Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

The concepts were shown at the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, the biggest automotive specialty products trade event in the world.They are a beach-ready Volvo XC70, pictured, a high performance version of the S80 T6, a hot-orange C30 SportsCoupe, a powerful C70 convertible and a one-off fully custom hot rod, which is the only concept not based on production versions.The hot rod was custom built from the ground up using major Volvo components from the previous-generation S80.Volvo worked with Heico Sportiv in Germany to build the S80 T6 HPC and Volvo C30, while Caresto built the C70 and hot rod.The Volvo XC70 concept, on the other hand, was conceived by the Volvo Cars design team and built by Aria, a California concept car firm.The XC70 Surf Rescue rides on a lift suspension, with oversized tyres and heavily modified body panels. Inside, pictured below left, is a host of life-saving equipment and custom rescue surfboards, while the front bucket and rear seats have been recovered in wetsuit style neoprene.The Heico Sportiv S80 T6 High Performance Concept features a 260kW E85 ethanol fuelled T6 engine driving through an all-wheel-drive system.It accelerates from 0-100km/h in 5.8sec.It is painted in seven-layer metal effect paint and inside is blue leather with a sweeping aluminium centre stack.The Heico C30 is also inspired by surfing with a surf pattern inlay on the aluminium centre stack and a striking orange paint job.It is lowered, sports a custom body kit with integrated spoilers and larger air ducts, has quad exhaust tips hint and a 223kW turbocharged T5 engine capable of 0-100km/h in 5.4sec.Inside are bright orange leather seats.First shown at last year's SEMA show, the Caresto Hot Rod was brought it back as a complement to the Caresto C70 Convertible.Completely hand assembled from aluminium and carbon fibre, the Caresto Hot Rod features many Volvo parts, including the mid-engine 232kW V8 engine, hand-stitched chestnut leather upholstery and brushed-aluminium inserts around the fog lights and custom exhaust ports.

When the Ute was reluctantly returned after a few laps for the next driver, the smiles on the dials almost split their helmets.

We are rolling down the achingly beautiful Rocky River Rd in northern New South Wales and I'm wondering why more people don't head for the path less travelled. We're driving Jeep's first compact SUV, the strange-looking Compass, and it's an eminently suitable vehicle for the task.The compact SUV segment is growing rapidly, untroubled by the economical, environmental and ethically judgmental barriers that trouble large SUVs. Most people who buy compact SUVs do so for their luggage capacity, high driving stance in traffic and seemingly safe passenger cell.Few buy them for their off-road or dirt-road capability. Honda's new CR-V doesn't even make any pretensions in that area. Yet there are a few that are quite suitable out of the genteel suburbs and off the tarmac.Jeep, with its reputation for serious off-roading machines, would hardly jeopardise that with a soft compact. So we put the six-speed manual, two-litre diesel Compass Sport to the test with a weekend away in Tenterfield. Nothing too difficult, mind. No rock crawling, river wading, mudlarking and other activities. Just some craggy dirt roads and small creek crossings.Besides, any excuse to take a hike down Rocky River Rd is good enough for me. To get there, we drive down the tarmac to Boonah, the Compass loping along at ease in cruise control.While the VW-derived diesel engine clatters quite loudly at idle, it settles into a purr under steam. In fact, we can't hear it above the droning in the cabin from the tyre noise. Anyway, we drown that out with song and the reverie of a trip in its infancy.After breakfast at Flavours Cafe in Boonah we veer off on to the dirt road over the vividly named Wild Horse Mountain, along the tracks around the back of the receding Lake Maroon and on to White Swamp Rd.The Compass is now feeling at ease, its slightly jiggly back end working well over the corrugations.Settling into the cabin, we find this a typically Chrysler affair with too much hard plastic and a steering wheel which is not adjustable for reach. Still, the cloth seats are comfortable and there is a light and airy feeling with plenty of room up front and in the back.Mountains, valleys, gorges and heavily cattled fields disintegrate into dust behind us as we forge on down across the border. Several stops for photographs reveal that the powdery dust has found its way into the door wells so when we hop in and out, it is disturbed and settles in the cabin.Back on to the tar, we turn right on the Mt Lindesay Highway and when the road forks, we lurch left toward Urbenville. This stretch of bitumen is broken and lumpy as week-old porridge but the Jeep's plush suspension travel seems to cut right through without the vehicle becoming unsettled.Some 14km along the road we turn off on to Paddys Flat Rd which quickly disintegrates into narrow dirt that winds up and over several ridges, crossing creeks that eventually become the indolent Clarence River.The diesel pulls strongly over the ranges although there is a need to row the gears between second and third, not because of any lack of midrange engine grunt but because of a gap in the ratios and the subsequent drop in revs.With 200mm of clearance the Jeep easily straddles some of the bombers and branches strewn across the track. And when there is a creek crossing with an option of getting the tyres wet or using the old wooden bridge the choice is easy.Here we pull up on the little T-bar control next to the gearshift and lock the Freedom Drive into four-wheel drive to cope with moss-covered rocks in the creek.It's a breeze. Probably didn't need to lock in 4WD. Normally it runs 90 per cent of drive to the front switching to 4WD in low traction, so it could have coped.Back on bitumen and the glorious Bruxner Highway, we stop in at Drake for the pub's jaw-stopping steak sandwiches. Motoring fans will enjoy kicking back for a while here as the hotel has plenty of motorsport memorabilia on the walls, plus two Harleys and an old Honda race bike in the bar.We could easily wind 77km due west to Tenterfield on contented stomachs, but we double back along the Bruxner and deviate down Rocky River Rd.This is a picture postcard around every bend. Contented cows, drooping willows, babbling creeks frothing over granite rocks and campers idling away their Saturday afternoon. Makes you want to throw out the swag and join them.We stop several times for too-few photographs and press on into the blinding afternoon sun through a haze of bushfire smoke and dust toward Tenterfield.The home of Peter Allen's famous saddler is also home to Henry Parkes's famous federation speech and wide street after wide street of old stone cottages and churches, garnished with wisteria, willows, poplars, liquidambars and paddocks stocked with shetlands, goats, sheep and mushrooming granite boulders that look like purpose-built rock gardens.We shake the dust off our Jeep and our boots and settle into the Henry Parkes Comfort Inn for the night. Since there are few restaurants in town we dine in and hit the bed early after a long day in the car.Next morning there is still no need to fill up with the 51-litre fuel tank just over half full, so we head up the dirt road behind Bald Rock to Stanthorpe for breakfast and some wine tasting.We stock up at the Wine Centre and Heritage Estate with local produce, wine, some cheese and Italian sausage, then turn off the New England Highway at the road into Maryland. We get a little lost threading through farmland and across cattle grids, but somehow find our way through to Killarney, putting the last of the dirt and dust behind us.Back on tarmac we try to engage cruise control but it has stopped working. Could be dust-affected. Winding up the mountain toward Queen Mary Falls, the Jeep lurches around the corners that cut into the cliff and dangerously overhang the yawning canyon below.Compass comes with rollover mitigation, so we put our minds at rest and continue up and over, stopping for photographs at the top and gingerly pick our way down the narrow descent.With a quick detour to sample and buy some more wine at Kooroomba Winery near Mt Alford, we stop for lunch at the Dugandan Hotel; typical, wholesome pub fare.It's highway all the way back to Brisbane and we roll into our garage a little road weary from the droning cabin, but the Jeep still has enough fuel for Monday's commute. After about 700km with a variety of hard and easy driving styles, the frugal diesel Jeep has yielded about 7.5L/100km, compared with the claimed 6.5.Occasionally you have to take your compact SUV out of its city comfort zone and add some grime and dust to the exterior. Jeep Compass is just the vehicle for the task.

Chrysler will axe four models next year in a global cost-cutting plan.The vehicles to go include the Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible, Chrysler Crossfire sportscar, Chrysler Pacifica SUV and the Dodge Magnum (a wagon version of the 300C sedan).Australia only imports the PT Cruiser convertible and Crossfire.DaimlerChrysler Australia/Pacific PR manager Jerry Stamoulis emphasised that the PT Cruiser sedan would remain and that the cabrio was “only low volume; about 10 a month”.However, he admitted the loss of the Crossfire would be a blow.“Crossfire is the biggest blow for us because it's a very attractive car, drives well and had a positive response from media and public,” he said. “But as yet we have received no date as such for these to be cut.”While cutting its cloth to fit a suspected worsening in the US economic climate, Chrysler will next year add four models.There will be two new Dodges — the Journey minivan and Challenger large-medium sedan — plus two new hybrid SUV models — the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango.Stamoulis said the Challenger was in left-hand drive only.“So that is not a plan at all at this stage,” he said.“It is early days for discussing the hybrids. They are developing the hybrids for the US, but there are no specific dates for us as yet.“The Dodge Journey we are working on bringing to Australia in 2008, but they have not officially said whether it will be released here.“At this stage it is looking likely for later in 2008.”Stamoulis said Chrysler's Australian portfolio would not suffer from the loss of two models.“It's not as if we don't have a decent portfolio,” he said.“We've had five new models this year — the Sebring, Avenger, Compass, Patriot and Nitro — and the sixth will be Sebring Cabrio in December, so essentially we've brought in six new cars this year and are losing two in the next 18 months.”Chrysler Australia will also re-introduce the new Voyager and launch the Jeep Cherokee in February.Global Chrysler chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli said the impending model cuts reflected an expected reduction in sales next year.The new round of cutbacks follows an earlier announcement that Chrysler planned to chop 85,000 units from its fourth-quarter production plans.“These actions reflect our new customer-driven philosophy and allow us to focus our resources on new, more profitable and appealing products,” he said.The cuts will lead to a loss of 12,000 jobs in American factories.Nardelli said their plans were in addition to cutting 13,000 jobs by the three-year Recovery and Transformation Plan announced in February.

Rolls is boosting its manufacturing capacity and adding a new model. The BMW-owned marque has announced development plans for its Goodwood headquarters and manufacturing facility in the UK to cope with a new Phantom coupe, a production version of the 101EX two-door, four-seat experimental car.The purpose-built plant will add a second assembly line, with the two running simultaneously and some areas 24hoursa day.One will produce the existing Phantom models and the other will build the new model series. A second working shift will be introduced in 2009.The wood and leather shops also will expand, allowing for installation of new equipment including an automated wood-lacquering system.Manufacturing capacity will also be increased to keep pace with demand for Phantoms. The company sold 22percent more cars by the end of September compared with the same period last year. Forward orders for the four-door models stretch well into 2008, with the Extended Wheelbase model accounting for a quarter of all Phantom four-door sales in 2007.Orders for the new Phantom Drophead Coupe extend right through next year. Rolls-Royce sold 805 cars last year in more than 50 countries, the highest number for 16 years.It was the third successive year of growth for the company. Meanwhile, Bentley board member Stuart McCullough said at the recent Tokyo Motor Show that booming sales could force the company to expand.“In four years our volume has grown from 1000 to 10,000 cars,” he said. “The current volume is closer to where we want it to be, but we may have to change the way we produce cars.“But we won't make those changes until we are certain the volumes are safe. We're reluctant to push too many cars into the marketplace and cheapen the product.”

For the first time, Toyota has outsold the combined totals of its two main competitors with a record 20,212 sales last month compared with Holden's 11,415 and Ford's 8206.Yet Holden's Commodore remains the top-selling vehicle with 4440 sales last month and 49,081 so far this year, up 5.8 per cent on last year.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries figures show a whopping 89,289 vehicles were sold in October, or more than 3307 a day, up 6.9 per cent on September and 11.7 per cent on the previous October. So far this year, 871,651 vehicles have been sold, up 8.6 per cent or 69,345 vehicles on the same time last year.The chamber said the sales rate was on target to hit 1,046,000 for the year. It would be the first time more than a million vehicles a year had been sold.Passenger vehicle sales were up 2804 or 5.5 per cent over the same month last year and sports utility vehicles were up 3827 (27.5 per cent).But the biggest growth was in work vehicles, with light trucks up 1877 or 14.8 per cent and heavy commercial vehicles up 851 (30.2 per cent).So far this year, Toyota has lifted its market share to 22.4 per cent compared with 21.9 per cent at the same time last year. Toyota's 10-month sales total of 195,078 vehicles this year is more than 19,000 higher than for the same period in 2006.The boost in sales comes as Toyota has launched its 20 Series LandCruiser into the large SUV sector which is struggling against a 22 per cent downturn in sales.As vehicle sales head for a record one million, the motorcycle market is also on course to grow for the fifth consecutive year.FCAI figures show 91,663 motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were sold to the end of September, a 10 per cent increase over the same period last year.Road bike sales to September were 20.8 per cent higher.FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said scooters and cruisers were contributing strongly.The highest-selling cruiser to September was Harley-Davidson's FLSTF Fat Boy, with 722 sold.In the Road Bike segment, Honda leads the market with 7171, followed by Harley-Davidson with 5102 and Suzuki with 4938.Yamaha, with 11,388, leads the Off-Road segment ahead of Honda (10,177) and Suzuki (4467). ATV sales increased 9.2 per cent to September with Honda as market leader (4284) ahead of Yamaha (3954) and Suzuki (2376).Bolwell leads the scooter market with 1724 ahead of Yamaha with 1322 and VMoto with 1107.The combined motorcycle market is on track to again to break sales records this year.The FCAI predicts unit sales to exceed 130,000 for the first time on the back of a traditionally forecast seasonal sales spike in the fourth quarter.Meet the new LandCruiser in Saturday's Carsguide.

Hoons and street racers with hotted-up cars will stand no chance of making a clean getaway from the super cop car known as the Caparo Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV).The RRV is a British-built sports car concept, which looks just like a Formula One car; the only difference being this one is made for the road as well as the track.Caparo claims the RRV would have a top speed beyond 300km/h, with such aerodynamic down-force that it could even travel through a tunnel upside down; a great feature for high-speed chases.The RRV is powered by a 428kW, 3.5-litre, V8 engine and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.5sec and 0-160km/h in just five seconds. It has a top speed of 320km/h.Remember the old-fashioned adjustable front and rear wings? The creators of the RRV have added similar technology to aid in aerodynamics.The RRV is just a concept model at present, developed by Mclaren F1 engineers and British supercar manufacturer Caparo. But if it ever hits the streets, speed hogs will be busy watching their rear-view mirrors for future cops' fast-approaching headlights. 

BMW's baby could be going racing. As the powerful new 135i with a 225kW/400Nm 3-litre, bi-turbo inline six is due to reach Australia next year.

This month GM released the Hummer H3 and now Gympie-based right-hand-drive conversion company Performax International is unleashing two massive Yank utes.The first fully complianced 2008 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra utes have arrived with 4.5 tonne towing capacity.Performax International recently achieved Australian Design Rule compliance for the United States-built Silverado after completing design, engineering and conversion work in-house at its Gympie factory.The main model offered will be the Silverado 2500HD crew-cab four-wheel drive, priced at $123,000 plus on-road costs with a four-year/120,000km warranty and four-year roadside assistance. Other models from the extensive Silverado and sister GMC Sierra range are available on order.The 2500HD features crew-cab pick-up bodywork, GM Duramax 6.6 litre V8 turbodiesel power, Allison six-speed automatic transmission with high and low ranges and dashboard-selected four-wheel-drive engagement.Peak engine outputs are 272kW at 3200rpm and 895Nm of torque at 1600rpm.The Allison Adaptive Shift Control gearbox with manual over-ride includes a tow/haul mode, which alters shift patterns to maximise engine efficiency in pulling and braking. Tow/Haul mode also engages grade braking, which selects a lower gear to assist hill descents even when cruise control is operating.Performax International general manager Nick Vandenberg says the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is the answer for many heavy-duty and long-distance haulers in Australia.“The 2008 Silverado is a big step forward in performance, refinement, styling and comfort for this type of ute,” Vandenberg said. “With towing capacity at 4.5 tonnes, it's the big ute many people have been waiting for."“We had orders for almost 20 even before the ADR compliance process was completed and now we expect many more from both recreational and business buyers.“There is no other new vehicle like it on the Australian market, especially at a price within the range of many less capable 4WD wagons."“The new exterior and interior styling looks great and the cabin provides real comfort, with a spacious rear bench for three large adults, leather upholstery and the comfort and safety items usually found on passenger cars.”Performax International, formerly Corvette Queensland, has been importing and converting American cars for almost 20 years, developing an unequalled reputation for the quality of its engineering work and customer service.It employs more than 40 people and produces about 200 vehicles a year for Australian roads. 

The trend comes because smoking while driving is now considered not only a health issue, but also a dangerous driver distraction in some countries where bans are now in place.Many car manufacturers have already converted cigarette lighters to power outlets for satellite navigation systems and mobile phone chargers, leaving smoking motorists to pay for a lighter as an optional extra.Ashtrays are also on the way out, often appearing as cup-sized receptacles that can be removed, leaving a bottle holder in its place.Even the new workman's ute from Holden is a smoke-free environment with neither a cigarette lighter nor ashtray.The phasing out of cigarette lighters and ashtrays is expected to pick up pace as rules tighten around the world on smoking while driving.Since the introduction of Queensland's smokefree workplaces in 2002, there has been a ban on smoking in work vehicles when more than one person is present.In July, Health Minister Stephen Robertson foreshadowed a prohibition on smoking in cars carrying children during the review of tobacco legislation expected to start soon.But Queensland is not alone in a clamp down on smoke-driving.Earlier this month, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill to come into effect in January banning anyone smoking in a car with a person under the age of 18 present. The fine is $US200.Cyprus and three other US states have similar bans, while several countries including Ireland and South Africa plan to introduce the smokefree cars with children reform.South Australia implemented a ban on smoke-driving while children are present in May and since then, police have issued 29 on-the-spot fines and 11 cautions.Tasmania will introduce the ban in January and NSW has flagged smokefree cars carrying children as the next area of reform. But the issue is not just a matter of health.Last month, the new UK Highway Code declared offenders could be charged with driving without due care and attention and New Delhi has a total ban on smoking while driving as a road safety driver-distraction issue.The latest UK crackdown has been reflected in a recent survey which revealed that 75 per cent of people would now buy a car without an ashtray.The RACQ supports a ban on smoking when there are children in a car, but does not yet support a total ban while driving as a road safety issue as in the UK and New Delhi.“The passive smoking issue is a valid concern,” said spokesman Jim Kershaw. “It would be a different matter to make a case on driver distraction. It's probably no more distracting than fiddling with the radio or other actions that are legal.“Using hands-free mobiles while driving would probably be more distracting than lighting a cigarette.“I think we would not single out smoking while driving as a safety issue at this stage unless we see evidence to the contrary.”A UK insurance company survey found more than 3 million motorists have had accidents, near misses or lapses in concentration as a result of in-car smoking distractions.It also found 80 per cent took their hands off the wheel to light up, 46 per cent had dropped a cigarette in the car and 26 per cent had taken their eyes off the road to retrieve it.Do you agree with the phasing out of cigarette lighters in new cars?