Articles by Paul Gover

... and this M4 proves it. It is being tested at the Nurburgring just as official pictures of the regular 4 Series coupe go public, and Carparazzi sources say it will continue with a six-cylinder engine, but wearing up to three turbochargers for maximum go. Here later this year.

...At the Nurburging before it follows the coupe onto the world's roads.It's mechanically identical apart from Aston's usual folding canvas top, and is expected to go public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

It's not hard to track it back, since the Commodore VY II update in 2003 included the four-door Holden Crewman. The back-seat space was upright and cramped, and the ute tray was stunted, but it tapped a growing need for work-and-play utes.The Crewman was culled at the same time as Holden killed its Commodore wagon and, in reality, it never made commercial sense and was never properly costed against the potential return. But people who like the Crewman really love it, and now there are more and more people looking for the same sort of combination in their car.The new generation of four-door utes can really be all things to most people, since they can also be loaded with four-wheel drive on one side and sports packs on the other. Engine choices often run from basic fours to sweet sixes and torque-alicious turbodiesels.They are, in short, the ultimate crossover. And they don't just cross over, they blur the lines between cars and trucks. The popularity of double-cab utes has made them one of the country's boom categories, with showroom action only triumphed by SUVs and small cars.There are plenty of VFacts sales numbers to confirm the rise and climb of the ute, but the Roy Morgan research group recently did some sums that show there are 300,000 more one-tonne ute drivers today than there were just five years ago. Australians are now 30 per cent more likely to be driving a work-and-play ute in 2013 than they were in 2008.Roy Morgan also has interesting demographic data that shows ute drivers are wealthier than they were, with one-in-three now earning more than $70,000 a year compared with one-in-five in 2008.Tellingly, ute drivers are now more likely to describe themselves as big spenders, where they were far less likely to see themselves that way in 2008. That could help explain the tendency to splash on top-end utes.The Toyota HiLux is still the most popular pickup in the country, but Ford is doing extremely well with its Ranger - the Carsguide choice in the class - and now reports a waiting list up to four months for the XLT double cab despite prices starting at $34,990 for the XL.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

We all know that Volvos are quite good to crash. But no-one buys a Volvo to go fast or just for the enjoyment of driving. Until now, perhaps.Thanks to a Swedish company called Polestar, and an Australian push for performance that includes - yes, really - V8 Supercars racing from 2014, there is something new, fairly special, and definitely memorable, in the Volvo catalogue. It's an S60 the company is pitching up against a spread of go-faster hero cars including the brilliant BMW M3 and sledgehammer Mercedes-Benz C63.The Volvo S60 Polestar will never seriously threaten the M3 or C63, but it's a fair bit cheaper and capable of cracking along fairly briskly without flicking your bowls' hat off the parcel shelf or going soft on safety. It will even sprint to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds and has to be held back to 250km/h at the top end.It's not cheap at $109,950, but it is exclusive with just 50 copies. And it's coming first to Australia because Volvo Car Australia knows its needs to be more than just the safety-first car company in a land where people still like cars and like to drive."In short, we see this a sa driver's car. And car built to work in all weather, all season and all roads, every day, and not just on the perfect day," says Hans Baath, the Swedish head of Polestar, at the S60 launch this week in Brisbane.It's also a test case, a first, to see if the car has potential for other countries and if Volvo should do more stealth work on its other models. "Choosing Australia was quite simple for us. It's a country were the car is a vital part of everyday life. There is a huge car culture here."VALUEThe bottom line is $109,950 and that's a lot when you can get a T6 all-wheel drive for $65,490 and a Teknik-tweaked version for $75,490. But Volvo wants shoppers to consider it against an M3 at $155,100 and a C63 at $154,900.The car picks up a bunch of Polestar stuff but, in reality, it's a conservative package. All the Polestar improvements are done on the regular S60 production line, unlike companies like HSV that need to get base cars into their workshops to do real improvements.Volvo calls it a Q-car - a tag snitched from the Q-ships of the World Wars, which were cargo ships with big guns - but these days it's probably better to describe it as a stealth fighter. It is definitely flying under the radar and the only giveaway - on around a quarter of the cars - is bright blue bodywork that salutes Sweden's motorsport racing colour.The only option on the Polestar car is a sunroof for $2650 and there are only 50 cars in a limited run. For now, at least.TECHNOLOGYAny turbo car is relatively easy to tweak, but the trick is getting the package balanced. It's about engine output first, but also ensuring the car doesn't turn into an unruly, fire breathing beast. There is no risk of a runaway here, for Polestar has been a performance partner at Volvo for more than 20 years and the only external changes to the engine are a free-flow exhaust. The rest is down to computer programming.The end numbers are 257 kiloWatts and at least 500 Newton-metres - obviously more - linked to a tweaked Haldex all-wheel drive system that picks up launch control, but with an engine that still won't rev to the redline and a six-speed auto that shifts faster but has no flappy paddles and a touch-change that's set for cruising not sporting.The big development on the Polestar car is Ohlins suspension that's both firmer and more compliant than a regular S60. It's even adjustable if, as if, you take the car to a racetrack. There are also bigger and better brakes, with 19-inch alloys and sticky Bridgestone Potenzas.DESIGNEven in bright blue, the Polestar Volvo is a stealthy car. There is a tiny rear spoiler and a deeper dam under the nose, as well as big alloys covering impressive brakes, but that's about it.The cabin is disappointing with only a build number and a tiny Polestar badge in the top of the shift lever. The seats are standard, so is the trim, and there's nothing to remind you that you've splashed more than $100k on the car.In a lot of ways it's like the Aurion Sportivo. So, a bit naughty for someone in the midstream of motoring but definitely not nasty. "This is the thinking man's performance sedan. We didn't go big on the external modifications," says Matt Braid, managing director of Volvo Car Australia. "The bodywork changes are for a reason. It's not about winning the brochure wars."SAFETYNothing changes on the safety front, which means five-star NCAP protection and a bunch of driver assistance schemes. But, really, this is an S60 that should do even better because it has more grip, better brakes, and is likely to be driven by someone who is actively conducting the car and not just dozing at the wheel.DRIVINGWithin 200 metres I know the S60 Polestar is not a threat to an M3 or a C63. It's brisk from the lights, with a solid mid-range turbo shove, but there is none of the excitement or theatre of the German master blasters. It's not nearly nasty enough.So I settle back to enjoy the car, and find it surprisingly enjoyable. The big improvement by the Polestar team is in the chassis, which is both rigid and compliant - a combination that's rare in a car that starts life as a front-wheel drive family bus.The car copes brilliantly with bumpy roads, sits down tight without crashing or banging, and is enjoyable to hustle - but not hassle - over some winding and undulating mountain roads out of Brisbane. It's a grand tourer with panache, although the bright-blue bodywork prevents any really stealthy attacking.But push harder and things are not so good. There is no support in the front buckets, the auto gearshift is counterintuitive for a performance car, the brakes start to stink, and the safety-net settings in the engine means it will not hold a gear or downshift on demand.So Polestar has done some great work, but I can feel the limitations of a conservative company and the need to run the car down the regular S60 production line. There is no chance to be really daring, just a bit different.Polestar began as a race team and the company clearly knows how to get a result, but this time has only produced a solid midfielder in a class studded with winners. It's a good effort for the first time in the event, but more work - and more daring - is needed to really score.VERDICTNice, not nasty, in a class where nice cars are not enough and real drives expect a bit more passion.Volvo S60 T6 PolestarPrice: from $109,950Engine: 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turboPower: 257kW and 500NmTransmission: Six-speed auto, all-wheel-driveThirst: 10.2L/100km0 to 100km/h: 4.9 seconds

The bra masking at each end points to a minor body update, but there is the promise of more-powerful diesel engines and a big update to the car's infotainment and driver-assistance systems.

Fifty keen locals are the test pilots for the new Volvo S60 Polestar and if they are happy then the car will be pushed out to the rest of the world.There is also the promise of more hot rod cars to come as Volvo develops its Polestar partner as a new Mercedes-AMG or BMW M division. It already does big business in go-faster parts for the XC60 and S60 models."This is a proper pilot program. Australia is first. The world is watching," the managing director of Polestar, Hans Baath, says at the preview of the S60 Polestar in Brisbane this week."Most importantly, today we take the step of launching our first car. It is, for us, a giant step."It's also a big move for Volvo and the most significant performance push in Australia, at least in road cars, since the unsuccessful effort with the quick-but-boxy 740 Turbo.It's accompanied by an entry in the V8 Supercars championship from 2014, with a pair of V8-powered Volvo racers to be fielded by Garry Rogers Motorsport and fitted with lookalike S60 bodywork.Volvo has been involved in motor racing in Australia at different times, way back to the 1980s when it won the Touring Car Championship with a 240 Turbo, and more recently in Sweden and the UK.But the Polestar development is about selling cars, not just trying to shift the brand's image away from its safety-first focus.Polestar already sells performance parts to 50 countries, including power upgrades for its the four-cylinder turbo engines which are the company's global focus.It only has a staff of 35 people but is plugged directly into Volvo's development centre for work on engines, chassis and bodywork.The decision to bring the Polestar S60 to Australia first was an easy one, according to Baath. "Choosing Australia was quite simple for us. It's a country were the car is a vital part of everyday life. There is a huge car culture here. The decision wasn't difficult," he says. "Naturally we hope it's not going to end with this."Also Polestar is being compared with M and AMG, Baath says Volvo is taking a different approach. "The focus is on optimising the car for dynamic driving. Not just for the ultimate numbers," he says. "It's a complete car. To balance the handling, power and transmission. So that it works everywhere. You could compare us to M and AMG, but in terms of car philosophy we'd prefer to be compared to a company like RenaultSport."The Polestar S60 is not cheap at just on $110,000, but Volvo says eight of the 50 cars are already sold and there is strong interest.But managing director Matt Braid says it's not just about selling a single batch of cars. "We really want to get the feedback. If this is successful, we want to see the other opportunities," he says.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

Nissan is planning to take the 2014 more upmarket with a punchier look that's closer to the funky Juke.

No, it's not what you think, but the long overdue approval of an ISOFIX standard for child seats in Australia. The plug-and-safe system has been up and running around the world for close to two decades, and I can still recall being wowed by it even earlier at a Tokyo Motor Show. When Eli came along, ISOFIX protection was a must, even though the capsules and seats were not officially approved for Australia and none was sold here. You only need to take a quick look at the research, especially the details on correct fitting of seats, to see that it should be a priority for all parents. Back in 2004, the RACV did a survey and discovered that up to 70 per cent of child restraints - even though they met the Australian standard - could have been incorrectly installed. Comparing apples with grapefruit, the Mothercare company in the UK has done a similar survey and found the correct fitting rate for ISOFIX seats is better than 70 per cent. What makes it so much better is the latching system. There are hooks at the base of the back seats - and even the front seats of some new Euro cars including the Renault Captur, and metal connectors on the restraint are latched into place. Click-clack, and you've done that. There are even green indicators on most seats to show the seat is fitted right. I have found the job takes around 10 seconds in most cars with ISOFIX mounts, and now Standards Australia has finally given regulatory approval for the system and the sale of seats in Australia. Britax, the maker of Safe-n-Sound seats, is already racing to get a localised units ready for shops. But I already have a Britax ISOFIX seat bought in Britain, so I wonder why there is any delay. And there, in the fine print from Standards Australia, is a typical belt-and-braces condition for ISOFIX in Australia. Restraints must still have a top-tether strap, even though none is required in Europe and the vast majority of ISOFIX capsules, seats and boosters do not have them. “The revised standard maintains rigorous Australian requirements for restraining children in vehicles, but now allows ISOFIX-compatible lower attachment connectors to be included as an additional option in the design of certain types of child restraints”, says Colin Blair, CEO of Standards Australia. “Unlike some overseas systems, the standard will still require the use of top tether straps for child restraints, in addition to the mechanism for attaching the seat to the car at its base. The use of a top tether strap has been a requirement of the standard since it was first published.” Whatever. After keeping quiet for too long, carmakers are getting behind ISOFIX and Holden has three - not the standard two - latching points across the back of the latest VF Commodore. “The quicker we can get this available it's got to be a good thing. We're going to have ISOFIX progressively in everything. It’s in all Commodores now,” says Phil Brook, head of sales and marketing at Holden. And Eli loves it. Strapped into the middle-rear spot in a VF Calais wagon this week - complete with top tether on an ISOFIX seat from the USA - he is laughing and enjoying the ride. “This is great dad. I can see everything from here,” he tells me. But, more importantly, he is safe in place and that's the most important thing on the road. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover  

But that could change with a total overhaul of the boxy city car for 2014.

...but not the RS car being tweaked now at the Nurburgring for local deliveries next year. It will be packed with more than 160 kiloWatts of turbo power and the usual go-faster dress-up gear including a rear spoiler and four fat exhaust pipes. It's for Golf GTi fans who want something a bit bigger with a boot. Here early in 2014 for less than $40,000.