Articles by Paul Gover

The newest stretched Roller is testing in England after its public unveiling at the New York motor show. It's the Ghost, which is headed for the same sort of model stretch as the larger Phantom flagship, starting with a long-wheelbase model and eventually including a coupe and convertible.

The bare-bones British sports car company is now in the hands of Tony Fernandes, a Malaysian businessman who owns Air Asia Bhd as well as the Lotus grand prix team. There is even talk that Fernandes could re-brand his F1 outfit as Caterham if he loses an ongoing dispute with Renault F1 over use of  the Lotus name in Formula One. There are obvious implications from the buyout in Australia, as Caterham has only sold three cars since 2007 and faces an end to its  operations in 2013 because the cars are not available with the ESP  stability control that becomes mandatory across the country from 2012. "We're living on borrowed time at the moment. Hopefully this means  good things," the managing director of Caterham Cars Australia, Chris van Wyk, says. "Caterhams tells me it will not bother with this traction control nonsense because they don't need it for Europe. But I surmise that Caterham will have more support and investment in  future. Everything I'm hearing about the new ownership is up a level.  In that case, the chance of them doing ESP may improve." Caterham has never been a big seller in Australia, partly because of  relatively high pricing for a car which is basically unchanged since  it was created by Lotus founder Colin Chapman as the Lotus 7 in the 1950s. The Caterham is a no-frills, open two-seater that is often sold  as a kit car - something not possible in Australia - in other countries. A price cut this year has generated more interest but van Wyk is still  disappointed by the lack of interest in the cars. "It's really a Claytons franchise at the moment. I've only sold three  cars since 2007," he admits. "The so-called 'clubman' inquiry in Australia is at the $30,000 level. And we're not there. It's very frustrating, because I love the brand  and the product. I thought we would get a few sales now we're $55,000 or $60,000 driveway, but it hasn't happened." Fernandes says he intends to make Caterham - which only sold 500 cars  in 2010 - into a global brand in the exclusive sports car class of  brands such as Aston Martin. Caterham, named after the London suburb where it was originally based, employs about 100 people at a factory south of the British capital and  posted a $2 million profit last year. But van Wyk has seen one positive from the Fernandes buy-in, and a new Caterham that's painted in the same colours as this year's Lotus F1  cars driven by Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen. "I have a very good prospect that wants a car in the Lotus livery. So  that's a positive," van Wyk says.

We haven't even seen the all-new Mercedes-Benz SLK in Australia, but already the go-faster crew at AMG in Germany are working on their flagship. The next SLK 55 should be here around the middle of next year with AMG's latest 5.5-litre V8 under the bonnet and a bunch of other upgrades to the suspension, brakes, tyres and wheels.Carparazzi caught the car outside a McDonalds restaurant, proving that even AMG engineers have to eat, during track tests in Germany. The obvious keys to an AMG upgrade are all visible in the picture, from the cross-drilled brake discs and bigger wheels to a four-pipe exhaust system. Now we're waiting for news of a Black Series workover on the SLK . . .

The replacement for the Gallardo has been spotted several times and now speculation in Europe is shifting to the name. Jota - a name from the past - is widely tipped but Lamborghini is always looking to the future these days, so the car could easily wear different badges once the camouflage in this Carparazzi picture is stripped away.

Even without a price, but with a confirmed 0-100km/h sprint in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 330km/h, they have been snapped up by keen drivers and collectors. Anyone who wants a car will be waiting until at least the start of 2012, or potentially longer, to park the Ferrari rival in their driveway. McLaren has now confirmed its Australia showroom will be in Alexandria in Sydney as part of the Trivett Group, as it races to satisfy customer demand from its base in Britain. Two other McLaren road rockets are also underway, while the British company - best known for the Formula One team currently headlined by world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button - is also developing a race-ready 12C coupe. "The allocation for this year, which is 15 cars, are all pre-sold, says McLaren's Asia-Pacific marketing chief, Ian Gorsuch. "We're already well into next year, with an allocation of 30-40 cars. And that's without the price." The first delivery will happen in October and it won't be a celebrity delivery like the ones for Shane Warne, Australia's most famous Lamborghini driver. "To be quite frank, I don't know who it is. If you're the first person on the list you will be the first person to get a car. We're being transparent about that," he says. The 12C is expected to cost more than $500,000 in Australia but, as McLaren works flat-out on a new factory at its base in Woking, it is already trailing demand. "Worldwide we're at about an 18-month or two-year order bank. The new factory comes online in May-June of next year," says Gorsuch. He refuses to name any of the Australia buyers but says they are not just Ferrari owners who want test the McLaren experience. "The very first ones are all the typical early adopters. They are the ones who have to have the car. They put a deposit down without even knowing the price. "The ones coming through now are less into drama, and have more of an understanding of the engineering. They are quite considered." Gorsuch says McLaren is already being hit with special requests that will be handled by a division called McLaren Owner Exclusive. It goes beyond such things as colour choice - McLaren says it can do anything short of the very special chrome silver on its F1 cars - and the Corsa tyre and lightweight package options already available. "We have people asking for the silver of the race cars, but we cannot supply it as it's only intended to endure for the race distance. Still, we're working on it." Gorsuch says McLaren has an aggressive plan for its road car division, starting with the GT3 race version just announced but yet to be made public. "The first unveiling of the 12C was a few months ago, so almost annually there will be something cropping up. We'll have a complete range of models and derivatives from the middle of the decade. And we want something new and fresh each year."

The combined effect of the Easter and Anzac Day break, with many people taking extended family time, resulted in a sales total for the month that was 8.8 per cent down on 2010. Official VFacts figures out today put the April total at 74,214, with Toyota continuing its long-term reign as showroom leader ahead of Holden, but with Hyundai up to third. The downturn was reflected in both passenger car and SUV sales, although the long-term results still point to a solid one-million year at the end of December. "People are entitled to a break. It looks like a lot of people took extended holidays in April," Andrew McKellar, head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, tells Carsguide. "That's the main contributing factor to the April result. We always expected the first half of this year would be softer than the final quarter of last year, but the first quarter is a little weaker than we expected." The April result - which was down by 7187 sales over 2010 - means the running today for the year is now 10,550 and 3.2 per cent behind last year. Even so, McKellar is confident about the rest of the year and the impact of a growing number of new models, led by the Ford Territory and Holden Cruze headliners. "At the moment we're still definitely on track for over a million this year," he says. April sales results: 1. Toyota, 13,683 2. Holden, 9113 3. Hyundai, 6857 4. Ford, 6465 5. Mazda, 6346 6. Mitsubishi, 5281 7. Nissan, 4248 8. Volkswagen, 3032 9. Subaru, 2457 10. Honda, 2445

New research from Britain says bird droppings are not the corrosive danger that people have long feared, although droppings are still associated with damage to paintwork. Autoglym, a leading car care company, says the damage actually comes when paintwork warms and then cools and moulds to the uneven texture of the hardened guano. "As paint lacquer warms - in the direct summer sunshine for example - it softens and expands. At the same time, that heat dries and hardens any bird droppings on the surface," says Autoglym. "As the paint lacquer cools, overnight for example, it contracts, hardens and moulds around the texture of the bird dropping. To the naked eye, this moulding at a microscopic level appears as dulled or etched paintwork. The light's reflection is interrupted by the imperfect surface, unlike the undamaged paint surrounding it which gives a clearer reflection." Autoglym worked hard to understand the effect of poop, using strongly acidic, neutral and strongly alkali bird dropping 'substitutes' in long-term trials. It found the biggest differences in damage when researchers varied the grain-to-liquid content, as a grainier texture caused greater light distortion and dullness when the paint moulded around it. Autoglym says the best defence is to remove any poop as soon as possible, as even wax and polish treatments that protect against chemical attack from acid raid and UV sun damage provide limited protection from the paint moulding to bird droppings, although they will make them easier to remove. To minimise the effect of bird droppings on your car's bodywork: 1. Remove the deposit as soon as possible. 2. Use a moist cloth to gently lift the deposit. 3. If the poop is dry or doesn't lift easily, place a moist cloth over it for ten minutes to soften the deposit 4. Immediately dispose of any cloth or wipe as bird lime can harbour diseases

The Swedish brand has struggled for cash since it was sold by General Motors to the Spyker sports car company and its entreprenurial owner Victor Muller, but has now formed a strategic alliance with the Hawtai Motor Group. The Chinese company is investing a total of $203 million in Saab through a 29.9 per cent shareholding and a loan that matches an earlier financial boost from the Gemini group in Europe. The new money means Saab's production line at Trollhatten will begin operating again next week after a shutdown triggered by component companies that had not been paid. "Production is going to re-start at the earliest on Monday, and the latest on Tuesday," Saab chairman, Victor Muller, says in a telephone hook-up from Europe. He believes Saab now has the cash it needs to go forward, as well as a strategic partner that will produce the 9-3 in China and also handle distribution of other Saab models in the world's fastest-growing car market. "All things being equal, I hope we've seen the last of the growing pains," says Muller. He is enthusiastic about everything from the prospects of Saab's much- needed baby car, the 9-2, to the potential for a large SUV for China, but says it is too early to get into detail. "We're currrently putting together a business plan for the joint venture." Muller says Saab was approached by a dozen companies about some sort of partnership, but Hawtai was chosen because it is a similar size to Saab and has similarly aggressive management and growth plans. "We have been courted by at least a dozen individual mnaufa for cooperation in China.We chose this one for many reasons, but one in particular is that it is a very entreprenurial company. Their size is very attractive. So they are a very equal partner."

The Japanese brand has won a massive contract to supply 21st century transport to the Big Apple and is using its compact NV200 as the base. It's promising everything from an efficient 2.0-litre engine and comfy seats for four to a 'low annoyance' horn. There will even be a sunroof to give visitors a view of the city and a mobile charging station for passengers including two USB ports.Safety is also kicked up with curtain airbags for rear-seat passengers, sliding doors for easier access, and special lights that trigger when the doors are opening.To sweeten the deal, Nissan also intends to use New York cabs in a new trial for its plug-in Leaf electric car - just voted as the World Car of the Year for 2011.The NV200 won a taxi search that began in late 2013, when the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission - which is responsible for more than 13,000 cabs travelling more than 800 million kilometres a year on the city's streets - started looking for a car that would meet the city's future needs.The cab also had to be hailed as a winner by the 600,000 passengers who travel by taxi each day in the Big Apple. The Nissan NV200 taxi will be built at the company's factory in Cuernavaca, Mexico."The city's Taxi of Tomorrow is the Nissan NV 200 - and it's going to be the safest, most comfortable and most convenient cab the city has ever had," says New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

Next of the newcomers could be a mini peoplemover caught during hot weather testing in the USA. It's a six-seater that's codenamed SO and could translate the concept car design from the 2008 Geneva Motor Show into a rival for the compact Opel Zafira and a bunch of other baby wagons. There's no news yet of any MPV addition for Australia.