Articles by Paul Gover

THERE is a touch of Goldilocks about the new BMW X3. The X1 is too small for families with children, the X5 is too big and costly for most people, which means the X3 is ... well, just right.It still takes at least $62,200 to get into an X3, but it is a vast improvement over the previous model and a realistic alternative to a range of mid-sized prestige SUVs led by the Volvo XC60 and Audi Q5. BMW even believes it will lure some customers who might be shopping for a Mercedes ML.The revamp of the X3 comes from a back-to-basics assessment of the class and contenders, as well as people's needs. The result is a car that is almost the same size as the original X5 and far more sophisticated than the first X3, including a mechanical package that BMW Australia says is unique and not just a re-work of something from the 3-Series parts bin.There is no price increase on the X3 starter car and BMW Australia has even cut the price of the petrol-powered model while adding more equipment in both cars. It's a welcome move but one that is being done by a lot of companies in 2011, thanks to the strength of the Australian dollar and the level of competition in showroooms.Even so, the X3 comes with a premium pricetag - $62,200 for the turbodiesel-powered xDrive20d and $71,900 for the xDrive28i, with the flagship xDrive30d coming later at $74,900.The good thing is the value is reflected in a car which now has the class and comfort to match the bottom line. BMW has also loaded the X3 with everything from its eight-speed automatic gearbox to a two-way split rear seat, and there is a head-up instrument display available. But the basic X3 misses leather seats, something BMW justifies because it's the same in the Q5.Every BMW comes loaded with cool stuff and the X3 headlines an impressive iDrive system that now give full Bluetooth functionality and iPod connection. But there is also on-demand ancilliary systems for the engine to cut fuel use, as well as a stop-start system, regenerative braking and low rolling-resistance tyres.BMW says its X-drive all-wheel drive leads the class thanks to superior electronic controls and that the 2-litre turbodiesel leads the class for fuel efficiency.The new X3 looks more mature and more imposing. That's partly down to its size, and partly to a move to model it on the original X5. The shape is more X5-ish but also fits well into the current BMW family, with a body that uses a lot of aluminium to come in with a 25- kilo advantage over the previous model.The cabin is far roomier and classier than before, the back seat has proper adult space, and there is reasonable luggage capacity in the tail end. That's help, though, by the absence of a spare tyre as the X3 uses runflat tyres.The X3 is a guaranteed five-star performer with everything from impressive ESP stability control and brilliant ABS brakes to a cabin filled with airbags. It's good to see a rear-view camera as standard on a vehicle with such a family focus, although BMW's head-up display is a non-event if you were polarized sunglasses to combat Aussie glare.Taking the worst first, the ride comfort in the basic X3 is not good. The runflat tyres on the 20d driven by Carsguide turn potholes into thump-bang annoyances and cannot cope with typical Australian secondary road conditions. But that's about all there is on the complaints' list.The new X3 is plush, comfortable, pretty brisk and definitely a car that's up at the top of its class. The 20d gets along very smartly, provided you switch the transmission to sport, and can also run very quietly and frugally in any conditions. It has all the gear you expect for the price and class, although BMW Australia has typically loaded the press preview cars with a lot of (extra cost) optional equipment.The 28i is even better, without the runflat unpleasantness and with a truly sweet engine that's both smooth and very responsive on twisty roads. Both X3s sit flat in corners as you expect on a BMW, have lost the nasty pitchy ride of the previous model, and generally feel more like an X5 than the original X3.So now we are left wondering why the original was so underdone when BMW always had the ability to build a vehicle that could go head-to-head with the XC60 and Q5 and likely come out on top.What the X3 should always have been.

Production has been stopped at most factories this week, with Honda extending its shutdown through until at least Sunday, despite minimal damage at the big car plants that are located to the south of Tokyo. The problems caused by the quake include everything from damage to component supply companies and power interruptions in the disaster zone to the time needed for workers to re-connect with family members affected by the events. There are also concerns about damage to port facilities needed for exports, including shipments to Australia. The only direct casualty was a death at Honda's research-and-development centre at Tochigi, although 16 other people were also injured. The Australian outposts of the Japanese brands are still battling to get information and any long-term predictions, although there is at least one chilling story from Nissan. "Head office in Yokohama is on skeleton staff; many hundreds stayed there on Friday night, some walked 20 kilometres home," says Nissan Australia's Jeff Fisher, speaking soon after the quake. Nissan's port facilities at Hitachi were also badly affected by the tsunami. But Fisher reassures supporters of the brand's sports cars, which are built at the Tochigi factory which was affected by the quake "We have recently received a major shipment of GT-R and Model Year 2011 Z-car from Tochigi so have supply for the next couple of months or so," he says. At Honda, the short-term worry is for 113 suppliers in the quake zone and the ongoing interruptions to its operations at Tochigi. It is already predicting the loss of around 16,000 vehicles it was planning to build. Mazda, the biggest pure import brand, says it is not expecting much impact. "Based on current information, the disaster is unlikely to have any major effect on stock supply to Australia in the short term. Mazda will continue to closely monitor the situation to assess what other effects it may have," says Mazda spokesman, Steve Maciver. "Mazda's production plants have not been damaged (but the company) will announce any further production changes for March 17 onward as soon as a decision is made. Even so, Mazda is already joining the relief effort. "As a first response, Mazda is making an immediate donation of 30 million Yen ($368,000) to support rescue efforts and assistance in the region. Mazda plans to monitor the situation and will also make badly needed materials - along with personnel - available as required," the company says. Toyota is expecting to lose 40,000 vehicles from its short-term production schedule but there is little information yet on the potential knock-on effect in Australia. "It's too early to provide any accurate information. Toyota places utmost priority on ensuring the safety of all team members at Toyota, its subsidiary vehicle manufacturers such as Central and Kanto, and at its suppliers, as well as on confirming the safety of their family members," says Mike Breen, spokesman for Toyota Australia. Mitsubishi is still waiting for word from Japan but says the one Australian in Japan on business is safe, although it took longer than normal to return to Tokyo for a flight home to Adelaide. Suzuki has probably done best among the big carmakers. "It appears Suzuki has escaped damage. The earthquake's epicenter was located nearly 400 kilometres north of Tokyo while Suzuki's headquarters are in Hamamatsu City, which is 250 kilometres south of Tokyo," says Suzuki spokesman, Andrew Ellis. Subaru was also lucky on the location of its Japanese operations. "Our main factory is located at Gunma, northwest of Tokyo. This is inland and a long way from the epicentre.  Our cars are shipped ex Yokohama and the extent of damage between the factory and there is still be assessed," says Dave Rowley of Subaru Australia. HONDA: Factories closed until Sunday. MAZDA: Two factories shut Tuesday and Wednesday. MITSUBISHI: Factories closed until Tuesday. NISSAN: Tochigi factory and engine plant shut until today (Friday). SUZUKI: Factories shut until at least Wednesday. TOYOTA: Factories shut until Wednesday (at the earliest).  

Ford is already committed to the Australian-designed Ranger for 2011 and now Holden is closing fast on an all-new Colorado. The red team's contender will be revealed next week at the Bangkok Motor Show, a location chosen because the vehicle will be built in Thailand. Chevrolet has just released a teaser picture ahead of the unveiling that shows a chunkier and more-aggressive front end that's typical of the latest generation of work-and-play utes. The all-new Colorado is likely to be a bit bigger than the current model, just as the Ranger grows from the existing model, and in showrooms in the early part of 2012. It's far too early to speculate on details, although Ford is setting the bar high with features such as the rear-view camera  system it has developed to boost safety on the Ranger. The next Colorado marks a giant change in the history of the Holden ute, as General Motors severs the final ties to Isuzu on the project. It dropped the long-running Rodeo name when the current ute hit the road, but the upcoming model will signal the severing of light-commercial ties to Isuzu of Japan. Currently, the Colorado starts life as the Isuzu D-Max but the new model is the result of a completely new project which has Brazil as the 'home room' - a process used for all of GM's global models - for the ute. GM Holden confirms that the Colorado continues in Australia but is keeping any significant details secret for at least the next few weeks. "There is a new Colorado range on the horizon," admits Holden spokesman, Jonathan Rose. "The Chevrolet show car to be premiered in Bangkok marks the first phase in the reveal process for the new range. We will make more announcements around Colorado in Australia in due course." Chevy says it chose Bangkok for the debut because the popularity of small pickups in a country where 43 per cent of vehicles sold in Bangkok last year were pickups.

It scored the five-star safety ranking in a fresh round of NCAP testing in Europe that includes the first results for an electric car - a four-star score for the Mitsubishi iMiEV. The Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot's iOn, which share the basic design of the iMiEV, also got a four-star score. In other results, the Hyundai ix20 - a baby MPV under consideration for local sales - also got five stars and the bargain Dacia Duster was a three-star disappointment. The Mitsubishi result with the iMiEV wins praise from the head of Euro NCAP, Dr Michiel van Ratingen, "We recognize the efforts done by Mitsubishi to demonstrate that plug-  in battery powered cars can be as safe as others. It shows that a future 5 star accolade for EVs is not unthinkable," he says. "Whether produced by established car manufacturers or by new players on the market, consumers should expect to get electric vehicles that meet the same safety standards as conventional vehicles." Euro NCAP confirms its real-world emphasis by testing the iMiEV with 'live' batteries, also emphasising the post-crash battery integrity and operation of the battery cut-off switch. At the same time as the latest European results, the Kia Optima - already one of the surprising delights in Australia in 2010 - became the first Korean car to achieve the highest safety rating from the National Highway Transport Safety Administration in the USA. It gets a five-star ranking under a system that includes tougher new crash tests.  

It's the Morgan 3-Wheeler, which is about to hit the road again after being considered extinct for more than 60 years. The original 3-Wheelers were built by Morgan from 1911 to 1939 and were away to avoid motoring tax, as they were considered motorcycles and not cars. Recent interest in the 3-Wheeler, as well as a potential need to offset the CO2 emissions of V8-powered models in the Morgan lineup, prompted a show car last year and now the company is pushing into production. "As things stand, the Morgan factory has over 300 orders and they are planning to built 200 this year," says the Australian agent for Morgan, Chris van Wyk. The 3-Wheeler is even more basic than a Tata Nano from India, using a Harley-Davidson style vee-twin engine mounted in the nose and hooked to a five-speed Mazda gearbox feeding a vee-belt drive to the back wheel, with a tiny two-seater cabin behind. Morgan describes driving the 3-Wheeler as "an adventure" and is deliberately targeting the car at people who want something very, very different. "From the design viewpoint, the focus was set on making the car as close to an aeroplane as possible, while retaining handy extra space for driver, passenger and a holdall in the rear. But above all the Morgan three-wheeler is designed for one purpose alone, to make driving fun." It touts sports car-style grip in corners and answers safety concerns with a reinforced tubular chassis, twin rollover bars and seat belts - but there are no airbags, ESP stability control or ABS brakes. It's the lack of safety gear that makes the 3-Wheeler a non-starter for Australia, even if it looks suitably retro with a range of body treatments including a Battle of Britain themed livery including aircraft markings. "The three-wheeler is homologated for use on planet Earth, but alas excluding Australia," says Morgan agent, Chris van Wyk. "More work and expense is required if it is ever to be available for sale over here."

It's the plug-in hybrid i8, a supercar for the future beyond 2014. BMW Group is going flat-out on its plans for a range of electric cars - from the baby i3 right up to the Rolls-Royce Phantom - and has a whole new sub-brand under the MegaCity badge to headline the shift.The i8 will be the hero car for the i lineup - just as the M3 always leads for BMW M - and is developed from the Vision EfficientDynamics concept coupe that starred at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Carparazzi caught the i8 during cold-weather testing in northern Sweden and reports that it has more than enough punch for a 4.8-second sprint to 100km/h and some entertaining sideways slides on a frozen test track.The i8 will have a $200,000-plus pricetag when it arrives, most likely sometime in 2013, and Carparazzi reports that BMW could dump the thrifty diesel engine used for the concept car in favour of a turbocharged small-capacity four-cylinder petrol motor to work as part of its hybrid system.

JASON Richards is planning to be cancer free and ready for Bathurst, starting with a Ferrari cameo this weekend at the Clipsal 500 meeting.  The BOC Commodore racer has stepped down from his V8 Supercar seat while he battles cancer but could not resist a guest drive in the  Australian GT Championship opener in Adelaide.TODD Kelly joins the 150 club in Adelaide this weekend when he clocks  up a milestone V8 Supercar start at the Clipsal 500. The Jack Daniel's  racer is the 16th driver to hit the 150 mark and will do it at a track  where he was a winner with the Holden Racing Team in 2007.MARK Webber's young protege, New Zealander Mitch Evans, heads to the  GP3 championship in Europe with another title in the bag. The 16-year-old has just become the latest Toyota Racing Series champ after dominating the series in New Zealand.SCOTT Pye has had a promising start to his campaign in the British F3  International Series, setting the fifth-fastest time in a shakedown at  Silverstone with his new team, Double-R Racing. Pye was only three-tenths of a second behind the pace setter and is looking forward to  his race debut at the Monza circuit in Italy in early April.MARCOS Ambrose has become a team owner in the USA with a late-model  stock car program including another transplanted Australian racer,  George Miedecke. Ambrose plans to mentor Miedecke as he tries to  follow him into NASCAR racing after some promising starts last year in  America.DAVID Brabham is facing another busy year, joining Stone Brothers  Racing for the V8 Supercar endurance races while racing a sports car  in the USA's major events and tackling the FIA GT1 series in Europe.  Brabham will race a Nissan GT-R in the GT1 title, driving for the  British Sumo team that includes former F1 drivers Riccardo Zonta and  Enrique Bernoldi.ELEVEN of Australia's brightest young talents will compete in a Fujitsu-backed development program this year, aiming for a test drive  that could take them to the next level. The Cool Driver initiative  sees seven kart racers - Jason LeCocq, Brody Appleby, Renee Gracie, Damon Strongman, Joey Mawson, Royce Nott and Todd Hazelwood - vying for a test in a Formula Ford and four Formula Ford drivers - Cameron  Waters, Nick Foster, Shae Davies and Rhett Noonan - hoping to win a  test in a V8 Supercar.

The retired Olympic swimmer proves it pretty regularly and does it again as he trumps a 12-star field - and a couple of motoring journalists - during a fun run around the Melbourne Showgrounds.The occasion is the Top Gear Live celebration, which includes a series of display drives around a short-and-narrow course mapped through the access roads in the Showgrounds. It's far too dinky for the driver of the classic Elfin to unleash his Formula 5000 racer, but good enough for the celeb contenders in a timed shootout that runs as a backdrop to the Melbourne leg of James May and Jeremy Clarkson's world tour.The best thing about the celebrity challenge, and the reason for a Carsguide cameo, is the cars. Renault has brought a couple of its perky little Clio hatches along for the event, and they are the hotrod 147 kiloWatt RS 200 Gordini Edition. For people who don't know, Gordini has a long history in the France with race and fast road cars.It's a bit like Holden Special Vehicles, with a focus on the baby cars that have been Renault bedrock for generations. The Gordini looks a bit special with a pair of racing stripes over the top, but it's when I turn they key that it really comes alive. It's surprisingly quick, incredibly responsive, and just plain fun.And that's before I head onto the course at the Showgrounds. Australia is now picking up a growing selection of hot hatches from Europe and the Gordini becomes an instant favourite alongside the latest Polo GTi from Volkswagen and the rorty - but expensive - John Cooper Works version of the Mini Cooper S.Just over $40,000 is not cheap, but - apart from a steering column that doesn't adjust for rake - there is no much else to complain about. The Gordini really jumps around the Showground and is quick enough to have celebrity trainer Nathan Pretty - a handy V8 Supercar co-driver at Bathurst and now a V8 ute racer - jumping for cover as I cut one corner tighter than he expects.There is little chance to run through the slick six-speed gearbox but the brakes are great and the suspension keeps the wheels planted on the slippery surface. Later, running back to Melbourne airport, the Gordini is good fun and easy to nip through gaps and ease around some favourite corners. It's a smiley car - and that ticks the box for Carsguide.Pretty really earns his money as the celebrities run through the program, with a wide range of ability and a 13-second spread between Welsh and Vince Colosimo on a run that takes barely 90 seconds. Welsh is eventually a full four seconds quicker than Paul Chapman - Carsguide would have been second - and shows the benefit of years of training and practice.He applies similar dedication to his driving as he used for success in swimming, even arriving at the Showgrounds in a pair of custom driving shoes, in a lesson to anyone who wants to be a better drive. "Matt was always pretty keen. I've seen him at a lot of events," says  Pretty."He used to turn up all the time when I was doing stuff with Holden. He's pretty good. "I wish everyone was like that. This job can get a bit scary at times."

A Porsche 962 that won Le Mans, as well as the outrageous 911-based 'Moby Dick' sports car, have been freed from the Porsche museum in Germany for hot laps at Australia's biggest historic race meeting.On the Formula 5000 front, a huge international field with drivers from Europe, the USA, New Zealand and Australia will compete at a track where the single seaters are able to stretch their legs to more than 280km/h. More than 500 cars are entered at Phillip Island in a range of races for everything from pre-war classics through to relatively modern sports and sedan cars.There are capacity grids for both the historic touring cars and production sports cars. Off the track, there a special displays to celebrate a range of anniversaries - the 60th year of Porsche in Australia, the 50th birthday of the Jaguar E-Type, and the 40th anniversary of the Falcon XY GT and the 1971 Bathurst 500 victory by the famous GTHO.The best racing is likely to be in the Formula 5000 contests and the races for big-banger sports cars, where four Le Mans Porsches, six V8-  powered Lolas, a Ford GT4 and a Sauber-Mercedes C9 will be battling for first place. Practice and qualifying at Phillip Island starts today (SUBS: Friday) with races tomorrow and Sunday.

Normal production is expected to resume today (Wed) at most companies following a shutdown to assess damage and allow staff to settle any family problems.Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, lost an estimated 40,000 Units of vehicle production during its shutdown in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami but is now ready to go again.The only two companies currently extending their shutdown are Nissan and Honda, which were both closer to the quake zone than the brands with headquarters and manufacturing operations south of Tokyo.Honda lost one employee to the quake and intends to stay closed until Sunday as it reconnects with component suppliers who are vital to production under Japan's 'just-in-time' manufacturing system. If even one part is missing then a car cannot be completed under the can-ban process.Nissan will suffer because of damage to its port facilities at Hitachi, although shipments to Australia are currently not affected."We are not expecting any short-term problem with supplies," the head of Nissan Australia, Dan Thompson, said yesterday. "Car companies typically operate with 40 to 60 days of stock, and a 90-day supply of spare parts, so we're hoping things are cleared up in that timeframe."