Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Jaguar's first XKR-S is not just the quickest car the now-Indian-owned company has ever built but also the only car in its class that emits less than 300g/km CO2. Jaguar Australia brand manager Kevin Goult says deliveries begin in early 2012 with French Racing Blue being the colour in popular demand on pre-orders. "At present we have eight vehicles coming into Australia," he says. "Of the eight we have 50 per cent customer orders and the remainder are dealer order stock vehicles." Pricing is $340,000 plus on-road costs. "It's part of the 300km/h club and it's being positioned at customers who up until now haven't really had much of a choice outside of their 911," Goult says. "The XKR-S is a high-performance GT, so it may even give the Italians a run for their money too." The figures tell the story: it has five-litre V8 an electronically limited top speed of 300km/h, 410kW of power, 640Nm of torque and goes from o-100km/h in 4.2 seconds. This compares with a four-litre Porsche 911 GT3 RS with a top speed of 306km/h, 368kW/429Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 4.3 seconds. Jaguar claims the XKR-S is not just the quickest Jaguar but has a strong, lightweight aluminium body architecture to maximise handling and economy.

GRAND touring in luxury has just become more affordable. Jaguar this month releases its updated XF saloon range with its first four-cylinder model; an entry level diesel which is the cheapest XF yet, will cost just $1200 in luxury car tax, has huge service intervals and is Jaguar's most frugal car ever.Jaguar Australia brand manager Kevin Goult says they tried hard to come in under the $75,000 luxury car tax threshold for vehicles with fuel economy under 7L/100km."But we also wanted to put a lot of kit in it, so in the end you only pay about $1200 in luxury tax," he says.The 2.2-litre diesel model is set to be the big seller in the range comprised of two V6 diesels, a V6 petrol and two V8 petrol models, one of which is supercharged. Goult says he believes the new diesel will attract more women to the brand which already has a respectable 40 per cent female customers."Although, women represent about 60 per cent when it comes to the decision-making," he says. "This car allows us to appeal to a much wider demographic."However, he's not concerned about Jaguar losing some of its exclusivity by being more affordable."We will just have a bigger membership of an exclusive club," he says.VALUEPrices start at $78,900 (plus on-road costs) for the 2.2-litre diesel Luxury model, making it the cheapest XF yet. The Premium Luxury ($86,100) model adds full leather upholstery not just an alcantara insert, door mood lighting, different style wheels, dark rosewood veneer trim and satnav with 30GB hard drive. However, the base model is being made available with satnav ($2495) at the nationwide driveaway price of $84,990 at launch.These prices undercut the trio of German competitors (5 Series, E Class and A6). It even offers a viable alternative for people wanting to step up from a BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C Class and Audi A4. However, the big value proposition is in the extra kit these cars come with as standard that are extras in the others such as Bluetooth with audio streaming, HID lights, 30GB hard drive audio system and satnav.Cost of ownership is also very attractive with service intervals every 26,00km for the diesels, and 24,000km for petrol models.Prices for the other XF models have changed relevant to a shift in specification levels. For example the 3.0L V6 diesel Luxury has been down-specced to the same level as the 2.2L diesel Luxury with a $4000 price drop, while other models have increased specification and price rises starting from $700.DESIGNNike may want its swoosh back. Jaguar has stolen it for its signature daytime LED running light display around the headlights. They call it a J Blade design and it is the most significant and obvious exterior styling change.The new headlight shape requires a different line for the bonnet which also has a more aerodynamic design for less wind noise and more effective windscreen wiper operation. Out back there are LED taillights and on the side is a larger triangular vent.There has been more tweaking inside, including the loss of the touch-sensitive glovebox button they made so much of when the XF was released. It's now a conventional button. Jaguar Australia product manager Andrew Chapman says the conventional button is "easier to find in the dark".Other interior tweaks are more comfortable seats, a colour info touch screen with more buttons underneath for easier navigation and full-colour instruments. It didn't actually need any more design tweaks inside or out as it was already a far more exciting offering than any of its bland German competitors. Now it's just that little bit bolder and classier at the same time.TECHNOLOGYApart from the new entry-level diesel, the biggest technological update is the eight-speed auto in the diesel models. It's made by ZF, but electronically programmed by Jaguar for optimum performance and integration with the automatic stop-start function which helps the little 2.2-litre turbo diesel achieve fuel economy of 5.4 litres per kilometre. That's Jaguar's most frugal car yet.The gearbox has a clever system that drops out of drive when the car is stationary plus a Tandem Solenoid Starter for intelligent" stop/start that allows quicker re-starts in stop-start traffic and can refire the engine before the stop cycle is complete if needed.Another clever transmission function is Jaguar Easy Off which engages park and turns off the engine when the car has stopped and the driver releases the seatbelt. You still have to manually activate the electronic park brake.The 2.2-litre diesel is the third-generation version of the powerplant used before in the Freelander, but turned from east-west to north-south in the engine bay. It's a quiet and smooth engine that rivals not just the BMW 520d, but the 530d for manners, if not outright output. It produces just 140kW of power, but a very healthy 450Nm of torque and idles along at just 1800 revs at highway speeds. There are no changes to the other engines.Technology in the cabin has been improved with the easier-to read colour touch info screen, audio streaming added to the Bluetooth function and 30Gb hard-drive Bowers & Wilkins audio system that has been beefed up from 440 watts to 1200 watts.SAFETYThe new XF has the same four-star safety rating as its predecessor. There are no plans to have it re-tested as the basic chassis and body is unchanged. Safety features include ABS, traction control, stability control, electronic brake force distribution and six airbags including full-length curtain airbags.DRIVINGJaguar is making no bones about the impact of the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel. In fact, the national launch in northern NSW this week was all about the new diesel with no other models available for test. In a spirited 300+km gallop through the bumpy and winding roads of the border ranges, the little diesel never wanted for power, yet returned acceptable economy figures of 7L/100km.At idle, the engine purrs with only a slight diesel rattle and with the doors shut, it's almost imperceptible. Give it some revs and unless you look at the low revs on the tacho, you wouldn't know it was a diesel. It leaps off the line like a "leaper" should with those impressive 450Nm of twisting torque, yet is also wants to rev without a raucous noise or grainy vibration.The new eight-speed auto box is a delight with smart, seamless changes that never leave the engine stranded. Sport mode on the transmission further sharpens the deal with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts keeping the show on the move.The lightweight diesel engine doesn't affect steering or handling and the compliant suspension takes the ugliest potholes in its stride without steering kickback or a sidestep.That aerodynamic bonnet must be doing the trick, because there is almost no wind noise. However, that serves to highlight the tyre noise, the wheelarch noise from loose stones and a slight buzz in the dashboard of our test car.The 2.2L diesels come with 17-inch wheels but all the test cars had 18-inch wheels with Pirelli 40 per cent profile tyres. Still, ride was quite compliant, so the 17s would probably be even plusher. The stop/start function is one of the smoothest and quickest I've experienced, but if you don't like it, you can switch it off. It defaults to "on" each time you get in the car.VERDICTXF is a big deal for us, says Goult. And the 2.2 diesel is the best deal in the pack with the ability to attract a whole new audience with its lusty and frugal engine, value package and classy styling.JAGUAR XF 2.2L DIESELPrices: $78,900 (Luxury 2.2 diesel), $86,100 (Premium Luxury 2.2 diesel), $84,990 (driveaway Luxury 2.2 white or black)Warranty: 3 year/100,000 kmService: 26,000km (diesel), 24,000km (petrol)Safety: 4-star NCAP, 6 airbags, ABS, traction control, stability controlEngine: 5.4L litre, 4-cylinder turbo diesel, 140kW/450NmTransmission: 8-speed automatic, RWDThirst: 5.4 l/100kmCO2: 149g/kmDimensions: 4961mm (L);1877mm (W);1460mm (H);2909mm(WB)Other XF prices3.0 V6 petrol Luxury $89,900, Premium Luxury $97,100V6 diesel Luxury $103,500, Premium Luxury $112,500XF-S diesel V6S $125,100, Portfolio $142,100V8 petrol Luxury $129,600, Portfolio $146,600XF-R V8 supercharged petrol $210,900

Brisbane manufacturers Lifestyle Camper Trailers plan to introduce a "birth certificate" for every camper trailer they produce which details where each part was made and assembled. Marketing manager Darren Smart says every part of their trailer is made and produced in Brisbane. "As a result they are a more costly camper trailer, but are of excellent quality," he says. "This business has had other camper trailer competitors buy their product to send it over to China to copy the design, have it made there, but assembled here which means they are allowed to say it was `assembled in Australia' leading customers to believe they are buying an Australian-made product for a cheap price, when in reality it is a Chinese-made product." The company has just upgraded their most popular trailer, the Extenda off-road camper, for more strength and stability. They used 45mm solid square axles which are 70 per cent stronger than round models. Smart says the reduced flex results in a more stable trailer while being towed. The 2m triple draw bar is also now made from two pieces of 100mm x 50mm x 3mm and one 50mm x 50mm x 3mm Supagal RHS steel galvanised on the inside and outside. Despite the increased manufacturing price of these upgrades the retail price has remained $13,950, Smart says. "The Extenda camper trailer combines the simplicity of a conventional soft floor camper trailer with the extra room of a good-sized tent and it sits on a heavy duty off-road chassis," he says. The Extenda with 3m tent and annexe roof comes standard with a storage box with removable shelf that converts to a table; powder coated toolbox; poles, ropes and pegs; two safety chains and D shackles; 15-inch off road rims; aluminium kitchen box and bench extension; stainless steel sink with hand pump water tap; spare wheel; 80-litre water tank; two 4kg gas bottle rings; PVC tonneau cover; and queen foam mattress. Options include 16-inch off-road wheels with new mud tyres, queen inner-spring mattress and a 3.6m tent and annexe roof. "All of our chassis are made from top grade Australian Supagal steel and are welded together by a craftsman who is into his fifth decade of specialised welding. "Likewise, all of our tents are an Australian design made from Australian canvas." Lifestyle Camper Trailer has five models listed from $9950 to $18,950 for the Extenda Elite. "All are made from the same chassis by the same welder every time while all of the bolt-on parts are sourced locally and are of the highest quality," Smart says. Lifestyle Camper Trailers recently bought Adventure Trek Caravans which will be manufactured in Brisbane with new models branded Adventure Trek by Lifestyle Camper Trailers. Visit: lifestylecampertrailer.com.au

The new Ducati Panigale 1199 has 145kW of power, while the new Kawasaki ZX-14R has 147.2kW, which jumps up to 154.5kW with the effect of ram air. Kawasaki also claims it is the world's fastest accelerating bike, but doesn't supply a 0-100km/h figure. However, the previous model holds the record with a 0-100km/h figure of 2.9 seconds which is as fast as a Koenigsegg Agera R. The fastest car in the world is reported to be the Ariel Atom V8 at 2.5s. To keep that power on the ground and prevent wheelies and wheel spin, the ZX-14R comes with three-mode Kawasaki Traction Control, selectable power modes. A multi-function button on the handle allows the rider to scroll through LCD modes without removing their hand from the grip. It also comes with ABS which has been optimised for bumpy roads. Of Kawasaki's 24 road registerable models available (including dual-sport models KLR650, KLX450R and KLX250S) 13 come standard with ABS. The 2012 Ninja ZX-14R will make 14. Kawasaki Motors Australia spokesman Rudi Baker says release date is January but has no estimate of price. It will come in black or Kawasaki lime green. The current model is listed at $19,990. The new 1441cc four-cylinder DOHC power-plant has more torque at all revs and substantially more power in the mid-high range. Kawasaki also claims acceleration from 4000rpm is stronger. The 162.5Nm of torque is strong enough to pull away from the lights in almost any gear. It also features shorter gearing from the larger rear sprocket to accentuate acceleration and a back-torque limiter clutch for smooth downshifts without locking the rear wheel. It features a 360g lighter front wheel and 1030g lighter rear wheel while the whole bike is 1.39kg lighter at 268kg. Kawasaki claims the lighter wheels mean reduced rotational inertia and lower unsprung weight for faster turns and sportier handling. It comes with remodelled bodywork for better wind protection, stability at high speeds and lower heat radition on to the rider, a problem in previous models. Shorter riders will appreciate the slimmer seat front which allows them to get their feet more easily on the ground. KAWASAKI ZX-14R Price: about $20,000 Engine: 4-cylinder 1441cc, 147.2kW (154.5kW with ram air)/162.5Nm Transmission: 6-Speed, chain Tyres: 120/70ZR17 (front), 190/50ZR (rear) Suspension: 43mm inverted fully adjustable forks, fully adjustable Uni-Trak with gas-charged shock Brakes: 310mm discs (front), 250mm (rear), ABS Dimensions: 2170mm (L), 770mm (W), 1170mm (H), 1480 (WB), 125mm (Clearance), 800mm (Seat) Wet weight: 268kg Fuel: 22L tank

The 1199 Panigale supersedes the 1198 and will be the first Ducati superbike with a name as well as numbers.Pronounced "Pan-ee-gah-lee", it refers to the Borgo Panigale area of Bologna, the home of the Ducati factory.The north-eastern Italian region is known as Motor Valley and includes the homes of other great motoring marques such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani and the famous Imola race track.Ducati will reveal its 2012 superbike at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan November. The company has been releasing in a drip-feed manner with the latest information being about the new "Superquadro" engine.No, it's not a four-cylinder, but an over-square (bore-to-stroke ratio) L-twin with capacity slightly higher at 1199cc rather than 1198cc. Power is up almost 20kW to 145kW with torque of 133Nm. It retains the Desmodromic valve control from previous engines, but everything else is new.The NEW engine also required a new and stronger six-speed gearbox. And for the first time in a top-of-the-range Ducati superbike it has a "wet", oil-bath clutch, so no more loud and annoying clatter when the clutch lever is pulled in.It also features a "slipper" function to prevent back wheel lock-up on downshifts/ Despite the extra power and new transmission, Ducati has extended major services from 20,000 to 24,000km.It will also be 10kg lighter thanks mainly to an aluminium twin-spar frame In a two-stage introduction of the bike to motorsport, the Panigale will compete in the 2012 FIM Superstock Championship and World Superbike in 2013.This gives Ducati more development time for the WSB version and keeps a lid on costs for teams competing with a 2012 version of the 1198. Dates for local release have not been announced.Ducati has also revealed more details on its 2012 range. The Mulistrada family will get more comfortable and longer seats while the top-of-the-line Multistrada 1200 S Touring (pitcured left) will get a titanium and black colour scheme.The 2012 Hypermotard 1100EVO SP (pictured right) will come with a Corse (race) Edition with high ground clearance, high-spec suspension, high bars and black Ducati Corse official colours.

According to Holden, the Equipe sedan and Sportwagon packs in $9500 worth of mainly cosmetic extras for the driveaway prices of $36,990 (sedan) and $38,990 (wagon). The extras are additional to the base model Omega sedan (listed at $39,990 +ORC) and Omega Sportwagon ($41,990). Since the VE was released in 2006, Holden's special edition packs have included the 60th Anniversary, International, Lumina and now Equipe for the sedan and Sportwagon, while VE ute packs have included Thunder. The Equipe pack includes cosmetic additions such as 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seat trim and steering wheel, front foglamps, various bits of chrome a rear cargo blind on the Sportwagon, Equipe badging and"prestige" paint. The more practical additions are a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors.

And while Ducati set the motorcycle world on its head in the early '90s with its naked Monster, MV Agusta took the new naked category to its design pinnacle with the Brutale. Now the Italian manufacturer has built its most powerful naked bike. The Brutale R 1090 has 107kW of power at 10,300 revs and 112Nm of torque from its 1078cc four-cylinder engine, the largest displacement engine built by MV Agusta. Maximum speed of the full-power version is 265km/h and the restricted power version hits 245km/h. To safely harness that power, MV Agusta has specifically programmed the electronic engine control unit with eight levels of traction control that can be selected by the rider. The 190kg Brutale R's frame is a mix of steel and aluminium mated to a Marzocchi 50mm USD front fork and a Sachs rear shock, both with valving specific to the Brutale R 1090. It's shod with a 190/55 ZR17 rear tyre for extra track grip. The one-piece seat is 830mm, the fuel tank capacity is 23 litres and it comes in white, red or black. MV Agusta Imports manager Kevin Beale says the Brutale R 1090 will hit Australian shores in November costing $19,900 rideaway and he expects a lot of interest. "Sales have well beyond expectations particularly for the Brutale naked bike which has caught us out because although we have had exposure to the motorcycle industry no one has made a success of a naked in terms of volume so we were focused more on the fully faired supersports being the volume model, but the Brutale is out of control," he says. For fans of MV's faired sportsbikes, there are a special editions of the F3 and F4 on their way. The limited-edition "golden" MV Agusta F3 Series Oro will be available before the "garden variety" model hits our shores next year. Beale says orders are now being taken for the F3 Series Oro at $33,800 ride away, but buyers should be quick as only 200 are being produced. The new 675cc three-cylinder F3 sportsbike will arrive in March 2012. Pricing is yet to be announced, but it is expected to be under $20,000 ride away. Oro means gold in Italian, so the F3 Series Oro features an abundance of gold finish in the frame plates, single-sided swingarm, forged aluminium wheels, air intakes and cooling vents plus a DID Gold chain. There is even a gold individually numbered plate mounted on the upper triple clamp. The Series Oro also has an abundance of lightweight carbonfibre in the mudguards, dashboard cover, airbox and intake covers, fairing inserts, chain guards, swingarm protector, sprocket cover, fairing lower, and exhaust outlets. It comes in silver and red paint in the traditional livery of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. Attention to detail includes machine-polished clutch cover and frame plates, and solid-billet alternator cover and footpeg mounting brackets allowing full adjustability, while the seat covers are hand-made from leather and suede-effect alcantara. The Oro comes with Brembo brakes, adjustable Ohlins upside-down forks, and TTX shock and steering damper. The other special edition is the F4 R with a 998cc Corsa Corta four-cylinder engine that revs to 13,700rpm and produces 145kW of power. MV Agusta Imports director James Deutsher says availability for the Australian market is not scheduled until the second half of 2012. "This is due to the Italian production schedule for Australian specifications," he says. "This is the one model that we will be out of step with the European market in terms of timing. "We have no price confirmation yet, however believe it will be close to $30,000 ride away." Since the new Australian importers took over early this year, the prices of most MV Agustas have come down with the latest being the F4 now available at $24,990 ride away. "One thing we have been able to do is negotiate a better price than the previous importer," says Beale. "MV Agusta is very keen to get back into Australia having lost the previous distributor. "We told them what would need to be done to get a worthwhile market share and they made the decision to go ahead with our proposal. "The bikes will be cheaper, but we have promised them more volume as a trade-off. "There's been an excellent response to the cheaper prices. We were expecting some reluctance with the change in distributor but people seem to be able to cope with that." Beale says they will honour warranties on existing models after the previous importer the Paul Feeney Group relinquished MV Agusta and Cagiva last July.

Fresh from a win at Phillip Island last month, the five-time V8 Supercar and Australian Touring Car champion is a hot tip for his seventh Bathurst title this weekend. He retired from full-time touring racing in 2008 and has since been a commentator for Channel 7's broadcast, designer of race circuits, boss of the Car of the Future project and will become V8 Supercars Commission chairman from this month which means he has to give up racing for two years. We put 10 questions to Skaife on the eve of the Great Race: 1. Is this your last Bathurst? "Whilst I'm chairman of the commission I can't drive in V8 Supercars competitively, so I won't be able to do Bathurst next year. But things that I would be able to do is test some cars and still keep my hand in. It's important for me to stay current with these things. I don't want to rush to make a decision that this might be my last Bathurst because that's a pretty big thing to say. It's something I'll think very hard and very carefully about." 2. Are you able to keep up your race skills? "I've been approached to do some other racing next year which wouldn't conflict with this at all. I can't say what just yet, but there are a couple of overseas opportunities plus some local stuff. I wouldn't mind doing that so long as it's not too taxing and it wouldn't take too much of my time. Clearly as an absolutely outright professional race driver those days are gone. What I'd like to do though is pick the eyes out of the events which suit and then I'll contemplate how that works." 3. You've raced extensively in Europe in the 1990s at Le Mans, the category under F1, French touring car championship rounds and the world cup for touring cars in Monza as well as events in Asia. What races would you still like to do? "Some of the ones that still turn me on a bit are the premier ones; some of the really good quality international events like Le Mans and Nurburgring. I know Craig enjoyed the stuff he's been doing this year and under the right circumstances if it wasn't too time consuming I would like to have a look at those." 4. Would you partner with Lowndes in these events? "You never say no do you? It's a weird world, motorsport. You wouldn't have said even five years ago that Craig and I would be driving at Bathurst together. So things are always a moving target in this game." 5. Are you still competitive? "I've had more time in the car this year and I'm fitter. I've had my trainer with me for the last two-and-a-half months and we've worked rally hard. When I drove in Townsville in the co-drivers section I ended up second and at the last test day I was only a couple of 10ths of a second away from Craig. I also feel more at ease about it this year because I know the team now. I know everyone's names and Craig and I have a real camaraderie going." 6. Are you still firing on all cylinders about V8 Supercars admin? "I'm really turned on by this sport and industry and as time goes by I've done more and more of those things in the sport like TV commentary, track design (he designed Sydney and Townsville and re-designed Gold Coast) and now the commission so there are a lot of the elements of the business I really enjoy." 7. What does the V8 commission do and will it improve the sport for fans and drivers? "It deals with the regulatory side of the business, judiciary matters, rules, race formats and the nitty gritty of the sport. What people want is good, fair consistent decisions. The sport is always trying new things such as the two-race format at Ipswich which could be rolled out at other events. The format has excitement and theatre. It's essentially a bit of a rally concept in some ways with a service time in between two stages which I think has some novelty and uniqueness about it. 8. V8 Supercars has had the Australian Superbikes at several events this year. Will that continue? "I love the 4x2 concepts. Over the years Australian motorsport culture has had a lot of synergy between bikes and cars, whether it's been Wayne Gardner finishing riding bikes and coming back and driving cars or it's been the same sort of fans. I go to Phillip island for the MotoGP. I love the event and I see the same people there who attend our car races. So there's a lot of crossover between the fans of those two motorsport arenas." 9. Who is the best V8 race driver, best team, best track, best event and best race engineer? "Lowndesy is still the best all-round driver, but you would have to say Jamie Whincup is the benchmark in the sport at the moment. I've been lucky all my racing career to work with the best teams. Gibson Motor Sport was the best team in the '90s and Holden Racing Team was the best in the 2000s and it's good late in my career that I can join the best team (TeamVodafone) around now in pit lane. Bathurst is the best track, no doubt. Best event is either Clipsal (Adelaide) or Sydney. Lowndesy's race engineer, Jeromy Moore, (CORRECT!!!) is a really impressive young man. He's got a great future in this sport." 10. When will you hang up your boots finally? "If you walk down pit lane there is not an average team or average driver in any of those cars. While I'm happy that I feel more prepared this year, I don't want to linger and sort of run past a time when I feel competent and competitive. Driving is something I have been really passionate about and love. It has been my life, so stepping away from it is difficult. But things change. Things don't go on forever. You are still better off to say I might call it quits while I'm going all right. I chose to do that with my full time career and I would rather do that after winning those races with Craig last year and doing the races this year. I'm not far from making a decision on whether I actually retire from V8 SC racing per se. I've been thinking about it quite a lo t and I went and had a couple of weeks holiday and I probably still have a couple of sessions with my wife (Toni) before I decide that totally. Because if I'm not in the car and not competitive I wouldn't want to do it and couldn't physically do it at a level that would make me happy." MARK SKAIFE BIO: Born: April 3, 1967 in Gosford Racing: Started in karts in 1980s and moved to cars in 1984, joining then Australian Touring Car Championships in 1987. Retired from full-time racing in 2008. Career: 5 touring car championships; 6 Bathurst wins; 218 races; 41 round wins; 85 podium finishes; 87 race wins; 41 pole positions Awards: 2004 Medal of the Order of Australia

...Veteran driver Mark Skaife has admitted. "It made sense to involve Ford and Holden back when it started as they had 45 per cent of the market, but now it's around 20 per cent which is not our fault they have lost market share but just the way the car industry has gone," he says. "Our regulations are in their 19th year of compliance so for almost 20 years we put up a big fence around V8 supercar racing and have looked after Ford and Holden," he says. "It's been `Aus Incorporated'. We would be derelict in our duty to not chase other manufacturers." The six-time Bathurst winner and the man responsible for the Car of the Future (COTF) project to build new and cheaper race cars for the 2013 season says other manufacturers are poised to enter the series. But probably not as race cars just yet. "Car of the Future has opened the garage door and looked at engaging other car companies in the business, not just as race cars but as medical cars, pace cars, marshals' cars, suppliers of parts," he says. Skaife is not disappointed that no car company has yet declared an interest in competing except for BMW which wanted to bring in its race car from the German touring car series; a prospect that is not possible under the COTF guidelines. He believes manufacturers will eventually see good reason to join the series. "We deliver ants to venues and a lot of passionate people and millions of eyeballs on TV screens. We make great sense for a manufacturer to engage with us," he said. "They spend millions of dollars on footy but they can spend a lot less in our sport and it makes more sense to their business as there is more of a synergy." Skaife says they have had "fruitful discussions" with car companies and were working hard to have one or two new manufacturers in the sport, but he wouldn't give a time frame. "The growth of our sport with new media rights and international exposure through offshore events makes it even more attractive for car importers," he says. He points out that the recent Philippines government announcement that they are keen on a V8 round in 2013 is a good example of the expansion of the business in an appropriate time zone for Australian TV viewers. However, V8 Supercars has also expanded into the Mid East and will race in Austin, Texas, in 2013, both of which are considered inappropriate time zones for Australian TV audiences. "We are dedicated to providing the best touring sedan car racing in this region," Skaife says. "Our hands are up to look at all possibilities including India."

Five-time Bathurst 1000 champion Craig Lowndes broke Greg Murphy's seven-year strangelhold on the lap record last year when he set a blistering 1:6.8012mins (previously 1:6.8594) around the Bathurst track in practice session five before qualifying on the Friday. His race engineer, Jeromy Moore, says it was the perfect lap ... almost. "He actually lost a bit of time in The Cutting compared with the lap before," he says. "He focused too much on exit speed rather than holding mid-corner speed." So if Murf's lap was known as the Lap of the Gods, what's Lowndesy's lap called? "We haven't got a name for it. What's better than the Lap of the Gods? I suppose it's the Almost Perfect Lap." Moore is quick to point out that Murf's record was achieved just after the track was resurfaced and before V8 Supercars brought in minimum component weights on crankshafts, conrods and pistons, and introduced the control cam profile which reduces valve lift. Moore says no one in pit lane was expecting the lap record to be broken in that session. "It was quite strange because it was only a practice session, so we weren't really prepared for it," he says. "It wasn't like the whole pit lane was watching. "As soon as we crossed the line we saw the number and on the timing screen they have the current lap record and then that changed. It's all on You Tube. You can see we all punched the air. "I don't usually get too excited, but I was pretty happy. RD (team principal Roland Dane) was pretty stoked because he had been wanting to smash that record for a few years. It was something he wanted to rectify." The highlights of the lap for Moore were the last few corners where Lowndes pushed hard. "Braking after the Chase where he hits 100 per cent braking was pretty special," he says. "Everywhere else it wasn't hair-raising; it was just smooth. "The steering traces show if he is sliding the rear and you may see it on the revs as a secondary thing, but our data showed there were not many corrections all the way round. It was just real smooth. It wasn't until that last sector when he pulled it out of the bag that we all started to get excited." Moore says Lowndes knows the track better than most other drivers and excels on the downhill run. "Generally he's gone well down the hill from Skyline," he says."He knows exactly where to place the car and put each wheel. He carries quite a bit of speed down there and that's where you need to have the most commitment. "The corners down the hill are linked - each corner sets the other one up after it - so if you're carrying too much speed at Skyline you'll be in the wall." The 888 car was set up for qualifying with a green set of tyres. However, the crew were expecting to do more laps when the chequered flag ended the session, so the car wasn't running low on fuel. "We weren't really going for it, so we still had about 20kg of fuel on board. We'd planned to do more runs but got the chequered flag." However, the conditions were perfect for a quick lap, Moore says. "Everything just fell together at that time with the air and track temperature at 18C and 32C," he says. "Ideally you want the air temp as cold as possible and the track no more than about 32C." So, could Lowndes break his own record this year? "Judging by his comments after the lap, he was happy with the set-up and he drove it pretty well, so driving wise there is no improvement to be made, but maybe a bit of tweaking on the car set-up could see us go faster," he says.