Articles by Paul Gover

The S60 and V60 now come with a space-saver spare tyre package as a no-cost option, plugging an important gap in the equipment lineup.The package - tyre, cover and tie-down straps - was previously available at a cost of $410.40, not including GST, but Volvo has now recognised the need for more than just a tyre repair kit as part of the driveway package at dealerships.“We've taken on a variety of feedback and made it happen. We think this is a positive result all-round, giving people the option of taking the space-saver package,” says Oliver Peagam, spokesman for Volvo Cars Australia.But there are still downsides. There is no dedicated spare-wheel storage in the S60 and V60, which means the wheel must be strapped into the luggage space, and the no-cost choice will not be backdated for existing owners of the mid-sized Volvos.“It does eat a bit into the boot space," admits Peagam. “But you can leave it in the garage or put it into the car for a long trip. It's there ready for work straight away. “Some people aren't bothered about the spare, but for some it's important. This is a flexible solution for people who want a spare.”Total sales of the S60 and V60 have now topped 1700 cars, with 1281 S60 sedans delivered since sales began in 2010 and 513 V60 wagons since it arrived in 2011. 

...by one-third in 2013. The newcomer is the XC40, which will go into action against the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 in little more than a year. Carparazzi has caught the XC40 in testing, with the newcomer identified by an increased ride height over the regular V40 wagon, but with more to come including more bodywork tweaking and a choice of engines and drivelines. Here in 2013, priced against BMW X1.  

It will land in Australia next year with the promise of a 329km/h top speed, a 3.1-second sprint to 100km/h, and a folding carbon fibre roof panel with a retractable rear window. But, and it's a big but, the bottom line is at least $543,900 and there is already a queue. "For some time now we've had considerable customer interest in the spider and have a considerable list of those who want to talk to us. We already have expressions of interest with deposit ," says Greg Duncan, of McLaren in Australia. Earlier pictures of the 12C Spider showed a classy conversion of the road-rocket coupe and that's confirmed with details of a roof that can be raised or lowered in 17 seconds, at speeds up to 30km/h, as well as the rear window. The retractable rear glass works as a wind blocker when the top is down but can also be retracted with the roof in place to allow engine and exhaust noise from the twin-turbo V8 into the cabin. McLaren has just previewed the car in pictures and says the first Spiders will be ready to drive in England in October. The plan for Australia is still being finalised, but Duncan optimistic. "We will know more soon, however I expect we will see them on the road in Australia in the first half of next year," he says. He is enthusiastic about the car, and it's potential to draw buyers who might be looking at anything from a Ferrari 458 or Lamborghini Gallardo spider to the new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. "I have seen it in the flesh and it is gorgeous, when one understands the technology in the 12C you can immediately see how competitive this car will be in every respect.  The second model in the 21st century McLaren lineup shares almost everything with the 12C coupe, from its carbon fibre MonoCell chassis to its 455-kiloWatt V8 engine. The retractable hardtop is opened using a single switch in the centre console and McLaren says the roof conversion also 52 litres of luggage space under the tonneau area when the roof is up. Not surprisingly, McLaren has designed special luggage for the space and it is part of the Spider package. In case of a rollover, there is a special steel structure in the roof supports to provide passive protection.  

But track work at the Nurburgring points to extra tweaking of the Japanese hero car. Toyota is already considering motorsport plans for the Bathurst 12-Hour race and Targa Tasmania in Australia.

But there is almost nothing to hide in this shot of a production car running close to the company's headquarters in Britain. Australian deliveries will begin in the first half of next year. 

The cars may arrive here wearing Great Wall badges as part of a new partnership between the US and China. The American company CODA Holdings has just joined forces with Great Wall, bringing the electric expertise that has already seen it develop an affordable - but basic and quality challenged - electric car for sales in the US. The two companies are talking about a price that matches the cheapest internal combustion cars, pointing to a sub-$15,000 sticker. CODA has made solid ground in recent years with development of its advanced battery systems, but the new deal is a big breakthrough for the California-based technology company. It has now forged a partnership with Great Wall that's intended to produce a plug-in battery vehicle that's the cheapest in the world and priced well below everything from the Smart ForTwo ED and $51,500 Nissan Leaf to the Mitsubishi iMieEV that's already available in Australia for $48,800. There is no confirmation yet of the CODA-Great Wall plug-in, but it is planned as a truly global model and a cornerstone of the two companies' future model plans. "We're thrilled to combine the expertise of Great Wall Motors and CODA to create a solution to a global problem together," Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motors, says. "We envision a long-term, successful relationship with CODA, creating industry-leading EVs for our generation and beyond." "Together with its JV partner, CODA is working to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and leading the way to a cleaner future through its electric vehicles and stationary energy storage products," Phil Murtaugh, CEO of CODA Holdings, says. "We're excited to work with Great Wall Motors to develop the second product in Codas portfolio, to bring another solution to a global problem and together make high-quality clean technology accessible. Ultimately, this will enable drivers worldwide to go electric affordably and support our mission of putting an EV in everyone's garage." Despite the big talk, CODA has so far failed to excite much interest in its plain-James EV, despite the growing following for Tesla cars in the USA off the back of its Lotus Elise-based sports car and the all-new Model S. Tesla promises it will build 5000 of the Model S, which it describes as "the world's first premium electric sedan" before the end of this year and 20,000 through 2013. "In 2009, we set out to build the most innovative car of the 21st century, and since then have dedicated ourselves to developing and testing Model S to ensure that under any situation, Model S never disappoints," Elon Musk, Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO, says.  

...which will be built with the track-focussed body and mechanical package caught by Carparazzi during testing at the Nurburgring. The bright new blue body is a giveaway, but there is plenty of fresh stuff - from a different exhaust to an extra air intake in the bonnet - to hint that the car will get a speed tweak before production reaches the 500-car cut-off. 

We're also more likely to treat a new car nicely, but less likely to let someone else drive it. And people primarily buy a new car because they know its history and can trust its reliability. These not-so-surprising findings come from latest GIO research into what cars, and new cars in particular, mean to people. While 18 per cent of the people quizzed in NSW and Victoria can remember getting their first car, only nine per cent remember their first pay cheque and only six per cent their first kiss. “Our first car is often our first real taste of freedom and I think this creates a strong and ongoing association for many of us,” says GIO spokesman, Duncan Bone. He also says this attachment continues during our car life, with 68 per cent of drivers saying new cars provide a special feeling and 84 per cent saying they would treat a new car differently to a used car. “Our research found drivers are more likely to park a new car more carefully, get it serviced more often and repair minor dings,” says Bone. “Perhaps less charitably, we’re also not as likely to let family and friends drive our new car.” The GIO research finds the most important reason drivers buy a new car is trust, followed closely by the ability to get exactly what they want. The latest safety features or the latest styling are less important, but 19 per cent of people say they like the new-car smell. “The number one reason people buy a new car is trust. As the only owner they feel they can be sure of its history and trust its reliability,” Bone says. GIO says it is recognising Australians love of cars with a new Platinum package that includes lifetime new-car replacement for eligible customers. “We wanted to replace not just the car but also the new car feeling, whether it was written off or stolen six months or twelve years after it was bought,” Bone says.  

It's hard not to like the new BMW M6 twins. I know I shouldn't be attracted to the go-fast German coupe and convertible because they are big and heavy and thirsty and expensive and - let's be honest - selfish.But then I turn catch sight of the cars and crack the first smile, and when I hit the starter button and the twin-turbo V8 comes to life I'm forgetting all the rational stuff. And that's what moves people to park an M6 or a Porsche 911 or a Benz SL in the driveway.They don't really care that it will crack around the Ascari racetrack in southern Spain at ridiculous speeds, or that it will cruise for hours at 160-plus on the German autobahns, or that it is beautifully built and takes the mechanical package from the latest M5 in a totally different direction.They just want one - and they don't care that the bottom line is going to be around $290,000. "You have at least two cars in one," Siegried Friedmann, head of M6 development, tells Carsguide. You have a very comfortable car on one hand and you can run it like a real sports car on a racetrack. "It's three cars if you have the convertible, which is my favourite."The new Msters are very very expensive and that means owners can - and will - expect a lot. It's almost a given that the cabins are wrapped in leather, studded with a giant colour display, fitted with chilluscious aircon and a punchy sound system, with all the luxury that Chinese-car buyers can only dream about.But the M6 coupe also comes with a lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic roof and the convertible - old-school, with a folding canvas top - has space for four adults in the cabin.BMW has a history of hiding lots of nice stuff on the list of extra-cost optional equipment but about the only thing that's worth adding to an M6 - apart, perhaps, from special paint and a custom fit-out in the cabin - is the M division's first carbon-ceramic brakes.The special stoppers will migrate rapidly across the M-car range but they will never be cheap, adding around $18,000 - my Carsguide guesstimate - the showroom sticker.The M6 twins are really an M5 sedan after a - long and expensive - trip to the plastic surgeon. They're longer and lighter - 20 kilos in the case of the coupe - but with a shorter wheelbase to sharpen the handling.The mechanical package is taken directly from the M5, which means a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that makes 412 kiloWatts and 680 Newton-metres - so 0-100 in 4.2 seconds, top speed 305km/h, thirst 9.5 litres/100km - the M division's signature seven-speed double-clutch manumatic transmission, rear-wheel drive with an active differential, giant brakes and driver adjustable steering, transmission, engine and suspension settings.The attention to detail includes huge work to get enough cooling air into the engine bay, and even a tiny lip spoiler on the boot of the M6 coupe. "It's a totally new car and we have developed a good package. We have achieved everything. Actually, it even over-fills the requirements that we had at the beginning," says Friedmann.The M division has taken the basics of the 6 Series coupe and convertible and then added the usual muscle. That means bigger wheels, more aggressive noses, the rocket-launcher exhaust pipes, and M tweaking of the seats and wheel and transmission controller.The end result is just what you expect - a car that already turns heads now snaps them around. The review cars in Spain are bright blue for the convertibles and the coupes are a metallic goldy-red, topped by the black of the carbon fibre roof.The M6 twins should definitely be five-star NCAP machines, based on their airbags and enough safety acronyms - from the usual ABS and ESP to infinity - covering active and passive assistance for all the systems that can get you out of trouble. The most obvious one is the traction control, as any car as powerful as these Msters can be difficult to control if the road gets oily or you're struck by a sudden downpour.Strapping into anything from the M division guarantees a memorable drive, and my time with the M6s in Spain runs from a leisurely country loop in the convertible - mostly with the top up to combat blistering 40-degree heat - and a full-on Ascari thrash in the coupe.The most impressive thing is the cars' ability to cover long distances with almost zero fuss, whether that's cruising on a freeway at 120km/h, hustling up and down mountain passes, or just battling stop-star city traffic. The twins - ok, they're non-identical - have the rare ability to compact space into time and make life easier.But that's not what M cars are about. BMW's motorsport division made its reputation with rapier-sharp driving cars and the M6s are more like meat cleavers. Effective, without doubt, but not particularly subtle and very heavy and - yes - a little imposing.And that's what has happened to M in recent years, as the twin-turbo engine originally developed for the hulking X6 and X5 SUVs has spread through the M5 and into the M6. It's also meant more weight, more complication and less of the track-focussed intensity which made the original M3s - and even the V10-powered M5 - so special.Big, heavy, fast cars make a lot of sense in Europe and these Msters are brutally fast any time you can get the power to the ground. They are motorcycle-quick for overtaking, yet somehow manage fuel economy that is good for a mid-sized commuter car.They also have lots of X-box type things to fiddle and tweak, supposedly tailoring the car to the driver, but I find it's best to leave the engine-transmission-suspension in the baseline setup for everything but the track. The gearbox doesn't need any help, the suspension provides great grip while masking the cars' weight, and the engine is force-fed extravagance.By the numbers, the M6 should be impressive and it's easy to have fun. But I'm still wondering if M has lost the way, confusing fast for focussed. At the end of 36 hours of M6 immersion, topped by Ken Block-style fun at the track and then an economy-run dawdle home that's as relaxing as a non-M BMW, I'm impressed by the cars. They have usable 2+2 cabins that put them up against a string of impressive rivals, and I rate them ahead of some big names.But I'm not in love. The feelings are strong, and that's important for such emotional cars, but the M6 twins don't tug nearly as hard as the Mercedes SL63 AMG I drove last month, or the latest Porsche 911 and Boxster.The sun shone and we had a good speed. But the M6 is like a heavy steak and a beer when what you really want is a satisfying chicken salad with a mineral water.

Toyota is working to provide a triple challenge that mirrors its one time effort with the Celica, MR2 and Supra, but with proper sports car driving enjoyment. It has already delivered the first step with the 86, which is a leading contender for Car of the Year honours around the world,  by company chief Akio Toyoda wants more and 86 chief engineer Tetsuya Tada is hinting strongly about three cars. The Supra is likely to come next and Toyota has given a pointer with the design of its FT-HS - Future Toyota Hybrid Sports - coupe, currently on display at its flagship site on the Champs Elysees in Paris. It packs a V6 hybrid power train good for 350 kiloWatts and a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.0 seconds. "That definitely looks like a Supra replacement. And that's consistent with what we said four years ago. It's under study," Greg Gardner, product planning chief for Toyota Australia, tells Carsguide while standing alongside the FT-HS show car in Paris. He also confirms Tada's plan to head a three-model sports car development program. "The chief engineer has certainly expressed a wish to do that. It depends on the reaction to the 86." He says it would be logical for the 86 to take the slot once filled - in a very different way - by the Celica, leaving room either side. The FT-HS would run above, although without the overweight body and old-school six-cylinder engines of the Supra. "It sits in the middle. There is definitely room," Gardner says. "Supra filled a fantastic position until worldwide demand dried up. A smaller one would also be fantastic." While there is intense speculation about successors to the 86, Toyota Australia is ramping-up support for its $29,990 hero car. It has just confirmed a range of accessories for the car that is topped by a body kit - and over-done rear wing - from the factory. "The body kit was developed by Toyota. It was always going to be available to us, but it was a little delayed," he says. "It's only available on the high-grade model." There will also be suspension and brake improvements for the car, and interior cosmetic parts, but Gardner rules out any power-up equipment for the four-cylinder boxer engine developed by Subaru for the 86 and its BRZ twin. "The chief engineer definitely designed the car to be modified and he's keen to see that happen. But it's not really our core business to get into that, so we'll leave it to the aftermarket. "I know the mounting points are the same for our existing engine and an STI Subaru turbocharged engine. While we couldn't condone that from a  warranty point of view, it is possible."