Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Just as the ageing Woodstock generation took to the Toyota Prius hybrid, they will also take to EVs, says Nissan regional electric vehicle manager Michael Hayes.

... from Melbourne to Noosa from August 2.The rally aims aims to raise more than $50,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. The first Auzrun last year raised $44,000. Visit www.auzrun.com.Meanwhile, riders are invited to participate in the fourth annual Long Ride in November to raise awareness of prostate cancer.The first ride in 2007 raised $50,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service while $249,000 was raised last year for the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia (PCFA).Riders from across Australia will head towards Sale on November 10 then ride together to Sydney with the ride ending on november 12.Ride founder Christopher Dunne says there are many defence members riding in this year's event "as well as CEOs, general managers, managers, tradesmen and women, retired couples and my wife and me". It will cost each rider about $3000 to participate with most donating other funds raised. Visit www.freewebs.com/longride2010.

They include visibility, seat belt position and size, ease of access, visibility of instruments, ease of use of controls and adjustability of the steering wheel, according to a study conducted by the RACQ. The Queensland auto club study was prompted after observing attendees at their Gold 50 member morning teas."We experienced first hand the mobility issues they have," technical services manager Steve Spalding says. "It's an eyeopener to see them lower themselves into a car. We've seen the obvious things such as the back seat belts are not big enough for some people and this has been an issue for some time," Spalding says.Abilities of the driver and passengers also need to be considered, he says. Factors to consider when assessing the suitability of a vehicle for an older drivers are weight, size, neck rotation, sight, arm movement, mobility and health issues such as heart condition. "Every driver is an individual with height, size, abilities and limitations, restrictions and flexibility in their arms, legs, neck etc," he says."Car manufacturers can't take all these factors into account." He says the greatest improvement in cars in the past decade to affect older people has been upgraded safety features. That results in lower injuries and aged drivers are more susceptible to injury and have longer recovery times," he says. The worst feature about modern cars for older drivers is the reduction in visibility caused by aerodynamic designs that require wider A and C pillars, high boot lid and sloping rear windows, he says."Rear headrests also reduce visibility," he says.Spalding wouldn't recommend particular vehicles for aged motorists, but urged them to rigorously test drive the vehicle before they buy. He says they should think about how they will use the vehicle."There are other things they need to think about such as child restraints for when they take the grandchildren for a drive, or whether they can fit a wheelchair in the boot," he says. Spalding says car manufacturers should be more proactive in supplying advice to aged buyers."The problem is they don't want to promote their product as an old person's car or brand," he says. "However, relevant info should be available at the point of sale, which means sales staff need to be educated."For more information, visit www.racq.com.au.

They are demanding everything from higher seating positions and lighter controls to more safety equipment in a move that reflects the ageing Australian population and their buying power. GM Holden recognised the trend more than 10 years ago when it put bigger buttons onto the radio controls in its locally-made

Neuropsychologist Professor Karen Sullivan, who led a team of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers, says older drivers think they are "considerably more skilled" than the average driver. The study participants, who had average age of 71 and an average of 51 years' driving experience, were asked to rate their driving ability then undertake a hazard detection test on a computer simulation. "Our analysis showed little relationship between the participants' performance on the hazard perception test and the ratings they gave themselves," Professor Sullivan says. "We also found that decreases in the ability to perceive potential hazards were not matched by a reduction in confidence in the ability to handle difficult driving conditions nor by avoiding these many potentially dangerous driving situations. "This suggests that self-assessment is not an accurate way for older drivers to assess their driving." The study also found that older drivers tended to avoid dangerous situations such as school pick-up and drop-off times. Professor Sullivan said the participants indicated they would be keen to have their doctor's input into whether they continue to drive. "Other solutions could also be explored, such as looking at ways of improving older drivers' hazard perception because they are an important group in the road-using community, and have particular transportation needs," she says.

"But about 50 per cent will have some form of electric interface such as plug-in hybrids," he says.BMW will launch the i3 compact EV and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car in 2013. Robertson says hydrogen power is "on the backburner" and predicts internal combustion engines (ICE) will still play "a huge role"."That is why we are developing energy efficient internal combustion engines," he says. The take-up of EVs will be dependent on several factors such as government incentives and the Chinese market, says Robertson who recently visited Australia. "Incentives take time. I'm not disappointed by the lack of incentives (in Australia) yet," he says.The big trigger for change to electric power will rely on what the world's biggest car market, China, does. "The Chinese government is being very aggressive about alternative powertrains," he says. "This will potentially speed up the take-up of EVs."Robertson says the i3 and i8 will be "bookends" to BMW's alternate powertrain products and will arrive in Australia at the end of 2013. He could not confirm what other models would be in the "i" range, but confirms the price for the i8 will be about $300,000.He has no estimate on the i3 pricing. "The technology is expensive. We will decide on pricing in the next 18 months," he says.While most EVs are being leased to governments and big corporations, Robertson says the i3 and i8 will be mass-produced for the public. "We're looking at various means of ownership," he says. Both vehicles will make extensive use of strong, lightweight and expensive carbon fibre.While carbon fibre is expensive, Robertson says it weighs less so the battery does not have to be as big, which is a cost saving. "BMW was the first to use carbonfibre in high volume on a large scale," he says. "The whole process of manufacturing will change with carbon fibre."There is no conventional pressing, welding or painting shops." Robertson says the limited range of 120-150km is no hurdle and is "appropriate" to Australians living in cities.

Research by Budget Direct has found 44 per cent of Australian motorists support transit lanes and want more, compared with 27 per cent of Melbourne drivers and 33 per cent of Sydney motorists who believe they are a waste of time. However, an RTA report shows a 17 per cent reduction in the length of transit lanes between 2008-09 and 2010-2011 due to lane conversion and upgrades in Sydney. "This would indicate that transit lanes are not a high priority for the RTA, despite the indicated need identified by survey respondents and Sydney's ongoing crippling traffic congestion," said Budget Direct spokeswoman Richelle Ward. Motorists also show a general ignorance of transit lane rules with 93 per cent of Melbourne motorists and 84 per cent of Sydney drivers not knowing what distance they are allowed to drive in a transit lane before making a turn. Motorists are also confused about who can travel in a transit lane in both cities. "(We are) concerned that drivers' lack of knowledge surrounding transit lanes could result in unnecessary fines and an increase in road incidents," Ward said. Motorists can travel in a transit lane for up to 100m to enter or exit a roadway, make a turn, or avoid an obstruction. Vehicles must have the specified minimum number of people or the driver will cop a $201 fine in Sydney, or $199 in Melbourne. Ward said a large percentage of motorists claimed to never travel illegally in a transit lane, but she questioned that claim due to respondents' poor understanding of the rules. She called for public education on transit lane use to eliminate confusion and reduce the risk of drivers copping heavy fines.   Transit lanes: the basics *T2 lanes - motorbikes, bicycles, public transport and vehicles with two or more people *T3 lanes - motorbikes, bicycles, public transport and vehicles with three or more people                        

"My first car was a 1977 LX Torana. I lived in Yass at the time and there wasn't much else to do except have a hoony car," the 38-year-old graphic designer says. "I had a friend who had a Mk 1 Golf and I used to pay out on him about its lack of power."However, he soon short-shifted into a Nissan Pulsar SSS and "got into hot hatches". "My wife, Charmayne, and I then bought a Mk 4 Golf GTI and I started looking into early Golfs a bit more," he says. "I figured I wanted a Mk 1 GTI and I knew there were only a few in Australia as they were never imported here by the factory."What really got me thinking about it was that there was a chance Charmayne would get a job in London and I could buy one there and have it for three years then bring it back with us."However, the job never eventuated and it was some time before the Murrays fulfilled that GTI dream. After the Golf came a Mini Cooper S, then they added a Mk 5 Golf GTI, sold the Mini and added an Audi S3. In 2009, the planets were aligned and a silver 1980 Mk 1 GTI became the third car in the hot hatch Murray stable."We just happened to have enough money sitting there to buy the car at the time," he says. "You can't pick and choose these things because they are so rare. There are only about 15 to 30 in Australia. It was just good timing."Murray bought the right-hand-drive GTI in Sydney for $7500. "In Australia you would never get what I think it would be worth in the UK, but they are rare and quite a classic car," Murray says. He has traced its history through several owners, including the first who brought it out from the UK in 1995 with about 90,000 miles (144,840km) on the odometer.After years of researching the vehicle, Murray reckons he's become a bit of an expert on the GTI. "The first few that went to the UK were professionally converted to right-hand drive and it wasn't until 1979, I think, that they factory made them in right-hand drive," he says. The car is in "fairly original condition" and he wants to keep it that way, including reupholstering the seats with the original tartan cloth.The Mk 1 is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with a meagre 82kW of power and is one of the first models with a five-speed gearbox. "It's fast for what it is," he says. "It's gutless in some ways but for a 30-year-old car it's pretty good."I like the fact that it transports you back in time. My first car was of a similar era so it takes me back to my youth. Modern cars have all this insulation and safety stuff, but with the GTI you feel and hear everything and I like that. It's good for a Sunday drive. But as an everyday car I wouldn't like it."History of the Golf GTI The legend of the GTI Golf began in 1974 as a secret "Sport Golf" project. VW engineer Alfons Lowenberg wanted a Golf that would appeal to younger buyers, so he started work on a test GTI with a Weber dual carburettor on the Golf's 1.6-litre engine, a body kit, lowered suspension and a sports exhaust.When research boss Ernst Fiala first drove the car he complained about the noisy exhaust. "Undrivable, this car!" he declared. The car was made quieter and more comfortable and in 1976 the first GTIs were produced with an initial target volume of 5000 as a basis for approval for legal motorsport registration. So far, VW has produced nearly two million Golf GTIs over six generations.Year: 1980Price New: about $2000Price Now: $7500Engine: 82kW 1.4-litre, 4-cylinderBody: 3-door, 5-seater hatchTrans: 5 speed manual, front-wheel drive

BMW has announced that its semi-active suspension control system Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) from the M3 and M5 would be suitable for their motorcycles. DDC would react to acceleration by increasing damping on the rear shock to avoid rear "squatting" and in braking would increase damping at the front to prevent "fork dive". It would also stiffen suspension when the bike is leaning in a corner to prevent "wallowing". BMW says the system would come with three selectable modes, "Comfort", "Normal", and "Sport". DDC will be introduced to the first BMW motorcycles "in the near future", according to BMW Motorrad in Germany. BMW Group Australia spokesman Piers Scott says there is no timeline for the introduction of the technology or which models would be the first to receive it. However, he said it would be likely to be introduced to models where riders had greater acceptance of the technology, such as large tourers. These were also the first BMW models to include anti-lock brakes, BMW's electronic suspension and traction control. Despite many of these technologies being available in cars for many years, motorcycle companies have been slow to introduce these aids. BMW was the first to offer ABS across all its range followed by Triumph with Harley-Davidson expected to follow. BMW and Ducati were the manufacturers to embrace traction control and electronic suspension in high-end models.

….over the past year thanks to decreasing finance costs and fixed price servicing. The Suzuki Alto, Barina Spark and Hyundai Getz shared the honours as the cheapest cars on our roads, according to annual surveys of a range of popular cars released this week by automobile clubs in all states except NSW. Toyota's LandCruiser is the most expensive vehicle to keep on our roads with the RAC of Western Australia estimating the 4.5-litre V8 costs as much as $406.84 a week. LandCruiser has retained the dubious honour as the most expensive vehicle to run in Queensland for the past six years. The auto club surveys tally costs such as fuel, tyres, registration, service, repairs, depreciation and loan interest. Costs vary between states with South Australia reporting a drop in costs and Western Australia the only state reporting a substantial rise of $50 in running costs. RAC spokesman David Moir attributed the rise to fuel costs which are now second only to vehicle depreciation in total running costs in Western Australia. Although most of the costs vary between states, the surveys found the cheapest small car is Hyundai's petrol i30. Toyota Camry, Suzuki Kizashi and Holden Epica share the honours as the most frugal medium cars, while Holden Commodore dual-fuel (petrol and LPG) model is the cheapest large car to own in Victoria and Queensland, Toyota Aurion is the best bet in South Australia and Ford Falcon XT LPG takes the honours in Western Australia. The RAC survey also shatters the myth that frugal hybrids and diesels are cheaper to run. In Queensland, the Camry hybrid costs $11.68 more a week in ownership costs than the petrol model. RACQ spokesman Steve Spalding says diesels are also less attractive this year. "Last year diesel and petrol fuel prices were much closer together, so diesel owners were picking up the benefits of fuel consumption," he says. "But this year the higher premium on diesel fuel means we aren't seeing the same overall savings." He says it also depends on the model as car companies charge between $2000 and $10,000 more for a diesel variant. The best way to save on running costs is to bargain for a cheaper price and pay with cash, Spalding advises. "Depreciation and finance are the biggest costs in running a car, not fuel and maintenance," he says. "Depreciation is 35 to 45 per cent of running costs and even though finance costs have dropped in the past year, it still represents about 20 per cent of total ownership costs. "So the more you shop around and the better you bargain, the more those costs drop."