Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Automobili Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann is confident the Italian manufacturer can ride out the current economic crisis."The worldwide market for luxury goods is down about 40 per cent and is affecting everything from fashion to watches, not just the car industry," he says."We are not immune to global recession, so we are working on how to counterbalance the tough times ahead."We are focussing on staying profitable and will keep a positive balance sheet this year and keeping brand image high."Production director Enrico Ranieri says it is difficult to predict how many cars they will produce this year, but says numbers will be down."We will cut factory hours rather than lay off staff," he says.Winkelmann avoids talking production numbers and says product diversification is the important part of their four-part business strategy."We have the youngest and widest product range for years and want to keep it that way with at least one new product every year,' he says at the launch in the Spanish Canary Islands of the Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder convertible."The Spyder is the most important car in terms of volume for years to come," he says.Lamborghini will also this year launch a limited edition of 50 Murcielago LP 670-4 Super Veloces which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in February.It has 15 kilowatts more power, 100kg less weight, top seed of 342km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds."The future of super sports cars is not about outright power, but more important is less weight for a greater power-to-weight ratio," Winkelmann says.He says the company is also investing in research to reduce greenhouse carbon-dioxide emissions 40 per cent reduction by the next decade.The current Gallardo is down 18 per cent on the previous model."We are investing heavily in research and development investment which is 8 per cent of our turnover which is higher than our competitor," he says.Another key recession-busting strategy is to have a balanced market distribution of one third of their sales in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region."For sure, Australia will be an important part of that strategy," Winkelmann says."Having a good balance will help the company when the recession ends because it will end at different times around the world."The third strategy is brand diversification with more investment in their clothing and accessories."Profit and turnover in this area is up but we have a long way to go," he says.The final strategy is to meet customer expectations with factory and museum tours, Lamborghini Academy track days, Giro Lamborghini club days and the Super Trofeo one-make racing series in Europe. 

That's Lamborghini's dictum.Automobili Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann dismisses the trends of competitors such as Porsche with its Cayenne and now Aston Martin which will rebirth the Lagonda name as an SUV.Winklemann says the future for super sports companies such as the Italian firebrand is with four-wheel-drive sports cars, not four-wheel-drive Toorak tractors."SUV has no future anymore," he says."We would be killed by the public if we did an SUV."It might work in Russia, but not anywhere else."For us, four-wheel-drive sports cars are important as a unique selling point."However, the company is embracing the trend among super luxury sports car companies to add two more doors.Porsche this year will launch the Panamera, Aston Martin plans to release a four-door Rapide and Lamborghini has debuted its Estoque concept.But Winklemann is cautious about adding to its two-door Gallardo and Murcielago coupes and convertibles."For the moment we will stick with our two-car strategy," he says."There is little doubt that it (Estoque) would double the sales volume for Lamborghini."However, in this economic situation going to three models would be something that would double our efforts and not necessarily double our profits."For the moment it is too much of a risk."So the Estoque (pronounced Ess-tock) is on hold."If we would do a third model it would be a car like the Estoque," Winklemann says."It is what our four-door product would look like; a 2+2 with a coupe look."But it would have to have a business case, not just a product because we like it."Winkelmann also rejected following competitors into turbo-diesel, electric or hydrogen power trains, but said they would consider hybrid systems and technologies such as regenerative braking. 

The two-time champion of Wollongong had a disastrous opening round at Phillip Island two weeks ago with a tactical team error ruining his qualifying chances and bad tyres dropping him put of the points in the second race. However, he set the fastest lap in race one on the new BMW S 1000 RR and finished eighth, despite his fifth-row grid position. "I was surprised that we got the fastest lap time in the opening race, and it shows the bike has improved and given the team a boost in confidence, especially knowing that there is still a lot we need to try and develop with it," he said. "The bike ran similar race pace as the leaders at the Island, and it was just that we had to start so far back that kept us out of it." Corser's confidence in Qatar is founded on his five podiums there in four years, including two wins on a Suzuki. In the Supersport category, Australians Anthony West and Andrew Pitt are again expected to be vying for podiums. West of the Gold Coast finished third at Phillip Ilsand behind 2007 champion Kenan Sofuoglu and reigning champ Andrew Pitt. "The track here is always slippery to begin with, there's a lot of dust blowing around, so I'll take it easy in the first session," West said. "I'll try and stay in a good position for the race and hopefully beat the competition." Pitt scored his first world superbike podium at Qatar. "I'll be looking to go one step higher on the podium this weekend," he said. WORLD SUPERBIKE STANDINGS (AFTER ROUND ONE OF 14) 1 Noriyuki Haga, Japan, Ducati 45 points 2 Max Neukirchner, Germany, Suzuki 30 3 Leon Haslam, Great Britain, Honda 26 4 Ben Spies, America, Yamaha 25 5= Yukio Kagayama, Japan, Suzuki 24 5= Michel Fabrizio, Italy, Ducati 24 7 Regis Laconi, France, Ducati 22 8 Jonathan Rea, Great Britain, Honda 18 9 Jakub Smrz, Czech republic, Ducati 16 10 Tom Sykes, Great Britain, Yamaha 12 11 Troy Corser, Australia, BMW 8 (Rd2 Superbike World Championship, live on Fox Sports 3, 8pm, March 14)  

V8 Supercar driver David Besnard of the Gold Coast has bought a `full-blown' 700 horsepower racing Falcon which he will use as a hot-lap car on April 26 at Queensland Raceway.He has organised V8 Supercar drivers Craig Lowndes, James Courtney, Steve Johnson, Craig Baird, Shane van Gisbergen and Alex Davison to take people for three-lap rides in the car for $795.However, it's now turned into something much bigger than just a ride day.Dick Johnson's legendary Tru-Blue and Greens Tuf race Falcons also will be there, plus Glenn Seton's old Ford Capri, drift cars, classic race car displays, entertainment and a race around the track between a V8 Supercar and a Yamaha R1 motorcycle."I just couldn't believe it; everyone we asked has said yes," the two-time Bathurst podium finisher said yesterday at a "shake-down" test for the new car at Queensland Raceway."I reckon we can raise about $50,000 for the Salvation Army to distribute to flood and bushfire victims."If this is a success, I'd like to do none every year for the Salvos, maybe one in every state."The `Real Deal' Disaster Appeal day will also include a charity auction with items such as Porsche Carrera Cup rides, Broncos jerseys and Layne Beachley's signed surfboard.Admission will be $10 and fans can get their photo with their favourite racer for $3, with all funds raised going to charity. 

The result came with a win in the 10th round of the 18-round series at Daytona International Speedway.The Australian Suzuki rider went into the event tied on points with Yamaha's James Stewart and now leads by 11.He avoided a first turn pile-up caused by his Stewart, which claimed much of the field, but was shuffled back to 10th.Reed posted the fastest time on lap 15 and took the lead with three to go, finishing six seconds ahead of Yamaha rider Jason Lawrence with Stewart seventh."The start tonight was insane, I was almost at the bottom of that pileup when Stewart went down, and I felt lucky to make it through turn one clean," Reed said."With seven rounds to go I really feel like we have got the momentum going again."The next race is this weekend in New Orleans. AMA Supercross Season Standings(After 10 of 17 rounds)1. Chad Reed, Suzuki, 2242. James Stewart, Yamaha, 2133. Andrew Short, Honda, 1634. Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, 1535. Ivan Tedesco, Honda, 140 

...after finishing second for the seventh round in succession in Atlanta at the weekend. Australia's highest paid motorsport star was involved in a starting gate glitch that forced him to fight from the back of the field. The Suzuki rider moved into second on lap 12 but backmarkers prevented him passing James Stewart's Yamaha. "I was a little too ready on the start," Reed said. "Josh Hill hit the gate and it flinched and I pretty much ran right into it, then had to back up. After that I had to play it smart and to be honest I was lucky to finish the first lap as far up the order as I did. "I am bummed, I really felt I had a good battle to take to James tonight and I was ready to go. Even though the results don't show it we were a lot closer tonight than last week." The series hits the halfway point on Saturday with the ninth round at Indianapolis. AMA Supercross standings after round 8 of 17 1 James Stewart, Yamaha, 177 2 Chad Reed, Suzuki, 174 3 Andrew Short, Honda, 140 4 Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, 126 5 Josh Grant, Yamaha, 120  

Retired three-time World Superbike champion and MotoGP winner Troy Bayliss will test with a V8 Supercar team in May and has been invited to race in the Audi Star Series in Europe. "Cars are something that I love and I've been watching the V8s for many years," said Bayliss in Brisbane yesterday. Bayliss will not disclose the team he will test with until March 11, but he is now living on the Gold Coast so it is expected to be a South East Queensland team, possibly Triple 8 which shares management links with Bayliss. He follows World and American supercross champion Chad Reed of Newcastle who has also tested with Triple 8 and Toyota's rally team and plans to go four-wheel racing in his retirement. Bayliss said his commitments with Ducati as the current world champion meant he would have several overseas duties this year, but he said it should leave him free for wildcard entries in V8 endurance events such as Bathurst or the Fujitsu development series. "Bathurst would be good. I've done my time there on a bike. It would be my favourite place," he said. Bayliss is hoping for a permanent driving post in 2010. "I finished World Superbikes on top and in my heart I know I still have a lot of racing left in me," he said. "I've done tests in a race car before and I know the V8s are quite hard to driver, but I've got a lot of experience and know how to race. I just have to get used to four wheels. "I'm under no illusions how difficult it will be. "I've been thinking about this for quite a while so (racing) is not an easy thing to pack it up and just stop." Bayliss said he wasn't too old for a change of racing format. "You don't have to be young. I feel at the top of my game at 39," he said. "I tried to put a few kilos on at Christmas but I didn't sit well with it so I'm back in training again." Bayliss ruled out a return to motorcycle racing and said a challenge by MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi for a one-off race at Qatar had now lapsed. "I won the last race in Valencia in MotoGP in 2006 and Valentino finds that a little hard to take," Bayliss said. "My team has now been assigned to (Noriyuki) Haga and they can't just pull that team away from him now just before the season starts. "Superbikes has been growing the last few years and if (the Rossi challenge) had happened it would have been good for the series." But Bayliss hasn't hung up his leathers entirely. "It's that time of year when things start to click into gear so I'm starting to feel a little edgy," he said. "I might do a test at Mugello on the superbike and GP bike just to keep my eye in, but I won't be an official test rider for Ducati. "As far as bikes went I finished at my top level and I wasn't going to learn any more."  

There is an off-camber corner near home with a hump at the apex that sorts out the well-suspended from the also-rans.It also causes my wife alarm as some test cars register their compliance to the laws of physics.I'm pleased to report that, despite a few minor styling changes, the new BMW 3 Series still rides that corner better than most cars. My wife also attests to that by a lack of screaming.Good to see that nothing has changed. My wife is still a good gauge of suspension and this is one top-handling car, albeit with a harsh ride these days from the run-flat tyres.What has changed is also good news.The annoying iDrive is now far easier and more intuitive to use and better news still, there is slightly more kit and a lower price - in some models, it's about $1400 cheaper.That's quite an achievement against the dramatic exchange rate shift with the Euro over recent months.BMW Group Australia corporate communications manager Toni Andreevski recently said they had resisted the annual factory price rise.However, he did suggest there could be a rise later in the year, so now is a good time to consider a 3 Series.Additional standard kit now includes leather trim, power-adjustable front seats, alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, fog lamps, park assist, USB/audio interface, automatic airconditioning, trip computer, trick door lighting and Bluetooth connectivity.I recently drove a 320i Executive sedan, which is the "entry level" vehicle in the range, and a 323i Touring (wagon).Both cars handled that infamous corner with a settled suspension, keeping all wheels firmly on the ground, no slip, no tyre squeal, no steering kickback, no screaming wife.There are also no rattles or scuttle shake as you crest that hump. These are solid cars where the doors close with a pleasant and satisfying "thump" that spells good engineering and high build quality.The wagon handles the same as the sedan, despite the extra weight, although there really isn't that much of a wagon area back there. It's almost like what we used to call a fastback or liftback in the 1970s.BMW has always made the 3 Series around the driver with responsive handling and good ergonomics. My only complaint about cockpit ergonomics are that the brake and throttle are too close for my size 11s.BMW cars use run-flat tyres which negates the need for a spare wheel, providing more cargo room. The downside is that the steering feels heavy and the ride is harsh and noisy.Where these cars obviously differ, aprt form the wagon rear, is in the engine.The little 320i with its 1995cc four-cylinder is no match for the in-line 2497cc six-cylinder 323i. Obviously the six has more power and torque and better acceleration.But even if outright performance is not your thing, the four-cylinder is simply annoying as the transmission hunts, flares and constantly changes its mind among the six available ratios as it searched for the correct cog to match your right-foot expectations.On paper, the four-cylinder offers lower fuel economy than the six.The combined highway/city fuel consumption figures for the four-cylinder sedan are 7.9 litres per 100km and 8L/100km for the wagon, while the 323i sedan is rated at 8.5L/100km and 8.9L/100km for the wagon.Yet in reality, because you push the 320i harder to get forward momentum, the figures are a lot closer than that.It hardly seems worth putting up with the annoying transmission indecision and jerkiness for the marginal fuel economy benefits.Which brings me to the greatest achievement in the new 3 Series; the new and improved iDrive.Don't get me wrong. You still have to perform several distracting manoeuvres to achieve a simple operation such as swapping between FM and AM on the radio; a one-touch operation in most cars.However, the future of on-board entertainment and information systems requires a computer and subsequently comprehensive controls. And the best way to deal with these is a centralised control.BMW went out of its way to minimalise this control, but have now relented and added a few buttons around it like their German compatriots. In fact, there are now more buttons surrounding the central controller than its competitors.It is a little confusing at first and certainly not intuitive, but it's a great leap forward.The split-screen facility also makes navigating through the various complex menus much easier.But god bless their hearts, the biggest leap forward is the "back" button so you can return to the previous step if you have screwed things up.The iPod integration is a little strange. Despite it working just fine in the super-cheap Hyundai i30, this one doesn't supply track names but garbled names such a "ghkd".Surely if Hyundai can get it right...A couple of other grumbles are the seats which feel like the leather is pulled too tight and the centre console which intrudes into the back making it really a four-and-a-half seater, rather than a five-seater.Otherwise, there is good accommodation in the back, a nice big flat boot, plenty of safety equipment and driver aids and I just love the moody blue door handle lights.Despite the extra standard kit, there are, as ever, add-on packages including navigation, DVD, 80GB hard disc drive, TV and M Sport styling and suspension kits which will drive the final price skyward.The 320i sedan costs $54,500, but with metallic paint ($1700), electric glass sunroof ($2920), and navigation system with TV and voice recognition ($6750), the test car cost $65,870.Similarly, the 323i wagon costs $67,400, but the test vehicle, with optional metallic paint, navigation, panorama sunroof glass ($3080), wide tyres ($2200) and aluminium interior trim ($920), cost $82,050.SnapshotBMW 320i sedanPRICE: $54,500 ($65,870 as tested)BODY: 5-seater sedanENGINE: 4-cylinder, 1995ccPOWER: 115Kw @ 6400rpmTORQUE: 200Nm @ 3600rpmECONOMY: 7.9L/100kmCO2 emissions: 191g/km BMW 323i TouringPRICE: $67,400 ($82,050 as tested)BODY: 5-seater wagonENGINE: 6-cylinder 2497ccPOWER: 140kW @ 5900rpmTORQUE: 230Nm @ 3250rpmECONOMY: 8.9L/100kmCO2 emissions: 215g/km

Demand for the Mazda3 which pushed the small car to the top seller list last month has now prompted the company to bring forward the launch of its replacement by three months.

The Corvette Stingray will feature among several other General Motors products in the sequel to the 2007 action movie Transformers to be released here in June (see trailer video at end of story).The Stingray concept has been tipped as the shape of the next-generation C7 Corvette with wide shoulders, four tailpipes, vertical headlights and sculpted fenders.However, GM is tight-lipped about it going into production as a Stingray or the C7.GM Global Design vice-president Ed Welburn said the idea of the Stingray Concept was to incorporate past design cues in a futuristic shape."By giving my creative team the freedom to design no-holds-barred vision concepts, it helps them push boundaries and look at projects from different perspectives," he said.The car plays the character Sideswipe in the movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.In the original cartoon, Sideswipe was one of the original crew members of the ARK, although it was a red Lamborghini.GM has had the exclusive contract to provide cars for both the original movie and the sequel. GM cars in the sequel include the Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car, Camaro production muscle car due here in 2012 and the Beat and Trax subcompact concept cars which are intended to go into production.Chevrolet North America vice president Ed Peper said the first Transformers movie helped GM reach younger car buyers in the 18 to 34 age group."Chevrolet is thrilled to again be part of one of the most anticipated movies in years," he said."Transformers gives us a great opportunity to connect with young people on their terms, with a dynamic, environmentally friendly image."The new characters represent the change going on in Chevy showrooms. From the exciting Camaro, the 21st century sports car, to the game-changing Volt, there's more than meets the eye at Chevrolet today."Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is about humans caught in an intergalactic war between armies of giant robots that can change into cars, planes and other technological creations.Stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox return as Sam and Mikaela, who know the secrets of the heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime.In the sequel, they are under attack by the evil Decepticons because of something Sam has learned about the origins of the Transformers and their ancient history on Earth.The US Department of Defense gave its official stamp of approval to the Michael Bay-directed film, in the hope it would lead to recruitment interest.Movies such as Top Gun, regarded as a major boost for recruitment in its day, and the recent Robert Downey Jr. blockbuster Iron Man also received military cooperation for the same reason.US military, some just returned form active duty in Iraq, were involved in the massive battle scenes for the movie.The film crew was allowed on the dunes of the Army's New Mexico missile range and to follow jets and fighter planes through the sky from nearby Holloman Air Force Base.More scenes were shot on the Navy's aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, and Marines fill the ranks of the strike team battling the invading Transformers.The film's Army liaison, Lt. Col. Gregory Bishop, said: "As far as I know, this is the biggest joint military operation movie ever made, in terms of Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. I can't think of one that's bigger."Military equipment used include two A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" tank-killing jets; six F-16 Fighting Falcons; 10 armoured Humvees; the Army's Golden Knights parachute team; two Abrams tanks; two Bradley tanks; two missile-launcher vehicles; two armoured personnel carriers; and a quarter-mile of the missile testing range, cleared of unexploded ordnance and built into an Egyptian town and temple.