Articles by Joshua Dowling

New Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG has 375kW of power and 700Nm of torque. The new generation 2015 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG promises to be the most powerful yet, with the company confirming the twin turbo 4.0-litre V8 will have 375kW of power and a whopping 700Nm of torque. The peak outputs are greater than the previous generation E63 AMG, and 50Nm more than the same engine in the AMG GT-S sportscar unveiled a fortnight ago. Company insiders say the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is expected to complete the 0 to 100km/h dash in less than 4.2 seconds, the time recorded for the current generation C63 AMG Black Series. Mercedes-Benz is still doing final testing of the new generation car ahead of its global unveiling at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in late September. Spy photos show sedan and wagon versions of the new C63 AMG have been tested on the Nurburgring and high-speed autobahns of Germany. Price is expected to be announced next year, but Carsguide understands it is likely undercut the BMW M3 sedan and BMW M4 coupe despite being faster and more powerful than its German rival. Mercedes-Benz says it has sold 40,000 V8-powered C-Class AMG cars since 1997, but the new model is expected to set new sales records for the mid-sized performance sedan. 

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid at its international launch.

Holden revives Peter Brock-style limited edition with his protégé Craig Lowndes.Holden is putting the finishing touches on the Craig Lowndes special edition Commodore SS-V ahead of its debut at this year’s Bathurst 1000.These spy photos confirm that the updated V8 Commodore automatic models get racecar-style gearshift levers behind the steering wheel, and Craig Lowndes’ signature embroidered into the dashboard, above the glovebox.Although these photos don’t show it clearly, the rear brakes now have Brembo calipers to match the front.The photo confirms that the leak by Holden dealers on Facebook two months ago was accurate.The roof, rear spoiler, mirror scalps and other highlights are finished in contrasting black paint on red bodywork, and the badge on the back is more than just a sticker, it’s a chrome moulded design.RELATED: V8 sales soar as Commodore and Falcon near the end of the lineMORE: Ford unveils last ever Falcon GTHolden initially planned to build 161 Craig Lowndes edition Commodores (the same number of laps to complete the Bathurst 1000) but demand is so strong since the news broke that Holden now plans to build 230 cars, which will equate to roughly one per dealer.The Lowndes edition Commodore means the V8 Supercar star will continue the legacy left by his fallen hero Peter Brock, who put his magic touch on thousands of Commodores in the 1980s.The Lowndes edition gets no power upgrades and comes with the regular 6.0-litre V8, rather than the LS3 6.2-litre V8 used by HSV, but it does come loaded with all the available technology in the latest Commodore, including a heads-up display, crash avoidance alert, and keyless go, among other features.The launch of the Lowndes edition Commodore comes after the “Collingwoodore” was unveiled in April to celebrate Holden’s sponsorship of the Collingwood AFL team. 

The value of the Australian dollar against the US dollar fell to a six-month low this week, but don't expect to see a kneejerk rise in new-car prices. There are several compelling reasons for this. For starters, every car already on dealer lots was imported by the car company and paid for by the dealer when the currency was stronger. Secondly, most brands do not buy in US dollars. And thirdly, most companies buy their foreign currency up to six and nine months in advance, to protect customers (and the price of cars) from such fluctuations. The value of the Australian dollar versus the Japanese Yen, the Thai Baht (Thailand is now our second biggest source of cars ahead of South Korea), and the Euro are all relatively steady. Furthermore, economists are predicting that the value of the Australian dollar will remain above 90 US cents for at least the next 12 to 18 months. Any guessing beyond then is exactly that: a guess. So while the latest car sales figures don't reflect it, as we've now seen eight months in a row of sales decline and the biggest dip since the Global Financial Crisis, the reality is new-car prices in the mass market (below $60,000) are the lowest they've been in 20 years and, thanks to low interest rates, car affordability is at a 38-year high, according to CommSec. New-car prices will only start to rise once the Australian dollar slumps across more currencies for a several months in a row. Then, we will need to worry. All that said, Australians still pay over the odds for luxury cars, but you can blame that on our relatively small market (less than 1 per cent of global vehicle sales) and a Luxury Car Tax that slugs buyers 33 per cent of the cost of most cars above $61,884.

Tired of returning to hot car? You need one that cools itself before you get in it. A day at the beach no longer means returning to a stifling hot car and seats that can burn the back of your legs. A new smartphone app can switch on the air-conditioning up to 10 minutes before you're ready to get in the car. There is just one catch: for now the technology is only available on a Mercedes-Benz limousine that's expected to cost $310,000 when it goes on sale next year. But it will be available on more affordable models within two years. The feature is standard on the company's first ever plug-in hybrid car, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid. It can travel 33km on battery power alone before the petrol engine takes over for a further 800km of driving. The technology has created a new dilemma: save the planet with petrol-free driving range, or save your skin?  The same car also has technology that teaches you how to drive economically.  A radar system can tell if you're too close to the car in front and will 'pulse' the accelerator pedal to tell you to back off.  "As our flagship model, the S-Class always has our leading technology but you will these features on other models over time," said Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy.The Mercedes-Benz S500 is not the first car to cool itself, however. In the 1990s Mazda introduced a car with solar panels in the sunroof to keep the car cool while parked. Mazda abandoned the technology, but Toyota reintroduced it on the most expensive version of the latest Prius hybrid introduced five years ago. However, unlike the Mercedes system, the Toyota Prius keeps the cabin at an ambient temperature whereas the Mercedes will cool the car to a chill.

Police are concerned about drivers using Apple Watch while behind the wheel. The Apple iPhone 6 -- with a choice of two new large screens -- goes on sale across Australia today, but police are concerned about the Apple Watch due in February 2015 and the adverse impact it may have on driver safety.  The Apple Watch and other smartphone watches such as the one made by Samsung will be "next to impossible" for police to enforce if they’re used while driving as they are a "wearable device", according to senior highway patrol police.  However drivers will still be able to get a ticket under distracted driving laws. "There is no doubt there is potential for distraction if a driver has a message beep at them on their watch phone," said a high-ranking NSW highway patrol officer.  "Drivers will be tempted to take their eyes off the road to check the message," he said. "Drivers might not be booked under mobile phone laws but they can be booked for not paying due care and attention, or booked under driver distraction laws." The fines for dangerous driving are as severe as, if not higher than, those for using a mobile phone. In most states and territories, driving while using a mobile phone attracts a penalty of three demerit points and about $300, but in Victoria the fine is $433 and four demerit points. When asked about the legality of Apple Watch and the Samsung watch when used as a mobile phone, Queensland Police issued the following statement: "The Queensland Road Rules which apply to using a mobile phone while driving do not apply to a smartwatch. However drivers could be charged with not having proper control of their vehicle and driving without due care and attention, should they drive erratically or become distracted." At a stretch, drivers could also be booked under the laws covering display screens that can distract drivers. The exact wording of the laws vary slightly in each state and territory, but according to the Australian Road Rules: "A driver must not drive a motor vehicle that has a television receiver or visual display unit in or on the vehicle operating while the vehicle is moving, or is stationary but not parked, if any part of the image on the screen is visible to the driver from the normal driving position." This law was intended to cover TV screens and DVD players but could be used to book a driver using a smartwatch given that it has a display screen. Last month a study found one out of every three young drivers admitted to taking a "selfie" behind the wheel. A survey of 7000 drivers aged 18 to 24 found that texting and talking are only part of the dangers posed by smartphones in cars. According to a survey commissioned by Ford of Europe, one-in-three young British drivers admitted to taking a "selfie" while on the move, ahead of those in Germany (28 per cent) and France (28 per cent). Meanwhile, just as many young drivers admitted to using social media apps or websites while behind the wheel. The survey found that taking a photo can distract a driver for 14 seconds, enough for a car travelling at 100kmh/h to cover the length of more than three football fields. A study by Monash University in Melbourne found drivers are 2.8 times more likely to crash when dialing a phone than when driving undistracted. "Any distraction while on the road is dangerous, particularly for inexperienced drivers," said the chief executive of the Australian Automobile Association, Andrew McKellar. "(But) taking a photo or a selfie while driving is extremely dangerous." In December 2012, 20-year-old Brooke Richardson crashed at 100km/h near Cobram on the NSW-Victoria border moments after sending a text message. The coroner found she dropped the phone, bent down to pick it up and swerved to the wrong side of the road and hit a tree. The death came one month after the NSW Government launched its "Get Your Hands Off It" campaign. In August 2013, 26-year-old Sarah Durazza died after crashing her car into a tree on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Her boyfriend told police he was talking to her on her mobile phone at the time of the incident, and heard the impact. Meanwhile, Mr McKellar said most young drivers are unaware of the penalties they are risking. To remove any ambiguity, the laws in most states and territories have changed to make it illegal to even handle a phone unless it is in a secure cradle or windscreen mounting. Many states also ban P-Plate drivers from using a phone even when used with a hands-free device.

Holden prepares to sack half its engineering workforce this year before production ends in 2017.Holden is preparing to sack 300 vehicle engineers – half its engineering workforce – by the end of this year, three years ahead of the factory closures.Engineering work on an updated version of the Holden Commodore is almost complete and the services of at least half the test team staff will no longer be required.The remaining engineers will stay on for another 12 months to prepare one final update before the locally-made Commodore reaches the end of the line in late 2017.The engineers who will lose their jobs are based at Holden’s test track at Lang Lang on the south-eastern outskirts of Melbourne and at the company’s headquarters in Port Melbourne. VIDEO: Holden's Lang Lang proving ground heritageRELATED: Holden test track here to stayMORE: Holden and Ford post $820M lossThe engineering staff at Holden’s car assembly line at Elizabeth near Adelaide are understood to not be part of the latest round of redundancies.Holden has confirmed there is a redundancy program for engineers – which some media have estimated will see up to 400 job losses – but the car maker would not confirm when the job cuts would be made or how many workers are affected.“As announced last year, Holden's engineering workforce is largely tied to production of our locally-manufactured vehicles and as such our engineering workforce will be scaled back over time,” said Holden spokesman Sean Poppitt.“The company currently has a voluntary separation program open to engineering employees. Holden has also (relocated) a number of engineers to General Motors headquarters in Detroit where possible,” said Mr Poppitt.However, Holden “won't engage in speculation on timing or the number of employees impacted”, he said.Holden’s V6 engine plant in Port Melbourne is due to close in 2016 – one year before the car assembly line in Elizabeth shuts – and will cost an estimated 260 jobs, while the closure of the car assembly line in Elizabeth in 2017 will see the remaining 1500 employees there out of work.Meanwhile up to 600 white-collar workers associated with purchasing and manufacturing, based at Holden’s head office in Port Melbourne, will also be made redundant before the company becomes solely an importer of vehicles in 2018.However, about 140 designers based at Holden’s head office will keep their jobs, working on foreign cars for General Motors.Holden’s Lang Lang vehicle testing facility is about 95km southeast of Melbourne and includes a 4.7km banked oval for high-speed driving, a giant skid pan, and 44km of sealed and unsealed roads that replicate real world driving conditions, including tram lines.Every Holden introduced since 1958 has been tested and developed at Lang Lang.The Holden test facility was very nearly sold during the Global Financial Crisis in 2009 – transport magnate and car enthusiast Lindsay Fox had reportedly expressed interest in buying it – but Holden announced earlier this year that it is keeping its proving ground (and a skeleton number of staff) to do local testing of foreign vehicles.The cutbacks at Holden mean that arch rival Ford will have the largest automotive engineering and design workforce in Australia once manufacturing comes to an end.Ford plans to keep 1100 designers and engineers on staff to develop global vehicles once its Broadmeadows car factory and Geelong engine and stamping plants close in October 2016.

This isn’t quite the bang that Ford was hoping the last ever GT Falcon series would go out on.Ford has stopped delivering cars — and called back more than 300 already in customer hands — because of a problem with the handbuilt supercharged V8.A seal in the engine can become dislodged and damage the transmission’s bell housing — the part that links the engine to the transmission — causing a loud noise similar to a marble on a roulette wheel.It is not deemed a safety issue so there is no official recall. Instead, Ford is addressing the problem discreetly.RELATED: Ford says factory to stay until 2016 MORE: Almost $400,000 raised for first and last GT FalconA statement from Ford said: “Ford is committed to delivering leading quality, including this customer satisfaction campaign that we quickly initiated for a small number of (GT Falcons) after learning a grommet in the engine block may not have been properly installed.”Ford says 325 of the batch of 500 cars have already been built and that it has contacted most customers directly.There is no risk the car would lose power suddenly but Ford says the misplaced seal could cause “an obvious noise to indicate service is required”.The mechanical malfunction is an embarrassing hiccup for the iconic car, which is the most powerful GT Falcon of all time, and the last of its type before Ford closes its Australian manufacturing operations in October 2016.When the Ford Performance Vehicles division closed at the end of 2012, Ford Australia retrained workers at its Geelong engine plant so they could build the GT Falcon’s supercharged V8.However, unlike the mass-produced six-cylinder engines which are made on a production line for the Falcon sedan and Territory SUV, the GT Falcon’s supercharged V8 must be built by hand.Last month, Ford raised almost $400,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation when it auctioned the first and the last of the final series of GT Falcons.Car number 500 alone fetched $236,100 — triple its recommended retail price — to an enthusiast in Melbourne while car number 001 went to a buyer in Western Australia.

World's fastest ute confirmed: Holden Special Vehicles GTS Maloo will get Porsche technology to stop a skid.The world’s fastest Holden ute is poised to go out with a bigger bang than originally planned.Due to overwhelming demand for the pick-up that’s as fast as a Porsche -- it sold out within 24 hours, a month before it officially went on sale -- Holden will increase the number of cars built from 150 to 250.The Holden Special Vehicles GTS Maloo is still expected to become one of the most collectible models of the modern muscle car era because it is exactly half the number of the final Ford Falcon GT sedans built.HSV has confirmed the GTS Maloo powered by a supercharged V8 will go into production in November before arriving in showrooms before the end of the year priced from about $85,000.HSV wanted to restrict the number built to create a collector car but it decided to increase production after it became apparent some of its best customers had missed out on the supercharged V8 ute, powered by the same engine used in a high-performance Chevrolet Camaro in the US.SCOOP: How we broke the storyMORE: Holden Ute hot lap on world's longest trackRELATED: Holden Ute takes on world's best. In addition to being the world’s fastest ute, with an expected 0 to 100km/h time of just 4.5 seconds, the HSV GTS Maloo is also the first ute ever with “torque vectoring”, a high-tech computer-controlled stability control system that can prevent a skid in corners at highway speeds. It’s the same type of system used on the latest Porsche 911.The HSV GTS Maloo also has the most advanced safety features ever fitted to a ute, and the biggest brakes.HSV boss Tim Jackson said: “We have been working on this project for a couple of years now. There are a number of unique elements required to integrate the (supercharged V8) into the Maloo platform, and significant time in getting all the safety and performance technologies to operate effectively.”The arrival of the GTS Maloo is expected to coincide with upgrades to the regular Holden Commodore range due to go into production at the Elizabeth factory in Adelaide in November, with deliveries to customers expected just in time for Christmas.HSV GTS MalooPrice: $85,000 (estimated)Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8Power: 430kW and 740Nm0 to 100km/h: 4.5 seconds 

Holden revives Peter Brock-style limited edition with his protégé Craig Lowndes. Holden has confirmed that its star V8 Supercar driver Craig Lowndes will put his name to a special edition Holden Commodore SS, continuing the legacy left by his fallen hero Peter Brock who put his magic touch on thousands of Commodores in the 1980s and 1990s. Lowndes' name will appear on a limited edition version of the Holden Commodore SS-V Redline, and each car will be individually numbered, just like the original Brock-enhanced Commodores. Although Brock Commodores typically were made in batches of 500, the Lowndes Commodores will be much more exclusive. Holden plans to build just 161 Commodores to commemorate the number of laps in the Bathurst 1000. The special edition is also designed to pay tribute to Lowndes's 20th anniversary of his first Bathurst 1000 race in a Holden. In 1994, a young Lowndes and his seasoned teammate Brad Jones came second in the Great Race in his rookie year. Carsguide understands the Lowndes edition V8 gets no power upgrades but it does come loaded with all the available technology in the latest Commodore, including a heads-up display, crash avoidance alert, and keyless go, among other features. It will also get race-bred Brembo brakes front and rear; until now the Brembo calipers have only been fitted up front. Visual highlights include a black finish for the alloy wheels, mirror scalps, fender vents and rear wing. There are also three thick black stripes on the bonnet and a flash of black along the doors on both sides. Production is due to start in November with deliveries due before the end of the year. In a Holden statement, Lowndes said: "I've had a lot of success on the racetrack behind the wheel of Commodores and to celebrate that with this special road-going version is a great privilege. I know fans and customers all over the country are going to love it."