Articles by Paul Gover

Standing outside in the snow on a bitter Wednesday afternoon in downtown Stuttgart can have its benefits. The passive smoking outside the hotel is not fun, but it's impossible to avoid a smile when a pair of top-secret Daimler prototypes idle past. The first is disguised, but barely. It's a Mercedes-Benz prime mover with graffiti camouflage splashed over the cabin, and it sticks out in traffic exactly because of the crazy bodywork and because there is nothing hitched to the tail. As it glides past, surprisingly quietly, the reason is clear. Right behind the cabin is an experimental fuel cell stack, indicating this heavy hauler is being used to assess the future of hydrogen power in electric trucks for the not-too-distant future. Not five minutes later, as the cigarette fog starts to clear, a flat-black compact comes into view. This, too, is something special from the Mercedes-Benz experimental department. It's one of Benz's new B-Class compacts and it is wrapped in fake bodywork, oddball wheels and finished with cheapie taillights that could have been snitched from your neighbour's old tip trailer. The new B - promised to bring far more sophistication to the bottom end of the Mercedes range later this year - is hard to pick in pictures, but up close it's easy to see the longer and lower bodywork, glass that cuts down deeper into the doors, a smoother new dash out line and the work that's gone into making it more than just an affordable city box with a three-pointed star. What a pity the camera was upstairs in my room during the excitement on what we quickly call 'Testing Strasse', as we see a fleet of baby Bs running down the road for the next two days. Benz has eight new-model introductions planned this year and there is a real insight - official and unofficial - during the company's 125th anniversary celebrations last Saturday. The official stuff starts with the unveiling of the latest SLK roadster by F1 heros Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg and David Coulthard and continues when a design presentation on the car includes slides with sketches of the upcoming cabins of the B-Class, baby A-Class and even Benz's new segment-buster car, the E-Class based Shooting Brake. The unofficial stuff happens when we get lost inside Benz's experimental headquarters and do a lap of the carpark. There are nearly a dozen B-Class prototypes, but we also get a quick peek at the lightly-disguised C-Class coupe, the thumping C63 AMG Coupe, the next ML SUV and even an updated SL roadster and a giant GL partly hidden under a car cover. What a pity the camera was, this time, locked away with the ruthlessly efficient guards at Gate 14.

Both plan to show their production versions of their joint-venture coupe, variously called the Toyobaru or Subota. Toyota has been public with its FT-86 concept car for more than a year and it was displayed at last year's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, but Subaru is planning a big splash with its version at the Geneva Motor Show. The Subaru is currently only known as the Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Car Technology Concept. The company intends to highlight its unique design work and its contribution to the driveline, including its flat-four Subaru engine. Subaru also has several other show cars for Geneva as it plans a major splash with the Impreza Concept that was first shown at the Los Angeles motor show in December, as well as the Trezia wagon that has just been introduced in Japan. But Toyota is clearly not interested in clearing the field for Subaru, even if the two companies are collaborating. It now says it has an evolution of the FT-86 ready for a reveal at Geneva. "The Toyota FT-86 II builds on the original concept and will give the clearest indication yet of the final design for Toyota's next sports car," a Toyota spokesman says. It already has a teaser picture of the FT-86 update, sitting in a garage with the door rolled up just enough to get a peek at the nose. The shot shows a much more aggressive front end, linked visually to the Lexus LF-A supercar.

A giant product push is underway, led by the Paceman - a Mini coupe - confirmed for production just over a month ago at the Detroit motor show. BMW Group has plans for cars that will stretch the Mini lineup to more than eight models and also deliver a front-wheel drive BMW that is smaller than its existing starter car, the 1 Series. The key is an all-new front-wheel drive mechanical platform and a small-car strategy called UKL. "The whole group is always looking at new niches. The next big step in that direction for us is the UKL strategy where we will bring a group of cars which are below our current entry points," Ian Robertson, global head of sales and marketing at BMW Group, tells Carsguide. "It's the front-wheel drive BMW and there will be Mini products off it as well. It is underpinning the Mini lineup as well. There could be upwards of 10 derivates of this car, across the two brands. Could be. Not finalised yet." Robertson confirms the production plan for the Paceman coupe but says some speculation on Mini's future is wide of the mark. "What we haven't got is a mini Mini, despite what might have been in the press. We haven't decided if that is the place to be. We have to be very careful." Robertson says BMW Group sees massive growth potential in its small-car strategy, comparing the eventual production targets to the 600-700,000 cars a year delivered by the 3 Series range at its peak. "Where all the growth is coming in the premium segment is in the small and compact cars as we go into the future," he says. "In our view, in the next 10 years, this is where we will see major growth. And the markets growing around the world are also likely to take these sort of cars." Robertson will not give an detail on the plan, beyond confirming the Mini models will still be built in Britain and there is no intention to move to low-cost production in countries such as China or India. "They will be built in several places, but primarily in Europe, he says. Although BMW was beaten in Australian showrooms in 2010 - a result it challenges - Robertson predicts a down under comeback in 2011 and continued growth in every country where the country sells its products, driven by new models and updates of existing vehicles. "We will replace around 60 per cent of our model lineup by the end of 2012. We have the same targets across the world. We want to be the leading premium manufacturer," Robertson says.

... and the company itself is re-named and re-branded as GM Korea. The Daewoo signs will come down as General Motors looks to jettison the baggage tied to the name, both at home in Korea and in other countries including Australia. Daewoo was always known as a cheapie brand and - just as the Lucky Goldstar electronics empire was reinvented as LG with its 'Life's Good' kicker line - it is now looking to make a major shift. GM believes it will get a showroom bonus in Korea when it puts the Chevrolet badge onto its cars, starting with the Australian designed Camaro coupe. It is also confident that the new name will work better for export partners, including GM Holden. It has struggled from the start to convince Australians on Daewoo, and is also looking for a significant upward swing in quality and sales starting with the facelifted Captiva SUV that hits local showrooms next month. GM says the Korean change is part of a plan to position Chevrolet as a key global brand. The strategy is already working in Europe, where acceptance of value cars is working better with Chevrolet instead of Daewoo badges. In Korea, GM plans to use its global Chevrolet names including Spark and Aveo. "We have studied the brand issue in depth for a long time and have come to the conclusion that launching a new brand strategy and making Chevrolet our primary brand is good for all stakeholders, including especially Korean consumers," says GM Daewoo spokesman, Park Haeho. GM Daewoo already builds one of every four Chevrolet-branded vehicles sold globally and Korea is GM's center for small-car development and design.

Its owner looks a bit adventurous, tackling icy roads and a frozen lake course with giant spotlights on the roof to cope with the early sunset in Scandinavia in late January. But get up close and the real story is clear. This is an early prototype of the next all-new Range Rover, caught during testing by the Carparazzi crew on winter white work.The new Land Rover flagship is not scheduled for a presentation in late 2013, but the pictures give some early hints. Judging from the wider, but not longer, front guards the car is going to get a slightly wider track but retains today's wheelbase.The mule-style front design of the prototype leads us to believe new engines are underway. However, the modifications might as well be a hint to a radically different front-end layout that could be necessary to satisfy stricter pedestrian safety regulations.Like today's model, the new Range Rover will be available with a variety of V8 petrol and diesel engines, but to reduce the company's fleet consumption much further than smaller models alone could do, Land Rover might have a hybrid version on the cards as well.

A re-make of the open-topped speed machine - that jammed an American V8 into an old-school British roadster in the 1960s - sold out with 48 hours.  The 50th anniversary Cobra was unveiled during a Barrett-Jackson classic car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona and two days later all 50 cars were gone."The strong demand for these cars proves that the Shelby Cobra is still as desirable and sought-after today as it was 50 years ago," says John Luft, president of Shelby American.Carroll Shelby's company is now focussed on hot-up work on the current Ford Mustang, with a range of models and pricetags. Shelby American has a giant factory at Las Vegas, inside the grounds of the giant speedway that hosts IndyCar and NASCAR races.The 50th anniversary Cobra cars are all planned with black bodywork, a wine-coloured leather interior and wire wheels. Prices in the USA started at $69,995 with a fibreglass body and $134,995 with aluminium panels.

As Daimler celebrates its 125th anniversary, it has named Mercedes-Benz Australia as its leading operation through 2010.  Australia beat out China and Canada in a tie for second, with the USA and Korea next best with another tied score. The result of the Mercedes-Benz rankings are decided on everything from customer satisfaction scores to showroom results and are compiled each year.  Australia also managed an all-time best sales result in 2010, with 18,464 deliveries and victory over BMW in the prestige sector of showrooms. "This result is a first in the 52-year history of Mercedes-Benz in Australia," says company spokesman, David McCarthy. "It is obviously a major success and one we are very proud of. To our knowledge, it is the first time Australia has finished in the top group in the Mercedes-Benz world."

The compact Rio is going up in size and up in price later this year, following the Hyundai i20 across the $15,000 barrier, and the Picanto will fill its value spot. An all-new Picanto will be revealed next month at the Geneva Motor Show, when Kia will also pull the covers off its next Rio. But Kia Australia is already pushing hard to ensure the Picanto is an early arrival, even it refuses to confirm its plan. "So we are considering very seriously for the Picanto," says MK Kim, the head of Kia in Australia. "We have negotiations with KMC. Personally, I would like to bring it as soon as possible but I'm not sure when they can release that car for the Australian market. They have to consider the volume." The Picanto was assessed and rejected several times in the past, partly because the old car was not suitable for Australia and partly because it would have done up against the Rio. "I think this is now the right time to bring the Picanto," says Kim. "At the time, at the former price, it would not have been a big difference in the retail price. This is an all-new model in Geneva. It is built in Korea." Kim sees a showroom advantage in the Picanto but denies it is part of any blocking move against low-priced Chinese brands, which begin to arrive in Australia later this year. "Last year, when I visited the Beijing motor show I thought 'The Chinese are coming' and will be a big threat to Hyundai and Kia. But not right now. I think it will take four to five years. "The Chinese will be at the very bottom. Kia is looking to move up a bit in the scale." Sales of Kia cars in Australia could top 30,000 in 2011. The company is planning for 27,000 but the 'stretch target' set by Kia chief MK Kim is based on another year of more than 20 per cent growth. "This year, personally I'm going for 30,000. Last year the market increased by 10 per cent and we were double. With this kind of trend, with good products, I do believe we can achieve 30,000 with adequate supply." Kim says the other objective is to increase Kia's results relative to Hyundai in Australia. "Still we are under 50 per cent of Hyundai. So every time our headquarters is asking us to do at least half of Hyundai. Critical acclaim will lead people to switch between brands. Consumers are now putting our cars on their shopping list."

The petrol-electric Toyota Camry and Prius were almost a non-event for private buyers through 2010, with less than 2000 people choosing a hybrid for personal use. Sales results from VFacts show only 1316 'private' buyers for the Camry last year and only 385 for the Prius. The cars were more popular with governments and fleets, but the total number of Toyota hybrids to hit the road last year was only 8444. That total also came at the expense of the Prius, as sales dipped from 3040 in 2009 to only 1611 last year as Toyota pushed the locally-made Camry hybrid. Even so, Toyota says the results are not a disappointment. "It's hardly unexpected that fleets are buying at that rate because of potential fuel savings," says Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen. He also says the response from private buyers is almost exactly what Toyota forecast. "I seem to recall we were expecting about a 30 per cent private share," Breen says. But Toyota mounted a major push for the Camry hybrid last year and intends to drive the business even harder in 2011, as it also prepares for the two new Prius models expected in 2012.

The problem is that no-one knows the plural of Prius, a world originally chosen in Japan because it meant 'to go before'. It's a latin word with no previous plural. In the USA, where two new Prius models were previewed at the Detroit auto show, Toyota has taken the task to the people with a massive online poll that has drawn hundreds of thousands of votes from five Prius choices. It narrowed the field to five potential choices before the start of voting with Prius fans given a choice between Priuses, Prii, Prius, Prien and Prium. The poll closes on February 20 when Toyota USA will announce the result, as well as locking in a Prius plural for its work on the expanded model lineup. The first newcomer for the range - joining the current Prius and plug-  in Prius hatches 0 is a more family-focussed people mover revealed as the Prius V at Detroit. V, in this case and in the same way it is applied to Volvo's wagons, stands for versatility. The next new model is the smaller and slightly sportier Prius C. The Prius V is expected to be in American showrooms in the second half of this year, with the Prius C in the first half of 2012. The launch dates point to more Australian action in 2012. The two leading contenders in the Prius poll are Prii and Priuses, with Prien running last. As well as running the Prius vote, Toyota USA is using the arrival of the new models for an unusual online marketing campaign with a series of short films "featuring a notable expert exploring the etymology of words". Etymology is the study of the development of words and the historical verification of their meanings. PRIUS is likely to stay Prius in Australia. Despite the American push for a plural, Toyota Australia has a much more straightforward attitude to the name of its hybrid hero. "A Prius is a Prius. It's the same for one Prius or 20 Prius," says a Toyota Australia representative. The company is studying the results from the USA but is unlikely to be rushed into any decision or change in its sales program.