Articles by Paul Gover

Renault already has a model with an inbuilt ionizer and air freshener, but now Lexus - typically - is lifting the bar. While the Fluence from France promises fresher air and a sweeter smell, and Citroen has also turned the cabin of its C4 into a mini- perfumery, the upcoming Lexus GS goes all the way with an airconditioning system that moisturises the driver's skin. Using what it calls nanoe technology, Lexus says the aircon in the mid-sized newcomer can purify the air and moisturise hair and skin. The skin-care system was jointly developed with Panasonic and uses negatively-charged ions wrapped in water molecules that are delivered through the driver's side air vent. Lexus says the result combines air purifying and an odour-eliminating effect, a pitch that brings men into the action. But women are the clear target and Lexus claims "because nanoe moisture content is approximately 1000-times that of conventional ions, the emission of ions bonded to water molecules is said to have a moisturising effect on skin and hair, acting to enhance occupant well-being."

...- its official model designation - will look as a convertible.The upcoming droptop, to be revealed in 2012, is likely to have a smoother line with an extra 10 centimetres in the wheelbase.

... as exports of Australia's favourite car continue to collapse. Overseas sales of the Commodore this year are likely drop to around one-tenth of their recent record, 60,518 cars in 2005, because of falling support since then in the Middle East, Brazil and the USA.  Last year's total was just 7817 cars. The only bright spots are relatively strong demand for the long- wheelbase Caprice in the Middle East and the growth of police car sales in America. The export slide has also seen output from Holden's factory at Elizabeth in South Australia fall from 165,000 cars in 2004 to 66,061 last year, although the company hopes local production of the compact Cruze alongside the Commodore will eventually rebuild its total to around 100,000 a year. "This is why we are doing Cruze. For a plant of our size, on a two- shift operation and depending on what you're building, a good target is around 100,000 cars," Holden spokesperson, Emily Perry, said yesterday. "From an operational point of view, it's not necessarily a bad thing for us." The Middle East retreat came as this year's sales total for the Commodore, badged as a Chevrolet Lumina, inches toward an insignificant 160 cars. Holden is also likely to soon end a Brazilian export program, despite promising sales of 600 cars in 2010, after the recent imposition of a massive import tariff to protect locally-made cars in the South American country. "The Lumina is being wound up in the Middle East. We haven't made a decision on Brazil," said Perry. "We said we were going to sell 600 cars there and we've certainly done that. The short-term impact is from the tariff they have put in ... that has added 25-30 per cent to the price of the vehicle." Holden admitted its overseas sales have been hurt over the past two years by the strength of the Australian dollar, but the company was hit hardest by the end of its G8 export program to the USA when General Motors shut down its Pontiac division. "The Australian dollar doesn't help," Perry said. Holden's efforts with the American police car program are improving but the company refuses to give production numbers, waiting for confirmation of deliveries in the USA. "It's 614 cars his year, and that's in the six-month period since March. They only started being recorded as sales in June," Perry said. "The patrol cars are starting to be delivered. Of course it's gaining momentum." The export defeats come at a time when there are more and more questions about the future of the Commodore, particularly beyond the VF model that is now confirmed for showrooms in the second half of 2013. But Perry said Holden's efforts, and particularly its production for Australian buyers, needs to be measured against the two other local carmakers, Ford and Toyota. "If you think that we've sold twice or three times as many locally- made cars as our local volume competitors, that speaks volumes about what we've done. We're nearly double Ford and triple Toyota," she said.

The smooth two-door is part of the renewal program which has just begun with an all-new BMW 3-Series sedan and Carparazzi has caught it in pictures that show a lower roofline and a much changed nose beneath bulging camouflage.There is even a chance the 4-Series could also become a four-door coupe to rival the Audi A5. Expect to see it in the second half of 2012 priced from around $65,000.

Currently priced from $173,200 in Australia, the GL manages to outdo the benchmark Toyota LandCruiser and the newcomer promises even more with a better looking body and everything up to an AMG power pack.

This one is the droptop RS version of the A5 coupe, which means severe chassis stress for a car to be powered by a 4.2-litre V8 with 330 kiloWatts.

The successor to today's VE is under development at Fishermans Bend and construction of the first road-ready prototypes began last week. The project is costing more than $200 million and is focussed primarily on efficiency, including major weight reduction and engine improvements, although owners can also expect much bigger external rearview mirrors and significant body changes. Confirmation of the VF program comes following a firestorm over the future of the Holden Commodore, which was lit and fanned by representatives of the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia. It claimed there would be major job losses at GM Holden as there was no confirmed future for the homegrown Commodore beyond 2014. However, Holden's chairman Mike Devereux vigorously denies the claims and hits back by revealing previously-secret details of the VF. "The 2014 Commodore is designed and engineered here. It is being engineered right now. We started building prototype vehicles in Port Melbourne two days ago," Devereux says last Thursday. The prototypes will be headed straight into test and development work based at Holden's proving grounds at Lang Lang, south-east of Melbourne. The cars are the first solid proof that the Commodore has a homegrown future until at least 2018, as the upcoming VF will have a four-year life expectancy when it takes over from today's VE. But Holden stops short of confirming anything for the car that will follow the VF. It says it needs to do more research on future sales and technology trends in Australia and overseas - as well as the potential for financial assistance from the Federal government - before making decisions on the next major investment by the brand. "No, we haven't made a decision on what we will build in Adelaide post our current range and post model-year 2014, I won't speculate on the timing," Devereux says. "What we are going to make hasn't been decided yet. It's still too early." It's most likely that the car beyond VF will be an Australian tweak on one of GM's world cars, most likely smaller overall than the traditional Commodore but with similar interior space. The biggest question mark for Commodore traditionalists, the continuation of rear-wheel drive, is unlikely to be answered for at least three years but everything points towards a front-wheel drive move with all-wheel drive available for people who need extra hauling capacity. Ford Australia is moving the same way with the successor to the current Falcon, with consistent pointers from Detroit towards a local clone of the top-selling American Taurus for the next-generation Falcon.

Russell Ingall, 47, admits to a lousy racing season in 2011, and admits he is looking to his life beyond fulltime track time.But Ingall also said yesterday that a move to the crack Walkinshaw Racing operation for 2011, where he will park his helmet and multi- million-dollar backing from Supercheap Auto, could be the spark that re-ignites his passion for racing."I want a real good crack at it," Ingall said as he confirmed a move that gives him back-door access to the Holden Racing Team - always his V8 Supercar dream outfit - but leaves Fabian Coulthard out in the cold."I want to get back on the podium. I want some good results. If I can have a good year next year then we'll see. Every time I jump into a half-reasonable car I think I can race anyone out there. I don't feel like I'm going to have a crash at any moment."Ingall admitted he had battled during his time with the Paul Morris team in Queensland, his third in the V8 championship after starting with Larry Perkins' Commodore crew, where he won Bathurst twice, and then switching to Stone Brothers Racing, where he finally took the championship.Now he is hopeful that he has timed things right by moving to a Walkinshaw Commodore with the same pace and back-up that took Garth Tander and Nick Percat to victory in the Bathurst 1000 in October."I think we're jumping on at Walkinshaws at the right time. I always seem to time it not-quite right but this time I might have timed it right," he said.The Supercheap deal is more than just a one-year program and, despite his own racing ambitions, Ingall sees it taking him through into his retirement."We're not talking one year, we're talking five or 10 years," he said.As Supercheap's motorsport ambassador, and television pitcher, the move also means he is likely to be responsible for selecting the driver who eventually takes his place."All those young blokes who want a steer better start sucking up. Start cleaning my helmet  . . ."But Ingall still refuses to talk directly about retirement."I've still got a lot of things on the bucket list to tick off. There are some endurance races in Europe that I want to do. And I will definitely do the enduros as a co-driver after I finish Full-time in the full championship."

Honda has just updated its humanoid hero with a series of new abilities which take the robot a big step closer to the real world. In this case, it's not just about a small step but a giant leap. Honda says Asimo 2011 - it's the 13th generation of a robot that was created in 1986 - is now capable of autonomous operation and fine-skill work including opening screw tops and pouring drinks. Ironically, the big moves on Asimo come as the latest generation of Honda cars - led by the disappointing new Civic - are hit by critics for their failure to advance or even reflect Honda's traditional engineering-led approach to motoring. The Civic has even been removed from the 'recommended' list by America's authoritative Consumer Reports organisation and is being tipped for an early upgrade of its cabin quality in 2012. The all-new CR-V goes public in the USA next week at the Los Angeles Motor Show and there are plenty of people - mostly owners and SUV shoppers - hoping it is more impressive than the Civic. On the Asimo front, Honda says the robot has "significantly improved intelligence and the physical ability to adapt to situations". That means the day is coming - even if it's slowly - when an Asimo could be a genuine worker and not just a motor show toy. Honda says the new Asimo is the first that's able to move without being controlled by an operator and also has a new type of robot arm. The result is a robot with better balance, the ability respond to external situations, and autonomous behaviour. "Asimo can now predict the direction a person will walk and quickly  determine an alternative path to take if a collision is detected. This technology also enables Asimo to recognise faces and voices," Honda says. There is also a multi-fingered hand, with a tactile sensor and a force sensor imbedded on the palm and in each finger, that gives Asimo much greater dexterity. The robot can now pick up a glass bottle and remove a twist cap, hold a soft paper cup, and even make sign language expression.

SEVENTY thousand dollars is a fearsome amount of money to pay for a car the size of a Hyundai Getz. Yet there are 40 Australians who have done just that, and as many as 100 could eventually put their money down for the fastest car in the Fiat 500 family.But don't call it a 500. Officially the $70,000 Fiat is called the Abarth 695 'Tributo Ferrari' and everyone involved in the project - from Ferrari and Abarth to Australia's Fiat importer -wants you to know that this is a serious speed machine.I get the picture the second I walk behind the little chrome yellow beastie and spot the four-pipe exhaust system. It looks like it should be hung from the back of a Ferrari, or on the wall in an art gallery, and is clearly designed to free plenty of turbocharged horsepower from somewhere in the front end of the tweaked-and-tizzied 500.The exact number is 132 kiloWatts and that translates into a 225km/h top speed and a 0-100km/h sprint in less than seven seconds. So this is not your average Fiat Bambino.VALUEThere is no logical reason to pay $69,990, plus the inevitable on-road costs that really put the 695 Tributo into the $75,000 range. This car is all about passion and pose value. It's a city toy for people who have a real Ferrari in the garage, but don't want to risk it in the bump-and-grind of weekday working traffic.Aston Martin is doing a similar thing with the Cygnet - a Toyota iQ minicar that's been through a Dr Doolittle-style transition into the upper classes - but at least the Fiat is more than just a show car.It's a serious go machine and that's where a lot of the money goes in transforming a car that could have started life as a 500 1.4 at $28,990 in Australia. The engine won't even fit in a regular 500. But there is also big spending on things like Sparco racing seats, real carbon fibre trim, big wheels and tyres, and nice leather.TECHNOLOGYThe key to the Abarth-Ferrari transformation is the 1.3-litre T-Jet turbo, which is tweaked in all sorts of ways, from extra boost to the exhaust. It is bolted to a single-clutch robotised manual gearbox, well behind the latest twin-clutch systems but still with five gears to shift with a touch on the paddles behind the wheel.There is a sport button that puts an extra 20 Newton-metres of torque into the mix, up from 230 basic, and there is a type of launch system built into the traction control. Inevitably there is sports suspension, upgraded Brembo brakes and 17 inch alloys.DESIGNThere is giant Abarth badge on the nose and a 695 Tributo Ferrari badge on the side, as well as that exhaust, to lift the visual impact  up and beyond any other Fiat 500. It's not as dramatic as you might expect - even though the headlamps are also changed and there are dozens of detail tweaks - unless you park it alongside a lesser Fiat.The other work went in the cabin, so people who have paid so much car see the leather, carbon trim, great seats, special pedals and even the lever-less shift system they bought. The 695 Tributo also comes with a special set of fitted leather luggage and a fitted car cover, all by design and not any sort of accident.SAFETYThe basic Fiat 500 is a five-star car and that should be the same rating for the 695 Tributo. In fact, it is better because the driving dynamics are better and that means more chance of avoiding a potential mishap. As you would expect, there are seven airbags, ABS brakes and ESP stability control.DRIVINGThe first few kilometres are in sombre Sydney traffic and I wonder about the thump-thump harshness of the ride, the slow robotised gearshifts, the exhaust drone and the contrast between the gorgeous carbon fibre add-ons and the basic black plastic trim on the doors.But then the road clears and goes twisty, I tickle the Sport button and go manual on the changes, and the Bambino goes ballistic. Suddenly I discover the first - whisper it - Fiat 500 that I genuinely enjoy driving, and enjoy even more than the RenaultSport models in the Megane lineup. It's a car that really goes, really feels wrapped around you, and really shows its Abarth heritage and links to Ferrari that amount to just a badge.It has plenty of punch, tenacious cornering grip, and great brakes. It's a balanced package and, despite a bit of turbo lag, it's a car that wants you to play. And the sound. There hasn't been this much pop, bang, crackle and fizz since the early-model Subaru STI, and that makes it even more fun. That's the point, I guess. If you own a Ferrari you'd be locked away for a long time if you used the car to play the way you can in the Bambino, because it would be going over-the-top fast. But this car is fun in a usable way, and the package is well   engineered, very well finished, and reflects the talents of the people who put it together. Now, if only it was $25,000 cheaper . . .VERDICTThis is definitely not just another Fiat 500. It's a genuine pocket rocket that delivers delicious driving enjoyment. Is it worth $70,000? Not to me. But I don't have a Ferrari 458 Italia in the garage.