Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

California-based Better Place earlier this year announced plans to roll out charging points and battery-switching infrastructure throughout Australia.

It sounds impossible: a race car that you can also drive every day on the road, over shopping centre speed bumps and into your steep driveway.  But that's how Porsche Cars Australia managing director Michael Winkler describes his "personal favourite" the new GT3, arriving in January.It features an optional body lift system which raises the front by 30mm via hydraulic shocks to clear speed bumps and help you get into your driveway. It automatically switches off again over 50km/h.  "So it's not just for track use," says Winkler.  "The improvements make it more of a driving car for everyday."The new GT3 will cost about $280,000 with final confirmation next week. That compares with the previous model which cost $256,900 when it finished at the end of 2007.  It has minor styling changes that only the eagle-eyed would notice such as the 3.8 on the spoiler which signifies a larger engine capacity, bored out from 3.6 litres. The restyled spoiler also creates more downforce at high speed.Another noticeable feature is the wheels that have a different design with a lightweight alloy central hub the same as the GT3 Cup race car.  "In typical Porsche fashion whatever changes are made needs to be for a better driving performance," he said.  "We don't make change for the sake of change."If the styling changes are minimal, the performance tweaks are more than incremental.  Under the bonnet there is a boost in power of 15kW to 320kW, while torque is up 25Nm to 430Nm and maximum revs up 100rpm to 8500rpm.It will cost $281,600 with 33 per cent luxury car tax, which compares with the previous model costing $256,900 when it finished at the end of 2007 and was subject to 25 per cent LCT.It also comes with a manual six-speed transmission only, with the same ratios, but a shorter throw. Winkler said their PDK twin-clutch transmission would not be suitable for racing.  "A race-adequate PDK would be too uncomfortable for driving on the road," he said.Porsche claims the new GT3 is 0.2 seconds faster to 100km/h than the previous model, 0.5 seconds faster to 169km/h and has a 2km/h higher top speed (312km/h), while emissions are down and fuel economy remains the same.  Brakes now have 380mm discs on the front, up from 350mm, while the rear brake rotors remain the same.For the first time in a GT3, it comes with stability control which is switchable. The traction control can also now be turned off.  Winkler expects to sell about 80 in a year with about 20-25 orders already in.  He said that for the 20 per cent of owners who would go racing, a Club Sport race package was available as a no-cost option.It includes a rear roll cage, six-point racing harness in the driver's seat, fire extinguisher and wiring for the battery cut-off switch.  "You can pay extra and get the front roll cage as well or make your own," Winkler said."The advantage of the rear roll cage is you can get in and out easily when driving it for daily use."  He said about 80 per cent of buyers of the first-generation GT3 took the Club Sport option. That decreased to 50 per cent for the second generation."Even those that didn't go racing or intend to go racing got the package because it raised resale values as a lot of third and fourth buyers of the car wanted them for racing," he said.  "But I will bet there will be more road driving this time mainly because it doesn't delete a lot of features such as airconditioning and power windows."More than ever it is a car you can drive every day without feeling you have made a compromise."  PR manager Paul Ellis said Australian Porsche buyers were more discerning than European buyers who bought GT3s without basic creature comforts.The centre console's "Sport" button stiffens the shock absorbers and gives more positive throttle response. It also now changes the setting on the intake manifold for peak torque across a broader rev band and stiffens the engine mount system.  "In racing you mount the engine directly to the chassis to make it stiff and part of the car," Winkler said. "But it makes it very uncomfortable on the road."The GT3 engine mounts are electrically controlled depending on how you drive, or you can turn them on with the Sport button.  The mounts stiffen so the engine doesn't turn slightly after the chassis so you don't get pendulum affect. As soon as you go straight again it softens up."DrivingDespite Winkler's assertion that the new GT3 will be a more road-oriented vehicle, Porsche launched the car with a track day at Queensland Raceway.  The track's notorious bumps were out to unsettle the car, while the high g-forces of turns 1 and 2 would test the new stability program. Neither seemed to shake the un-stickable GT3.V8 Supercar driver and Porsche Sport Driving School instructor Fabian Coulthard suggested avoiding the "Sport" button which would make the suspension too stiff for the track's bumps and the throttle a bit too touchy for smooth application of throttle.That's because the GT5 rewards the smooth driver but threatens to spank the rough driver before pulling back from the brink and keeping the car pointed forward thanks to the stability and traction control and a more aggressive limited slip differential.The mechanical diff does a lot of work to keep things under control before the intervention of the electronic controls, allowing plenty of latitude and play.  Together with the electronic engine mount system, they virtually negate the distinctive pendulum effect of the rear-engined car.The test cars were fitted with the optional ceramic brakes which have a sharp bite and require a delicate touch, but didn't fade after a full day of punishing treatment.  Steering is pin sharp so long as you control the pitch of the car under braking and acceleration.Veteran campaigner Tomas Mezera, who runs Porsche's driver training school, said that "straight out of the box" the GT3 was about one second faster on the shortened clubman circuit at Queensland Raceway.

His shed and under his house are packed with various vintage cars, mainly Rolls-Royces, in various forms of restoration.  The retired architect, now 77, says he doesn't restore them to concourse standard.  "I just want them to be able to run on the road," he says.Gargett started his love of old vehicles when he was a student at the Queensland University in 1954 and bought a 1926 Austin 7 utility for 35.  "It was a lot of fun but very primitive. But at least I learnt a lot about mechanics with that one," he says.But he claims his first "real vintage car" was a 1928 French Amilcar sports car he bought for 15 after uni when he joined the Vintage Car Club of Queensland (VCCQ)."I brought it home on a trailer and in bits in a box, but we got that going for some years," he says.His next purchase in 1961 was a 1925 20 horsepower (15kW) Rolls-Royce costing 220.  "It is fully registered and its six-cylinder engine is still running smoothly," he says.  "I don't drive it as often as I used to."His love of Rolls-Royces continued in 1963 with a 1920 Silver Ghost for 700.  "I had it out for our daughter's wedding and after the wedding I went to change the oil and a 1/4-inch bolt came out with the oil so I haven't been game to use it."I've stripped down the motor and am ready to put it back in now."  He then departed from Rollers but not too far with a 1924 Bentley Speed three-litre he bought for 500."The bloke apologised and said it wasn't worth it but he needed the money."  The Bentley remains a challenge to drive having the accelerator in the middle, another throttle on the steering wheel, gear lever on the right of the seat and the handbrake on the outside of the vehicle.  "It takes a bit of getting used to," he saysGargett claims his interest in British luxury saloons came from his father who "always admired them".  "It's not what they do, but the way that they do it," he says.  "I haven't had them valued because I'm on a pension."Anyway, people would need to spend some money to get them all back into good condition."  He also owns a 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche with a 189hp (140kW) 6.75-litre V8 engine which would cost "well into the five figures just to do the motor up to running condition".He bought it in 1982 for $50,000 and used it every day until he put it off the road with engine failure.  The car also sports Queensland's first concessional registration number plate, "Qld Vintage 001".In the late 1960s the VCCQ authorised Gargett to discuss the possibility of concessional registration for cars built before 1930 with the government.  "In those days if the cars were not fully registered we had to arrange for a temporary permit for the weekend including insurance and we were supposed to return the permit on the Monday," he says. "A waste of time and money but nothing we could do would convince Main Roads to change their attitude. I think the permit cost us 10 shillings.  I received an introduction to a person from the Treasury and was telling him of our concern. He was surprised as he could see that the system was costing them far more than the fee they were charging."Talks with more government officials resulted in the establishment of concessional registration based on membership of a relevant club, use for club events, maintenance including testing within a reasonable distance from where the car was garaged and approved charity events.Today there are more than 15,000 vehicles in Queensland on concessional registration.  "I think the fact that one of my cars is registered as VIN 001 (now VN 0001) supports my summary of the position," he says.

The company debuts its small Kiyora ‘Sky Concept’ car today at the Tokyo Motor Show.  It is 100kg lighter and about 25cm shorter than the Mazda 2 and features the more efficient Sky-G (gasoline) engine and Sky-Drive automatic transmission.While Sky project boss Nobuhiro Hayama would not say which vehicles would be the first to receive the Sky-G or Sky-D (diesel) powertrains with Sky-Drive, he said they would be introduced as new models came to market.  The Mazda2 is possibly the next new model and is about the same size as the concept car.Hayama said Mazda’s Sky concept communicates three ideas.  “To provide joy of driving, environmental and safety to all customers under the beautiful blue sky,” he said.  “The sky is the limit. There is no limitation to our possibility.”Sky-G features direct injection technology and has 15 per cent more torque and 15 per cent better fuel economy than current petrol engines, matching current levels of their diesel engines.  The Sky-D diesel engines would also have better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions at ‘significantly’ lower costs, he said.  The Sky-drive transmissions would be lighter and smoother.Hayama also announced company targets for CO2 emission reductions of 20 per cent and fuel economy improvements of 30 per cent by 2015 and the introduction of electric vehicles and hydrogen-powered electric vehicles by 2020.  He said their electric devices would be introduced ‘step by step’.The first step is the introduction of ‘i-stop’ (idling stop) which is already available in Mazda 3 and the Biante in Japan.It will be rolled out with new models.  The technology uses combustion to restart the engine rather than a starter motor, resulting in a 0.35 second restart which is twice as fast as other stop-start technologies on the market.  The second step would be regenerative braking to recharge the main battery.The third step would be plug-in HEVs and battery-powered EVs, he said.  “It will be provided at an affordable price,” Hayama said.  “This is the most realistic approach.”Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.

Resale value is often overlooked by customers, but it should be considered as part of the whole value of a vehicle. Subaru's Outback has been particularly good on resale for a number of reasons: It is a good value, sensible and practical vehicle with looks that don't age and excellent reliability.AppearanceHowever, the new model is fatter and plumper and it also simply doesn't look like the slender and svelte Outback it used to be. Instead it looks more like all the other compact SUVs in the market. When a new model comes along that is so different from the previous models, it immediately makes those older models look ancient, thus depreciating their resale value.Owners of Outbacks won't be too happy about the new model. However, if Subaru stays with this look as long as they have in the past, this new model should hold its value. The larger proportions also make it look a bit dumpy which isn't helped by the abundance of dowdy exterior colours made for retirees. Of more interest to buyers might be the fact that prices remain unchanged.DrivetrainThe fourth-generation Outback is powered by a revised 2.5-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, and a new 3.6-litre six from the larger Tribeca replaces the 3.0R.  A new 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is scheduled to arrive in November.Our test car was the 2.5 with six-speed manual. It's very quiet and refined, although a bit doughy. You need to work gears for the best results. Unfortunately, the gearshift feels graunchy, it is difficult to find reverse and hard to tell whether it is in third or fifth, or fourth or sixth. At least the clutch was nice and light.Build, fit-out and equipmentBuild quality is still Subaru-superb. Doors close with a solid thump and no dust enters the doors or tailgate. The cabin is comfortable with plenty of legroom even in the back and a quality sound system that takes MP3 connection.I like the recess in the lid of the centre armrest which prevents your MP3 power and audio cables being snapped in half. However, it would be better to have included a USB connection and power socket in the console with complete iPod interface so you don't need to expose any cables at all. If Hyundai can do it, why can't Subaru?Its Outback credentials are aided by the high-profile tyres which provide a comfortable rural ride with less puncturing potential. However, its country credentials are hampered by the temporary spare tyre. I'm also not a fan of the electric handbrake. Why? Did anyone actually ask for it? The key is also a bit old-fashioned. It needs to be a fold-away fob like most other cars in its segment. But take it camping in the great outdoors and you won't be disappointed.DrivingImproved clearance and tyres make the Outback perfect for a back-roads camping trip. I also found the gearshift so close to the airconditioning controls I kept hitting the ‘AC off’ button or the hazard switch with my thumb when moving into third or fifth. Gears and engine aside, it has pleasant driving dynamics that would suit the bigger engine and perhaps the new Lineartronic continuously variable transmission from the Liberty.Steering is very light, precise, crisp and with good sensitivity, feeling and feedback. It is on of the best tillers on the market with an excellent turning circle that makes city driving and parking an absolute delight.City driving? In an Outback! Don't be too concerned, because the higher stance of the vehicle means clearance has been improved for the real Outback driving. We took the Outback camping and on to some rough roads to test it out. Here it feels very comfortable, bopping along the bumps with ease and not translating any of the discomforts into the better-appointed cabin. It straddles those humps between the wheel tracks better, too, with 13mm extra clearance. There is also an enormous flat space in the flat-floored fold-down cargo area to take all your bulky camping gear. And it has a huge rear tailgate which is wide and low for easy loading.Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.

However, before the launch of the new Prado 150 range late next month, the run-out of the current model has left the company substantially out of stock.Toyota has announced that the next-generation Prado 150 will include a three-door version for the first time in Australia, in an effort to capture a younger market.Three-door Prado will have a higher break-over angle thanks to its shorter wheelbase, lower weight, improved fuel economy and better emissions than the five-door models. Toyota claims towing capacity will be three tonnes braked which is 500kg more than the five-door.Senior executive director of sales and marketing, David Buttner, said specification levels would be high in all new Prados with several ‘flow-down technologies’ from Lexus and LandCruiser 200 Series. "New electronic features will take Prado's off-road ability to new levels for Toyota, catering even for those new to off-road motoring," he said. All next-generation Prados in Australia will have seven airbags, vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, alloy wheels and keyless entry and start.Meanwhile, Toyota has added value to two key HiLux models, chopping $3100 from the prices of the 4x2 SR turbo-diesel Double Cab and Single Cab-Chassis. The Single Cab-Chassis is now priced 10.4 per cent lower at $26,590 plus taxes and delivery charges while the Double Cab price has been reduced by 8.7 per cent to $32,590. Other models have received upgrades plus price increases ranging from $250 for 4x2 Workmate models to $1850 for 4x4 SR5 models.Upgrades include six airbags in SR5 Double Cab 4x4 models, cruise control in SR5 models, privacy glass on the rear door windows and back window of all Double Cab SR5 models and audio systems improved across the range. Entry-level Workmate and volume-selling mid-grade SR now have a single CD player with USB port and Bluetooth mobile phone compatibility. SR grade also adopts a four-spoke urethane steering wheel with audio controls while the new SR5 audio unit has a six-CD multi-changer, colour LCD screen and USB port with Bluetooth compatibility.Toyota has also released steel and alloy bull bars for the upgraded LandCruiser 70 Series. The bars don't affect the airbag sensors nor the air intakes and are designed with ‘crush cans’ that deform on impact. Airbag-compatible side rails are also available for the steel bull bar. Both bars are built to accommodate the Toyota Superwinch, CB antennae, and Rallye FF1000 or Rallye FF4000 driving lights in chrome or black, and come with a 100,000km/12 month warranty.

Mechanic Jon Hansford, 49, has built this 1957 KM200 kit car from the shell to ensure that our motoring heritage doesn't "rot away in some shed or back yard". KM stands for Keith Morrison who made these kit cars in the mid to late 1950s in a Sydney garage. Only 27 were made and only about 10 still exist. Hansford's is the only road-registered model in Australia. "I believe this car to be an important part of Australia's history in the manufacture of cars," he says. "I found out during investigation about this car that the chassis and body were both made by Keith Morrison. All bodies were made by him but some chassis were made by Nota and a lot were home made by the people who bought the  bodies. That makes this combination very rare." The KM200 kit cost 266 in the 1950s. Hansford bought it in 2007 for $1000 as a bare body and chassis. "That is how it was for its entire life," he said. "It never had a dashboard, engine or even holes drilled for headlights." "I've spent about $7000 and about 15 months part time on it, so I would never sell it." Hansford has done all the building work including fabricating many of the parts such as the suspension, seats and floor. "The idea of a kit car back then was a cheap way to have a motor car," he says. "You had to use parts that you had lying around, so I've stuck to the same spirit and used what I had. "The Datsun engine and rear axle were in my workshop. "Even the British racing green paint was given to me by a friend who paints trucks and had it left over. Although if  I had to buy the paint, I would have bought British racing green, anyway." The KM200, which looks like a D-Type Jaguar and is inspired by a British "Falcon" kit car, consists of a fibreglass body and a steel box chassis. Hansford's model is powered by a 1970s A12 Datsun 1200cc engine and four-speed gearbox from a 120Y, a Morris Minor torsion bar front suspension and a Sprite MK1 steering rack. The Austin A40 Farina rear housing is modified to accept trailing arms and a 4.22 Sprite differential centre. The rear shocks are coil overs and there are no sway bars on the suspension. The steel wheels are 14" x 4", the brakes are nine-inch Morris elite front drums and eight-inch elite rears while the master cylinder is a Datsun tandem with no booster. According to Hansford, it stops and goes "OK". "I've no idea what the top speed is but it will sit comfortably on 90km/h. Anything over that gets a bit scary," he says. The idea of building the KM200 came over a beer after Hansford had completed his third restoration of an old "Wallace and Gromit" Austin A30. "I was having a beer with a mate and I was wondering what I would do next and he had this (the KM200) in his backyard and he said `what about that?'." The idea to build the KM200 turned into a nightmare with the fibreglass body full of "cancer". Hansford has registered the finished product for club use only. "I'm a member of the Paramount Small Bore Rifle Club which also has a car club because half the members are interested in historic cars," he says. "I take it to shows and we do rides once or twice a year. "It's quite impractical as a daily driver with no roof and windscreen. You have to wear a helmet and goggles like on  a motorcycle. "It weighs only 540kg so it shakes around a fair bit and you have no crash protection. "You also have to be careful not to downshift too quick as it locks the back wheels as there is no weight in the back. "But apart from that it drives a treat. It's pretty noisy but a lot of fun."

"Smooth and committed," he says. "Especially across the top of the mountain you have to be committed, hit all your marks and carry the momentum." Lowndes says the way he drives the Mt Panorama circuit is almost identical to how his teammate, Jamie Whincup, attacks the track."The beauty and the strength of this team is that we drive the car very similar in all respects; in line, set-up and what we want out of the car," he says. "For us it's very similar even in our comments to the pit crew and how we read the car."Lowndes said that despite the extra fuel stops this year for the less-efficient ethanol fuel, he and Whincup would be likely to swap at every stop, rather than doing double stints."The pit stops will be long enough to do a driver change and a fresh driver is better than doing a double stint. "One of our team's strengths is that the two of us are consistently fast, so it doesn't matter who is in the car." In a break from the past three years, the team is using Lowndes' race engineer, Jeromy Moore, for the endurance races."Phillip Island was a good warm-up for him and there is no doubt he's up to the challenge," Lowndes said. "If he needs a hand we have a great depth of talent in the pits."Lowndes talks us through a flying lap of the 6.213km anti-clockwise circuit. "Exiting turn one, or Hell Corner, is important as Mountain Straight is long and you want to get as much terminal speed as you can by the end. "I select fifth at top of the crest and carry it all the way through to turn two. You know if you are on a good lap if you hit the rev limiter just before braking marker into turn two. "Then it's back to third through the Griffins Bend and dodge the kangaroos and stray tyres. "I grab fourth leading up to and into the first part of The Cutting, because there is a little kink entering the corner. "Then I grab second and hold a tight line close to the concrete wall on the exit and short shift to third as it runs over a little bump which kicks the car into oversteer."I hold that gear all the way up the right hander under the tree and grab fourth which you carry all the way across the top into Skyline. "There's no chance to catch a breath here, thought, because there are areas where you need to pinpoint your track position or you will crash. "You know when you have that line right because you hit the limiter just before Skyline."You brake back to third as you drop off Skyline and go down through the Esses, braking back to second for the Dipper. "On the exit to the dipper you are hard on the throttle up to third for the run down to Forest Elbow. "Here you can lock up the front right tyre so you have to be careful as you grab second and fire it into the exit."You need a good clean exit because from there you are flat all the way down Conrod Straight working the gear up to sixth. "You are flat into the Chase at 297km/h which is the fastest on any circuit in Australia. "To pass on the left like I've done before you have to be committed. Get it wrong and you are gone. "Then it's hard braking back to third for the left and right out of the Chase."You grab fourth gear just as you approach the last turn into Murray's Corner, then hard on the brakes, into second and then hard on the gas for the run to the flag."

That is the vision of BMW which has developed the C1-E as part of a European study into traffic congestion. BMW produced a petrol C1 in 2001 and 2002, but scrapped it when some countries required riders to wear a helmet. Now the idea is back on the drawing board as BMW's contribution to the European safety project eSUM (European Safer Urban Motorcycling), along with scooter manufacturer Piaggio. The BMW C1-E is powered by a Vectrix electric motor and has a raft of car-like safety features including a safety cell, roll-over bar, front crumple zone and even a seat belt. The new version of the C1 has a more aerodynamic look with a lower centre of gravity, raked windscreen and a car-like boot. The Vectrix motor comes with a new compact and lightweight lithium-ion battery, but BMW has not ruled out a small-capacity low-emission internal combustion engine. BMW Motorrad Australia product communications manager Tim James said the C1-E was “just a study about how to manage traffic at the moment and there are no plans for production”. However, BMW will use its findings to develop single-track vehicles. The cities involved in the eSUM project include Paris, Rome, Barcelona and London. BMW claims two-wheeled transportation would improve traffic flow, but has inherent safety problems. Their scooter would likely be fitted with some of the primary safety devices now being fitted to their motorcycles such as traction control, tyre pressure monitors and anti-skid brakes. BMW is also researching rider assistance systems designed to increased road safety such as traffic-light assistance and a warning system for wet weather, road obstacles, an approaching emergency vehicle, or sudden braking manoeuvres.  

He is the proud owner of a 1969 HT Monaro GTS 350 "Bathurst Special" with a 224kW Chevrolet 350ci (5.7-litre) V8, 25 gallon (113.5-litre) fuel tank, four-speed manual transmission, two broad "go-faster" stripes down the centre and twin air scoops in the bonnet which serve no real purpose.In 1969, this was the car that won Bathurst and in which a young Peter Brock drove his first Mt Panorama race, finishing third. "I remember the first time I clapped eyes on one when I was four or five and I'll never forget it," the Brisbane restaurateur says. "I just fell in love with it. It was just like a big shiny bell that kept ringing in my head. "I knew I had to have one, one day."The Monaro Bathurst Special cost about $4000 new and Michael paid $12,000 for it in 1997. Shannons auctioneer of 26 years Bill Wellwood said that before the global financial crisis HT Monaros were fetching about $250,000 but values had dropped to about $150,000. "It's only worth what someone pays for them," says Michael. "But I'd never sell it. Never. It's a part of my life." When he bought it, the car had about 90,000km on the odometer, the paint was faded, and it was mechanically "tired". "But there was no rust in it — not a skerrick," Michael says. "I could have just cleaned it up and had it driveable, but I wanted it to be perfect so I started a four-year restoration to build it back to new and then let it age gracefully. "She's perfect now."Wellwood agrees: "It is the best one I've seen."Michael has paid a lot of attention to a faithful restoration even down to the original rubber mats and tyre jack in the boot. It was first sold in Sydney and features a new "From Savell Bros, Hurstville" sticker on the back window. "I tracked down the last Savell brother (I think it was Bruce) in his 90s and he sent me a batch of stickers, key rings and stuff," he says. "It took me a year to find the rear sticker. I tracked him down from the electoral roll. "I've also got all the original paperwork."Michael claims it was the fourth of the first seven "prototypes" produced as a press evaluation vehicle. "When we took the car apart it had three times the sound cushioning and the gearbox and mechanical parts had number four hand punched into them," he says. "Monaro experts have gone through it and they reckon it was blueprinted by Holden which is what they did with the first seven of any model made."Michael says the Monaro is "quite a smooth car to drive". "There is that feeling of power underneath you with a constant V8 rumble. There's no radio; she plays her own music," he says. "I don't push it too hard, but I take it for long rides and lose myself back in time. It's my last link to the good old days."Michael has only ever had one problem with the car. "That was the master cylinder because I didn't use it often enough," he says. "With a lot of old cars, you tend to let them sit as you want them to remain perfect, but you have to exercise them."And that exercise can be expensive. "The fuel economy ain't good. It probably costs 10 bucks just to back it out of the driveway, plus I always give it a bit of a boot. "I drive it every second weekend, but I never let it get wet."The Bathurst Special will get a run this weekend around to a mate's place to watch the race. "It's a bit of man day," he says.