Articles by Joel Helmes

BMW has given the Z4 Roadster a modest external freshen up, and added an eight speed auto transmission as standard to four-cylinder variants. In what is the latest in a string of pricing and specification updates for various BMW models, the Z4 refresh doesn’t extend to engine tweaks, but the two turbo-charged four-cylinder variants – the Z4 sDrive20i and Z4 sDrive28i, pick up that eight speed auto as standard. If you prefer to opt for a manual transmission, you will be pleased to hear that BMW won’t charge you any extra for a six-speed manual gearbox. On close inspection you may, or may not, notice the external changes, but they include; LED light rings around the now standard Bi-xenon headlights, new accent lights with metal inserts over the headlights, Chrome coloured surrounds on the turn signal indicators and a newly designed side indicator surround. Inside the cabin BMW has added high-gloss black surrounds around the central air vents and folding control display of the Z4 Roadsters iDrive system. Equipment upgrades include the addition of ‘Professional’ grade navigation system as standard. This system includes a high-resolution 8.8-inch colour display, DVD drive, functional bookmarks, 3D map and arrow display and bird’s-eye view. The Z4 sDrive28i picks up new 18-inch wheels, sports seats, internet functionality and a music interface for smart phones. And the top of the range Z4 sDrive35is receives new 19-inch wheels (up from 18-inch), wind deflector, internet functionality and a music interface for smartphones. BMW Z4 Roadster Australian Pricing: Australian MRLP* BMW Z4 sDrive 20i $79,900 BMW Z4 sDrive 28i $89,900 BMW Z4 sDrive 35i $119,545 Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au

Announced today by BMW Australia, the pricing and specification revisions include the addition of added standard features and the lowering of the price of many options offered in the Sedan and Touring variants of the 3 Series. But with the revisions comes an increase in the initial purchase price of the 3 Series, these increases range from $1400 to $3000.BMW have also made various specification level changes, including the 'Business' grade navigation system as standard on the 316i, 318d, 320i, 320d sedan variants, as well as the 318d and 320i touring models. The 328i receives an upgraded body style, and a 'professional' navigation system complete with internet functionality.The 'Professional' navigation system now comes with a new iDrive controller, with touch functionality. Those who opt for the 'Driving Assistant' option now get a lane departure warning system.The BMW 'Lines' add-on package, with 18" alloys, now come at no cost on the 328i sedan and touring The 335i and ActiveHybrid 3 models also get the 'Lines' package as standard, as well as roller rear windscreen and door sunblinds. While all 3 Series Sedan and Touring models equipped with the eight-speed sports automatic transmission will now also include launch control as standard.BMW has also reworked the pricing of optional equipment, including; Optional equipment pricing has had an overhaul in the 3 series sedan and touring models. Active cruise control with stop and go function (not available for 316i and 318d) has benefitted from a $384 reduction.Similar revisions have been applied to the unique-in-segment Head-Up display with savings of up to $300, depending on the 3 Series model. A saving of around $460 is also available on the HiFi loudspeaker system or the high-end harman/kardon surround sound system as options for the 316i, 318d, 320i and 320d Sedan variants as well as the 318d, and 320i for the Touring models.The BMW ‘Lines’, price reduced on some models; no cost option on others. The M Sport package reduced by $615 for 316i and 318d; over $1000 for 328i and $500 for 335i and ActiveHybrid 3. Phil Horton, managing director of BMW Group Australia, says the changes enhance the value and credentials of the 3 Series.“The 3 Series is lauded for its excellent driving dynamics and beautiful styling, and now it boasts increased specification and more attractive option pricing. Who could ask for more?”The updates to the BMW 3 Series Touring models are effective from July 2013 production and from August 2013 for the BMW 3 Series Sedan range.BMW 3 SeriesBMW 316i Sedan            from $52,300BMW 318d Sedan           from $57,800BMW 320i Sedan            from $60,000BMW 320d Sedan           from $62,300BMW 328i Sedan            from $68,900BMW 335i Sedan            from $93,400BMW ActiveHybrid 3      from $99,700BMW 318d Touring        from $60,300BMW 320i Touring         from $64,000BMW 328i Touring         from $72,900Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au 

Using terms such as ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘sustainability’ when talking about the Ford F-150 doesn’t quite feel right. But, Ford is now working to make the F-150 cleaner and greener, even to the point of using sustainable materials in the production of the ultra-popular pick-up. The auto giants recently substituted talc-based reinforcement in an electrical harness with rice hulls, a naturally grown by-product of rice grain. This follows the introduction of other sustainable materials into the tough truck in recent times, including; Recycled cotton: Used as carpet insulation and a sound absorber. Soybeans: Used to make seat cushions, seat backs and head restraints. Recycled carpet: Some F-150 trucks have cylinder head covers made with EcoLon, a nylon resin produced from 100 percent post-consumer recycled carpet. Recycled tires: A thermoplastic material made from recycled tires and post-consumer recycled polypropylene is used to make shields and some under body covers on the F-150. Recycled plastic soda pop and water bottles: A lightweight fibre derived from recycled plastic soda pop and water bottles is used to construct F-150 wheel liners and shields. Recycled post-industrial plastics: Used in interior finish panels, including around radio and climate controls. Beyond the sustainable materials the model now also offers two engines that are much more environmentally friendly than power plants traditionally offered in the pick-up. Ford recently slotted a 3.5-litre turbo EcoBoost engine under the bonnet, and from next year a V6 engine will be offered that can operate on either natural gas or petrol through separate fuel systems. Ford sells a mammoth 650,000 F-Series trucks each year so it stands to reason that efficiency gains and the use of sustainable materials will have a significant positive impact on the environment. Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au  

But the reduction comes at a cost -- customers will be no longer offered five years free servicing.The Preve will be priced from $15,990 drive-away for the 5-speed manual variant and $17,990 for model fitted a 6-speed CVT for the rest of 2013. In place of the generous free servicing promotion, Proton is introducing a capped price servicing scheme for the models first five annual services.Powered by a 1.6L four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 80kW and 150Nm, the Preve boasts a pretty handy standard features list including 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, 60-40 split fold rear seat, and steering wheel audio and phone controls. Budget conscious buyers can also be reassured by the model’s five-star ANCAP safety rating.General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Proton Australia Billy Falconer said the Preve delivers excellent value for money. “These days everyone is seeking excellent value and keeping an eye on their spending.”“With this special offer we have Australia’s most affordable small car and the peace of mind of five years of capped price servicing, five years warranty and five years roadside assist. Added to that is the security of a five star ANCAP safety rating.”Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au 

Mini purists will probably throw their hands up in the air with disgust, but yes Mini bosses have seriously considered offering ‘camper’ versions of the famous (not as small as it used to be) small car.Mini has just unveiled three concept ‘campers’ which could be the perfect home-away-from-home for car buyers looking to get out into nature on the weekends, but still have a fun and easy to drive city car on Monday morning.Now, the idea of whacking a big camper ‘pod’ onto the roof of a Mini may seem a bit weird but you can kind of see some logic beyond at least exploring the idea. The fact is most Mini owners are young well-to-do city-dweller types and having the versatility of a vehicle that couldsafely take them to areas out past the suburbs would probably be attractive to many of them.How comfortable the pods would be and what the driving dynamics of the Mini would be like with that extra weight up-top remain unknown however.Mini also hasn’t spoken about how easy, or difficult it might be to turn your Mini back into a regular car when your weekend escape is over!Never the less, in a statement Mini said the concept vehicles ‘reflect different aspects of the rise in popularity of camping and festivals, creating a choice of premium home-from-home options for the enthusiastic traveller.’The statement then went on to say that at this stage there are no plans to make the concepts a reality; some would say that’sprobably a good idea! In the meantime here’s how Mini described their three ‘camper’ concepts:The Mini Clubvan Camper is the world’s smallest luxury camper van, packed with practical solutions that make it ideal accommodation for an individual on a weekend away.The Mini Cowley is a compact yet comfortable caravan for two people, equipped with a twin-ring gas stove, fridge and sink.The Mini Countryman ALL4 Camp with its innovative roof-top tent is the getaway car for an adventurous couple, evoking images of African safari and expedition vehicles.Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au

For most of us the seeds of car passion were sown early on in life. I think the first gift I ever received was two Matchbox cars and that was before I had even left hospital. The following years of my childhood were inextricably linked with Matchbox cars as I grew an impressive collection that included everything from Minis to fire trucks and everything in between. Many of you probably have similar memories and like me also still have at least part of your collection in a box somewhere. Now might be a good time to dust them off, with this year marking the 60th anniversary of the first Matchbox car being produced by British dad Jack Odell.Odell was working for a die-casting company, Lesney Products, when his daughter’s school enforced a rule that only toys small enough to fit into a matchbox were allowed through the school gates.Using a scaled down version of a Lesney toy car, Odell quickly realized little cars could be big business and launched three models - the Aveling Barford road roller, a Muir Hill dump truck and a cement mixer. The rest is history – in a tiny box.A decade later 14 factories in the UK were turning out an impressive 250,000 Matchbox cars each week! Sixty years later about 12,000 different models have been reproduced in miniature.Odell eventually sold the business and after it changed hands a couple of times Matchbox cars eventually ended up in the hands of the giant Mattel toy company, ironically the same company that had earlier established the fierce rival of the Matchbox car – Hot Wheels.Fortunately Mattel has kept both car brands alive and to pay tribute to the proud history of Matchbox cars they have released a limited edition run of 24 models complete with 60th anniversary branding. Let’s hope the humble Matchbox car continues to help children use their imagination and dream of getting into the ‘real thing’ for many generations to come.Matchbox car facts:• Finished 27th on the TIME Magazine ‘100 Greatest Toys’ list.• Only 75 different models are ever produced at one time.• The shovel nose tractor has been in production since 1976, longer than other model.• The biggest selling model is the Model A Ford.• The first Matchbox cars were sold in the UK for about 7.5 pence (about 18c).• A Matchbox quarry truck sold at auction in 2010 for £10,200 (nearly $17,000!)Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au 

‘Fly by wire’ allows for the replacement of mechanical linkages between the aircrafts flight deck (cockpit in the old language) and the planes control surfaces (such as the rudder and ailerons) with wires that carry the pilot’s commands electronically. Now that same principle is being used by Infiniti to link the steering wheel and the front wheels of their new Q50 model. The ‘Steer by wire’ system, called ‘Direct Adaptive Steering’, works by electronically transferring the driver's input to the front wheels where a high-response actuator drives the steering rack. Infiniti says by eliminating the mechanical losses that can dull the responses in conventional systems, steering response is faster and vibration at the steering wheel is eliminated. Drivers can even tailor steering weight and response settings to their own liking. Infiniti has reassured buyers that the technology does benefit from several back-up systems, including a conventional mechanical steering linkage, should something go wrong. But the Japanese brand believes the system is safe and has carried out extensive on-road testing to prove it. They even allowed Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel (Infiniti's Director of Performance) to put it to the test on Infiniti’s testing track. The Q50 is likely to start arriving here around November, with a starting price below $60,000. It is powered by a range of engines from a turbocharged four provided by Daimler, and will sidestep its German rivals with a solid emphasis on driving enjoyment. The official introduction of the Q50 comes as Infiniti confirms plans for a major model expansion at both the top and bottom ends of luxury motoring, with a Q70 flagship and a baby model to compete with the Benz A-Class. “The Q50 is coming, absolutely. It's here in quarter four,” Infiniti Cars Australia's spokesman, Peter Fadeyev, told Carsguide in May. “It will be our fifth model. And it will be our largest selling model. This will be competing in the most important sector of the Australian luxury car market.” He refuses to even hint on the price points or engines for the Q50 but we're likely to see a range of engines from turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel motors through a 3.7-litre V6 to a hybrid package. Direct Adaptive Steering will be offered as standard on the Infiniti Q50 hybrid later in the year (a model we don’t get in Australia). It’s exciting technology (so long as those back-up systems are reliable) that we will most likely see across many more models in coming years. Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au  

The sport and luxury division of Nissan has so far faced a tough battle winning over buyers from long-established brands including Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. But new boss Fintan Knight thinks a halo model and technology may be future keys to success.Knight began his career in the automotive industry with BMW in Australia 20 years ago before holding senior marketing and management positions with Lamborghini and Audi in Europe.Appointed to the top job at Infiniti just a matter of weeks ago, he’s told AOL Cars that he believes the brand is lacking a break-out model. "I think we need something aspirational at the top of the range," he says.And Knight sees an opportunity to win over buyers with technology, saying he believes the German manufacturers aren’t giving the ‘iPhone generation’ what they want. Germans get in their cars and treat them as transport. They need to be functional in their eyes.They don't use email, Twitter or iPhones. That's why they never really work for buyers who want that. Our cars have to interface with drivers. They should take over for you in certain areas."Knight also believes the brand needs to expand its current six model line-up to include a small car to compete with the Audi A3 and the Volkswagen Golf. "I don't think we'll challenge them in terms of volumes but it needs to be an alternative premium offering for buyers."And when quizzed on his opinion of arch-rivals Lexus – "I am not convinced that they have the right plan.” He said.Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au.

Mazda says the internal combustion engine still has plenty of life left in it and they won’t be adopting hybrid powertrains in a big way any time soon.While Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda have unashamedly adopted hybrid technology to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions, Mazda has been working to squeeze equally impressive power and efficiency gains out of its petrol and diesel engines.While Mazda does have a licensing agreement with Toyota to use the other manufacturer’s hybrid technology, so far they have offered only one hybrid model – a rebadged Ford Escape hybrid sold in the US and Japan as the Tribute hybrid.A Mazda spokesman from the company’s research and development division has told AOL Cars that the case for going to hybrids just doesn’t add up at the moment.“While downsizing can be an effective method for reducing emissions, adding an electric boost often merely offsets the loss in power from reduced displacement.”“We want to make sure our engines are optimally designed, to make better effect of the benefits of combined battery power.”Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au 

... green credentials not a concern for car buyers and police left red-faced after encouraging thief to steal a car. For all this and a lot more, listen to the podcast above.