Articles by Craig Duff

A diet to make a supermodel proud and looks to match have made Suzuki's race-ready GSX-R600 the pick of the supersports crop. The 2011 model has shed 9kg to be the most rideable bike in the field, the "on-the-fly" adjustable engine maps just give it the edge over the Honda, and is still more of a track weapon than most riders can cope with.VALUEThe 600cc Suzuki sits near the top of the Supersports price tree - and with good reason. It's $15,690 price is $300 cheaper than Yamaha's track-focused R6, $200 dearer than Honda's CBR 600RR and $700 up on the Ninja ZX-6R from Kawasaki. That puts it pretty much in perspective and buyers have decided the same way, making the GSX-600 R the best-selling bike in the field with 235 sales to date against 186 for the Triumph Daytona 675 and 180 for the Honda. Triumph has two models here, though - the race-ready Daytona R at $15,880 and the Dayt ona 675 A1 at $13,890.STYLINGThe vertically stacked headlights and mirror-mounted indicators are the biggest visual changes to the 2011 model. The weight-loss program extended to the bodywork, with a 35 per cent cut in the weight of the plastic panels. That was helped by shortening the wheelbase 15mm - one of the reasons the Gixxer drops in faster than a nosy next-door neighbour - wind-tunnel work to hone the shape and identify which panels could be lightened. The dash layout has an analogue tacho with digital speedo.TECHNOLOGYThe Showa Big Piston Forks are an inverted telescopic system that uses the entire fork leg to contain the spring. As a result the piston surface area is about four times larger than a comparable cartridge type shot, meaning the oil doesn't travel as fast during compression or rebound. They've been around for a while and resist diving like a first-time swimmer, even with a hefty pull on the dual Brembo monoblock front brakes.SAFETYThe engine-map mode switch, and intelligent use of the right wrist, helps rein in the Suzuki in the wet or heavy traffic. It is a bit like doping Usain Bolt, but if it gets you to your destination, who cares. The Brembo monoblock brakes are new for 2011 too. Suzuki has been a pioneer with bike-mounted ABS systems but resists the move to use it on sportsbikes. The Brembos probably show why - the bite's as vicious as a pit bull but you always get a  warning before it locks on and bowls you over.RIDINGThere's a whiff of testorone between the supersports bikes on the track - but 99 per cent of the 600cc category sales are ridden on the road. And it's here the Suzuki has the battle won. It is the equal lightweight with the Yamaha but the extra mid-range grunt and less relentless riding position makes it a better bike on weekend runs. Wind the Suzuki up towards the 15,500-rpm redline and it still has that manic, ride-me-on-the-rims rush that makes supersports special.VERDICTThe new model reinforces the Gixxer reputation without doing much to the engine. Shaving kilos has made it an easier machine to manoeuvre on the road or track and that's been boosted with the Showa/Brembo duo keeping the front end tidy and communicative. For now, it's the supersports to buy.SUZUKI GSX-R600Price: $15,690Engine: 599cc in-line four-cylinder, 92.5kW/70NmTransmission: Six-speed, chain-driveSeat height: 810mmFuel tank: 17 litresBrakes: Dual 310mm front dics with Brembo four-piston calipers, rear 220mm disc with Nissin single-piston caliperSuspension: 41mm Showa BPF front forks with preload, rebound and compression damping, rear Showa monoshock with preload, rebound and high/low speed compression adjustmentWeight: 187kgWarranty: Two years, unlimited km.

The Yaris is one of the favoured children in the Toyota family. The baby Toyota's looks, price and practicality gave it the light-car class lead from 2003 to 2008. Then the cut-price Hyundai Getz topped the charts for the next two years, by 196 and 95 vehicles respectively. This year has literally been a disaster for the Japanese company - but the third-gen Yaris is giving it hope for a more productive start to 2012.VALUEThe Getz reminded Toyota how price-sensitive the light-car class is. That's why the entry level three-door base model holds the same $14,990 price it had in 2005. The five-door YR is tipped to be the top seller and it starts at $15,690. Switching from the five-speed manual to the four-speed auto costs $1600 and cruise control is the only option at $650. The YR has a 1.3-litre engine, cruise control, a trip meter/fuel calculator display and voice control audio system with Bluetooth and USB/iPod connectivity.The YRS adds a 1.5-litre engine, 15-inch wheels and a touch-screen audio and will sell as a three or five-door model for $16,890 and $17,390 respectively. A sportier looking ZR is $18,990 in three door manual form and the range-topping YRX will be sold as a five-door auto from $21,390.That stacks up competitively against the Volkswagen Polo ($16,690-$22,350), five-door Mazda2 ($15,790-$20,495) and Ford Fiesta ($16,990-$20,990). The downside is the engines and transmissions carry over from the previous model.DESIGNIt won't admit the last model was seen as a "chick's car" but Toyota concedes the majority of Yaris customers are women.  That was costing it half the market and the new car in general - and bodykitted ZR in particular - have been muscled up to be more attractive to both sexes.Toyota executive director Matthew Callachor says "it is designed to have greater appeal to men without alienating women" and product planner Greg Gardner confirms women "are prepared to buy what is perceived as a man's car where men are not necessarily prepared to buy what is seen as a woman's car."The new audio units have simplified the cabin layout especially on the touch-screen models, though we're not sure about the Frisbee-sized hazard lights button. The instruments are clear and now back in front of the driver where they belong and the 100mm growth in size brings a bigger boot and 35mm of extra knee room for back seat passengers.TECHNOLOGYNoise suppression is worth talking about in the Yaris. The engineers have added insulation in the centre console, bonnet and floor it's a more comfortable cabin for it, even under hard acceleration. The top-spec YRX and ZR models pick up a touchscreen audio and satnav system with Suna traffic alerts. The drivetrains have been tickled to improve fuel efficiency by up to .4 litres/100km and they still run on regular unleaded. The 1.3-litre engine is good for 67kW/121Nm and the manual gearbox uses an official 5.7 lit res/100km, while the 1.5-litre engine produces 80kW/141Nm and 5.8 litre/100kms. Toyota defends keeping the four-speed auto on the basis that fuel use in both engines is just 6.3 litres/100km.SAFETYToyota has lifted the light-car game with seven airbags and stability control standard fit. The Yaris hasn't been crash-tested yet but the outgoing model was a five-star car and the new one is bigger and stronger.Deceleration comes from 255mm front discs and 200mm drums on the back, all kept in line by ABS brakes with brake assist and emergency brake force distribution. The bonnet has also been redesigned to be less damaging to stray pedestrians.DRIVINGBeing handed the keys to a pink car doesn't do much to improve the macho perception of the Yaris. You don't notice the colour from behind the wheel (and there's nine others to choose from) but you do notice the electric steering is light but more direct and the Yaris refuses to bottom out on hits that should have the torsion beam rear end bouncing.Both have been tuned with local input and front spring rates are up by 18 per cent and the rears stiffened by 26 per cent compared to the Japanese-spec defaults.It looks good on the road and is a fun car to scoot through the city in. It can't be hustled like a Polo and doesn't handle like a Mazda2 ... but it's not a hot hatch and, dressed-up ZR aside, doesn't pretend to be.This vehicle is aimed at mainstream buyers looking for a safe, solid car with style and space. It will spend most of its time commuting to and from work with the occasional weekend away — and it fulfils that design brief as well as any car on the market.VERDICTThe light-car leader is back in the game, but the game's getting tougher. The Yaris is taking on 31 other models in a segment worth about 140,000 cars next year. With the Getz gone, its chances are good, given the sharp prices, smart features list and the Toyota reputation for reliability.

THE Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps sped to the top of the drivers' bucket list a few years ago after Britain's Top Gear crew judged it the best road in the world. Based on the bits shown on TV, Clarkson and co must have been inhaling exhaust fumes at the time.Carsguide retraced the route in what is probably the best four-seater yet built to tackle the lust-worthy drive, BMW's new 1 Series M.The stop-start shots between hairpins that Top Gear showed on TV look good in pictures but they aren't the reason the Stelvio draws car and bike enthusiasts from across Europe. To the north, the pass opens up into a phenomenal flowing road with humblingly stunning scenery.This is the best bang-for-your-buck car ever to wear an M badge and the Bavarian maker's refusal to call it an M1 in deference to the 1970s mid-engined supercar won't matter a damn to anyone who drives it. A rose by any other name.About $100,000 buys a two-door coupe that outperforms the $55,000-dearer BMW M3 in roll-on acceleration and is easier to toss through turns than any coupe this side of a Lotus Exige. It is about $25,000 dearer than the 135i and worth every heavily taxed cent of that.The differential lock proved its worth in the tight, slippery corners. In standard mode exits were marked by a frustrating pause as the traction control lit up to show it was struggling to keep rubber from slipping.Push the button to let the rear axle redirect torque and that hesitation drops back to a heartbeat before it hooks up. In theory, disabling the traction software altogether would help, too, but a strong sense of self-preservation intruded on that thought.The twin-turbo six-cylinder engine has won a swag of awards and in this guise is good for 250kW/450Nm. The alloy suspension components and 19-inch alloys from the M3 catalogue minimise weight and the interior features run from leather dash and seats to internet connectivity. This may be the first BMW made without an options list. The three paint choices are no-cost.This car has the best proportions in the M range. It is fundamentally a wickedly reworked 135i coupe, with 55mm added to the track to keep it planted on the road when the going gets silly. The flared guards needed to accommodate the extra track and meatier rubber give the baby M a distinct family resemblance to the M3 coupe.The quad exhausts and vented gills on the sides are trademark M design features. Changing gears quickly, the driver can hit an arm on tall bottles in the single cupholder on the centre console. The interior is straight out of the 135i but it's all been leather-wrapped with contrasting stitching. Even the gearbox gate cover is suede.The basic BMW 1 Series package is five-star rated and the extra attention that's gone into the 1 Series M should improve on that. The brakes would slow down a supertanker and repeated hammerings do no more harm than covering the front wheels in brake dust.Negotiating the 48 torturous switchbacks that mark the Stelvio's ascent to 2757m, the driver realises the difference between what rates as great TV and what rate as great roads. The M car outhustled and outhandled Subarus, Audis and Porsches alike as it carved a line through the rain and snow-topped bitumen.But the switchbacks themselves just aren't that much fun. It's a second or two of full acceleration, then hard on the brakes as speed bleeds back to single figures.But on either side of the hairpins the road opens out enough for the vehicle to flow from curve to curve and car and driver each work hard to maintain a decent pace. The coupe hits 100km/h in 4.9 seconds, fuel consumption is 9.6L/100km, and CO2 emissions are 224g/km.Me, I want 1. If I had $100K to part with, this would be the car. The only comparable car in terms of cornering dynamics is the Porsche Cayman and its lack of rear seats makes it less practical as a day-to-day driver. There are quicker cars and there are better handling cars but this is the best compromise I've driven.'There are quicker cars and there are better handling cars but this is the best compromise I've driven'

...left the company's production facilities under up to 3m of water. Honda Australia spokeswoman Mel Cross says a recent Civic shipment from Thailand and stock on the ground will satisfy orders "in the medium term". Production at the site in Rojana has been suspended until October 21 and hundreds of cars are submerged but Honda can't assess the damage to its stock or the factory because the area is still under an evacuation order. "We cannot estimate the damage because we cannot access the facility," said a Honda Asia spokesman. The site has an annual capacity of 240,000 vehicles and last year made more than 170,000 Civic, Accord, Jazz, CR-V, City and Brios vehicles. Three Toyota factories weren't flooded but production was suspended because the water has blocked roads and supplies can't be delivered to the sites. The plants produced 630,000 vehicles last year, including the Camry and Corolla. The disruption comes just as Honda and Toyota started to recover from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. The outlook isn't as sodden for the US carmakers in the country. The Ford-Mazda joint venture factory resumed production after a two-day stoppage to assess the supply chain. Some parts have been delayed but the plant can still operate.  GM's factory is also intact but facing some supply shortages. Pitak Pruttisarikorn, the senior vice president of Honda Automobile Thailand, has appealed to the Thai government to exempt taxes on the import of car spare parts and machinery from non-ASEAN countries to help shore up the auto industry. The Japanese automaker also says it will not consider relocating, having done business in the country for 47 years. "Although the flooding disrupts the export of auto parts, (we) will try to find sources from other countries to compensate for the shortage," Pitak says. The floods are expected to hit Thailand's projected output of 1.8 million vehicles this year.

Suzuki Kizashi Touring and VW Jetta 118 go head-to-head in this comparative review.

A new 1 Series gives BMW a club to take to the Volkswagen Golf - and anyone else looking to muscle in on the bottom end of the prestige market. The base BMW 116i is a $36,900 buy before on-road costs, or $7500 more than the Golf 118 Comfortline - and a bunch of Asian rivals. Question is, is the extra cash worth the cache, or is the VW a better buy?This is the cheapest BMW to hit the market - and it's perfectly priced to bait buyers into at least considering the propeller badge. BMW says the base price has been cut by 5 per cent and the car now has many more features. They include a 6.5-inch display, Bluetooth, MP3-compatible stereo, cruise-control with auto brake function, stop-start fuel saving and keyless start.The Beemer comes with a six-speed manual; the eight-speed auto - a first for this segment - is a $2700 option on the base model. The Golf 118 Comfortline packs eight speakers to the 1 Series' six but misses out on the 6.5-inch display and hi-tech cruise control. Step up to the $42,800 BMW 118i (125kW/240Nm) or $43,500 118d (105kW/320Nm) and rear parking sensors, dual zone climate-control airconditioning, 17-inch alloys, rain-sensing headlights and fog lights are standard.The BMW wins this fight. The new car has been wired up with a bunch of clever gear, from the auto-braking cruise control to the eight-speed auto overhauled twin-scroll turbocharged engine. The base engine's outputs are 100kW and 220Nm but the peak torque comes in from 1350-4400 revs. That gives the 116i reasonably steady acceleration - its 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds beats the Audi by a second but is half a second off the Golf. There's also a new switch on the centre console. The "Driving Experience Control" system lets drivers choose between four modes - Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport +. Eco Pro, as the name suggests, optimises fuel use by adjusting the engine fuel mapping and also tries to minimise the time accessories such as the airconditioner are in use.This is the pug dog of the BMW family: the 1 Series looks like it's been kicked in the nose. The kidney grille/headlamp combo just doesn't match the proportions of the rest of the family and has the new 1 looking like a Chinese knock-off at a motor show. The side profile is much better, with the shoulder line extending into the rear lights. But those lights aren't the traditional red BMW bands and that's a bad thing. The 1 Series should be an aspirational car that reinforces the brand; not a vehicle that doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the line-up. Interior quality is a marked improvement on the last 1 Series and BMW has managed to give a prestige feel at a discount price. It has grown in width and length over the old model to give rear seat passengers marginally more leg and shoulder room.Engineers at BMW would throw themselves in front of the car to ensure it had a five-star rating. It's a point of pride for the Europeans and the usual gadgets -- six airbags and electronic stability and traction control -- should give the BMW a five-star rating at match the outgoing model. There's also an electronic diff lock on the rear to tame things if you turn the stability control off. The 1 Series is also the only car in its class with rear-wheel drive and that gives an extra element to play with while you're fighting physics to keep the car on the road.The BMW is the best handling car in the class outside of a Golf GTI or similar sports model. It was already good but the widened track gives it a better balance through turns. The 118i is the pick - the extra 25kW and 30Nm over the 116i makes it a more responsive car across the rev range. But 1 Series target buyers - young, upwardly mobile professionals - want to be seen to be helping the planet.It is here the "ultimate driving machine" earns an electronic hobble. BMW calls it the Eco Pro program; I call it a software virus. It basically neuters the car's extraordinary eight-speed auto and dulls the engine and throttle response. This environmentally friendly setting is one of the reasons the 118i uses just 5.9 litres/100km of fuel in official testing. In the real world it is tolerable - until you try any of the other settings. The Comfort, Sport and Sport + modes progressively return the Beemer to battle action.Road noise on rough surfaces is louder than expected in a BMW but is about right in terms of the rest of the class. The electric steering is precise without quite having the feedback or weight of the 3 Series models. The stop-start system is smooth but not best in class - Mazda3's i-stop system is quicker to refire. Rear room has grown and a couple of adults could now spend an hour or so in the back.This is serious competition in the small car class. BMW has set the price to tempt top-end Asian buyers and thrown down the gauntlet to its Euro rivals as it chases a bigger slice of the biggest pie in town.

The souped-up version that will pace the Iveco Australian MotoGP field this weekend even managed to blow its own lights out during a test run at Calder Park. The roof-mounted light pack couldn't cope with 160km/h and parted company with the big V8 on its first flying lap. A few "technical adjustments" and it should be ready for more serious duty keeping Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo in line on Sunday. The Chrysler Group is the official supplier of vehicles for the Phillip Island event and will have 16 cars on duty - six SRT8s, three Jeep Grand Voyagers, six Grand Cherokees and a Wrangler. The regular SRT8 doesn't need much motivation - its 6.1 litre V8 produces 317kW and 569Nm. The two course cars, though, have been "Mopar-vated", with the Chrysler Group's performance arm catalogue raided to fit more than $7000 in upgrades. The kit includes a Mopar exhaust, cold-air intake, coil overs and front sway bar. Jeep spokesman Dean Bonthorne says the upgrades give the course cars the handling and the sound to head the MotoGP field. "A 300C sounds pretty good anyway but the Mopar exhaust really makes it bark. It's a must-have for the SRT8," he says. A back-to-back run in a regular car and the tricked-up version around Calder Park shows the Mopar model hangs on like a tired two-year-old. It turns in to corners at speeds the standard SRT8 wanted to go straight ahead for and then copes with more throttle coming through the corner. Power isn't hugely up on the standard car but there's enough difference to steadily gain ground on the straights. Turn the traction control off on either model, though, and it doesn't take much effort for the torque to wring the traction out the tyres. MOPAR MOJO The Mopar aftermarket parts sales are huge in the US and have a small but staunch group of supporters Down Under, especially those who import North American vehicles. Items range from interior trim upgrades and weathershields to specialist kits for drag and off-road racing. Chrysler's motorport involvement is limited to Greg Crick driving a Dodge Viper in the Australian GT Championship and Lee Bektash in the Team Mopar drag racer. Bektash watched bemused as the SRT8 ran around Calder Park, then offered some advice on how to experience the ultimate in Mopar-enhanced speed. "There's nothing like this, mate," he says, patting his carbon-fibre and alloy Dodge Avenger pro stock racer. "Zero to 100(km/h) in 0.8 (second), I'll change gears five times the first 4.3 seconds of the (quarter-mile) run and we're pulling more than 300 (km/h) at the end. I don't care what else you do - you can't beat that." Bektash set a 7.03 second pass at this year's Winternationals in Queensland.

The successor to the Santa Fe has shares Hyundai's latest design language with sharp shoulder lines and a more assertive front look incorporating a larger grille.

The new model's front end has been grafted on to an existing chassis and the new Renault corporate face is clearly seen.Carparazzi says the engine line-up for the 2013 update won't change, other than tweaks for fuel efficiency.

The Astra GTC OPC is Opel's hot hatch hero and would be guaranteed to give the European brand street cred when it sets up shop in Australia next year. The car is so good HSV even put its badge on it a few years back as the VXR. Carparazzi snapped the next-gen model testing. It is running a 225kW turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with dual exhausts exiting on either side of the bumper.Why the fuss: We could get itWhen's it here: Not before 2013How much:  Around $45,000 (estimate)