Articles by Paul Gover

The Japanese sports car is finally confirmed for local owners in the first half of 2012 with a promise that it will deliver the real-world enjoyment of the best computer driving games. "We want to take kids from Gran Turismo simulation to grand turismo reality," Nick Senior, managing director of Subaru Australia, tells Carsguide. He is promising a breakthrough sports car that - despite being shared with Toyota as the 86 - will deliver on Subaru's strengths and satisfy the early adopter in Adelaide who was first with a local deposit. "This is a chance for us to appeal to younger people, the 25-35 year-olds, and people who might not have considered a Subaru in the past. It's also for people who might not have been able to afford a WRX," Senior says. He refuses to be drawn on price but admits Subaru will only have a single, full-loaded BRZ with just one option - most likely a sunroof. With Toyota planning a sub-$35,000 starting sticker for the 86, that points to a BRZ at less than $40,000. "It's all about the offering to the customer. We will only get one specification. We won't have a base model and there will be only one option," Senior says. "We haven't even talked pricing with the factory yet. I'll do that in February." Senior says Subaru will not go head-to-head with the Toyota 86, even though the cars are virtually identical from their Subaru chassis and the 147 kiloWatt engine package to the Toyota-styled coupe body. "That's the challenge. Part of the whole decision making process was that we have to think about doing things differently. Being a bit innovative," he says. "We'll be looking at the whole-of-life benefits to our customers. That's where the focus has been, and continues to be." Subaru took months to finally commit to the BRZ and Senior says the decision was influenced by everything from the car's Subaru DNA to the response from Australian buyers. "We have been overwhelmed by the response to the BRZ since its unveiling in Tokyo. People have been pleading for us to bring the BRZ into the country." The BRZ will take a new place in the Subaru Australia range, without the company's signature all-wheel drive or the turbocharged engine - it's a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four - fitted to the WRX and STI hero cars. “It’s a driver’s car, so is in keeping with our fun to drive philosophy. But the STI will always be the pinnacle," Senior says. "As the factory has said, the next generation of WRX and STI is going to be a standalone nameplate. For performance, STI will be the pinnacle. So the BRZ is like a taster, or a sampler plate at a restaurant. It's a precursor to getting a WRX or an STI later on. We hope to get a younger audience. And traditionally WRX has been over 35. So we would like to get an under-35 audience. There will be an older group too, and they are likely to be the 'weekend warriors' who like to enjoy their cars, maybe occasionally with some laps on a track."

And the two new models could finally give new-car buyers a reason to return to a Proton showroom in 2012. The Exora people mover will headline for the Malaysian brand but it's an all-new Persona, traditionally the company's price leader but coming with a new name, that has the most potential beyond the new year. There will also be an update for the S16, called the FLX and pitched into the bottom end of the baby-car class, as well as an overdue commitment to safety. And Proton is going turbo, both with the Exora and a version of the Persona. "We've finally got a bit happening in the new year," says John Startari, managing director of Proton Australia. This past year we've done less than enough. We were hoping for 2100 sales but we'll probably do around 1600." The local operation has been hit heavily by delays in product updates from Malaysia, as well as the loss of its unique - but short on safety - Jumbuck ute. "We think the Exora could give us something to fill that Jumbuck niche. It's a smaller people mover and there aren't too many competitors," says Startarti. "It's a genuine seven-seater but about the size of a Toyota Avensis, as opposed to a Kia Carnival." The Exora is just starting to get traction in Malaysia and Startari says it will only come to Australia with the top-line mechanical package, a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine and automatic gearbox. The likely target price is less than $30,000, on the road. But - and it's a big one - both the Exora and Persona will be in the second half of the year. "Yes, Exora is delayed. It's scheduled for August," Startari says. "Exora is scheduled for August. It gives us a replacemtn for the Jumbuck niche. There are not too many competitors with a vehicle like it, as a smaller people people. It's a genuine seven-seater but about the size of a Toyota Avensis as opposed to a Kia Carnival. Before the heavier hitters, Proton will have an update of the current Persona Elegance and a S16 FLX to keep things ticking over. The objective is to hold a price line below $15,000 on the road. We'll have a starter car with dual airbags, ESP and ESC. We've already landed the first of the FLXs. Mass production starts in Malaysia in January and it will be here in March." Further into the future, and despite a battle that's raging over the ownership and direction in Malaysia, Startari says Proton has a plan to give it a solid future. "I think Proton will be at the cutting edge of safety, and we'll be using the Exora platform to leverage the Lotus ride and handling in all our cars," he says. "Proton is also aiming for five-star safety with all its future models."

A rear-drive Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder has just arrived for Australia, joining the similar 550-2 Coupe that already opens the action for the Italian brand. The new roadster comes in at $50,000 than the existing 550-4 Spyder a price point that's already winning interest from supercar shoppers. "When you consider thje price difference it makes it quite interesting. We're expecting to get it in the first quarter of the new year," says Martin Roller, one of the Lamborghini agents for Australia. "There will be around 10 cars for Australia for next year." But Roller, from Brisbane, says the Gallardo Spyder is more than just another low-volume Italian exotic. "It's the beginning of a new age for Lamborghini in Australia. In the past the brand perhaps hasn't had the justice it has deserved," he says. "There are lots of positive signs. The Aventador is hot and the Gallardo is going well." Lamborghini has recently changed its distributors in Sydney and Brisbane and is about to crank up the involvement from its Asia-Pacific headquarters in China. It has even shipped cars to Australia for test programs with potential buyers. The Spyder is too new for a widespread push but it has the right combination of price and position for success, with total worldwide sales of the Gallardo closing on 12,000 cars. Lamborghini focussed on driving enjoyment in the new Spyder, claiming extensive modifications in concentrating on the rear-wheel drive. There is a new suspension package and even the aerodynamics were tweaked for the new weight and power distribution. The car has a locking rear differential, with a Corsa program to give larger drift angles, although it is not available with a manual gearbox, just the E-Gear system. The car's 5.2-litre V10 engine makes 405 kiloWatts and, with a weight of 1520 kilograms, that means a top speed of 319km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.2 seconds.

But it's been a year of highlights for me. Monday, June 27 is my best working day of 2011.In fact, it hardly qualifies as work, since I am cracking around the Top Gear test track in Britain with a wicked black McLaren MP4-12C providing me with miles and miles of high-speed smiles.The mighty Mac is a bonzer beastie that provides the ideal antidote for too many motor show treks, too many middle-of-the-road cars that only qualify as transport modules, and far too many days away from home. It almost manages to erase memories of the massively underwhelming Nissan Micra we have as a Car of the Year contender. Almost . . .But the 12C is not the most memorable car of my year, even though it's one I would most happy park in the driveaway any time alongside a Benz E63 AMG wagon. No, my hero car of 2011 is the Ferrari 458 Italia.It does not have the pace or grace of the McLaren, or its overall refinement and liveability, but there is nothing in Carsguide land to match the raw emotional pull of the howling Italian supercar. A single day of driving in Sydney, including a fun run with a close mate who cannot stop himself giggling - is it excitement or fear? - is seared into my memory.But, so too, is time with the Chery J1. Everyone says Chinese cars will get much better quickly, and Chery does update the gearbox within a fortnight of my whingeing first drive, but there is lots and lots and lots of room for improvement.Some people say there are no bad cars these days, and it's mostly true. But they should also get behind the wheel or a J1, or the Mitsubishi iMiEV that promises future motoring but really illustrates the current shortcomings of plug-in electric cars, for a little calibration.My diary for 2011 opens in predictable style as Toyota claims sales champion status for 2010 and predicts a repeat for the coming year. Despite natural disasters in Japan and Thailand, Toyota is delivering and will do the same again - trust me - in 2012.The numbers game for 2011 reflects everything from the failures of the Ford Falcon and the blue brand's sales team to the popularity of small cars - now one sale in four in Australia - the incredible pull of the Mazda3, and little things like Volkswagen's growth to a top-10 brand and the ongoing drive that has Hyundai and Kia doing big things downunder.But those numbers only reflect the cars and crews at each company, as it takes people to create something special and get it onto the road and into new homes. My personal heroes include Mark Reuss, who wrote the current game plan for Holden, including the local Cruze, before returning to clean up the spilt milk at GM in the USA; Graeme Gambold, who takes Hyundai suspension and makes it so much better for Kia; August Achleitner, who heads development of the all-new Porsche 911 before leaving to weave some magic at Bentley; Murray Dietsch, the brilliant Ford Australia-trained engineer who is responsible for the Range Rover Evoque and everything else coming out of Land Rover; and Ian Callum, who does great work for Jaguar and has so much yet to come.Driving cars is fun, but it's also work and that means the BMW M5 gets marked down for flaws and too much focus on fuel economy; the updated Nissan GT-R is brilliant at Phillip Island but plain awful on regular roads; the Ferrari California sounds great but is a girlie car; the new Toyota Yaris is not as good as the old one; and the new Camry is surprisingly unbad, but saddled with history that includes the chicken sales campaign.There are plenty of cars I drive and like in 2011, from that Camry back to the Kia Optima, but very few I want to keep in the driveway and not just return with a polite 'thank you'. The Benz E63 makes the cut, so does the battery-powered Nissan Leaf. I also really like the Evoque, despite its expensive failure at COTY time, and the BMW 1 M. And the 458 is a definite.On the motorsport front, it's hard to go past the excellence of the Triple Eight team run by Roland Dane and fronted by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, or to understand why Mark Webber makes such lousy starts for most of 2011. And then Jason Richards dies and nothing else on the racing front seems to matter.In so many ways, 2011 is another landmark year. Cars have never been better, or better value buying in Australia. And, whoops, I almost forget the Toyota 86 that completes my new-car crew for the year. It's a ripper drive, even if Toyota and Subaru are fighting for bragging rights over ownership, and a car that shows what Brand T can do when it shifts out of conservative Corolla mode and gets serious.Right now, as the curtains come down and dealerships race to crunch the final deals, it is still a little tough to get the retrospectacles into sharp focus. But there is no time anyway, as it's less than three weeks until Toyota opens 2012 with a celebration of its 2011 sales successes, and then another week before the Detroit Motor Show shifts the new year into top gear. 

The snow-capped start to the car year is traditionally a showcase for a wide range of concept cars and Lexus and Smart have gone early with teaser details on their contenders.The Lexus is a new sporty model that takes its inspiration from the company's LFA supercar and the Smart is a baby ute that pokes fun at the reinvention of the ForTwo.The two companies will not be alone in Motown next month, with Nissan planning a preview of its Pathfinder, Honda likely to show another NSX supercar concept and a tease for its next Accord, and Chrysler Jeep intending to make a splash with a couple of futuristic show cars.Lexus is not revealing much about its new car, although it has released teaser pictures of the nose and cabin and plans to also go public with a name before the car is unveiled on Monday, January 9.But the 19-inch alloy wheels and deep front airdam point to something that's more like the LFA than another CT200-style hybrid, and it shares the Darth Vader-style 'thimble' grille treatment already applied to the new Lexus GS."It's a concept car. it's not an update of an existing model," confirms Peter Evans of Lexus Australia.But he is keen to keep a distance between the Lexus concept and Toyota's new sports car hero."It has no commonality, nor does it have anything in common with, the Toyota 86," says Evans.There is definite production potential in the Detroit display car but, typically, it will take a people-power movement to convince Lexus executives in Japan to move it beyond a tasty piece of tinsel."The picture will get clearer over the next couple of weeks," Evans says.Apart from the concept, Lexus is also expected to show a revamped LX four-wheel drive. The heavyweight SUV, which is a tweaked Toyota LandCruiser, was originally expected at the Dubai motor show last month but its place was taken by the Toyota 86 at the last minute.Over at Smart, the baby ute is called the Smart-for-us and is deliberately poking fun at the over-complication of cars in the 21st century."This is to give people a flavour of what's possible at Smart. It's to keep people interested in the brand," says Smart's Australian spokesman, David McCarthy."I wouldn't be betting on a ute, but there will be some other design cues there for people to check.The rollout for the new ForTwo has already run through the Forvision concept and the Detroit-mobile shares the same battery power pack and electric engine.The concept is wider and longer than the ForTwo to emphasise the compact proportions, as well as making space for a tray back that can carry a couple of bicycles. In some ways it's closer in size to a potential replacement for the underachieving ForFour than the baby ForTwo."We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable," says the CEO of Smart, Annette Winkler.

He went full throttle right to the end and will always be remembered as a racer's racer who refused to concede defeat.At Hidden Valley in Darwin this year he almost literally killed himself with the massive effort he put into his final V8 Supercar practice session. Somehow he dragged his Team BOC car around for the third-quickest lap time, before being carried from the car.That was Jase.Every time he left the V8 Supercar pitlane it was like watching a hand grenade with the pin out and the safety catch off."You always know he's going to give you everything. He never leaves anything on the shelf," team manager Kim Jones told me once at Bathurst.Richards was amazing at Mount Panorama, at a track that rewarded and reflected his natural driving gift and incredible commitment. He was runner-up twice in the Bathurst 1000 in unfancied cars and wore a huge grin every time he got out of the car. He made some mistakes, but he was always one to watch.That was pretty much the story from the time he arrived in Australia, as a highly-touted BMW factory racer. He was on the gas all the time and it there was never any doubt that he would graduate to V8 Supercar racing.He struggled at first with Team Kiwi, but showed plenty of pace with both Team Dynamik and Tasman Motorsport before finally founding the perfect match with Brad Jones and his working-class Albury outfit. The Jones brothers live to race and so did Richards.Anyone can find a list of Richards' results, but spending time with him revealed so much more.He was infectiously enthusiastic about everything he did, from his racing to hobbies, his wife and young children and - so sadly - his battle against cancer.The last time we spoke, at Winton Raceway earlier this year, he looked happy and healthy and refused to be downbeat."At the moment, cancer is a big part of my life. But when I jump in the racecar I feel cancer-free," he told me."I'm so busy I don't have the capacity to be thinking about cancer. I don't feel sorry for myself. I get so much enjoyment out of it."As we parted, he said the words that will stay with me forever."Cancer, depression, I'm sure there are a whole bunch of things in the world. Anyone who is not feeling happy in life needs to find the thing that makes you happy and go do it."For me, my clarity is racing a car. It's so refreshing. If I can inspire people who have what's happening for me, that's a real positive."

The newly-crowned Carsguide COTY, the Kia Rio, leads the latest group of five-star safety cars in Australia.A dozen safety standouts have joined the fives, from the Audi A1 to the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, but the rules will change radically in 2012 as ANCAP demands more protection for new-car buyers."The hurdle to get into the five-star game will be higher, although the crash tests will probably be the same," says Lauchlan McIntosh, ANCAP chair. "Next year, when we start adding whiplash and some of the other 'roadmap' features, it won't be as easy to get a five-star. I think we'll see some new cars not getting five stars."In the end, the car companies will have to lift their game. We're ramping up the safety-assist technologies to get five stars. In 2008 we said you have to have ESC to get in the game. Now they'll need to have some of safety assist technologies. The manufacturers have moved. They have spent hundreds of millions."Those technologies include everything from Mercedes-Benz's Pre-Safe system which pre-primes airbags and moves seats to City Safety at Volvo and the Subaru EyeSight system that includes lane-departure warnings and active cruise control. Some brands will have individual items and others will package a suite of safety stuff."We're going to say you need a certain number," says McIntosh. He predicts a rapid uptake of new technology as well as improving results from brands which are currently failing to make the five-star grade."At the bottom end of the game there are still a few struggling. But I think the Chinese will lift their game pretty quickly, and Mahindra too. Now governments and fleets are only buying five-star cars the game is over. The ADRs are almost irrelevant. It's that purchasing that makes a difference."McIntosh says there should be another final burst of ANCAP results before the end of 2011and, without revealing any detail, predicts a couple of surprises."There will be some new results that will come out with four stars, which is a bit different to Euro NCAP. We're a bit tougher in the aggregation of the numbers. But four stars is still a good result.""We're being a bit overwhelmed by the number of five-star cars and the interest from buyers. And that's a good thing. The latest five-star winners combine the results from European NCAP testing and local results in Australia.“With the holiday period looming your choice of new car may well be a life-saver," says McIntosh.ANCAP FIVE-STAR RATINGSBMW 1 SeriesCitroen C4Citroen DS3Ford Falcon FG MkII sedan and uteHolden Captiva Series IIKia OptimaKia RioMazda BT-50Mercedes-Benz BT-50Mercedes-Benz M-ClassVW JettaVW Golf Cabriolet

And it produced a surprise winner for 2011. It's the Kia Rio. The Korean compact claims the crown by just one vote over the impressive Volvo S60, with the funky Ford Focus rounding out the top three at the end of a year that is setting all sorts of records. More than one million cars will again find new homes in 2011, it's increasingly likely that the Holden Commodore's 15-year reign as Australia's favourite car will end, and new brands from China - Geely and Chery - have taken the count in showrooms to more than 60 individual nameplates. On the COTY front, the Rio becomes the second baby-class member and only the second Korean car to claim the crown, as well as the first from the junior member of the Hyundai-Kia conglomerate. The Rio scores its success off the back of impressive design and packaging, tweaking by an Australian suspension expert, topped by smart pricing starting from $16,290. Surprisingly, it was top choice with six of the 10 COTY judges in 2011, as the Volvo and Ford split the others. At the end of two intensive and tiring days of back-to-back running, the Rio did best when measured against the COTY judging criteria of value, design, technology and safety. "It's a nice, light, easy car to drive. It's got a feisty engine and some nice little touches like the hill-start system and an upshift indicator light," says chief judge, Ged Bulmer. The safety-first Volvo S60 is also a hit with judges, apart from one obvious shortcoming in Australia. "The only thing I don't like is the spare tyre. It doesn't have one," says Neil Dowling. "For what it is, it drives well. Inside, the design is kinda the anti-Focus." The baby Ford is a driving favourite but loses out for its ergonomics and a higher price point than the Rio. "It's good value, has a good sound system, and is good value. But the dash layout is ordinary - it looks like someone threw the buttons at the dash," says Mark Hinchliffe. The COTY contest in 2011 follows a familiar pattern of recent times, with 10 judges, 10 cars and two days of tough driving on a variety of surfaces to check everything from freeway noise levels and fuel economy to dust sealing and cornering grip. There is also an intensive pre-drive briefing and quality check on all 10 contenders, which range in price from the Nissan Micra at $14,990 as an ST automatic to the heavily-loaded Range Rover Evoque at nearly $100,000. Action starts at the Ford Proving Group at You Yangs when all the contenders come together for the first time, with the good looking Evoque and the homeground hero - the diesel-powered Ford Territory diesel - sharing the spotlight. Everyone wants to know how they will compare, which strengths and weaknesses will be revealed, and how the eventual contenders will stack up against the reigning COTY champion, the Volkswagen Polo. One change for 2011 is an early cull which takes out five hopefuls. At then end of a rugged first day, with many laps of the right-and-handling course at You Yangs, a gravel-road circuit and road time in and around Geelong, there are a few surprises. The Evoque is out early because it is poor value, quality and driving failings let the Micra down, while the Volkswagen Scirocco is way too sports focussed - one judge asks for a kidney belt because the ride is almost rock hard - and the Hyundai i40 is nothing special for design or driving. The Territory also goes out because of its basic age, despite the updated front-end styling and diesel for 2011, and shortcomings in a variety of areas. So day two starts early with five cars - with the Holden Cruze hatch as the only local - and two judges aboard each for a series of real-world road loops and plenty of swapping and changing. Then it's time for a sit-down, talk-through and the final voting. Each judge lists their cars from top to bottom and the one with the lowest score wins. The Cruze looks good but has plenty of shortcomings, from lacklustre rear suspension to reflections on the instruments. "Back-to-back it with the Focus and you have to go with the Ford," says Stuart Martin. The BMW is a driving favourite, but it has a cramped cabin and falls down on value. "It's not what you expect for that sort of money. The packaging is compromised," says Neil Dowling. So the final three emerge, at the end of a tight contest with no truly standout car. The Toyota Camry might have been The One, and Ford also has the four-cylinder Falcon coming soon, but both arrived too late for the COTY cutoff. Eventually, the Rio emerges as the judges' choice and a surprising favourite despite its compact size and value-first pricing. It's definitely helped by the suspension work by Graeme Gambold, as well as a six-speed gearbox and feisty engine. "It looks good and it's value for money. All the audio stuff is there.  It's got cruise control and a spare," says Karla Pincott. "Is it better than the best cars in the class? Yes." And there it is, the Carsguide Car of the Year for 2011. FINISHING ORDER 1. Kia Rio 2. Volvo S60 3. Ford Focus 4. BMW 118 5. Holden Cruze 6. Range Rover Evoque 7. Ford Territory 8. Volkwagen Scirocco 9. Hyundai i40 10. Nissan Micra.

And the images show that the world's oldest car has been back to the beauty parlour for a major makeover to continue its run deep into the 21st century. Mercedes-Benz claims the ancient crown for its SL roadster, which hit the road in the 1950s and has continued along the same path for near-enough to 60 years. But the latest makeover, which will be previewed at Detroit motor show in January and available in Australian showrooms by June, is more than just skin deep. The sixth-generation is the first Mercedes-Benz to be constructed almost entirely from aluminium - there is steel strengthening and magnesium in some places - and it also comes with two developments which are claimed as world firsts. The car has a FrontBass system that Benz claims will turn it into a concert hall with the top up or down, as well as an adaptive windscreen cleaning system called Magic Vision Control. But the SL is really about luxury and style, despite a $242,780 starting price that means only 23 have been sold through the first 11 months of 2011, down from 48 at the same time last year. Despite the small numbers, Benz says the SL is a landmark car for the brand. "It is a flag bearer for us," says David McCarthy, spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Australia. "It's a pretty good indicator of where we're going. It continues the design theme of the SLS and SLK." He is also keen to highlight the longevity of the SL badge, which was first applied to a Benz in 1952 and reached Australia a year later.  "In passenger cars, it is the longest-running nameplate in the world. The only one that comes close is the Chevrolet Suburban, which has a longer history but is an SUV," McCarthy says. "The only other one that came close was the Ford Fairlane, which only lived on in Australia until the 21st century until they chopped it." McCarthy confirms the usual model spread for the upcoming SL, which currently runs from the SL350 to the SL 65 AMG at $519,250, and a sharp bottom line. "We don't expect a big change, price-wise. It will be on sale in the second quarter in 2012 at the earliest for us," he says. On the specification front, apart from the latest technology and a body that is both lighter are larger in most directions, the SL comes with engines that have more power but economy improved by as much as 29 per cent. "There is the new V6, then the V8s and the AMG models. The 350 is currently the biggest seller and we expect that to continue." The car's folding hardtop vario-roof operates in either direction in less than 20 seconds using an electrohydraulic mechanism, and will be available with a painted finish, a glass roof or the Magic Sky system - first fitted on the SLK - which switches from light to dark inside at the touch of a button.

A prototype is already running to show that a battery-powered future is possible for Australia's large-car workhorses, despite a 20 per cent downturn in sales through 2011. The plug-in Holden Commodore is one of seven being built at EV Engineering in Melbourne to prove the potential in a switch from petrol to electric power in the next-generation successors to the Aussie favourites, including a full-scale safety and durability development program. It is largely unchanged from the car in showrooms today, with a battery pack in the engine bay, a rear-mounted electric motor and an electronics pack in the area which previously housed the fuel tank. "Our role is to demonstrate the technical viability and customer attractiveness of a large EV like the Commodore," the chief executive of EV Engineering, Ian McCleave, revealed to News Limited. "If successful, the project will allow technologies to be considered for possible future mass production." McCleave said there will be other spin-off benefits as Australia's motor industry adapts to a changing world. "The project will help to develop electric vehicle engineering skills and components within the Australian supplier industry for potential export to car makers globally, with opportunities including battery pack design and thermal management systems." It's not the first electric Commodore, as Holden built a car called the ECOmmodore in 2000. It was a hybrid with a four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor and was used as a backup car for the Torch Relay ahead of the Sydney Olympics. This time, the accelerated program is not directly backed by Holden although it is providing vehicles and technical know-how. Instead, a consortium made up of Bosch, Continental, Air International, Futuris, GE and Better Place is behind the drive, with support from the CSIRO and a $3.55 million grant from the Federal government's Green Car Innovation Fund. Better Place wants to highlight the potential for its electric car support network and battery-change stations, so the EV Commodore has a quick-change lithium-ion pack. "The project is progressing very well. The first engineering development car is running and results have exceeded our expectations, both in terms of the team's technical achievements and the performance of the car," said McCleave. A first drive report on the EV Commodore is in this week's editions of Carsguide.