Articles by David Fitzsimons

      Scratch a bit further and you will also find women with an affinity for the Aussie icon. Head out to central western NSW and you will find the humble ute has just become a treasured outback artwork - and its gallery is in a paddock. In fact there's 10 of them proudly mounted side by side by a rural roadside. All Holdens and all various models dating from an early 1954 FJ model up to a Commodore. Burrawang West Station resort owner Graham Pickles and Condobolin mechanic Mike Taylor are creating one of Australia's most unique exhibitions. They have enlisted 10 mainly country NSW artists and a sculptor, to turn rusted utes who have driven their last mile into art. They stand out like beacons from the dust and the grass. There's the Bundy bottle ute with a 44-gallon drum for a bottle top, there's the Driazabone-Akubra ute standing tall, there's the emu ute, the stockman ute and the ute that's pays homage to the features of the Central West. There's the ute with the metallic kangaroo on the tray cover whose eyes myteriously follow your every move and the ute that looks so many forgotten utes in paddocks, rusted, overgrown and home to bush wildlife. Two weeks ago a big bush party was held to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the birth of the Holden ute and the launch for the Utes in the Paddock project. Most of the artists and the many people involved in the community project turned out for the party that culminated in a massive fireworks display around the utes. Pickles says he was inspired to start the project after visiting America's famed Cadillac ranch in Texas on the old Route 66 cross-America path. But he was not so much inspired by the graffiti-coated display of old Cadillacs half-buried in the ground but by the huge crowd of travellers and tourists that had turned out to see them. Armed with the concept of giving a tourism magnet for the Central West he came home and convinced Taylor they could make it happen. Taylor sourced dilapidated utes from local properties and got to work. It fast became a community project as retired local tradesmen pitched in to strip the drivetrains and windows from the utes before applying extra metal and coating them in a grey primer. Pickles first contacted Lightning Ridge artist John Murray to paint a ute. Murray created a work he calls "Circle Work." It's a tongue-in-cheek impression with galahs circling the ute and the human galahs inside peering out. There are now have 10 utes on display with four more likely. Pickles says there's actually 17 distinct body styles of Holden utes so who knows where it will end. So far the only female artist is water-colourist Belinda Williams. Growing up in Moree she had a fair link with the bush ute experience. She said it took her 10 days to create her work which has a 1980 WB ute model standing on its tailgate dressed as a bushman wearing a Driazabone coat and Akubra hat. "I wanted something that was really different," she says. "But I wanted something that people could relate to in the bush." After getting a friend to pose as a `human ute model’ she had the bushman's arms cut out of steel and positioned on the ute. She had never painted on metal before and had to do all the painting with the ute in the normal position. Williams didn't get to see her work in its final standing position until the party. "I think it is a really great concept and something I wanted to be involved in. It was definitely a challenge for me." The one sculpted work is by Sydney artist Steve Coburn who has had other work displayed at Sydney's Sculptures by the Sea. His work `Ute-opia’ has a rusting EJ ute with a metal tree growing through it and little bush critters living in it. Pickles says he is pleased with the quality of all the work. "It is something that is worth driving out to see and you won't be disappointed when you get there." Pickles has other plans for enlarging the display and as word of mouth spreads other artists are presenting their concepts. A ute as an outback dunny is on the cards. The entire collection has been created without corporate support other than local businesses who have donated work and time. "Its a real community project," he says. He says he would particularly love to add one more famous Australian artist to the collection - Rolf Harris. "It would add so much cache to the project," he says. So, if you're reading this Rolf, give Graham a call, he's got a ute waiting to go.  

It's a one owner, one-off machine that has only had one driver, and he just happens to be the legendary Peter Brock. The last Holden that Brock drove, and the last car that he ever competed in on a circuit has been put up for sale. Owner and old-Holden restorer Phil Munday, who built the 1948/215 Holden from a shell into a retro racing car for Brock to race in 2006, is asking for "$600,000 plus”. Brock raced the car at the Goodwood historic racing festival in England in 2006. After returning to Australia several days later he competed in a Targa rally in Western Australia where he was killed in a racing crash. Spokesman Tim Pemberton says it is an unique car, particularly for Brock fans. "He is the only bloke who drove it,” he says. "And it's personally signed by Brock on the roof." "It's his last Holden and his last circuit car." But is it worth $600,000? "It's hard to put a price on these things. It's worth what people are prepared to pay,” Pemberton says. "But, Peter Brock memorabilia is selling extremely well at the moment." Pemberton says a collector paid $550,000 last year for the Torana XU-1 that Brock drove in the 1973 Bathurst 1000. He says the retro Holden race car has already attracted contact from "three or four interested parties”. However the current credit crisis had forced them to renegotiate their funding. Since returning from England the car has been stored and put on display at various car shows. The old Holden was a personal favourite for Brock. Before going to Goodwood he told Carsguide: "It's the best early-model Holden that's ever been built. I don't think anyone has got any more out of that engine ever. "I owned a lot of them. I had 48-Series Holdens before I turned 20 and I got my CAMS (racing) licence driving one."  

In a swiftly changing motoring environment carmakers are searching for new ways to cut fuel use and emissions and improve efficiency.Among the hundreds of concepts and new and updated models on display at the Paris motor show over the next 15 days are some definite standouts. Renault has combined gull-wing doors, comfort, refinement and a slippery design with a hybrid diesel engine and plonked it all on massive 23-inch wheels in its range-topping Ondelios concept car (cover picture).It's 4.8m long and has a hybrid 150kW version of the 2.0-litre dCi engine.There are also two 20kW electric motors at the front and rear to provide extra boost recovered during braking.Mercedes is unveiling one of the world's fastest cabriolets. The SLR McLaren Roadster 722S has 478kW of power and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds before reaching a top speed of 335km/h.Just 150 of the two-seater supercars will be built. It complements Mercedes' other show star the ConceptFascination, a wild two-door sportswagon. It's a modern version of the old British “shooting-brake” where a wagon tail has been planted on a sporty saloon.Citroen's crossover concept, Hypnos, hasa 150kW engine that boasts miserly fuel efficiency figures of 4.5-litres per 100km.However, it what's inside that is different. An extremely colourful rainbow light show highlights its sleek styling.Honda is using the Paris show to highlight its green commitment. Star of its stand is the new Insight Concept, a dedicated petrol-electric hybrid car in the vein of Toyota's Prius.It is expected to go into production within the next few years.From the US, GM will debut a close to production version of its revolutionary Volt electric car. Chevrolet is showing its new crucial small car the Cruze, plus its first seven-seat multi-purpose family car, the Orlando show car.A form of SUV-family van and wagon crossover, it has a 2.0-litre diesel engine.Alfa Romeo is unveiling its little MiTo compact which is due to come to Australian the middle of next year.Fiat is showing the MiTo's likely competitor in the super-mini category, the 120kW 500 Abarth EsseEsse (SS) plus its PUR-O2 eco-range of cleaner, greener 500s. New technology includes the ability for the engine to turn itself off while idling and back on to continue driving.Mini will show its all-wheel-drive Crossover Concept, while BMW will premiere its X1 wagon. The Mini is intended for adventurous twenty-somethings, while the Concept X1 will go into production as a safe, practical family car.Chasing a similar small, sporty car market is Audi with its new A1. The near-production version will be a feature of its stand.Saab is exhibiting its 9-X Air concept car, while Volvo is debuting its production-ready ultra-safe XC60 crossover which is headed for Australia.Porsche has several new models in the911 range plus the go-anywhere Cayenne S Transsyberia super-4WD.Mazda's all-new Kiyora urban compact four-cylinder concept car will sit alongside the world debut of production cars, the new generation MX-5, the Mazda6 with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine and the Mazda2 1.6-litre diesel.Lamborghini has joined the rush to GT supercars with its four-door Estoque concept.Like Porsche's Panamera, Maserati's Quattroporte and Aston Martin's upcoming four-seater, the Estoque, brings a new versatility to one of the world's most uncompromising sports marques.Lamborghini stresses that although there are no production plans for the AWD Estoque it has been developed as fully production capable.Toyota has three world premiere vehicles ranging from its little four-seater city car, the iQ, to the all-new Avensis sedan and wagon and the 1.4-litre diesel-engined Urban Cruiser All Wheel Drive.Ford is debuting the all-new Ka city car with a choice of 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litrediesel engines, the hot Focus RS and the new economic Fiesta.Volkswagen will show off its latest Golf GTi. The hot hatch for 2009 is cleaner, smoother and much more refined than earlier cars.It will still come with a 155kW turbo petrol engine and the promise of a 7.2-second sprint to 100km/h, but is missing the wild body bits of earlier GTi road runners.Nissan's debuting Nuvu concept is just three-metres long. It only has two normal seats plus a third that folds down for luggage and groceries. The city car has solar panels on the glass roof.Ferrari will debut its chic two-seater V8 California sports car.From Korea will come Hyundai's i20 small car and a 2.4-litre engined hybrid SUV.Kia is showing its Soul range of urban crossover concepts that come with either petrol or diesel engines. There's also a hybrid version. Additional reporting by Kevin Hepworth and Paul Gover. 

An array of futuristic hybrid concept cars, mainly from Japan, will join exotic supercars and new and updated models at the Darling Harbour show from October 9-19.And there will be increased interest for children at this year's show with two family days featuring TV characters.Organisers this week announced two new carmakers to the Australian scene, Cadillac and Isuzu, will unveil models at the show.Cadillac will display its US award-winning 3.6-litre V6 CTS sedan ahead of its Australian showroom debut later this year.Isuzu, meanwhile, will show its new D-Max range of one-tonne utes, in a return to the Australian car market. It is effectively the latest version of the Holden Rodeo which, designed by Isuzu, has sold here for the past 28 years.But now Isuzu is selling the car under its own name. Holden has since released its Rodeo replacement, the Colorado.Organisers say they will be among more than 40 concept vehicles and all-new or updated models on show. Futuristic fuel-efficient machines on display include the Mazda Taiki concept car, the Nissan Mixim electric car, Toyota's Hybrid X, the Lexus LF-Xh and the latest Suzuki Kizashi 3 machine.Toyota will also be displaying its Camry hybrid, which will become the first locally made hybrid car when it goes on sale next year.VW will have two of its BlueMotion economic range on show, a Passat and a Polo.Nissan will show off its next generation GT-R supercar while Holden will have its Coupe 60 concept. Volvo's take on the future is on a different path. It will show the newXC60 SUV, the latest in advanced safety technology — a car that avoids crashes by using distance-monitoring sensors. The City Safety technology seeks to prevent front-end collisions at speeds below 30km/h.Safety will also be the theme on the RTA stand, where NSW cricket team players will make guest appearances to meet showgoers.But the stars of every motor show are usually the ultimate exotic supercars. This year organisers have brought them together in the new Supercar Central area to showcase the latest in dream machines. Starring this year will be the $2 million Koenigsegg CCX, capable of just under 400km/h. Going from standing still to 100km/h takes just 3.2 seconds.The super Swede will be joined by the $1.5 million Pagani Zonda Roadster, a new Elfin to be unveiled on opening day, a Lotus Elise S, Bolwell Nagari, Gemballa Avalanche GTR 800 Evo, Morgan Aero 8, Chamonix 550 Spyder and the retro Bufori La Joya.Children's favourite TV character Roary The Racing Car will attempt to steal the limelight from the real cars, with two family days on each Saturday. Roary and his sidekicks, plus other TV characters, including Bob The Builder, will greet children and their families.“Family day is extremely busy and in previous years we've found there's just not enough time to accommodate the huge number of children and families on one Saturday,” event organiser Robby Clark says.“By adding an extra day dedicated to families and children, we can provide an even more enjoyable day for all visitors.”Outside, 4WD fans will again be able to assess the value of the latest machines on the Waeco 4WD Action Track. Showgoers canbe chauffeured up and down the track, which includes serious rocks, hills and a see-saw.Shannons has 25 rare and classic cars to display ahead of the last day auction. Last year the headline act was a Falcon GT-HO. This year a Ford from the same era, but of different heritage, will be the most valuable classic on show: a fully-restored American 1969 Boss 429 Mustang, complete with a 7.0-litre V8 engine (top speed above 320km/h), and likely to sell for between $320,000 and $350,000.A '69 Falcon XW GT HO Phase I is expected to sell for up to $200,000, while Holden fans will admire a black, four-door 1977 Torana A9X and an original 1950 ute.And a yellow and black NSW Z number plate is tipped to fetch up to $25,000.SHOW STARSTen cars not to miss at the show* Mazda Taiki* Suzuki Kizashi 3* Toyota Hybrid X* Nissan Mixim* Lexus LF-Xh* Nissan GT-R* Koenigsegg CCX* Cadillac CTS* Holden Coupe 60* Peugeot 308 CCAustralian International Motor ShowWhere: Darling Harbour Convention and Exhibition CentreWhen: Thursday, October 9-Sunday, October 19Opening hours: opening day 5pm-10pm, other weekdays 10am-10pm, Saturdays 9am-10pm, Sunday October 12 9am-9pm and Sunday October 19 9am-7pmTickets: adult $18, under 16 $11.50, under 5 free, senior $14, family of two adults and up to three children under 16 $44Don't miss the official motor show program free in The Daily Telegraph on October 10. 

Experts say the orange Ford with less than 5000 miles (8000km) on the clock is worth more than $2million. It is one of only three remaining Phase IV Falcons, stillborn when the supercar scare of 1972 forced the carmaker to abandon its production.You can see this rarest of Australian-made cars at the annual Peter Warren All Ford Day at Warwick Farm racecourse tomorrow.The XA Falcon GTHO Phase IV with 300kW of power and a top speed of 270km/h was a road car planned to tackle V8 XU-1 Holden Toranas and V8 Valiant Chargers at the Bathurst 500 race.In those days a certain number of road-going versions had to be built before a car couldqualify to race at Bathurst.Heaps of power was the answer and the big three were building supercars for the event.However, a scaremongering newspaper article suggesting such powerful supercars would be available as road cars to young drivers led to a parliamentary outcry. Amid the uproar carmakers backed down and abandoned their projects. The three Phase IV Falcons (a fourth was destroyed after a crash) are the sole survivors of the era.Sydney's Paul Carthew bought this one in 1999, a second race car is in the Bowden museum in Queensland and the third, a green road car, is closely guarded by its owner, having not been displayed for many years.“The Phase IV GTHO is a significant vehicle,” Carthew says. “Not only was it stillborn butthe furore it created in 1972 saw it featuredon the front page of our Sunday papers and mentioned in Parliament. It altered our motor-racing rules forever and Bathurst was nevergoing to be the same again.”He says his car is the only unrestored Phase IV. “It has always been in the hands of collectors and has travelled just 4400 miles,” he says.It will be one of more than 1200 Fords on display tomorrow. Another star from a different era is Eric Worner's So Cal Ford V8 Special that has been both race car and road car over the years. Worner says it is one of five Ford V8 cars built by George Reed of early Bathurst fame. A sister car won the Australian Grand Prix in 1951.The So Cal was built just after World War II.“My dad took the family to a race meeting at Bathurst in 1950. I was 10 years old and the So Cal was racing and being driven by Jessie Griffiths,” says Worner, who bought the car in 1977 - the 10th owner. “The car was on full rego, driven to and from race meetings and a daily driver, provingjust how reliable the car is.”Worner has raced this piece of Australian motor sport history at Eastern Creek, Oran Park and interstate, and is glad he has.“So Cal is a great car to drive, plenty of grunt, steers and brakes well but can be a bit skatey in the wet,” he says. “It's a great old car with plenty of history and you know what they say ... old Fords never die - they just go faster.”One Ford that went very fast in its day - and still does - is Scott Willoughby's 1968 XT Falcon GT, celebrating its 40th anniversary at All-Ford Day. Willoughby, 22, joined the Falcon GT Owners Club of NSW in 2004.“My car is a genuine 1968 XT Falcon GT,” he says. “It's about 95 per cent back to being totally original to how it was back in the day.“It's an awesome thing to drive. With the little Windsor V8 up front, big comfortable lounge chair-style seats, plenty of body roll and shocking brakes, it's all good fun.”As you can imagine, it is also fairly thirsty on fuel but he is not about to let that stop him.“As long as fuel prices stay under $5 a litre I'll continue to drive it and enjoy it,” he says.After Ford won Bathurst in 1967 the XT was built to increase its chances of back-to-back wins. Fred Gibson and Barry Seton went within 20 laps of achieving it before a mechanical disaster.It was left to Holden, which built the V8 Monaro for the race, to claim the win. Tomorrow marks the 32nd running of the All Ford Day.There will be 20 different Ford marques ranging from Mustangs to Model As, Capris to Cortinas and Fairlanes to FPVs. From small beginnings it has grown into a major event.Organisers are again expecting a crowd ofup to 40,000 to attend the one-day festival.It started with a Ford car club's display at Parramatta Park in 1977. In 1982 Peter Warren Ford took over the sponsorship and moved the show to its Warwick Farm dealership.But it outgrew the precinct and was moved across the road to the racecourse in 2003.

The quirky but pedestrian-friendly little French car, with its five-star safety rating and full glass roof, has sold nearly 900,000 models so far around the world.The second generation will be unveiled at the Paris International Motor Show in October, before making its Australian debut in the middle of next year.The two new 1.6-litre petrol engines, co-developed with BMW, are the 88kW VTi, which features variable valve lift and timing injection, and the 110kW THP (Turbo High Pressure). They replace the current 1.6i 16V and 2.0i 16V powerplants.While the petrol engines will be changing, the C4 will nevertheless retain its current 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines.The C4 has been known for its unique styling, which has been updated with a snazzy front end that borrows from its new big brother, the C5.Citroen points to added chrome, a curvier bonnet and a restyled grille as signs the car's image will be more dynamic. Inside, the C4 is distinctive because of its dominant central dashboard display unit.In the new model, the rev-counter will be repositioned there to keep information in one spot.European models get Citroen's navigation system, MyWay, which comes with an 18cm (7-inch) screen, Bluetooth, USB connectivity plus a 10-gig hard drive built into the audio system.However, how much of this is included in the Australian models won't be clear until next year when pricing will also be revealed.The C4 currently sells from $23,990 for the 1.6-litre VTR two-door coupe. Top of the current range is the $36,990 VTS coupe with the diesels from $29,990. 

While it may spend its life on racetracks, the tiny Fiat Abarth 500 Assetto Corse will be a wild little thing. It is powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged 1.4-litre engine that puts out 147kW of power and 300Nm of torque. It will have a six-speed gearbox and full racing trim that includes 17-inch ultralight racing wheels, an aerodynamic rear spoiler and racing front grille, complete with twin air-intakes. Although gaining a full racing roll-cage for safety, the baby Fiat race car will be 180kg lighter than the road car. They will be available in any colour you want, as long as it is pastel grey with red stripes. Fiat released the first pictures of the new car this week. Fiat Australia spokesman Edward Rowe says the car will be raced in a series of one-marque national championships throughout Europe from next year. Rowe says the power output of the baby racer is twice that of the Fiat 500 cars used in the celebrity challenge at this year's Australian Grand Prix. Fiat's involvement in personalising the car and the series extends to the Italian marque providing full racing outfits for each driver. An appearance Down Under is unlikely as there is not a natural category for it to race in. Fiat has no plans to introduce a one-make championship in Australia as BMW has done with the Mini Challenge for Mini Cooper racing cars that started this year. But Rowe says the company has received expressions of interest from drivers in Australia to race versions of the sporty Fiat 500 Abarth road car due here next year. They would most likely contest production car championship events, including the Bathurst 12 Hour race. Fiat Abarth racing cars were a common sight on European racetracks and rallies in the 1960s. The most successful model was the 850TC. In Australia, two Fiat 600s (the larger version of the 500) contested the first Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island in 1960, the forerunner of the Bathurst 1000.   Snapshot Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse Price: N/A Engine: 1.4L/4-cylinder turbo 147kW/300Nm Transmission: 6-speed manual  

While the Blacktown circuit is primarily seen as a raceway, it is really a multi-purpose facility on a 90ha site. As well as race weekend activities, car companies, tyre companies, parts suppliers, car clubs, drive-day organisations, driver trainers and media groups have booked the track out almost every week day for the past two years. And organisers want to recreate Eastern Creek as a rock concert venue and use the natural amphitheatre facilities in turn one for activities such as monster truck and motocross events. This week the circuit operators, the Australian Racing Drivers Club, commissioned one of the world's leading racetrack design companies to undertake a $350,000 study to create a masterplan for the future of the whole venue. That includes doubling its current capacity for industry use and the ultimate dream of it becoming the new home of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. British-based Apex Circuit Design, responsible for major motorsports developments in the Middle East, is to carry out the study. Apex has also overseen the redevelopment plan for the home of the British Grand Prix, the historic Silverstone circuit. It is also involved in the Singapore F1 Grand Prix circuit, which will debut as the world's first night F1 race in September. It also designed and built the Dubai Autodrome and circuits in the US, Abu Dhabi, Russia and Iceland. The ARDC holds a long-term lease on Eastern Creek from the NSW Government which owns the land. The study findings would be handed to the State Government for funding consideration. “It's open slather in terms of the brief to the Apex Track Design people,” says ARDC spokesman Phil Harrison. “We are relying on the track designers to come up with potential plans and ideas. At this stage we don't have any preconceived ideas. The track designers have the entire venue to play with. I expect they'll combine some new sections with the current track.” Harrison says the track is almost fully booked for industry activities and racing this year, with only three vacant days until December 20. The situation will become critical by 2010 when the closure of the Oran Park circuit at Narellan will leave Eastern Creek as Sydney's only motorsport track facility. Creating two separate circuits would involve major works at the venue, but it would solve much of the capacity problem. Harrison says each track would have to comply with safety requirements, have its own control towers and adequate-length main straights. It would be expected the two tracks could be linked for major race meetings to create one longer track. The circuit is not long enough, and the main straight not long enough, for an F1 race. Eastern Creek was built in 1990 to host the Australian grand prix round of the world motorcycle championships. Since then it has had a mixed history, losing the bike race back to Phillip Island, but picking up the A1GP international series for the past three years and hosting the popular V8 Supercar events. However, the layout of the track, with the pits complex and Corporate Hill in the middle of the track blocking spectator views, particularly from the grandstand, has drawn plenty of criticism. The time has now come for a re-think of the entire venue. Harrison says the 18-year-old track will need resurfacing within the next two years. “Times change ... not too many people have an 18-year-old kitchen,” he says. ARDC president John Cotter says the study will be an essential first step in plans to ensure that Australia remains relevant in world motorsport. “Equally, there is a real need to ensure that Sydney is well serviced with a motoring and motorsports complex to meet local needs, including driver education, track days and motor industry development requirements,” he says. Cotter says revamping the Eastern Creek permanent facility will be better than creating a street track such as that proposed for Homebush by the V8 Supercar organisers. “There has been some talk of persuading the NSW Government to spend substantial money on a non-permanent street circuit less than 20km from Eastern Creek Raceway, a model similar to that of Melbourne's Albert Park F1 track and the Surfers Paradise Indy Car track,” he says. “Both are used only once a year, with large set-up and deconstruction costs. “The ARDC believes a permanent motorsport complex would be a far more cost-effective proposition, and would be far more useful. “It would have all of the upsides of tourism and excitement combined with the value benefit of year-round use.” The study will be completed later this year.  

But its big brother is making a splash of its own. And a noisy one at that.The 500 sits at the base of Fiat's attack on Australia as far as size goes, starting with the two-door, 1.2-litre $22,990 Pop model. Bigger, but with a lower starting price, are the 1.4-litre and 1.9-litre Punto 3 and five-door hatch from $19,990. Biggest brother in the Fiat world is the Ritmo five-door hatch, which starts just under $30,000.Ritmo is called Bravo elsewhere but as Mazda already had the name on its vans, Fiat opted for the Italian word for rhythm. It arrives in Australia in four different models. Two different spec levels can be matched with either a 1.4-litre petrol or 1.9-litre diesel engine. Prices range from $29,990 to $36,490. Buying an Italian car is all about emotion. People get these cars because they want the look, the feel and the style — even if in the past build quality was questionable.Alfas have suffered in the past from reliability dramas. And the former generation of Fiats didn't gain the catch phrase “Fix It Again Tony” for nothing. Emotion sells, though. Which is as good a reason as any for Fiat to name its base model Ritmo the Emotion. The higher-specced model is the Sport. I tested the diesel Emotion in Sydney and it stirred quite a lot of emotions — and senses.The first was my hearing. I have driven quite a few small diesels in recent times and this is definitely on the noisier end of the scale. The chatter from the diesel engine is clearly audible in the cabin.To test it, I turned to one of our long-term fleet cars, a slightly smaller and cheaper non-European (but a diesel competitor nonetheless) currently in our garage: the Hyundai i30.A simple back-to-back comparison drive revealed the Korean diesel sounds considerably quieter inside.Then again, you can always pump up the sound system and enjoy a whole lot of other things about the Ritmo.The car was designed by the same bloke who created some recent Ferraris and it shows. There is a lot of style about the Ritmo. It starts at the front with the small grille, the style of the headlights and the slightly raised bodywork behind them that extends to the windscreen and leaves the bonnet sitting stylishly lower. Very Italian.Then there's the gradual shaping of the side windows, tracing to a well-rounded rump that gives the car a certain chic feel. It's too big to be cute ... but it does border on sexy. And much more than either the bambino or the Punto models will ever do.Fiat proudly proclaims that the Ritmo is powered by a jet engine. Well, in name at least, they are correct.The 1.9-litre Multijet diesel boasts 110kW of power and a considerable 305Nm torque. Acceleration is good, and the 0-100km/h benchmark arrives in a decent nine seconds.There is plenty of pull, too, in the lower range. Currently only manual gearboxes are available, though you can expect some auto boxed-versions by the end of the year.However, the lack of an auto is not a hindrance here. The six-speed shifts easily up through the range although there is a noticeable gap between third and second when changing down.The big value in buying a modern diesel is in fuel savings.The official claimed fuel use figure is just 5.6 litres per 100km. That meant I didn't trouble the local garage for a refuel in the time I had the car.And even though diesel prices are running at record highs of around $1.60 a litre, the oilers are still a great buy, particularly if you are not just keen to save money, but also to help the environment, there's a $3000 slug on buying an equivalent diesel to a petrol Ritmo, but you can expect to get that money back reasonably early in the car's life.Inside the car there is plenty of room for the driver and front-seat passenger. Five-door hatches make better sense than three doors for rear-seat access and there is reasonable leg room in the back.The design of the car also enables a sizeable boot area. The groceries fit easily as should luggage for two or, indeed, a small family.Instruments and controls are well laid out and the dash has a tactile finish that gives a more dynamic look to the plastic interior.Airconditioning and fan controls are easily reached. One unusual control is the ability to change the lightness of the steering. Depressing a button on the dash switches between a normal and a sportier feel but the overall effect when driving seems fairly minimal. One hitch with the layout of the controls is in the seat adjustment. The handle to move the driver's seat forward and back is below the front of the seat. It's too small, and worse, it's not easily found.Standard features include electric windows and side mirrors, cruise control, power steering, remote central locking, a good sound system, airconditioning and alloy wheels.For an extra $3000 the Sport model gains a better look, with a rear spoiler and sideskirts plus climate control airconditioning, sports pedals, front sports seats, leather sports steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake knobs and 17-inch sports alloy wheels.It also gains the Blue&Me integrated telematics system, which is a joint venture with Microsoft.That covers Bluetooth mobile phone technology with steering wheel controls, an instrument panel with multifunction display and an MP3 player with USB port and SMS text reader. And there's one other key factor that might attract buyers.While you wallow in the attention of other motorists, relishing the dynamic Italian pizazz and style, there isalso a comforting thought.The Ritmo is one of the safest cars on our roads today.With a five-star safety rating for adult-occupant safety, the Ritmo recorded 33 points in EuroNCap testing. It has six airbags, ESP electronic stability program anda chassis designed to increase passive-safety by minimising the impact of pedestrian accidents.

You get tired of hearing terms such as funky and quirky when describing small French cars. But there's something unique about them. And after all, quirky or funky are not terms you'd use to describe German or Korean cars.Features such as glass roofs, unique front styling and satellite navigation units that pop out of the dashboard keep bringing you back to quirky and funky. They are among the features on Peugeot's new 308 range.Peugeot doesn't talk about quirky and funky. Its key term for this car is refinement. That starts with the 308 being slightly bigger and offering more value than its predecessor, the 307.So much so that the 308 is really medium-sized rather than a small car these days. The car is now some 74mm longer and 53mm wider than the 307. It is also marginally lower, with increased tracking front and rear.I drove the new turbo-petrol 5-speed manual and the turbodiesel 6-speed automatic versions of the mid-spec XSE 308 over a few days in Sydney. The new 308 has seven variants of the 5-door hatch shape.It starts with a 1.6-litre petrol 88kW XS model at $25,990. More features are added to create the auto-only XSE at $30,390. Next there's the 110kW turbo XSE at $30,590 manual. Add $2000 for the auto. Top of the range petrol car is the XTE auto at $34,790.Peugeot has carved a niche in the market with its diesels. There are three variants for the 308. The lowest priced is the 1.6-litre XS HDi at $29,990 — but you pay for diesel economy. That's $4000 dearer than the base petrol car. Buying the better two-litre diesel XSE HDi will cost $33,590, manual. Again it's $2000 more for an auto. The most expensive 308 is the auto-only XTE HDi at $37,990.Overall, both versions handled similarly and felt solid and reliable.The petrol turbo certainly has more acceleration punch and pizzazz than the diesel, even allowing for a rather notchy manual gearbox. It's diesel economy versus turbo petrol whoosh.As you shift gears in the manual there's a noticeable whoosh sound from the turbo. It sounds like a tempered WRX. It must be that refinement. On the diesel, the engine sound is still noisy inside though improvements have been made over the sound levels of the 307. Small diesel cars are gaining in popularity in Australia but they have not won full acceptance. Diesel is still seen as a novelty, and the noise of the engine and having to fill up with trucks and work vans at the servo still puts buyers off. However, the economic benefits are being clearly shown.Peugeot announced in late February that a 308 XS diesel driven around Australia in 25 days by regular economy run experts John and Helen Taylor had recorded an overall consumption figure of just 3.13 litres per 100km. Not only is that better than the claimed figures for either of the two hybrid cars currently sold in Australia (Toyota Prius and Honda Civic) it also meant only eight trips to the pump on a 14,500km trip.Peugeot says the car's best run was 1988km on a single tank.Certainly one benefit of diesel comes when you find queues at your local petrol station. Almost all of the other cars waiting aren't heading for the diesel pump. Peugeot says it expects that 64 per cent of 308 sales in Australia will be diesels.But the 308 faces some stiff competition in its class. Diesel and petrol turbo versions of the VW Golf GT, the ground-breaking Citroen C4 and tough competition from Japan in the Mazda 3 makes it mandatory for potential buyers to shop around.If it comes to looks, the Peugeot will divide opinion. The front end has a large black bumper bar across the front of a substantial grille.Having said that, the two test cars came in exquisite paint colours. The blue (Tauranga Blue) and particularly the red (Babylon red) gave the cars a premium look that enhanced the stronger points of the styling.The 17-inch alloy wheels, an option on both cars, also help the styling.A glass roof seems an odd choice for a car but it's actually a wonderful alternative to a convertible.You get the light without the noise, the wind, heat, sun and city smells that annoy anyone driving with the top down in the city and suburbs.Talking of smell, the range-topping XTE has a fragrance-emission system to make the interior smell fresher for the occupants. The 308 is also packed with safety features. It has a five-star safety rating on the back of six airbags as standard (and a seventh optional on the top-end cars), unique impact absorption structures to protect the front end, plus stability control.All models also have “follow me home lighting,” which equates to the lights staying on for a short while after you lock the car. Its aim to provide you with extra lighting when you park your car at night, but it does have you double-taking to make sure you have actually turned them off. Other features worthy of mention are rear parking sensors on a car half the size of many who need such a feature as standard and don't get it, plus side mirrors that automatically retract when the car is parked.Inside, the layout of the controls, particularly in models where the satellite navigation system is installed, are somewhat confusing.However, this is something you will come to grips with through practice, and not on a short-term test.Overall, the 308 offers a multitude of engine and transmission choices.It is a welcome improvement on the previous model and will find favour among people seeking to stand out from the crowd on the road. The bottom lineBigger, smoother and dare we say it, funkier than its predecessor. Snapshot Peugeot 308 XSE Price: $30,590 (petrol), $33,590 (diesel)Engine: 1.6L/4-cylinder turbo 110kW/240Nm; 2L/4-cylinder turbodiesel 100kW/320NmEconomy: 7.1L/100km (petrol), 6.8L/100km (diesel)Transmission: 5-speed manual, 4-speed auto petrol, 6-speed auto diesel, 6-speed manual The rivalsVW Golf GTPrice: $34,990 (petrol), $34,790 (diesel)Engine: 1.4L/4-cylinder twincharger 125kW/240Nm; 2L/4-cylinder turbodiesel 125kW/350NmEconomy: 7.7L/100km (petrol), 6.3L/100km (DSG) 6.6L/100km (manual)Transmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed DSG Mazda3 MAXX SportPrice: $26,500Engine: 2L/4-cylinder 104kW/181Nm economy: 8.6L/100km (manual), 8.9L/100km (auto)Transmission: 5-speed manual, 4-speed auto Citroen C4Price: from $25,990 (petrol), $29,990 (diesel)Engine: 2L/4-cylinder petrol 103kW/200Nm; 2L/4-cylinder turbodiesel 100kW/320Nm Economy: 8.1L/100km petrol, 5.1L/100km dieselTransmission: 6-speed auto