Articles by Karla Pincott

The tweet calls the NSX ‘vaporware’, a term for products that are announced and widely promoted but never actually released for sale – or intended to be – and whose main task is to keep public attention away from the competition.Audi’s tweet, referring to superhero Iron Man (Tony Stark in his civvies) ditching his signature Audi R8 in favour of the NSX for The Avengers, may be a symptom of post product-placement stress disorder.Or it may be comfirmation that Stark may be staying away from the R8 for the upcoming third in the Iron Man movie franchise. But we are unlikely to see a similar tweet if he switches – as rumoured – to Audi stablemate Bugatti to get behind the wheel of a Veyron.Audi retweeted the vapourware sledge from respected Edmunds and Inside Line car journalist Dan Edmunds, who probably won’t be in the early queue for Iron Man 3 tickets.

The ad for the Dodge Dart might be funny, but the car itself is a deadly serious prospect for the Chrysler brand under Fiat ownership. The compact sedan is the first really ripe fruit from grafting the brands together. It's based on the same platform as the (Fiat owned) Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform and will be powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged, twin intercooled MultiAir engine developing 119kW and 230Nm -- also seen behind grilles sporting Fiat's scorpion Abarth logo.Dodge will also launch a hi-po R/T version with a "Tigershark" 2.4-litre MultiAir four-cylinder developing 137kW and 232Nm.With doubts being raised about the future of Dodge brand in Australia, we may not see the Dart here unless it's given a strong push into other global right-hand drive markets like Britain and South Africa. 

These ones were captured through the 1920s to 1930s by Boston-Herald staff photographer Leslie Jones, whose 34,000 images chronicled everything in the region for five decades, and are now a collection in the Boston Public Library. There were more cars on the road as they became more affordable. A Model T Ford cost $1200 in 1909 but had dropped to $298 by 1929, just before the Great Depression, by which time -- helped by the introduction of hire purchase -- 20 per cent of Americans were driving and Ford had been producing a car every minute.. The cars were already capable of close to 100km/h, but had nothing in the way of the safety features that are standard today. Not to forget there was no pesky driving test to pass. The results were often inevitable...  

The world's top hoon has turned the city of San Francisco into his Ultimate Playground for GYM5. Block's team -- headed by director Ben Conrad -- filmed the action over four days. The epic result features cameos from DC athlete and longtime Ken Block friend, Travis Pastrana, to make a cameo appearance on his dirtbike, and S.F. resident Jake Phelps of Thrasher Magazine.  But the real supporting star is the city itself, with Block showing it off in a way it's tourism board has probably never imagined. However Block has obviously had some official cooperation from city hall, with the streets being cleared except for a couple of San Francisco's iconic trams -- which he puts to good use in his signature style.  

A highlight of the forthcoming RACV Motorclassica auction is a 1969 Lamborghini once owned by the fashion model.Lesley 'Twiggy' Lawson's 1969 Lamborghini Miura S is being offered for sale for the first time in 34 years. Twiggy was named The Face of 1966 by the Daily Express and voted British Woman of the Year.After modelling Twiggy went on to enjoy a successful career as a screen, stage and television actress. According to the accompanying paperwork from Automobili Lamborghini, the car "was indeed sold by us to Twiggy through our UK Importers in 1969".It was delivered to the Daily Express's The Face of '66 in her chosen colour scheme. "It was painted lime green with orange-white stripes, probably at our factory, whilst also according to our records it was white originally".This outstanding, original Factory right hand drive Lamborghini Miura S has been with its current owner since 1978. Now in its third year, RACV Motorclassica will be held at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, from October 26-28.It will feature special tributes to Sir Jack Brabham, the 100th Anniversary of the Victorian Motor Show and the 60th Anniversary of Lotus. The climax of the event will be the Collector Car Auction on Sunday, October 28. 

The makeover of the MX-5 will see it through to the next generation, expected to arrive later this year or early in 2013.

You don't see much, but enough to know it's going to be fast, furious and partly airborne. But you knew that already, didn't you.

Volkswagen is aiming to move its Passat-based four door coupe upmarket, but is keeping prices down.The reborn former Passat CC (Comfort Coupe) has been renamed – now just CC to its friends – repositioned and reloaded with ammunition to take value potshots at German and Swedish rivals.The CC is the flagship for the local line-up, and needs to amplify its premium stance to get more attention in a marketplace where nearly every brand has become a clawing profile climber. MODELS AND PRICESLike the previous version, it’s a two-model range, and prices for both have been frozen, with the entry level still sitting at $54,990 for the 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel that delivers 125kW of power and 350Nm of torque to the front wheels with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.For $64,990 the 3.6-litre petrol V6 version uses same DSG transmission to deliver 220kW and 350Nm to all four wheels. Both engines get brake energy recovery, while the diesel’s ‘Bluemotion’ tech (Blue = green at VW) includes stop-start system and a coasting function that decouples the engine when it’s not under load.The diesel is the bowser hero at 5.5 litres/100km compared to the V6’s 9.3L. Neither are performance heroes, and aren’t intended to be, despite having quite workable Sport modes for the suspension and transmission, and handy steering wheel paddles to spur things along in short bursts.DESIGNThe CC wears the new family grille, with triple horizontal bars lending sleight-of-eye to make the incoming car look wider than the exiting model, despite little real difference in size. The light cluster design has been sharpened, with new LEDs blazing the tail and a cleaner look at both ends. In the cabin you get an updated look around the centre stack, and the two-seater rear pew has grown an extra spot in the middle – albeit not one anybody will be fighting to get to.RIVALSShopping the volume-selling diesel CC against the similar-sized Germans, there are bigger price tags but arguably extra selling points -- variously on dynamics, finish, fit-out and luxury. But you shouldn’t overlook the Volvo S60 D5 at just $500 more than the CC, and with a similar premium positioning and high quality in every aspect.EQUIPMENTThe standard equipment list has been beefed up with about $5000 worth of extras, led by a large touchscreen colour satnav and infotainment system, rear view camera, keyless access, an ‘easy open’ function that lets you open the boot by kicking a foot under the bumper. That lot comes on top of all the usual kit – leather upholstery, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone aircon and the like -- plus a list of options to add extra tricks.SAFETYIt hasn’t been tested here yet, but expect the CC to get a full five stars. Features include six airbags, anti-skid brakes with electronic assistants and stability control. It also gets some high-tech helpers, including active bi-xenon headlights and a fatigue avoidance system that keeps an eye on steering patterns and alerts you if it detects signs of tiredness.There’s also an optional package that includes adaptive cruise control and a combined blind-spot/lane drift warning system – which could save your life, but will possibly annoy you to death in the process (more on that later).DRIVINGIt’s a business class cabin: upmarket fit-out, plenty of gadgets and comfortable seats – at least in the front. The rear row squishes three but has plenty of room for two. You’ll probably be able to shackle a child in the centre spot, but long trips will have them calling welfare services.Extra sound deadening means you can barely hear the engines, and even then only when you tramp the pedal, although it’s still an effort. The generally whisper-quiet cabin means that when wind rush and rough-chip bitumen noise comes it stands out more, but overall unless you plan to spend a long time on roads outside the city it won’t be noticeable.The steering is accurate but very light, which suits the target urban buyer. However, activate the blind-spot/lane drift safety system, and the wheel becomes possessed by a twitchy little demon, tugging against your hands if it disagrees with your direction. It became confused a couple of times in country cornering, leading to a disconcerting battle of wills. Still not sure the humans won, either. Both engines are competent, and while there’s more sparkle from the petrol V6, its not enough to justify the price difference against the very capable diesel unless you particularly want the V6’s AWD. VW expects to do about 60 per cent of their sales on the diesel, and with the price positioning they’re certainly encouraging that.VERDICTThe extra equipment and styling brush-up pitch the CC into the gap between top-level Japanese cars and the lower end of luxury brands. It doesn’t have the dynamic chops of the 3-Series, the cosseting of Merc’s C-Class or the refined cabin of the A4, but it offers enough in every area to give a premium combination and still leave some change in your wallet.

In addition to dropping its top, the newcomer has officially dropped the MP4 part of the name, appearing as just the McLaren 12C Spider. As suggested on Carsguide previously, the roof is a lightweight carbon-fibre construction, weighing 40kg and able to be retracted in just 40 seconds at speeds up to 30km/h, folding into a 52-litre storage area under a tonneau cover. McLaren has designed a set of luggage to fit into the space when it’s not taken up by the roof. Unlike Ferrari’s 458 Spider, the McLaren convertible roof still allows the engine to be seen through the  glass cover behind the tonneau. A powered rear windscreen acts as a buffeting deflector, but can be lowered to allow full engine roar into the cabin. The open sibling to its MP4-12C is based on the same ultralight, rigid chassis, but will get a higher-powered version of the mid-mounted McLaren-designed M838T 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. The MP4-12CSpider's engine will develop 470kW of power -- 18kW more than the original MP4-12C's 441kW, and in line with the recent power upgrade for the coupe – and maintains the 601Nm of torque. It matches the coupe’s 100km/h time of 3.1 seconds, but is about 5km down on top speed at 315km/h. McLaren's official statement says the MP4-12C coupe’s dynamics are retained, and that the MP4-12C Spider "will be just as dynamic to drive.  But removing the roof will dial up the sensations experienced, the emotions felt and the noise heard.  Especially at the speeds the 12C Spider will be capable of.   And true to McLaren’s ethos of offering high performance without compromise, the 12C Spider will be more usable than any car this exciting has a right to be." Australian HQ for McLaren, Trivett, has already sold out their quota of the MP4-12C coupe -- and has a waiting list. There's little doubt there'll be the same response to the MP4-12C Spider when it arrives in around six months. McLaren Sydney general manager Matt Tunstall says Trivett is expecting a strong order book for the convertible. "There will be a big take-up of the MP4-12C Spider here - We think we'll sell upwards of 75 per cent of the Spider over the coupe," he says. "From what I've seen, the design is outstanding, the performance isn't affected -- it's still to the same high level of the coupe, and maintains the acceleration and top speed. Purely on looks and design and specification, we think there will be an exceptional take-up for Spider." Tunstall says we will get the first Australian look at the MP4-12C Spider 'in the metal' later this here. "We're hopeful to have first demonstration car arrive by the end of 2012 -- sometime in Novemer or December -- with the first customer cars arriving in January 2013 at this stage." And the head of McLaren in Australia, Greg Duncan, agrees after having seen the car before its official reveal. "I have seen the new McLaren Spider in the flesh and it is gorgeous," Duncan says.  "When one understands the technology in the 12C you can immediately see how competitive this car will be in every respect." Configure your own MP4-12C at the McLaren website.  

It’s a good week for open-air supercar fans. Just ahead of the major reveal of the McLaren 12C Spider in a day or so, come leaked official shots of the Aston Marton V12 Vantage Roadster. The images show revisions to the V12 Vantage Coupe, including new alloy wheels, a redesigned decklid spoiler and front air dam. It also gets more carbon fibre accents inside and out, and revised switchgear. The suspension has been tweaked with the aim of matching the dynamics of the Coupe, and the Roadster is powered by the same 6.0-litre V12 with a six-speed manual transmission sending 380kW of power and 570Nm of torque to the rear wheels. A leaked photo of a numbered doorsill plaque suggests Aston Martin will build only 101 of the V12 Vantage Roadster. No news yet on price, but the V12 Coupe sells here for $387,000, so the Roadster is likely to slip in at around the $420,000 mark.