Articles by Paul Gover

The 2016 Nissan GT-R hybrid supercar will be as distinctive as its ancestor. Just as the latest Godzilla film epic has hit the screens, testing has begun in Europe on the first prototypes of its automotive namesake, the Nissan GT-R.When the next GT-R premeieres in 2016, expect a hybrid supercar capable of catapulting to 100km/h in less than 2.5 seconds.Insiders predict a car with a twin-turbocharged V6 making 440kW abetted by a 115kW electric motor, feeding through a hi-tech all-wheel-drive system.The car will continue as a coupe but with much smoother styling to improve its aerodynamic performance. It is also on a major weight-reduction regime - including use of lightweight carbon-fibre - to trim about 180kg."Of course we have a program to renew the GT-R. But we still have a little more to go. Then we renew it," says Nissan chief creative officer Shiro Nakamura."GT-R is a very important asset for the company." He says design work is well under way on a reinvention of a car that has become a global icon, promising a body that is just as distinctive as the current one.He rules out a continuation of the "gundam" theme - taken from Japanese animated robot series - but promises it will be another landmark car."It's the heritage of GT-R. When we design a new-generation GT-R we will design it as a GT-R. It must be an evolution." Nakamura designed the current GT-R and has taken personal control of the new one, partly because he understands the history of a performance car with its roots in the 1960s."My generation is the sports car generation. I'm designing it for myself. Most of the customers for the car are quite old, like me," he says. Surprisingly, Nakamura also reveals the next GT-R is likely to be repackaged as an Infiniti. Nissan's upscale brand is making good ground in the US but struggling in countries including Australia, where it has yet to achieve recognition among luxury buyers."Because of its price, performance and package, it would work well," he says.

The chunky Nissan Navara is about to get a French facelift to join the Renault family.The re-bodied and rebadged ute is being fast-tracked into the Renault line-up and could be in Australian showrooms as early as the final months of next year.The French connection is being forged as Hyundai and Kia both struggle to convince their head office in South Korea of the urgent need for a work-and-play pick-up to boost their rapid sales rise Down Under."Still nothing to report. We're still pushing but there is nothing in the plan," says Hyundai Australia chief operating officer John Elsworth.But there is plenty happening in the French direction, with global styling boss Laurens van den Acker confirming details of his styling makeover."We're going to do it. For sure," van den Acker confirms to CarsGuide at the Paris motor show.He also details the changes needed to ensure the latest Nissan Navara, only unveiled this year and being built in Thailand for Australian buyers, picks up DNA from the Renault gene pool."We have to make sure...that it's very different to Nissan. What we should do is share everything underneath and differentiate the visible parts." He says demand from Australia, where Renault is now the second-biggest global market for Renault Sport cars, helped swing the vote on the ute project."This opens up, because there are also South America and the US where 50 per cent of the market is pick-up trucks."So if you don't have it, then you don't play." Apart from the ute, Renault is also pressing ahead on expansion of its SUV line-up from today's Koleos, again tapping Nissan for the mechanical platforms used on the Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder. 'We're very late, but thankfully the crossovers we are doing are quite successful. We are trying to share the platforms, so we're looking to the (Nissan-Renault) Alliance to share the platform," he says."Early next year we'll be launching the (compact) crossover, which is based on Qashqai. New Koleos will be the biggest, bigger than today, based on the Pathfinder." According to van den Acker, Renault is also going to try again for success with larger sedans in the Holden Commodore-Ford Falcon-Toyota Aurion size."It's an important segment to be in, for your image. If you don't have a (family) sedan you're not a real car company, in some way," he says."It is a segment under pressure but it holds your own." Without confirming it for Australia, he drops a solid hint in naming the factories that will build the newcomer."We will produce it in Korea and in Europe. Here (Europe) it is planned for 2016," van den Acker says."In the next two years we will roll out all the mid-sized and big ones."

The car of the future from Renault has no future here.The fourth-generation Espace people-mover, which has been re-imagined as an SUV-style crossover, will not be built in right-hand drive. Sales of right-hook examples dived in Britain during the global financial crisis.The Espace was unveiled at the Paris motor show with a seven-seater family cabin, in a body that looks more suitable for SUV duty.It is expected to surge after sales slumped to just 8000 cars a year for the previous model. The new package includes the latest in infotainment, power folding seats in all three rows and petrol and diesel engines.But, even though Renault Australia can see serious potential to put it up against seven-seater SUVs, the cost of adding right-hand drive will be prohibitive."It's a shame. At the time it didn't make business sense," Renault design boss Laurens van den Acker reveals exclusively to CarsGuide."Yes, we looked at it. But Britain, which is the biggest market for the Espace in right-hand drive, decided not to take it. Never say never but is very unlikely." Van den Acker says development of the Espace was driven by design, including an 80mm drop in overall height, achieved without affecting headroom. There is also more knee and legroom in all seats.Renault has trimmed weight by 250kg and the turning circle is as tight as Renault's baby Clio.Van den Acker says he also needed to make the car look tougher to entice SUV buyers at least to add it to their shopping list."Frankly, we had to innovate or it would die. The goal with Espace was to reinvent the big traveller. It's a car you want to pack up and head to the country," he says. "The old car was getting tired, a little bit old. I think what's nice about the new one is that it has a new attitude." He believes the Espace will set a style direction that other brands will follow in the move away from full-scale four-wheel drive packages to front-drive people-movers with SUV bodywork."We were inspired by the TGV, the high-speed French train. We worked very hard on it," he says. "Now you can look sexy when you drive a minivan. You don't have to look like you're driving in a giant aquarium." The good news for Australian families is that the next-generation Scenic, the Renault model below the Espace, is heading in a similar design direction."In two years there will be a new Scenic, our other seven-seater. We also want to re-invent the Scenic but that's another story. We need to give people a reason to come back to it, too."

Toyota is preparing a full-on attack on the newest small-car boom class, for mini SUVs.Toyota's C-HR concept at the Paris motor show sets the scene for a production car to slot in below the RAV4.Toyota is arriving relatively late in the action, trailing a range of small SUVs including the Subaru XV, Nissan Qashqai, Suzuki S-Cross and Renault Captur.The C-HR is officially only a dream machine but it clearly points to a showroom arrival within three years."We don't have a model that competes in that segment. We're always looking to compete in all segments," says Toyota Australia spokesman Mike Breen. "It would be below RAV. It's heading in the right direction." Toyota has dominated the SUV sector in Australia since the arrival of the original LandCruiser. It opens with RAV and runs through to the heavyweight LandCruiser 200 Series that's the default choice for the Outback."I don't think you can have too many SUVs. But, for the moment, (C-HR) is only a concept," says Breen.The name comes from the C segment for compact cars, H for hybrid and R for crossover.The C-HR is built on a new Toyota platform and uses, not surprisingly, a powertrain similar to the petrol-electric pack in the Prius C in Australia.The styling of the C-HR takes cues from the 86 sports car and Dakar racers, so is unlikely to survive untouched for production. But, typically for Toyota, it will tour the global motor show circuit to get input from potential buyers.Toyota used a similar approach in developing the 86 sports car, which took more than three years to enter production. A droptop 86 has also been teased but so far has not got the go-ahead for showrooms.Breen confirms that the C-HR is another project with the personal support of Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda."It would take us in a new direction. And it's another example of Akio's idea to add performance and excitement to the Toyota brand," Breen says."This is the new gem for Toyota. Its development was driven by customers in Europe and it was shaped by the Toyota design studio ED2, in France."

The 500X maintains the proportions and cute packaging of the smaller sibling.The big brother of the cute little Fiat 500 is being readied for modern families in Australia in the second half of next year.Unveiled at the Paris motor show, the 500X is a genuine five-seater that maintains the proportions and cute packaging of the rounded revival of Fiat's highest favourite, called the Cinquecento in Italy.There are two models of the X-car, a high-rider for weekend escapes and a lower-set version for city work, with a choice of engines and drive. It is still only 4.25 metres long but stands 1.6 metres high. Safety equipment includes reversing camera, lane departure warning and emergency brake assist. Boot capacity is 350L.For Australia, the most likely addition to the 500 family is the metropolitan model with petrol engines. Firm pricing is well in the future but prices potentially will start below $30,000."It's not confirmed yet for Australia""It's not confirmed yet for Australia. It would be available in the second half of next year if we get it," says Fiat spokeswoman Karla Leach."Fiat needs a proper five-seater car. You can upsize or downsize into a 500X, which makes it a good size for Australia and gives us a range of opportunities with buyers. It would work for people moving up out of their first car, or older couples looking to downsize without losing some style and enjoyment." Chief designer Roberto Giolito says the car is intended to maintain the proportions of the 500 and also keep the "face". He hints that there will an Abarth version of the X-fighter."The 500X is a good body for Abarth. The driving seat is perfectly (in place) to control the car, so Abarth would be perfect" he says.Fiat Chrysler Automotive says a decision for Australia will be made before the end of the year. The company is studying how the 500X will fit in a line-up that includes Jeep and the coming Renegade. The arrival of the Renegade militates against importing the all-wheel drive 500X, as the two would compete and cannibalise sales."There are a number of engine options for the 500X ... reviewing what's available, we would steer towards the petrol engines. There are four choices, from the 900cc TwinAir to the 1.4 turbo," says Leach.

Paul Gover gets behind the wheel of Tim Slade's Supercheap Auto Racing V8 Supercar ahead of this weekend's Bathurst 1000.Many of the people who tune in for the Bathurst 1000 secretly believe they could be a contender at Mount Panorama.Television makes it look easy, from the 290km/h blast down Conrod Straight to the romp across the top of the hill and the dive down through the Esses to the Dipper and on to Forrests Elbow.But it's not. Not even a little bit.A V8 Supercar is a wild beast, noisy and hot and fast and furious and ready to bite you any chance it gets. And that's just driving, not worrying about actually racing a bunch of hotheads who would give almost anything to claim the biggest prize in Australian motorsport.I know because I've just been crammed behind the wheel of Tim Slade's Bathurst racer to see what it's like. It was only a handful of laps at a track called Winton, not the peak of Mount Panorama, but I now have a crystal-clear picture of the difference between a road-going Holden Commodore and its race car cousin.Mostly, it's scary. It's also uncomfortable, intimidating and difficult. Did I mention fast?When smiling Scotty McLaughin and jumping Jack Perkins blast past while I'm finding my feet it's something else again. Fear and intimidation at a different level.But, sitting to write, I cannot stop smiling. Perhaps it's the lingering effects of adrenalin.As I arrive at Winton there is a mix of fear, anticipation and excitement. This is Bucket List stuff for me and a childhood dream for any V8 Supercars fan. I've already been on email to Supercheap Auto Racing's pitlane boss, Jason Bush, for a some tips and a copy of the driver's manual for the car. Just learning the buttons on the steering wheel is tough."Don't worry, you'll be fine," Slade reassures me."Hah. You're going to make a right goose of yourself," chimes in James Courtney, a former champion and serious Bathurst contender. And I thought he was a friend.The toughest job all day is getting into the car. The racer might look like a cushy Commodore, but it's a hand-built thoroughbred constructed from kilometres of super-tough steel tubing. I have to squeeze in through the gaps and then plop into a seat built for someone about 10 centimetres shorter and 30 kilograms lighter.I make it into the Slade slot, but I cannot straighten my arms and my legs are jammed up against my chest. But I don't tell anyone, because I'm here now and I'm staying.The engine starts easily even though it has 480 kiloWatts, but I know it's a temperamental beast and I'll have to be careful not to stall when I head for the track. Now there are six giggling race drivers all waiting for me to fluff it.But I clunk the six-speed gearbox - there is no synchro to ease the shifts - into first and manage to rumble down the pitlane with the speed limiter controlling the car and my enthusiasm.Out onto the track, I know I have to get going quickly. The tyres must be kept hot, the engine has a narrow operating range, and there are a bunch of drivers doing serious test laps ahead of Bathurst."Remember to make your gearshifts strong, all the time. Don't muck around," says Bush over the radio.So I push the long-travel accelerator pedal down, work up through the gears to fifth, and try to take it all in. That's the tough part, because I'm using all I have just to drive the car. How do the racers have time to talk tactics and wave to mum?I realise, in just two seconds, the difference between a journalist driver and a Bathurst racer.As I find some speed, things get easier. I don't notice the stifling heat, or the violence of the response, or the shattering noise.I can feel the gears dropping smoothly into place, enjoy the super-sharp response of the steering, luxuriate in power that seems unlimited, and brakes that kill speed.Now I can watch the gearchange warning lights flicker across the electronic dash, catch sight of Dave the Cameraman at turn three, and even begin to push a tiny bit towards the car's limits. It's moving around, squirming as I unleash the power, then pitching and rolling through the corners, and I'm keen to discover more.But I'm not remotely fit and this is not easy. My chest is crushed by the cornering forces, pushing the brake pedal is like stepping on a brick, and I have to wait-wait-wait for the power if I don't want to flick into a spin.Not just that, but the Dunlop racing tyres on the car are rubbish. They have probably done too many laps, but they feel like giant marshmallows at each corner of the car. I cannot get any sort of feeling of what's happening and I know I could do more with better grip."Are you going to print that," one of the drivers asks me later. "You should, because we all agree about the tyres but we cannot say it."After a quick stop to catch my breath, and babble to the crew about what I've learned, I'm jumped by three of the serious racers as I'm heading to the fourth-gear left-hand sweeper. And I realise, in just two seconds, the difference between a journalist driver and a Bathurst racer. There is a blast of noise, a flash of colour, and they're gone.I try to keep up for a couple of corners, but I'm already wheezing and cramping from Slade's seat, and I have no chance. So I stop.Hours later, as I rewind and replay the laps inside my head, I think of all the things I coulda-shoulda-woulda done, and how much more I could have got from the car. But I also know I'm kidding myself.So, as I plonk down in front of my television on Sunday morning for The Great Race I will be watching with extra respect. And just a touch of pride. But I'm not kidding myself. I know what it really takes.If you think you could be a contender at Bathurst, I've got news. Take it from me, a paid-up pretender, it's never going to happen. Bathurst by the numbers - road car versus racerHolden Commodore VF SS-V vs Supercheap Auto V8 Supercar CommodorePrice: $48,490, $700,000Seats: 5, 1Airbags: 6, 0ABS: yes, noParking sensors: yes, noBlind spot warning: yes, noEngine: 6.0-litre V8, 5.0-litre V8Power: 260kW, 480kWGearbox: 6-speed auto, 6-speed manualFuel economy: 11.5L/100km, 37L/100km 

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the 2014 Skoda Yeti 4x4 Outdoor, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Bentley of Britain will launch a full-scale two-car attack on Bathurst next year.The ultra-luxury carmaker has just confirmed a factory entry in the Bathurst 12-hour sports car race in February, fielding a pair of its Continental GT3 racers.It is not expecting to win but has already achieved victories in Europe and the USA in the first season with its production-based competition car, which is powered by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine producing up to 600 horsepower.“We are coming with the factory team to the Bathurst 12-hour. We decided last week at our headquarters in Britain,” the chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, Wolfgang Durheimer, revealed exclusively at the Paris motor show today.“It will be two cars. The program will be run from our headquarters in Crewe.”Durheimer also reveals that the effort in 2015 will be the start of a multi-year program for Bentley and he’s not expecting to win at the first attempt.“We know that we are in the underdog position because we have a new car and no track data from the race, but we will do our best to give a good impression,” he said“We are extremely pleased to bring the Bentley brand to a very knowledgeable audience and an outstanding historic racetrack in Australia. I have only heard and read about about Bathurst, but I believe it is the Australian Nurburgring.“I am thrilled to do one lap on my own. Yes, I am hoping to get to the race.”The Bathurst 12-hour has become a major international event in recent years, attracting a number of European entries including the Mercedes-Benz gullwing that finished second this year to a Ferrari 458 crewed by Craig Lowndes and John Bowe.But it is at the heart of a major confrontation with V8 Supercar racing, which has scheduled its pre-season test at Sydney Motorsport Park on the same weekend in a decision that reflects clashes between rival television networks and the availability of marquee drivers including Lowndes and Shane van Gisbergen.Durheimer said the lead car in the Bentley team will be shared by factory drivers Guy Smith, Steven Kane and Andy Meyrick but there had been no decision on the second car.“For the second car, we didn’t decide yet. Applications are still possible,” he smiled.Durheimer is promising much more than a race entry, even though factory motorsport personnel will soon travel to Bathurst to collect data and logistics information on the event and track.“We do it entirely as a factory team, but I’m absolutely sure we will get connected to our dealer body. And the guys in Australia will support us as much as possible."We will do a major activation. GT racing, for us, is about getting access to the pits, to the team, to the strategy. We are absolutely approachable,” he said."We build very exclusive cars and we like the prestigious approach, but in terms of racing activities we have both feet on the ground and don’t intend to be the high fliers.“We let the parents and the kids get involved.”Durheimer said the program is already in top gear to make deadlines for the February event.“My guys will come in the European winter time to asses the data. I don’t think it will be a one-off event for us.“We know we need to be extremely humble to approach this track and these experienced drivers. Luckily we have scored a victory in the US in our first racing season and we were second in the Blancpain endurance season in Europe for teams and drivers.” 

The next-generation HiLux has been spotted again - this time testing in southern Europe.This could be the most important arrival of 2015. The all-new Toyota HiLux is expected to hit Australia in the first half of next year as the Japanese brands overhaul their pick-up propositions.It will land about the same time as the next Mitsubishi Triton and follows the recent overhaul of the Nissan Navara. All of the action is aimed at unseating the Ford Ranger - developed in Australia but built in Thailand - and its Mazda BT50 clone at the top of the work-and-play ute field.The current HiLux has been in the top three on the official Vfacts sales charts for more than a yearThe current HiLux has been in the top three on the official Vfacts sales charts for more than a year, sometimes even topping the Corolla and Mazda3 on the bestseller list. It's become much more important to Toyota than the locally made Camry, which is set for its final overhaul next year before the company ends its manufacturing here.The new HiLux is already in the sights of ute buyers, both private owners and companies with working fleets, even without a firm launch date here. Many are delaying a ute update until they see what the new HiLux brings. The obvious answer is a pick-up that's much bigger and more square-edged than Toyota's current model, reflecting a styling trend that's taking utes much closer to the full-sized workhorses sold in the US.Carparazzi has caught what seems to be a lightly disguised HiLux dual-cab four-wheel drive in trials in southern Europe. It's one of the most popular combinations in Australia but Toyota has always given buyers ample choices with more than 100 variants, from bare-bones workhorse to fully loaded escape machine.Carparazzi says the test car has an all-new look in the front end, including LED daylight running lamps for the first time. The bonnet is bigger and set higher, there is a roomier cabin and the wheel arches are less pronounced, perhaps pointing to a wider tray back.There is no news on engines or running gear but the long-term approach to the HiLux has always meant petrol and diesel power, rear and all-wheel drive. But there is certain to be some sort of hybrid in the future of the HiLux as Toyota continues the push on greening its fleet.

The compact 308 aims for many Australian bases, leading with a thrifty three-cylinder. A price cut of more than $5000 and a new fuel-efficient three-cylinder turbo engine are the proof that Peugeot is finally listening to small-car buyers in Australia. Its all-new 308 is benchmarked against the Volkswagen Golf and