Articles by Paul Gover

Carbon Revolution in Melbourne produces the unique one-piece carbon fibre wheels for the American supercar in what is claimed as a world first.  Its wheel, called the CR-9, is around half the weight of a traditional alloy wheel and the Melbourne company believes there could eventually be a global market for up to 20 million sets a year. It's already talking to some of the biggest and most prestigious car brands and believes it will be ready for mass production in 2011 when it has cleared the world's toughest testing program in Germany. "Once the testing is done the floodgates will open," says Jake Dingle, managing director of Carbon Revolution.  "Ultimately, we see this as step-change technology for the auto world.  Cars priced from $40,000 will be fair game for our wheels."  The Carbon Revolution wheel design promises incredible weight savings for any car, one of the toughest challenges for companies in the 21st century, with a knock-on effect in fuel economy. The CR-9 has already out-performed alloy wheels on safety and strength and promises a superior life expectancy because there is no corrosion.  Carbon Revolution is also working on a recycling program. Dingle will not go into detail on the production process but says his company's wheels are the first in the world with an all-new, cost- effective production process.  "It's not a capital or energy-intensive process. The innovation behind this is twofold - the difficulty in producing the geometry and do it in a way that's able to be produced in large volume." A set would currently cost more than $10,000 but the price will fall considerably, like the price of carbon-ceramic brakes on high- performance cars, as production ramps up.  Carbon Revolution was created as a spin-off from development on a Formula SAE university project in 2004, developing through a partnership with Deakin University that sees it located on the technology precinct in Geelong. "The technology has been in development since the end of 2004. We now have an international patent. The company was established to commercialise the wheel," Dingle says. "We're probably in about the 15th generation of the tchnology. We've produced a large number of prototypes and done a lot of testing. We haven't been focussing on production."  Even so, a meeting in the USA led to the Carbon Revolution wheels finding their way onto the Shelby speed machine, which is powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine and can blast to 100km/h in just 2.78 seconds. "It was a relationship established about two-and-a-half years ago. We were looking for a partner who was at the cutting edge, and at that time they held the world speed record for a production car," Dingle says.  "We're done several sets for them for testing and internal work." The German testing is the next hurdle but Dingle expects it to be cleared soon, with the company currently recruiting production staff in Geelong.  "We're anticipating sometime in the first half of next year being able to sell sets. We've taken a fairly conservative approach to developing the product. We didn't want to rush," he says. "We're finalising the most draconian testing in the world in Germany at the moment. We are testing to the super sports car standard." He is cagey about the future of the wheel but is fielding a lot of interest.  "We're engaging with the major manufacturers at the moment. The interesting market is the Daimlers, the BMWs and the Volkswagens. "The major carmakers are looking for weight savings. And they own most of the supercar makers. We are in active discussions with most of those companies."

While car companies spend billions, and various governments make all sorts of green commitments, there is something so simple and easy to improve the situation that it has just plain slipped under the radar. It's a left turn. In Australia, there are far too many times when you are forced to sit at a red light and wait to make a left turn, burning fuel and pumping   out toxic emissions as well as adding to your total trip time. It's not just you, either, but also the people who are often queued behind waiting to make a similar turn on continue straight ahead. Yet there is often no reason not to make the turn - in safety - and continue on your way. In the USA, right-hand turns are permitted at the vast majority of red traffic lights and it helps speed the traffic flow through major cities and country towns. It's the same in a lot of other countries. Now, with economy and emissions at the top of so many motoring hit lists, is it time to consider a change to the road rules in Australia? I can already hear the bureaucrats fussing about the paperwork, the police wondering about enforcement, and the road safety authorities hissing about the potential for extra collisions. Yet safe left-hand turns happen every day at Stop signs. They are a part of life. The same drivers who can do the job at a Stop sign should surely be able to make safe turns after also stopping at a red traffic light. This is already recognised at a number of intersections, where left turns are permitted after stopping at lights. But there are not enough, and the main reason for creating these exceptions is to speed the traffic flow through clogged arteries in major capital citires. Now, with the potential to cut emissions and boost fuel economy, Carsguide is asking what you think. Should we agitate to get things moving? Is it worth the effort? Can you see the potential benefits? If you're in favour, drop a note to www.carsguide.com.au and we'll see what we can do.

Australia is a growing priority for Kia of Korea. Success downunder is now seen as a potential pointer to the brand's efforts in other countries, particularly as it battles to make an impact against the senior partner in Korea's biggest motoring juggernaut, Hyundai.Carsguide has already tested the Hyundai ix35 and rates it as one of the best new SUVs of 2010, but now we have time with the Kia Sportage and it's better. The two family haulers are twins under the skin but Kia has its own body and, crucially, its own suspension and steering for Australia.The changes sound minor, and they are in a car with tens of thousands of individual parts, but they make enough difference to sway a   potential buyer. The latest Sportage - and remember the nameplate has been around since 1993, long before the Hyundai takeover - is a huge advance over earlier models and is now worthy of serious comparison with a Honda CRV and a Toyota RAV4 and the other Japanese compact SUVs.No-one can criticise the value at Kia, and the Sportage kicks a big goal with prices that are $1000 below an equivalent ix35. That means the price spread is $25,990 to $38,990, running from a front-drive Sportage Si with a 2-litre petrol engine and manual gearbox up to the all-wheel drive Platinum diesel with six-speed auto.There are six models in total and all are five-seaters with a body that's sized right for the class and everyday family work. Even the Si starter car comes with air-con, alloys and the usual electric assists, but you only have to move up to the SLi to get leather trim, a trip computer, cruise control, reverse camera and a bunch of other fun stuff.The Platinum pack at the top end provides a sunroof, LED daytime lights, a thumper sound system and a 'smart key' with start button. But the value is hit a little by short supplies of the diesel engine, which means a wait for delivery. "Diesel is in short supply, and it's the same for Hyundai. Europe is eating up all the engines. But Kia will have it's own factory by April, so things will ease then," says Kia spokesman, Kevin Hepworth.The new Sportage is bigger than the outgoing model and has a bunch of extra space inside, as well as a totally new mechanical package. The three engines - two petrol, one diesel - with a spread from 122-135 kiloWatts and 197-393 Newton-metres - are configured in a series of logical steps.The 2-litre petrol comes on both front and all-wheel drive models with either five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearboxes, but as soon as you step up to the 2.4 petrol and 2-litre turbodiesel it's all-wheel drive auto only. The Sportage also has a unique four-wheel drive system, from Magna in Austria.It is called Dynamax and is more suitable for off-road work than the one in the ix from Hyundai, even if it doesn't have low-range gears. Kia claims improved efficience and refinement and that's not hard, given the step-change development of the Sportage and the way the brand has been able to run-off from the basic engineering already done by Hyundai. Most obviously, the suspension has a unique tune for Australia - using parts already developed for Europe - and a different steering system to the ix35.The easiest way to pick between a Kia and a Hyundai is - just like the   Volkswagen Group - by the dash lights. Kia is red, Hyunda is blue, a   reflection also of their corporate colours.The overall design of the Sportage is down to Kia's superstar Peter Schreyer, who is aiming to give the brand a more edgy and youthful look than Hyundai. And let's not forget he's also looking to have the Kia crew stand out from Japanese contenders in every class, particularly the SUV group.So the Sportage is modern from the front and muscular from the sides.   The interior is same-same mostly with the Hyundai, apart from the   detailing, but you get that on shared projects because doing a unique cabin is very very costly.As expected, the Sportage has front-side-curtain airbags as well as ABS brakes and ESP stability control. But the brakes also benefit from   brake assist and brakeforce distribution. New systems in the car respond to rollover threats and help with hill starts and downhill descents on gravel, which have been commonplace on Japanese rivals for a while now. Kia says the Sportage is a five-star NCAP performer thanks to everything from a basic body with more rigidity through to active head restraints to help prevent whiplash injuries in a crash.The Sportage looks good and the SLi test car is surprisingly plush, down to the leather seats and a rear-view camera with a display that's   neatly integrated into the rear-view mirror. But at first it seems like a (slightly) cheaper twin of the Hyundai ix35.Then I hit the road and the cushiness in the ride, and the lack of kickback through the steering, proves that Kia has gone the extra kilometre - and more - with some Australian tuning. The work has been done by suspension wizard Graeme Gambold and it's impressive. The car feels like it's sitting in the suspension, not just perched on top of the springs, and the unique Kia steering is without the kickback of the Hyundai.It's still not a sports car, and there is some drone from the Kumho tyres, but it is better than the ix35 and better that I expected. The diesel engine has good punch, the six-speed auto works well, and the car is a nice spot for any trip. It's also good value and that is important with so much competition in the SUV class. The Sportage is not at the very top of the class but it is an impressive effort and Kia promises ongoing improvements through the life of the vehicle.The Sportage looks good and has very comfrotable seats, both very important to me. It also drives well. I'm surprised at how well it gets away from the lights, with a real zoom from the diesel engine. I really like the rear-vision camera, partly because the rear window is very small and limits visibility.In traffic I also feel the need to double-check myself while changing lanes, but I guess that's the price for the streamlined style. Switching to the price, it's pretty good value. You get a lot of equipment, lots of boot space, and lots of room in the back seat.It's good to have leather at this sort of price. It might be nit-picking, but our test car has a water leak on the   driver's side and there is a bit of excessive noise on the freeway which might be down to the door sealing. I like the Sportage and, even if the equivalent Hyundai seems to have more gadgets, the price advantage is a winner.Anything that tops the Hyundai ix35 is going to be a winner, and the Sportage does. 8/10 

The body is the wrong size and shape, there are fake back doors, and the camouflage tells the world it is something completely new. Carparazzi says it's a first look at a prototype of a three-door 1 Series, expected in showrooms in the second half of next year.But could it also hint at BMW's plans for a front-wheel drive baby car, complete with a hybrid powertrain? Or even the first use of the three-cylinder turbo engine that will set the new benchmark for powertrain efficiency at the German brand?The under-the-skin stuff is staying secret for some time yet but the 1 Series prototype shows clearly that BMW is evolving its current baby.   It already has a five-door hatch, as well as a coupe and convertible, but wants more from the 1 Series.  The new three-door hatchback body is a little sleeker, with a more extended look, taking away some of the chunkiness of the current model.The car caught by Carparazzi has fake rear doors, which are really only a taped outline, and an angled B-pillar that shows where the doors really end.  The rear window shape is also new for the car.European sources say the new 1 Series will be ready for production next year, but probably in the second half as a 2012 model in the BMW lineup.

The all-new pickup will not break cover until the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October, but the blue oval brand is finally starting its teaser campaign this week.A single shot of the Ranger hints at the giant development program completed at Ford Australia on the T6 program to created a global commercial hero for the company.  The T6 is also being spun into the next Mazda BT-50, which was previewed last week in an artist's sketch.The contrast between the shared sons of the T6 program could not be different, as Mazda has gone swoopy and futuristic while Ford is going for heavyweight muscle on the Ranger.Ford is now lifting the curtain that has covered the T6 program for more than two years, confirming the Ranger will be sold in 180 countries and will go public in Sydney on October 15. Prototypes have already covered more than one million kilometres during testing, heading from Melbourne to the European Alps and the deserts of the Middle East."Australia has played a leading role in the development of this latest global Ford product," says Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa.  Ranger is symbolic of how our great product development capability is being leveraged by the ONE Ford plan like never before."Not surprisingly, Hinrichs makes no mention of the Mazda BT-50, even though it will even be built at the same factory in Thailand as the Ranger. Ford says the new Ranger will be more powerful with better fuel economy thanks to a new engine family, as well as promising outstanding towing and payload.  It also says the cabin of the Ranger has the equipment and refinement expected in a car.

A $300 million investment in a new engine factory in Melbourne shows Toyota is committed to the car beyond the life of the current Camry. It also points to potential exports of the special four-cylinder, Atkinson-cycle petrol engine used in the Camry Hybrid. It is currently only built in Japan. Toyota is investing in an factory that will build both the Atkinson-cycle and regular Otto-cycle engine used in the non-hybrid Camry in a program that is also backed by the Victorian and Federal governments. Production will begin late in 2012 and Toyota is aiming for more than 100,000 engines a year, enough to service the Camry factory at Altona at current and future production levels. "Securing the investment to produce the next generation engine is a huge vote of confidence for our local manufacturing plant and our employees, who have worked tirelessly to improve operational performance to demonstrate our ability to compete with Asia Pacific counterparts," says Max Yasuda, president of Toyota Australia. "Toyota operations around the world are constantly vying for new investment to ensure local manufacturing operations can participate in the global car making industry." The basics of the four-cylinder petrol engines are identical, which means most of the manufacturing process will be common. Toyota Australia admits it is aiming for export sales of both versions of the four-cylinder engine, most likely to other Camry factories around the Asian region. Australia has a long history of engine making with Toyota, stretching back to 1978 when the first engine factory outside Japan was built in Melbourne. The facility now produces the AZ four-cylinder engine used in the current-model Camry, and is operated by 320 employees.

In the same week that the VEII Commodore goes public, the red lion brand has released the first official pictures of the baby that will join its local lineup next year. It also follows the Holden Cruze hatch that will go into production in Adelaide in the second half of next year and comes just ahead of a major upgrade and visual tweak for the Captiva SUV. The new Barina was first teased as a concept car at the Detroit Show in January and now the production version, designed by Holden team member Ondrej Koromhaz, is public ahead of its full-scale unveiling at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month. It goes on display wearing Chevrolet Aveo badges in its global role but Holden confirms it will be down under next year, supplied from Korea and part of a two-pronged sales attack which includes a Barina Spark. "We're not saying much yet. It's still a fair way down the track," says Holden's marketing director, Philip Brook. "Yes, it's coming to Australia. But there are a number of different scenarios and we're reviewing all that." Brook confirms the two-car attack at the bottom end of the car business that is likely to give Holden a $13,000-ish Spark price fighter to go against the Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Getz with a more upmarket new Barina. "Spark gives us a very good entry point. It will come later in the year and Barina will come next year," says Brook. But he denies Holden will bare-bones either car, or sacrifice safety, to compete on price. "Safety is a high priority. We'll look at maximising that." The Barina for the Paris Show is a five-door hatch, and there will also be a four-door sedan. GM claims its global small car is one of the sportiest designs in the baby class, retaining most of the basics from the Aveo RS displayed in Detroit. It even retains the motorcycle-inspired instrument pod of the show car. The car is slightly bigger than the current Barina, mostly inside, and global work on the car includes a European-focussed driving package with a chassis that's claimed as one of the tautest in the class. But it's not known yet which suspension set-up will come to Australia. But the Barina has ESP stability control, ABS brakes and electronic power steering as standard and the list of youth-focussed entertainment gear includes USB plug-in and Bluetooth. Mechanically, equipment available on the Barina - but not set yet for Australia - includes a stop-start engine system and a six-speed automatic gearbox.

... in taking the wraps off a driving simulator that taps into their track work with the latest Ferrari F10, opening the experience to online gamers around the world.  High-definition graphics and high-speed response allows the creation of a virtual car on a virtual track, right down to the sort of cornering G-forces experienced by the racers. The Ferrari Virtual Academy is based on the Italian company's in-house test track at Fiorano, although the Mugello and Nurburgring racecourses will soon be added to the action.  "Do you have the guts to challenge me on the track at Fiorano," Alonso asks in Ferrari's official promotion for the simulator. Ferrari says it took 15 experts more than 12,000 hours to creation the simulation, which uses 3D graphics and data processing for the first time on a PC simulation.  The key to the experience is a virtual cockpit and steering wheel which tap into authentic data from the car, including its aerodynamic effects, tyre characteristics and behaviour of the chassis-suspension system, engine and transmission.  Alonso, Massa and Ferrari's F1 test driver Giancarlo Fisichella were all involved in testing of the simulator to ensure a realistic performance. Ferrari says the computer modelling of the car is matched to laser scanning of the real F10 at Fiorano, calibrating the simulator to the actual corners at Fiorano. Drivers on the Ferrari Virtual Academy can record their own time online, as well as taking part in an international tournament for weekly rewards from the Ferrari merchandise catalogue. But, wait, there is more. The five fastest drivers at the end of the tournament will win a trip to Ferrari in Italy and will be rewarded with a place at the Ferrari Driver Academy course.  The simulator costs 14.90 Euro and can be purchased online from the site www.ferrarivirtualacademy.com

The Italian company is teasing its fans and potential buyers ahead of the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month with a series of sneak peeks at a new car, most likely the successor to today's Murcielago. Lamborghini admits it will have a design study at Paris but stops a long way short of linking it to a production car. Still, the Murcielago is coming to the end of its life and Lamborghini is probably showing a potential direction for the car. It is also confirming it is switching focus from outright top speeds beyond 300km/h, a zone now owned by the Bugatti Veyron, and is concentrating on lightweight materials and design. "We think it is time to make a shift and talk more about handling and acceleration," says Stephan Winkelmann, president of Lamborghini. "Together with design, handling and acceleration are becoming more important. Speed is not as important anymore, because all super-sportscars are exceeding 300km/h and this is a speed that you cannot reach even on a racetrack, let alone normal roads. The key factor in terms of better handling and acceleration, meaning more immediate pleasure in driving, is the power-to-weight ratio. This is not so much about top speed and so the future will not be so focused on increasing the power, even because CO2 emissions do play a role for supersportscars too. That means the key is in reducing the weight." Winkelmann says Lamborghini has been working on carbon fibre for more than 30 years and is now ready to inject it into every future model. "From the middle of the Eighties, the average weight of our cars has increased by 500kg because of active and passive safety, comfort and emissions reduction issues, and this is something that we have to change. Since we cannot reduce safety or comfort in our cars, we have to reduce the weight by using new materials," he says. But he stops short of confirming anything for the Paris Show, although Lamborghini is expected to continue its teaser picture program in coming weeks.

The renewal work makes it more elegant and stylish, including a considerable quality tweak in the cabin, but it still has the chunky body and hunkered-down look which has made it a global winner for Chrysler. But don't expect the all-new 300C in Australia any time soon, even though Carparazzi has caught three production-ready cars with its cameras.  A production switch for the new 300C means there will be no right-hand drive cars until 2012. Chrysler Australia has stocked-up on the existing model, with around 400 cars in the pipeline, to carry it through the drought but is not making any promises on the sales start for the new model.  It could have trouble clearing the backlog, based on the latest Carparazzi pictures. They show a car which looks a little shorter than the current 300C with styling taken from the 200C motor show concept car.  The shape of the new-look headlamps is obvious and so is the front fascia, including LED daytime running lamps. Cut-outs in the Chrysler camouflage along the front bumper and mudguard reveal a new sensor that Carparazzi sources say is for a frontal-collision warning system, adaptive cruise control and a blind spot/side assist system. On the sides, the 300C shows new rocker panels, a body crease that sweeps downwards toward the nose and new chrome-capped side mirrors.  The rear doors have also had the black plastic square at the rear swapped out in favor of more glass. In the rear there are LED tail lamps and a bumper with integrated chrome exhaust tips.  There are huge changes inside, with the test cars revealing a solid, leather-stitched dash top similar to the one in the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee now in production. There is also a large analogue clock for a bit more class and a massive navigation and entertainment screen. Carparazzi sources say there will be lots of LED lighting and a 500- watt Alpine premium audio system.  The new 300C rides on an updated version of Chrysler's LX chassis and comes with the new Pentastar 3.6-litre V6, also fitted to the new Grand Cherokee. There are also 5.7-litre and 6.4-litre Hemi petrol V8s and a diesel engine. Chrysler is aiming to start production at it's Canadian factory in Ontario during the last week of December, 2010, pointing to an official unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November.