Articles by Matthew Hatton

Paddle shifters, improved steering and new colours added to VF Commodore lineup.Holden have refreshed the VF Commodore lineup for 2015, just 17 months after the last Australian-built big Holden arrived in showrooms.The changes are largely centred around the sporty SV6, SS, SS V and SS V Redline models, although there are some improvements making their way into the entire range.Holden has tweaked the VF’s power steering system across all models, with three model-specific setups aimed at improving on-centre feel and precision.Evoke, Calais, Calais V, Caprice V use a comfort-focused Touring setup; while SV6, SS, SS V get a sharper Sport tune; and SS V Redline models benefit from dynamically focused Sport and Competitive calibration.Updated SS V redline models can be identified by new gloss-black 19-inch split-spoke alloys, and automatic Redlines models now come with steering wheel mounted paddle-shifters.Early in 2015 the SS V Redline customers will also be able to opt for a black roof.Two new colours have been added to the palette. Some Like It Hot Red will be available (at a $550 premium) across the entire range while metallic Jungle Green will be available on SV6, SS, SS V and SS Redlines.Safety has also been improved across all the VF variants with ISOFIX anchorage points for all three rear-seats across the whole range.The knee airbag fitted to US-market Chevrolet SS versions of the Commodore is still absent from the spec sheet however.SV6 and Calais buyers will now receive a standard full-size alloy spare wheel intead of a tyre sealant and air compressor kit.On the engine front, the LPG option for the SV6 model has been removed, although it will remain available as an option for both the Evoke and Calais V.The entry Caprice model has also been dropped, with Holden consolidating the long-wheelbase flagship down to the single Caprice V trim level. The Caprice V will now be available with the petrol V6 or V8.

Future five-door Audi TT hinted with Sportback Paris concept.Audi is showcasing a new 5-door TT Sportback concept at this week’s Paris motor show, suggesting a possible new direction for the iconic model.If green-lit for production, a TT Sportback would be the first TT to come with more than two-doors in the model’s 16-year, three-generation history.For now, the TT Sportback concept builds on the current third-generation hardtop’s design, but with an elongated body, extra pair of doors and a unique rear end with more angular detailing.The front end is closer to the existing TT and TTS models, but with a unique bumper design and it rolls on unique 21 inch alloys.The interior is also largely unchanged from the TT coupe, save for a more spacious 2+2 seating arrangement. Audi says the TT Sportback concept will hold four people comfortably, although the sloping roofline suggests the rear occupants wouldn’t want to be too tall.The TT Sportback concept’s longer body is matched by a 120mm wheelbase extension, bringing it in line with the TT’s A3 Sportback and sedan platform cousins.The TT Sportback concept's 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine has been uprated to produce 294kW and 450Nm, placing it in the realm of the 309kW TT quattro sport concept shown in Geneva earlier this year. The most powerful TT currently in production is the (European-spec) 228kW TTS.The Sportback's power is put to the ground through all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic automatic transmission, with a claimed fuel consumption of 7.0L/100km.

Anonymous internet hoons Tax The Rich mow the lawn with a Rolls-Royce Wraith.The last time we heard from Tax the Rich, they were setting a Jag XJ220 on fire.  Now they've graced the internet once again with a video of a $645,000 Rolls Royce Wraith being taken...well...out of its comfort zone.If you’ve ever wondered how Rolls’ latest mega coupe would handle a hay bale slalom over the manicured lawns of an English country estate, wonder no more thanks to Tax The Rich.In spite of how well the Roller appears to handle this most unusual of assignments, it is quite unlikely we'll be seeing it line up in Coffs Harbour for Rally Australia next year. Which is unfortunate as that would be quite the spectacle.For the uninitiated, Tax the Rich are rather fond of taking supercars out of their smooth-bitumen native environs and thrashing them around their farm.Along with trying to set it on fire Tax the Rich have taken the XJ220 on a traipse through the countryside, played tug-of-war with a pair of Ferrari F50s, spent a wet afternoon going sideways in an Enzo as well as giving us a taste of what the Ferrari 288 GTO would have been like had Group B rallying not been killed off.

Fiat announces track-bred Abarth 695 Biposto superhatch for Australia.Abarth's fastest and most extreme performance model to date is coming to Australia.First revealed at the Geneva motor show in March, the Abarth 695 Biposto is in essence the road-going equivalent of the 695 Assetto Corse racer driven at the Bathurst 12 Hour in February by CarsGuide's own Joshua Dowling and Paul Gover.With a name that literally translates to two-seater, the 695 Biposto does gain an extra pew over the Dowling/Gover machines, but shuns the regular road Abarth four-seat layout in the name of weight reduction.The Biposto's tuned 1.4-litre turbocharged engine throws out 140kW and 250Nm – up from the 118kW/230Nm of the existing 595 models. The 0-100km/h time also drops from 7.4 seconds down to a claimed 5.9. This performance boost comes with a trade-off, as fuel consumption has jumped by 1.1L/100km to 6.5 combined over manual 595 models.While the idea of the hottest Abarth ever might have you chomping at the bit, a list price of $65,000 will quickly bring you back to reality.At this price, the Biposto is nearly double the price of the $33,500 595 Turismo and the $36,500 Competizione manual hardtops. It is however in the ballpark of Abarth's previous limited edition models, the $69,990 695 Tributo Ferrari from 2012 and 2013's $60,000 695 Edizione Maserati.An investment in the 695 Biposto does get you a performance car that oozes racing pedigree.In addition to a pretty serious cabin reinforcement structure behind the seats; Brembo brakes, Poggipolini rear roll bar, 18-inch OZ wheels, Akrapovic exhaust, BMC intercooler, Sabelt four-point seatbelts and Extreme Shoks suspension bring a high-performance motorsport flavour to the street-legal production car. The Biposto even has a data logger.You do get some more expected features of a road-going car as well with the Biposto having ABS and stability control.On the outside, the 695 Biposto an aluminium bonnet, fixed door windows with polycarbonate sliding openings, and lightweight 18-inch OZ wheels.Inside, the remaining seats are now carbon fibre with matching dash inserts, and front and rear panels. Titanium is also featured in the door handles, hub caps, wheel bolts and fuel cap.The 695 Biposto is being produced in limited numbers, and is available from Abarth dealers on a per order basis.

Plug-in hybrid Outlander claims class victory and 19th outright in 2014 Australasian Safari desert rally.Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia's Outlander PHEV completed the Australasian Safari desert rally on Saturday after making it through eight days of competition in the Western Australian outback.The team say this is the first time a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) has finished an Australian motorsport event.The Outlander PHEV - driven by first-time Safari competitors Steve Glenney and Bernie Webb - took top honours in its Hybrid and Dual Fuel Vehicle class and crossed the finish line in Kalbarri 19th outright.The Outlander performed strongly in the opening stages of the rally. After starting 15th following the prologue, the PHEV found itself in 9th outright at the conclusion of Leg 4.Unfortunately, their service truck suffered five – yes five - flat tyres on its transport stage to the bivouac in Exmouth resulting in the team having a troubled Leg 5. A collision during Leg 6 also severely damaged the PHEV’s front suspension and a front driveshaft.However, after an overnight repair the PHEV recorded the second fastest time outright in the final stage into Kalbarri, to soften the blow of the previous two days.Steve Glenney was impressed with the PHEV's performance during the Safari, saying the event was more difficult than he originally thought."It’s hard to appreciate just how difficult and punishing the Australasian Safari is until you’ve experienced it first hand – it’s an epic event," he said."To put it into perspective, one leg of the Safari is equivalent to kilometres travelled in a weekend-long Australian Rally Championship event, so we’ve effectively done six rounds of the ARC in one week."As is common in motorsport, the data gathered from the Outlander PHEV's Safari expedition will be taken back to the factory and used to further develop Mitsubishi's road cars.

Di Lallo, Pedersen lead production class as Garland returns to Australasian Safari rally.Western Australia's own Adrian Di Lallo and Roger Pedersen have continued their strong performance in the Australasian Safari, maintaining their fifth outright and class leading positions after the fifth leg of the desert rally.The pair's production-class Isuzu MU-X leads the way for the Isuzu Motorsports effort with teammates OLan Sornsirirat and Veerachai Thorangkoon still second in class in their production-class D-MAX, and seventh outright.Di Lallo and Pedersen's day was not without incident however."We damaged a drive component on the rough terrain and I had to complete the second stage today in two-wheel drive," Di Lallo said."I’m surprised with the times and happy we did so well, considering what we went through."Roger Pedersen was especially cheerful in the bivouac having earned the highest of praise from his co-driver."For the second day in a row I didn’t get us lost, so the big fella bought me an ice cream!" he said.Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki made a return to the Safari after having to miss leg four in order to continue repairs on their Dakar-spec D-MAX from an electrical problem incurred during leg three.Garland said he and Suzuki were now concentrating on supporting their teammates and just making it through to the end of the rally."I’m really proud of Adrian and Roj, and the other guys," he said."They are doing a fantastic job. Four of our five Isuzus still running and in contention for a strong finish. Just wish it was five out of five. "We’ll be doing our best to support them through to the end."Just two days remain in the 2014 Australasian Safari rally, with the field spending the penultimate day travelling south from Exmouth to Carnarvon.On the way are three competitive stages - 102km at Cardabia, 142km at Gnaraloo and 72km at Quobba - before the rally comes to its conclusion in Kalbarri on Saturday.

MU-X of Di Lallo heads Isuzu Australasian Safari charge after Garland misses stages.Adrian Di Lallo and Roger Pedersen took over as the front-running Isuzu Motorsports entry in the Australasian Safari yesterday after Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki were unable to rectify the electrical issues in their D-MAX from Tuesday.Garland said he was disappointed to lose out on a chance of another victory in the Safari but the car would be ready to go for leg five to run in support of his teammates."It turned out to be an electrical issue that affected the engine timing, which is why it cut out," he said."However it is now definitely up and running and we’re planning on a start tomorrow and – all going well – crossing the finish line of this great event on Saturday."Di Lallo and Pedersen's production-class MU-X moved up into fifth outright and maintain their position as class leader.OLan Sornsirirat and Veerachai Thorangkoon in the Isuzu Motorsports Thailand production-class D-MAX had a good day, holding down second in their class behind Di Lallo and moving up into seventh outright.The Safari stays around the coastal town of Exmouth for day 6 with two stages taking place. The first is a 161km run near Yanrey and the second a 209km stage at Emu Creek/Winning, sections of which are a repeat of yesterday's stage due to course changes.

Garland, Di Lallo hit trouble in leg 3 of Australasian Safari.Isuzu Motorsports had a troubled run during the third leg of the Australasian Safari desert rally, with the podium contending D-MAX of Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki grinding to a halt during the day's first stage.Garland said the D-MAX was performing well when the high-performance vehicle suddenly lost power."We were going gangbusters, but not driving overly hard, when the D-MAX just came to a halt," he said."It was like someone had turned off the ignition. Harry and I crawled all over it, but despite the fact we are pretty good bush mechanics there was nothing we could do. We had to get towed in."Isuzu teammates Adrian Di Lallo and Roger Pedersen also encountered problems during the day's tough stages, with their production-class MU-X suffering damage from hitting a creek too quickly and rolling.The accident removed all the communications and GPS monitoring equipment, with Roger Pedersen saying the racing gods were smiling on them."In hindsight, it was probably to our advantage that we lost the terratrip and communications because it made us back off a bit," he said."The car is going great, considering what we put her through. There’s really not much work to do on it tonight."With Garland and Suzuki not completing the day, Di Lallo and Pedersen now find themselves in sixth outright, although they are now over an hour from the race leading Holden VF of Steve Riley and John Doble.Isuzu Motorsports Thailand's entry of a production-class D-MAX driven by OLan Sornsirirat and Veerachai Thorangkoon managed to steer clear of all the trouble and finished the day in 11th outright, 2.5 hours behind class leader Di Lallo.Wednesday's stages will see the field leave Gascoyne Junction and head towards the coastal town of Exmouth. On the way are two competitive stages: 212km at Williambury and 108km at Winning.

Infiniti adds price-leading 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol variants to Australian Q50 lineup.Just eight months after the Infiniti Q50 first arrived in Australia, the Japanese luxury brand has introduced new 2.0-litre petrol price-leading versions of the mid-size sedan.Available in the same GT, S, and S Premium trim levels as the existing turbodiesel and hybrid Q50 variants, the new Q50 2.0-litre models undercut the existing turbodiesel models by $1000 across all grades, resulting in a new Q50 entry price of $50,900 for the GT 2.0t.Each trim level offers the same rage of entertainment, safety and design features available with the 2.2d and Hybrid models.Infiniti expects the new 2.0t to make up around 60 per cent of Q50 sales, following current segment trends that also see 30 percent of buyers opting for turbodiesel, and 10 per cent buying hybrid variants.  The new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is sourced from Mercedes-Benz, where it recently made its debut under the bonnet of C200 and C250 versions of the new W205 C-Class.In Infiniti guise, the 2.0t produces 155kW and 350Nm, which is slightly more power and slightly less torque than the 125kW/400Nm 2.2d turbodiesel and significantly less than the 268kW/546Nm Q50 Hybrid.As with the current Q50 models, the new model comes with an automatic transmission. The Q50 2.0t shares the same seven-speed torque converter transmission as the 2.2d turbodiesel, which puts the power out through the rear wheels. The Hybrid is available with a dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.In terms of fuel economy, the new Q50 2.0t’s 7.3L/100km combined figure is the most thirsty of the Q50s. However, the 2.0t is only marginally behind the 6.8L/100km Q50 Hybrid in rear wheel drive S trim (7.2L/100km AWD), with the 5.2L/100km 2.2d turbodiesel maintaining top honours.

Toyota adds new automatic version of the diesel SR 4WD dual-cab chassis to suit mining and trade buyers.The top-selling Toyota HiLux has added a 23rd variant to its Australian lineup with the inclusion of a new automatic version of the diesel-only SR 4WD dual-cab chassis.The four-wheel drive HiLux SR dual-cab was previously only available with the five-speed manual transmission, but Toyota has responded to demand from the lucrative mining sector and trade buyers for an automatic variant. Such demands have already brought us a dual-cab version of the classic (in-text) 70 Series LandCruiser ute, along with the (in-text) specifically tailored Ranger XL Plus from Ford.Cab-chassis flexibility allows for custom fit-outs for the rear of the vehicle for tradespeople who find the tub-style tray restrictive.Coupled with the auto, the SR’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine develops the same 126kW and 360Nm as other HiLux diesels, and returns a 8.7L/100km combined fuel figure – 0.4L/100km more than the manual.A $43,740 list price sits $2750 higher than the manual, and the five-seat SR Double Cab comes equipped with a 6.1-inch multimedia screen with Bluetooth connectivity and multifunction steering wheel.Toyota adds new automatic version of the diesel SR 4WD dual-cab chassis to suit mining and trade buyers.The top-selling Toyota HiLux has added a 23rd variant to its Australian lineup with the inclusion of a new automatic version of the diesel SR 4WD dual-cab chassis.The four-wheel drive HiLux SR dual-cab was previously only available with the five-speed manual transmission, but Toyota has responded to demand from the lucrative mining sector and trade buyers for an automatic variant. Such demands have already brought us a dual-cab version of the classic 70 Series LandCruiser ute, along with the specifically tailored Ranger XL Plus from Ford.Cab-chassis flexibility allows for custom fit-outs for the rear of the vehicle for tradespeople who find the tub-style tray restrictive.Coupled with the auto, the SR’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine develops the same 126kW and 360Nm as other HiLux diesels, and returns a 8.7L/100km combined fuel figure – 0.4L/100km more than the manual variant.A $43,740 list price sits $2750 higher than the manual, and the five-seat SR Double Cab comes equipped with a 6.1-inch multimedia screen with Bluetooth connectivity and multifunction steering wheel. 2014 Toyota HiLux 4x4 SR Double Cab chassis auto list price - $43,740