Articles by Karla Pincott

The uni found the reason behind that sticky steering wheel - an average of 700 different types of bacteria. The most common was bacillus cereus which causes food poisoning. That compares with 80 distinct bacteria types on a public toilet seats. Researchers also found that the inside of a car's boot contains even more filth - up to 1000 bacteria types per square inch. The reason cars are so filthy is simple; we don't clean them. Researchers say while we vacuum, dust and disinfect our home on a semi-regular basis, only one third of study participants clean their vehicle once a year or more. Motorists may get rid of rubbish in the car and occasionally vacuum the carpet, but how often is the steering wheel wiped down? Beyond cleanliness, the study also found that many drivers know little about their cars. For example, two-third don't know how to change a tyre and one third of those surveyed don't know how to put air in the tyres. In the meantime, tell your kids: Wash your hands after driving that car!

The app lets players challenge each other slot-car style, on virtual circuits, and switch between Sport and Eco driving modes to log the best lap times while bringing in a good fuel figure.The two players who finish with top scores overall on all the app’s tracks will get to face-off in person at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne on Sunday, June 19. The final winner will take the grand prize: a Lexus CT 200h.The two finalists will receive return flights to Melbourne from their nearest capital city and accommodation in the luxurious Crown Metropol.Lexus spokesman Peter Evans says the mobile app is “the perfect launch platform” for the all-new CT 200h. "The CT 200h is a completely new proposition for Lexus and brings with it a new, younger audience,” Evans says.“The addition of mobile applications to our marketing activity makes perfect sense.”The Lexus CT City Challenge app is available now at the following link: Lexus CT 200h on iTunes

IT's the car that showed Jaguar had got its groove back ... The C-X75 concept car was a hit at the 2010 Paris motor show, with the stunning design showing that Jaguar had relocated its supply of mojo, which had been put into storage under Ford ownership. Developed in association with the Williams F1 racing team, the hybrid supercar will be built from 2013 in a limited run of 250, but there is no set quota allocated specifically for Australia. “It is an order-based system, so it will be first come first served around the world,” Jaguar Australia spokesperson Narine Salmasi says. Expressions of interest aren’t coming through local HQ but through a phone number that goes directly to the UK office, she says. “We’ve had a few inquiries but can’t confirm exactly how solid their level of interest is yet.” The car will be priced from 700,000 pounds ($1.2 million) in the UK, with taxes likely to add a large slug on top of that. The production model will not use the show concept’s micro-turbines -- although Jaguar has said it will still look at developing the technology further – but instead rely on a small, boosted petrol engine and an electric motor at each axle. The C-X75 will have a top speed of 322km/h and log the 0-100km/h sprint in under 3 seconds, with an electric-only range of 50km, and emissions predicted to be under 100g/km.

It's not as sharp or fast as their F1 racers, but it has two seats, air-con and a sound system. And anyone in Australia with about $500,000 to splash on something special can join them, as the 12C is now officially on sale Down Under. The supercar brand introduced its MP4-12C to Australia this week, celebrating the appointment of Trivett as its Down Under representative. The MP4-12C the first of a range of machines from the world's most successful racing car company, is a carbon-cored, Formula One-inspired bespoke design that is not only rapid but boasts one of the lowest CO2 emissions in its class. The mid-engined MP4 doesn't share any components with other cars — even the engine is in-house — and is built in England at McLaren's factory. The car is built with a carbon MonoCell — a carbon-composite construction pioneered by McLaren in the 1981 Formula One MP4/1 model — but to reduce costs, is moulded as one piece. It is the first time a chassis has been made this way. McLaren claims that this design allows a much narrower structure overall which creates a more compact car that is easier to position on the road and more rewarding to drive. The engine is a bespoke McLaren 1M838T2 3.8-litre, V8 bi-turbo that produces about 450kW/600Nm and drives through a McLaren seven-speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG). Sheriff says the engine delivers the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any car on the market with an internal combustion engine "and that includes petrol and diesel hybrids". There has been a very strong response to the car in Australia. Trivett was holding about 20 deposits before the unveiling this week – and five more when the launch night finished, Trivett executive chairman Greg Duncan says. “That doesn’t normally happen at the launch of a car,” Duncan points out. “People are usually more inclined to drive it first, touch and feel it. “But here’s a car where we can’t even tell them the firm price, they haven’t driven it, yet five more deposits were on the table at the end of the night.” Duncan happily acknowledges the demand is enough to outstrip the first quota of 12 to 15 cars, which will start arriving in November. So some will have to wait until next year, when the quota will be raised to 40. “I think by then we will be in a situation where it will be well-managed allocation and delivery process.” Duncan says the arrival of McLaren is an indication of the Australian economy’s strength. “We certainly didn’t escape the global financial crisis, but Australia didn’t feel the full impact other countries did,” he says. “In terms of people buying super-luxury cars, I think the reaction to the crisis is now largely past. Those people reacted by moving to consolidate and protect their situation, and now the economy is more stable and predictable they are turning to giving themselves some attention. “We’re finding that across all (Trivett) super-luxury brands, not just McLaren.”

Holden has announced a recall on 4236 JG Cruze vehicles imported from Korea, due to concern that a rear seatbelt retaining nut was missing. “This could lead to passengers sitting in the centre or driver’s side rear positions not being properly restrained,” Holden spokesperson Emily Perry says. “We’re advising owners that it would be better to not carry passengers in those positions until the car is checked.” Perry says the affected cars were built between November 15 2010 and January 12 2011. Holden is contacting all owners to notify them of the recall. More information is available from Holden Customer Service on 1800 632 826. Meanwhile, nearly every Cruze built in the US since Chevrolet launched the car there last September has been recalled to check the steering shaft. Nearly 150,000 of the cars - which was GM's best seller in the US last month, and played a large part in the company's recent financial turnaround - will undergo the recall because the steering shaft may have been installed incorrectly. In addition, nearly 120,000 of those will also be inspected to check that installation of the automatic transmission shift linkage is correct. However the recall doesn't impact on the Australian Cruze, which is assembled at Holden's Elizabeth plant in Adelaide. "It's just the North American Cruze," Perry says. "It doesn't impact on Cruze production in other facilities and none of the recalled cars were sold outside the US and Canada."

Donald Trump has turned down the offer to drive the pace car for the 100th anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29, citing a busy schedule.However, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway may know the insider’s reason for Trump’s no-show, citing in their press release that “Donald J. Trump today informed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that he may be announcing shortly his intention to run for the office of President of the United States, and therefore he thought it would be inappropriate to drive the pace car."I very much appreciate the honor, but time and business constraints make my appearance there, especially with the necessary practice sessions, impossible to fulfill," Trump said. "I look forward to watching the race from New York."Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Jeff Belskus said that he understood Trump’s withdrawal, and thanked him for being “a true fan”.

The residential area -- in the West Australian city of Swan -- which includes part of the old Caversham circuit where triple F1 World Champion raced in his early days, was named Brabham on Sunday at a ceremony attended by Sir Jack and Lady Margaret. "I am deeply honoured to have this locality named after me," Sir Jack said. Before being taken on a slow lap of what remains of the old track, the 86-year-old legend added that he would welcome seeing it revived. "It would . be very good if the circuit can be restored and put to use again," he said. West Australian Lands Minister Brendon Grylls said the proposal to name the suburb Brabham -- first suggested by the Vintage Sports Car Club of WA - received a lot of support in recognition of his achievements. "Sir Jack is not only a triple formula one world champion but was also named Australian of the Year in 1966, awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1967 and then knighted for his services to motor sport in 1979," Grylls said. The proposal's success has now sparked a plan to turn Caversham into a venue for vintage and historic racing, patterned after Goodwood.

The show includes artworks and objects that tell the story of motoring pioneer Lord John Montagu - editor of The Car Illustrated magazine, his secretary and mistress, Eleanor Thornton, and the sculptures of her that led to the Spirit. The first Rolls-Royces did not have radiator mascots, but many owners commissioned their own to decorate their cars. Montagu had Charles Sykes create one for his Silver Ghost, and the sculptor modelled The Whisper -- a figurine of Eleanor Thornton in fluttering drapery, with her finger to her lips symbolising the secret affair. It was one of the more dignified personal mascots of the day. By 1910 Rolls-Royce had become concerned that many owners were mounting vulgar mascots to their cars, and managing director Claude Johnson commissioned Sykes to design a mascot that could be "the spirit of the Rolls-Royce". Sykes again used Eleanor as the inspiration for the figure that was first known as the Spirit of Speed and later became the Spirit of Ecstasy, which has since decorated nearly every Rolls-Royce. (Notable exceptions are Queen Elizabeth's mascot of St George slaying a dragon, and the late Princess Margaret, who chose a Pegasus.) However, Eleanor did not live long enough to see how enduring her image became. She was killed in 1915 when the ship on which she and Lord Montagu were sailing to India was torpedoed by a German submarine. Montagu survived and is said to have grieved in secret for the rest of life. The exhibition at Palace House - the Montagu family home - will feature The Whisper and other Spirit of Ecstasy figurines, and special edition covers created by Sykes for The Car Illustrated magazine, among other items. The mascot - which is also nicknamed Ellie in her Nightie - has been through many changes over the years, several of which were prompted by the lowering height of the cars. A kneeling version was produced briefly in the 1930s, but was later replaced by a smaller standing mascot. In the US she was made to bow a little lower to better protect the car bonnets. On recent cars, the Spirit is spring loaded and retracts into the bonnet to deter thieves.

The McLaren MP4-12C will be presented to Australia today in Sydney – check back here later to see all the photos and video – and the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 team and racing program is unveiled in the UK.The GT3 will be the first McLaren car built for FIA GT series racing since the F1 GTR’s last days in1997.Based on the carbon chassis-based MP4-12C, the GT3 has been adapted for the track with F1 technology, with 20 cars homologated for GT3 racing next year.Privateer buyers of the car will also be given access to the McLaren simulator programs.McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh says turning the MP4-12C into a race car was a logical move.“McLaren has racing in its blood and it was a natural step to take our MP4-12C road car and turn it into the most reliable, efficient and easy to drive GT3 car,” Whitmarsh says.“Every car on the grid will have its performance balanced by race rules, meaning our objective must be to select a technical specification that ensures any driver is able to access the 12C GT3’s performance limit with ease.“We have worked with CRS Racing to ensure the 12C’s design and development program is as close as possible to one McLaren Racing would employ in developing a Formula 1 car.“The 12C GT3 will be supplied with the 12C’s carbon MonoCell and the same steering wheel design employed by Lewis Hamilton in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car.“Plus, we are working closely with Formula 1 suppliers past and present: Akebono, Mobil 1, McLaren Electronic Systems, Ricardo and Michelin for example. This blend of road car and Formula 1 technology and experience will be a great advantage to anyone racing a 12C GT3 in 2012.”

But with a quota of less than 10 for Australia, demand could still outstrip supply when they start arriving later this year. “We’ve had a small number of extremely serious inquiries,” Porsche spokesman Paul Ellis says. “But we haven’t even started marketing it yet, so that indicates there will also be some serious competition.” The limited edition car carries a hefty price tag at just under $410,000. But it also carries the biggest engine ever seen in the model -- a 368kW/460Nm 4.0-litre boxer six-cylinder mated to a race-tuned six-speed manual. Porsche promises a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds, and to double that in under 12 seconds, with a claimed Nurburgring lap time of 7m 27s. Weight has been trimmed to 1360kg (wet) with the help of carbon fibre seats, bonnet and guards, a plastic rear window and ‘weight-optimised’ carpet. Seriously. An injection of race technology from the track GT3 RSR includes the crankshaft, titanium connecting rods and suspension components. Painted white to strengthen the link to the race cars, the body sits low and wide. Its aerodynamics are boosted by the large rear wing and front air-deflection vanes or ‘flics’ – the first on a production Porsche – that help create downforce.