Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

            Mazda Australia spokesman Steve McIver says there market research showed it is "not the right product for us right now".  "Our customers are well served with our SUV range," he says. The Mazda5 compact people-carrier has a more aerodynamic shape than the first model introduced in 2005, leading to a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from the new two-litre direct-injection engine. There is also a 1.8-litre petrol engine, now with a six-speed manual gearbox, and a diesel engine.  A highlight of the vehicle is its dual sliding rear doors and easy step-in access. Meanwhile, Mazda Australia believes it will meet the new fuel economy and CO2 emissions targets to be announced by the Federal Government at the end of the month.  Company boss Doug Dickson believes the format for the targets will be similar to Europe where average targets across a manufacturer's range are set. "I am confident we will reach those targets even without Sky (Mazda's next-generation engines and transmissions)," Dickson says.  "Sky is coming in 2011 globally and it's still to be decided when it will come here," he says. "We put our hand up to get it as soon as we can, but we haven't been given a definite date yet."

Almost a quarter of a century later he managed to buy one; an Alpina B10 replica. (Alpina is a German tuning, customising and motorsport company specialising in BMWs.) Kelly's car started life as a 1986 BMW M635 CSi. It was bought for $55,000 in 1993 by Martin Dibb of Melbourne who then spent $82,000 completely rebuilding it to Alpina B10 specifications.The first thing to go was the auto box which was replaced with a Getrag five-speed manual.  It also received a shorter drive shaft, engine remapping, Alpina-spec suspension, Bilstein dampers, stainless steel exhaust system, engine blueprint and balance, Alpina forged pistons, Alpina brake callipers, ventilated discs, Alpina wheels, a Stowes of Sydney paint job and exterior/interior fit-out with Alpina stickers, badges and decals, including a replica certification plate on the glovebox.The new owner fell in love when he saw it.  "My wife Gail and I love everything German," Kelly says.  The first car the Californian bought was an American 1955 Fordomatic V8 he paid $300 for when he was 16.  "I outgrew it and went to uni and sold it," he says.He then owned a Nissan 269Z, followed by an MG TD before he started his German love affair with a Porsche 924 which he took to Germany where he worked for a while.  "A bit silly to buy it in the States and then take it to Germany," he says  "That's when Gail started falling in love with BMWs. She had a 735i."The couple then moved to Australia where they owned a Toyota Camry, Honda CR-V, then a 2004 BMW X5 4.4-litre V8, a 1981 Porsche 928 auto and a 1984 928 GTS.  They still own the X5 and Porsches and belong to both the BMW and Porsche owner clubs.She says "German cars are reliable, comfortable and they feel safe."  He says, "I like the styling and power."  She says, "He used to rubbish me because I loved BMWs."Then he stumbled on the BMW Alpina replica and the friendly family feud over marques ended.  He bought it for $55,000 in December and plans to show it at various concourse events.  "I was looking for the perfect show car and this is it," he says."I didn't mind it being a replica.  "It was converted with Alpina's blessing, but they wouldn't give it a genuine coach badge."So how does it drive?  "Absolutely great," he says.  "It's got herb," she says. "But it's his baby. I don't drive it."  They haven't been driving it much at all lately as they don't take it out in the rain."The previous owner never drove it in the rain, either," Barry says.  "I spend a lot of time cleaning it, nourishing the leather, conditioning the trim."  He keeps his baby in his garage under a special tailored cover he had made in the US for $300.  "It fits like a glove," he says.  "And I always keep a chamois in our cars, just in case it rains."

What price do you put on a smile? Not just talking monetary value, but also convenience, comfort and safety.I recently went into a tirade about another manufacturer who released a sports version of their convertible. It just doesn't make any sense. The engine and suspension are just too much for the compromised chassis to deal with. The laws of physics are just against it.Besides, isn't a convertible all about opening up to the warmth of the sunshine and the smells of the countryside as you amble along a country road? It's not about taking off the top and scorching through so fast you can't see, hear or feel anything except the bodywork shaking, rattling and rolling under duress.Then I jumped into the Mini JCW (John Cooper Works) Cabrio and my angry-old-man arguments exploded in my face. Here is a car that is way over-powered and over-sprung for its chassis. It should have me turning purple with apoplexy.Yet somehow I couldn't stop grinning every time I drove it. I even dropped the lid on one occasion and took my wife to the park for a twilight walk and put on a silly sparkly green hat for the photos. A Mini convertible can do that to you. They put a smile on your face, even when everything practical inside you is screaming 'this just doesn't make any sense'.Appearance and fit-outOur test came with silly GT stripes, bright chromed eyes like a cutesy bunny rabbit, lairy spokes 17-inch alloys and a chintzy JCW badge on its bum. Inside, there are the usual fiddly toggle switches, the school clock-sized speedo in the centre dash area and impossible-to-read instruments.The front sport seats are actually quite comfortable and it's not too difficult to get in and out. But there is next to no room in the back and forget about any cargo space. Thankfully the soft top folds down on to the top of the back deck, rather than taking up any more boot space. There are so many accessories and customisation options available, it is possible you can customise it into a unique model.DrivetrainThis one now comes packed with 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged engine that pumps out 155kW of power and 280Nm of twisting torque on overboost. The poor old steering and chassis just can't cope. Plant your foot and it's like trying to wrestle a python. The steering wheel yanks and twists this way and that way while the chassis contorts, making the whole thing shudder and quake.DrivingIt's just ridiculous. Yet something inside me wants to giggle like a schoolgirl when it happens. So every time I got into this car I gave it the berries just to wrestle with it. I also discovered that if you suddenly released the throttle when the revs are about 4500rpm, you get a nice exhaust ‘woof’ as the unburnt fuel rolls out the back in a big glob. And with the top down it sounds even better. That's the sort of ludicrous and juvenile behaviour you tend to get up to in this car. And instead of passersby scowling, they look up, smile and wave.I'd still like a little more give in the suspension. It's just so uncomfortable. I swear you could drive across a manhole cover and read the words imprinted on it. Torque steer, bump steer, scuttle shake, rattle and roll, it's got it all. But it’s still fun. It's no surprise that Hertz calls the Mini convertible as 'The Hawaiian shirt of rental cars'. The JCW version adds GT stripes to that shirt.Mini John Cooper Works CabrioPRICE: from $56,900ENGINE: 4-cylinder/16 valve, with twin-scroll Turbocharger, 1598ccPOWER: 155Kw @ 6000rpmTORQUE: 260Nm from 1850-5600rpm (280Nm from 2000-5300rpm with overboost)ACCELERATION: 0-100 km/h in 6.9secECONOMY: 7.1L/100km (combined)TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

Sales in Germany, once Europe's largest new car market, last month crashed almost one third (29 per cent) compared with February last year after it ended its scrappage scheme, according to JATO Dynamics figures. It was again outsold by Italy, which is still operating a scrappage incentive scheme, worth between $2200 and $7500 for every 10-year-old car traded for a new, low-emissions model.The UK scrappage scheme extension expires at the end of March, while schemes will be phased out in Spain, Italy and France throughout the year. These continued buoyant sales ensured overall European sales remained positive in February with Spain up 47.2 per cnet, UK up 26.4 per cent, Italy up 20.5 per cent and France up 18.7 per cent.In Australia, the government's 50 per cent tax incentive for small business to buy new vehicles ended last year and car importers have urged the government to adopt scrappage schemes in its place. Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Andrew McKellar says the scheme has "varying success" overseas and is being discussed here.Mazda Australia managing director Doug Dickson says sales have increased for the past five straight months as part of the government's tax break. "But they are mainly small business buyers and it's not sustainable," he says.

The first generation Mazda 6 was launched in 2002, the second in 2008 and it is due for a third generation about 2012, so the current update is basically a tart-up to maintain buyer interest.Outside it gets larger Pikachu-style headlights, matching “eyes” underneath for the foglamps and brake cooling duct, a larger Mazda “M” on the grille and some models get new wheel designs and LEDs in the rear taillights. Inside, there is piano-black gloss finish, a sunglasses holder, a host of chrome plating, more features such as Bluetooth connectivity for phone and iPod in some models, and a new vinyl trim.Mazda Australian national marketing manager Alistair Doak says the vinyl trim has “more dimples, but they’re shallower” to give the car a more upmarket feel. Under the skin there are steering and suspension adjustments that improve ride, handling, noise and vibration.The 2.5-litre petrol is also quieter thanks to a more rigid block. Power, economy and emissions are unchanged. The updated diesel arrives next month with a smaller turbo that sacrifices 4kW of top-end power for a quicker response and more midrange power. It also has marginally better fuel economy and emissions.However, Mazda still doesn’t have an automatic transmission for the diesel models. Doak believes an automatic diesel model will not be available until the next generation.He expects to sell 680 Mazda6 models a month with the hatch representing half of those sales, the sedan 30 per cent and the wagon 20 per cent.  Prices have been reduced as much as $935 on the base model manual ($27,310).“And that’s on top of the import duty savings we passed on from late last year,” Doak says. “And remember, Mazda doesn’t charge extra for mica or metallic paint, even though metallic white is painfully expensive.”Mazda6 has been the second-top seller to Toyota Camry in the medium car segment until recently when it was overtaken by the new Subaru Liberty. “We have been running down supply pending the new model and they have just launched a new model,” he explains. “But among private buyers, Mazda6 is still the top seller. We don’t chase fleet sales.”Two new safety features for the Mazda6 are adaptive headlights that swivel with the steering to illuminate a corner and hill launch assist to prevent the vehicle rolling back on hill starts.Mazda also now offers a factory fit satellite navigation system on some models. It costs a whopping $2800, but Doak says it includes touch screen and voice activation. It comes in a choice of eight body colours with mica and metallic paint offered at no extra cost.The improved level of features brings the updated Mazda6 up to par with the Liberty, while the improved engineering refinements lift the ride comfort and cabin noise closer to Camry levels. The exterior certainly looks smarter and sexier, while the interior trim updates give it a more prestigious feel.It features a new centre LCD display that contains a host of information such as ambient temperature, fuel economy, time and climate air readouts that you can toggle through via a button on the steering wheel.The display is a bit crowded and confusing and the red-on-black letters and numbers can be a little difficult to see in broad daylight. The steering now feels more natural with less sensitive twitch at high speeds, the brakes still feel a little spongy while the clutch and gearshift are light and buttery, yet precise.

Mitsubishi boss Rob McEniry is making that promise as the company's first two electric cars roll off a container ship in Brisbane. The two Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle) models have arrived for an 'education and evaluation process' but not for sale, McEniry says. The vehicles will be issued to media and government officials for evaluation and to "start the public education process of future mobility and propulsion". McEniry says 40 more i-MiEVs will arrive later this year. "Governments will be the first customers in the market," he says. "I can't tell you what the price is yet, but the price of electric vehicles is coming down rapidly and that is why we are cautious of saying the price now. By the time the next batch arrives next year we will be ready to tell." "When it gets into volume production it will be affordable; not much more expensive than comparable sized cars. But running costs will make them cheaper over the whole of the life of the vehicle. I can tell you it will not be as expensive or as big a premium over comparative-sized cars as the (hybrid) Prius." Mitsubishi i-MiEV project manager Ashley Sanders says the car could be fully charged off the mains power supply in seven hours and would run for 160km on one charge. A quick-charge station would charge the battery to 80 per cent of its capacity in 30 minutes, but the infrastructure was not available here yet, he says. The 1080kg city car has batteries under the floor which will last 'the life of the car', or a minimum of 10 years, he says. Sanders says the first evaluation vehicle that arrived here last year for homologation and testing had experienced 'no major problems or battery overheating'. McEniry says the i-MiEV will "not only be able to plug in, but take its power when the grid is at its lowest demand. And the next generation model will be able to put back electricity that it has created into the grid at high demand times". The two cars here for evaluation are Japanese specification, but the models to be sold here will be European production models with higher specification. "They will arrive as one spec first up, but as volume increase, we will offer different specs," McEniry says. Queensland Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones says drivers could get incentives such as cheaper rego, be able to drive solo in transit lanes and get cheap or free city parking to switch to electric cars. The incentives are being considered under the government's new electric vehicle policy to be released by the end of the year. Jones says the arrival of the i-MiEV would draw attention to Queensland's electric vehicle policy. "We will look at a number of incentives for people to switch to electric vehicles," she says. "We are hoping Queensland can be in the forefront of electric vehicles when they hit the road in 2011. I was one of the first to drive a Prius and I still do, and I will put up my hand to drive one of these." She says electric vehicles would help reduce pollution in big cities. "Personal vehicles represent 80 per cent of the transport emissions in Queensland," she says. "If we see a significant shift to electric cars we would see that drop. Therefore we would look at incentives such as cheaper registration ... use of transit lanes as they do in California and I'm sure Brisbane City Council would look at the issue of (discounted) parking. We do not want to go into this without looking at all the issues. We also need to look at the waste products as part of our policy."

Garry Carroll is aged 34 but says he's 'still an '80s kid'. "That's when I was a kid and I don't want to grow up," he says. So he bought a Mitsubishi Starion, then another, then another ... Five all up. "I saw the Cannonball Run and Jackie Chan was driving a Starion and I thought I'd love to have that," he says. "If you buy one you have to buy two because one is always in the shop getting something done to it. I know one guy who has 12." One of Carroll's Starions was written off in a crash, another was cannibalised for parts and he sold another because he didn't like the paintjob. The two remaining are a black 1982 JA show car and a silver 1984 JB daily driver. "I bought the JA in 2000 and paid $8000, but I've spent more than $80,000 on it," he says. "I saw this black Starion driving around town and I loved the paintjob, so I flashed my lights at the driver and pulled him over. "He goes 'hello' and I said 'how you going? I just wanted to have a look at your car'. I ended up buying it off him." Carroll might have bought it specifically for the black and purple pearl paintjob, but he has since had it re-painted twice. For a while Carroll used it as a show car and won about 40 trophies at car audio competitions, winning the Australian round of the International Auto Sounds Challenge in 2001. He spent $25,000 on the sound system, alone. "There are bits you can't see like the equaliser that's worth $2500, a crossover under the seats that's worth $1500, and there's $6000 in amps," he says. "It's only 300 watts, but it's built for clarity, not high volume. If you shut your eyes you wouldn't think you were in a car. I listen to a lot of vocal music; Michael and Janet Jackson and Billy Joel. I'm stuck in the '80s like the car, I suppose." It not only sounds hot, but runs hot, too, with a complete engine rebuild, new Garrett turbo, new manifold, bigger cooling system and a lot of tuning to yield 223kW at the wheel. "It would be a 12-second car (on the quarter mile drag strip), but I've never been tempted to take it out drag racing. That's not why I designed it. If I wanted to go fast I wouldn't have loaded it down with a stereo and done the interior and fancy paintjob." In original form the Starion JA's two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine only pumped out 90kW at the crank. "I tried to keep the Starion alive so it has the original engine," he says. "I could have gone berserk with an Evo engine, but I wanted to keep the original. If I wanted to buy an Evo I would have, but there's no character with the Evo. It just looks like a sedan. This has more character and is more fun to drive. I'd fall asleep in a Merc because it's too smooth. I need to bounce around in the seat a bit." No problems there as it features Ralliart KYB suspension and 18-inch Simmons wheels. He also spent $2500 on the steering and $3000 on the aiconditioning. Other features are the full seven-cow leather upholstery and Knight Rider light at the front. "I did some of the interior, but mainly I like to point and direct," he says. "I'm not very motor savvy. He bought the JB in 2006 for $5000, mainly as a daily driver. I had some paintwork done on it, changed the speakers and CD player, put on new wheels and a front spoiler. I only spent about $6000, maybe more." Carroll's first car was a Nissan Bluebird and he has since owned about 30 cars, but has mainly been true to Mitsubishi with several Colts, then the Starions. "My next car might be a Mitsubishi Outlander," he says. "My wife, Carmel, is pregnant so my life's over ... my next car will have a baby seat and I'll have to grow up." For the record, Carroll discredits the story that the car was incorrectly named Starion because the Japanese boss couldn't say stallion. "That's incorrect. They had a lot of cars and engines named after star constellations," he says, citing the Austarion.com forum of which he is one of 1570 members world-wide.

Sydney fails miserably when it comes to parking fines and car parking costs. For an expired meter, a Sydneysider is fined $84, compared with $60 in Brisbane and Melbourne, $50 in Perth, $25 in Hobart and $20 in Darwin.In regional Australia, the cheapest place is Devonport in Tasmania while South Australia had four cities in the top 10.  Virgin Money Australia boss Matt Baxby said capital cities had cheaper fuel prices than regional area, but the provincial cities paid highly for all other criteria."The bigger the city the worse the result, which leaves poor old Sydney at the bottom of the table," he said.  Sydney struck out with the highest parking fines ($84), parking costs ($35 for two hours), car thefts (866) and car insurance costs ($1895).It was also out in front on tolls at $2.02 per kilometre compared with Melbourne's 29c and Brisbane's 13c. However, no all other cities have toll roads.  Hobart had the cheapest parking costs ($3 for two hours) and car insurance ($874) with the lowest car theft figures (66).CAR FRIENDLY CAPITAL CITIES1 Perth2 Darwin3 Hobart4 Adelaide5 Canberra6 Melbourne7 Brisbane8 SydneyCAR FRIENDLY REGIONAL CITIES1 Devonport, Tas2 Mount Gambier, SA3 Burnie, Tas4 Bunbury, WA5 Port Augusta, SA6 Gawler, SA7 Port Lincoln, SA8 Launceston, Tas9 Bendigo, Vic10 Albany, WA11 Wodonga12 Mandurah13 Mildura14 Toowoomba15 Alice Springs16 Geraldton17 Ballarat18 Rockingham19 Townsville20 Wagga Wagga21 Cairns22 Rockhampton23 Fremantle24 Albury25 Coffs Harbour26 Mackay27 Geelong28 Gosford29 Wollongong30 Newcastle

Corporate affairs spokesman Jonathan Rose said the potential problem was in the fuel feed hose.  A ‘Stop Delivery Notice’ was issued to dealers on March 3 to not sell, deliver or transfer the vehicles until the investigation has been carried out "and, if necessary, corrective action has been completed"."No action is required at this time on any (2010) petrol Cruzes that have already been delivered to customers," he said."However, safety is always our number one priority so if further action is required we will notify customers as soon as possible." 

Motorists want more bike paths to keep the growing number of cyclists off the road, but they want them to pay rego to fund the infrastructure, a national survey has found.  Four out of five capital city motorists suggest more bike paths would help heal the rift with cyclists, according to a survey of 1251 motorists conducted last month for car insurance company Budget Direct. Almost half said cyclists should pay rego to fund infrastructure and show more consideration towards motorists while the same number admitted they needed a better understanding of cyclists' rights and responsibilities.  Less than a third of the surveyed motorists knew that cyclists could ride two abreast, but four out of five were aware that the give-way rules also applied to cyclists. Budget Direct spokesperson Richelle Ward said the findings highlighted the need for cyclists and motorists to display more responsibility and understanding when using the roads.  "This isn't the first time we have researched how motorists feel toward cyclists, and while education and understanding of the road rules is improving, there is still confusion as to how these two road user groups can work together," Ms Ward said. "Reports show that 2009 was the 10th consecutive year that bicycle sales in Australia have outsold cars, and while our governments are actively investing in cycling infrastructure, there is still an opportunity for greater understanding on the roads between motorists and cyclists." However, only one in six motorists believes they should ride a bike for a day to appreciate cyclists' viewpoints and help the environment.  It follows a survey earlier this year that found cyclists were the most disliked road user ahead of trucks and taxis in Brisbane and Melbourne, while they were second in Sydney behind taxis.Backgrounder on road rules for cyclistsNSW: side by side is legal, but no more than 2 riders (unless overtaking), and no more than 1.5m apart. No reference is made to the distance from the curbVictoria: side by side is legal, but no more than 2 riders, and no more than 1.5m apart. WA: side by side is legal, but no more than 2 riders. Must not ride within 2 metres of the rear of a vehicle for a distance of more than 200 metres. SA: Keep to the left and ride at least 1m clear of the kerb and parked cars. Riding two abreast is legal.