Articles by David Fitzsimons

Testing this week by the NRMA and the Daily Telegraph has shown that just changing to a different profile tyre can increase your speed by up to 8 per cent without you being aware. By law all speedos have to be set to read higher than your actual car speed to allow for margins of error. The actual margin varies between car makers and models and is not disclosed.The testing found that one car's speedo read 50km/h  but its actual speed increased from 44km/h to 48km/h just by changing the tyres. Similiar increases were achieved as the car went faster.The NRMA says the tests show that if you alter your car from standard you could be unknowingly travelling over the speed limit."If a vehicle as produced by the manufacturer has a speedometer calibration margin near zero (ie the speedo is very close to accurate) an 8 per cent change due to larger wheels and or tyres could easily mean the driver would be travelling at a higher speed than indicated by their speedometer. If they are very close and you change your wheels and tyres you'd be well over" said NRMA vehicle safety expert and senior policy adviser Jack Haley.The NRMA and the Daily Telegraph undertook testing over two days at Sydney's Eastern Creek raceway this week using four popular cars; a commuter sedan (Toyota Corolla), a sports car (Honda Civic Type R), a family car (Subaru Outback) and a large 4WD (Toyota Hilux).The tests compared the cars' actual speed to the speedo reading plus how the speed was effected by altering tyre pressures and changing to a different profile tyre.The results found that none of the cars travelled at the same speed as their speedos were showing under any circumstance.On average they were about 3km/h slower than the speedo reading and that increased up to 6km/h slower at the top speed checked 120km/h. None of the cars went faster than their speedo was showing but Mr Haley said that could occur depending on the car and the level of modifications.The tests also found that speeds do not alter much if your tyres lose some pressure."Varying tyre pressure does not affect speedo accuracy significantly. The largest difference was 2.8 per cent" Hayley said.He said that with the introduction of mobile speed cameras motorists should not rely on their speedo reading if they altered their car from standard."Motorists should be very careful if fitting optional or accessory wheels and tyres."Subaru spokesman David Rowley said "any change to non-specified tyres can have an effect. We recommend that owners stick to the tyres specified by the manufacturer."

Hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into creating the wildest and most lavish creations of chrome and paint on wheels.  And while plenty of smoke and mirrors are used when these custom machines go on show they are the real deal, perfectly capable of  being driven on the road. Though that is usually avoided because of the owners' paranoia about getting them damaged. Two Australian cars have qualified to be in the top 50 custom machines in  the huge Showcase of Kustoms exhibition in Long Beach, California late next month before they go on tour in the US.  The king of the pile is Mario and Catriona Colalillo's extraordinary creation, WildCad. It was once a humble 1959 Coupe De Ville but you have to look pretty hard (or get Mario to show you) just which original bits are still present.  WildCad has a hand-fabricated mono chassis and a fully metal sculptured interior. Mario has chopped five inches off the original roof and it has a power operated bonnet, boot and suicide doors.  World famous custom car painter 82-year-old Gene Winfield flew from the US to Australia to personally paint WildCad. There's five different colours of unique PPG vibrance range fadeaway paint in a job that Mario estimates costs $200,000 alone. It won the award of Top Custom Car in Australia at the recent MotorEx show in Sydney.   "It's the wildest custom ever built in Australia," he says proudly. And he should know. Mario has been building award-winning custom cars and hot rods for 30 years.  "This one's beyond the limit. It's completely off the scale," he says.  "This car is mainly about expressing metal art." And it is right-hand-drive, done purposely to show the Americans that it's from Australia and we can do a great job.  The Americans know all about WildCad and are anxiously awating its arrival next month.  Mario says two famous Americans are particularly keen on seeing it. ZZ Top lead singer Billy Gibbons and basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neill, both massive custom car fans particularly Cadillacs, will be there.  "They are very interested in looking at the car," says Mario. So interested he may end up selling it to either of them.  The car will also make an appearance at the world's biggest aftermarket show, SEMA, in Las Vegas in November. But WildCad is not just all-show, it also goes.  He says he has driven it in short bursts and it's loud and wild.  Mario says he expects it would reach about 210km/h but it's too valuable to find out. Its powered by a custom-made 454 cubic inch (7.4-litre) Chevrolet V8 engine capable of between 400-500hp (300-372kW).  "It sounds strong and it lights up the tyres," he says. Joining WildCad will be the creation of another New South Welshmen, Justin Hills's sinister-looking 1949 Buick Sedanette two-door fastback.  With its aerodynamic sloping roof  that extends to the rear bumper bar the black beast looks straight out of a Batman movie. Hills bought the car over the internet after it was found in a paddock in the US.  He says he spent five years creating the custom and intends to show it at several shows in the US, including SEMA. Apart from the the total re-build of the fastback shape about more than $100,000 including copious amounts of his own labour has been spent on the chrome plating, the trim and the gorgeous soft leather interior.  The engine though, of this sheep in a wolf's clothing, is basically an original 263 cubic inch straight eight Buick. "This car is just a cruising car, it runs real quiet," he says. But its mean looks give it a sensational feel.  The Buick is off to the states in two weeks.

But he can still make a quick decision. Like when he bought his classic 1912 Cadillac.  "When I saw it, I thought isn't it gorgeous. He (the owner) said `it's for sale.' I said `I'll buy it." The red vintage car reminded him of Genevieve, a classic that starred in a British movie of the same name many years ago.  He bought it from a vintage car collector in Wagga Wagga nine years ago. It was in a good condition then, though he says he had to make a few improvements to keep it running now. Shields says only 10,500 of his 1912 Cadillac model were made. It was a big car well out of the price range of the man on the street. "It's designed for wearing a top hat. That's why the roof is so high," he says. It doesn't have front doors which means that while the driver has the steering wheel to hang onto the passenger is looking for something to grip to avoid ending up on the road. It was famous for being the first car with an electric starter and lights, known as the Delco system after the company that invented it, the Dayton Electric Company from Ohio in the US. The previous hand-cranking system on cars discouraged women from driving and had led to accidents caused by incidents such as the handle kicking back and flying off. And previous lighting was done by gas powered lamps. It has a 30 horsepower (22kW) four cylinder engine. Shields says some of the Cadillacs went to New Zealand, where due to their size, they became cars for touring.  With three rows of seats in them, up to 15 people could squeeze aboard. His version has seating for five. The Cadillac has a top speed of about 50-60km/h which barely challenges speeding bicycles these days but when it was made nearly 100 years ago it was revolutionary.  "In its heyday anything faster than a horse was in. Some of the cars would just putt along." Having said that Shields is well and truly used to the unreliability of such ancient technology now.  "When you go out in a old car sometimes you don't get home. You take the tow wagon man's phone number with you." Putting a value on cars of this age is difficult, Shields spent a large sum buying it and hopes the value has stayed so that if he chose to sell it he'd get his money back.  "You've gotta find a person that wants it and they are not shy of money." Shields loves tinkering and repairing old cars but says it's a dying art.  He says many cashed-up car lovers these days don't want to or don't know how to fix or restore their classics. Shields has owned several other cars too. "I've got an Oldsmobile, an A-model Ford and I've got a LandCruiser."  He takes the older cars to car shows and will display the Cadillac at the inaugural Concours d'Elegance Australia coming up on October 10 at St Patrick's Estate at Manly.  It will start at 10am (tying in with event date 10-10-10) and run till 5pm. The organisers claim cars and motorycles worth a total of $100 million will be on show competing for presentation awards. The event is in the style of major overseas Concours events such as at Pebble Beach in the US. There will be a focus on  the 75th anniversary of Jaguar and 100 years of Alfa Romeo.  Judges will include sports car racer and multiple Le Mans winner Derek Bell from England.  For more information check out the event website concoursdeleganceaustralia.com

Our own Jack Brabham had just been crowned world F1 champion and would repeat the feat later that year, the first Ford Falcon went on sale and the very first Armstrong 500 (now the Bathurst 1000) and Australian Touring Car Championship (now the V8Supercar championship) were held. Over at Holden things were even better where it was dominating the market. More than 50 per cent of all cars sold in Australia in 1960 were Holdens, new plants were opening and the first left-hand-drive Holdens were made for export to Hawaii.  The face of Holden at this never-to-be-repeated peak for the company was the all-new FB model with its large rear fins, wraparound windscreen and the first acrylic paints. Of course, it still had the "grey" motor pumping out just 56kW of power (the current one-litre Indian built Suzuki Alto baby car puts out virtually the same 50kW) and there was no such thing as an automatic gearbox, but the FB would prove to be one of the biggest selling Holden models of all time. More than 170,000 FBs were made. Fast forward 50 years and the ravages of rust, crashes and time have written off more than 165,000 of them.  Sydney guitar shop owner Steve Jackson says there's barely 5000 left. But he's doing his bit. He and his six children own a whopping 36 FBs and the next year model upgrade version, the EK. On Sunday they will be taking 14 of them out to Clarendon to help celebrate the 25th All Holden Day. Thousands of fans will be at the Hawkesbury Showground where organisers expect more than 700 Holdens of various vintages to be on display. There's a swap meet tomorrow and Sunday as well. The day has a special meaning for Jackson and the FB pictured in Carsguide today.  He bought it at the 1989 All-Holden Day. "It had come from the original owner's family. She was a bank manager or a bank auditor who travelled around the banks in NSW."  The car came complete with extensive documents of every service and many of the trips the original owner made in her time with the car. When he bought it had 78,000 miles on the clock. That's now up to 130,000 though the car spends much of its time in storeage.  However he keeps it registered so he can continue to use the original number plates. Jackson is the president and longest-standing member of the FB/EK car club of NSW.  He says he came into contact with the FB model at an early age and his fondness has grown into an obsession. "I have been obsessed with the shape. My uncle bought one as new in 1960."  He has a large FB van on the sign outside his Parramatta Rd shop and has used FB panel vans as delivery vehicles. "I bought my first Holden at 14 or 13. It wasn't an FB, it was a HD Holden. I came out from school and it was across the road for sale for $30. I bought it much to my dad's horror."  Despite its big sales the FB has over the years been in the shadows of the 1961 EK that replaced it. The EK introduced the first automatic transmission in a Holden, better quality interior trim and more modern paintschemes.  More have survived.  "More women drove the EK because of the autos," Jackson says.  The rarest FBs are the panel vans, Jackson estimates that only five per cent of the FB run were vans and only a handful remain.  Also rare are the cars made in the first six months of 1960 - those without the acryclic paintwork. When Holden changed over, the actual shades of colour were different. So some of the early two-tone shades such as pink and grey and yellow and beige are the collectable ones.  The FBs will be joined by another retro classic at the show, the hot purple Holden Efijy show car that was debuted at the Sydney motor show in 2005. The hot rod has since won major awards. Holden now occasionally brings it for car shows.

His love of colour and painting on vehicles has since taken him to great heights ranging from a multitude of street machines to royal carriages for the Queen. Today he will unveil his latest creation, exclusively revealed here in Carsguide today, a 1969 Chev Camaro that finally achieves his ultimate dream."Ever since I was 17 I've always wanted a candy-apple red car... and now I've got one," he says. But it's not just any red machine. There's 15 coats of paint on it, a silver base topped with a red transparent dye creating an exquisite depth of colour rarely seen on a car. "It looks like a toffee apple," he says.He estimates the custom machine cost $150,000 to build, with the paint job alone taking $50,000 of the money.Webb's Camaro is one of eight never-before seen cars and three custom bikes to be unveiled at the 10th annual MotorEx show at the Sydney Showgrounds at Homebush Bay this morning (Saturday).The 11 inauguration vehicles, the ultimate in custom machine presentation in Australia, headline a show featuring more than 400 cars ranging from the Meguiars superstars (65 custom show cars) to the street elite (custom cars that can be driven on the road) to muscle cars, classics and bikes.Webb is the show organiser, a key judge of the various categories, and the bloke who came up with the whole idea years ago. He says the inauguration cars at this year's show are top shelf."I would think this year will be the best. There's quite a variety of hot rods, street machines and hi-tech tuners."This year's show features many past winners of the various categories, returning for the first time to mark the 10th anniversary. Normally the winners are not allowed to re-enter. For many of the exhibitors and thousands of car fans at the show over this weekend it's all about the cars.But Webb says the paint job is just as vital as the machine. So much so that he says he could make the most humble of cars sexy with the right paint job. When he bought his Camaro three years ago it was halfway through restoration project. But Webb cast all that aside and stripped it back to bare metal to begin his work."It is all about the preparation," he says. He applied four coats of silver, six coats of red and three coats of clear before it was rubbed down and then a final two coats of clear to his Camaro. Underneath the car it's a more practical Satin Galaxy Grey colour as he may drive it after the show.Webb started his career as an apprentice spray painter in Bowral at 17. Since then he has created many masterpieces. "That's been my life, the paint," he says. Back in the 1980s he painted the royal carriage presented to the Queen by Australia to mark the occasion of the Australian Bicentennial in royal claret and black. He is working on a similiar project now.The Camaro is his fifth elite level show car and he still owns three of them. Over the past 35 years he has been involved in painting hundreds of cars. He also helps apprentices and people new to the work by assisting at TAFE. As Australia's top show car judge he travels Australia and overseas to judge at various car shows.This year's MotorEx show is bigger than before, taking up much more room across the Showgrounds. Apart from the rows of chrome and polish there's also the Shannon's classic car and memorabilia auction at the show tomorrow afternoon and a freestyle motocross show.

Racing driver Marc Ducquet and his sons Bret and Trent own three of the mighty beasts sharing an unusual family passion.  Marc's pride and joy is his 1963 (1963 and a half  for the diehards) Galaxie fastback lightweight racing car. The 7-litre engined monster was one of only 212 made in the US for the intention of drag racing though some did become road cars.  As racing cars they were built to be as light as possible. They had fibreglass mudguards, bonnet, boot and doors, aluminium bumper bars, no radio and few interior comforts. "They were probably the first of the supercars," he says.  "They came in one colour white with red trim." The most famous version to reach Australia was driven by Lex Davison (grandfather of current V8 Supercars racers Will and Alex) in the 1964 Sandown Six Hour race in Melbourne. It romped into the lead ahead of a pack of Minis and Cortinas only to run out of brakes and crash through a timber fence where it stayed precariously perched over a waterway for hours as the race continued. Ducquet says he built his car up over three years from 1991, debuting at Bathurst in 1994 when it finished fourth in an historic touring car race competing against cars of its own era. He says it has been clocked at 278km/h down Bathurst's Conrod straight. Since then he has continued to compete in historic racing but the car has been forced to compete against more modern machinery.  "You do it for the love of the sport," he says. After the race car project was completed Ducquet says his sons wanted to continue and obtain road-going Galaxies.  Out of America they obtained a turquoise 1963 XL500, a luxury version complete with a 6.5-litre V8 engine. "It reeks of 1960s American bad taste," laughs Ducquet.  They also bought a light green 1963 four-door with a 5.8-litre V8 engine.  "It is totally unmolested and original," he says. He says there are several other Galaxies of this era in Australia but few of the racecars. He says many of the original 212 still exist in the US and England where they enjoyed racing careers as both drag racers and saloon car racers. Ducquet says he has heard of a mint condition version going for $US200,000 - not bad considering they sold for a then expensive $US3200 new.  The three Galaxies will make a rare public appearance in Sydney on Sunday (July 25) at the All Ford Family Day at Eastern Creek raceway. Hundreds of Fords from all eras, ranging from cars to buses and drag cars, will be on display. The annual event draws thousands of fans.  This year is particularly special for Ford fans as they celebrate the 50th annive

When competitors spend hundreds of thousands of dollars turning a car into a work of art they want the world to know what they've done.  Take Mohamed Ibrahim, the owner of a Sydney custom paint and panel shop.He owns three Ferraris, has had about 10 over the years, and his job is to create great-looking wild machines for a host of customers.  His latest Ferrari fleet includes a red 2002 360 Modena, a white 2004 360 Spyder convertible and a yellow 355.And there's his gold car, a BMW.  "Tell them Mohamed Ibrahim, Queen St Smash Repairs, is coming to MotorEx this year to kick some arse."  Ibrahim says he has spent about $200,000 on gold plating the German supercar. Every nut and bolt is gold. The exterior is black.He estimates it will be worth close to $1million when it is unveiled at next weekend's MotorEx custom, modified and collectable car show at the Sydney Showgrounds.  It's the 10th anniversary of the show that proudly promotes chrome, polish, extravagance and wild machinery and everyone's putting in a big effort to make it the best ever.And Ibrahim is certainly playing his part with about 10 cars modified by his shop to go on show. He says the gold-plated car is aimed at making a statement for Australia in the showcar world where in the US, Asian and the Middle East showcars now come encrusted in crystals and diamantes.Ibrahim bought his red 360 Modena F1 Ferrari two years ago in stock condition.  The 3.6-litre V8 2-door coupe was capable of firing from standing still to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds in stock form though it drank fuel at the rate of 13.6L/100km according to the official statistics.He says it underwent a three month makeover where he added 22-inch wheels, upgraded the engine and exhaust and re-did the interior.  Now it's such a head-turner that he says he watched stunned recently when a driver in another car was taking such a good look at the machine, he didn't apply his brakes and crashed into another car in front of him.The red (it's actually called brandy wine) Modena now spends most of its life earning its keep as a wedding car for people to hire.  Ibrahim says while he enjoys many brands of cars Ferraris have a special feel for him."I've always loved them from when I was a little kid," he says.  The Modena will appear at MotorEx in a new category known as Street Elite, for the best cars that can be driven on the street.Meguiar's MotorEx managing director Bruce Morrison says: "The emergence of elite levels of body, paint, engine bay, interiors, plus the use of innovation, special effect finishing, clever engineering and drivability fit into more of a Street Elite category."Driving this new category are the people still prepared to spend what it takes to build their dream car and show it to the world, but also want to drive it."Apart from wild show cars, this year's MotorEx will also feature displays of muscle cars, custom motorcycles and luxury supercars.  The ShowTime freestyle motocrossers will also perform their array of aerial craziness.On Sunday week Shannons will have a custom and collectable auction featuring about 40 vehicles as part of the show.  The stars include an original Holden Torana A9X hatchback.  Shannons says it was the first homologation special built in 1977.It says: "It was initially one of two GM-H press and promotional vehicles before being acquired by leading Sydney Holden dealer and racing driver Ron Hodgson and has covered just 16,000km since new in the hands of a series of careful collector/owners."  The Torana is expected to fetch up to $290,000. Also up for bidding is an ex-Dick Johnson racing 1983 Mustang GT.  Johnson imported two cars for the 1985 Australian touring car season and raced them with limited success until he replaced them with the giant-killing turbocharged Cosworth Sierras in which he eventually won the Bathurst 1000 in 1989. The auctioneers say the car should fetch up to $220,000.

"I've done 7000 miles in it in 25 years," he says with a smile. That meagre 11,000km equates to only a few hundred km each year. Ross is actually the second owner of the 1955 cruiser but he's had the car since 1984 after picking it up from a deceased estate. "It's done 42,000 miles (67,000km) from new. It's completely original, except it is carrying radial tyres rather than the old crossplys," he says. "It was bought originally new by a gentleman who lived in Dulwich Hill (Sydney). He drove it for a couple of years and then he stopped driving." Ross bought it from the deceased estate in 1984 after the original owner had driven about 35,000 miles (56,000km). With less than 70,000km on the clock, at the current rate the 55-year old car will be a centurion before it reaches 100,000 kays. The car, like many classics, has historic club plates so its use is limited and it has spent several years in storage. Ross says he concentrates on club runs but has taken it on interstate journeys. "It's not a viable everyday driver. You can't drive a car of that size in modern traffic." He says that while the car has good brakes for its day they are not designed to handle modern stop-start traffic and erratic drivers. "I can keep up with the traffic but if they propped in front of me I would probably hit that car." It's forte is cruising the open road. "We've driven to Victoria and Toowoomba and back in it and it's fairly easy. It just eats the miles up, but in eating the miles up it uses a bit of petrol". The big American slurps fuel at the rate of about 16-17L/100km. But, he says despite its size, it weighs nearly two tonnes, it goes well. "It will cruise very, very easily at 70-80mph," he says. "It's top speed is 105mph, I believe." The Hudson has a 308 cubic inch 6-cylinder side valve version, the same motor that gave the independent American firm victories on the racetrack in America in the early 1950s. It produces 140bhp (190Nm)... "the torque is enormous," he says. The car has a four-coil suspension, a six-volt electrical system and has a 3-speed manual gearbox complete with electric overdrive which kicks in at about 60km/h. The Hudson was one of a range of independent American brands that were gradually swallowed up by the big three, General Motor, Ford and Chrysler throughout the 1950s and 60s. By the time Ross' Hornet came out in 1955 Hudson was no longer independent though its brand name was still in use. It had become part of  the AMC (American Motors Corporation) which included Nash and Rambler cars. AMC also took over Packard and Studebaker. About 30 years later AMC itself would disappear, taken over by Chrysler. The Hornet represents one of the last models of a famous line. Ross says he is attracted to the brand, (he has about five Hudsons in various states of repair from running down to just a collection of parts) because of  their quality. "It's a hobby, its an expensive hobby. I'm lucky I've just got the space to hold them," he says. "I've always liked the way those cars cruise. These cars are built to do long distances. They're solid." Ross says that in 1955 they cost 3100 pounds. For the same money you could buy two Jaguars. The car will be on show in Sydney this Sunday. American Independence Day might have been last week, but for car fans in Sydney, American Independents Day will be celebrated this Sunday at historic Linnwood House at Guildford. Organisers say that up to 60 Hudsons, Rambler-AMCs, Studebakers, Packhards, Willys-Overlands and a few surprises will be on show from 9.30am-3.30pm. Linnwood House will be open for inspection and there will be other activities including music, arts and crafts.

such is the strength of the classic car industry here and in the US. Which is just as well for Ford enthusiast Peter Pettitt whose pride and joy on wheels was just a rusted wreck in a paddock when he bought it.It's hard to look at his gleaming bright yellow 1956 F100 now and imagine it as an abandoned wreck but it has taken two years, a lot of expert work and a heap of cash to make the difference.Pettitt, from Taree in NSW, says that while searching the internet and other sources, he found the truck in Victoria. "It was a wreck in a paddock. Someone had got hold of it to do something with it and never did," he says.With most of the mechanicals missing, the roof damaged and plenty of rust, it was going to be a major job. "The roof was so damaged we had to source another cab roof from another F100. It was major surgery," he says. "The biggest struggle I had was finding people to help me because I wasn't in a position to do it all myself."He hired some local experts and the immense project began. It has a Ford EA Falcon front end with a 302 Ford Windsor V8 engine.Modern conveniences including disc brakes, power steering, new suspension and an auto transmission sit alongside replica parts such as the reproduction radiator and heater that are copies of the originals. It has new parts from the US including door handles, trim, the mirrors, badges and stainless steel reproduction front and rear bumper bars.The Ford sits on 15 inch tyres on Smoothie rims and there's even a new tow bar for show and work.Pettitt says he has always admired the '56 model. "The 56s are very hard to find. Anywhere from 50 to 55 are a bit easier to find. I've always wanted one. I remember when I was 17 I tried to do with an old International truck... but it didn't go too good. A lot of guys have tried to do the same thing with a Chev but the 56 Ford just looks better."He says he loves the lines of the 1956 model. "It's the curves, its just the way the truck was built. The curved front windscreen looks different to all the others."Pettitt says his F100, while designed in America, is a local product. "It was an Australian truck. It's not an American import." He says he believes it was made at Ford's long-since closed assembly plant at Homebush in Sydney.The trucks have gained strong support in Australia and are even bigger across the ditch in New Zealand. Like many of the more popular classic cars there's a wealth of clubs, internet sites and discussion forums, spare part retailers and restorers devoted to the model.While he drives the car regularly, at a casual glance its not far from the hot rod show car standard many others have taken their F100s to. Pettitt says: "I don't refer to mine as a hot rod. It's a daily driver."FORD F100Price when new: 1600 pounds ($3200)Value now: up to $35,000Year made: 1956Number built: 137,581

If you're going to produce a four-cylinder diesel-engined car with only a manual transmission you have to expect to have a narrow spread of customers. Such a situation faces Subaru which has just unveiled the new Forester 2.0D all-wheel-drive following the earlier release of the diesel Outback.On the negative side the noisy chatter of some diesel engines is a turn-off to many motorists. And the manual gearbox's days of dominance are well and truly gone with most people today driving automatics. Not only do they simplify driving they also have performance levels today virtually as good as a manual.On the plus side, diesels are more economic. They dominate the European landscape where, unlike in Australia, fuel pricing strategies actually encourage people to buy them. Here, diesel economy is still a winner even though diesel prices are usually higher than petrol.In Subaru's favour though is that the Forester is the stand-out smaller AWD on sale in this country. With its high-stance on 16-inch wheels, solid off-road capabilities, roomy interior, practical boxy shape and noted reliability and performance the Forester is as good a place as anywhere for Subaru to stake its claim in diesel sales. And it says the Outback diesel is doing well.PRICING AND EQUIPMENTPriced from $35,990, there are two specification levels for the diesel Forester. For an extra $4000 you can get the top-of-the-range Premium, which scores tinted glass, pockets behind the front seats, a better CD player, 17-inch alloys and a full size alloy spare, an electronically adjustable driver's seat, leather rather than cloth trim and Xenon headlights with their own pop-up washers. You also gain a sunroof which I generally find is the least-used feature in most cars, although other drivers swear by them.Like the petrol version, the diesel Forester has DataDot security to discourage theft and has an extended first term of life as the first service is not needed until 12,500km or six months are reached. Adding to the mix is a suite of five-star safety features including dual front, side and curtain airbags and stability control as standard. It has a three-star pedestrian safety rating.ENGINE AND GEARBOXThe Forester's two-litre flat boxer turbodiesel engine has 108kW of power and 350Nm of torque, driving all four wheels with a six-speed manual. Subaru is claiming just 5.7L/100km fuel economy on the open road and an average of 6.4L including around town.Our week with the car, largely around town, has produced slightly higher fuel use, but with a good-sized (64 litre) tank the range between fill-ups is long, If you can maintain the average you should get 1000km per tank full.It comes down to whether fuel economy (the petrol version is about 3L/100km thirstier) and the enjoyment of manual shifting (particularly out of the city limits) are important enough to you to opt for the oiler.DRIVINGThat torque level starts way down, producing some solid pulling power in the low gears. Around town it is a comfortable drive, that torque gets it away from the traffic lights impressively. With six gears on hand you will find yourself with a couple to spare at city speed limits such is the mid-range power. The shifting is quite light, particularly from 2nd to 3rd and the car has a hill-start assist feature to reduce any chance of rolling back when starting on an incline. It's actually a pity more people don't like manuals as this is a neat little box.The sound of the diesel engine is loudest at low revs and fades away when you're cruising. It's not as bad as some diesels we have driven but you do notice it. We didn't hit the dirt or tow anything but reports from its recent launch event suggest it is a winner there.Poor rear vision is a problem in many cars, particularly big off-roaders today, neccessitating rear vision cameras. The high stance of the Subaru and a wide rear window gives better rear visibility than many other vehicles.Inside there's an overall black feel. The seats are black, the dash is black and the dials aren't particularly bright. But, there's plenty of leg and head room in both passenger rows. The sound system though is good for the price and there are steering wheel controls to change the volume etc.At the rear the hatch is opened manually while the level of the boot is at a good height for average sized motorists. There's plenty of storage space in the back even with the second row of seats in place. We loaded a full-size folding bicycle into the rear with ease, although there wasn't much room left for anything else.The diesel Forester won't appeal to everyone. The petrol version of the Forester is a fine car already. It’s the fuel economy that will be the decider for some.RATING: 80/100THE BOTTOM LINE: Solid, practical and versatile car that with a diesel powerplant and manual-only transmission is restricted in its appeal. And there's nothing wrong with the petrol version.SUBARU FORESTER 2.0 DIESELPrice: from $35,990Engine: 2L/4-cylinder 108kW/350Nm turbodieselTransmission: 6-speed manualEconomy: 6.4L/100km (official)RIVALSVW Tiguan 2.0 TDI from $36,690Hyundai ix35 2.0 diesel from $34,990Nissan x-Trail 2.0 diesel from $37,740Land Rover Freelander 2.3 TD4e from $45,590Subaru Outback 2.0D from $40,490