Articles by Neil Dowling

It's been almost 10 years since the last Volkswagen Golf convertible was sold in Australia, and when the new one arrives later this year, it will be only the fourth model made since 1979.VALUEBut it goes on sale in Germany next month at a $8000 premium over the five-door Golf so could get here for $29,990. Compared with the Eos at $46,990, that's a great price and a great package. But it's a little engine and perhaps there'll be more interest in the 1.4 or 2-litre powerplants that better suit the DSG auto transmission and give a bit more oomph.DESIGNIt looks considerably shorter than the Golf hatch, despite sharing the platform and drivetrain. Because of that, it's certainly neat and appealing.Notably, it doesn't share any body panels with the hatch. The roof is a clever design that incorporates lots of hidden slivers of metal to keep it taut and flush against the body and glass.TECHNOLOGYThe engines exist in other current Volkswagen models though there are now two BlueMotion versions that include stop-start, regenerative braking and low-drag tyres to get fuel consumption down to 4.4 litres/100km and emissions of 117g/km CO2 for the 1.6-litre diesel. The rollbar function is taken up by two bars that automatically deploy when the car reaches a predetermined angle. Having two bars means space for an opening from the boot to carry long cargo.SAFETYIt should replicate the Golf's five-star crash rating. Standard kit includes seven airbags, the auto rollbars, electronic stability control plus a host of anti-slip wizardry, and the simple ability to be nimble and stable enough to hopefully avoid a prang in the first place.DRIVINGIt's lithe and predictable, as solid and confident on the bitumen as any quality big car, and is one of the rare automobiles that melds with the driver.The 2-litre petrol is fuss-free and has bulk torque to perfectly suit the DSG auto. It's also smooth and very quiet. The 1.4 TSI is a great engine and Volkswagen has overcome some initial mechanical problems so it's now reliable. More than that, it's just a buzz to drive.It works by using a supercharger to boost the little engine for rapid acceleration. It cuts out at 3500rpm and the turbocharger takes over.But my favourite is the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol, with the manual box. Weaving through the hills around St Tropez, it is such an engaging machine that demands the driver keeps it on the boil - 2500-6000rpm is best - which means shuffling the six-speed box.It is light and that shows up in how responsive it is into and out of a sharp - believe me, St Tropez hill roads are really sharp and very narrow - bends.By comparison, the diesel had superb torque but you feel the weight in the nose that manifests itself as understeer. The 1.2 is almost free of understeer.VERDICTIt may have been a long time returning, but it's welcome back.

Celebrating the centenary of Alfa Romeo, the Zagato-penned TZ3 Stradale is the unmasked Zorro of Italy - except that, to be honest, it's not a pure-bred Italian. Alfa's birthday cake tastes a bit stale after news that the TZ3 is based on a Dodge Viper - now part of the family thanks to the takeover by Fiat (owner of Alfa) of Dodge's parent Chrysler. It's dubbed "the first American Alfa Romeo". Which is probably akin to the first Irish pizza. The TZ3's chassis and drivetrain is borrowed from the Viper over which Zagato has draped a carbon-fibre body that has hints - particularly the abrupt Kamm tail - of previous designs such as the TZ, TZ2 and the track-only, one-off TZ3 Corsa. Alfa will build nine TZ3 Stradale - which means it's street legal - units but expect a high price and suitability only for left-hand drive markets. Apparently the first one has already gone to American collector Eric King and the second and third have been spoken for by customers in Japan and Europe. That makes six for you and your mates. For the money - and we don't know what that is, but can guess - you get the 8.4-litre V10 engine with 400kW and 760Nm and a hot body with two seats. Alfa Romeo says the Stradale differs from the single TZ3 Corsa, which has a Maserati 4.2-litre V8 and six-speed sequential gearbox. The Corsa was commissioned by Alfa Romeo Zagato collector Martin Knapp. The TZ3 Corsa and Stradale have a Kamm tail which claims high aerodynamic efficiency with minimal drag. It has previously been used with Zagato's "Coda Tronca" bodies in testing in the 1960s and realised later with the TZ and TZ2. TZ stands for the initials of tubolare (for the tubular frame) and Zagato. The TZ3 Corsa won the Villa D'Este Design Concept Award in 2010.

Almost 50 years later, Mini has pedalled out its own small bicycle along the same lines as those of Dr Alex Moulton's bike. Mini says the bicycle - which unlike Moulton's highly successful small-wheeled model, folds up to fit in the boot - is expected in dealerships by August and will cost about $800. It gives keen Mini owners the flexibility to park the car and continue by bicycle. When folded, the 11kg bike can be taken free of charge on public transport. Mini claims it's all quality - it's made from high-quality components including eight gears and 20-inch wheels, a teflon-coated chain so there's no oil stains, has a lightweight aluminium frame and has a clever folding mechanism. It can be folded and unfolded in a few seconds with hinges along the crossbar and handlebars. The seat can be retracted and the pedals be folded up. Dr Moulton (91), who still owns an original Mini, designed his bike with front and rear suspension and small wheels. Dunlop came up with high-pressure tyres to reduce rolling resistance. The original Moulton bikes are now collectors items.

GETTING it right in the dirt has rarely been a problem for Jeep - but perfecting its on-road behaviour has been an arduous task. It's also had a tough time as owners and would-be buyers have shunned Jeep for poor quality and poor road holding.Maybe this is the tide turning. Time will tell if the Grand Cherokee's build quality is up to scratch - though the signs are promising - but at least Jeep's biggest and most luxurious 4WD has got it right on the bitumen.The wishy-washy handling of the WJ model (1999-2004) improved considerably with the WK (2005-2010) but even that is no match for the relative precision of the latest WK2 that gets independent suspension for all wheels.Yes, despite wearing a big dress size - it weighs up at 2.2-tonne dry - it's finally confident on the dance floor.Now, with the poise to go with its new Euro-style looks, it delivers it's most potent blow to the opposition - a very attractive price tag.It starts at $45,000 for a 4WD that actually goes off the road and drives really well. At that price, it beats the Japanese hands down.The test car is a 3.6-litre V6 auto Limited priced at $55,000. It gets a heap more gear than the entry-level Laredo but weigh up whether you need the baubles or prefer $10,000 in your wallet.Also, the option list is long, expensive and seductive. You'll get a standard nine-speaker Alpine audio system and hands-free voice and Bluetooth connection, but may yearn for a sat-nav with a 300-gig hard drive.Height-adjustable air suspension is $3250, the same price as the dual sunroof. There's an offroad "adventure pack" with the more grippy Quadra-Drive II drivetrain, skid plates and that deletes the standard 20-inch alloys and replaces them with 18-inch wheels with a wider tyre tread choice.Chiselled lines and narrower side glass combine with more integrated headlight and tail light surfaces for a style that could have come out of Europe. It's also very workable. The doors open wide for easy entry and egress, the extra 135mm of wheelbase translates to more legroom - notably in the rear - and cargo space.Compared with the old model, the dashboard is streets ahead in all areas except the handbrake - taken away from the centre console and now foot operated - and the wipers which are now on the indicator stalk as per Mercedes.The seats feel more comfortable, the driving position more natural and so on. It is a different vehicle than before.The 210kW/347Nm 3.6-litre V6 Pentastar petrol is Jeep's big call but though it's effective, it's not worth hauling out the dancing girls to show it off. But for most buyers, it's a good blend of performance and economy. It'll tow about 2.3-tonne and if you want more, the V8 has a 3.5-tonne rating.Like the Land Rover Terrain Response system, Jeep has a switchable traction system called Selec-Terrain that clicks from road to sand and snow and mud. This awakens 12 vehicle management systems and hones the ability for it to tackle different conditions without calling on the driver's expertise. Or lack thereof.Also, this model gets four-wheel independent suspension; an air suspension option that raises ground clearance from 167mm to 271mm; keyless enter and start; reverse camera; park sensors; and optional auto tailgate.Standard features include electronic stability control, seven airbags, electronic roll mitigation, surface-sensitive ABS on four-wheel disc brakes, all-speed traction control and trailer-sway control.It has a five-star crash rating in the US and won the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's "Top Safety Pick" award for crash test performance.Better connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels completely changes this wagon. It is confident in a straight line - don't laugh, some predecessors were not - and holds a positive line through corners with the driver breaking into a sweat and the passengers screaming.Power delivery is smooth and its progression - mainly restrained by the auto box - is unhurried. You can boot it and be greeted by some lively forward motion and extra noise but really, this is a cruiser.At 110km/h it is quiet and even economical. The 11.4 L/100km claim is about right - I drank 13.2 L/100km in the suburbs. It's pleasing to see Jeep finally - and this took a long time - recognising Australia with a 93.5-litre fuel tank replacing the previous effort's 77.5-litre gnat's bladder.Die-hard off-roaders will still add a sub tank but at least others now can make it between country fuel stops.The Grand Cherokee never missed a beat on test. In the sand its Quadra-Trac II drivetrain worked the power between axles. If you're going to spend more time in the bush, option the Quadra-Drive II system that allocates torque between individual wheels.The electric tailgate is a boon for mothers and shoppers (though the $3250 is exxy, even if Jeep throw in a heated steering wheel) but realistically may be overkill.Class act! This has all the looks of a sharp-edged SUV with all the off-road ability of a Wrangler. Even quality has made a big leap - but then, it had to - to make a good allround 4WD at a very attractive price.

More than 80 per cent of dog owners take their canine companions along in their vehicles.

It made a profit of about $420 million in 2010 on the sale of 6573 cars with a 15.8 per cent return on sales - a figure so high that it's in the same league as the luxury goods sector, Ferrari says. But a large amount of earnings are coming from other divisions. Its merchandising operation, for example, includes 40 retail Ferrari Shops around the world but only two are owned by the company. Clothing, giftware and other licensed products with the Ferrari logo are worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year.  Its Abu Dhabi theme park, Ferrari World, has been a major earner for the company because of trademark agreements, franchised outlets and merchandise. For Ferrari, the theme park is gold - it didn't put one cent of its money into the concept yet draws a significant return. The car maker now sees its next step as launching the FF and the 458 Spyder.

The surprise isn't the acceleration - though 3.7 seconds to 100km/h is pretty good - rather the fact that 485kW/683Nm has been instructed to put all these numbers through the wheels and the result is barely any wheelspin.  This is where the Ferrari FF - the company's first all-wheel drive - excels. Born from customer demand for a car that can transverse slippery snow and sand tracks, it has been a difficult development that started in 2004.  The FF uses an all-wheel drive system that is breathtaking in its simplicity - a direct drive from the front of the crankshaft to a small box with three cogs, one multi-disc clutch box and two shafts to either front wheel. The rear wheels are driven conventionally, in this case through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission - another first for Ferrari - that's mounted with the electronically-controlled diff at the rear. There is no mechanical connection between the drive to the front wheels and the drive to the rear wheels.  There are numerous benefits of this system, Firstly, it's very light (Ferrari claims 40kg that is half that of a traditional all-wheel drive system) and small (the power transfer unit is only 170mm long). The clutches are monitored and controlled by computers to allocate torque where needed. For example, in situations where grip is lost, it is reallocated to the other wheel. This is constantly monitored so maximum grip is available to either of the front wheels when needed. The same use of electronics applies to the rear diff. Because there is a speed difference between front wheels and rear wheels, Ferrari has incorporated two gears in the PTU that alter the ratios from the engine to the wheels.  To pick up any smaller differences, the clutch pack is allowed to slip. Ferrari says the two-cog gearbox in the PTU is good for up to 200km/h at which point the system will disengage drive to the front wheels.  It is possible that in extreme situations that 20 per cent of maximum torque will temporarily go to the front wheels - such as when the rear wheels are on ice - to provide maximum traction. Ferrari says the system is not transferable to other engines and that it has had no requests from other car makers for a license.

The specialist Italian car maker recently reported its 2010 profit, together with the year's 5777 unit sales, which was up about 18 per cent on 2009. Maserati spokesman Luca Dal Monte admits 2009 was a depressed year - because of the global financial crisis - but on that still reported a $15 million profit for the company on sales of under 5000. It is a far cry from the record sales year of 2008 when Maserati made 8586 cars and one that may not be repeated soon. Dal Monte predicts 2011 will have "about the same'' sales as 2010. Asked if product development will be stifled by modest sales increases, he says it was incidental. "Profit doesn't affect future development,'' he says. "We are part of the Fiat Group.'' With Fiat behind it, Dal Monte indicates that new projects - the mid-size prestige saloon, a new Quattroporte and an SUV - are assured. Fiat bought Maserati in 1993 but it wasn't until 2007 that it made its first profit for some decades. In 2008, thanks to a resurgence of the marque, profit tripled over 2007 to about $110 million. The 2010 year saw 47 per cent increase in sales in the US; 54 per cent in China (off a low base as 402 cars sold that year); and 46 per cent in the UK. One week ago, Maserati opened a dealership in India. Maserati, like Ferrari, build to customer orders under the philosophy of making "one car less than is ordered''. That ensures it carries no stock and has minimal downside when global car sales slump.

Fresh from hinting at a new SUV to take on Porsche's Cayenne, Maserati quietly let it slip this week that it is finalising details of its 5-Series/A6/E-Class rival.  The saloon, effectively a downsized Quattroporte, may be ready for sale in Europe by late 2013. It will be joined on the showroom by the new Quattroporte which, it has been suggested to Carsguide in Modena this week, will be slightly bigger to emphasis more cabin room. The mid-size car will use a tweaked version of the 4.2-litre V8 and the option of the 4.7-litre V8. It will have conventional drivetrain with a six-speed ZF automatic and double wishbone suspension at all corners. The new Quattroporte will have only the 4.7-litre engine but in two power derivatives.  No further information is coming on the two cars. But it is understood the new SUV - a tall coupe-styled car with all-wheel drive - will use drivetrain components and probably the platform of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The SUV will use Maserati engines and will not be available with a V12 from Ferrari as has been suggested. Even a diesel engine hasn't been discussed. The SUV is regarded as - finally - the production version of the Kubang concept car of 2003, designed by Giugiaro.  A Maserati spokesman says the new mid-size and the bigger saloon were still being formulated for final design and engine choices.

THE character-warping skills of Jekyll and Hyde take on metal form as Maserati launches a special edition coupe that takes the race car to the road.  Limited in volume, but not exhilaration, the MC Stradale is Maserati's third coupe and runs an even more potent version of the company's 4.7-litre V8.Only 15 units are allocated to Australia and New Zealand and most of the $364,400 race-bred coupes are spoken for ahead of deliveries next month.  The exclusivity and price seriously limit the potential of Maserati's limited edition that is designed particularly for drivers who want a squirt on the rack on weekends.Sadly, though that's the desire of Maserati, the car is more likely to be garaged by people with money who simply want the latest Maserati model.VALUEExclusivity has its price. The MC Stradale (it means street, so implies its civil) is $45,900 more expensive than the GranTurismo S and though gains 7kW (to 331kW) and 20Nm to 510Nm and is more fuel efficient, there are subtractions.Unlike the GT S, the Stradale has only two seats. It has less sound proofing - though remarkably it actually benefits the car - and misses out on electric seat adjustment.In Europe it comes standard with four-point seat harnesses - illegal in Australia - and an optional half cage for roll protection. Australia gets standard three-point seat belts and the option remains for the roll cage.In its favour, the Stradale gets 20-inch wheels with new Pirelli PZero Corsa tyres; body kit with front splitter and rear lip spoiler; new exhaust system with centralised twin exhaust tips; carbon-fibre seats (it's also used for the mirror housing, spoiler, cabin trim and door handles); and enormous carbon-ceramic disc brakes with Brembo calipers. Serious stuff.DESIGNBasically, it's a Maserati GranTurismo S with a subtle body kit. Looks great and comes in lots of colours including a few matte paint schemes.SAFETYTop of the wozza five-star crash, with full complement airbags and stability control, and so on.TECHNOLOGYThe engine gets tweaked for more power and has 80 per cent of its 510Nm torque on tap from 2500rpm.  Cleaning the efficiency of the engine has lowered fuel consumption in comparison with the GT S by 13 per cent to 14.4 L/100km and the same CO2 emission which is now 337g/km.The three-mode robotised manual box is in the back, integrated with the diff, and offers full auto; Sport (manual); and Race (full manual with reduced traction aids).  The suspension is 8 per cent stiffer and the car rides lower by 10mm at the front and 12mm at the back.But the biggie is the 110kg weight loss thanks to carbon fibre, negating some weighty bits (electric seats saving 26kg) with other fat busters being the carbon brakes (saving 18kg); removing most of the sound insulation (25kg); and the fact it has no back seat (16kg).DRIVINGNoise... so much glorious noise. The full auto option in the box is relatively smooth and requires no input from the driver. Sport ups it to manual - clicking up and down the cogs via big carbon-fibre steering wheel paddles - and adds an open exhaust from 4000rpm.The Race mode reduces traction aids while keeping the exhaust bypass valve open. It makes the exhaust sound like a mournful wail and is both threatening and addictive. Pedestrians on Maranello's narrow streets didn't object.The Stradale hints at being a raw, race-developed car. In fact, it is very comfortable with no suspension jarring. The noise levels - despite the extraction of 25kg of insulation - is fine. You could definitely live and commute in this car.The secret is that it goes like stink when prodded. The steering is as close to perfect as any car I've driven. Perhaps Porsche's Cayman R comes close, but not close enough.Calculate the curve of the corner ahead and feed in the steering and the nose follows through with a perfect translation of thought to action.  Immensely confident handling and that engine that wants to roar and spit and bark forever make this a very emotive ride.The cabin works. The switchgear can be a bit awkward - but not as bad as the Quattroporte's slap-dash placement - and the A-pillars are huge, but the rest of the car simply works.VERDICTSurprise package that takes the GT S one step higher but is so driveable that it won't sit in the garage waiting for race day.Maserati MC StradalePrice: $364,400Warranty: 3-years/100,000kmResale: 68% (est.)Service Warranty: 15,000km/12 monthsSafety: 5-star Euro NCAPEngine: 4.7-litre, V8 petrol, 331kW/510NmBody: 2-door coupeWeight: 1670kgTransmission: 6-speed semi-manual, rear driveThirst: 14.4L/100km, 98 RON, CO2 337g/km ``Track car that's so flexible it'll do the shopping during the week''