Articles by Matt Brogan

Audi has supported Sydney Film Festival by supplying red carpet delivery vehicles. And now they’re going from the carpet to the cinema with sponsorship of four major festivals. Audi will in future be behind the Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival,  Brisbane International Film Festival and the Australian Festival of German Film. “Audi has supported the Sydney Film Festival with red carpet vehicles since 2008, however this year marks the first year of our new major partner status,” Audi Australia managing director Uwe Hagen said in announcing the sponsorships. “The community support is excellent. It’s festival that really brings people together in the city of Sydney.” “For our customers, film is high on the list of leisure activities. It can be intelligent and engaging, can challenge, provoke or educate, or simply provide fantastic escapism – in its many forms, film is diverse and entertaining – and generally a great addiction to our cultural sponsoring strategy.”  

TAC has released their latest ‘hard-hitting’ drug driving campaign aimed at getting drivers to straighten up The campaign uses eye-bending images and visual trickery – think the mobius strip by visual artist M C Escher – to represent the impairments caused by cannabis use. Clearly, the campaign exaggerates the effect such a drug would have on a driver. But, what can we say, it’s aesthetically pleasing and manages to warp even our sober minds.  

Bright Lights plates can add some colour front and back. The new range of number plates was launched this week, with some help from grafitti artists to lend even more colour to the idea. The street artists spray-painted their own personalised number plate inspiration, combining all colours of the spray can palette. But the Bright Lights range is a simpler approach with seven bright colours – each on a black background; moulin rouge (red to us), midnight jazz (AKA purple), blue lagoon, hot flamingo, venetian green, casino sunrise and gold rush. Bright Lights “marks the beginning of a new era in personalised number plates and we are delighted to be able to offer such a vibrant range to NSW drivers,” myPlates CEO Daryl Head says. “The evolution of personalised number plates in NSW has transformed the way drivers express themselves on the road. We look forward to offering NSW drivers many more opportunities to express themselves in the coming months.” The new plates are available now, so if you fancy a splash of flamboyancy, go for it.  We just pray for no green plates on yellow cars, or vice versa.  

Car vs bike...it’s a war that’s divided mates for decades – what’s the best number of wheels: two or four? This weird crossover vehicle, the HSV R2, will cause a stir in car and bike circles alike. While the arguments over the supreme ride bluster on, a student at MIT has been developing a Frankenstein of a machine – albeit much easier on the eye – to bring two- and four-wheel lovers together. It’s called the HSV R2 and it’s got a lot of people very excited. Designed by design engineering student Michael Gray, this car and sports motorcycle crossover brings together the best aspects of both vehicles. Running on four wheels, this super lightweight buggy has space for one passenger sitting behind the driver as you would on a bike. Unlike a bike, there’s an attachable roof so you can both shelter from the rain when required. You also get rollover protection from the safety cell structure should you take that corner a little too fast. As with many younger designers, Michael has taken environmental impact into consideration. Only using new materials where absolutely necessary, the HSV R2 would avoid the reckless fade of overconsumption of available materials. Predictably, it would run on an electric engine – nothing awe-inspiring there, but there’s a clever twist. For the first time an infinite driving range is said to be possible with the use of interchangeable battery packs that could potentially be swapped over when flat at e-service stations. Entered into this year’s international James Dyson Award, the HSV R2 highlights the creative growth in Australian design engineers – not to mention that if this concept was to win the award it would make three Aussie winners in as many years. And you never know, a win for the HSV R2 and we could be seeing something similar on our roads some time in the future. That means the car versus bike battle would be over. There’s just one problem – what's left for you and your mate to argue over then?  

Budding golfers hit a hole in one at the recent annual AHG Rocky Bay Golf Day at Joondalup Country Club. Over 120 business men and woman raised an astonishing $152,000 for children with disabilities in Western Australia. Entry fees, auctions, silent auctions, pro golf drives and raffles drove donations from generous players – and for that we’ll excuse the questionable golf attire that was on display. Among the bunker-filled madness there were surprising flashes of talent – but Tiger Woods doesn’t need to worry about new challengers any time soon. Calamity aside, the AHG Corporate Golf Day has proved to be a huge success since its birth in 2004, raising about $1.2 million over the years. Michael Tate said the idea behind the fundraising even came about when the organisation needed some cars. “At the time, Rocky Bay required vehicles for their use and for use by their clients, and also for a raffle they were running at shopping centres in Perth. AHG helped provide the vehicles. According to Rocky Bay, funding was pretty tight for NFPs in WA so Rocky Bay and AHG got together to brainstorm how this could be addressed. The result was a fun corporate activity around golf that would aid Rocky Bay clients.” Rocky Bay will now use the generous donation to help over 1,000 children and 500 adults with disabilities in Western Australia.  Who needs the PGA when amateurs show that kind of performance?  

TomTom choose Wallace and Gromit to provide the latest voice for their satellite navigation. Or, at least Wallace. We all know that in the famed Aardman animations, Gromit doesn’t speak – he just looks worried at every move Wallace ever makes. So if Wallace’s directions lead you up a blind alley, you can imagine Gromit will be in the background, silently shaking his head in quiet despair. We’d like to imagine TomTom approached the wise and inventive Gromit first, but were probably hampered by his lack of voice and so had to settle for his hapless human sidekick. On the other hand, having had to put up with the nasal computerised tones of most satnav voices, we reckon we’d prefer Gromit. It probably takes a brave person – or dedicated fan – to trust Wallace for advice or directions. But if you’re after an interesting car trip that will entertain the kids, Wallace is your man. Be warned, Wallace tends to waffle on, but he’s far from boring. And since avoiding boredom is the main target when the bubs are in the car – especially since research show Aussie kids are the world’s most bored – who cares where you end up, as long as the back seat is happy. Wallace will join TomTom’s team of other celebrity voices, including Homer Simpson, Bugs Bunny and Pepe le Pew.  

It’s faster, sharper and far more menacing than any other Mercedes-Benz we’ve seen in a long time – and we love it. This newly released video from Mercedes-Benz shows the C63 AMG Black Series in all its sinister glory, superbly shot in moody black and white. The Black Series is outright scary – in a good way. 

Audi showcased three Q3-themed cars and a high-end sports e-bike - all aimed at the adventurous-types.The three SUV-based highlights of the Audi stage are the Red Track, Jinlong Yufeng and the RS Q3.The Audi Q3 Red Track is aimed at winter-sport enthusiasts. Built to endure harsh conditions, it features a powerful turbocharged five-cylinder 2.5-litre TFSI engine that develops 250kW and 450Nm.It gets the expected roof-rackery kit for ski and snowboards, but also features a set of roof-mounted lights – perhaps for a spot of après-ski snow bunny hunting.The Jinlong Yufeng – which apparently translates to Golden Dragon in the Wind, although nobody has explained why  -- targets beachgoers and surfers. Gleaming with yellow paint and interior that could rival the sun’s UV power for retinal damage, it carries a 2.5 litre TFSI engine with an output of 228kW.The RS Q3 concept is the powerhouse of the trio. Also equipped with 2.5 litre TFSI engine, it boasts a higher output of 265kW and broadcasts a sportier feel with a lowered stance, flared wheel arches and sharp bodykit.And for two-wheel fans, there’s the Audi e-bike. The electric pedal number – or pedelec – is designed expressly designed for show-offs, with some stunt trickery among its technical abilities.It weighs in at 21kg, which is a tank if you’re thinking Tour de France, but light for a powered bike (considering it carries a 5kg battery).Riders can use ‘Pure’ mode for normal peddle-power riding. ‘Pedelec’ mode utilises the electric engine, allowing a top speed of 80km/h. An ‘eGrip’ setting can also be applied to allow a twist-grip function for controlling speeds, allowing a maximum speed of 50km/h.But the ‘Wheelie’ mode is the one we want to try – and which might be the only way we’ll ever pass as a professional stunt biker. An electric balancing system assists riders when cruising along on just the back wheel. Leaning back or forward controls the speed while the bike’s computer manages the angle of the wheelie – allowing for seemingly effortless displays of posing. 

Only your truly resourceful hillbilly could come up with something this brilliant.  Faced with a two-man saw and no mates to swing on the other end, here’s a quick-fix answer.  It’s called the one-man-two-man saw and it’s a gem. Who said hillbillies were lazy no-hopers?  

The continuously variable transmission will be offered on the Outback 2.0 from the first quarter of 2013. And it’s likely the Forester will also get one, but not until the next generation. It’s likely to be welcomed with open arms – and now closed hands – by those who prefer not to shift for themselves, Subaru says.  Subaru has had overseas engineers working with local ones to tweak the transmission for local conditions. Subaru managing director Nick Senior says the carmaker knows Aussie buyers are keen for automatics on diesel vehicles. “We know there’s massive pent up demand for auto diesels, particularly in rural and regional areas, so it’s a great opportunity for us to meet the needs of those customers,” Senior says. “Diesel Foresters and Outbacks represent up to 20 per cent of sales of those models, so the addition of the diesel auto Outback for Model Year 2013 is significant news for Subaru. “The CVT transmissions in our petrol cars are a huge hit, typified by new XV and Impreza, so we can only see good things for Outback auto diesel.” Having said that, Subaru admits they want one on the Forester as well but says it is in the future. “We want to get an automatic in the Forester as soon as we possibly can, but it will not be in the current generation,” Subaru spokesman David Rowley says. “The current Forester will be superseded early next year and we’re discussing with (Subaru parent) Fuji Heavy Industries as to when the CVT diesel will be available to go into that. We don’t have that fine timing yet but are very keen to see it in the Forester.” Rowley says Subaru can expect to see a sales jump in both Outback and Forester when their automatics arrive. “The lack of an automatic is the only thing holding those sales back,” he says. “We’ll be able to grow those substantially with the auto available – and it will be genuine growth in both ranges (rather than people simply moving across from the manual versions). In the compact SUV segment in which both Outback and Forester sit, the automatic will give them firepower against similarly equipped Hyundai ix35, but Subaru could also go hunting Europeans such as the Skoda Yeti and Mini Countryman. “It’s fair to say we can see some conquest sales,” Rowley says. Subaru will announce the Outback 2.0’s full specifications and price-tag closer to launch.