Articles by Bill Buys

Who'd have thought Coke bottles and a Fender guitars would have a common link with Volkswagen? Well, like the car, the bottle and the guitar have what VW call `iconic styling' in that any of them would be instantly recognisable anywhere in the world.That link is so strong that there's even a Fender Edition in the line-up of VW's Beetle range. Not that it's a big range: just one model, a choice of transmission, a couple of option packs and that pearl-black Fender Edition.The Beetle, longer, wider and taller than its predecessor, is only the model's third-generation since the first 'people's car' was produced in 1938. Since then, more than 22 million have been let loose around the globe including one in Antarctica. VALUEThe new one is a sophisticated number reflecting a fine blend of modern and retro, and costs $29,990 with a six-speed manual shifter. The seven-speed DSG adds $2500 and the higher-spec (very) limited edition Fender is $34,490. The Beetle is a comprehensive package, with standard fare including remote entry, power windows and mirrors, cruise control, dual zone aircon, 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, auto-on wipers, foglights and front and rear parking sensors.TECHNOLOGYThe longish nose hides a high-tech 1.4litre twin-cam four-cylinder with turbo and supercharging. It's a little powerhouse, whacking out 118kW and 240Nm, and it uses very little fuel. Official economy figures are 6.8litres/100km in manual and 6.4 with DSG. Other good bits are a differential lock, hill start assist and a good electro-assisted steering that firms up at speed and becomes feather-light when parking.DESIGNThe car has evolved to a more mature look, which makes it a standout in traffic. Optional half-moon LED daytime running lights also help.There's ample room for four, knock-down rear seats that increase cargo space from 310 to 905litres and a 1950s style dash finished in body colours. Three clear, round dials house the driver info and there's a multi-function leather-rim steering wheel, media device interface, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, eight speakers and an aux socket. And doubledeck gloveboxes. Fitment of the Mexican-built car is superb.SAFETYIt has a five-star safety rating and comes with airbags and a plethora of electronic driver aids.DRIVINGIt drives beautifully, its wide stance and big rubber boosting stability and comfort and it really enjoyed going walkies over the mountainous switchbacks of the D'Aguilar Range in Queensland. It's a smooth and eager performer, able to reach 100km/h from rest in 8.3seconds, and it just ambles along at 100km/h without raising a sweat.The DSG is the pick of the transmissions but there's no paddle shift unless you opt for one of the option packs. Cheeky, we thought.VERDICTA bug of the highest pedigree. With a Fender edition on its way, might things could go even better with a Coke version in following months?Fender editionOnly 200 Beetle Fenders, all with DSG, will be available in Australia, from June. They're all in black pearl, with 18-inch wheels and a rockin' 400W audio system. There are also Fender badges, LED daytime running and number plate lights, Bi-Xenon headlights, brown stitching on the black leather, adjustable ambience lighting and there's a big bass box in the boot. And the dash is finished in Sunburst, a two-tone wood, same as on some Fender Stratocasters.  

Kim made contact, wondering whether it was an eight or 12-cylinder model, but soon learnt it was everything but a prestigious US luxury car. “It's not a Packard,” he was told. “It's a Panhard.” But the rarity of the brand made the Yarloop wine farmer and car enthusiast buy it, anyway. “It was buried in the back of a shed, under a tonne of rubbish,” he said. “It was in a sorry state, but it was straight, complete, and even had a pair of exceptionally detailed books for use by the agent's servicing department. I thought it would be a great resto project. The radical French car could be the only one still surviving in Australia, where only 13 of them are believed to have arrived in 1959. Powered by an 845cc air-cooled twin-cylinder four-stroke motor, the steel-panelled Panhard PL17 had a very aerodynamic body and, despite its small engine, was capable of carrying six adults in comfort. It was quick too, with a top speed of about 80mph (130km/h) while returning 6.0litres/km. Panhards filled the podium at the 1961 Monte Carlo Rally and many were raced in various parts of the world. Special racing versions made by Deutsch-Bonnet regularly won their class at Le Mans. The Panhard PL17 was made from 1959 to 1965, with 130,000 produced. Its name was derived from “PL” for Panhard et Levassor (the original name of the company), with the “17” coming from the sum of 5+6+6, being 5 CV (fiscal horses, in the French power rating system) plus 6 for its seating capacity, plus 6 for its economy 6 litres/100km. The front wheels were driven through a four-speed gearbox with column shift, synchro on the upper three gears and suspension was by two transverse leaf springs in front and a trio of torsion bars on either side at the back. The engine was a model of advanced engineering: High-domed light alloy pistons were housed in cast-iron liners and the conrods had roller-bearing big-ends on a built-up crankshaft, beneath which was a single cam operating the overhead valves by pushrods and roller-ended tappets. The valve gear was also most unusual in having mini torsion bars, rather than springs, and valve clearance was by a spherical bearing that could be moved along a threaded pillar. Citroen took over Panhard in 1965 and stopped producing the PL17. Kim had planned to rebuild the car, but he's had it seven years and has not had time to put a spanner on it. The car was last registered in Mt Barker in 1977. “It's a bit of motoring history,” he said. “But it needs someone who has the time and interest to restore it.”  

Holden has given its Colorado a Brazilian for 2013, with the vehicle emerging bigger, tougher and more sophisticated than before - and a lot better-looking too.Carefully designed to tread the fine balance between weekday workhorse and weekend warrior, it  claims class-leading towing and serious 4WD capabilities with spacious cabins and lots of safety and comfort features.The new macho-faced Colorado was designed in Brazil, is built in Thailand and has undergone 2.5million km of development in five continents.Colorado comes in three body styles: singe cab, space cab and crew cab, four spec levels in DX, LX, LT and LTZ, two and four-wheel drive and power  is by a new Duramax 2.5-litre turbo-diesel in the base DX single cab and a 2.8-litre turbodiesel in the rest.The 2.5-litre unit delivers 110kW and 350Nm while the 2.8-litre produces a lusty 132kW and 470nm. The motor is built at GM's new facility in Thailand and has the sophistication of common-rail injection and a variable geometry turbo. All Colorados are diesel-powered, all can handle a one-tonne payload and the 2.8-litre models have a towing capacity of 3.5tonnes. Transmission is a five-speed manual or an optional six-speed auto.Fuel economy is pretty impressive too: the 4x2 DX 2.5 returns 7.9litres/100km and we had no trouble bettering the claimed 9.0 in a top-of-the-Wozza LTZ 4x2 auto on a 200km run in country Queensland, with the computer indicating 8.5litres/100km.All models get ABS with EBD and stability control, twin front and full-length curtain airbags, aircon, aux power outlets, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity. LTZ has projector headlights, fog lights, an alloy sports bar, power seats, an eight-speaker audio system, 17inch alloys and leather and chrome highlights.The dash has twin glove boxes in its vast black plastic surface, with instruments in a neat binnacle. Seating and visibility are plus factors.These vehicles are frequently a family's one and only, and GM has opted to retain the basic leaf spring set-up at the back to handle loads. The front has an independent suspension with double wishbones and coils, and the compromise made our stint in a DX pretty firm compared to the luxurious LTZ, but the difference appears due to the extra weight of the LTZ.The 2.8-litre motor puts out 10 per cent more power and 40per cent more torque than the earlier 3.0-litre and it gives the vehicle good, smooth performance. The auto gearbox is a honey. Best too for offroad work.

Most have never exceeded 100kmh, the majority have no idea of what ABS really is or does, and pitifully few would know what to do if their car got into a slide.Advanced driving instructors are appalled at the tuition of so-called driving schools, where people are taught to pass a simple test, but not how to drive, or enjoy a car. Exceptions are enthusiasts, who tend to undergo courses, often run by premium car brands, among them Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.In a new move, the Audi course, previously open only to owners, will from July be available to anyone keen to improve his or her skills. You don't have to own an Audi. The German brand's Drive Experience program is a $6.8million, 40-car investment presented by a dozen hand-picked instructors which will go around the nation, presenting its benefits at racing circuits, Perth's Barbagallo Raceway included.The training fleet includes  Q-series SUVs, A1 Sport hatches, fiery S and RS models, eight R8 V10s and a brace of full-on R8 LMS racers. Most of the instructors, led by Steve Pizzati, are former Porsche driver trainers, among them Dean Canto, Ian Dyk and Luke Youlden, all graduates of Audi's `train the trainer' course in Austria.The skill-building program covers five levels and each is a full day course. Mit catering. It starts with a $750 advanced `experience' and goes on to an $1190 performance course, which includes racetrack action in RS 5 and R8 models; then there's the $2990 sports car component and it ends with a $5990 Audi Race Experience in the Bathurst-winning R8 LMS.Audi expects only two per cent of its intake to go as far as the race experience. There's also a $5700 Ice Experience, held in New Zealand. We slotted into a quick mix of levels two to four at the Phillip Island circuit, and under expert tutelage, fanged an RS 5 through the slaloms, flung a TT RS through the chicanes and played follow the leader around the GP circuit at ever-increasing speeds in an R8.Had a ball, came back with some newfound skills, a sharper mind and an acute awareness of the abject lack of driving skills on our roads, brought about by the endless dumbing down policies of successive governments. The Audi Experience comes at a cost. But what price life? And if you can get so much fun and driving competence thrown in, isn't it a bargain? 

Remember the mobile phones of yesteryear - the ones they used call 'the brick'? They were soon replaced by iPhones and similar advanced devices, much smaller, with more features and much greater efficiency.Such is the tale of the Ford Falcon Ecoboost, a full-sized Falcon powered by an engine half the capacity of the regular 4.0-litre straight six, but with better performance, and much better economy. The just-released car will almost certainly give the Falcon, which has rapidly dropped off the top 10 list in national sales and is in danger of extinction, another go at immortality. More than a new heart, the Ecoboost also gains improved road manners and driving refinement.The 2.0-litre engine is a marvel. Made in Spain, it's choc-full of good stuff like twin cams with variable valve timing and silent chain-drive, sodium-filled valves, direct fuel injection, coil-on-plug ignition, a balance shaft and a state of the art stainless steel turbocharger. The eager motor puts out 179kW at 5500 revs and 353Nm of torque at 2000 revs, pretty close to the big six's 195 and 391. Transmission is by a six-speed ZF auto, with sequential mode. The suspension geometry has been tweaked and stiffened  by 13 per cent in front and 40 per cent at the back, and the car is 74kg lighter. Also, sound-absorbing materials in the windscreen and behind the dash have made for a quieter interior. Features have been upgraded with an 8-inch colour touch-screen with integrated audio and (non-brick) phone functions as well as satnav on the G6E. Improved aerodynamics include wind-cheating shields under the car.Ecoboost is available on Falcon XT, G6 and G6E models and Ford folk say it will later extend to more than 80 per cent of all models.Costs are the same as the 4.0-litre models, starting from $37,235, and although Ford knows there will be people who reckon a four-cylinder should cost less than a six, they say the gains in fuel economy make the Ecoboost a comparative bargain.We got to compare the new model with a regular 4.0-litre big-six in acceleration tests at Hobart's Baskerville Raceway, and yes, the iPhone beat the Brick: 6.68 to 7.13 seconds. Ford also says the Ecoboost whips the 3.0-litre Commodore by about a second over 400m and returns better fuel economy.On a 200km run on Tasmania's swoopy, undulating roads, we cruised along and got 8.8 litres/100km, close enough to Ford's official figure of 8.1. It increased to 9.6 in spirited driving, but that's still way better than a Falcon six could hope for  even with a monster tailwind. Best improvement overall is the car's new-found flexibility. It's considerable torque comes on early, it runs along easily and it has a solid punch in reserve for quick overtaking. Where the six-potter scores is in towing. It can lug 2300kg, the Eco 1600kg.The recalibrated suspension is also a big step forward, giving the Ecoboost exceptional agility and a composed ride on all surfaces.

Five years is a long time in the car industry long enough for an entire market sector to plummet from second to seventh in sales. That's what happened to the large car market. It was just below small cars in 2006, and is now second last.But with around 80,000 sales a year, it's still worth fighting for, and that's what Toyota has done with its just-refurbished Aurion.WHAT'S NEWThe 200kW/336 3.5litre V6 remains unchanged in output from last year, but has been tweaked for extra efficiency. Average consumption is 6per cent better at 9.3litres/100km, from 9.9. It's a bit cleaner too, its 215g/km CO2 emissions eight per cent down. The smooth six-speed transmission is also a carry-over, though the brace of Sportivo models gain steering wheel paddle shifts. Extensive local development, including the new electric steering, has resulted in better ride and handling.Externally, the second generation Aurion has had a mild style upgrade with new front and rear bumpers and the Sportivos look a little angrier with what Toyota calls "aggressive, startling and confronting" nose, tail and bumper treatment to attract sports-oriented folk. The cars are a tad longer, the AT-X, Prodigy and Presara by 10mm and the two Sportivos by 30mm. But despite the fractional increase in length, the premium Toyota sedans are 55kg lighter. Inside, the dash and trim have had a brush-up, the cabin is quieter and reshaped seats and roof lining have added passenger space. All models get seven airbags, seatbelt warnings, dual zone auto climate control, reversing camera, split-fold rear seats, an eco meter and a sound-absorbing layer in the windscreen. All the electronic driver aids are a given, likewise entertainment and communication doofies like Bluetooth, USB, iPod, touch-screen displays and multi-speaker audio systems. One of the best improvements is the thinner windscreen and B-pillars. Some rivals have gone the opposite way to attain five-star crash ratings, but at the expense of impaired visibility, which we reckon is plain stupid. Toyota's engineering has come up with strong, slimline pillars that make a world of difference. Bravo. VALUEThe five Aurions are all under the Luxury Car Tax, starting at $36,490 for the AT-X. The Prodigy and Presara models are $41,490 and $49,990 and Sportivo SX6 costs $40,990. The top-dog Sportivo ZR6 is $47,990.DRIVINGWe squirted an AT-X and a Prodigy (dreadful name) through some of the Classic Adelaide tarmac rally terrain in South Oz  and liked it. We imagine the firmer Sportivos would be even better. But our classy family sedans did a great job in a quiet, composed manner, and on one 100km stretch we saw 8.6litres/100km on our eco meter.When we switched off, we got an #aacexcellent' rating on the dash. What a chest-sweller that was. The V6's output is more than adequate and the power comes through smooth and strong. Great brakes too.VERDICTA quality car, close to Lexus in many respects, that should do a whole lot better in its shrinking category.

If you thought the Lexus GS came only in vanilla, think again. The latest model has been through the tutti frutti blender and has emerged with power, pace, refinement and handling that makes it the flavour of the times. And at surprisingly competitive prices. To prove the transition, the fourth-generation GS was let loose in the Australian Alps, home to some of the nation's most demanding roads, where it proved it had some seriously high octane juice running through its veins. The new, more aerodynamic breed has wider front and rear track and comes in two engine sizes and three spec levels, Luxury, F Sport and Sport Luxury, starting from $77,900. The starting price is about $20,000 cheaper than the superseded Lexus GS300 and the new GS250 is also 20per cent better value in terms of what you get for your buck. The GS250 Luxury is $77,900, F Sport $85,900 and Sport Luxury $99,900.GS350 is $89,900 for the Luxury, $99,900 for F Sport and $109,900 for Sport Luxury. There are also option packs for Luxury and F Sport models.The car has had a style revamp, dominated by a scary-looking grille, but we're not sure we like it. It's hour-glass look is based on a spindle  but we're told it works well on freeways. During tests on the Euro autobahns, slower traffic quickly made way for the spindle-mouthed Lexus approaching at 200-plus km/h. The now slightly larger interior can be tailored to just about anything a buyer could want.The seats in the F Sport are 20-way adjustable, and include buttons that make them curl to your shape, like a customised Recaro. Most other models get 12-way adjustments. Standard on all are blind spot and tyre monitor systems, 10 airbags, parking and clearance sonar, reversing camera, bi-xenon headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, multi-adjustable electric front seats, digital radio, a big screen with satellite navigation and Drive Mode Select, which lets the driver switch between Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+. Bluetooth and all associated guff is a given.The GS250 has a 154kW/253Nm output from its 2.5-litre V6, and the 350's 3.5-litre whacks out 233kW and 378Nm. Drive to the rear wheels is via a six-speed sequential electronic controlled gearbox with paddle shift. The 250 gets to 100km/h in 8.6seconds, the 350 in 6.0 seconds flat.The steering is an electric rack and pinion set-up and the F Sport 350 comes with dynamic rear steering and variable ratio steering. The laser-welded body shell is 14 per cent stiffer than before, 30kg lighter and the new suspension's dampers are outside the coil spring. There's a new double-wishbone set-up in front with a multi-link system at the back.F Sport and Sport Luxury models get electronic variable damper control. The paint is worth a mention: some colours get glass-infused sparkle, and all get `self-healing' finish. A small scratch disappears after a few hours in the sun.The new GS certainly lives up to its grand tourer status, showing excellent steering and grip through the snaking alpine terrain. The ride is supple enough for passenger comfort, firm enough to keep an enthusiast driver more than happy. Also, a shift to Sport, or more so Sport +, alters the throttle and transmission response and the stability control's intervention point. We rate Sport as best for all seasons. An added benefit is vocal back-up from the exhausts. Drive the car like a GT and the zoompipes join the chorus to put goosebumps on your skin and make your scalp tingle.We tried Eco mode for a bit, but the car is so efficient that it wasn't worth crippling its performance. A brisk 150km trip in a 350, including the twisty bits and some long, flat stretches, gave us a very acceptable average of 10.6litres/100km. Official average figures are 9.3litres/100km for the 250 and 9.7 for the 350. The GS has come of age. We'd have one in a blink. 

Employing lessons learnt in a decade of building and racing historic race car replicas, the Bailey LMP 2 is an aerodynamic sports-racer set for its world debut at the 2012 Le Mans endurance series. Bailey, a brand foreign to the world, is well known and respected in motorsport-mad South Africa, where a variety of GT-40, Porsche 917 and Ferrari P4 lookalikes have emerged from the Boksburg, near Johannesburg, workshops of Bailey Edwards Cars in the past 10 years. More than precision-built replicas, the cars are thoroughly track proven, with company principal Peter Bailey frequently taking on all comers on circuits such as Kyalami and Zwartkops in the beauties of his own making. In past years he raced in the Porsche 924 Challenge where he set numerous lap records before moving across into the highly competitive Shelby Can-Am series. He now competes in the national Historics series in his own replica Ford GT40. But the Bailey LMP 2 is the result of his dream to run a car bearing his name at Le Mans. "As Derek Bell once said, `there are 18 FI Grands Prix a year, but only one Le Mans'," he said. The LMP 2 is now being prepared for the international series, which starts with 12 hours of Sebring in March. Then follow the Six Hour at La Castellet, near Marseilles in April, 1000km of Spa Francorchamps in Belgium in May, and then the real deal, the Le Mans 24-Hour in June, the world's most prestigious and romantic endurance race. Five more enduros are also on the calendar after Le Mans: Imola, Silverstone, Estoril, Petit Le Mans in Atlanta and the six hours of Zhuhai, in China. The Bailey team will include a trio of French enduro specialist drivers because the South Africans don't have much experience of endurance racing. Woolf Barnato was one of the stars of early Le Mans, with three consecutive wins, but that was a while ago. (1928, `29 and `30.) "So we are teaming up with international partners for the first year of competition," spokesman Dirk Vale said. The French drivers, Michel Disdier, Vincent Capillaire and Sylvain Boulay, the latter a 10-times Le Mans veteran, are testing the car in South Africa now. The carbon-fibre and honeycomb monocoque 900kg car uses a 5.0litre 375kW Ford V8 engine, Ricardo sequential six-speed gearbox, chromoly double wishbone suspension all round, AP Racing six-piston aluminium calipers all round, electric power steering and a full CFD body design. Bailey is making a South African (RSA) version and another for the international market, which offers buyers a choice of homologated BMW, Lexus, Toyota or Nissan power. If passion is a measure, the Bailey is set to reach lofty heights in international motorsport. Roll on Le Mans.  

Men have long been known to form close relationships with their cars. Sometimes that's to the detriment of their marriages. And such might have been the case with Steve and the former Mrs Rance. The affable Queenslander bought and built a Sabre kit car back in the late 1980s, and devoted so much attention to the sleek coupe with its Ferrari-like lines, that jealousy, and perhaps one or two other minor items, resulted in the marriage falling apart after just a few years. To his chagrin, Steve lost the Sabre in the divorce settlement, and his once-lovely car ended up being parked under a tree in his ex-wife's back yard. It spent some years there before Steve, who then ran a smash repair shop, and built special cars for the film industry, was able to get it back. But having been subjected to the elements, and possibly the occasional missile from an angry woman, it needed a total rebuild. Steve had by then become well-known for creating Batmobiles for Warner Bros studios. He'd built quite a few in the past 18 years. He got the fibreglass body sorted and was lucky to acquire the mechanicals of a crashed Toyota Camry Ultima, which he squeezed into the confines of the Sabre's tubular spaceframe, the engine neatly slotted in behind the driver. It took him 18 months to complete the spectacular and immaculate yellow coupe, but at a cost of just $6000. Today, it's worth close on $100,000. "It must be one of the world's most unusual Camry-powered cars," Steve said. "Engine and gearbox are standard, the headlights are from a Mazda RX-8, the front bumper from a Charade and the 18-inch wheels from an Audi. "It drives like a dream. Does zero to 100 in 6.7 seconds and I've had it up to 210km/h on the runway at the Southport Flying Club." That's where he now lives, working as the aerodrome manager. He retained the Sabre name because the original was road registered as such, and was a respected bit of engineering. "My (new) wife Sue and I use it as a weekend driver," he said. "And yes, Sue doesn't mind at all. She loves it."

And the Californian is also a very pleasant and down-to-earth person -- despite being lumbered with film star looks, being widely known as "the winningest driver in US history" and having a pedigree reflecting his passion for all forms of motorsport. He started in karts aged eight and as an adult had most of his success in sports car racing, where he is a four-time Rolex Series Champion in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and four-time Rolex 24 hours of Daytona winner. The now 51-year-old Pruett (who looks more like a 40-year-old) is also the single most successful Daytona Prototype driver with career records for wins (31), pole positions (32), podium finishes (59) and laps led (2152). He has also raced in NASCAR and has had 145 races in the CART series, including one in Australia: He won at Surfers Paradise in 1997 and won the IMSA GTO Championship in 1986 and 1988. So who wouldn't jump at the chance of a few laps with the maestro? The opportunity came my way at the impossibly technical Infineon Raceway, near Monterey, California. In a Lexus IS-F, I strapped into the front seat alongside the wunderpilot and watched in awe as he steered the 5.0litre V8 sport sedan through the tight corners, felt my equilibrium do a somersault as he whipped it left and right through the esses and felt my eyeballs threaten the pop out of my head as he braked for the double-apex hairpin. Infineon has a hidden corner too: you barrel out of a right hander, go straight and, all of a sudden there's a crest  with no sign of where the road goes. My stomach did a lurch as the Lexus soared over the drop and Scott, who has driven the circuit hundreds of times, flicked it sharp left and powered out of the downhill left hander. And so it went on for six laps. Not a moment of hesitation from him as he belted the IS-F, its motor bellowing with glee, around the demon-designed circuit with its hidden corners, adverse cambers, ups, downs and other surprises. There are 12 turns and nearly 50m of elevation change in the circuit's 3.5km. Pruett's relationship with Lexus includes heavy involvement with the IS F and LFA programs, and he's probably had more km in the LFA sports car than anyone else in the world. But there's more to car racing for the affable father of three: he is also a passionate producer of fine wines. Scott, and his wife Judy grow prime syrah grapes at their vineyard in Auburn, northern California. And they write children's books through their publishing company, Word Weaver Books. "He's passionate about absolutely everything he does," Judy told with a sweet smile. And just a hint of a blush.