Articles by Paul Gover

Just as HSV and FPV went big on black on their latest V8 muscle cars, and Benz has plans for an upcoming Black Series C63 Coupe, so the newest BMW M3 is a black attack. It's called the Frozen Black edition, reflecting the matt black bodywork. There will only be 12 cars for Australia with the Frozen Black package, which was developed in Germany for worldwide work. It's a typical deal on the limited-edition front, with visual tickles to justify a $17,100 increase over the $155,000 showroom sticker for a regular M3 coupe. "We managed to grab 12 cars for Australia. It's only available as a coupe and we've had a lot of interest," says Piers Scott, spokesman for BMW Australia. "Frozen Black is just a synonym for the matt paint. So that's the visual effect. We've had a number of customers, through BMW Individual, choose frozen paint finishes for their cars." BMW denies the black-mobile is reaction to the arrival of the latest Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe in Australia, even though the first supplies of its obvious rival have just landed. "M3 sales are healthy. It's certainly not reactionary. It's a car that we knew there would be demand for," Scott says. The details of the Frozen Black package run to the paintwork, 19-inch black chrome wheels and black chrome exhaust, black Novillo leather in the cabin with red stitching, special leather dash trimming with red stitching, black side gills and red brake calipers. The Frozen Black M3 comes after the M3 Pure Edition and as sales of the Competition Pack for the M3 continue strongly. "The Pure edition was something just for Australia, that we concevied here. The Competition Pack is global, and so is the Frozen Black,"  says Scott. "It's only available in the Coupe. There are a batch for the 'states but I don't think you'd find them everywhere in the world."

It has a lightweight carbon fibre chassis and fibreglass body, with a turbocharged engine making around 225 kiloWatts and cornering grip of better than 1.4 times the force of gravity.

The basic shape of the Subaru is identical to the Toyota FT-86 but Subaru is likely to differentiate its car with a unique bumper and LED daytime running lamps.

...including clear Carparazzi pictures of the car being tested at the Nurburgring in Germany.The fuel economy focus in the new M5 will be repeated in the hot Three and European sources hint at a triple-turbocharged six-cylinder engine with extra use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic parts to cut weight.The all-new pocket rocket will be here late in 2013 at around $150,000.

Visually, the BMW headlamps get a tweak and there are new bumpers, as well as signature kidney grilles that are slightly more prominent in line with the latest 1 Series and 3 Series cars.

The beaut new Benz C-Class coupe has been to the gym. The result is another AMG muscle car that completes the company's small-car crew for Australia, giving C63 shoppers the choice between a sedan, a wagon and the good looking coupe for the first time. So, basically there are no excuses now for not owning a blitzer Benz.Well, that is, unless you think that a minimum of $152,800 is too much for a new car, or that $154,800 is too much for the coupe, or you're worried about a 60-litre tank that chokes the cruising range of a blitzer Benz than can easily guzzle at better than 17 litres for every 100 kilometres.The newest C63 is smooth looking and tough, has the right equipment and some nice new tweaks - including a multi-mode stability control that gives keen drivers some wiggle room - including the full update package that transformed the ordinary C-Class models a couple of months ago.Lined up against its obvious rivals, headed by the M3 from BMW, the new thumper has the considerable advantage of an all-new body and the sort of AMG muscle that makes even the shortest trips into a fun run.VALUEThe 63 Coupe is well priced for the class and its competition. On that front it used to be overshadowed by Godzilla, the Nissan GT-R, but the bottom line on the all-wheel drive turbo monster has blown out by more than $20,000 this year to $168,800. It also edges out the M3, which comes now from $155,000 as a coupe, although the softer Audi S5 coupe - our pick was always the RS4 - comes in at $138,900."We haven't had an AMG coupe since the CLK. The price point that was at $200,000-plus, and this one is at $155,000," says David McCarthy of Mercedes-Benz Australia. "The whole point of C63 coupe isn't to attract M3 buyers, because they are actually different buyers and a different car. This car exists to expand the AMG business. You can see how aggressively we've priced the car."McCarthy says the vast majority of C63s are now being ordered with the Performance Pack, which adds $14,900 to the cost but pays back with an extra 22 kiloWatts, bigger brakes, 19-inch alloys and a different steering wheel.Still, even the cooking car is baked well with sports seats, leather trim, alloys, aircon, a punchy sound system and the AMG update work to the engine, suspension and transmission.TECHNOLOGYThe newest AMG car could be the last newcomer with the 6.2-litre V8, as Benz - like BMW - is shifting to turbo power at its go-faster division. The motor in the new Coupe makes 336 kiloWatts and 420 Newton-metres, but the downside if official consumption of 12.1 litres/ 100km and CO2 emissions of 283 grams/kilometre.The upside, thanks to the seven-speed sports auto is a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.4 seconds and the usual limited top speed of 250km/h.Carsguide appreciates the work done on the transmission, with a variety of driver-friendly modes - including a race-start choice first seen on the AMG Gullwing - as well as improvements to the AMG-specific suspension and the brakes.But there is a range of other upscale stuff, right down to a lane- departure warning system and a red light that glows if you're too close to the car ahead, that salutes the latest Benz technology and brings it down to the C.DESIGNThe two-door Benz looks good as a basic coupe but even better with the AMG gear, right down to the subtle carbon fibre spoiler on the boot of the Performance Pack car. The guards have the been-to-the-gym look, hug down onto the big wheels, and tell the world - especially in sinister black instead of signature silver - that this Benz is not just a badgemobile.The inside work on the average C pays off in the AMG model, particularly the new-look dash with bigger colour display. It's not as impressive as the latest M5, but it works well and so does the tweaking with the leather, good access to the back seats, and even the integration of the bazooka exhaust.SAFETYThe C63 is a Mercedes-Benz and that means lots of good things, even if there is no official ANCAP five-star tick because no-one is likely to smash a $150,000 car for a few numbers.Carsguide believes it's a five-star natural, partly because of the basic body but also thanks to a range of safety systems that includes ABS brakes, ESP stability control, a cabin full of airbags and optional equipment - most likely to be taken by most owners - that runs from blind spot warning to adaptive high beam lamps and much, much more.DRIVINGTurn the key on the C63 and you get what you expect - a V8 whump from the exhaust and the smile that comes in a car that's way beyond everyday transport. This is a car with a lot to like and almost nothing to make you snarl. Yes, the small tank is a nuisance - the fuel gauge is always on the way down - and there seems to be too much tyre thump and roar at first. But it's a luxury car with great leather seats, a reasonable boot and acceptable ground clearance that can also crush you deeply into those seats and crush corners with V8 stonk and wide-tyre grip. You are always aware of the engine and what it can do.It's fun to fiddle with the transmission and ESP settings, which can turn a pussycat into a tiger, but the basic bottom line is that the C63 will make life nicer and doesn't have to be a raging beast. It's easy to park, has good visibility, and the aircon is great. But no-one buys an AMG-mobile without  wanting the fun stuff, and the punch in this compact is best-in-class stuff. It always feels like it wants to run wild.The electronics ensure there is a safety net, but it's not a nanny or a ninny and you know it would be a real hoot on a racetrack with the super-start switch and the ESP set to give you a bit of tail-end sliding action.It's quite nimble and easy to push through corners, yet still has the sort of overall grip that reminds you of a racing car. On the road it is a car that makes HSV and FPV cars look crude, and also puts the M3 in its place. It's not cheap, but the C63 AMG is worth every cent.VERDICTBest in class. Simple as that.MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMGPrice: $154,800 ($14,900 Performance Pack)Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmResale: 53 per cent after 3 yearsService interval: 20,000km/12 monthsSafety: 5 stars (predicted)Engine: 6.2-litre V8, 336kW/600NmBody: Two-door coupeDimensions: 4707mm (L), 1795mm (w), 1391mm (h), weight 1730kgTransmission: Seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveThirst: 12.1l/100km, 95RON, CO2 283g/km.

Foton, which planned to have pickups in showrooms next year, could not meet the price point set by WMC Group and the Australian company has severed ties. WMC says it still intends to have affordable Chinese workhorses in a lineup that currently runs to trucks and buses, with a new partner and distribution plan likely before the end of November. "We couldn't agree on the pricing so we had to walk. Foton is definitely off with us," says Jason Pecotic, chief executive of the WMC Group. "We were about to order the first cars. But we couldn't come close with the pricing." Pecotic will not go into detail, but Foton only wanted to marginally undercut the Toyota HiLux but still charge a premium beyond the Chinese-made Great Wall utes, which would probably have put its P201 ute up against Japanese rivals including the Nissan Navara. The P201 is larger than the Great Wall and has a truck-sourced engine, but Foton is an unproven brand that's also facing pricing challenges in some other countries including South Africa. The WMC decision is the first major setback for Chinese carmakers in Australia, after the earlier arrival of Great Wall, Chery and Geely. But Pecotic says WMC Group still has plans to tap China for an affordable pickup. "We're now looking to source another product. I should have one within four to six weeks. We will be making a statement on that," he says. According to Pecotic, Chinese-made vehicles must have a pricetag that undercuts  Japanese rivals by around 30 per cent and is also better buying than anything from Korea. WMC has extensive Chinese experience as the Australia distributor for JAC trucks and Higer buses. Pecotic hints that JAC could be his next target following under a new product plan. "JAC released news two days ago of a joint venture in China with General Motors to manufacture a pickup. We'll see. There is a lot coming out of China." He believes Fonton will still come to Australia, but with another agent. "I think Foton are back in discussions with another party. I think they will come, but it will depend on pricing," Pecotic says. "Maybe we had to walk to have them go back to the drawing board and come back with a better price."

The Ranger has just won a five-star safety rating from the Euro NCAP safety agency - the first pickup in the world to get the top tick. It now rates in the same class as the locally-made Falcon and Commodore, as well as a range of the world's best cars from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. The Ranger scored 89 per cent for overall safety – the best score ever yet for a pick-up and one of the highest scores recorded by Euro NCAP for any type of vehicle. Even better, its 81 per cent result topped the current Euro NCAP poll for pedestrian protection. The Ranger has just gone on sale in Australia, with a range of work and play models priced from less than $20,000. "With such good pedestrian protection, the Ford Ranger is undoubtedly raising the bar of safety in the category of pick-up trucks, which had until now not proven to be the safest," says Michiel van Ratingen, general secretary of Euro NCAP. The European NCAP result is yet to be ratified by the Australian safety agency, ANCAP, but local results generally reflect the overseas results when it comes to five-star vehicles.

...but this picture highlights the lengths some brands will go to disguise their future models. It shows a facelifted Seat Ibiza on a night run in Spain, with giant spotlights to light the way and also compensate.

...and this Carparazzi shot shows how the Audi RS1 is likely to look when sales begin next year. The big unanswered question is whether it will have all-wheel drive to cope with a turbocharged engine boost.