Honda is slow to turn in and demands appreciably more lock in any given circumstance. The steering only confirms what the styling predicts – the Honda is not about the delivery of overt driver enjoyment.Of course, Ford’s more sporting tyre selection – 195/50R15s Continentals on the LX – is partly responsible for the Fiesta’s terrific dynamics. There is a verve to the Fiesta that sets it apart from its rivals. It has a beautiful chassis that sets a new class benchmark, delivering superior grip, agile handling and responses, and body control that is subtly effective without upsetting the composure of the ride. The Mazda runs it mighty close, yet the nearer you get to the limit the more the driver is aware that the 2 lacks the deftness that makes the Ford such a natural handler. Sadly, the 2 also exhibits the traditional Mazda flaw of excessive road noise.In comparison, the Jazz feels like a minibus, down to the windscreen pillars and the little triangular windows, which create visibility problems in tight corners. Slower to respond, yet sure-footed, the new model is vastly better than the first generation, especially in terms of ride comfort once above the fidgety low-speed phase. The Honda might not have the grip of the 2 or the Fiesta, and the higher driving position only emphasises the bodyroll and the need for better rebound control, but if you accept Honda’s versatility philosophy for the Jazz, this car does a fine job.Which leaves the Yaris. Such is the speed of progress in this category that the once near-class-leading Toyota has fallen off the pace. The suspension is soft so there’s plenty of bodyroll, however it’s so poorly controlled that it feels sloppy. Yet the ride is busy, even choppy, at low speeds. At 110km/h on our challenging ride evaluation road in the NSW Southern Highlands, the Yaris soaked up the punishment as well as any of its trio of rivals, but not without plenty of vertical and lateral body movement. Disappointingly, neither the Honda or the Toyota offer a stability control system, even as an option.At this point, you could logically conclude that most of the Fiesta’s intensely involving personality comes from its fun-to-drive chassis. But did we mention the engine? Ford’s own 1.6 (the 2 runs a uniquely Mazda drivetrain) is the sweetest here, eager to spin well beyond the modest 6000rpm redline, yet with the strongest low- and mid-range torque. Combine this punch with easily the shortest gearing (32.2km/h per 1000rpm in fifth for 3400rpm at 110km/h), and you have all the ingredients for a car that’s both easy to drive slowly, yet also inherently sporting.Not that the standing start numbers demonstrate any superiority – Fiesta, 2 and Yaris are line-ball in taking an identical 10.5sec to hit 100km/h. Fiesta’s advantage only becomes clear in its rolling acceleration times. The lower the revs, the more the little Ford’s greater flexibility is obvious. The 2’s drivetrain runs the Fiesta close, not least because it has a delightful MX-5-style snick-snick gearchange that’s better even than the Ford. And despite having the least power and torque here, it’s also the lightest. In power-to-weight terms, the 2 almost matches the others: 75kW/tonne versus 76 for the Yaris, Fiesta 80 and Jazz 82.On the road the 2 feels gutsy if you’re willing to push the revs, so it comes across as sporting and, like the Yaris, demands more frequent gearchanges than the Fiesta. It doesn’t sound as enthusiastic as the Ford, but nor is it as hectic and thrashy up high as the Yaris. Most annoying is the non-linear behaviour of the 2’s electric throttle and the tendency to momentarily power-on after the driver lifts off. The Toyota, too, suffers the flaws of a poorly tuned electronic throttle. On the Yaris it’s incredibly sensitive and contrives with a sharp clutch action to make it difficult to drive smoothly in stop-start conditions. Despite the need to belt the engine for a respectable level of performance, the Toyota posted a clear economy advantage of circa 1.0L/100km.First impressions suggest the Honda is a four-speed auto, so tall is the fifth ratio. It’s only when cruising above 90km/h that the now torque-converter (not the CVT of the first generation) tranny decides the engine can accept top gear. At 45.6km/h per 1000rpm – for 2400rpm at 100km/h – the fifth ratio’s gearing is obviously intended to improve steady-state fuel consumption. The engine is eager, helping the Jazz to feel quicker than the figures suggest, and doesn’t really begin to sing until the tacho needle’s punching above 4000rpm. Apart from the occasional stumble, especially when the fluid is cold, the auto works well, though it is bizarre not to be able to select and hold fourth gear. Drive it manually and the choice is first, second or third. Our COTY testing experience points to the manual improving the driving experience, though perhaps not as much as you might expect, a tribute to the automatic’s efficiency.’Amidst the gloom and doom facing the motor industry, right now is a great time to be buying a small car. This quartet proves you get a whole lot of car for your money: improved performance and economy, greater comfort and versatility, increased features and safety and, most of all, a level of refinement that was unimaginable in the class a decade ago.The Yaris (admittedly the oldest car here) is the first to drop out. Toyota build quality and good fuel economy are simply not enough to cancel out the manual car’s poor suburban driveability, the need to thrash the coarse engine for respectable performance, and a restless low-speed ride. Toyota marketing muscle will almost certainly ensure the Yaris remains numero uno, but there are now obviously better cars in the class.The Jazz is one of them. If space is your prime requirement look no farther. From the driver’s seat, the Honda feels half a class larger than the Toyota and the one-hand rear-seat folding operation is inspired. However, its driving experience lacks the dynamic flair and polish of the Mazda and Ford.The Mazda 2 is a brilliant baby, a car with a charming personality that deserves the attention of any potential small-car buyer. No, it doesn’t drive quite as confidently as the closely related Fiesta, but that Mazda badge stands for Japanese quality, something the German-made Ford can’t offer. For many buyers, that is going to be a compelling advantage. Yet, for those who find driving appeal irresistible – surely most Wheels readers – the Fiesta is the clear winner. Add best-in-class refinement and equipment levels, and the Ford is the most talented supermini – sorry, light car – ever sold in Australia. And the most significant Ford small car since the Laser.

The big question: did anyone get out while the getting was good? Was there a single high flyer who saw the US sub-prime crisis looming like a financial tsunami, cashed in their bulging stock portfolio and made it out the door before the world was awash with toxic debt? Full marks if they did.

Now, cashed-up and ready to swoop on the wounded luxo car market, how would this prophetic money man fill two spaces in the gleaming garage of the architecturally designed mansion? Is there a single automotive group capable of being the one-stop shop for both a high-end exotic and a practical but hard-hauling family wagon?We pondered this for about the time it takes for a US mortgage giant to go bust and came up with one – VW. Then, by the time we’d established both the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 and Audi RS6 Avant share a common V10 engine architecture, we’d stopped looking for a justification to bring them together.This engine commonality only stretches so far, though. Two key differences set the V10s apart. The first is capacity – just under 5.0 litres for the Audi, just over 5.2 for the Lambo. More significant, though, is the issue of aspiration: natural for the Italian thoroughbred, forced, via twin-turbochargers, for the RS6. Both feature direct fuel injection, but the 5.2-litre in the Gallardo relies on soaring revs to achieve its 412kW, producing its torque peak of 540Nm at a lofty 6500rpm.As well as around 200cc less capacity, the Audi also runs a reduced compression ratio, and was clearly designed for stomping mid-range torque rather than the pursuit of top-end power. The RS6’s far meatier 650Nm arrives from around the time your seatbelt is fastened – just 1500rpm.The logic is easy to follow, given one is a two-tonne-plus wagon, the other a relatively lightweight sports car. When the Gallardo was upgraded last year to become the LP560-4, virtually all aspects were modified over the car launched back in mid-2003 as a little brother to the V12-powered Murciélago. While the basic body dimensions and shape remain, the look has changed thanks to a Reventón-inspired front air dam, slimmer tail lamps and rows of LED daytime running lights. The Gallardo’s shape has always had an uncomplicated, arrow-like purity to it; now, with even fewer curves, it has the sharp purposefulness of a barracuda.Weight is down by 20kg to a lithe 1500kg to go with the extra 30kW of power that is transferred to all four wheels (split 30/70 front/rear under normal circumstances) via a viscous centre coupling. The E-gear sequential manual has been improved for faster shift times, while the instruments and centre console presentation are new.Would a potential buyer of either car know or even care that they share fundamental engine architecture? Apart from the promise of bestial performance, their intended functions could hardly differ more. Then there are price tags to consider. The RS6 Avant commands $271,000 which includes just about every luxury and clever tech feature imaginable unless, for instance, you wanted to blow another $21,000 on ceramic brakes or $4500 on adaptive cruise control.The LP560 makes the RS6 look relatively affordable. You can try $475,000 as a starting point, but then there’s the options, most of which are fitted to the glossy black example you see here. The transparent engine cover is another $11,900, for example, while electric and heated seats cost $9900. Sat-nav is $7100 (ditto for a rear-view camera), metallic paint is five grand and gas struts to lift the front end over driveways and speed humps adds $8700. Then there are big-ticket items such as the E-gear transmission for $27,000 and ceramic brakes for $41,000. The $625,000 total spend might not be an issue for some high-rolling Lambo customers, but value for money is certainly questionable.First stop on this intriguing get-together is the drag strip, where the big red Audi wagon sits pulsing in the pit lane, its engine grumbling at idle, while the LP560 hits its straps over 400 metres. The result, after enjoying the wail of the V10 and surprisingly snappy 8400rpm upshifts, is 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds and a standing 400 metre time of 12.1. Lamborghini claims 3.7sec to 100, a time probably achieved with a test driver you could carry in a suitcase.The RS6 feels an entirely different beast, and not just because you are planted higher and more upright within its solid body. With a conventional six-speed auto and simply truckloads of torque once the turbos are spooled up, getting it off the line and away is as easy as loading up the torque converter on the brakes, releasing the left pedal and hanging on as the AWD handles the traction.Instead of a Lambo-like howl there’s a more muted rumble and whoosh, and if power is tailing off as the upshifts slur through at 6600rpm, it’s not apparent. By the standards of any big, luxury sedan (think BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG or even HSV W427) the RS6’s 0-100km/h and 0-400m times of 4.7 and 12.7 respectively are up with the best. If it wasn’t for the much lighter and higher revving Gallardo it would look like a world-beater.Leaving the test track for the open road, there’s still an amount of suburban driving, fuel tanks to fill and coffee to be drunk. Although driven in convoy, the Audi might as well be invisible. It is the theme of the next couple of days that bystanders, other drivers and even motorcyclists want to gawk and talk about the dramatic black arrowhead that is the Gallardo LP560-4.For those who drive it, the big surprise is how the LP560 actually manages reasonably high levels of refinement and useability. The driving position may be low but it’s well sorted in relation to the major controls, and visibility from the driver’s seat is remarkably good, while the optional rear camera makes parking much easier. It also rides well at low speed; remarkably, it’s actually more comfortable than the RS6 with its lumpy, chunky ride, and manages this feat without fancy adjustable dampers. The Audi has three settings, ranging from soft but a bit floaty, through to rock hard and untenably stiff.Maybe that’s the difference between a purpose-built supercar and a wagon that’s had horsepower shovelled under the bonnet and some serious chassis tweaks. The RS6 has all sorts of systems to help it handle and ride, including the adjustable dampers that work diagonally across the car to reduce pitch, but they don’t quite add up.On really tight and lumpy roads there’s appreciable understeer (not surprising given all the V10’s mass hangs ahead of its front wheels) and enough float and bounce on the suspension’s softest settings – necessary for even a modicum of comfort – to make accurate cornering a challenging task. The power and torque are immense and corners arrive quickly, but the RS6 is slow to turn in, and reapplying throttle has the traction control working overtime despite the fall-back of all-wheel drive to aid forward progress. It’s a big, heavy car (the wheelbase is some 300mm longer than the Lambo’s, and need we repeat it weighs 500kg more) and you feel every bit of it.The LP560 is much better balanced, and requires no fancy electronics apart from stability control. Yes, it understeers a little more than previous Gallardos and while that might be unappreciated on a race track, it’s not such a bad thing on the road. There is very little sense that the high-revving engine lacks bottom-end grunt because it pulls hard and sounds magnificent as each cylinder takes on more fuel and starts its upward crescendo of perfect noise. It’s just that there’s so much more power about to come on stream as the tacho nudges past 6000rpm.Then there’s massive grip, heaps of adjustability on the throttle and very quick steering to keep the driver busy and thoroughly entertained. It feels twitchy at higher speeds even in a straight line, with pronounced tram-lining on bumpy surfaces. But the trade-off is lightning turn-in, a surprising ability to handle mid-corner bumps, and all the sticking power and sledgehammer exit speed that could be wished for.Downsides? There are a few. The optional carbon ceramic brakes stop hard and don’t seem to fade, but they are so difficult to modulated in traffic that it becomes a lottery whether the driver can come to a smooth stop, abruptly jerk to a halt or, showing caution, apply too little pressure and then panic as another stationary car looms.The E-gear automated gearbox is much sweeter than before, shifting with only the briefest of pauses and offering three levels of shift-speed via a dashboard switch. Yet in auto mode it can’t hope to offer the smoothness of a good dual-clutch set-up, and when it comes to parking, the change from forward to reverse directions is slow and engages imprecisely. At best, you could say the system is now adequate.The most impressive car of the two is undoubtedly the LP560-4, and not just for its massive on-road presence. That it manages to combine the kind of Ferrari-stomping performance and noise for which Lamborghini is renowned with a degree of civility in terms of ride, almost delicate handling and useful cabin ergonomics is a great achievement. If it wasn’t for the psychotic brakes and the difficulties of using the E-gear transmission really smoothly, it would be a truly polished, accomplished supercar. And for perspective, don’t forget this is Lamborghini’s cheapest model – the 471kW Murciélago LP640 offers even more stunning performance, like 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and a 340km/h top speed.Then there’s the value-for-money equation which, by any rational standard, makes the RS6’s combination of sledgehammer acceleration and usefulness of day-to-day driving ease, together with an ability to carry a number of adults and their luggage, very enticing indeed. It could well be argued the sheer grunt and the set-and-forget auto transmission make the RS6’s performance far more applicable to Australian driving conditions than the Lambo’s top-end, autobahn-eating speed.But to the original question: does the VW Group offer the prime candidates to fill the utopian two-car garage? In short, no. The RS6 Avant is wickedly quick, beautifully built and wonderfully practical, but lacks the dynamic poise to be a truly satisfying drive. Merc’s E63 AMG is less expensive and fills the super-sports load-lugger brief more completely.Space should certainly be reserved for the Lambo, however. Supercars as visually arresting, intoxicating to thrash yet as eminently liveable as this are rare indeed. For the VW Group on this occasion, it’s a case of one out of two ain’t bad, it’s borderline brilliant.