Articles by Karla Pincott

People movers suffer an image problem. They’re largely seen as being dowdy, dull proof that any pretensions to a life are over. That may be true of some... okay, most of them.But a few MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles, as some brands like to call them) are arriving to overturn that truth. They've got style and response that dodges the 'stodgy' stigma and makes them fun to be in  – and you proud to be seen in them.Part of that charge of the MPV brigade is the Peugeot 5008 -- newly arrived here although available overseas for a few years – which, along with its sibling Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, is adding French chic to the task of carting around seven bodies in ease.VALUETwo versions are on offer, the $40,490 diesel and the $36,990 petrol tested here. There’s a single spec level across both, but the standard kit list is generous: 7-inch retractable colour touchscreen satnav, twin tray tables and DVD screens for the second row, rearview mirror integrated reversing camera, parking sensors, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control aircon with vents in the rear, 17-in alloy wheels and some clever extras like a rechargeable torch in the cargo area and retractable blinds for the second and third rows.The Citroen comes in at $39,490, but only in diesel, while Honda's petrol-powered Odyssey starts at $37,100.But the real contender is the newly arrived Kia Rondo, starting at $25,990 for the petrol version and $36,490 for diesel, but moving up considerably in price once you start adding in more fruit. To get similar equipment standards to the Peugeot you’re looking at $33,990 for the petrol Rondo.ENGINE AND GEARBOXThe 5008 is powered by a punchy little turbocharged 1.6-litre engine: the same carried by Peugeot’s 208 GTI and RCZ sports cars – and Citroens and Minis, albeit offering different outputs of power and torque. In the Peugeot MPV it delivers 115kW and 240Nm, getting it to the front wheels via six-speed automatic gearbox.Claimed fuel economy is 7.6L/100km, and although we hitting closer to 9L  towards the end of our test, it wasn’t out of order given the amount of hills and load we’d tested. Both petrol and diesel versions offer a decent 1500kg braked towing capacity (750 unbraked) which offers the prospect of hauling trailers and jetskis -- or extra luggage -- on family holidays.DESIGNIt’s a streamlined box, bearing the bold Peugeot face and with sharply angled light clusters and blackened window pillars giving some sweep to the shape. The inside also gets some great touches, including a panoramic sunroof that floods the cabin with light.But the real fun starts with the seats. The three second row seats individually recline, slide forward and back and -- with one of the easiest mechanisms in the field -- flip fold flat. The third row does a similar trick, giving you flat cargo floor and massive 2506-litre capacity from the rear door to the front seats, with the passenger one folding enough for very long items.The third row is reasonably easy to clamber into with the second row down, but once you're in the back it doesn't take long to realise it's designed more for kids than adults if the trip is going to be lengthy.There's a shortage of casual storage space in the front row, with the globebox so small you'll have to keep the owners' manual in a door pocket, and the centre console bin is handy if you want the 'cool box' function, but otherwise so deep you're going to lose things in there.And you'll be reaching for the centre stack and touchscreen to control audio and other functions, with no remote controls on the steering wheel -- giving it a somewhat low-tech look -- and several of them on wands sprouting from the steering column. SAFETYIt's not been crash-tested here, but gets five stars from Euro NCAP, with all the expected electronic stability and braking aids to help with panic stops and uneven distribution of weight in the vehicle, plus an array of airbags covering all three rows.DRIVINGThe steering is very light -- great for parking and you never get the feeling you're trying to wrestle a Kenworth into a shoebox -- a common problem with SUVs. We feared the lightness would make for a Playstation feel on the road, but it's so direct that driving through corners is a joy.The engine is not in the firecracker class, but helped along by turbo boost, it's surprisingly lively for a MPV. Gearing is well-matched to the engine, but the auto box lags a little in the higher slots and higher speeds, although generally only really noticeable when you're looking at swift overtaking.Ride quality is brilliant. We threw it over some fairly poor surfaces, and -- even without the extra damping of weight in every seat -- it smoothed out most of the problems.However, loading all rows adds considerably to the 5008's 1565kg, taxing the engine and making steep hills much more of a chore -- and a noisier one. This is also where you'll start to destroy the fuel economy, and was the main culprit for us ending up with 9.2L/100km (although we still consider that respectably given the tasks we demanded of it).VERDICTAdds some much-needed style and pleasure to the task of carting around people and freight like a small Greyhound bus -- and without driving like one. 

When Aussie drivers see men clad in lycra mixing it with the traffic, they're usually reviled as pesky cyclists getting in the way of the cars. But in Oslo, Norway, these four lycra-loving superheroes are helping the drivers find parking spaces in the city's crowded CBD. Carrying a cardboard car, the team parades through the streets finding vacant parking spots and squatting in them -- literally -- until a car comes along, and is waved in (often with a bit of bumper-spotting help). We're not sure how them sitting in the space helps the next car that comes along, which would have jumped in there anyway -- unless the team is being selective about which vehicles they choose to endow with the precious spot. The stunt has been set up by the Oslo city authorities to help relieve some of the parking stress in the inner city on weekends, and if it doesn't do that it will at least give some drivers a bit of a laugh. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Want supercar looks without a supersized price tag? This is the French way to get them... it's Peugeot's RCZ - a sleek coupe so sexy it's almost NSFW (not safe for work). The design has been revised and it's ditched the previous gaping maw that gave the first version the look of a recently hooked cod. The face is now more in tune with the rest of the gorgeous body.The swelling flanks, the curvaceous roof, the low glasshouse, all add up to a headturner that echoes the style of a supercar without the huge price. The cabin gets great detailing with hints of luxury and some quality materials at the touchpoints. There's a substantial spec list, including alloy pedals, powered seats with memory settings, and a massive flip-up infotainment and satnav screen.'Add in electronic parking assistance, leather covered sports steering wheel, 19-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights and projector headlights and you've ticked plenty of boxes.There's a heap of room in the front, and the boot's not bad -- you can take quite a bit of gear for a two-person weekend.  The hatch and the boot floor are huge, and folding the back seat down boosts the capacity. But the stunning slope of the roof means the back seats are little more than a parcel rack -- you can climb in but there's no room for heads -- or legs if you're already past primary school age.The automatic is slick in the mock manual mode -- even if it misses out on the trigger change satisfaction you could get from steering wheel paddles. You can get a 147kW petrol engine with a manual -- and there's also a punchy turbodiessel version, but we've tested the milder petrol engine here. It gives you just 115kW of power, but the numbers can be decieving -- this engine  rewards you with a bit of sparkle if you give it some revs and wake the turbo up.Get that going and the car comes to life, and with the competent handling it can be a fun drive. It feels planted and sure on the road, and turns even low speed corners into some legal fun. The handling is helped by the suspension being fairly firm, but the ride quality only gets undermined by really bad surfaces.It's not a hardcore sports car but its got enough bang for the buck to keep most people happy. And its 'beauty for the buck' ratio is off the scale. Some of the finishes may not be quite up to the standard of, say, its German sports rivals. But nor is the price.

Looking like a chop-shop salvage job, but perfect for the Fiat owner who has nearly everything, the Smeg 500 fridge is the result of a collaboration between the carmaker and the kitchen appliance brand.It was debuted in Paris with press statements touting it as "intended for the most exclusive, contemporary environments throughout the world" -- particularly those wanting to give the impression that the front end of a Fiat 500 car has just crashed through their wall, we imagine.Available in the Italian flag colours of red, white and green, the Smeg 500 has 100-litre capacity and hums along at 42 decibels -- not too far from the stats on the car.The fridge is a novelty, but marks more than 50 years of collaboration between the two brands, with the carmaker having helped with refrigerator production in Smeg's early days.The Smeg 500 joins the carmaker's other ventures into the household -- with the 'Fiat 500 Design Collection' including a sofa and tables.The fridge has an adjustable thermostat, automatic defrosting, three removable bottle holders, and a dedicated shelf for cans. There's no word on whether it will be available in Australia, but those desperate to have something like this in their kitchens could easily pop into a wrecking yard and end up with something even more useful. Anybody up for a Holden Commodore chest freezer?This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

If you love your car so much, you can't bear to be parted from it, Porsche Design would like to present your next home. The Porsche Design Tower includes glass car elevators that deliver your car straight into your apartment -- with you still behind the wheel. We've seen car elevators on other high-end residential buildings, but this beachfront development in the US city of Miami, is the first in which the driver stays in the vehicle. Porsche Design's first architectural venture -- although they've covered nearly every other luxury product field -- the US$560 million ($581m) apartment complex features three of the elevators, which scan your car and register recognition cues as you drive into the building and onto a turntable. The system then uses a robotic arm to lift your car into the elevator -- with laser scanners making sure your precious paintwork stays clear of scrapes and scratches from the walls. If you're already tired of the ocean views, a flatscreen TV will keep you amused for the 45 to 90 seconds it took to get to your apartment on one of the 60 floors -- where the lift's arm gently cradles you into your 'sky garage'. The Porsche Design Tower has 132 apartments, with prices ranging from $4.6m to $26m -- with half already sold, according to the developer. At those prices, of course it's not only the vehicular residents that get the luxury treatment. Human inhabitants are cosseted with stunning pool, gym and spa areas, a private restaurant and 24-hour concierge service. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

The carmaker says it will not advertise on Facebook until the social media giant can guarantee that ads will not appear near offensive content, and in particular pages that glorify violence against women.The move comes after action by more than 100 women’s groups, who joined together in a social media campaign against the content – including pages such as “Fly Kicking Sluts in the Uterus” and “Raping your Girlfriend”.The activists gathered more than 250,000 signatures on a petition at change.org, sent more than 5,000 e-mails to Facebook advertisers and posted 60,000 TweetsNissan is the largest of a group of 15 companies that took the move to pull Facebook ads this week, according to a report in the New York Times.“We are working with Facebook to understand this situation better and opt out of advertising on any pages that are offensive,” Nissan spokesman David Reuter told the New York Times. He said the ads were axed for this week, but would not outline future plans.Facebook said in a blog post that its "systems to identify and remove hate speech have failed to work as effectively as we would like, particularly around issues of gender-based hate."This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

It's a long way from a Queensland car wrecking yard to the art galleries of Europe and the US. But that's the journey ex-wrecker James Corbett has taken with his artworks created from old car parts.Corbett turns scrap metal parts into whimsical and engaging sculptures that have earned him an international reputation over the past decade.An exhibition opening in Sydney this week is the latest in a recent string that includes the UK and US -- with France also on the plan -- and see collectors snapping up pieces for as much as $25,000.Corbett's best known for his animal sculptures -- and his ability to transform a pile of old parts into creatures infused with life and personality. But his race cars and bikes also strike a strong chord with fans, and are among the subjects he takes most delight in creating."I probably most enjoy creating sculptures of the fantastic early Jules Vern-like pre WWI racers like the 'Blitzen Benz' - things I wish I could own in real life," Corbett says. "But I also really enjoy creating dog sculptures.  I like to try and capture their personalities ... and their shapes can be so different."But Corbett says dogs pose particular difficulties as a subject. "Everyone is familiar with how a dog sits, stands and displays its moods -- so for me as an artist there is no hiding.  If you have it right the dog will look incredibly alive, if you're a bit off with any aspect, everyone can see it."However dogs are not the most challenging creatures he's tackled, Corbett says.  "Owls are the hardest.  It's incredibly difficult to get their intense eyes just right." In addition to future exhibitions both here and overseas, Corbett says he'd like to venture into books."I'm happy with what I've achieved to this point, but I feel sure that there are much bigger things to come.  I'm just not sure where or how as yet."I would like to find the time to write an unpretentious book that displays my work and describes what it's like to accidentally become an artist.  I'd like to see this in the high school libraries.  I get an amazing number of emails from students studying art in all parts of the world, wanting information for assignments."One wrote me that they were critiquing my work in art class at the University of Miami, Florida - that just astounded me," he says.James Corbett's exhibition opens at the Michael Commerford Gallery, 68 New South Head Road, Edgecliff on May 30.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

     

A group of US teenagers at risk of failing high school have modified a 1967 Karmann Ghia to run -- electrically – on the ‘social fuel’ of tweets, likes and follows. The students are part of a Kansas City mentoring program called Minddrive for teens at risk of failing high school. The after-school program sees them work with mentors on car projects designed to get them keen to learn. The team of 20 students will drive their car from Kansas City to Washington, with the vehicle moving only when its system detects buzz about it on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The social fuel plan is part of Minddrive’s communications component, which each year mentors the students in writing, photographing and filming the projects they work on – this year seeing that work promoting the project on social media. The Karmann Ghia will roll forward when it detects the hashtag #MINDDRIVE or tweets about @minddriveorg on Twitter, likes and shares on Facebook, video plays on YouTube and follows on Instagram. This is the third electric car project by Minddrive students, with previous years having seen a chain-drive electric system fitted to a Reynard Champ Car and a 1977 Lotus Esprit – although for the Karmann Ghia the chain-drive has been replaced by a system that sends drive through the transaxle. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

The first car ever owned by John Lennon is up for auction again -- after not selling two years ago.The Beatles singer/songwriter's Ferrari 330GT will go under the hammer at the Bonhams’ July 12 sale, to be held at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in the UK.The Ferrari was personally selected by Lennon as his first car in February 1965 -- a month that saw The Beatles record Ticket to Ride, and Lennon get his ticket to drive after passing the licence test.Within hours of the news breaking, luxury car dealers were crowding the road outside the security gates of his Surrey home, hoping he'd choose from among their Maseratis, Aston Martins and similar prestige wheels.According to Bonhams, Lennon strolled out to look over the cars, and chose this Azzuro blue Ferrari 330GT 2+2 Coupé, priced at £6,500 (or just over £110,000 in today’s money). He drove the 330GT until October 1967 – covering more than 20,000 miles.The current owner acquired it in the late 1980s, when it ended up at the Modena Ferrari dealership, painted red and separated from its number plate. It was then “lovingly restored to its original specification,” with Azzuro Blue paint and blue interior.It's being offered for sale with its original DUL 4C registration restored by the DVLA, and -- even without the Lennon connection -- is still of interest as one of only 500 of its type built.The sale includes an extensive history file documenting its provenance and restoration, which also includes correspondence with Lennon. Expect to pay 180,000 to 220,000 pounds, or the equivalent of $275,000 to $335,000.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott