Articles by Gavin McGrath

The Efijy show car came face to face with its ancestors at Holden's headquarters in Port Melbourne. About 20 cars from the Early Model Holden Club of Victoria were parked at the carmaker's relatively new home for the FJ family reunion. Though some people think it is bad form to do a modern rendering of a classic, club president Rod Grummitt describes the lairy V8 Efijy as a form of flattery. "Ours are pretty good but that (the Efijy) is awesome," he says. "The first time I saw it was at the Melbourne Motor Show and it was roped off so you couldn't get to it. So we were rapt to get really close to it. "We love our classics and it's different to that, but to depict what we drive around in is a form of flattery." The special reunion was organised by club member Richard Fox and Efijy lead designer Richard Ferlazzo. Grummitt, who spoke with Ferlazzo on Friday, says the Efijy does a great job capturing the FJ spirit. "If they had kept on making them (FJ Holdens) I think it might have looked like this. "The similarity is there. It's quite a bit lower, but then, we used to lower ours too." In the power stakes, with a 480kW supercharged 6.0-litre V8 engine, the Efijy is the young upstart. The original 2.2-litre inline six-cylinder Grey Motor in the 48-215 (since dubbed the FX) and FJ had only 45kW. Grummitt says he is not sure if the Efijy would make people more likely to buy a Holden. "Some of our members own Commodores and are real Holden people, but I have a Land Rover and one member just bought a new Renault," he says. "Can't think of any who've bought a Ford though."

It has the heart and guts of the Grand Cherokee, but with a bulky body 37mm longer, 86mm higher and 113mm wider to fit a third row of seats.Jeep Australia managing director Gerry Jenkins says the Commander is a machine the company has needed. Jeep enthusiasts with four or more children no longer have to look elsewhere for offroad thrills."A lot of people have told us they need room for their families. They don't want a people mover. Their appetite is for an SUV (offroader)," Jenkins says."They want to go to the Outback or safely deliver their kids in Toorak. It wasn't the Voyager they wanted. It was a Jeep with seven seats."It is every bit as capable as every other Jeep we have."Prices start from $54,990. The Commander has a $1000 premium over the Grand Cherokee with the same engine.There are three engines available. The cheapest is a 4.7-litre petrol V8 with 170kW and 410Nm and the most expensive is the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 with 240kW and 500Nm. Splitting the difference in price is the 3.0-litre V6 CRD common rail diesel with 160kW and 510Nm of torque.The entry-level 4.7-litre V8 and the diesel are available on the entry-level Commander and the luxury-pack Limited. The Hemi V8 is available only on the Limited model.The Commander 4.7-litre has Jeep's Quadra-Trac II full-time four-wheel-drive system.All other variants have the advanced Quadra-drive system with electronic limited-slip differentials -- front and rear -- which can transfer virtually all the torque to any wheel that has traction.Five-speed automatics are standard. The two petrol engines have what amounts to a half-step extra gear for a smoother shift.The transmission also has a low-range gear mode for heavy-duty work. Towing capacity is an impressive 3500kg.All variants have dual front airbags and two full-length side curtain airbags, electronic stability control and rollover mitigation systems.The three-row heater-airconditioner means the rearmost seats don't miss out. These seats are higher for a better view and, if not required, fold away to give more luggage space.The Limited has dual-zone climate control, leather trim and heated front seats.An interesting $2700 option is the Command-View sunroof, with two skylights above the second row of seats as well as a sliding roof above the driver and front passenger.IT WASN'T long ago we found it very hard to find a Jeep worth recommending. The Wrangler was entertaining in a crude sort of way, but the rest were not best in class.But after driving the new Jeep Commander in the Outback for the first time, I find it hard to go past the seven-seater for the adventurous family looking to travel rugged terrain and country road kilometres.The Commander looks like an old-fashioned troop carrier with a boxy body and spartan interior.But its Grand Cherokee underpinnings, space for two additional seats, and clean, unsophisticated cockpit make it practical for a large family.The view from the driver's seat isn't what you would expect from a $50,000-plus vehicle. The plastics have a hard, screwed-together appearance. The controls are blocky.But it seems to work in a Jeep, about the only brand that could get away with making a virtue of visible allen-key bolts.It's all user-friendly and the seats are surprisingly comfortable.The better-than-expected theme carries over on to the road. The Commander carries itself in an effortless, if soft, way that is respectable for a 2300kg four-wheel-drive and better than some traditional best sellers.On gravel roads, the Jeep is in its element, handling corrugations and bumps with ease.Notably, it is much better coping with harsh bumps on dirt than uneven outback bitumen. Deep dips in the road tend to throw the softly sprung truck around.The grip is reasonable without quite matching more road-biased softroaders such as the BMW X5 and Ford Territory.Steering is lighter than ideal at speed but not unpleasant.The Jeep impresses in the really rough stuff. We took it up and down nasty sloping tracks with loose rocks and awkward ruts to test its low-range gearing.The only mishap was a flat tyre on a sharp rock. Otherwise the Commander left us with the impression it could handle a lot more.The brakes are also a plus. They felt strong enough to cope with urgent stops.Each of the three engines has a bit going for it. The 3.0-litre diesel wins on economy and torque.However, we didn't get close to the claimed economy rating of 10.5 litres/100km. It was more like 13.0 litres/100km.The 5.7-litre Hemi V8 nearly matches the diesel for torque andhas substantially more pull at highway speeds.But it is an indulgence. The quoted fuel economy figure is 16.0 litres, which we stretched out to 18.1itres/100km without much effort.The cheapest engine, the 4.7-litre V8, is more than adequate in most roles and saves up to $5000.But none is going to save at the bowser.Luggage room with seven seats is tiny, and the rear row is for kids only.

Financial pressures are forcing families and young couples to look for cheaper ways to take holidays, according to Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association president Tony Bellamy. And that's making them think local.The ongoing boom has encouraged Australia's largest maker of recreational vehicles, Jayco, to announce last week it is investing $35 million in a new factory and boosting staff by 150."High petrol prices make caravanning more attractive and more appealing, in a strange way," Bellamy says."Petrol prices affect the entire family budget, so people look at the most economical way to go on holidays, and it's still caravanning."The reality is the world oil price has an effect on virtually all forms of travel, whether it's by aeroplane or anything else."It hasn't affected sales because petrol or diesel is one of the lowest parts of the travel budget when it comes to caravanning."We've just had the Adelaide, Perth and Sydney caravan shows, and all had increased sales. The fuel price has not affected attendances."Bellamy says other factors, including one of the major causes of world oil prices — international insecurity caused by war and terrorism — also work in favour of the local touring industry."With recent overseas events, people are wanting to travel in Australia because it's seen as safer," he says."There's also a kind of a return to family values that we're seeing now. Families are holidaying together more.Bellamy says the industry hasn't quite returned to its glory days of the mid-1970s when more than 35,000 recreational vehicles, including caravans, campertrailers and motorhomes, were sold each year.But it's been a dramatic rise from the industry low in the 1990s, when fewer than 5000 were sold annually.Since then there's been an average 13 per cent annual growth each year, up to last year's 17,600 sales.Bellamy estimates the number will be close to 17,000 again this year as the rise begins to level off."Caravan parks are still popular, but there's a move to offroad caravans, many with solar panels and satellite TV."The motorhome market is growing as well, even though they range in price from $70,000-$700,000."Traditional retirees are buying large caravans, but we're getting a lot of younger people, say 45 to 50, who are buying expensive motorhomes."A lot have higher incomes and are able to spend more."

Try as we might — and we did try — we couldn't shake the deceptively comfortable home-away-from-home camper trailer we'd hitched to our wagon, a 100 Series Toyota LandCruiser.The heavy-duty offroad camper-trailer is the ultimate camp follower, as tough as the full-blooded four-wheel-drives it's designed to follow — maybe tougher, if our test at the Melbourne 4x4 Training and Proving Ground at Werribee is anything to go by.John Spence, of Geelong Prestige Jayco, looks a little nervous as he descends into the Valley of Mechanical Death, his spotless Jayco Flamingo Outback in tow.Pop-up camper trailers are the lightweight convertibles of the caravan world. Only slightly bigger than a trailer, they become full-sized caravans when set up. Creature comforts are impressive: fridge, four-burner stove, sink, microwave oven, fold-up mini-wardrobe, sleeping room for seven.There is an Outback version of all Jayco camper trailers — whether Doves, Hawks, Eagles or Swans. They have extra protection underneath, heavy-duty suspension, electric brakes and a 250mm higher ride.The kit adds 90kg, bringing the Flamingo up to a still trim 1120kg.Proving ground chief instructor Rob Emmins is impressed."There's strength where you need it and decent shock absorbers, which is important," he says.Emmins is happy with the ride height, too: "You need clearance but you can't have them too high or they get unstable. This one is pretty good."The Werribee River is the first obstacle. We nervously take the 'Cruiser through the water and scramble up the bank. The Flamingo follows faithfully. We then do a quick lap (the camper trailer doesn't help in a tight turning circle), then splash through again.Emmins chuckles. "You did it the hardest way possible, really."A good start, but now it's test two: the formidible Suspension Twister. Spence looks anxious.The Twister, or articulation test, is a series of deep ruts — first left, then right — designed to belt the heck out of the shock absorbers. Metal bangs earth as we enter. But it's the 4WD bottoming out, not the Flamingo. Spence owns the LandCruiser. He doesn't look happy.Further in there's another bang, this time on the other side of the 'Cruiser as it lurches right. The Flamingo is on an awkward angle, but otherwise handles the whole test with ease.After crunching our way through, we think about doing it again.Spence says he's happy to, but the look on his face says otherwise. We proceed to test three instead — a scramble up a steep slope, complete with wet, greasy logs.We get halfway, but hit our limit. Wheels spin, the diesel engine grumbles, but we go nowhere.Is the extra weight the problem?Emmins says it would be a tough task even without towing. "It's simply too slippery."We give up and go back down.Overall, Emmins is happy to give the Flamingo a tick, and so are we. Anywhere we're likely to want to go, the Flamingo will happily wing its way too.The Jayco Flamingo Outback, from $22,500, will be at the Melbourne Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow.

Jack-of-all-trades Nick Tomkinson, from Airport West, had a dream to build his own road racer. That's not unusual in itself - many of us have fast-car fantasies. The difference is he has actually built his awesome Redback Spyder dream machine - two of them, to be precise.And at the Melbourne International Motor Show the 40-year-old will show off his own, fully operational 320km/h Redback racer.The lightweight Spyder has already been driven in anger at Essendon Airport, clocking a 0-100km/h time of about three seconds, according to Tomkinson.And he's happy to make one for anyone else who wants one - for a mere $250,000. "I would just break even on that," he says."But honestly for me this is as much about having fun as it is about money."I never started this program to sell cars. It was simply a dream to build my own car with everything I could want on it. And it turned out better than I could have hoped."Tomkinson's small company, Carbontech, builds replica Lamborghinis for customers. He reasoned that if he could make dead-ringer Italian exotics he could just as easily design his own "perfect" car.Starting with computer-aided design (CAD) modelling - just like the big multinational carmakers - Tomkinson got to work to build a show car for the 2002 Melbourne International Motor Show.Arguably Tomkinson's most amazing achievement was to get more than 40 firms on board to help put his car together, from parts suppliers to computer specialists. The deal was they would display their products through the car at the show and in a magazine spread.But it was the web - or specifically an American millionaire named Mill Conroy searching the web - that grew the little Spyder, then little more than a static display vehicle, into the raging Redback on display at this year's event.Conroy saw a picture of the Redback on the internet and phoned from across the Pacific saying he wanted one regardless of cost. One handshake and one deposit later, Tomkinson had the backing to build his dream machine."I spent an extraordinary amount of money, both mine and Mill's, to make it happen," Tomkinson admits."But the main thing is it doesn't cost much more to build two cars than it does to build just one."After I built Mill's car, which took two years, I started on my own. It took six months because the design work had already been done. I've only just finished but I think it looks amazing."It's the first time I've seen one in painted form because the first one left Australia with primer only, to be painted over there."The second Redback Spyder has a number of changes from Conroy's original version.Tomkinson's car is powered by a normally aspirated 5.7-litre Chevrolet LS1 V8 with 335kW produced by marine engine builder Rolco Racing, while the Conroy Redback has a supercharged LS1 with about 420kW.The second car has a six-speed manual transmission, while the original has a ZF five-speed automatic salvaged from a Porsche.But weighing less than 1000kg, the Redback Spyder is awesomely quick in either form.The attention to detail on both Redbacks is stunning. The deadly arachnid of the same name is etched into the nickel-plated fittings, stitched into the leather seats and even watermarked into the windshield.Carbontech, with its relatively modest equipment, produced the 18in wheels, chassis and body, along with pushrod suspension struts that become progressively stiffer as more pressure is applied to the suspension.The car's brakes are discs with four-pot calipers all round, while suppliers have provided items including the Momo steering wheel (AutoTek), paint (PPG Industries) and tyres (Goodyear Australia)."I don't know what happens in the future after the Melbourne Motor Show," Tomkinson admits. "I know that Rolco Racing wants to show it off, as does Electromold, which is the company that did all the anodising, polishing and etching."I've sunk $500,000 of my own time and money into the project and, yes, the wife knows - she does the bookwork."But if I don't sell any more Redbacks, I don't really mind. It's kept me busy for five years and allowed me to keep paying my staff over that time."I'm currently building six Lamborghini replicas which cost $150,000 each so business is going well."But if someone wants a Redback you'll have to pay a two-thirds deposit and then go away and let me get on with it. In nine months' time it will be ready to have the key turned."

V8 sales have fallen since fuel prices rose, but a Holden spokesman says the main reason is buyers have been holding out."I'd be kidding if I said fuel prices hadn't had an impact on V8 sales," Holden marketing manager Philip Brooks says."But there are a lot of other things going on to do with the life cycle of car models. Some have been waiting for this to arrive, others are waiting for the VE Commodore."Australia is first to get the so-called Gen IV engine, beating the US by a few months. It has been designed so that it can have cylinder deactivation in the future, allowing it to run as a V6 or V4 when cruising to save fuel, like the Chrysler 300C.However, cylinder deactivation could still be some time off."It comes down to engineering time and calibration," Brooks says.The engine rated at 260kW and 510Nm, the power increase ranging from 10kW on the SS to 25kW on the Calais. Now the Calais and Statesman have the same output as the Commodore SS.Brooks says SS buyers won't be annoyed that it has no more power than its luxury stablemates."I think SS buyers will be satisfied with the increase in performance they get," he says.Holden outsold Ford in V8 cars by 17,771 to 6541 last year. V8s make up about 15 per cent of Commodore sales, but that increases to 36 per cent for Holden Ute and 49 per cent of Statesman and Caprice.Holden powertrain engineer Simon Cassin says fuel economy drops marginally by 0.1 litres/100km to 14 litres/100km for the automatic, andby 0.2 litres/100km to 14.6 litres/100km for the manual.There are some minor equipment upgrades. The SS Commodore is now standard with leather seats and bigger performance brakes.Holden will start making automatic cars with the 6.0-litre V8 for sale next month. Manual transmission cars go on sale in April.Prices will rise by up to $600.More power and torque may impress the faithful, but the best part of the new 6.0-litre V8 is its refinement.The L76 might be related to the 5.7-litre LS1, but it's much classier than its older cousin.The family newborn is smoother, quieter and more consistent in its output. Fans of the V8 sound needn't worry - the exhaust note has an even nicer rumble, but there seems less noise from the engine.In the SS Commodore, the improvement is in how easy it is to make the most of the extra power and torque. It requires less effort to maintain a good pace.The big step up, though, is in the Calais and Statesman, the engine giving a level of class expected from what are prestige cars.Though the engine story is a good one for Holden fans, the transmissions remain off the pace.The six-speed manual transmission in the SS remains fairly crude. In particular, a change from second gear to third requires more concentration than sharper units in some Japanese and European cars. A minor positive - compared with earlier Holden six-speed manuals -- is a lighter and shorter clutch release, making it less hit and miss.But it's the improvement in the engine that brings out the best in the manual. The extra torque, particularly at low revs, means leaving the car in sixth with the cruise control on is now a viable option. The driver can put the foot down in sixth at 100km/h and accelerate for passing without having to drop back a gear for more pull.The four-speed automatic is less convincing, despite the upgrade to the heavy duty 4L65E transmission (previously only on HSV cars, and the Crewman and Cross8 utes).First gear is low, so there's plenty of kick off the mark. Top is very high, allowing the SS to lope along at 100km/h at only 1650 revs, good for respectable fuel economy.But compared with the higher Falcons' excellent six-speed ZF auto, there are simply not enough ratios in between for smooth, consistent changes. The price is a jerky change from first to second, and again from second to third.The other things we like about the SS haven't changed. It still looks tough on the outside and has a smart and ergonomic interior. The trim might not be quite to the premium Japanese level, but the leather seats make it a comfortable cruiser. The controls are all in easy reach.Our drive at the Holden proving ground at Lang Lang didn't give us a chance to gauge fuel economy.

The Melbourne-made Redback Spyder and nine other ultra-exotic sports and luxury machines will form a $6 million convoy to Federation Square on February 7 to start the auto expo.It will be more than a dream come true for Redback designer Nick Tomkinson, 40, who will be driving the finished machine for the first time."I think I'll be very proud," Tomkinson says. "We have achieved something that not many people have."We didn't build a supercar to star at motor shows, we did it to build a car because we could."The Spyder is powered by a 335kW 5.7-litre V8 based on Holden's Gen III engine and rebuilt by Rolco Racing. It is capable of 320km/h.The Redback will wear trade plates during the parade, though Tomkinson is still working on getting low-volume compliance for registration before starting further production.Tomkinson says he is ready to take orders to build more Redbacks if asked at the Melbourne Motor Show, though he says the project is already a success even if he doesn't sell another car."We'd prefer to have an order bank of five cars before we start our next car but if we only get one order, of course we'd build them a car. We've had nothing yet but that's because we've kept it pretty quiet with this car.Tomkinson's Redback is the second one his company Carbontech has produced, with the first bought by US millionaire Mill Conroy and shipped overseas.Conroy's car is being trimmed in the US, and will be finished after its Eclipse audio system and airconditioning unit are fitted this week.But the car that will be on show in Melbourne next month isn't available for sale just yet."If someone wants to buy this car on the stand, they can't have it until the end of the year," Tomkinson says."It's already been booked for a number of motor shows around the country and overseas, and we will meet our commitment to the people and companies who supported the project."After Melbourne, the Redback will go to motor shows in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Singapore, in November.

Grey nomads and other motoring travellers are choosing to change their destination rather than the type of rig they tow or tow with, according to Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia (RVMAA) president Tony Bellamy.He says the previous petrol crisis in the 1970s did enormous damage to the recreational vehicle industry, but that is yet to happen this time."We won't know for certain the effect of high prices on trip length until next season, but the industry guess is that people who used to go all the way up to Cairns might be going only as far as Townsville," Bellamy says. "The fuel situation isn't deterring people from going north, but how far north."There's some evidence that travellers are thinking differently, but the reality is petrol might cost $50 extra for a trip and that's not a lot really."Anyway, a lot of RVs (recreational vehicles) such as motor homes and a lot of towing vehicles run on diesel and gas."Last year sales of small cars increased while sales of largercars and some four-wheel-drives declined.But industry spokesman Norman Faye says 4WDs and traditional Aussie sixes and V8s are still favoured for most towing duties."Towing does increase fuel consumption but a new four-wheel-drive is more efficient than a big six of 30 years ago," Faye says."Some people are looking at alternatives, but for practical reasons they usually look at diesel or gas instead of changing the type of vehicle."It's levelled out at 50-50 between 4WDs and six-cylinder Australian sedans/station wagons."One of the reasons for that has been the growth of the 4WDs as a suburban vehicle, but a lot of people don't realise they don't need a 4WD to tow trailers of less than 7m. A properly fitted-out six-cylinder vehicle is perfectly capable."By properly fitted-out, I mean with a level-ride (weight distribution hitches) and anti-sway devices, which cost $500-$750 to fit."A lot of caravans are streamlined and, with a pop-top and a 4WD, or a camper trailer and a sedan, the air is just going over the top, so it's not that inefficient."The RVMAA supports gas conversion as a good alternative for those who do long-distance touring because there is no loss of torque using gas and it can pay for itself in only a couple of years." THE HIT PARADEThe pop-top caravan is top of the pops. Tony Bellamy says the pop-top is a hit mainly because it fits under a carport or in a garage."Full caravans are mainly for couples doing the long trip."Camper trailers suit families because the sleeping area outside the main superstructure makes a larger living area."But the popularity of pop-tops is universal," Bellamy says.

The silver car turning right across the other side of the intersection is obviously facing a red arrow — no danger there, you think.You're halfway through the intersection before you notice something's not right. You see a flash of silver out of the corner of your eye. Then comes a sickening crash and a wall of white.Maybe you were in the right and the other driver in the wrong. Maybe you've never made a mistake while driving and own the most nimble car with the best handling you can afford.But sometimes there's nothing you can do. Your only protection is how well the car protects you in a crash.Research proves airbags are a key part of that.This year the SRS (secondary restraint system) airbag celebrates its 25th birthday. In 1980 it was installed for the first time in a passenger car — a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.It had a controversial beginning. Doomsayers said they would kill more people than they save, but today airbags are as essential to road safety as the seat belt.Now, not a single car sold in Australia doesn't have at least one airbag. Many have six or seven.There can be only one reason for the success of the airbag: it works.In a real-world investigation, Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) took the results of 155 frontal crashes involving airbag-equipped and non-airbag-equipped Holden Commodores between 1988 and 1999 and compared them.The survey found the driver airbag reduced the severity of head injuries by 75 per cent, facial injuries by 51 per cent, neck injuries by 70 per cent and chest injuries by 47 per cent.Ross McArthur, manager of vehicle safety and chairman of the Australian New Car Accident Protection (ANCAP) steering committee, explains."I've been involved in road safety since 1980 and I would say airbags are one of the three best things I've seen. The other two are seat belts and, lately, stability control," he says."Statistics from actual crashes tell us airbags in the front reduce injury risk by 50 per cent. They also tell us side airbags can reduce injury by up to 40 per cent, so they are very effective indeed."McArthur is so convinced of the airbag's merits that he says it should be a major consideration when buying a car."It's at a stage now where people should steer away from any vehicle, new or used, that doesn't have a driver airbag," he says. "If I were buying a new vehicle, it would have head-protecting side airbags as well."The development of a safety cushion that could be deployed in a micro-second in a crash began in 1967. But the program nearly foundered when a tester died in an airbag-related accident.It wasn't the last time the safety of airbags came under scrutiny. In a minor collision, a child was decapitated by a front-passenger airbag."That did happen," Australian airbag pioneer and chief engineer at Holden Innovation Laurie Sparke says. "That particular accident happened in a parking lot at only 5km/h."Rule No.1 is children under about 12 should always be in a back seat and always wear an appropriate restraint. Children should not be in the path of an airbag."Airbags are an explosive device. When sensors detect a crash, they trigger a discharge that inflates the airbag within 50 milliseconds, half the time it takes to blink your eye.The airbag comes out at approximately 200km/h and needs 200mm to inflate, which is why small children or anyone without a seat belt is at risk.The reality, though, is even the worst airbag ever installed has not adversely affected passenger safety."The American systems were never as good because they were compromised by having to take into account people who did not wear seat belts," Sparke says."These days they're better because airbags have sensors to show if the person is wearing a seat belt."But airbags benefit those who wear seat belts anyway."Australia was a world leader in airbag technology, according to Sparke, who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his work in car safety.He says Holden has made the running on the technology, both locally and internationally, since 1995, and that Ford and Holden have worked together with safety supplier Autoliv."At the time we were developing the VR Commodore airbag they were fashionable but not very successful," he says."With MUARC, we came up with a formula called Harm (hospital costs, rehabilitation costs and monetary loss) to measure the injury costs of crashes and the effectiveness of airbags, and we used it in our development."After it was published, a United States Senate subcommittee on road safety got in touch with us wanting to know how we'd achieved that degree of improvement, especially for small occupants."As result of Australian input, the US Senate changed the airbag performance requirements."It's interesting that Australian technology drove American legislature." AIRBAG FACTS An airbag deploys in 50 milliseconds, half the time it takes to blink.Once an airbag has deployed, it and the control unit must be replaced.On A Holden Commodore Executive, front airbags cost about $500, side airbags $250 and the control unit (mounted under the seat) about $300. Holden's Laurie Sparke says airbags now cost about one 10th of those in the early '80s.About 50 per cent of crashes severe enough to deploy an airbag result in the car being written off.The cost of replacing airbags is usually insignificant compared with the cost of repairing damage to the vehicle.It's rapid acceleration or deceleration that sets off airbags, not the impact itself.Race cars are rarely fitted with airbags, partly because drivers wear helmets and full harnesses.They have been used by Mercedes-Benz in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship). V8 Supercar veteran John Bowe says they should be considered in Australia.The Lexus GS is Australia's airbag king with 14, including driver and passenger knee-protection bags.People who see an airbag deploy are often startled by a cloud of white dust. This is cornflour, which acts as a lubricant when the airbag deploys.