Articles by Gavin McGrath

Nevertheless, Australian car buyers are set to be spoiled for choice again. ALFA ROMEOFebruary will see the Alfa Brera 3.2 V6 and Spider 3.2 V6 available with six-speed autos for the first time, along with self-shifters for the 159 JTD 2.4 and 159 JTS 3.2 V6.And the cheapest petrol 159 JTS 2.2 goes half way along the auto path with the Selespeed sequential manual gearbox. A new entry-level 159 JTD model with a 1.9-litre diesel is also coming in February. ASTON MARTINThe middle of winter is hardly the ideal time to launch a $270,000 convertible, but the Vantage Roadster arrives as potentially Aston's best seller in Australia. The DBS will be launched in Europe later in the year — but it will be 2008 before the first cars are shipped to Australia. AUDIAnother busy year starts with the new Audi Allroad 3.0 TDI diesel in May and the Q7 4.2 TDI softroader in October. The two extreme ends of its performance range — the mild S3 and the wild Le Mans car-based R8 — are also due in June and September respectively, while the TT Roadster will land some timein the middle of the year. BMWThe lid will be lifted on the 3-Series Convertible in February before the new X5 four-wheel-drive lands in April. Then there's a wait until the fun starts again in November with the M3. CHRYSLERMeat and potatoes is on the menu for Chrysler in June with the Sebring sedan, but many customers will be more excited about dessert — the Sebring Cabriolet, which is scheduled to arrive in September. CITROENAbstract thinking is the go in February, with the C4 Picasso exhibition opening with petrol and diesel interpretations of the same theme. The Picasso is Citroen's new people-mover class car. DODGEThe production version of the Avenger concept car is a possibility for Australia in November following the company's return Down Under last year after a long absence. FERRARIA nice 60th birthday present for Ferrari could land on our doorstep in August, with the FXX test car likely to evolve into a top-of-the-range Enzo replacement. FIATFiat in Australia gets a second model in September following on from last year's Punto. The new model will be called the Bravo and represents the next stage in Fiat's renewed fight for Aussie sales. FORDThe Focus coupe-cabriolet model is due in November. Of course, the car Ford doesn't want to talk about is a Territory diesel, which is a possibility for later in the year. HOLDENCloak and dagger time also at Holden, which is vying with Ford for the title of Australia's most secretive car company. Holden is saying nothing but we expect utility and wagon versions of the VE Commodore to arrive some time around August. Also stamped Top Secret is the file marked Epica, a GM Daewoo-sourced replacement for the Vectra. HUMMERHolden's biggest import will be the South-African built Hummer H3, landing here in the second half of the year. HONDAOnly one newcomer for 2007: the new, larger CR-V. But it's a particularly important one, given the ongoing popularity in Australia of compact offroaders. It should even up the fight with the newest model Toyota RAV4, which was released last year. HYUNDAIHatch and wagon versions of the Elantra join the existing sedan in November. Hyundai is also promising the hatch will be more radical than the conventional four-door. JAGUARXF might sound like an old Falcon station wagon, but it's Jaguar's replacement for its mid-level S-Type. It should leap into Australian showrooms by October. JEEPThe new Wrangler arrives in March with four-door Unlimited and diesel models. Also arriving in March is the first of Jeep's compact softroaders, the Compass, to be followed by the Patriot in June. KIAA new entry-level Rio powered by a 1.4-litre engine that could sell for as little as $14,990 drive-away will kick off in February. But it mightn't be the cheapest Kia by the end of the 2007, with the tiny Picanto a chance to come to Australia if it can be sold for $11,990. At the other end of the line-up, Kia's two AWDs get diesel power — the Sorento (a 125kW 2.5-litre turbo-diesel) in April and the Sportage (a 103kW 2.0-litre turbo-diesel) in July. The company is also weighing up whether to bring in a 2WD Sportage or the Carens people mover. LAMBORGHINIAs if it actually needed it, there is a boost in power for the top-of-the-line Lambo, the Murcielago LP640 (640hp, or 477kW) coupe to be launched in February, followed by the convertible Spyder version in October. LAND ROVERThe new Freelander arrives in July. The compact offroader goes up a step in size and price (likely to start from $50,000). The tough-as-old-boots Defender and the posh Range Rover are also upgraded later this year. LEXUSThe sensitive new-age millionaire gets his hybrid petrol-electric car, even if the electric motor is connected to a not-so-politically-correct, 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine, when the long-wheelbase LS600h arrives in June.It follows the LS460 in May. LOTUSLotus goes mainstream, sort of, from February. The Europa is the first Lotus GT in decades, a car primarily for driving on roads, rather than a race car that can be steered to and from the race track. MAZDAGenerational change begins with the new Mazda2 to be revealed in Europe possibly in October. The Mazda6 should follow in 2008. MERCEDES BENZOnly two significant newcomers but one of them is the brand's most important car. The new C-Class arrives in June with new looks, new interior and possibly new engines. Of more interest to the mega-rich the new CL arrives in February. MINIThe new offering arrives here in March and it's even larger than the old one. MITSUBISHIAn exciting new Lancer and the 380 gets a facelift to keep it in the hunt with Toyota's Aurion and Holden's VE Commodore. NISSANThe tiny Micra is likely to return in November. Also arriving then is its AWD, known as Qashqai, in Europe but likely to get a better name before it is launched here. PEUGEOTIn mid-March it launches the 207 hatch range, followed by the 207CC coupe-convertible and 207GTi in June or July. PROTONA pill for Proton next month: the fizz factor rises with its Satria performance hatch. RENAULTGrand Scenic arrives in February, the sporty Megane R26 in March, the Megane diesel in May and Clio III in September. ROLLS ROYCEWhen the Queen visits next she will be able to enjoy the Australian sunshine. The as-yet unnamed convertible is here in October. SAABAlternative energy is the mantra at Saab, starting with the 9-3 diesel this month, followed by a bio-ethanol 9-5 mid-year, depending on the success of a trial program.The bio-ethanol car runs on petrol as well (the engine computer detects the mix and responds accordingly), so the company could bring them out to replace the regular 9-5 in anticipation of the availability of 85 per cent ethanol fuel. SMARTNext generation fortwo comes to a cafe near you in September. SSANGYONGThe Actyon 4WD wagon is launched in March, followed by the dual-cab ute in April. SUBARUThis year sees new Imprezas, including a new WRX. Best of all, they won't have the existing model's "propeller" nose. SUZUKIOnly one newcomer here for rejuvenated Suzuki, with its compact AWD, the SX4. TOYOTAProbably the most important new-car launch this year in terms of sales is the Corolla, in May. Other additions include Tarago V6 (February), RAV4 V6 (October) and Landcruiser LC200 (November). VWAfter the Eos convertible lands this month it will be a quiet year. Touareg gets a facelift in October and a sporty Passat R36, probably here in December. VOLVOThe brand's stalwarts — S40 and V50 — are available with a five-cylinder diesel from February, while the new small car, the C30, appears in April with three five-cylinder engines, petrol, turbo petrol and turbo-diesel. October sees the arrival of the V70 wagon and its AWD counterpart the XC70.

Elfin, which produced the two Holden V8-powered club racer models that debuted at the 2004 Melbourne motor show, is set to ramp up production after it was sold to performance-car king Tom Walkinshaw.Plans are under way for the MS8 Streamliner and MS8 Clubman sports cars to be sold through some HSV dealers and for up to 100 cars a year to be built at the company's Melbourne factory. Walkinshaw Performance chief executive Chris Payne says the change of ownership won't rob Elfin of its independence and adds that the 50-year-old company isn't about to be absorbed into HSV.He says there is considerable export potential for the brand once local demand is met."The opportunity for us is to expand the (Walkinshaw) business portfolio beyond what it has been," Payne says. "Elfin cars are not about to become HSVs, though."We recognise it is its own brand with a very long and proud history, which we want to build upon. The vision Tom has for the business is for it to become not just an Australian company, but a worldwide business and for the product portfolio to expand in five years time to quite a different spread of cars. But the essence will be the same."The Elfin brand adds to Walkinshaw's growing portfolio in Australia, which includes management of the Holden Racing Team and HSV-Dealer V8 Supercar teams, in addition to HSV and a new Holden after-market tuning business. The two MS8 cars were developed by previous owners Bill Hemming and Nick Kovatch from a design by Michael Simcoe, the man responsible for the Monaro.They are powered by the same 245kW 5.7-litre GEN III V8 engine as the previous Commodore SS but, at 875kg (Clubman), weigh only half as much. The car's 0-100km/h acceleration of just 4.4sec is comparable to that of a Lamborghini or Ferrari. Production of Elfin's two MS8 models began in March, with 13 cars already finding homes and a further five available for Christmas. But Elfin lacked the resources and clout to become an effective low-volume manufacturer — until now."It was a long, hard road to get it to this stage with the limited resources Bill (Hemming) and I had," says Kovatch, who remains with the company as a technical director."We started talking to Tom (Walkinshaw) and he showed interest. It took about 12 months to get the deal together. It's exactly what Elfin needs, someone with the manufacturing experience and export focus, because it is very important for the brand to export cars."The boost in production has helped reduce costs, with Clubman now priced from less than $100,000 — with the Streamliner under $120,000.That's a healthy $10,000 cut from the original price expectation, says Kovatch. Elfin's next priority is to produce a four-cylinder club car in the tradition of its earlier Type 3 model, that could sell for about $40,000.

Aston Martin will launch the Vantage V8 Roadster at this week's Los Angeles Motor Show, but the chance of becoming an Aston owner has now peaked, according to the brand's sales manager for Melbourne and Sydney, Rod Cullen.Cullen says dealers were told at a worldwide conference that peak production of 7000 Aston Martin cars would be reached this year, and there were no plans to increase annual production beyond that.The Roadster is mechanically identical to the Coupe, with a 4.3-litre V8 producing 283kW and 410Nm. Its roof is canvas ratherthan folding steel and retracts in 18 seconds.Pricing has not been announced but should be about $260,000, a 10 per cent premium on the Coupe.Cullen says the cap on Aston Martin production should not affect Melbourne. The new showroom due to open next month at Eureka Tower at Southbank will be allocated 35-40 cars from Britain to cover the change in dealer.Though the vehicle will debut at the Melbourne Motor Show, Victoria's first Vantage Roadsters won't go on sale until July."Each year we're given a production schedule and that's finite. You can't order another if you want it. And our order bank is regularly out six to 12 months," Cullen says."The only variance from a Melbourne perspective is that we are being allocated sufficient stock next year to justify our investment in the new showroom. We'll be happy if five to 10 of those cars are Roadsters."The Vantage Coupe and Roadster will be available with a six-speed semi-automatic manual with an automated clutch, virtually identical to the Lamborghini Gallardo's E-Gear, from next year.

The American carmaker plans to jazz up the medium car club with its edgy Sebring sedan next year. The deliberately different-looking American is pitched as an alternative to the dependable Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord.While it will count on flair and a fair helping of "surprise and delight" to attract customers, chief engineer Dennis Krozek says getting the basics right had to be the key to winning converts."We know how competitive that medium segment is because there are so many offerings with Camry, Accord, Passat and Mazda6," Krozek says."We did a lot of research with potential customers, we did our benchmarking against the best of the best and targeted our functional objectives after that — ride and handling, safety and the technology we put in it. From there we wanted to offer technologies no one in the segment had to offer."Two petrol engines will be available in Australia. The Sebring will be launched with a 2.4-litre four with 125kW and 220Nm developed in conjunction with Hyundai and already in Australia in the Hyundai Sonata. It will be followed at some stage by a 2.7-litre V6.Chrysler has bought the use of Volkswagen's 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 103kW and 310Nm, rather than developed its own diesel or borrowed one from Mercedes-Benz, an expensive decision but one that should please owners.Transmissions are a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic for the petrol models and a six-speed manual for the turbodiesel.The automatic option for the diesel hasn't been announced, but could be Volkswagen Group's excellent six-speed DSG semi-automatic. All Sebrings are front-wheel-drive. Chrysler has made dynamic stability control standard across the Sebring range.But the Sebring's special extras will be the key to its success, starting with its MyGIG entertainment system. Developed by Boston Acoustics, it combines all the functionality of a touchscreen sound system with a 20Gb hard disc memory, USB direct input, Bluetooth capability, satellite navigation and the ability to store several thousand songs (or several full-length DVD movies that can be played when the car isn't moving) and then used to create its own playlists. Owners will never have to carry their own CDs again.Chrysler is weighing up making the system a standard feature across the range.The Sebring also has other unusual features for a non-luxury car, including heated cloth seats and a cup-holder that can chill or heat what's in it.Pricing details have not been announced but should start at about $30,000, with the first cars arriving in the middle of next year.The Sebring's clever extras and Crossfire-inspired looks should help it attract plenty of attention from car shoppers.But it's the mundane basics that need to impress us. No matter how clever the Sebring's MyGig sound system is, and no matter how sharp it looks, midsize car buyers have shown they need a commonsense reason to buy a car.What gives the Sebring credibility is that, even stripped of the things that make it stand out from the Camry crowd, it is still a good, solid car. Not as slick to drive as the Mazda6 or Accord Euro, nor with the robust reliability record of the Camry, but still good enough to make the list and let the exciting extras get it over the line.From most angles the Sebring is a looker, the stylish bonnet and nose, and sharp lines generally carrying over well from the Crossfire onto the more practically shaped Sebring body. Only from side-on does it look like what it is, a sensible family sedan dressed up as a street machine.Inside, the Sebring carries all the usual cues from the current Chrysler family, with old fashioned-looking backlit dials and the hard plastic dash that has been rejected by most European and Japanese brands in favour of a softer feel.We tried the 2.0-litre turbodiesel and the 2.0-litre petrol versions of the Sebring, the former with a six-speed manual transmission and the latter with a five-speed manual.The turbo diesel is the same highly regarded engine that we know from the Volkswagen Golf, with plenty of torque and well above average refinement for a diesel. Chrysler has confirmed this Sebring model will come to Australia.The 2.0-litre petrol, on the other hand, won't be coming, Chrysler choosing the 2.4-litre four as its entry-level engine.This is just as well because, as pleasant and smooth as the 2.0-litre four is, it just lacks the oomph for a good-size car. The 2.4-litre should be better.Brakes, steering, ride and handling are in the mix compared with the obvious competitors, which is something of a nice surprise.The Sebring feels safe and corners reasonably — it's much better than Chryslers before the 300C — and the stability control means any deficiency compared with the class-leading midsizers is barely noticeable.If you buy the Sebring over one of its Japanese competitors, you are not sacrificing much at all.What lifts the otherwise ho-hum attitude is MyGIG. Sure, other cars have a touchscreen audio system but one that allows motorists to permanently download hundreds of songs, has a USB port and can even store movies and photos, well, that's special.We haven't seen that kind of cleverness in many of the most expensive cars sold here, let alone something smack bang in Middle Street.It takes a few minutes to download an album of music, for example, but once it's saved each song can be selected individually, or added to user-chooser playlists, or called up in alphabetical order. It's remarkably easy to use and saves CDs from being scratched.FAST FACTSPrice: from about $30,000Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol 125kW@6000rpm, 220Nm@4500rpm; 2.0-litre turbodiesel 103kW@4000rpm, 310Nm@1750rpmTransmission: 4-speed auto or 5-speed manual (petrol), 6-speed manual (diesel)Fuel: 8.9L/100km (petrol); 6.2L/100km (diesel

THE Bluetooth-based communications hub lets you drive your office.First there was the good old wireless, then the eight track, the radio cassette, and now every car has a CD player.But the next step forward in in-car entertainment is the big one: the complete Bluetooth-based all-in-one communications hub, operated by remote control - and you don't have to own a BMW or Mercedes to have one.Pioneer's new DEH car sound system range allows anyone with a Bluetooth telephone to turn their car into an integrated, interactive office. The driver can make or accept phone calls even if they have left the phone in the boot because, once it's connected, the car stereo becomes the phone."What's so great about this is it can go in any car," Pioneer spokesman Michael Broadhurst says.The basic DEH head unit with microphone is installed straight into the standard single DIN (5cm high) car stereo slot, replacing the original equipment.It allows the Bluetooth phone to operate through the car's speakers, and automatically lowers the volume of any music being played. All information comes up on the audio unit's bright blue screen.The system can work with up to five phones at once and can prioritise calls, putting others on hold."It's that level of interactivity you can't get from the type of Bluetooth adapter you'd buy from your Dick Smith store, which can only make and receive calls."The DEH requires an adapter (also sold by Pioneer) to run an iPod, but Broadhurst says Apple will bring out a Bluetooth adapter that will allow iPods to make a wireless connection, then play directly through the audio system.The basic DEH-P7850BT, which includes a high-end CD player capable of playing MP3 files downloaded from the internet, costs $799. Broadhurst claims its quality will allow it to boost the performance of the existing amplifier and speakers in most cars.The more powerful DEH-9850BT, with a multi-colour screen, is $999. But this system can't be fitted to cars -- including the Ford Falcon BA -- that have a sound system fully integrated with the airconditioner and other systems."In the audio industry we've found there has been a backlash against Ford for having an all-in-one system that can't be upgraded," Broadhurst says.

The previous Falcon beat the old Commodore in our last sanctioned big Aussie car battle, but the Holden has since been rejuvenated at a cost of $1 billion. It has been in serious training for five years.The BF Falcon was boosted with mechanical upgrades late last year, but it is much the same as the 2002 BA model.It will be given a styling tweak and some other adjustments in October, before a new model hits in 2008.We let the cars do battle in an extensive test on challenging Victorian roads, dirt tracks and highways.We picked the most popular family models, the $39,175 Falcon Futura and the $40,240 Berlina.ON THE ROADWITH $1 billion spent on developing the Commodore, you would think the VE Holden would easily beat the ageing Falcon. If you did, you are wrong. This fight goes all the way to the last round.ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONTHE Falcon is the winner when it comes to punch. Torque is the key. It shouldn't be a surprise, given the Ford has 53Nm more on tap.The last Commodore didn't need as much grunt because it was lighter. Now it is 11kg heavier than the Ford and you feel it.The Berlina isn't a slug, but the engine does have to work a lot harder.Going uphill, the Berlina's four-speed transmission has to drop down one or two gears more than the Ford equivalent, meaning the engine revs higher to maintain momentum.That said, the Holden engineers have done a great job improving the refinement of the Alloytec V6.It was pretty rough when it was introduced in the VZ model, with nasty noises and vibrations, but it is much smoother now.At idle, the Holden engine is so quiet that sometimes we are not sure if the engine is turned on.The Ford is not as smooth at idle. It vibrates a bit more, especially when switching the airconditioning on or off.The Futura's engine does emit a rortier engine note, which adds to the sporty feel.Its automatic transmission works better than the Berlina's, with smoother changes, but the difference is not huge.Like almost all new cars, the Futura's automatic has a manual shift mode, but the Berlina misses out.FUEL CONSUMPTIONYOU might expect the Futura to be thirstier than the Berlina because of its performance edge, but that's not the case.In fact, the Ford is lighter on fuel than the Holden. We are probably harder on the cars during the test than most owners would be, but we drive both cars in exactly the same way.The Berlina uses an average of 10.9 litres over 100km and the Falcon uses an average of 9.8 litres/100km.Based on those figures, an average driver would spend an extra $6 a week to run the Holden at current fuel prices.RIDE COMFORTTHE Berlina is the winner when it comes to ride comfort.It is set softer than the Falcon and is nicer to ride in on smooth roads and most city streets. The Berlina's suspension might be too soft for some. It can float a bit when running over big bumps on broken country roads.The Falcon set-up is firmer. It is still fairly comfortable, but not as nice as the Berlina. It is more lively and you feel more of the bumps.The comfort level in the Berlina is aided by a quiet interior. We can feel the serenity.The Futura is a pretty quiet car, with BF upgrades reducing noise levels, but the Berlina is quieter.Intrusive tyre noise experienced on the Commodore launch early this month, particularly in sporty models, was not evident during the test.HANDLING BOTH cars have excellent road-holding ability. The Futura and Berlina both hang on well on dry tarmac, wet tarmac and slippery gravel.Both have the advantage of traction control, but the Holden has the added safety of electronic stability control.The Futura gives the driver more feel when pushing hard, both through the suspension and the steering, which is more solid than the Berlina. The VE Holden's steering is much lighter than the previous model, which was not good. The new system is very light on centre, but loads up as you turn.It takes a while to get used to, but the lighter system is much less taxing when you are negotiating tight turns in places like car parks.The Holden's driving position is much better than the Ford's and it is easier to get comfortable behind the wheel.You feel as if you are sitting lower in the Berlina, but you still have good visibility.The door line is higher and the driver feels more secure.In the Futura, you feel you are sitting up higher.INSIDE APART from a rotten slab of plastic stuck on the dashboard that we think is supposed to imitate woodgrain, the Berlina's interior is very good.A lot of time and effort has been spent creating a functional and attractive layout.The buttons are all visible to the driver, unlike the pokey buttons for things such as the fuel cap release that are hidden behind the Futura's steering wheel.The Berlina's sound system, which copies Ford's piano-key buttons, has a lot of bass and a cool green-coloured screen.Dual-zone climate control in the Holden is a welcome feature, as is the Bluetooth that beams your phone calls through the car speakers, as long as you have the right phone.We don't like the Berlina's handbrake, which is part of the centre console. It looks cheap and is clumsy to use.The leather-wrapped steering wheel in the Berlina is a nice touch and the cloth trim looks fine, but we are not convinced the cloth fabric will endure the rigours of family travel.The familiar Futura interior is starting to look dated.Its plush felt seat trim is nice, but the dashboard is fairly plain and the centre control screen has been surpassed by the Berlina.The plastic steering wheel doesn't match the Berlina's and the instrument panel doesn't look as classy.Still, most of the controls are well laid out, especially the climate-control dials and radio controls.The cruise control of both cars works well, but we prefer the steering wheel-mounted Ford system, rather than the stalk system of the Holden.OUTSIDE THERE is no competition when it comes to exterior styling. The Berlina looks so much better than the Futura, which is a now a plain Jane.With its flared wheel arches, coupe-like roof line and 17-inch wheels, the Holden wins the fashion battle.PRACTICALITY APART from a silly decision to not include a split-fold rear seat, Holden has done well with practicality.Things such as door bins for the rear-seat passengers, doors that open wider than the Futura's and a huge, flat-bottomed boot all add up.Both cars offer lots of rear legroom and headroom, but the Berlina is easier to get in and out of.Holden fitted the test car with the optional full-size spare tyre ($250), despite arguing that punctures are a thing of the past. We suggest owners do the same. The full-size spare takes up no more room in the boot.THE VERDICTThis is close as both cars are world-class.If you want to tow, the Futura is the car to have. It is also the car we would pick for a fun run on a twisty road.The Berlina's fuel-drinking problem is a concern and could put off quite a few potential buyers.For us, the Holden is the better car for everyday driving. It needs more torque, but is more refined, quieter, is more comfortable to ride in on most roads and looks to be a prestige car.There is more useable boot space, the driving position is better and it has electronic stability control as standard.The Berlina wins this fight - just - but we would jump either way depending on which brand offered the best discount.

The Japanese brand's controversial aircraft-inspired grilles, as featured on the Impreza and Tribeca, will disappear from the radar. Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, chose to use the pr

The formerly unfashionable LPG-fuelled E-Gas cars accounted for one-in-five Falcon sales last month, despite being largely neglected by Ford's marketing people.Ford Australia president Tom Gorman says the company is changing its focus because of its customers."About 21 per cent of our Falcons are LPG and if you go back just one year ago it was single digit percentages," Gorman says."We've been looking at the demand for LPG going up month over month."If the customer takes Falcon LPG sales to a 50 per cent mix or a 90 per cent mix, we're going to do our best to meet those requirements."I don't see it going in that direction that quickly."I think we'll see continued growth, with private buyers seeing this as another alternative."I think the LPG mix is going to improve as we start to communicate and let the retail buyer know that this is a great opportunity."Ford began an "LPG Challenge" round-Australia relay with its V8 Supercar drivers last week to prove an E-Gas Fairmont could do the trip for less than $1000 and with enough service stations along the way to keep the LPG-only car going.Gorman denies the timing of the trip was a deliberate ploy to steal the limelight from the VE Commodore and Toyota Camry launches.But he admits it is convenient timing as rivals reveal the fuel efficiency of their new cars."There is no question we have to be active in the marketplace at a time when our competitors are launching new product," he says."The fact both products just launched haven't really shown huge improvements in fuel economy shows they have missed what the customer wants right now."Ford expanded its E-Gas range to include its luxury Fairmont and sporty SR sedan and XR6 ute last year and may offer an E-Gas Territory.

THERE could be a future movie star waiting to be discovered in your garage. A sports management company has branched out to find cars for movies, television shows and ads.Vantage Management opened its Star Cars arm last month and wants to expand its books. It's now looking for some new talent, director Shan Railton says.He says someone could have the next "General Lee" or "Mad Max Interceptor" parked in their driveway."If you think about all the ads on telly or the movies or even basic photos for magazines, they all have to come from somewhere," Railton says."The criteria is any car or thing you couldn't find in a standard car lot or rent from Avis. It might be a classic or something rare, or something outrageous. It could be a new FPV or Monaro, a WRX or an old Dodge pick-up."The cars don't even have to be in good condition. We needed a car for someone who was supposed to be down and out, and the car had to match. All we can say is we probably don't need any white Commodores, unless it's a 1978 white Commodore in perfect condition."Railton says Star Cars works much the same way as a fashion model agency. Vantage gets a call from a film or magazine production company and checks its books for a car to match. Once a match is found, Vantage works out a deal.Its cut is 17.5 per cent as an agent fee. The owner's only commitment is to turn up with the car at the agreed time and place."If you have a car that fits our very wide criteria, there is no reason why you wouldn't register it," Railton says. "It costs owners nothing except their car's time."If someone wanted to use your car I'd get a brief of where, when and who is going to drive it. We email that info to the owner and it's up to them to say yes or no within a certain time."Some production companies want their own people to drive the car, but that, of course, has to be part of the contract. And someone on our books who doesn't want to accept a job, doesn't have to."Railton says the system works for everyone. Production companies save time and money and clients can make money. How much usually depends on the value of the car."It's a sliding scale based on the insurance value of the car and the job," Railton says."We had a job involving street machines on the Gold Coast, but there had to be 80s cars and they had to be American. That job was $400 a day for each car, and they were just parked on the street. That's about the cheapest job because it's not worth it to us or our clients to do it for less than that."At the other end of the spectrum, we had a car used for three months. The production company spent $30,000 fully restoring it, then paid the owner $15,000 for the job."Feature film work (Vantage found cars for House of Wax, which starred Paris Hilton) makes up about a third of all Star Car jobs.The balance is split between TV shows, ads and magazine photo shoots.So you think your car is up to it? Check www.vantagemanagement.com.au

Craig Lowndes says this week's decision to scrap the contentious back-to-front format after the next two rounds has reduced the lucky-dip factor and will help those who have consistently shown the fastest speed.V8 Supercar Australia's announcement to revert to a traditional three-race format, with the winner from race one starting on pole for race two, has been welcomed by drivers and teams at the top of the table.Lowndes says it will guarantee the best drivers will race against each other without being held up by slower traffic, and remove confusion for fans trying to work out who's in front."Now it's nicer to be at the front of the pack with good car speed and be racing about with the better drivers who you respect," Lowndes says."And it means we'll have a champion who has had a quick car all year and deserves it."Lowndes says some of the fastest drivers have had their championship hopes dented by being caught in crashes involving less skilled drivers in slower cars.But the Triple Eight Falcon driver still believes drivers should not be able to disregard their worst result at the end of the year.Series leader Garth Tander, who is yet to have a major tangle in a reverse grid race, says he is also relieved the decision has been made."You go into reverse grid races just praying to get through the first five laps," Tander says."You're just waiting for when it's your turn for it to ruin your championship."I think the show is above needing this kind of gimmick."But support for the change back has not been universal. Team owner Garry Rogers, whose young driver Dean Canto won a reverse-grid race in Perth, says V8 Supercars Australia has not given enough time for the format to work."I personally thought it the format worked quite well and just needed more time, but I know not everyone agrees with me," he says."The critics talk about too many crashes, but if they think this will get rid of crashes, they are in dreamland."