Articles by Paul Gover

The 911 goes all-new again in 2011.  The latest series of Carparazzi pictures show the upcoming 998 as both a coupe and cabrio.  The look is longer and more aerodynamic, although Porsche is playing with wheels and even fake stick-on air vents ahead of the rear wheels. "We are able to evolve the design. That is pretty rare," Michael Baumann of Porsche tells Carsguide.  He is giving nothing specific away, but confirms the new 911 timing sometime next year. Baumann also says the next-generation Cayman and Boxster, which will follow quickly behind the 911, can stand to be "more radical" in their design than anything the company will risk with its hero. The Carparazzi pictures are definitely not the 911 Turbo, although the smooth look is reminiscent of today's Turbo. And the fake wing fitted to some prototypes is gone. Carparazzi says the other fakery on 998 prototypes includes the rear lamps, which are temporary.  But the nose is newer and points to more-upright headlamps, the side mirrors have definitely migrated back to the doors - to improve drag and visibility - and the engine cover has a new type of cooling with a series of large vents.

... of the day when the rival to the BMW X3 and Audi A3 is finally built in right-hand drive. It comes a step closer soon with this update, which brings a new face and slight changes to the cabin to bring the GLK closer to the new ML flagship.

...and well before the recent tweaking of the Mercedes C-Class and BMW's 3 Series - so it's no surprise the German brand is working on an update.The facelift under this camouflage is expected to take its lead from the latest A6, with a bolder nose as the key point.

... and now we see the Countryman with John Cooper Works tweaking for the first time.The bodywork looks much more aggressive, with a body kit, venting in the bonnet, beefier brakes and bigger wheels. It should be on the road before the end of the year.

The latest Golf is just approaching the middle of its life but already Carparazzi has a good idea of how its successor will look.The next one, which will be the sixth-generation Golf, promises to have more cabin space and more safety gear at a similar price today. On the styling front, we're looking for crisper lines, a smoother front to improve efficiency and pedestrian protection, but a continuation of the basic look of today's Mk5 model.

An all-new Focus is coming soon from Europe but the car will eventually be built at a new factory in Thailand, the country where Ford already manufactures the baby Fiesta. The destination change points to a price-driven future for the car but Ford is standing firm on the bottom line with early deliveries from its factory at Saarlouis in Germany.It is also building a small-car plan to counter the Holden Cruze, which is priced from $20,990. The baby Holden is selling very strongly since a switch to local manufacturing in Adelaide, with a five-door hatch to follow later this year alongside the four-door sedan. Ironically, the localisation of the Cruze mirrors Ford Australia's original plan for the Focus, which was to have been built at Broadmeadows for exports around the Asia-Pacific basin. But that plan was dumped with a change of management and a stronger emphasis on the Territory and a four-cylinder future for the Falcon.Ford is promising big things for the new Focus, which will have a price spread from $19,990 for a 1.6-litre Ambient manual through to $36,090 for the Titanium automatic with turbodiesel engine. "It's a completely new car. New engines and everything. Even the control blade rear end has been tweaked a bit," says Neil McDonald, spokesman for Ford Australia. "It's a vast improvement in technology, quality and, obviously, the styling. It's a significant plank in our 2011 arsenal."The new Focus is part of the whole platform of change this year with 85 per cent of our vehicles either new or updated." One thing missing, at least at first, is an EcoBoost efficiency leader to join the similar EcoBoo st models in the Fiesta and Mondeo."We won't have EcoBoost, at least initially. We're going with a 1.6- litre petrol, a 2.0-litre GTI petrol and a 2.0-litre TDCi diesel," says McDonald. "That leaves the way open for whatever happens in the future."The Focus is still selling relatively well, with 1147 deliveries in June - during its showroom runout - setting a new high for 2011, although the figure is not much better than one-third of the result for the class leading Mazda3. The new Focus is on sale in August.

The airfield, a former military base hidden in lush green countryside about an hour south-east of central London, is best described as shabby.Yet there is no denying the magic in the place, thanks to Top Gear. Dunsfold is the place where the world's favourite motoring show is filmed and also houses the test track where The Stig - whoever or whatever he is this week - does his stuff.Hitting the Top Gear track in the McLaren MP4-12C, with a British touring car race winner along to point the corners, is a win-win-win in anyone's book. Best of all, there are no limits. So long as the car comes back undamaged, the McLaren men are happy to have their car pushed right to the edge. After watching the Stig-ring for years on the television I think I knew it well.But the first surprise is discovering that it's actually a figure-of-eight layout, with a crossover where Chicago corner goes right and the 'tyres' take you left.The second surprise is the runway surface, which is bumpy, broken in places, skittery across some painted markings, and gives you almost zero marker points for braking and turning.So it's not an easy place to drive. It's a giant challenge in a car that cranks the speedo round past 230km/h in places and corners at well over 160.But the McLaren at Dunsfold is F-U-N. We're not playing with Top Gear slides and burnouts, just trying to learn the car and get the maximum speed and grip over every lap, and my adrenalin is pumping.Anything that gets into the 1 minute 20-second bracket on the Power Wall is quick at Dunsfold, and the McLaren settles there easily thanks to its twin-turbo V8, track-tuned adjustable suspension, giant carbon brakes and lightweight race-style construction.It whacks out of corners with a big surge of turbo thrust, brakes incredibly late, and gives you metre-by-metre feedback and grip in every corner. The back slides wide on me a couple of times, once under power and once when I misjudge my braking, and there is some turbo lag, but the 12C is basically a thoroughbred racing car with the comforts of a luxury limo.I get my last big surprise during a full-on race launch when the car rockets to 100km/h in less than four seconds before pushing me over the blind brow that hides the left-handed first corner at more than 200km/h. It is spooky fast.Just when I think it cannot get any better, Jackson chimes in from the passenger seat. "One-nineteen point four. Not bad," he says. At that point we park. Job done.

When grand prix superstars Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button finish work on a Sunday afternoon they drive home in something very special.The McLaren men now have his-and-his McLaren road cars as their F1 team accelerates into the supercar business and a fresh confrontation with Ferrari. The all-new McLaren promises everything from a carbon fibre chassis and 449 kiloWatts to a full leather interior and a breakthrough Australian- developed hydraulic suspension system.It is a direct competitor for the Ferrari 458 Italia and will be on sale in Australia in October for about $500,000. The first 20 orders are already in the system at McLaren HQ in Woking, England but Carsguide cannot wait ...So I'm standing alongside Jay Leno - yes, the Tonight Show host from the USA - in the foyer at McLaren and wondering what I can expect from the supercar with the silly name. The McLaren is called the MP4-12C, a name also drawn from the company's F1 program, and I'm about to take a very exclusive test drive that combines track laps with real-world road time.I know the McLaren will be super-fast, but will it be race car crude? Can it possibly come close to the 458, which I drove just five days ago in Sydney? Will Leno defect to Ferrari after his similar drive?VALUEPutting a price on a supercar is always the toughest thing, because everyone who buys a McLaren will be a multi-millionaire and is likely to have at least four other cars in the garage.So there is a load of technology, most of the world's high-tech motoring materials, and the chance to customise the car to their exact desire. The cabin is not as instantly impressive as the 458, and misses the gorgeous smell of the Ferrari's Italian leather, but the equipment ticks all the boxes for target buyers.The base price undercuts the 458 but that's without the optional brakes, so the 12C is likely to be line-ball on the bottom line. On resale, McLaren says the results will be similar to a Ferrari, but no-one knows yet. But its big advantage is that you're very unlikely to pull up alongside another McLaren at the coffee shop on Saturday morning.TECHNOLOGYThe 12C taps all sorts of F1 technology, from its once-piece carbon chassis to the operation of the paddle-shift gearbox and even a 'brake- steer' system at the rear end that was banned in grand prix racing. There is also the brilliant hydraulic suspension that means the end of anti-roll bars and three choices of stiffness.The engine is similarly high-tech, and deliberately turbocharged to get the best efficiency in output and emissions. So the 3.8-litre V8, with a turbo for each bank of cylinders, makes 441kW at 7000 revs, 600 Newton-metres of torque at 3000-7000 revs, as well as claimed fuel economy of 11.6 litres/100km with C02 emissions of 279 grams/kilometre.The more you dig the more you find, from the air-brake rear wing to adjustable settings for the engine and suspension and stability control, and even a chassis that is so high-tech there is only two kilograms difference in the loadings on the front tyres - provided the windscreen washer bottle is full.DESIGNThe shape of the 12C is a slow burn. It seems conservative at first, at least compared with a 458 or Gallardo, but it grows on you and is likely to age well. My favourite shapes are the rear-view mirrors and the exhaust tips in the tail.Inside, the cabin is understated but well done. The seats are well shaped, the control location is excellent, and siting the aircon switches on the doors is a great move. On those doors, the scissor-lift design is brilliant, although you still have to stretch over the sills to the seats.There is also handy luggage space in the nose but, for me, the text in the dash is too small, the operation of the paddle shift requires too much effort and the brake pedal is too small for left-foot operation.I'd also like to see warning lights as you approach the 8500 redline, and not just a small green arrow hinting at an upshift.SAFETYThere will never be an ANCAP safety score for the 12C, but McLaren has an impressive answer to my safety question. It used the same car for all three compulsory front-end crash tests and only had to replace the collapsible impact sections and body panels - without even breaking the windscreen.It also comes with the ABS necessary for sales in Australia and one of the most high-tech stability control systems in the world, as well as front and side airbags.DRIVINGThe McLaren is a great drive. It is racecar quick and responsive on a track, yet sublimely quiet and comfortable on ordinary roads. The best things on the road are the great view over the super-low nose, the mid-range surge from the turbo V8, the overall refinement and the impressive quietness.This really is a car you could drive every day, leaving it in full- auto settings for commuting or relaxing for a long interstate haul. The suspension is so smooth and soft and compliant it sets a new standard for supercars, and even appliances like the Toyota Camry.There is some turbo lag below 4000 revs, one of the 12C test cars had a metallic graunching noise in the front suspension, and a change of suppliers means there is no chance to check the infotainment system.I would also prefer a lighter touch on the paddle shift, a bigger brake pedal and perhaps some upshift warning lights in the - brilliantly shaped - steering wheel.On the track, the McLaren is sensational. It is so, so fast - 3.3 seconds to 100km/h, top speed of 330km/h - but ridiculously easy to drive. You can go easily fast enough in full auto settings but switch to the track positions and the 12C has limits well beyond the reach of even talented drivers.But there is an elephant in the room, and it's called the Ferrari 458. Driven so soon after the Italian hero, I can say the McLaren is not as emotional or challenging or smile making as its rival. The 12C feels faster on the track, and is definitely more relaxed on the road, which means it should win any comparison.But there are people who want the badge and the theatre that comes with the 458.VERDICTThe McLaren ticks all the supercar boxes. It is bold, fast, rewarding and - ultimately - a great drive. The 12C - despite that name - is also a car for every day and every job. It can dribble to the shops and it can also make you feel like an F1 star on the track.But there is always that Ferrari lurking in the background, so you have to consider the 458. For me, the bottom line is the difference between lust and love.The Ferrari is a car you desire to drive, have to thrash, want to enjoy, and need to show off to your friends. The McLaren is more low-key, yet probably a touch quicker, and a car which would get better over time - instead of bringing headaches.So, for me and provided I could get a couple of little things tweaked, the McLaren MP4-12C is the winner.And, just for the record, Hamilton has chosen racer red paint for his 12C while Button prefers basic black, and Jay Leno has gone for volcanic orange. Mine? I'd take it in McLaren's classic racing orange, with the sports pack and black wheels.McLaren MP4-12CEngine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8, 441kW/600NmBody: Two-door coupeWeight: 1435kgTransmission: 7-speed DSG, rear-wheel driveThirst: 11.6L/100km, 98RON, CO2 279g/km

Price cuts and extra equipment in both the baby Jazz and family-sized Accord have nearly tripled recent showroom results for the Japanese brands, which had been struggling for sales through the early months of 2011. "It's definitely working. We're definitely back on shopping lists," says Lindsay Smalley, senior director of Honda Australia, at the opening of the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne. "Sales of the Jazz have really jumped. They've nearly tripled." Honda is also being helped by a return to normal production numbers in Japan as the company finally gets back to full capacity after the disastrous earthquake and tsunami in March. Smalley says Honda is well placed for buyers, with no waiting lists in Australia. It's a contrast to Toyota, which is still struggling with supplies of popular models including the Corolla and HiLux. Brand T usually sells more than 20,000 cars each June but its 2011 result was off by more than 8000 vehicles because of short supplies. At Honda, Smalley says the new value-added strategy is working and tapping into the latest customer demand for the right prices. He says the tripling of Accord VTi figures is directly linked to the recent strategy to improve specification and "adjust" pricing. The starting price of the VTi came down by more than $4000, from $32,490 to $28,199, in a move that also saw close to $2000 slashed from the price of the Accord Euro. At the bottom end, the Jazz is now prices from $14,990 - a $2000 cut - while the car has a five-star ANCAP crash rating, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. "We've tried a lot of things with product value but at the end of the day sticker price is a real driver for our customers," Smalley says.

The two-door newbie joins the existing C63 sedan and wagon that have made the V8-powered hotrod a long-term success in Australia, and contributed to one of the best AMG sales rates anywhere in the world. Previewed at the Australian International Motor Show, after a last- minute flight from Germany, the C63 Coupe is still more than two months away from local driveways and an inevitable local shootout with the rival BMW M3. But it is touting a powerplant with 336 kiloWatts and 600 Newton- metres in a two-door body that joins the regular C-Class lineup next month. Mercedes-Benz buyers are expected to rush to the new coupe - in both forms - but the company sees extra growth potential in the C63. "The reason we air-freighted that car to Australia for the show was because people wanted to see it. You don't pay the equivalent of three Qantas business-class airfares just to fill a spot on the stand," says David McCarthy, spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Austraslia. "There are people who want the Coupe. It's a spot that's been lacking in our range. The C63 comes in September, a month after the regular Coupe." While shoppers will line the C63 up against BMW's benchmark two-door M3, McCarthy is almost dismissive of the rival. "People see the coupe as a competitor to the M3, but we don't see it that way. It only sells about one-third of our C63 volume, so the M3 is only a niche player." AMG sales are continuing to boom through the first half of 2011 and the addition of the C63 is expected to produce a new record total at the end of the year. "It only depends on supply. Last year we did 507 C63s, with about 50 Estates, and we have more than 30 orders for the two-door. With the new Coupe I expect that last year's figure will be surpassed, but it's too early in the year to say." The motor show car was displayed in plain Diamond White, but there was plenty of colour at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre with a special CLS coupe in Le Mans red, and even a tiny Smart ForTwo in the Jaffa orange - part of a $5000 tickle - used for a special AMG CLK at last year's Sydney show. Away from the hotrod hero, Benz confirmed at the show that the starting price for the all-new SLK would be coming down by $10,000. Even so, it was a fully-loaded SLK 200 - with Fire Opal paintwork and the costly new high-tech 'sky roof' - that was rolled into the spotlight. "It just continues our price-value strategy. That's what customers want: more equipment and better value. We had an opportunity with that car, again, to provide that," says McCarthy. Pricing for the new C-Class Coupe is also set from less than $70,000 for the C250 CDI, with the promise of 5.1 litres/100km economy and CO2 emissions from 134 grams/kilometre. "The Coupe will come in August, complete with the new facia, transmission change and 1000-plus other improvements that have just come in the sedan. We're doing them all at once - sedan, wagon and then coupe," says McCarthy. No-one at Benz is naming the price for the racey red CLS, as the paint alone - applied on the company's G-Class four-wheel drive production line - cost an extra $30,000. The car, tweaked from the Designo catalogue, is likely to follow last year's Jaffa hero car into a special display and sales program after its time at the motor show.