Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Pinball Wizard echoed around the London Olympic stadium in the closing ceremony as a herd of scooters circled the sporting arena.Surely the spectacular image should stir renewed support for the venerable mod icon. So should the limited-edition Vespa GTV Vie della Moda (Italian for streets of fashion).VALUEThe flagship model is priced at $9490 (plus on-road costs) which is exactly the same as the standard GTV. Yet this model comes with a host of cosmetic enhancements to give it that '50s-'60s retro look and make it stand out from the pack. Resale value also should be good as the Australian importers brought a container load of only 40 into the country.TECHNOLOGYIt might be retro in looks, but it is powered by a modern 300cc liquid-cooled four-stroke four-valve engine with electronic fuel injection. Fuel economy is rated at 3.48 litres per 100km which is excellent and it has Euro3 emissions compliance with 80.7g/km of CO2.DESIGNYou can have it in any colour you want so long as it's Marrone Etna (brown Etna). Retro styling features abound such as the single headlight mounted on the front mudguard and the handlebars in simple exposed metal tube, just like the earliest models.The saddle is made of "eco-leather" which refers to the way it is tanned without any environmentally harmful chemicals. With its stylish precision-crafted piping, it is elegant and comfortable, and just like the original Vespas, it is split into two sections.The five-spoke 12-inch wheels get a shiny chrome finish to match the other chrome bits and pieces such as the clever fold-out rear carrier rack. Vespas always feel solid and well built with attention to detail such as body fit and finish.RIDINGVespas were invented in post-war Italy to allow women to ride the bomb-damaged streets while wearing a skirt. I can't vouch for riding them while wearing a skirt, but the small wheels don't cope well with the potholes in our city streets, let along bomb craters.On smooth surfaces, the fully adjustable twin rear shocks and iconic cantilever-style front suspension make handling predictable. Braking is strong with a 220mm discs front and rear. The 278cc engine is a spirited unit that will have you running well ahead of the traffic around town and staying well out of trouble even on the highway.Wind blast can be a bit of a problem over 90km/h, but weather protection for the lower half is very good. Riding position is comfortable, although tall people might feel a bit cramped. You can fit a helmet and jacket under the seat which opens electronically and there are convenient storage areas for gloves and a handy grocery bag hook on the front shroud. It comes with a centre and side stand.VERDICTGet the mod look plus all the mod cons with this powerful Vespa.Vespa GTV Vie della ModaPrice: $9490Warrenty: 2yr/unlimited kmService: 1000/10,000kmEngine: 278cc single-cylinder, 15.5kW/22.3NmTransmission: auto, belt driveFuel: 9.2-litre tankThirst: 3.48L/100km; 80.7g/km (CO2)Weight: 148kgSeat: 79cm 

On Sunday he bought 17 vintage and veteran cars costing more than $2.5 million, with plans to open a museum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. That brings his collection of rare vehicles to more than 80, worth a total of about $20 million. It is believed be the biggest private holding of vintage and veteran cars in Australia. "Vintage cars have always been a passion of mine,'' said Mr Palmer who has also dabbled in politics and expressed an interest in building his own media empire and a Titanic replica. "I now own some of the rarest and most sought after vintage cars in the world, including a large Rolls-Royce collection and several cars dating back to 1900. "I plan to create a vintage motor car museum at the Palmer Coolum Resort on the Sunshine Coast.''  Mr Palmer sent a team of buyers to Denmark to attend last Sunday's sale of vehicles from the Danish Aalholm Automobile Museum. Among the 17 cars they bought are a 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost which was the first car at the museum and a 1931 Bugatti Type 40A Tourer, one of only 32 built.  Dan Bowden of Bowden's Own motorsport museum on the Sunshine Coast welcomed the new motoring museum. "Anything is good for the Sunshine Coast to bring people up here,'' said Mr Bowden who has ``pulled the pin'' on plans to relocate his family's Buderim museum to the Big Pineapple site at Nambour. "There is enough interest to have another museum up here. We could do a tour every single weekend if we chose because we have that many people wanting to have a look at the cars. "There might be a couple of other car collections bigger than (Palmer's) in Australia, but that's possibly the biggest collection from that (pre-war) era. "He could do something quite special, I believe, and I dare say the cars will be well restored.'' Mr Palmer said his new acquisitions would go on show to the public along with 30 more that are already at the resort. All are in working order. "This auto museum will consist of up to 50 vehicles at any time and will create another tourist opportunity for the Sunshine Coast,'' he said.  "These vintage cars, many of which are extremely rare and have been sourced from around the world, will attract motoring and vintage car enthusiasts from around the country and possibly even the world bringing more tourists to the Sunshine Coast.'' Mr Palmer said his museum would be ready in about six weeks and would generate 30 jobs.  

The ActiveHybrid 5 -- BMW's first hybrid car -- arrives with more power than a 535i (petrol), similar fuel economy to the 535d (diesel) and much lower greenhouse gas emissions. BMW Group Australia spokesman Piers Scott says customers for this car are those who want to make a statement. "Sustainability without compromise - those who embrace cutting-edge ideas and technology who believe you can have your cake and eat it, too,'' he says. It arrives in October at $122,900 which is only $2000 more than the 535d and $7300 more than the 535i with similar specification levels such as Bi-Xenon headlights, Bluetooth preparation, head-up display, internet function and "Professional Navigation'', but adds four-zone airconditioning. It will be followed late this year by the ActiveHybrid 3 and the ActiveHybrid 7 Series in the first quarter of 2013. Price estimates are mid-$90,000 for the 3 and about $210,000 for the 7. The first people to drive the new hybrid BMW will be members of the Gold Coast public who attend this weekend's GreenZone Drive - a free public test drive of selected low-emission, high economy vehicles from Audi, BMW, Honda, Renault, Toyota and Volvo. Carsguide will be among the first to test drive the vehicle with our road test appearing on the carsguide.com.au site. Scott says they expect orders to begin now that pricing has been announced. "It's uncharted territory so no volume forecasts but there's strong interest in the car,'' he said. Both ActiveHybrid cars will be powered by the three-litre straight-six turbo from the 535i with a 40kW electric motor between the petrol engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. Together, the power output is a considerable 250kW which is 25kW more than the potent 335i. It's capable of sprinting to highway speed in just under six seconds, the same as the 535i and 0.4s slower than the 535d. BMW quotes the combined fuel economy figure as 6.4-7 litres per 100km depending on which wheel is fitted. The standard wheel is an aerodynamic model that achieves the lower figure. Interestingly, economy is not quite as good as the 535d which scores 5.6L/100km. However, greenies can reconcile themselves with the fact that the CO2 emissions are down from 211g/km in the 535d to 149-163g/km, again depending on wheels. The electric motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery under the cargo floor and you can drive the car purely on electric power at low speeds or, if ECO PRO mode is selected, at speeds up to 160km/h. Under heavy acceleration the electric motor also adds a burst of power. The sub-7L/100km economy figure means the Luxury Car Tax threshold jumps from $59,133 to $75,375 so you pay less to the government. That's music to the ears of BMW Group Australia boss Phil Horton who describes the LCT as "double punishment'' for owners of fuel-efficient cars. He has called for the LCT to be axed and for the government to introduce incentives to encourage motorists to buy electric and hybrid cars. "We're actually penalised at the moment under LCT. It's a double punishment,'' he said. BMW plans to follow up its hybrid models with a full-electric i3 in 2014 and an i8 plug-in hybrid. The German manufacturer also has plans for a range-extender option like Holden's coming Volt and a range of electric maxi-scooters. The ActiveHybrid 5 will be differentiated from other 5 Series models by lettering on the C pillars and door sills, galvanised slats in the kidney grille, matte chrome exhaust tailpipes, name plate on the centre console,  and 18-inch Streamline light-alloy wheels. It is also the only 5 Series available in "liquid blue'' metallic paint. BMW ActiveHybrid 5 Price: $122,900 Engine: 3.0l, 6-cylinder, 225kW/400Nm Motor: 40kW electric (250kW/450Nm total) Transmission: 8-speed automatic Thirst: 6.4-7L/100km, 149-163g/km (CO2), depending on wheel and tyre combination  

Sam Weeraratne is aged 43, lives in Victoria and drives a black Holden Commodore Sportwagon for its load-carrying capacity.He is the typical Australian motorist. Sam is us. Statistically speaking, according to Roy Morgan Research. Despite Commodore being knocked off its top-selling perch recently by Toyota Corolla and HiLux and the Mazda3, it has been the most popular car for two decades.So it remains  for now at least  the most common car on the road, one owned by 7 per cent of the driving population. Times are changing. The most common type of car is no longer the big family sedan. Now it's the sub-$40,000 small car followed closely by the ever-rising SUV (see breakout). We also like white, silver and black cars, preferably four-door sedans and usually Toyotas.As the Commodore clings on to most popular model status, the Corolla is the top small car. BMW's 3 Series is th  e most popular luxury car, LandCruiser the favourite SUV and HiLux the pick of the light commercial vehicles - and regularly, the top monthly individual seller.The most popular vehicle varies between city and country. A RACQ study of Queensland's favourite cars found the Corolla and Camry were Brisbane's favourites. Away from the capital, the bigger car still holds sway. In provincial cities such as Toowoomba, Bundaberg and Townsville, the Aussie sedan is the top pick. Further north in Mackay and Cairns, the LandCruiser is top choice.There are more than 12,474,000 cars on Australian roads with an average age of 10 years. According to the GIO figures, 53 per cent prefer driving a car alone and one in three prefers to travel with the family. Indeed, a GIO survey concludes: “We really are a car society with drivers twice as likely to remember their first car than their first kiss.''One in four of us owns a motorcycle but only 1 per cent use it as primary transport. Two per cent use a bicycle and 4 per cent prefer a bus or tram.INSIDE THE MOTOR HEADLike most Commodore drivers, Sam Weeraratne, chose his Sportwagon because he supports local product. “We firmly believe about buying locally made stuff and helping the economy and I always wanted to help that,” he says.“That leads me to buying a Holden rather than a second-hand BMW or Mercedes. I also try to holiday locally, but you want to go overseas as well.” But Weeraratne is a typical of Commodore drivers. “I like my wine and if I get my hands on a good scotch, I'll have that,” he said. “A night out for me is going out to a good restaurant.I like a lot of modern Australian food and stolen bits from all over the world.” Corolla driver Judy Smith, 62, is a semi-retired carer who commutes 50km. “I'm a very practical person,'' she says. “I needed a reliable car that was safe and Toyota has a strong reputation and good resale value. I had a Toyota years ago.“It's also easy to get in and out of, plenty of room for the grandchildren.” In other ways she's atypical. “I only go to church when I have to and I like my vegetables but I also like meat and seafood. I drink beer and wine and my favourite drink is Asti Riccardona.''Hawks fan Anton Koller is a perfect fit as a 44-year-old IT professional and long-time BMW 3 Series owner. “I love my cars and I love my BMWs because they're fun to drive,” he says. “The eight-speed auto transmission is silky smooth, it has unbelievable brakes and it hangs on in corners. I've always stuck with the blue and white badge.'' He also fits the BMW demographic as health conscious with an active lifestyle and well travelled.COLOURSWe like white cars. Some of that's down to practicality and price non-metallic hues are often cheaper. Increasingly, white's the new black. Especially white with black accents. Postgraduate marketing researcher Andrew Golledge, of the Queensland University of Technology, says white is a practical colour popular with male and female professionals and trades people.Second most popular colour is shared by silver - Golledge says it reflects prestige - and black, which is mostly bought by single men aged 18-35 who are “looking to establish their sense of mystery and interested in expressing themselves and their ambitions”.White is no longer merely white. Car makers, prestige brands in particular, have launched their new model campaigns with white cars - described as pearlescent, metallic, iridescent and any number of names that you're unlikely to find on the Pantone chart.LIFESTYLECommodore owners drink Aussie beer, energy drinks and pre-mixed spirits and order out for pizza, saying expensive restaurants are not worth the money. They like physical activity and go to live sports events rather than art shows or cultural events. Corolla drivers drink low-fat milk, eat healthy and organic foods, devour less red meat and are worried about their cholesterol. They like eco holidays in Australia.BMW drivers like to cook, prefer wine to beer and spirits, and are health conscious, but not as much as Corolla drivers. They enjoy an active social life and are most likely to holiday overseas somewhere they can soak up the culture.BELIEFS“I don't trust the current Australian government,” say Commodore drivers, who believe corruption is a big problem. One third believe homosexuality is immoral, they are suspicious of change, worried about interest rates and believe globalisation brings more problems than it solves.Shy Corolla owners take few risks, recycle, use logic more than their emotions and almost a third believe homosexuality is immoral. BMW owners consider themselves leaders and are optimistic about the future. They are more likely to be accepting of gay people, give to charity, consider themselves green and believe the government is doing a good job.SPORTSAFL is the top sport among motorists, followed by rugby league. For drivers of small SUVs, however, Test and one-day cricket come second to AFL. Support is fairly evenly split among the clubs, although SUV drivers tend to favour the Lions and Swans. Audi drivers support the Bombers and BMW favour the Magpies.Holden and Ford fans are evenly split and Ford drivers don't necessarily favour Geelong, where Fords are built. Mitsubishi drivers don't follow the Crows even though they used to be made in Adelaide. Very few Renault and VW drivers follow AFL but those that do overwhelmingly support the Swans and Magpies.In NRL, the Broncos are the top team among all types of passenger vehicles with up to 10 per cent support; often more than half the next best club. The hardiest Bronco fans are Jeep and Kia drivers with three times the support of the others.The Bronco trend is similar among vehicle brands, however Ford drivers are evenly split with support for Melbourne Storm. Land Rover drivers are among the few that prefer the Bulldogs over the Broncos. French brands Citroen, Peugeot and Renault are least interested in league, but Citroen prefers Storm, Peugeot likes Broncos and Renault likes the Newcastle Knights.RELIGIONCorolla drivers are closer to their god. One in four say they are regular church goers compared with Commodore and BMW drivers (about 15 per cent of whom attend church. Among Christian drivers of these cars, Catholics are more likely to opt for the Corolla or BMW. Of the non-Christians, most drive Corollas, particularly Buddhists and Muslims.NATIONALITYFour out of every five Commodore drivers are Australian-born, compared with about two out of three Corolla and BMW drivers. Asian drivers prefer the Corolla over Commodore and BMW.LIVING STATUSAlso half of all Commodore drivers live with a partner and children and about one in four is married with no children. BMW drivers are similar but they are more likely to not have children. Corolla drivers are evenly split and more of them live with their parents.EDUCATIONBMW drivers excel in the classroom with two out of three having a diploma or degree, compared with almost half of Corolla drivers and less than a third Commodore owners. About a quarter of  Holden drivers  finished secondary school.SOFT ROADERSNew car buyers have turned to SUVs in record numbers this year, according to the FCAI. Sales of compact models - such as the Nissan Dualis, Mitsubishi ASX, Volkswagen's Tiguan and Hyundai ix35 - have grown at an unprecedented 61 per cent.Australians bought 23,845 SUVs of all types last month. SUVs have tallied 177,100 sales this year  or just 20,000 vehicles short of the annual figure for 2007,  the record year for vehicle sales. The segment is on track to top 305,000 sales.AT A GLANCEFavoured car type: Small four-door sedan, under $40,000Brand: ToyotaModel: Holden Commodore/CalaisLuxury car: BMW 3 SeriesSmall car: Toyota CorollaSUV: Toyota LandCruiserLight commercial: Toyota HiLuxCar age: 10 years or lessAnnual distance driven: 13,430kmDaily average drive: 11-20kmCars per household: 1.9AVERAGE OWNERSHolden Commodore: Male Victorian aged 35-49Toyota Corolla: Retired Sydney female aged over 50BMW 3 Series: Melbourne professional either sex aged 35-49

The two-seater, two-litre supercharged Skelta G-Force, driven by Jeff Denmeade of Sydney, has qualified second in class and fifth overall in a time that beat the previous record at the event in Colorado -- America's toughest and most dangerous hillclimb. This year's 90th running of the iconic event is the first time an Australian-designed and built car has entered. Car builder Ray Vandersee, 63, of Toowoomba, said he was “totally thrilled” with the car’s success. “The sad part is that I was over there for the original date but it was postponed by wildfires in early July,” he says. Vandersee began building the cars back in 2004 with investment from his family, but has put the project on ice because of a lack of sales. He has only built eight of the Honda-powered cars and has leased his road-registered race car to Denmeade for the event. “I wouldn’t give it to anyone. I didn’t want it to come back in a ball or anything,” he said. “I had faith he would take care of it and show the car’s potential. “It’s something I would love to have done myself.” Vandersee, 63, has raced the Skelta to wins in several events and the car has been outright runner-up in the Targa Tasmania and Targa West rallies. The Skelta was beaten in qualifying for Sunday’s event by 2010 Le Mans champion Romain Dumas driving a $500,000 Porsche RS-R on slick tyres. Denmeade said he had to avoid a long oil spill on his run up the 1439m mountain with its 156 corners featuring sheer drops of up to 1km and no guard rails. “Despite coming second we are very, very pleased,” he said. “The Skelta's high-speed balance and aero was simply terrific, even on the bad off-camber higher speed corners, the car just gripped.”  

Electric vehicle (EV) sales in Europe have been so slow, Mitsubishi has temporarily halted production of two electric cars based on its i-MiEV. After sales of less than 1000 each, Mitsubishi has now temporarily stopped producing the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn which are rebadged versions of its i-MiEV. The slow global take-up of EVs has been mirrored in Australia with only 18 sold privately so far this year and 45 sold to government and business. In Australia, Mitsubishi has sold only 12 i-MiEVs this year and none last month. The disappointing global sales have also hit the Nissan Leaf -- which sold 51 here this year -- and the Chevrolet Volt which goes on sales next month with a Holden badge. However, the Australian market is also due for more EVs this year from Audi, Renault and Tesla. While many blame the slow take-up of EVs on high prices - Mitsubishi iMiEV ($48,800), Nissan Leaf ($51,500) and Holden Volt ($59,990) - Australian industry figures point to a lack of government subsidies. Audi Australia product planning manager John Roberts said electric vehicles would not gain a foothold in the market without government incentives. "The manufacturers are more likely to drive volume with pricing and product than by government policy," he said. Fuel economy campaigner and former Australian Rally champion Ed Ordynski said the issue of subsidies for electric vehicles was "way too bogged down in politics". "I don't think we'll see changes until there is a shake-out of local manufacturers," he said, pointing out that local manufacturers had no plans to produce electric vehicles, although several Australian companies are converting conventional cars such as the Holden Commodore to electric power. "I don't think the government will offer incentives to produce locally so subsidies for electric vehicles would only be for full imports and that isn't going to happen." BMW Group Australia boss Phil Horton said government incentives would be a "relatively easy thing to do" and not necessarily expensive. He suggested incentives such as cheap or free tolls, use of transit lanes, designated or cheaper parking spaces and discounts on licensing, registration and stamp duties. "At the moment, instead of any incentives there is the disincentive of the luxury car tax," he said. "Unless they take some steps to encourage electric vehicles, people won't buy them. "Emissions and economy don't appear to be high on the list of the great majority of Australians and experience in other countries shows the only way to change that behaviour is with a carrot-and-stick approach. "It's my belief that Australia is the only market in the world that has electric vehicles available but no government subsidies," he said. BMW is about to release its ActiveHybrid 5 Series, followed by a 3 Series model later this year, a 7 Series early next year, with a full electric car, the i3, in 2014, a plug-in hybrid i8 after that and possibly a range of electric scooters. "But there doesn't seem any willingness or interest from the government to do anything to encourage their take-up," he said. A Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries spokesman says they have been discussing with the Government ways to increase consumer take-up of new fuel efficient technologies, including electric cars, within the context of reducing CO2 emissions. "We think it unlikely that Australia is the only country without incentives for EVs," the spokesman said.  

It's the brainchild of Queensland's Team Nemo driver and manager Chris Eaton who will debut the car at the World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park on Friday, August 10. "Other teams you'll see at World Time Attack started out with a road car and added different bits along the way," says Eaton. "From the beginning, our car has been a definite effort to integrate the aero with the suspension and driveline. Our goal has been to produce something with the best ability in every area.'' It started life as a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII but and two years of development by American aerodynamicist and data engineer Andrew Brilliant it emerges as a track animal with aerodynamics "not far off an F1 car''. Just look at the stats: At 200km/h the 950kg car makes 1.6 tonnes of downforce which means - theoretically - that you could drive it upside down on the roof of a tunnel without falling off. The team uses special Hankook semi-slick tyres with enough load rating to cope with the downforce and a 600kW turbo engine that had to be programmed to automatically drop the boost in corners to stop the wheels spinning. "The car has more than 600kW at the wheels and would struggle to get that power down in the corners if we didn't moderate the boost,'' Eaton says. "The autoboost also improves engine reliability." It is believed the car will lap Eastern Creek at 1m29s which is as fast as Craig Lowndes lapped his V8 Supercar on full slicks.  

The Italian motorcycle marque has just made its sixth voluntary recall in Australia so far this year with two recalls on consecutive days.Next worst is KTM with three recalls, followed by Suzuki with two, and BMW, Kawasaki, Honda, Harley and Yamaha with one each. British manufacturer Triumph has had none this year but had five recalls last year. The latest Ducati recall is for this year's and last year's 1199cc Panigale superbike with a raft of problems.They include: the plastic exhaust valve protector could melt producing noxious fumes; the steering damper may come loose; rear fork fastening bolts may come loose; and front brake fluid could leak. The embarrassing list of faults for their flagship model with prices from $26,990-$39,990 follows two recalls earlier this year for the Panigale with a swingarm bolt failure and inferior rear brake pads.It's a blow for the brand which has dominated the World Superbikes championship over the past 24 seasons with 14 rider titles and 17 manufacturer wins and is the current title holder. It may also be a blow to the bike's chances of winning the coveted International Bike of the Year award that many critics believed was already in the bag.The day before the Panigale recall, Ducati's Australian importers, NF Importers, issued a voluntary safety recall for the Diavel power-cruiser with a sidestand that may bend and possibly break near the rotation pivot. The notice says there is the potential for "sudden and unexpected tip-over hazard if the side-stand collapses, possibly resulting in physical injury".It could also lead to expensive repairs as the naked 1198cc Diavel muscle machine has no protective fairings or crash bars. The bike is priced at $23,490-$28,990 plus on-road costs. Owners have been advised to contact their nearest dealer for correction of the latest round of faults.Other Ducati recalls this year include Monsters and Hypermotards with fire hazards caused by fuel leaks, Monsters with wheel failures and a range of models, including the Panigale, with inferior rear brakes.

I'm strapped into the passenger seat of a V8 Supercar alongside Todd Kelly for a lap of Queensland Raceway.In the pits, I'm cool and calm. After all, I've piloted race cars, street cars and motorbikes in tests and red-fisted racing rage around the Ipswich “paperclip” track before, so I know what to expect.Sitting on the starting line with your left foot riding the clutch and shaking like a dog on a toilet stop is the most nervous I've ever been. But right now, I'm fine. I chat calmly with Todd and we exchange pleasantries. He heads out of the pits with the limiter on and it's rock-band noisy and mosh-pit hot, but still nothing to be concerned about.Then he hits the limiter button and starts to accelerate out of the pits. Still nothing. I've driven cars and bikes with a lot more power and acceleration, so I'm not the least bit alarmed. But when he turns toward turn one and is still on the gas, I start regretting not making my own pit stop first.Even though he's not taking the turn at full tilt because he's only had a short run-up from the pits, the G forces are enormous. As he exits the turn, the car skates toward the outside ripple strip and the beach on the other side.I think I may have just spoiled the Kelly Racing Team's loaned race suit a little. He's still accelerating as we head for turn two and hasn't had his foot anywhere near the brake yet. Then he hits it. If you think the acceleration force is huge, the braking force is greater. Unlike you and me, race drivers don't touch the brakes, they hammer them.One V8 driver I rode with a few years ago even used two feet to hit the brake pedal. Todd slams the brake and brutally turns the car into the corner. Then he does an alarming thing...he lets the brake go. That's way too early, I'm thinking. The car is fighting grip, biting, then slipping, biting, then slipping...all the way out to that lethal ripple strip again.We're less than a third of the way through the lap and my racing suit is copping some punishment. Now for the long back straight. V8 Supercars hit about 250km/h here. It's one of the three fastest straights in Australia.That's fine, but it's the braking markers that are worrying me. The 200m mark comes and goes and Todd seems to have missed it. The sand and concrete wall beyond seem to be looming at a great rate of knots and I have target fixation on the advertising sign on the wall.Again Todd pounds the brakes and whips the steering wheel into the corner. But he holds the brake all the way into the middle of the corner and slows the car to a sedate pace. I'm surprised, relieved and actually take my first breath.However, it's short-lived relief as he turns the car toward the exit and slams the throttle to 100 per cent. The infamous paperclip circuit is straight, turn right, straight, turn right, straight, two short left turns, straight, turn right, straight and then repeat.It's a series of drag races with turns on the end, so all the straights are fast and all the turns are brutal. The complex two lefts at turns four and five are the only time the right tyres get a chance to grip. As Todd turns in, the car doesn't want to follow and it understeers straight ahead.We're heading for some off-roading, but somehow Todd flicks the back around and slides it sideways into the second left, using all the width of the road on exit and heads down toward the final turn. I take my second breath before all the breath is knocked out of me with the brutal brake and steering application in turn six.Again we seem to slow to walking pace before he fires it out of the turn and up the straight. That's one lap down and only one more to go, so I figure I've survived the experience and there is nothing left to concern me. But I've forgotten that this time he is approaching turn one with a longer run-up.He drops just one gear and only seems to dab the brakes before aiming the missile for the apex. Hang on...he's got this wrong. He's had a lapse of concentration and has miscalculated his entry speed. We're going to crash, we're going to hit the sand trap and then roll and cartwheel into the concrete barrier with all sorts of noise and pain and I'll never see my lovely wife and daughters again.The car squirms, it fights, it twitches, it slides, but mainly it screams in mechanical agony, yet somehow it gets through the corner and stays on the black stuff. I think I blacked out and missed the rest of the lap because the next thing Todd presses the limiter button and we're burping, farting and crackling down pit lane.I feign bravado and calmly shake Todd's hand, turn the buckle on the five-point harness, exit the car faster than Usain Bolt leaves the starting blocks and head straight to the toilets without even taking off my helmet. I've learnt a lot about cornering lines, late brake application and gear selection from the drive with Todd, but mainly I've learnt to take a pit stop before leaving the pits. 

Latest research shows that while most new light cars score four or a maximum five stars in the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), they are disadvantaged by their weight when crashing into bigger and heavier vehicles, RACQ safety spokesman Steve Spalding said yesterday. He was commenting on the 20th annual Used Car Safety Ratings of 313 cars in 5.8 million crashes in Australia and New Zealand. It is compiled by the Monash University's Accident Research Centre with support from state auto clubs and transport departments. "Drivers can be about 10 times more likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash driving a used car with a poor safety record compared with a top performer," Mr Spalding said. The survey found the safest vehicle for occupants and other road users was the BMW X5 SUV (2001-2008), while the most dangerous was the early 1980s Daihatsu HiJet which was 11.5 times worse than the X5. NRMA vehicle safety expert Jack Haley said 29 vehicles scored their Safe Pick rating of which 19 were small, medium or large cars, most manufactured since 2001, demonstrating the advances in affordable safe vehicles. There were only 19 safe picks last year and none in the first survey. However, Mr Spalding pointed out that light cars were the worst performers in the survey, despite many having good ANCAP scores. "Often light cars' scores don't correlate with how they perform in ANCAP," he said. "The Hyundai Getz is a good example. It's a four-star ANCAP performer, but gets one star in the real world. Also, the Yaris gets five stars, but we only give it three. "The problem is the ANCAP crash test doesn't take into account weight. The heavier car will always come off better in a crash. "In the real world, crashes happen at different angles with different circumstances. ANCAP only does offset front and side impact tests." The research rated cars not only on the protection they provide the driver but also the level of risk they present to other road users in a collision. Those that scored highly on both counts were labelled Safe Picks. Mr Spalding suggested buyers should not just look at ANCAP, but also the Used Car Safety Ratings. "While the top Safe Pick is a prestige vehicle, motorists can be assured there are Safe Picks in almost every class of vehicle covering a broad price range," he said. "Alarmingly, the research shows that while novice drivers have the highest crash risk they often drive the least safe vehicles. "By choosing safer vehicles, novice drivers could reduce their road trauma statistics by 60 to 80 per cent." NSW Centre for Road Safety general manager Margaret Prendergast said newer models provide drivers with better protection from injury in a crash than older ones. "Motorists will see from the list that some of the most affordable used cars are the safest," she said. Safety Ratings   LIGHT CARS   SMALL CARS   MEDIUM CARS   LARGE CARS   PEOPLE MOVERS   COMMERCIAL - VANS   COMMERCIAL - UTES   COMPACT SUV's MEDIUM SUV's LARGE SUV's