Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Taree restorer Justin Hills believes his restoration of the classic American car more closely resembles how an artist would have drawn the concept rather than the finished production model. "The production car never ends up looking like the artist's concept drawing," he says. "Concept cars of this period were always longer, lower and wider. So my idea for the car was to build the concept car that they would have wanted to build but never did." The 39-year-old English migrant bought the car for $US3000 over the internet in 2004 and estimates he has spent the equivalent of a full-time year working on the car. "It would owe me over $100,000, but this isn't for sale unless someone has a whole lot of money," he says. "The biggest expense is the chrome plating, trim and material costs. I spent more than $4000 on the softest leather you have ever felt. It's so soft you just want to bite it." When Hills went looking for a classic car to restore for himself, he wasn't searching for a Buick. "I was actually looking for a James Dean '49 Mercury at the time, but I saw this and knew I just gotta have it," he says. "It was the right period and the right look; it just ticked all the boxes that I was looking for. "I love the fastback shape of it. The way the roof goes all the way down to the ground." Hills has emphasised that effect with air suspension that drops 15cm when it's parked so the panels almost touch the tarmac. It's a long way from the condition he bought it in. "I reckon it had been left out in a paddock for 30 years and not touched," he says. "It was full of dust. It must have been a California or Arizona car because it was really dry but not rusted." The engine was seized solid and was replaced by a 1953 Buick engine which was also a straight eight with the same block but a bigger 263 cubic inch (4309cc) capacity. "The gearbox was fine, but everything was pulled apart and rebuilt anyway," he says. "It's got a three-speed column shift and it drives just beautifully," he says. "It does everything it's meant to do because everything is brand new. I built it to drive it, but I don't drive it all that much." "Since I finished it I love it too much to drive. It's like collecting a piece of artwork. It lives in a cartoon bubble in my workshop and I have to work to keep it clean because it's black." Instead, his daily drive is a 1966 Mk X Jaguar which he calls the "most underrated Jag in the world. I love them. They are a bit like the Buick - a big boat of a car," he says. "I'm not into modern cars. I just enjoy the feeling of driving an old car. I have to go to Sydney a lot and I always take the Jag. It does the job and it looks good, too." The car builder and restorer started as a smash repairer and has worked on cars for clients from Darwin to Dubai. Although he considers his Buick the best he has ever done, his most expensive job was a 1964 Aston Martin DB4 Cabriolet he restored for a Sydney advertising executive. "He later sold it for 275,000 (about $555,000) to a Swiss museum." But it's not about the money. His dream is to restore a car for famous Pebble Beach Concourse. "That's my career aim. It would be nice to be a Bugatti," he says.

... but have not been commercially viable or acceptable to the mass market because of limited battery technology. Nissan built its first electric vehicle, the Tama, with a lead-acid battery in 1947 before switching to using nickel-metal hydride batteries. The Japanese company started research and development into battery technology in 1992 with cobalt-based, cylindrical batteries. It later switched to cheaper and lighter manganese and then flat laminated lithium-ion batteries. Nissan battery pack design chief Sadao Miki said the company's development of lithium-ion batteries was the key to future electric vehicles. Company product planner Andy Palmer said the ‘breakthrough’ was the lithium-ion technology. "The battery is our piece de resistance," he said. Nissan's first electric car with lithium-ion batteries was the Prairie Joy SUV in 1996. The original Prairie EV was on show at the international launch of Nissan's new electric vehicle in Yokohama on Sunday. It was used by the Japanese government at the North Pole as an observation vehicle for three years and featured Japan's first non-contact charging system using magnetic induction technology rather than physically plugging into a mains outlet or charging station. It had a range of 200km and a power output of 62kW. The company has since produced the Altras and Hypermini electric vehicles and in 1997 established the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation in a joint partnership to produce lithium-ion batteries. The Leaf electric vehicle will be produced next year with two more electric vehicles to follow before the second generation of the Leaf. Palmer would not say what segment the other electric vehicles would fit into, but he ruled out large vehicles because of weight issues.

Nissan Motor Company Australia managing director Dan Thompson says the next-generation Tiida could be known as the Pulsar. "The next generation is still several years out so it's probably too early to talk about the name," he says. "However, I understand the traction and equity of the name Pulsar. We will consider whether it is appropriate to bring back the name at that time." Pulsar debuted in Australia in 1978 and gained a legion of fans with its sporty performance in some models. However, the company changed the name to Tiida in all markets except America 2007. Critics claim the name has failed to gain market support. "There is still a lot of research that needs to happen before the next model arrives," Thompson says. "Pulsar has a high general awareness but what does it actually mean to people? Pulsar has a strong link with Nissan. There is no doubt about that." Nissan this month releases the Dualis 4x2 which is the fifth new product since January after Murano, GT-R, 370Z and Maxima. "It's been a big time for us," Thompson says. "All products have been ahead of our (sales) expectations. We have over achieved in every model." The next new model is the Z Roadster arriving in the first quarter of 2010. The next-generation Micra will arrive in early 2011 featuring a full line up of variants, possibly including a "hot" model, Thompson says. Nissan's light car has been hampered by a lack of models, being only available as a five-door auto. Despite the lack of variants, Thompson says the Micra is selling up to 500 a month. He says Nissan would not import the funky Cube, even though it is a global car. "We have looked at it but it's not right for Australia at this stage," he says. "We're very much focused on performance in our brand. So there is better product for Australia than the Cube." He says the 370Z and GT-R had "reinvented the brand as a sportscar brand". The GT-R had particularly sold well, exceeding expectations selling its 2009 allocation of 200 already. Cube is not the right fit for our brand at the moment," he says. "There is nothing I have against the Cube, but we are not interested in bringing in every model available overseas. We don't want to make the model line-up too complex." Meanwhile, Thompson says Nissan's luxury arm, Infiniti, would definitely come to Australia. "It's only a matter of time with its launch into Europe and the UK finally in right-hand drive," he says. "It's still a long way out. We will tackle it when the time is right. It's a perfect fit for Australia." Thompson says that when Infiniti launched it would include "the entire line-up" as every vehicle was now available in right-hand drive. "It is a separate brand and would be handled that way with separate dealers and administration," he says. "It's an exciting brand," says the American who worked with Infiniti in the US about seven years ago.

Electric vehicles are hampered by limited range and the slow process of recharging their batteries. But rather than wait for the infrastructure to be established, car companies are forging ahead with plans for electric vehicles.In the next couple of years our market will see electric vehicles from Mitsubishi, Nissan and GM.So what do motorists do about charging them? Most batteries take about eight hours to fully charge on 240-volt mains power and have a range below 200km, which means they need recharging almost daily. Even quick-charging high-voltage solutions can take up to 30 minutes to get a battery up to 80 per cent charge.Motorists are used to fuelling the tank on their internal combustion engines at a convenient service station in about five minutes, so having to stop for half an hour would be a huge impost.Nissan, whose Leaf electric hatchback goes into production next year and will arrive here in 2011, believes motorists will have to change the way they live with their vehicle, but can still enjoy convenient motoring.There are several options for recharging electric vehicles such as mains trickle charging, quick-charging stations and even battery replacement facilities. Which solution emerges as the most popular will be much like the 1980s battle between VHS and Beta technology or the current DVD versus Blue-Ray.Nissan global zero emissions business unit general manager Hideaki Watanabe says he doesn't care which option wins, but believes all could succeed and live together. "It will be a race between all the options. There could be some other new solutions for infrastructure as well," he said. "It may depend on which one becomes mature first and which one the customers want."He sees a future with electric vehicles as a blend of these solutions with mains trickle charging at home overnight when electricity charges are low and top-up quick charges in public places such as shopping centre carparks throughout the day. "Some retailers are showing an interest in EV," he said."Malls are interested in providing the infrastructure to keep people shopping longer. Maybe shops will offer discounts on charging if they buy products from them like they do now with parking charges."However, he said the industry also needed government help with establishing infrastructure as well as providing incentives for motorists to go electric such as reduced stamp duty and registration, priority lanes, parking concessions and education of the public. "You have to give some benefits to people to switch to electricity," he said.He isn't concerned with the criticism that vehicles powered by electricity from coal-fired power stations — such as in Australia — only shift the emissions from the street to the factory. "I don't care about how the electricity is generated," he said. "It's like the chicken and the egg. Do we wait for environmentally friendly electricity generation infrastructure or not?"I believe we have a responsibility to introduce a zero emission vehicle now. If we introduced the zero emission vehicle then people and governments and the private sector will do their part to provide zero-emission power."

Yet is was none of these factors that prompted plastics manufacturing company owner Nigel Chilton, 54, to buy one. "I saw all the Back to the Future movies but that is not the reason I wanted one," he said. "My mate has one in Albury and I was with him when he was doing the Classic Adelaide in a GT Falcon and he asked me to drive his DeLorean down to the pub to pick up some supplies," he said. "When we got there we opened the doors and a nice-looking young girl showed some interest. I was just so impressed that a young girl was all over it, I thought I've got to have one." Chilton said he had no trouble tracking down two vehicles for sale in the US despite the fact that only 9000 were made and there are only about 6500 left. He bought his 1981 DeLorean DMC12 in October 2007 from Oregon but still hasn't driven it on the road because left-hand-drive vehicles can't be registered in Queensland without being converted to right-hand drive until they are 30 years old. "I've still got two years left before I can register it," he said. Chilton paid $US17,500 "when the dollar was good" which was about $21,000. "All up, it owes me about $28,000 to get it here," he said. "It stays on trailers and I showed it at the Cootha Classic, but it's been factory lowered about 40mm so it's difficult to even get it on a trailer" "I've hardly turned a wheel, but it drives like a HK Holden. It's pretty ordinary. It doesn't need to go quick because you want people to look at it. They're not overly powerful and they are hard to maneuvere as they have no power steering. They're also pretty claustrophobic." The vehicle has a Y frame chassis with fibreglass sub frame and stainless steel panels. "Cleaning is easy, but fingerprints are hard to get rid of," Chilton said. "Everything is quirky about it." The rear-mounted engine is a Peugeot/Renault/Volvo B28 2.8L six-cylinder mated to a Peugeot five-speed manual gearbox. It sits on 14-inch front wheels with 195mm rubber and 15-inch, 235mm rears. About six models came with twin turbos, 17 were made in right-hand drive and two had gold-plated engines, one for company owner John DeLorean and one for a museum. Chilton says there are about 31 in Australia and 11 in Queensland. Despite its sweeping bonnet and the fuel tank and radiator in the front, the forward luggage space is quite big for a sportscar and there is a space-saver tyre under the cargo floor. The DMC-12 is "stock standard", but Chilton intends to work on the brakes. "You can still get most of the parts from America as there are several companies that specialise in DMC parts," he said. "I'll probably drive it on weekends and to car shows, although I would love to do a Targa (Tasmania) in it when I get it registered." Chilton has competed in six Targa Tasmania rallies since 2000 navigating in a BMW 2002 and driving his 1972 914 Porsche "which always wins its class" until he rolled it at a Noosa Hillclimb. The Leicester-born Englishman migrated to Australia in 1963 aged nine and has owned a variety of cars over the years starting with a Toyota HiAce he used for surfing and consorting, a Suzuki Sierra he raced off road and a V12 Jag he bought in the middle of the 1980s fuel price crisis. "I paid $27,000 for it, spent $10,000 on it and got $17,000 for it in about 18 months. Not a good investment," he said. He's hopeful the DeLorean will be a better investment. They were called the DMC-12 because $US12,000 was to be their retail price, but they went to market costing more than twice that and the company is claimed to have lost substantially on each vehicle it sold. The DMC-12 was manufactured in Northern Ireland from 1981 to 1982 when the owner was arrested on charges of drug trafficking in an apparent attempt to raise funds for the struggling company, which declared bankruptcy that year.

It's a dictum that 76-year-old Max Monk lives and drives by. It could just as easily have come from Burt Munro who persisted for years with his old Indian motorcycle, turning it into the world's fastest Indian and a brilliant Hollywood movie. Monk never raced against Munro, but he did compete on the same beaches in New Zealand and witnessed the fame and glory of the dogged backyard mechanic at close quarters. "Burt raced in the clubman events so I didn't race against him. He was 60 then and I was just 20," says Monk. "Even at 70 he was still surrounded by 19-year-old girls." If Munro the man impressed the young 20-something apprentice mechanic from Canterbury, his ancient Indian motorcycle left even more of an impression. "I've never seen anything like it," he says. "It wouldn't wheelstand, it wouldn't wheelspin, it would just disappear over the horizon." So Monk became like his fellow South Islander and persisted with old machinery. Today he lives in Brisbane and drives a 1989 Saab 900i that belonged to one of his two daughters. "I bought it for $4500 six years ago and it had 350,000km on it," he says. "It's still going well and I wouldn't part with it." He also owns a 1984 Yamaha RZ500 V4 two-stroke motorcycle he bought 12 years ago for $3500. "They are worth about $10,000 now for a good one," he says although it's obvious he wouldn't part with it. Monk smokes as much as his beloved two-stroke Yamaha, but the wiry septuagenarian is still fit and continues to ride. "I got keen on bikes before I left school so I became a mechanic, but making your hobby your job is hard," he says. "I started racing when I was 20. My mother didn't want me doing it, but she said I could ride on the beach because that looked soft." Little did his mother know that riders like Munro and Monk were doing more than the old ton on those beaches. Monk raced a Triumph Speed Twin, a GP Triumph and then a 350 AJS 7R for about 10 years until one "bad day." "The bike wouldn't start and the field was long gone so I rode like a lunatic to catch up," he says. "Then the gear shift broke. The same thing happened in the second race and then I ran out of fuel in the last lap." "When I got back to the pits my mum and wife looked 30 years older because an ambulance had gone out and they thought it was for me. I had two little girls at that stage so I quit and just tuned bikes after that. I didn't ride again for about 20 years." In that time he worked as a car and bike mechanic, wrecker, welder, farmer, tractor mechanic, gun seller and real estate agent. "You name it, I've done it," he says. Monk moved to Australia six years ago to manage a residential development. "The number of cars and bikes I have owned is longer than your arm," he says. "The first car I owned was a 1937 Chevrolet I found on a farm and restored," he says. "It cost 10. I had it a year and a half and most of the time it was in bits and pieces." He then owned a series of old Chevs, Dodges and Vauxhalls. "The last one (before the Saab) was a 1984 Toyota Corolla hatchback. It was the last of the rear-wheel-drive models." You probably guessed it: "It had about a half a million kilometres on it."

The company that started life in Indiana in 1852 making wagons for farmers, miners and the military and began producing electric cars in 1902. "They should have kept making electric cars," says Lucas. Studebaker moved to petrol cars in 1912 and the last model rolled off their Canadian assembly line in 1966. "Studebakers are good quality car that were a long way ahead of their time," Lucas says. He points out that in 1946 they introduced a hill holder function ("just put on the brake and then release it and it wouldn't roll back on a hill") and in 1952 they released a three-speed automatic transmission with manual overdrive in every gear. "And they won just about every economy run in the '50s and '60s," says Lucas. Lucas, 67, manager of Caboolture Motorcycles, owns a 1960 Studebaker hard-top Lark which he bought in 2002 for $5000 from a Victorian owner. "It had more rust than the Cherry Venture," he says. "I restored it myself with a little help from my friends. I had to replace all the floor and rocker panels, rebuilt the motor and diff gearbox, the whole lot. "It's pretty original, but I fitted disc brakes on the front to stop it as the old drum brakes weren't the best." Lucas claims the person he bought it off had a pink slip that showed the vehicle had once been owned by American actor Tim Conway who played the not-so-bright Ensign Parker on the old black-and-white TV comedy, McHale's Navy. "When the guy told me I said, `You couldn't have told me it was Clark Gable or Humphrey Bogart, could you?'," he laughs. "I've had no luck contacting him (Conway). He's still alive. I wanted to get a photo of him with the car. He apparently owned it for years. The car had done about a million miles." Lucas bought the car because he liked the shape. "I persevered with it. Worked on it for three years nearly always at night because I work six days a week. "Keeping me in the shed at night probably made my wife happy. Anyway, it's been well worth the effort. It's a great little car. Everywhere I go people take photos of it." Lucas claims it is the only one of its type in Queensland and one of about three in Australia. He is also restoring a 1952 Studebaker Commander Starlight V8 Coupe designed by Raymond Lowry the industrial designer responsible for the Coke bottle and Lucky Strike cigarette packet. His first car was a 1934 Dodge Tourer he bought for 50 when he was 14 living in Manly, Sydney. "I used to drive it to school and I don't know how I never got arrested," he says. "You could do those sorts of things in those days." "On Friday and Saturday nights we went down to the Manly Corsa in our Customlines and used to park and beat the girls away with a stick. I was an old Manly bodgey and proud of it." Lucas also boasts that he is a Ford man. "I have owned just about every Ford that was built from 1932 to 1955," he says. "They had a big V8 and were a fast car, plus every back yard had a Ford lying in it and you could get them cheap." He moved to Queensland in the 1970s as a sales manager at Yamaha and raced off-road bikes, later opening a motorcycle retail business. "I got to that stage in my life where I was getting bored so one day I was looking at a car mag and thought I'd love to restore an old car," he says. "It's good fun going to all the shows and reminiscing with people my own age. People think we're just silly old buggers, but wer'e not really; we're just enjoying life. It's better than going home, opening a beer and sitting in front of the TV." Lucas will be enjoying life with his old mates when he shows his Lark at the annual Studebaker Concourse on August 30 at South Bank from 9am to 3pm.

The Japanese company has opened its new global headquarters in Yokohama and unveiled the new platform on which its first production electric vehicles will be based. Nissan has been developing its electric vehicle program through a Tiida-based prototype with a compact lithium-ion battery under the floor. Nissan Australia senior corporate communications manager Jeffrey Fisher said the dedicated new electric vehicle to be unveiled today would go into production next year and be available in Australia in 2012. The electric vehicle features an IT system which integrates satellite navigation and the internet to ensure the car is always charged and available for use. This includes a display on the car’s satnav map that shows the maximum range of the vehicle for the current state of battery charge and the location of recharging stations within the range radius. It also features a timer function which will start the car’s airconditioner or battery charging at a specified time. The air-conditioner can be programmed to cool the cabin to a set temperature while the vehicle is being charged so that it doesn2t drain the vehicle's battery. Charging can be set to start at a specified time at night to benefit from cheaper electricity rates and can be programmed and monitored by mobile phone or the internet. A text message can be sent to the driver when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is ready for use. The electric vehicle is powered by a Nissan-developed electric motor delivering 80kW of power and 280Nm of torque. The 24kWh laminated compact lithium-ion battery pack is housed under the floor so it doesn2t compromise cabin or cargo space. The battery layout also allows smooth air-flow under the car, reducing aerodynamic drag. While electric vehicles are quiet, Nissan’s model could be even quieter as the additional frame for the battery pack improves rigidity reducing vibration and external sounds. The electric vehicle uses a system of regenerative braking which recovers power from the brakes to recharge the battery as used in Toyota’s Prius hybrid car. Nissan claims the regenerative braking system extends the driving range to more than 160km, depending on how hard it is driven.  

Meet George Jetson’s new car. It may not fly, but the Nissan Leaf runs entirely on electricity, can automatically charge itself without having to plug in and will send its owner a text message when it’s fully charged.The 95 per cent production-ready electric vehicle was unveiled at the official opening of the company’s global headquarters in Yokohama.While bristling with technology, the Leaf looks like any five-door small family hatchback; even less radical than the Toyota Prius hybrid.The only telling feature of the streamlined hatch is the blank looking front since there is no radiator grille. It doesn’t need one as the electric motor has less cooling requirements than an internal combustion engine.Nissan Australia senior corporate communications manager Jeffrey Fisher said the Nissan EV would go into production next year and be available in Australia in 2012.He said the vehicle was 95 per cent production ready, so most of the sleek design and interior computer graphics will be retained in the production version.Nissan product planning chief Andy Palmer said the Leaf would be “the same price as a similar C segment car” plus the cost of the battery. “We haven’t decided on the final price yet. We will lease the battery but the cost of operating the vehicle will be less than a similar C segment vehicle.The Leaf is powered by a front-mounted synchronous AC electric motor designed and developed in house and delivering 80kW of power and 280Nm of torque. The 24kWh capacity laminated compact lithium-ion battery pack is housed under the floor so it doesn’t compromise cabin or cargo space. It consists of 48 slimline modules comprising four flat cell batteries, rather than conventional cylindrical batteries for more efficient cooling.Nissan battery pack design chief Sadao Miki said the lithium-ion batteries developed by Nissan are also lighter, more compact, cheaper, more reliable and have a longer life. The batteries are made in Japan by Automotive Energy Supply Company which is a joint initiative established in 2007 with NEC.The car has a range of about 160km on the open road without airconditioning and about 20 per cent less in the city. It can be recharged off 240-volt mains in eight hours or 80 per cent charged on special quick charge “pumps” in about 30 minutes.A small pop-up section of the nose underneath the Nissan badge has two sockets for the mains or quick charge plugs. Three blue lights on the dashboard indicate charging progress with all three lit when full.The thin battery pack is located under the floor providing a flat interior floor and smooth air-flow under the car, reducing aerodynamic drag.Nissan EV spokesman Toshimi Abo says the Leaf will be backed by a global data centre that integrates satellite navigation and the internet to ensure the car is always charged and available for use.This includes a display on the car’s satnav map that shows the maximum range of the vehicle for the current state of battery charge and the location of recharging stations within the range radius.It also features a timer function which will start the car’s airconditioner or battery charging at a specified time.The air-conditioner can be programmed to cool or warm the cabin to a set temperature while the vehicle is being charged so that it doesn’t drain the vehicle's battery.Charging can be set to start at a specified time at night to benefit from cheaper electricity rates and can be programmed and monitored by mobile phone or the internet.A text message can be sent to the driver when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is ready for use.Nissan Motor Company Australia managing director Dan Thompson said they had already held discussions with all levels of government about a range of incentives that would help convince motorists to go electric.“The states have been the most receptive,” he said. “Three years (before the electric car arrives) seems like a long time, but to get the infrastructure in place it isn’t.Thompson said they would also talk to companies such as shopping centres, cinema chains, fast food outlets as well as service stations about installing battery charging infrastructure.“We’ll talk to any business that wants to keep people longer at their business,” he said.Thompson said they would target fleet sales first, then private buyers.On Friday, Journalists were given a one-lap drive around the company’s Yokohama testing ground in an electric Tiida test vehicle which features the same drivetrain platform as the new electric vehicle.The little hatch was noticeably quieter, smoother and more torquey than the petrol model. While it doesn’t pull as smartly off the line as some hybrids, it has a linear power delivery. Steering feels heavy and the car turns in a little slow thanks to the 150kg extra weight.However, that weight, which is mostly due to the 300kg battery, is placed low and central, and with a lighter motor than the petrol engine up front, it provides an almost 50-50 weight balance.There is no engine compression effect, so it doesn’t slow when you take your foot off the accelerator. It therefore requires extra braking coming into corners, an issue with which drivers will have to become familiar.

Other technological innovations include cruise control that works with satellite navigation to slow vehicles for corners, an automatic transmission that selects a higher gear ratio for quicker starts and injecting certain aromas into the cabin to reduce boredom and stimulate the driver's brain.Nissan Australia senior corporate communications manager Jeffrey Fisher said the innovations may go into production over the next few years."But they are not necessarily for us (Australia). Some may but it's probably down the track," he said. "We will look to see if they are available and cost effective and whether they fit certain models. "Some may be included as a standard feature, so then we would get them, but that's not yet decided."Nissan's ‘Forest’ airconditioning is the result of the company's studies into the effect of forest air on people. The study found that a combination of fragrant kapur wood, lavendar and essential oils promotes calm and focus in the brain.It also found that leaf alcohol in most plants has a calming effect that also reduces fatigue. These aromas would be periodically sprayed into the vehicle's cabin using an interchangeable aroma cartridge with a one-year lifespan.The airconditioning system also detects odours and smells such as smoke to increase or decrease outside airflow, regulates the humidity to keep the windows demisted while avoiding the "over-drying" of conventional systems, filters allergens and pollens, and generates plasmacluster ions in the cabin air to kill germs and minimise odour.Nissan has also developed two driver-aid systems which synchronise the vehicle's satellite navigation, engine, braking and steering. The Navigation-Cooperative Intelligent Pedal lifts the accelerator when the satnav recognises an approaching corner. The lifting pedal prompts the drivers to take their foot off the accelerator, slowing the vehicle.It doesn't take control from the driver, but Nissan claims it will reduce the driver's workload.Nissan's Driver Stability Assist system synchronises brakes, steering and engine response to control the vehicle on winding roads.It senses an increase in driver input on the steering wheel and brake and accelerator pedals and acts to stabilise the vehicle with optimum distribution of force at each wheel depending on the radius of the corner.The driver-air systems will be available in the new Japanese Fuga this year which is not destined for Australia, Fisher said."The Fuga is just a technology mule for some of their innovations," he said.