Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Audi Australia boss Uwe Hagen is delighted with the one-two finish in the endurance race last weekend. He is vowing to return to the mountain in 2012 even though he didn't know where Bathurst was when the plan to compete was hatched back in November."The Audi motorsport committee in Germany approached me on the phone," he says.   "They were looking worldwide at endurance races to compete in and Bathurst was well known."I gave them an instant answer on the phone even though I didn't know where Bathurst was.  But I know this market is really interested in competition and car races, so I say yes."Audi Team Joest entered two R8 LMS race cars, one driven by an international crew and the other by Australians Craig Lowndes, Mark Eddy and Warren Luff.  The Aussies qualified first and the international crew won by less than a second."The international team knew the car and the local drivers knew the track. In the rain the Aussies were quicker," Hagen says.  "I've already talked to HQ about doing it again next year.  Hopefully other manufacturers will participate because endurance races are good for the product."Hagen says he can't quantify the sales effect of the enduro win, but says they have already sold one LMS race car and GT Production racer Eddy is keen to buy a new model."We never talk about figures but we invited all R8 owners and dealer principals to attend the race and had about 80 guests," he says.  "We do this to increase awareness of our brand."Audi has already run press ads featuring the race win and has videos of the race on its You Tube site.  The $5000 prize money for pole position has been donated by the Aussie drivers to the Queensland flood appeal and matched by Audi Australia.  The Audi donation rocketed to $35,000 with pledges from Audi dealerships.

COMPUTER geeks who play driving games are more likely to crash on our roads, according to a new study.It found that motorists who play games such as Need for Speed and Gran Turismo are also 44 per cent more likely to take risks on the roads such as running a red light and are less successful at carrying out everyday manoeuvres.Tyre manufacturer Continental commissioned the study of 2000 UK motorists.Fatality Free Friday founder Russell White agreed that driving games gave motorists more "bravado".However, the road safety expert said driving games should not be confused with computer simulators which are driver education tools that teach motorists to be aware of the dangers on the roads.Queensland Transport is considering allowing learners to include simulator hours in their logbook if Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland (CARRS-Q) research this year shows it's effective. White pointed out that airline pilots have to use simulators to retain their licence.The British study found computer gamers more likely to speed, suffer from road rage, be stopped by police, claim on their insurance. They are also considered "over-confident" by non-gamers and a potential risk because they might repeat their virtual driving approach in the real world.Continental Tyres spokesman Tim Bailey says computer games require good concentration levels and improved reaction times."However, they can take more risks than non-gaming drivers, possible due to the lack of real consequence in games," he said. "They believe that any problem can be solved by resetting their game."Gamers also appear to be worse parkers, having crashed into more stationary objects and are twice as likely to scare others with their antics on the road.It also emerged that the longer they spend on games like Grand Theft Auto and Formula 1 each week, the worse they are behind the wheel with the research revealing that those who play for more than eight hours a week have been in three times as many accidents as someone who plays for less an hour.However, non-gamers take an average of one more attempt at passing their driver's test and have caused twice as many prangs to their vehicle in the last year. 

The number of vehicles registered with diesel engines has increased 57.4 per cent to 2.2 million vehicles from March 2005 to 2010, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics motor vehicle census released yesterday (2 Feb 2011). They now represent 13.8 per cent of all registered vehicles.While passenger vehicle registrations grew 12.6 per cent in the five years to 2010, diesel-powered passenger vehicles grew 91.5 per cent.But while Australian motorists have embraced the frugal economy of diesel power, they have not been as keen on so-called "green" hybrid petrol-electric vehicles.VFACTS industry figures for last year show only 1769 new private passenger hybrids were sold, compared with 22,262 diesels. Government and business has shown more interest in hybrids with 7058 sold last year, compared with 23,364 non-private passenger diesels.The ABS census shows vehicles registrations increased 2.5 per cent in the past year to a record 16.1 million. That is 0.72 of a vehicle for every Australian last year compared with 0.68 in 2005.The census shows the biggest growth in vehicles registrations from 2005 to 2010 were in the Northern Territory (22.7 per cent), Western Australian (22.3 per cent) and Queensland (21.4 per cent). States with growth below the national average of 15. 4 per cent were South Australia (11.5 per cent), NSW (12.3 per cent), Victoria (12.7 per cent) and Tasmania (13.3 per cent).The average age of an Australian vehicle is 10 years with Tasmania having the oldest vehicles at 11.9 years and Northern Territory the youngest at 8.8 years.Motorcycle popularity continues to grow at a faster rate than any other vehicle type. From 2005 to 2010, motorcycle (including scooter) registrations had an average annual growth rate of 9.4 per cent. However, in the 12 months to March 2010, motorcycle registrations grew just 5.8 per cent.

... according to Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior.  "Australian motorsport is at its lowest ebb," the passionate rally fan and former co-driver said at the launch in Canberra yesterday of the new Forester line-up that includes a "performance" S-Edition."We are riding on (Mark) Webber's wave of success alone.  V8 Supercars largely disenfranchises the majority of automotive companies and ARC (Australian Rally Championship) is a pale imitation of previous years."Subaru pulled out of world and Australian rally competition in the past few seasons, citing a lack of TV coverage, promotion and audience interest."There are a lot of other car companies with a rich motorsport heritage but with no outlet to go motor racing," he said.Senior called on the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport to chair a forum to discuss developing a new racing category with more representation of the automotive industry and audience interests.He pointed out that the compact SUV category had grown bigger than the large car segment which was the sold category represented by V8 Supercar racing."We need a wider participation rate that encourages the younger audience and gets them away from playing their PlayStation games," he said.  Motorsport is a cottage industry that has a big role to play in the economy because it's labour intensive and takes at-risk kids off the streets."Senior said he would like to see a wide range of vehicles competing at signature events such as the Bathurst 1000 and had planned to launch the Forester S-Edition at this weekend's Bathurst 12-Hour race."But it would have been swamped in the only category it would have been eligible to run in," he said.  "We have no motorsport channel to display products like these.  I'd like to see 60 cars running down Conrod Straight at Bathurst like we used to in the olds days.  Now that would be a sight to see."I'd like to see a new category that is inexpensive with a broad range of vehicles, even compact SUVs.  There is a lot of diversity in cars in the market but we are not representing them in motorsport."Senior also took aim at the state of global motorsport.  "It needs a rethink," he said."There is not one Japanese, Korean or Chinese manufacturer in Formula One or WRC, yet Asia is the fastest emerging market in the world."

THE Bathurst 12-Hour race this weekend was to be the launch event for the new “performance” model in the Subaru Forester range.  However, Subaru boss Nick Senior says there was not a suitable category in the event for the turbocharged S-Edition. Instead, the S-Edition, which had its world debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October, was launched on the dusty roads west of Canberra this week.The new flagship “performance” model includes a range of WRX STI components and is the most powerful model in the compact SUV range in Australia.It arrives along with a host of changes to the Forester line-up including a standard reversing camera in most models, more connectivity for iPods and Bluetooth mobile phones and the first new boxer engine since 1989.PRICEThe S-Edition is listed at $50,990, which is $3500 more than the XT model, but it has 24kW more power, 27Nm more torque, leather upholstery and STI 17-inch wheels, turbocharger, intercooler and suspension.Prices for the base Forester X and diesel remain unchanged despite the upgrade in standard features while the price rise in most other models has been kept to $500.Senior also announced that Subaru and Datadot were now offering a refund of customers’ insurance excess if their vehicle is stolen and not recovered in 45 days during the first year.TECHNOLOGYThe S-Edition 2.5 litre boxer engine generates 193kW of power, 347Nm of torque and sprints to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds compared with the XT’s 7.9.  It comes with a paddleshift five-speed automatic gearbox and Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive.The base model petrol Foresters get the new FB naturally aspirated horizontally opposed boxer engine, replacing the EJ unit introduced in 1989.  The longer stroke and smaller bore lift low and mid-range torque, decrease emissions and retain the same economy of 9.3 litres per 100km.It also gets a maintenance-free chain drive system replacing the belts.  Senior says the engine will be introduced throughout the Subaru range over the next few years.The new FB engine also required changes to the four-speed automatic transmission in the Forester X and XS, while the S-Edition comes in five-speed auto only. It’s a specially tuned version of the paddleshift transmission from the automatic WRX STI.S-Edition gets the STI suspension with softer spring and damping rates and stiffer bushes, while the rest of the range just get the stiffer bushes to reduce pitch and roll.DESIGNOnly Subaru anoraks will notice the exterior changes.  The grille is slightly different, the indicators are now in the door mirrors in all but the X and diesel models and there are two new shades of blue paint available.Forester X, XS and XT have black-finish roof rails, while S-Edition gets silver.  Inside, the dashboard has a darker finish, a soft feel coating for the instrument panels and new colours.  S-Edition gets some extra badging, black and blue alcantara seats, drilled alloy pedals, luminescent instruments and STI wheels.SAFETYAll Subarus have DataDot security and five-star crashworthiness ratings.  Now the Forester adds a reversing camera in all but the X and diesel models, regardless of the audio system.  However, parking sensors are an optional extra.DRIVINGThe new S-Edition is certainly quicker and more nimble, but it’s not really a performance car.  Acceleration is prompt without being electrifying and it’s accompanied by a quite sombre exhaust note.And don’t be put off by the STI suspension componentry because this is not a bone-shaking, kidney-punching ride like the WRX STI.Ride and handling are just about ideal for a dual-purpose vehicle with enough compliance to sort out the lumps and bumps, while keeping the car flat through corners.  It is a great improvement on the standard suspension.  Models with the new FB engine were not available for test on launch.VERDICTWhile the S-Edition is no STI, you can feel the extra oomph and the ride and handling are greatly improved.This should appeal to a slightly younger audience, although the biggest barrier will be the price tag.  Other changes should ensure the range remains at the top of the compact SUV category.PRICESForester X manual             $30,990Forester X auto               $32,990Forester XS manual            $34,990Forester XS auto              $36,990Forester XS Premium manual    $38,490. With SatNav option: $40,490Forester XS Premium auto      $40,490. With SatNav option: $42,490Forester 2.0D manual          $35,990Forester 2.0D Premium manual  $40,490. With SatNav option: $42,490Forester XT manual            $39,990Forester XT auto              $41,990Forester XT Premium manual    $45,490Forester XT Premium auto      $47,490Forester S-Edition auto       $50,990

"I used to roll my pedal car down our long driveway with my feet up because the pedals would go too fast for me," says the 46-year-old electrician.  I suppose that was the fun thing to do at that age."He graduated from pedal cars to real cars when his father bought him a 1977 XC Falcon ex-taxi.  But what he really wanted was something more exotic.A few years later he bought a 1979 Alfa GTV for $7700 at auction and even though it had "rust like you wouldn't believe on a three-year-old car", Moore had become hooked on Euro-exotica."My neighbour had a lot of Renaults at the time, he says.  "I liked the shape of his 15TS and the Alfa was sending me broke, so I decided to get one.  He wouldn't sell me his, but I got one for $1800."The love affair with French cars, in particular Renaults, had begun Over the years he's owned a Peugeot 205 GTI, two Pug 405s, a 1973 BMW 2002 tii, a 1954 Renault 4CV, a 1989 Renault Alpine GTA Turbo and a 2005 Falcon BA Futura wagon as the daily driver.  The Pugs have since been sold."Generally French cars are more comfortable and I guess I like to be a bit different," he says.  "I appreciate well-made cars and given a few million dollars I'd own a lot of cars from other manufacturers, but four is enough for most of us."Moore bought the 4CV for $500 in 1992 and has since replaced the 749cc engine with a 1605cc donk from a Renault 16TS.  Likewise, he is about to replace the 2458cc V6 engine in the GTA for a three-litre V6 from an early '90s Volvo 960.The 1988-plated engine was made under an alliance with Peugeot and Renault. The flexible engines were made from 1972 to the late '90s for use in either transverse or longitudinal engine bays in the front or rear mated to either rear-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive.The original GTA model produced 154kW, but Moore has already fitted a bigger GT30 71R Garrett turbo that returns about 186kW.  "With the new engine and bigger cams, valves and injector and depending on the boost I expect to get over 300hp (223kW)," he said.  "I do all my own mechanicals and modifications except for wheel alignments and upholstery," he says.His interest in bigger engines stems from his amateur racing career in motorkhanas, hillclimbs and club sprints.  He mainly uses the 2002 for race duties, but the Alpine will figure more prominently once he shoehorns in the bigger motor.Renault-owned French manufacturer Alpine produced 3400 GTAs in left-hand drive and only 343 in right-hand drive between 1986 and 1991.Moore bought his rear-engined right-hand-drive coupe for about $14,000 in 2004.Apart from the engine, the rest of the vehicle is all original, although he has replaced the wheels with AZEV 255/40 17s because tyres for the original 255/50 15s were too difficult to find and too expensive."It handles well," he says.  "In slow corners it understeers and if you come on the boost mid-corner it will put its tail out a bit.  "They say rear-engined cars don't handle ... someone forgot to tell Mr Porsche that."Moore also has a shed full of bikes in need of restoring.  "I'll have to work until I'm at least 80 to pay for the things I've got to restore," he says.Allan Moore's garage:1989 Renault Alpine GTA Turbo2005 BA Futura Wagon1973 BMW 2002 tii1956 Renault 4CV1986 Honda TLR200 Trials1976 Yamaha XT5001974 Yamaha TY250A1972 Suzuki T5001970 Triumph Bonneville1968 BMW R60/21938 BMW R711937 Rudge Special

While Audi says it's serious about electric cars, it has actually produced a scaled-down toy version of its Audi e-tron concept with a vintage look. The toy is a half-size model of the 1930s Auto Union Type C as raced to many victories by Hans Stuck, Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari. The original 16-cylinder Type C was capable of 380km/h, while the toy has a 1kW electric motor pushing it to a dizzying 30km/h. Even though it is a half-size model, it is still 2.32m long and only 1.12m shorter than the new Audi A1. It is roomy enough take a child or small adult. The prototype will make its world debut at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg from February 3. Audi Australia is awaiting confirmation on pricing and availability.

... but the loss of the "green car" fund is expected to damage the Australian automotive industry. The two schemes have been axed as part of $2.8bn in spending cuts to pay for flood rebuilding. Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Andrew McKellar said the loss of the $430m clunker scheme in which people were to receive $2000 to trade an old car for a more economical model was doomed from the start. "There wasn't a lot of industry consultation before that scheme was proposed and it wasn't the best designed," he said. "There is probably no great sorrow over the decision not to proceed. The issue that it is of much greater concern is the loss of the green car innovation which is a bitterly disappointing outcome." The $1.3 billion green car fund announced in 2008 was aimed at encouraging local development of low-emission, low-consumption cars. "It was an important mechanism for attracting new investment to the Australian automotive industry and in particular in ensuring that the industry was taking up a range of cleaner more environmentally friendly vehicle technologies," McKellar said. "By removing that particular program it really does send a very worrying signal to international investors. It (government) reneged on an agreed policy outcome that was supported by a wide variety of stakeholders in the industry. It really does undermine our credibility with international investors. That will cause damage and find it harder to ensure future investment."

A HYBRID sportscar, a model from the past, a Korean SUV, a luxury saloon and a car we won't get in Australia are the top performers in European safety tests. Euro NCAP has announced the highest-scoring vehicles of 2010 in five categories. They are: -  Honda CR-Z (supermini category)-  Alfa Romeo Giulietta (small family)-  Kia Sportage (off-road)-  BMW 5 Series (executive)-  Toyota Verso (small MPV). These vehicles not only scored a maximum five stars, but also scored high in four areas of assessment, exceeding the thresholds for a five-star overall rating. The CR-Z hybrid sportscar is set for release this year, the Guilietta - a resurrected name of Alfa's past - has just been released here, the sixth-generation 5 Series is now complete with the introduction of a wagon, the Sportage was second in the Carsguide Car of the Year and Toyoa Australia says they have no plans to nitroduce the Verso. Other top performers sold in Australia include the Suzuki Swift, BMW X1 and Citroen C4 which exceeded 80 per cent in overall scoring. The worst results were achieved by two vehicles not imported into Australia; the three-star Citroen Nemo and two-star Landwind CV9 SUV from China. Last year, Euro NCAP crash tested 29 vehicles, 65 per cent of which reached the five-star rating, compared with 90 per cent in 2009. Euro NCAP boss Michiel van Ratingen says the 25 per cent decrease illustrates their criteria. "The presence in these categories of high-performing five-star cars demonstrates car manufacturers' commitment to safety for all sizes of vehicles," he says. Euro NCAP now also tests electronic stability control tests which from January 1 became mandatory in all vehicles sold in Victoria and is largely standard throughout vehicles sold across the nation.

THE sixth-generation 5 Series Touring comes with six BMW firsts and includes features not even found in the 7 Series. For the first time since 1997 a 5 Series Touring arrives costing less than $100,000. Other BMW firsts are a diesel variant, 20/40/20 rear seat split, an optional digital radio, split tailgate and standard inclusion of an auto-parking feature, which is not even available in the 7 Series as the flagship has hydraulic, not electric steering.The Touring completes the upgraded 5 Series range which also includes the GT.PRICEThe diesel-powered 520d Touring arrives at $92,800, saving about $5000 on the luxury tax because its fuel economy of 5.3L/100km is well under the 7L/100km threshold. It comes standard with head-up display, adaptive headlights and most of the features available in the 7 Series.The petrol-powered 535i Touring starts at $138,900 and adds 18-inch wheels, gearshift paddles, auto tailgate, keyless access, rear sun blinds, fully adjustable electric seats, ambient lighting, Bi-Xenon headlights, a better hi-fi and high beam assist.DESIGNAn obvious highlight of the Touring is its wagon area. It comes with a split tailgate where the top glass half opens remotely with the keyfob and the cargo cover folds back electronically or the whole tailgate can open as one unit. In the 535i, the tailgate also opens remotely.The 560 litres of cargo space increases to 590L with the rear seats tilted forward or 1670L with the rear seats folded almost flat. The rear seats can also be folded down in three variations thanks to the 20/40/20 split, allowing four occupants with a set of skis stored down the middle.In the front, it is similar to the sedan with a driver-oriented dashboard.Outside, the diesel and petrol models can be distinguished by the larger front air dam on the 535i and by the twin tailpipes on either side of the 535i and together on the left on the 520d.TECHNOLOGYThe 520d diesel engine produces 135kW of power and 380Nm of torque, but most importantly sips fuel at just 5.3L/100km and emits 139g of CO2 per kilometre.The omnipresent twinscroll turbo engine in the 535i Touring has the same power (225kW) and torque (400Nm) as in the sedan and is faster than the 540i wagon it replaces. Economy is 8.5L/100km with 197g/km of CO2.Fuel savings are achieved through a variety of means including use of lightweight aluminium in panels and chassis; electric power steering that uses energy from the engine only when steering rather than hydraulic which uses energy from the engine all the time; eight-speed transmission; air flaps behind the kidney grille that close to quickly heat the engine on start-up and open for better aerodynamics on the highway; low rolling resistance tyres; and battery charging only when decelerating.Technology abounds in the wagons including the standard addition of parking assistance for automatic parallel parking, iPhone and iPod Integration, optional Bluetooth internet on the wide-screen navigation system, and digital radio which can be ordered now.In May, BMW will also offer an "Office" infotainment package that will integrate email, calendar, notes and text message functions from a mobile phone. It will even read aloud the text of emails and text messages when stationary.SAFETYEuro NCAP has awarded a maximum five-star safety rating, thanks to a pedestrian-friendly bonnet and a raft of safety features. The wagons have not yet been tested for an ANCAP safety rating. There is also the usual swag of passive safety gear and active driver aids.Optional safety features include adaptive cruise control with a semi-automatic emergency braking function to avoid rear-end collisions, cameras that monitor road speed signs and show them on a head-up display on the windscreen in front of the driver, lane departure warning and night vision.DRIVINGBMW launched the wagons with a drive through rural Victoria over narrow, bumpy roads that the vehicles took in their stride. Key to their sure-footing is the aluminium double wishbone front axle and integral rear axle air suspension with self-levelling that adjusts for loads. It is so good, you can easily forget you are driving a wagon, rather than a sedan. For better stability, the 6.5cm longer wagon now has an 8cm longer wheelbase measuring 2.97m, the same as the sedan.Diesel buyers can also option stiffer and lower M sport suspension or Dynamic Damper Control suspension in which each wheel adjusts to road conditions 400 times a second. The 535i also comes with an M Sport option and DDC with adaptive drive to reduce body roll. The dynamic suspension easily accounted for rough shoulders when we had to get two wheels off the road on narrow roads to allow oncoming vehicles to pass.The standard speed-variable electric steering feels a little artificial, while the optional Integral Active Steering will take time to get used to. It allows the rear wheels to steer in the opposite direction by 2.5 degrees under 60km/h and in the same direction over 60km/h. This reduces the turning circle by 50cm at slow speeds and creates stable lane-changing at highway speeds.As expected, the three-litre straight-six engine is a high-revving delight, but the diesel is the surprise package. Despite being just a two-litre four-cylinder, it gallops along quietly and efficiently with no-fuss acceleration. The eight-speed transmission is so smooth the changes are almost imperceptible.VERDICTA diesel variant in this sleek and stylish wagon package will reel in buyers who prefer a car-like experience without sacrificing the load-carrying practicality of an SUV.BMW 5 SERIES TOURINGPrice: $92,800 (520d), $138,900 (535i)Engine: 2.0L, 4-cylinder diesel; 3.0-litre straight-six petrolPower: 135kW (520d), 225kW (535i)Torque: 380Nm (520d), 400Nm (535i)Economy (L/100km): 5.3 (520d), 8.5 (535i)CO2 (g/km): 139 (520d), 197 (535i)