Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Challenger project manager Kazuhiro Notani described the new PB Challenger as an ‘all-round SUV’ with good performance in the city and bush, versatile accommodation for families and stylish looks.  He says it was developed for the growing SUV markets in Australia, Russia, South America, the Middle East and Asia where demand for large SUVs had decreased but small and medium SUVs were growing."Growth is higher in the serious off-roaders rather than in soft crossovers," he says.  "In Australia you need a serious SUV but it needs to be stylish, too.Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (MMAL) CEO and president Robert McEniry says the Challenger fits between their Outlander and Pajero, but is not a soft crossover.  "It's not a pretend off-road vehicle like a lot of its competitors," he says."It has style and is an urban living vehicle but also a real 4WD vehicle."  Challenger product manager James Toll says the main rivals were the Ford Territory, Toyota Kluger and Nissan Pathfinder.  "It's not too big and not too small," he says.  "We see this car as breaking down the stereotypes of SUVs."Variants and pricingThe Challenger hits the market at a starting list price of $44,490 for the LS five-speed manual. Add $2000 for the five-speed auto and a further $2400 for the auto with seven seats. The XLS range — available only in automatic — adds leather upholstery, satellite navigation, reverse camera and parking sensors, mud flaps, privacy glass, headlight washers, Bluetooth, upgraded sound system with video input, some exterior and interior bling and five-year premium roadside assistance.  The five-seater XLS costs $56,990 and the third row of seats adds $1600.DrivetrainWhile the previous model from 1998-2006 was powered by a three-litre V6 petrol engine, this one only comes with the 2.5-litre common-rail turbo diesel powerplant from the Triton.  It delivers 131kW of power and 400Nm of torque 2000rpm in the base model manual, but 350Nm of torque at 1800rpm in the four automatic models.Platform and abilityAlthough it is built on a new platform, other similarities with the Triton are that it is also built in Thailand, and has the same front suspension, front chassis, transmission, rear axle and Super Select 4WD system.  Challenger has a lift-up tailgate rather than a swing door, which Tol says made it better for towing.It also features a 2500kg braked towing capacity compared with the Triton's 3000kg, but Tol says that could be increased to 3000kg under warranty after further testing.  Off-road capabilities are enhanced by its ladder-frame chassis, Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system with a central diff and a push-button locakable rear diff with a 1.9 ratio low range, high clearance, massive wheel wells and good approach, departure and ramp breakover angles. High-range 4WD can be selected from 2WD at speeds up to 100km/h.Design and fit-outThe exterior is stylish with a high waistline, narrow windows but good visibility, high-set headlights and taillights and flared guards. It sits high on its wheels, but this is well disguised by the high silhouette. It comes in eight colours.  Inside is equally stylish with a healthy range of features in the LS and a bounty of creature features in the XLS.Seats are comfortable, head and shoulder room is good, and legroom is plentiful even in the third row which features a 50-50 split. Behind that there is still room for a couple of large old-fashioned suitcases with the spare tyre under the rear.Seven-seater models also get rear airconditioning and under-floor storage compartments.  Standard safety features include six airbags, and stability and traction control.  Tol says there were no options, but a wide range of accessories.Sales outlookMcEniry says dealer response to the Challenger had been "excellent".  "I'm confident we will have success with this model," he says. "The order lines are open and we have already exceeded our wildest expectations."Tol says the LS would represent about 75-85 per cent of sales.  He says they could attract customers from Outlander moving up, Pajero owners downsizing or owners of large cars such as Falcon, Commodore and Mitsubishi's former 380 and Magna models.DrivingTo highlight its ‘serious’ off-road potential, the vehicle was launched in Queensland with demonstrations at the 290-hectare Scenic Rim Adventure Park, near Beaudesert.  The park features steep terrain, sandy loam soil, rock climbs and dramatic drop-offs.  The Challenger met all challenges with ease.Surprisingly the Bridgestone Dueller H/T (highway terrain) tyres had plenty of grip even on the steep downhill loam sections, yet also remained quiet on the tar highway transport stages of the launch.   While the tyres were quiet and the wind noise low, the diesel powerplant groans loudly and coarsely under load and the automatic transmission accompanied it with vibration noises.The auto box also flared and hunted a bit through its soft change points. It is better to ‘manually’ select the ratios in sport mode.  The manual transmission was quiet, but the shift gate is huge and the clutch throw is heavy and long.  Steering is quite sharp on the road, but turning circle is wide. The wheel is adjustable for height only, not reach.Brakes are a bit spongy and lack bite for road conditions. They are more suited to off-road conditions where you don't want sudden response.The ABS system changes its character when the vehicle is in high-range four-wheel drive and again when low range is selected.Similarly, the stability control changes character, while traction control remains permanently on. The driver can manually switch off the stability control for mud and sand conditions.  On the tar it pitches and rolls as you would expect of a two-tonne SUV with a high stance.However, ride is excellent. It is smooth over the roughest of terrain, soaking up the big bumps yet the springs rarely let it hit the bump stops.  It certainly fits Mitsubishi's description of a comfortable all-rounder with a serious side.Mitsubishi PB ChallengerPRICES: $44,490-$$58,590ENGINE: 2477cc, 4-cylinder, common-rail turbo dieselPOWER: 131kW @ 4000rpmTORQUE: 350Nm @ 1800rpm (auto), 400Nm @ 2000rpm (LS manual)TRANSMISSION: 5-speed auto, 5-speed manual (LS), Super Select 4WD, 1.9 low ratioECONOMY: 9.8L/100km (auto), 8.3L/100km (LS manual)CO2 EMISSIONS: 259g/km (auto), 219g/km (LS manual)RIVALS:Ford Territory ($39,490-$66,420)Toyota Kluger ($41,490-$66,490)Nissan Pathfinder ($56,490-$63,240)

This is the most extreme Bentley yet made. Supersports is a fine-tuned, lightweight version of the Continental GT Speed which arrives here next month, costing $525,000.It has 3.5 per cent more power, 6.7 per cent more torque and weighs 110kg less, mainly because they have thrown out the rear seats and replaced the front row with expensive carbonfibre seats.  All of this means it accelerates to 100km/h in less than four seconds, which places the genteel British marque in the supercar class for the first time.Asia Pacific marketing manager James Barclay says they do not predict volume sales for the car, but then they don't do volume sales for any of their vehicles, particularly this year.  So far in 2009, Bentley has sold only 33 vehicles, compared with 82 for the same time last year.  "The Supersports is a niche product for us," Barclay says."We expect conquest buys from other brands such as the (Porsche) GT3 and (Ferrari) 599.  "It is the most extreme Bentley yet but Australia is a sports-focused market and cars like this are of real interest so we expect it to go well."The Supersports name is inspired by the original two-seater three-litre Supersports model introduced in 1925.  Like the current model, it was an evolution of the Speed model.The original 63kW Supersports was the first production Bentley to reach 100mph (160km/h).  This model’s 6-litre W12 twin-turbocharged has 463kW of power at 6000rpm and 800Nm of torque from 1700-5600rpm with a top speed of 329km/h.There are no major changes to the car's suspension, W12 engine or dynamics, only a host of ‘fine tuning’.  The biggest change is in the new Quickshift version of the six-speed ZF 6HP26 automatic transmission which halves shift times and allows double downshifts.Supersports is also the first car from Bentley which is ‘flexfuel-capable’ which means it will take a fuel mix of up to 85 per cent ethanol.  The company intends to make all its vehicles E85 capable by the end of 2012.The Supersports definitely is sports focused with its all-wheel-drive system tuned for more rear bias (60-40), rather than 50-50 like the GT and GT Speed.  This gives it a more ‘playful’ attitude on a track, Bentley says.Its electronic stability program is also re-programmed to trail the rear inside brake to tuck the front in and dial out bothersome understeer and dial in a little friendly oversteer.Outside, the vehicle looks more muscular thanks to wider flanks to accommodate a 50mm wider track and wide tyres on 20-inch wheels, and it has larger and extra air vents to improve engine breathing. Out back there are twin elliptical exhaust pipes.It comes with massive carbon ceramic brakes as standard. On a lesser model, they would be a $10,000 option. They are a little touchy, but are almost fade-proof and guaranteed to last the life of the vehicle.Inside, there is quilted stitched Alcantara leather, acres of carbonfibre trim and — unusually for Bentley — no wood.  Supersports comes in whites, greys and blacks in gloss and gorgeous satin finishes, while the brightware (grilles, lamp bezels, window surrounds and wheels) have a ‘smoked’ steel finish.All stainless steel components are applied with a Physical Vapour Deposition process normally used as a coating on industrial tools, watches and even hip replacement joints.The overall impression is of a car that feels light and agile with a fast change of direction and quick acceleration from any speed.  On the narrow and twisting country roads in north-west England where Bentley road tests all its vehicles, the car feels way too wide and way too powerful, for the too-close rock walls and hedgerows, yet it still manages to feel nimble.Only a smidgen of its potential can be unleashed in these conditions, yet it rides comfortably over the few potholes we encounter, which indicates a potential for long-distance GT work.  The thinly padded seats look harder than they are and have surprising comfort over a distance.

The launch of the new mid-sized SUV was brought forward three months from February to this week to time it with the offer, which requires buyers to place orders before the end of this month.A limited number of PB Challengers are in dealerships now, taking orders with further shipments arriving shortly to ensure delivery.  However, Mitsubishi brand management vice president Paul Unerkov points out that customers do not need to take delivery of their vehicle for another year to be eligible for the tax allowance."Most likely they will want to take delivery before the end of June to get the tax advantage in this financial year," he said.PricingIt has been almost four years since Australia has had a Mitsubishi Challenger on the market, and the new ones hit the market at a starting list price of $44,490 for the LS five-speed manual. Add $2000 for the five-speed auto and a further $2400 for the auto with seven seats.The XLS range, available only in automatic, adds leather upholstery, satellite navigation, reverse camera and parking sensors, mud flaps, privacy glass, headlight washers, Bluetooth, upgraded sound system with video input, some exterior and interior bling and five-year premium roadside assistance.  The five-seater XLS costs $56,990 and the third row of seats adds $1600.DrivetrainWhile the previous model was powered by a three-litre petrol engine, this model only comes with the 2.5-litre common-rail turbodiesel powerplant from the Triton.It delivers 131kW of power and 400Nm of torque 2000rpm in the base model manual, but 350Nm of torque at 1800rpm in the four other automatic models.Although it is built on a new platform, other similarities with the Triton are that it is also built in Thailand, and has the same front suspension, front chassis, transmission, rear axle and Super Select 4WD system.Mitsubishi Australia CEO and president Robert McEniry says dealer response to the Challenger has been excellent.  "I'm confident we will have success with this model," he says.  "The order lines are open and we have already exceeded our wildest expectations."Challenger product manager James Toll says that despite the long absence from their range, the name is still well recognised.  "A lot of people still have them and they speak pretty highly of them," he says.McEniry says the Challenger fits between the Outlander and Pajero, but was not a soft crossover.  "It's not a pretend off-road vehicle like a lot of its competitors," he says. "It has style and is an urban living vehicle but also a real 4WD vehicle. Mitsubishi is the home of 4WD in the Australian market."Mitsubishi PB ChallengerPrice: $44,490-$$58,590Body: 5-seater wagon (7-seat option in auto)Engine: 2477cc, 4-cylinder, common-rail turbo dieselPower: 131kW @ 4000rpmTorque: 350Nm @ 1800rpm (auto), 400Nm @ 2000rpm (LS manual)Transmission: 5-speed auto, 5-speed manual (LS), Super Select 4WD, 1.9 low ratioEconomy: 9.8L/100km (auto), 8.3L/100km (LS manual)

The iconic British brand’s new flagship arrives late next year with more than 100 exterior colour options, 24 recommended two-tone combinations and a host of exterior chrome trims. Bentley product manager Hans Holzgartner said that inside there was even more choice with 24 leather trim colours, five coloured leather pipings, nine wood veneers, even 23 seat belt colours plus a range of optional extras such as cross or contrast stitching and extra Bentley ‘wing’ badges.  “Someone actually did the calculations and came up with a figure of more than a trillion combinations,” he said. However, there is only one engine and one transmission.  The Mulsanne, named after a 1980s model and the notorious high-speed straight at Le Mans, will be powered by a lightweight aluminium 6.75-litre V8 with multi-displacement so it can cruise on just four cylinders.  “Why a V8, we have been asked,” Holzgartner says.  “We didn’t need the car to be any faster but we did want it to be more fun to drive and accelerate harder so we went for more torque for more strength at slow speed.’’ He says the engine is the ‘strongest production V8’ on the market with 1020Nm of torque from just 1600rpm.  The V8 is married to an eight-speed auto/manual transmission that can short shift and skip gears changing up or down to achieve a smooth drive, performance and efficiency.  Bentley claims the engine and transmission combine to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by more than 15 per cent. Asia Pacific marketing manager James Barclay said the Mulsanne would arrive in Australia in the last quarter of next year and cost ‘more than the current top of the fleet’ which means more than the $744,132 Bentley Azure two-door convertible.  The new Mulsanne is 150mm longer than the Arnage with all of that extra length in the wheelbase to provide more interior space. Despite the 23kg lighter engine, 10kg lighter gearbox and use of aluminium in all panels except the steel roof and polymer boot, Holzgartner says the vehicle would weigh much the same as the Arnage because of the extra interior features.  “Even the carpet is thicker to provide a feeling of quality,” he says. Bentley Mulsanne Price: about $750,000On sale: late 2010Engine: twin-turbocharged, 6750cc, alloy V8 with variable displacementPower: 377kWTorque: 1020NmTransmission: ZF 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive DIMENSIONS (mm): 5562 (l), 1926 (w), 1526 (h), 3266 (wheelbase) Rivals: Rolls-Royce Phantom 6.8L ($107,500)BMW 760Li 6.0L ($386,000)Mercedes-Benz 6.3L 63 AMG ($371,400) and 6.0L 65 AMG ($477,400).

She drives 150 tonne trucks at an Ipswich mine and has operated the world's biggest truck, the 350 tonne Caterpillar 797 in Moura.  But the 33-year-old Mt Gravatt mining trainer/assessor and heavy vehicle operator is proudest of her 1500 horsepower supercharged 1977 LX Torana hatchback which has just taken out Street Machine magazine's Street Machine of the Year. It's the first time a woman has won the reader-voted award, but Dow is quick to credit her father, George, for most of the work.  "Dad always wanted me to be a mechanic because of his love of engines," she says.  "I'm one of three sisters, but I'm the only one who inherited the car thing from dad. He reckons I'm the son he never had.  He used to build his engines in cars and boats and when I got old enough to drive he started building engines for me." As a trainer/assessor Dow doesn't actually fit the mining machines, but she still needs to do inspections and know what components are in the machinery.  "Dad's taught me everything I know and when we put the engine in I'm always there to hand him a spanner and do the duties he sets me."  She bought her Torana 12 years ago, paying $10,000 for the rolling shell.  "It was an immaculate car with no rust in it," she says.  "We looked for close to a year to find it and it was the most superior thing we found.  We got it in Brisbane which was lucky because we had been out west and down in NSW looking at cars.  I liked the Torana because of the look. I also liked the look of the Ford Capris, but dad said there was no way I was having a Ford because he's a Chevy man." For a while she drove the car with a 500 horsepower "street engine" which they worked to more than 600hp.  "We ran it in cruises on methanol and my crew would have to follow me in a car with a 44 gallon drum of methanol," she says.  "I once took it to the Gold Coast and back for a cruise and it used over 200 litres of methanol which is actually cheaper than normal fuel." But the street engine didn't last long.  It was replaced by a small block Chevy 370 (6 litres) which has been supercharged to more than 1500hp. It cost more than $50,000 to buy and develop.  "There's too much power to dyno it so I don't know how much power and torque it actually has," she says. With the new engine on board, and keen to keep his daughter from getting into trouble on public roads, her father steered her towards drag racing as well as motor exhibitions.  "I wanted something that size that wasn't too big of a car because weight is an issue with racing," she says. Dow estimates that the car has cost her almost $200,000 including the spare engine _ an aluminium 350 (5.7-litre) Rodeck.  The total bill includes more than $5000 on interior trimming, $15,000 for the rear end and $8000 for the "Passion Purple" paint alone.  "It's a $20,000 paintjob because it's transparent and requires several layers with the colour underneath determining how dark it is," she says.  "The car took two-and-half years to rebuild and now that it's finished, we're racing it every couple of months," she says. "I've always been wanted to make it to this level and prove that I can drive it and to prove that we did it as a father-and-daughter team."  Dow has won two Pro Street Shootout events at Willowbank Raceway with a top speed of 275km/h and won her class at the Summernats in Canberra earlier this year. Dow's magazine title win reaped $15,000 in prizemoney which Dow intends to spend on a trip to the US with her father.  "It's not going back into the car. Dad and I are going to America to see some machine shops that make engine parts, tour some factories and I'd also love to go to Vegas."

Fuel economy has more to do with your mind, the size of your right foot and the type and colour of car you are driving.  Yes, you can do all the maths and physics and work out on paper how an engine, transmission, aerodynamics, weight and other factors can affect economy, but these are theoretical.  They make a statement on paper, but they don't make much of a statement in the real world.I recently drove three Holden V6 vehicles with the new 3.0 and 3.6-litre spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engines.  The Omega and Berlina of all body styles get the 3.0L engine and the rest of the range has the 3.6L.Holden quotes fuel consumption figures for the Omega 3-litre at 9.3 litres per 100km, down from 10.7L/100km in the superseded model, while the SV6 Ute has the biggest improvement for the 3.6-litre, down 13 per cent to 10L/100km.I drove a grey Berlina Sportwagon (3.0L) which returned 10.5L/100km, an even greyer Calais sedan (3.6L) which yielded 10.7L/100km and a bright-coloured Ute (3.6L) which failed all economy tests with a poor 12.3L/100km.I can't claim to have driven to the standard conditions as laid out for official ADR fuel consumption figures and I can't even claim to have driven the same distance or type of road conditions for each. Yet these figures still reveal a lot about the cars' performance and economy.The first thing of note is how good the economy figures are for the Sportwagon which is heaviest with its big cargo area which I utilised with a loaded-up trip to the dump.  It's not the 9.3L/100km quoted by Holden but it's quite respectable and included the commuter crawl to work for five days, weekend shopping and errands, and very little highway driving.  It's also nowhere near the 6.48L/100km it achieved in the recent Global Green Challenge from Adelaide to Darwin.The Calais is also worthy of note. It performed much the same ‘real-world’ duties — albeit no trip to the dump — and returned almost the same economy figures as the Sportwagon.Both cars appeal to my family nature with their roomy cabin and functional design. Consequently I drove like a family man who needs to get home to his family in the 'burbs every night.Then along came the ute. It was fitted with a tow bar and there was our old beer fridge that blew up and needed carting to the dump, so it was in for some punishment. Plus there was circle work to be done ...Well, not exactly, but with the lighter weight and the bigger engine, it seemed to sprint off the line a little more willingly and dance around in an entertaining fashion in the corners. All this, plus the vibrant metallic orange colour ($500 extra), got me all excited all the way down my trousers to my big right foot.The result was fuel figures that seem to call Holden a liar.  So unless you are competing in the Global Green Challenge, fuel economy is largely going to rely on your attitude.  It also helps to have a sedately coloured family sedan or wagon.If economy is not your soul goal, but simply a happy side benefit, then you may be pleased to note that these new engines are also more powerful.  Holden claims the power output from the 3.6 is up 15kW to 210kW. And even though the new 3-litre is the smallest Commodore engine in more than 20 years, it still develops a healthy 190kW.The engines sound quieter and more refined. That is until you stamp on the loud pedal and then they wick up the volume quite pleasingly.  Cabin noise may also be decreased by Holden's use of new low-rolling-resistance Bridgestone tyres and the 50rpm reduced idle speed on the 3.6. It all helps economy and comfort levels.It should also be good news that they now all come with a six-speed automatic transmission rather than some of them being hitched to the old four-speed sludge box.But it isn't.  I can't believe I am saying this, but I don't like the six-speed transmission.  It feels like it has an overactive thyroid gland, too willingly dropping down one or even two gears at the hint of extra throttle.That may be great for performance, but not necessarily for economy or driver fatigue.  I found it quite annoying how much the transmission jumped around, even though it is quite smooth in its changes.There is simply no need for such volatile gear changing. After all, the small engine has 290Nm of torque pulling power and the bigger engine has 350Nm, up 30Nm from the previous engine.  Surely this torque can be used to draw the car up a hill or cope with a little extra throttle without shifting gears.

This is how former engineer Keith Bailey chose to mark the occasion.  Bailey came to Australia in 1964 and worked at the South Australian Woomera rocket range which is the largest land-based defence and aerospace range in the world and roughly the size of Bailey's home country of England.  "I was an engineer for Rollls-Royce on gas turbine engines until 1972," he said.Despite living in Australia ever since, Bailey has a keen eye for English beauty such as this model.  It features a 2912cc, straight-six engine capable of a top speed of 112.9mph (181.7km/h), accelerating from 0-100km/h in 10.9 seconds and fuel consumption of 23.5mpg (12L/100km).  It is the only Austin Healey 3000 with triple SU HS4 carburettors.The British sports car had bodywork by Jensen Motors while the vehicles were assembled at the British Motor Corporation Abingdon works.  They made 11,564 MkII models of which 5096 were the BT7 MkII. Many were raced around the world and even competed at Bathurst.  They cost 1362 when new, but Bailey bought his in 1994 for $17,500.The car had been imported from the US along with two others by a Brisbane collector.  "The US is the best place to buy them from because a large proportion went over there," Bailey said.  "It was in a right state.  It was in left-hand drive and I had to convert it which wasn't too difficult as it's all bolt-on stuff.  Because it's English all the holes and fittings are already there for righthand drive, but you do have to change the dashboard."Bailey boasts he did most of the work himself.  However, the gorgeous two-tone paint job and panel work was done by Brisbane renovation specialists Sleeping Beauty.  The restoration is faithful right down to the original Luca magneto, windscreen wipers, horn, lighting and alternator.  The Birmingham motor electronics company was often called the Prince of Darkness because of its high failure rate, however Bailey keeps the faith."It's not failed me so far," he says.  "People tend to rubbish Lucas — for good reason I suppose — but a lot of jets used to use them.  "I'm not sure about these days."

January/February kicks off with the Turbo version of the 911 and the GT3 race/road car.  An even racier version of the GT3 arrives in April.  Porsche Cars boss Michael Winkler says the GT3RS will be ‘very radical’.  "It will not be the car you want to take home or to get the groceries, but it will be road-registerable," he says."We have orders for 24 already, but I can't even give you a ballpark figure yet on price."  “Production starts in February… if we sell 20-25 I'd be very happy.Also arriving in April is the 911 Sport Classic with three already on order, according to Porsche Australia PR boss Paul Ellis."This is one for the Porsche purists; a tribute to the iconic things we've done with our sports cars," he says.  "It has woven leather seats and a big duck tail which is a tribute to the famous 1973 2.7 RS.  There is a slight bubble in the roof as a salute to the Spyder, it has black five-spoke Fuchs wheels, more power than the Carrera S and manual only highlighting it's for the purist."Also coming in April is the Boxster Spyder which is another niche product with Porsche Australia expecting to sell about 20-30.  It will be limited to one production year like GT2 and GT3.  Meanwhile, the next-generation GT2 arrives toward the end of next year.Winkler says the new Cayenne was also due late next year with a hybrid version.  "As much as 25 per cent of total Cayenne sales could be hybrid but probably more likely about 15 per cent," he says."I would expect hybrid sales would be more a substitution for buying the V8 because of the power it delivers from the combined petrol and electric powertrains."

"Don’t rev the (expletive) out of it," screams veteran racer Tomas Mezera over the intercom.  The instructions are duly obeyed by the pupil driver on the track who changes up to fourth and nods his head, even though the instructor is standing behind the Queensland Raceway pit wall, some 200m away."Ease on the throttle," is the next instruction Mezera enthusiastically gushes as the driver sweats it out in the cabin of the Porsche GT3 where the airconditioning has been turned off.  Welcome to the high-pressure world of driver training, Porsche style.Mezera, a former Bathurst winner and veteran of many forms of motorsport, has been running the Porsche Sports Driving School for five years at Mt Cotton training centre and the Queensland Raceway in south-east Queensland.He says they get participants from around Australia and Asia through the courses which start with three introductory levels at Mt Cotton, then progress to the top two levels at QR.For the media launch of the new GT3, Porsche put the assembled motoring journalists through the demanding level four "Master" course.  Mezera was joined by V8 Supercar driver Fabian Coulthard, a former Carrera Cup champion who moves to the Holden Racing Team next season, and several race engineers from various motorsport ventures.Mezera and Coulthard would be our instructors with the journalists split into two teams of four.  Thankfully I was in the team with the more cool-headed Coulthard.  Training begins with a detailed talk by a fired-up Mezera. It seems he does everything at 100mph, although he is careful to ensure that everyone understands each point before moving on.He describes everything from correct seatbelt harness procedure to correcting under- and oversteer.  The two teams then gather around the car as our instructors talk through the various controls and demonstrate the six-point racing harness.The instructors follow up by taking us out on the track in one group in a Cayenne SUV to show us the lines through the corners, the apexes which are depicted with cones and the braking markers.  Then I am strapped into the passenger's seat for the ride of my life as Coukthard take each of us for several fast laps in the GT3.My own exploits at QR have been in much less powerful cars and motorcycles so the g-forces in the GT3 through corners and under acceleration and heavy braking are remarkable, even on road-going grooved rubber.  I concentrate on braking markers, apexes, turn-in points while at the same time trying to keep my morning tea firmly in place.Now it's our turn to drive while Coulthard sits beside us, urging us to keep the power on when we want to back off, push the brakes even harder and not to turn so early into the corners.  "Then we are not so brave," says Mezera. "You will be in the car on your own with earphones connected to our CB radio and the great thing is you can't talk back."Now the pressure is really on, although Coulthard's reassuring voice over the headphones shows little emotion, just cool encouragement.  We then drive several with the instructor in our ear while we are trying to stay focussed, not panic and keep the speed up.And there is no chance for "bench racing" lies after each session because a flash stick full of the car's telemetry is loaded into a laptop and a race engineer shows us exactly how fast we were going, according to the unerring satellite Drift Box software.My engineer is Andy McElrea, a former New Zealand Formula Ford and Trans Am champion who runs a team in the V8 Supercars development series.  And he has the same story for me as all the other journos: we are too brave under brakes into corners resulting in lower exit speeds and slower lap times.  "As they say, in with care, out with flare," he says echoing Sir Jack Brabham's dictum of "in slow, out quick".It's an easy lesson, but do you think we learn? No.  Throughout the various sessions which lengthen from five to 10 laps at a time, the high-speed turns one and two remain our downfall.  By the closing sessions, I'm on the brakes earlier and on the gas earlier, but it's still not enough.On my best lap of 63.6 seconds around the truncated Clubman circuit, I am entering turn one almost 20km/h faster than Mezera on his 60.1 second fastest lap, but exiting 20km/h slower.  Foolhardy bravery under brakes may have served me well in my limited racing excursions, but it is not good for my lap times.To back up the lesson on slower entry and faster exit speeds, McElrea hands me a copy of the graph that compares my lap and Mezera's. It's a lesson I can take home with me and ponder at my leisure.  The other major lesson is about being smooth.Mezera points out that application of brake and throttle needs to be smooth to control the pitch of the car which determines the level of grip available at the front for steering and the rear for power.  "The Porsche is very sensitive to pitch because there is no weight in the front," says Mezera."When you get off the brakes, the front pops up very quickly and then you have less steering grip, so you have to get off the brakes slowly."  It's a similar situation with getting on the power.  Meanwhile, body roll is controlled by winding on and off steering slowly and smoothly.I heed the advice and the smoother I drive, the more my laps times tumble.  It may not look as spectacular for the cameras, but it pays dividends on the telemetry graph.  At the end of the day, we've done about 30 laps on our own and 10 with an instructor.The Master course costs $2997.50 and, unless you already have a CAMS racing licence, you can only do it after you have competed the first three levels costing a total of $4070.  If you go all the way through to the GT3 Cup course, it will have cost you an astronomical $13,062.50, but you should be ready to mix it with some of the best in the high-adrenaline world of racing.

The Bonhams & Butterfields auction featured actor McQueen's 1949 Chevy pick-up truck offered for sale for the first time by his widow Barbara Minty McQueen. It sold for $37,570.McQueen died in 1980 and left a legacy of films, many of which included car and bike stunts performed, in large part, by the ruggedly handsome actor. They include the motorcycle chase scene in the 1963 war movie The Great Escape and the car chase through the streets of San Francisco in the 1968 movie, Bullitt, which is considered by critics to the best of all time.The auction included a first special edition Mustang Bullitt presented by Ford to McQueen's son Chad who is a professional race driver. Number 1 in the series and dubbed ‘McQueen 1’, the Mustang is in factory original and unmodified condition and has only 2012 miles (3238km) on the odometer. It was not sold but was estimated to go for up to $85,000.McQueen not only performed many of his own film driving and riding stunts, but also raced cars and bikes and represented America in the International Six-Day Enduro motorcycle event. His 1940 Indian Chief motorcycle used as his ‘Hollywood bike’ and featured on the cover of the book Steve McQueen: The Last Mile sold for $106,450 while his 1919 Indian Daytona twin with FLXI sidecar did not sell but was estimated to be worth as much as $135,000. It may not be a car or bike, but its McQueen motoring credentials are bona fide: a Heuer-mounted stopwatch set, used in the film Le Mans, starring McQueen was sold for an undisclosed price.A spokesman for Bonhams & Butterfields said they could not comment on post-sale negotiations, nor publicise the last bid price on unsold items. "But I'm sure Bonhams would certainly entertain offers from interested buyers," he said.Other celebrity vehicles in the auction included a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz formerly owned by Frank Sinatra which was bought for $131,000 and motoring enthusiast Sam Garrett's collection of 28 American and European cars.Garrett invented the mascara brush by taking a brush used in the maintenance of camera equipment and, together with Max Factor, applying the concept to make-up.His collection includes a 1927 BNC type 110 Roadster, 1935 Brewster Town Car, 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Limousine, 1948 Packard Custom 8 Wagon, 1950 Morgan SS and 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB.