Articles by CarsGuide team

In fact new Barina looks just like a scaled-up Spark sharing a similarly shaped front end and tail lights along with the tall, cheese-wedge profile. The new generation model, here in October, will complete Holden's triple treat small/light car range that includes Australian-built Cruze sedan and hatch and the baby Barina Spark. The new Barina, already available in Europe and the US, was styled by Holden's Ondrej Koromhaz while on assignment at General Motors' South Korea design centre. The Barina name has been around for 26 years starting out as a rebadged Suzuki, then moving to a Spanish-built Opel and finally a Korean product. Holden says new Barina represents another example of its product renaissance which is seeing the entire model line-up refreshed. Barina's assertive appearance features a wide stance, sculpted body panels and dynamic proportions. Its five-door body has aggressive shoulder lines and concealed rear door handles. Rounded, exposed head and taillights give the front and rear fascia a three-dimensional, sporty appearance. Its compact dimensions conceal a spacious and edgy interior complete with motorcycle-inspired instrument panel and multiple storage pockets. An array of convenience features like Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, USB input with iPod connectivity, cruise control and steering wheel audio controls are fitted. Power comes from a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine twin cams and variable valve timing. It comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed automatic. Barina also boasts a high level of standard safety features - Electronic Stability Control, six airbags, safety cell body. Pricing and full specs and features will be announced closer to launch.

So when Shell Australia's new boss Ann Pickard came to Australia, she had more trouble buying a car than expected. The US-born business dynamo, described by Fortune Magazine as "the bravest woman in oil and one of the 50 most powerful women in business" was vice-president of the company's operation in south-Saharan Africa, based in Lagos, Nigeria. "I had a Land Cruiser for the five-and-a-half years I was there," Pickard says. "So when I got the chance to move to Australia, I decided to treat myself to something a little more to my liking. I opted for a Jaguar XKR, and since I would be based in Perth, sought out the local Jag agents." She phoned to order the car but didn't get past reception. "I said 'hello, I'm Ann Pickard from Nigeria' and the next thing I heard was a click as the line went dead," she says. It happened several times before the proverbial penny dropped, so she resorted to email. Even that took some convincing - and fortunately someone at the Perth premium car dealership took it seriously. Pickard got her car, but that wasn't the end of her dramas. The long-awaited Jag was soon stolen - something that never happened to her in Nigeria - but it was found again only hours later, and life for Pickard purrs on.

The entry point is from $49,995 extending up to $77,395 if you tick all the boxes. It will be available in three design themes: Pure, Prestige and Dynamic. As expected an extensive range of options will be offered including accessories, equipment and styling packs. But it gets plenty of standard equipment like push button start, electric park brake, Bluetooth with audio streaming, rear parking aid, colour information screen and up to 6x4 way electric seats. The entry price gets you a TD4 Evoque Pure (5-door) in six- speed manual with front wheel drive. There is a choice of three engines and two body styles. The lineup is topped off by the Si4, six-speed automatic Prestige Evoque Coupe. The Range Rover Evoque will be offered in both 5-door and Coupe (three door) forms and retail deliveries will commence from November 2011.

Gover has published Skaife as ‘the best’ in his first book – V8 Legends, Australia’s all-time top 40 race drivers.Amongst the top 40, Gover selected his personal top 10, with six-times Bathurst winner Skaife heading the field ahead of John Bowe, Ian Geoghegan, Marcos Ambrose, Jim Richards, Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, Craig Lowndes, Allan Grice and Frank Gardner.The selection of Skaife as the best in the eyes of Australia’s leading automotive writer comes at a crucial time in Skaife’s driving career. After retiring from full-time competition in 2008, Skaife won the Phillip Island and Bathurst endurance races last year with Craig Lowndes, but his acceptance of the role as Chief Commissioner on V8 Supercars newly-formed commission has thrown his driving future up in the air.Skaife will drive with Lowndes in the endurance races again this year – and it could be his last.Gover says that Skaife overcoming Craig Lowndes during the 2000 V8 Supercars Championship was a key reason behind his top selection.“One of the reasons why I put Skaife in as number one was that when he turned up at the Holden Racing Team, Lowndes was king there and he managed to pull his pants down,” Gover explained to Speedcafe.com.“If you look at history, not too much after that, Lowndes jumped the fence and went to Ford.”Gover is regarded as Australia’s leading automotive journalist with his work published in News Limited publications Australia-wide.V8 Legends is published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia and will be available at ABC Shops or the Pitstop Bookshop from July 27.Who’s your idea of Australia’s top driver? Leave a comment.  

Already Australia's lowest priced SUV, the Chery J11 is now $17,990 driveaway thanks to a $2000 cashback offer available until the end of August.Powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol engine, the J11 features leather seats, airconditioning, power windows, MP3 compatible four-speaker stereo, 16 inch alloys and remote keyless entry.The J11's 2.0 litre engine boasts 102kW power and 182Nm of torque, while safety features include ABS, EBD, dual airbags and front seatbelt pre-tensioners.An automatic transmission is available as part of a $2000 option package that includes cruise control and steering wheel mounted audio controls.The J11 is covered by a three year 100,000km warranty which includes 24/7 roadside assistance."The strong Aussie dollar combined with the massive economies of scale derived by the Chinese auto industry is presenting the Australian car buying public with some genuinely compelling options," Dinesh Chinnappa, general manager of Chery Automotive Australia, said."Why would you buy a small car when you can have an SUV for the same or less money?"

Toyota Australia senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner says the Luxury Car Tax is inefficient, punitive and poorly designed. "Toyota is Australia's number one luxury car brand according to the Luxury Car Tax regime. In 2010 the top two vehicles exceeding the Luxury Car Tax threshold were the Toyota Prado and LandCruiser with 15,423 and 7,273 car sales respectively," Buttner says. "The current Luxury Car Tax was introduced in 2000 and since then the price customers are prepared to pay for cars has risen. However the tax threshold has not kept pace and today customers have to pay an unfair tax on cars that exceed $57,466, a level that most people would not consider to be a luxury car." Toyota Australia believes the tax also penalises people who customise their vehicles. "With an increasing number of accessories, such as roof racks, bullbars and tow bars available as vehicle extras, vehicles priced below or on the cusp of the Luxury Car Tax threshold currently creep past the threshold once the accessories are added," Buttner says. He says the tax was discriminatory because it only applied to vehicles and no other luxury item. "Toyota Australia and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries have long opposed the Luxury Car Tax on the basis that no other consumer product has an additional tax applied simply because the value of the product exceeds an arbitrary threshold. "It is a tax people have to pay in addition to GST, stamp duty and registration fees when buying a new car. On top of that they pay tax on the fuel they use in their cars," Buttner says. "Toyota Australia would like to see the Luxury Car Tax abolished. But if not, then at the very least, it should be fundamentally reformed to feature a more realistic threshold and to exclude low emissions vehicles and parts and accessories from the tax," Buttner says.

It went on to win at the 24 hours of Daytona, 12 hours of Sebring, and 24 hours of Le Mans.

SPEED's Uncle Rick and his stunt car show off how to do a Reverse 180 as well as a few other tricks of the trade.

…with svelte, new front styling, new design alloy wheels and rear privacy glass. Due in September, the new look Murano features a new grille, front bumper and headlamp design. New, multi spoke 18 inch alloy wheels are introduced for a more prestigious look along with new design rear tail lights, new roof rail design (finished in silver on the Ti model) and the addition of rear privacy glass. The ST model now adds fogs lamps as standard. Inside, both models now feature rain sensing wipers while ST models pick up a Bose audio with 2Gb hard drive and 7 inch color display; rear reversing camera and heated front seats. The range topping Murano Ti now features Nissan's new generation satellite navigation and USB input jack or iPod connectivity with a 9Gb hard drive. Murano is priced from $47,990.

... in crash tests earning a five-star safety rating. The five-star safety rating is based on the latest European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) testing, in which Focus achieved the highest possible dynamic score for child protection in both frontal and side impact collision tests, as well as excelling in the adult and pedestrian safety categories. The new Ford Focus is engineered to meet or exceed safety standards around the world and has been crash-tested more than 12,000 times in real and virtual worlds to ensure the best possible protection for occupants of various ages and sizes. Fifty-five per cent of the body shell is made of high-strength steels, of which 31 per cent is ultra-tough boron steel, more than any other Ford built to date. Boron features in the A-pillars, B-pillars, rocker panels and door reinforcement beams to create an extremely rigid, crush-resistant passenger cell. Pedestrian protection has been boosted by the addition of a "soft" cowl design in the front body structure and Ford has also relocated the windscreen wiper system to help further reduce injury risks.