Articles by Paul Gover

In the same week that Toyota is trumpeting a new local flagship, the Aurion V6, redundancies are being handed to workers at the company's factory at Altona in Melbourne. The two-day process involves forced exits under a plan announced in January, when Toyota admitted it needed to cut output because of falling demand from the Middle East. "Today and tomorrow (SUBS: Mon/Tues) the employees will start being made redundant. It's being done over two days to ensure we can have one-on-one meetings with all staff," says Toyota spokesman, Bec Angel. She reveals that more than 80 workers volunteered to be included in the redundancy program but will not confirm the number whose offer was accepted, as the job cuts are based on a range of selection criteria agreed with unions and including behaviour, skills and experience. Ironically, the redundancies come at a time when local sales of Altona-built cars are improving. Deliveries of the four-cylinder Camry are up by 22.8 per cent through the first quarter of the year, thanks to an all-new model, and the upturn is expected to continue once the Aurion V6 and Camry Hybrid make it to showrooms over the next three months. But even the big jump in Camry demand only translates to 5193 sales so far this year, compared with 4229 in the same three months of 2011. That is not nearly enough to protect employment because Toyota Australia's local production plan was always based on a two thirds-one third split between local and foreign sales, with the majority of cars heading to the Middle East and Saudi Arabia in particular. The export record of 101,668 cars was set in 2008 and the GFC has torn a massive hole in demand since then, with sales dropping to only 59,943 last year as the strength of the Australia dollar also impacts on pricing and demand overseas. As yet, there is no prospect of any significant improvement in demand, even though the Camry was the best selling car in the Middle East in the past. That leaves Toyota Australia forecasting production of only 95,000 cars this year, up by 1000 over last year but still massively short of the high-water mark of 149,000 set in 2007.  

A pair of Corsa mini cars is running on local roads as Opel confirms seven individual models for its start-up work as a standalone import brand down under.Opel executives confirm Volkswagen as their target in Australia, both for its recent sales growth and success in winning buyers to a relatively upscale European brand.But the company is taking a low-key approach as it joins upscale Infiniti from Japan and supercar maker McLaren as the newest additions to a showroom lineup in Australia that is closing fast on 50 individual car brands."We have our launch lineup now absolutely set in stone. We have played it down until now. We wanted to be sure we had every car we wanted," says Michelle Lang of Opel Australia."And we have the first evaluation cars here now."Opel has the hot Astra GTC coupe as its headliner - complete with …. - in a surprising varied range.When sales begin on September 1 it will have the baby Corsa with three and five-door hatchback bodies, the Astra small car as both a hatch and tourer wagon, the GTC coupe and the Camry-sized Insignia as a sedan and tourer."Opel has always historically offered an aspirational, well designed German car at an affordable price point. We think we will be able to carve out that niche in Australia," Lang says.The biggest question still to be answered is the pricing of the Opels, and how they will sit against the Volkswagen Polo, Golf and Passat - as well as benchmark cars including the Mazda3 and Ford Mondeo - in showrooms. But Lang says there will not be any exchange-rate-driven boost for buyers, despite the recent strength of the Australian dollar."We cannot confirm any pricing, but we're pretty comfortable and we haven't had to adjust that. We're really confident that we're offering great value.""We are going to be pitched fairly and squarely at the Volkwagen segment. But it's more than a price point, it's how they cars are equipped and the amount of power."While Opel is locked for 2012, Lang says the hottest future model from the brand - the baby Opel Junior  that will be pitched against the Fiat 500 - is not a target for 2013."Not at this stage. We've got some really exciting models next year, but the Junior is not one of them."Opel is benefitting from a $13.4 billion investment by GM Europe in new products over the next three years that includes everything from tiny new green engines and battery-powered city runabouts to all-new models. 

Mercedes is planning a wide range of Citan models including a panel van and crew bus, with a choice of roof heights and window layouts.

Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche all have headline performance cars with more than 525 kiloWatts and 330m/h top speeds almost ready for the road.  McLaren will set the target in late May with the unveiling of the 21st century successor to its F1, the radical three-seat, V12 powered road rocket that set the world speed record for production cars at 391km/h back in 1998. Only 106 cars were built and that ensures prices for secondhand cars now regularly top $3 million. The new mighty Mac shares its heart with the latest MP4-12C, the first in a series of McLaren sports cars intended to take the brand into a head-to-head battle with Ferrari.  But the supercar will be vastly more powerful and quicker than the 12C, which has created an 18-month waiting list in Australia following the opening of a dedicated McLaren showroom in Sydney by the Trivett Group.  "The car will be unveiled in the week before the Monaco grand prix," a McLaren insider reveals to Carsguide. "We also have the MP4-12C convertible, which should be ready for sale from June."  Ferrari will follow McLaren with the successor to its Enzo supercar, building on the work for the latest V12-powered F12.  The new Enzo - its name is still secret - is expected to have a hybrid power pack capable of generating close to 600 kiloWatts to propel a radical road-racer body to 100km/h in as little a 2.1 seconds and on to a top speed close to the 400km/h of the Bugatti Veyron. Meanwhile, Porsche is deep into testing the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar that will top its range from 2013. Its performance claims run from a 2.8 second sprint to 100km/h to a 325km/h top speed with incredible fuel economy of 3.0-litres/100km thanks to an electric drive system for low-speed city running.

I will never look at a Porsche Boxster the same way again. A two-day dash to France, headlined by a sprint over some classic Monte Carlo Rally roads, has won me over to the baby of the Porsche family.It's just had a road-up renewal and, even without the essential final prices, I'm convinced it's much more like a 911 than earlier members of the Boxster brigade. The styling is more aggressive, the cabin is bigger and much better, and the Boxster S - with optional sports exhaust - is a hoot to drive in any condition.Porsche also says the car is more economical and the folding roof only takes nine seconds to do its work. Since 1996 it's been easy for me to giggle at the baby of the Porsche family, dismissing it as a softie and a hairdresser's car.When my friend Wazza arrived in one I knew it had to belong to his girlfriend. He is a V8 Supercar driver, after all. But the third-generation Boxster, which is the first major spin-off from the latest and lovely 991-series Porsche 911, is a major success. It is finally all grown up and a great drive.VALUEIt's impossible to rate the return on the new Boxster, because no-one at Porsche Cars Australia is talking about the showroom stickers for the first local deliveries in July. But European customers are paying about three per cent more and that points to around $110,000 for the basic Boxster and $135,00 for the Boxster S.That should be a good deal with so much new stuff, from the hugely improved chassis and new cabin to comfier new seats and engines that burn less fuel. It will still be too much for Mazda MX-5 buyers in the $50,000 range, but a realistic step up from an Audi TT and a better choice than the latest BMW Z4 or a Benz SLK.TECHNOLOGYThe Boxster takes around 50 per cent of its parts from the 911 as it has in the past, but this time that means great things like the latest electric power steering, direct fuel injection for the downsized 2.7 and unchanged 3.4-litre engines, wider tracks, a longer wheelbase and even a cabin with a dash that's more upscale than before.There is also a seven-speed PDK double-clutch automatic, with six speeds still for the manual unlike the 911, a body that's both lighter and stronger, a roof that's claimed to make major cuts to cabin noise - although there is no tonneau cover - bigger standard wheels, an electric parking brake, more equipment choices and more.The engine tweaks give a power and torque bonus for the 2.7 while taking economy as low as 8.2 litres/100km, while the 3.4 Boxster S now has 232 kiloWatts, a 0-100km time as swift as 4.8 seconds, a top speed of 279km/h and economy of 8.8 litres/100km. The cars also come, predictably, with a stop-start system to save fuel at the lights.DESIGNThe new Boxster picks up a range of family links, from the latest 911 to the classic Carrera GT and even the upcoming 918 supercar. The one thing it does not have, thankfully, is the soft and gentle look of pervious models. The new car is edgy, chunkier and with a side profile that says speed - not comfort.Inside, the overall effect is more solid and upscale, from the shape of the seats to the dashboard layout, feel of the switches and even the position of the centre console. For the first time, I can sit in the passenger seat and really stretch my legs.The folding roof is fully automatic for the first time, it works very quickly, and even if Porsche says it works up to 55km/h I know it will actually do a quick umbrella job in a shower at closer to 70. Porsche says the drag co-efficient is down a little to 0.30 in the base car, with better aerodynamic grip and cooling.SAFETYBigger brakes and better tyres start the work, and the basic structure is also more rigid with predictable rollover protection, with front and side airbags.Porsche has always put avoiding a crash first and that means things like a torque-vectoring differential as part of the stability control system, and the electro-mechanical steering, work with the driver at all times. We're unlikely to see an ANCAP rating for the Boxster, but it's safe to assume a five-star overall package for the car.DRIVINGThe Boxster has always been a good drive, but this new car is great. You can fling it down the toughest road you can find, and we found a few in France, and it never comes up short.  The Boxster S is plain wonderful, especially with the optional PDK gearbox and a sports exhaust that serves up the sort of soundtrack that previously only came with cars like tweaked Subaru STi turbos.You can glide around town enjoying the extra comfort and quietness in the cabin, then really run riot and take full advantage of the extra stability in the chassis, the extra punch from the 3.4, more power from the brakes and a steering system that - like the new 911 - gives better control without worrying feedback.It's a car with depths you can just keep tapping, without worrying or getting flustered. And there is the efficiency payback of the improved economy. The basic 2.7 feels is a little hollow in the engine room, at least by comparison, but the basic package works just as well and people who really don't want - or need - the serious edge in the new S will find the plain Boxster is just fine.The new car is so solid I almost forget that it's a full-on convertible until the first sprinkles of rain. Then it's quick and easy to go for security, and a reminder that it's a no-compromise droptop. The real surprise, and it's something I discovered in the original Porsche Cayman, is that the new Boxster is a car you would genuinely choose to buy ahead of a 911.It's a sweeter, more accessible package and not just a cut-price alternative if you cannot stretch to $229,000 for a starting-price Carrera. The Boxster S is a true four-star car, and even the base car gets three and-a-half from me. That makes it a true breakthrough and a car that has forced me to re-think my position. I like it a lot and I didn't giggle once.VERDICTFinally, a Boxster that's more than just the cheaper choice for people who really crave a 911.PORSCHE BOXSTERPrice: From $110,000 (Estimate)Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmResale: 66 per centService Interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsSafety Equipment: front-side airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating: not availableEngines: 195kW/280Nm 2.7-litre; 232kW/360Nm 3.4-litre BODY 2-door, 2 seats.Dimensions: 4374mm(L); 1801mm(W); 1282mm(H); 2475mm(WB) WEIGHT from 1310 kgTransmission: 6-speed manual, 7-speed PDK; rear-wheel-driveEconomy: from 8.2 L/100km;192g/km CO2

The new hirings are the first good news on the staffing front following Ford's $103 million cash injection in January to continue development of the local Falcon and Territory.The Territory also gets a major boost next week when it stars at the Bangkok Motor Show to gauge the potential for sales across the Asian region.The new engineers at Ford will not be permanent staff but, like many motor industry employees today, contractors who are hired for the duration of a specific project."We are in the process of recruiting for approximately 25 new engineers in our digital Innovation  - that's CAD, CAE etc - area," Ford spokesperson, Sinead Phipps, reveals to Carsguide."The new hires will primarily be contractors, as is largely prevalent in product development due to the cyclical nature of the workloads and industry."The jobs include places for both exterior and interior designers, power train experts and chassis specialists.Although Phipps is not specific about the appointments, an advertisement by Ford Australia stresses the focus at Broadmeadows on work for the Asia-Pacific region and the successful F6 pickup program that produced the latest Ford Range and Mazda BT-50 and will eventually lead to an SUV spinoff."We’re recruiting at the moment to support a number of projects the product development team is working on, including global vehicle development work, as well as our continued development of Falcon and Territory," Phipps says.The display at Bangkok is the first time the Territory has been seriously touted outside Australia and it's being promoted as a 'premium SUV' for Asian customers. It is being displayed as a fully-loaded seven-seater powered by the latest 2.7-litre diesel engine.

... short-haul work with a range up to 160 kilometres. The Zoe takes its electric power pack from the Nissan Leaf and Renault says there will also be a sporty model in 2013.

... pictures of the upcoming coup-convertible model, most likely to be called the 4-Series Cabrio. There is speculation in Europe of both two and four-door 4-Series models.

As Dodge's parent brand Chrysler, and Italian partner Fiat further develop their arrangements, Fiats will replace Dodges here.  The Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands will move into an expanded Chrysler-Jeep operation that reflects the global alliance between the Italian and American brands.  Part of the change will include switching the Dodge Journey to a Fiat Fremont as the Italian products slide in at the bottom of a bigger new Fiat-Chrysler operation.  Although details are still secret, Carsguide believes the new collaboration will begin in May following a buyout of the Fiat-Alfa agency from Australia's biggest independent distributor, Ateco Automotive. Ateco will retain its luxury Ferrari and Maserati agencies, but is resigned to losing the mainstream brands just as it has been bought out of its Suzuki and Kia franchises in the past. "There is no deal. Nothing is signed," the head of Ateco, Neville Crichton, tells Carguide. But Crichton does not deny discussions, or a plan that will see Ateco - which already holds the Chery and Great Wall franchises for Australia - expanding its import connections to China.  "We're always looking for new opportunities," Crichton says. Chrysler-Jeep as been growing strongly in the past 18 months following the new alliance with Fiat Group that came after the American company - like General Motors - went into bankruptcy in the USA and needed a massive government bailout. The latest Grand Cherokee reflects a stronger commitment to quality and driving enjoyment, something that should also benefit the upcoming SRT performance versions of the Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300C sedan.  But Chrysler in Australia has rejected approaches to become the fourth brand in V8 Supercars racing, based on the cost of the project and questionable short-term returns for a brand that is yet to receive supplies of its latest 300C.  Chrysler was approached by at least two V8 Supercars teams, with Garry Rogers leading a push to put the 300C onto local tracks alongside the Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore and upcoming Nissan Altima.  But Chrysler admits that it might look again at a V8 Supercars proposal for 2014, once it gets its new business plan bedded-down.

... 1-litre/100km economy result and it look as if the XL1 is the one.   There have been concept cars but this is the production XL1 and Carparazzi says it is a hybrid with an 800cc, two-cylinder diesel engine and an electric booster motor. It weighs just 795 kilos and has a super-slippery drag rating of 0.186, but there is no confirmation yet of an on-sale date beyond a vague promise of 2013. How much? Around $50,000