Articles by Paul Gover

The Bugatti Veyron is about to get a massive hike in horsepower as the French maker creates what it claims as "the most powerful roadster of all time".Its Grand Sport Vitesse will be previewed at the Geneva motor show next month with an outrageous 895 kiloWatts - 1200 horsepower - and 1500 Newton-metres of torque.The styling of the latest Veyron model is aligned to the Veyron Super Sport, which currently holds the world speed record for a road car at 431km/h.In the engine room, the car's 8-litre W16 engine has four larger turbochargers and intercoolers, while the chassis has been tweaked to handle the extra output."Once again, our engineers worked hard to demonstrate that Bugatti is able to constantly re-define the boundaries of what is technically feasible," says Wolfgang Durheimer, president of Bugatti.Full details of the car, including a pricetag around $1.8 million, will be revealed in Geneva.But there is no chance of the Grand Sport Vitesse making it to Australia, as the Veyron is only made in right-hand drive and the car has only been seen once for a series of promotional drivers surround the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

...not just a makeover like the current car, with a bigger - but lighter - body sitting on a new mechanical platform.The Golf formula stays the same and it will be morphed for sales under the Audi, Skoda and Seat badges.The car should preview at the Paris motor show in September. Expect to see it here in 2013.

The droptop baby is losing weight and getting more power and more cornering grip with the creation of the California Handling Speciale, which will also bridge the considerable gap to the hard-edged 458 Italia.  The California HS is just about to go public at the Geneva motor show and the first owners will get their cars in Australia before the end of the year. They will be paying more for the car than the $459,650 of the regular model, just as Ferrari charged more for the HGTE package on the V12-engined 599, although no-one in Australia has the details.  "Yes, there will be an additional charge for this car as it is a different variant. As to what that price will be, it is too early to say," says Ferrari spokesman, Edward Rowe.  Work on the HS includes an extra 22 kiloWatts through exhaust and computer map changes, a 30 kilogram weight cut, magnetically-controlled dampers with faster controls, and sharper steering thanks to a 10 per cent quicker steering rack. There are also more paint colours.  Ferrari claims the bottom line is a reduced 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds and more driver enjoyment.  "The changes are to ensure that the California maintains its lead over its rivals and to introduce new technological solutions as they become available. They broaden the appeal of the California as well maintaining its performance edge over its opposition," says Rowe.  "It's as it was with the 599 HGTE, which provided a similar more aggressive version of the 599 for customers looking for a sharper performance edge."  The California is now Australia's favourite Ferrari, although there is a waiting list of close to two years for the 458. It has also brought new owners to the brand because of things like the boot space and two-plus-two cabin.  "The California has brought new customers to the brand, 70 per cent in Australia and similar figures around the world, and provides owners with a car that can easily be used as an everyday car." Apart from the California HS, Ferrari has just begin deliveries of the all-new FF and the first 458 Spiders arrive towards the middle of the year.  In Europe, Ferrari is close to the unveiling of the replacement for its V12-powered 599 and the car should reach Australia in 2013. The Italian brand has lifted the pace of change across its lineup and is promising its first hybrid model soon, as well as an all-new supercar - the successor to the Enzo - before 2014 and the sharper-edged 458 Stradale models based on the company's race cars.

When the cars involved are all from Lamborghini, one of the world's most exotic brands, the whole deal sounds so much sweeter. And it is. But what if I tell you we never get much beyond the posted 130km/h limit, that a metre of snow has created traffic chaos in a string of tiny hilltop towns, and that the highlight of the day is a stand-off with thePolizia over documents for the cars and drivers? Oh, and lunch, of course. But that's all ahead as we roll into Sant' Agata, the home of Lamborghini since it was set up by a humble tractor maker in the 1960s, for a deep-dip day of driving in the latest hero cars for the Italian brand. It's a dream come true, a big tick on the bucket list, and a chance to discover why some people really choose a Lamborghini ahead of a Ferrari - or a perfectly reasonable new apartment.The Lamborghini brand has always been a bit more exotic and mysterious than mainstream Ferrari, which is just up the road and remains the benchmark for any buyer - or brand - looking to tap the supersports dream. These days it picks up the giant benefit of a place in the Volkswagen Group, thanks to its Audi ownership. That means German efficiency with Italian passion, and that's far better than doing things the other way around.Carsguide is in Italy with Lamborghini for the first - yes the very first - official press visit in a generation, covering everything from technical briefings and a walk down the production line to a sneak peek into the carbon fibre research laboratory and a long lingering look at the museum. What emerges is an exotic brand with a sense of style and humour, but a very sharp approach to its cars and customers.The Gallardo changed Lamborghini forever, giving the company the credibility and reliability to put the brand on shopping lists around the world. Now there is the new flagship, the $754,600 Aventador with the V12 engine and 350km/h top speed.But when it's flashing a warning about icy driving, and the day quickly degenerates into a slow-speed tour through some beautifully snowed-in countryside, even the Aventador loses its shine. And literally, too, with so much slush about.But then comes a tunnel and, with a volley of rapid-fire downshifts, the Aventador and the Gallardo Superleggera are howling like banshees and everything is right in the world. I'm smiling, the cars are happy, and it's a great day.AVENTADOR:Ferruccio Lamborghini chose a V12 engine when he set up in opposition to Enzo Ferrari in 1963 and his company has continued down the same road for close to 50 years.The latest V12 flagship is the Aventador, one of the most exotic looking cars on the road in 2012 and one that ticks almost every box for teen-aged dreamers and 50-something magnates. It really is that special.The Aventador is a two-seat supersports car with a 6.5-litre engine that punches out 520 kiloWatts to feed through a high-tech all-wheel drive system. Did someone mention Audi, which owns Lamborghini?The first Aventadors have just reached Australia and already there is a two-year waiting list, even though the bottom line starts at $754,600 without worrying about on-road costs, insurance or a few personal tweaks in colour or trim.Value? It's not really something you can assess without access to James Packer's vault.But there is plenty of technology, starting with the world's first full carbon fibre monocoque. That's the centre of the car, where the people sit, and it is the foundation for the suspension and the rest of the mechanical package that hangs off at either end.The Aventador has a computer-controlled seven-speed robotised manual gearbox that's capable of F1-speedy shifts, but it's also programmed to shift quickly to the high gears to maximise fuel economy - rated at 19.1 litres/100km - and minimise emissions.No-one from ANCAP is intending to crash-test an Aventador, but the car has a super-rigid structure, airbags and the usual ESP and ABS systems to keep its two occupants safe. And anyone driving the car at 110km/h is so far from the danger zone that the real threat is boredom and a micro-sleep.You start the Aventador by lifting a small red flap - like the ones covering the triggers for rockets - after sliding deeply into the car through its signature scissor door. The sound is magic V12 music, although surprisingly muted.Tug a shift paddle and it's time to get moving, with the computer power easing the clutch and shifting gears as well as any of the latest double-clutch packages. The Lamborghini feels very wide, the ride is super-firm, and there are scary thoughts about what could happen if I put my foot on the floor.But there is no chance today, with an Audi Q7 running as the pace car and enforcing a quiet pace on slick and icy roads. A couple of times I get brave and belt it up beyond 8000 revs, enjoying the sort of thrust usually reserved for Formula One drivers.One time, with the speedometer hovering around 120km/h, I give the Aventador its head and the traction control light blinks furiously, the steering tugs and hunts, and I realise the big beast is not happy.Me? Perhaps. It's great to get time in the Aventador but now I cannot wait for the next time, and hopefully some Australian sunshine and a wide-open racetrack with no speed limits and no Q7s.GALLARDO SPYDER:It's easy to stay warm in a droptop Gallardo, even when the outside temperature is barely above freezing.The cabin is set deeply into the middle of the car, there are heated seats, and the shape of the wedgy body keeps the wind flowing smoothly over your head.Of course, there is also the warm glow you get from driving such a rare beast.The Gallardo Spyder is an effective convertible conversion on the V10-powered Lamborghini that pays the bills, and returns a profit to Audi, in the 21st century. The Gallardo has been teased and tweaked in a number of directions, and the Spyder is the one that works for a lot of people.The roof is electric, as you'd expect, but still a canvas job at a time of clamshell hardtops. It works, but it doesn't look as nice as some cars that cost far less than its $515,000.The mechanical package is built up from a 5.2-litre V10 with 343 kiloWatts and a 0-100km/h sprint time o just 4.0 seconds, thanks to all-wheel drive. There is a six-speed e.gear transmission and all-wheel drive, as well as a cabin in typical Lamborghini leather but with switchgear and displays that are more obviously borrowed from Audi than the lineup in the Aventador.The Spyder can easily run with the bulls, especially in a land of speed limits and Polizia, and it does it with a little more panache and excitement than a regular Gallardo.I can feel a little slackness in the chassis, though not a lot, but the Spyder is still a car that can surprise and delight. It's just not for me.GALLARDO SUPERLEGGERA:Now we're talking. This car is a lightweight - in the best possible way.The Lamborghini team created the new pacemaker in the Gallardo lineup with lashings of lightweight carbon fibre to trim the bottom line by 70 kilograms while holding onto 419 kiloWatts of power and all-wheel drive.That means 0-100km/h in a time warping 3.4 seconds, a 325 km/h top speed and a searing $542,500 price tag in Australia. That means it costs more than a Ferrari 458 Italia.But Lamborghini says the Superleggera is a car for people who enjoy cars and driving, and makes the point with kermit green bodywork on the test car at Sant' Agata. It also has ripper sports bucket seats, a suede-wrapped steering wheel, and carbon fibre everything from the door trims to a rear wing that produces real downforce.The Superleggera is the evil member of our little Lamborghini train, always teasing the driver with the promise of instant feedback, a howling soundtrack, and the ability to compress time and space.But it feels edgy and nervous, which is ideal for a racetrack but less encouraging on a cold day with changeable conditions including water, sludge and a little snow and ice.When you strap into this Gallardo you have to pay attention and be prepared for action.That's what makes it so enjoyable, even just squirting away from traffic lights or easing through a couple of right-angled bends.The Superleggera is the car that Lamborghini puts up against Ferrari and also the McLaren MP4-12C, and it makes a powerful statement. It's not for everyone, but for the people who want one it ticks all the boxes. 

The American giant banked the record return at the end of 2011 to cap a stunning turnaround from bankruptcy, despite ongoing dramas with its operations in Europe. The result for 2011 compares with a $4.7 billion return in 2010, and reflects continuing profits since the company emerged from its government-funded bankruptcy in July, 2009. The biggest contributor to the result is GM International, which posted a profit of $1.9 billion for the year, led by its returns in China. But GM Europe still drained $562 million from the bottom line with another losing year, following a $1.95 billion loss in 2010. The financial results are a big boost to GM, which is also the world's sales champion for 2011 - although Volkswagen questions its inclusion of cars from joint-venture companies in China - and a pointer to future improvements. "We will build on these results as we bring more new cars, crossovers and truck to market, and make GM a far more efficient global team," says Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors. GM is forecasting global sales growth for 2012, although there will be no improvement in its worldwide market share which rose by 0.4 per cent to 11.9 in 2011.

It also has the compact Almera, a Diesel Dualis, and the battery-powered Leaf, as well as another sharpening tweak to the GT-R supercar to fold into a richer product mix. Then there are four upscale Infiniti models in a big brand stretch at the top end of the Nissan family. The flood of new models is intended to get Nissan onto many more Australian shopping lists, as the company looks to overtake Hyundai and Mazda to become the country's favourite pure import brand."We will be putting eight new products into the market in the next 12 months. We have four on the Nissan side and four from Infiniti," says Dan Thompson, managing director of Nissan Australia. "There are also the regular updates across the other models like the 370Z. It's all coming together within two years. It's great." Thompson is nearing the end of his time in Australia before taking up a promotion in Europe in April, but is clearly still committed to a product update that's easily the biggest since Nissan closed its local manufacturing operation in Australia. "We've got a lot happening. Leaf is in June, that's the next one to come," Thompson says. "Then Almera, then Patrol, then Pulsar. It's all in the next 12 months. Probably the biggest challenge is probably prioritising things. It's going to be a busy, busy period."Thompson says the return of the Pulsar nameplate - which was dumped byJapanese management in favour of the Tiida - is a big event. "We've got big plans for the Pulsar and there is a lot of good stuff we're going to do, especially with the hatch," he says. Right now, he says Nissan is working towards the end of the Japanese financial year and its target of overtaking Mitsubishi in Australia. "We're also up there again in the top three fastest-growing brands. We're starting to get there. We've had seven percent-plus market share for a while now."But Thompson says it's the new cars that are going to make the biggest difference. "We've got the new GT-R landing this month. And that's a pretty big update for just a running change. "We've got the update to the Z, which is the US cycle. We've got Dualis diesel coming towards the end of the year. And we have some other big stuff. "We've got lots of good little running changes for all the core product. We've got a new Navara product coming this month out of spain. With the capacity constraints in Thailand we moved the ST, our best selling variant, to Spain. We're scrambling to find capacity."

The Macan - the Indonesian word for Tiger - should be ready for the road in the final months of 2013 and joins a growing number of baby crossovers from the Subaru XV to the Mazda CX-5 and upcoming Ford Endeavour, as well as several still-secret newcomers from General Motors.Porsche said it was never intending to sell the baby SUV as the Cajun, which was just a working codename derived from 'Cayenne Junior'.Macan now officially replaces Cajun as the name for the compact Porsche, which the company hopes will be as big a winner as the full-sized Cayenne that provided the much-need profits for the continued success of the classic 911 and smaller Boxster and Cayman twins.Porsche is repeating the Cayenne plan with the Macan as, just as the heavyweight SUV is twinned with the Volkswagen Taureg, the newcomer will share the mechanical platform of the Audi Q5."Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of an SUV and is a genuine Porsche," says Bernhard Maier, head of sales and marketing at Porsche. He says it's never easy to choose a new name, but believes Macan will work well."The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects, and evoke positive associations."Porsche has not said when it will reveal the road-ready Macan, but there is growing anticipation in Europe together with expectation for the all-new Lamborghini SUV also expected to break cover in 2011.The Italian heavyweight will be the first for the company since the ill-fated LM002 in the 1980s and, after initial rumours of a showing in Geneva next month it could now be revealed at the Beijing Motor Show.On the Macan front, Porsche confirms the car will be built at its Leipzig factory in Germany alongside the Cayenne following a $650 update that includes a new body shop and paint facility.

JAPANESE carmaker Nissan is launching a $15 million attack on Australia's heartland brands, Ford and Holden. The aggressive importer is planning to hit the locals where it hurts, at Bathurst and in the V8 Supercars championship series, from 2013. As the two local brands fight for the survival of their carmaking operations they must now face the first full-scale import attack in motorsport for 20 years and the potential opening of the floodgates to other brands including Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and even Jaguar. The catalyst for the change is new rules for 2013 that break down the barrier to brands other than Ford and Holden, who have had the V8 Supercars field to themselves since 1993. Nissan's attack renews the commitment by a company with proven motorsport success in Australia following two Bathurst 1000 wins in 1991 and 1992 and three touring car titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992. "This is the biggest change in Australian motorsport in 20 years. It's huge," says Mark Skaife, the architect of the Car of the Future regulations which have sparked Nissan's involvement. "My promise was there would be one extra brand in 2013 and probably two or three in 2014. We're on track for that." Ironically, Skaife was the Nissan spearhead when the company was last involved before switching to Holden, and he now sees a huge change in the motoring landscape. "This is the spark to re-energise the local industry. And they do need a big kick. This is the sport of the motor industry, and it makes absolute sense to be talking about winning Bathurst and not the AFL grand final," he said. Nissan's commitment will tie the company to Kelly Racing for a four-car assault using Nissan engines and the body of a car yet to reach showrooms. It is also planning a massive promotional campaign. The factory team's frontline drivers are Rick and Todd Kelly, who have championship and Bathurst wins as drivers, and they also have one of the best-funded program in V8 Supercars thanks to sponsorship from Jack Daniel's and their business manager - and former Holden Special Vehicles boss - John Crennan. The official announcement of Nissan's plan was made in Melbourne at 11am today and Skaife is upbeat about the involvement, while hosing-down fears of the sort of domination that came when the company raced its 'Godzilla' Skyline GT-R. "This needs to be looked at both on and off-track. On-track V8 Supercars has told Nissan that we will make the same commitment to them as Ford and Holden. We'll build their prototype and get it homologated and ready for racing under the Car of the Future regulations," he said. "But they cannot dominate like they did with the Godzilla car. We want them to be competitive and challenging to win races, but they cannot dominate. Off-track, Nissan will want to heavily activate their involvement in motorsport. That will make the pie bigger with the spending in and around our business, and I think it will also re-energise the Ford and Holden programs. When they see what Nissan is doing  they will have to be more aggressive and more like they were in the past. People who think that winning on Sunday and selling on Monday is yesterday's news are kidding themsleves."

...should probably take a closer look at the latest Nascar racer for the blue oval brand.  It's based on the new Mondeo and looks both surprisingly normal and exceptionally tough. Ford will switch to the new look for the 2013 Sprint Cup season in the USA, when Australia's Marcos Ambrose should be behind the wheel of one of the new-look racecars. But there is more to the new Nascar than another racecar. The switch in 2013 is part of the global plan for the Mondeo and Fusion twins, as well as move towards Nacar racers that look more like their (distant) road car cousins. It also shows how a Falcon could potentially look - if you squint a little - if Ford Motor Company in Detroit decides that the Australian car needs to be moved into the same global family as the next Mondeo and Fusion. There is clear potential to do that, since the mechanical package under the new Mondeo-Fusion is capable of being stretched and tweaked into a size that would work for Australia. Other details? No-one knows. But Ford is talking up the Nascar switch in the USA and describes the Fusion racer as "an effort to bring brand identity back to the sport". ”We wanted Fusion to be the car that helped return ‘stock car’ to Nascar," says Jamie Allison, the director of Ford Racing. “I think fans, when they see the car, are just going to smile and cheer. There is just something natural about seeing race cars that look like cars in their driveways.” Development of the new Nascar was even led by Ford, instead of its race teams. Ford Design Center staff led by Garen Nicoghosian, and Ford aerodynamicist Bernie Marcus spent a year ensuring the racer picks up the design elements from the road car instead of just looking light a high-speed garden shed with fake headlights and a Ford sticker plastered on the nose. "It looks fun to drive and very much eager to go and tear up the track," says Nicoghosian.

The new hybrid hero is not technically part of the Prius family, but Toyota is using its TS 030 as a 320km/h labratory-on-wheels and a way to break down barriers against future cars. Toyota is not planning to win in France this year but does intend to lay the foundations for future success at Le Mans with a two-car coupe entry in full factory colours. But it will not be the only hybrid contender in June, as Audi has just confirmed plans to race a pair of diesel-electric versions of its latest R18 in a four-car effort at Le Mans. It is believed to use a flywheel, similar to the Williams F1 system already used by Porsche in a racing 911, for energy storage. The new Toyota 030 is also a full hybrid that combines a 3.4-litre V8 racing engine with a hybrid energy storage system to boost power to electric motors at the wheels. The biggest difference between the road and race cars is the storage system - a Prius uses a battery pack and the Toyota racer uses a high-tech capacitor that has greater storage potential and the ability to release energy in a more concerted burst. "The first year is a testing year, but at the same time, the whole team, including myself, has massive motivation. Even if it is the first year, we are there to win the race," says Kazuki Nakajima, a former Williams F1 driver who heads the driver lineup for Le Mans. Toyota has fielded cars many times at Le Mans, firstly with the TS 010 and 020 that made the podium in the 1990s, then the GT-One built in Germany by the team that would eventually take Toyota - unsuccessfully - into Formula One. The 030 hybrid has already been tested extensively ahead of Le Mans but Toyota says it is still assessing the potential drive system. Race rules mean a maximum of 500 kiloJoules of energy can be recovered under braking - although the capacity of the Toyota system is double that amount - and it can be fed to either the front or rear wheels. rand Prix cars use their kinetic energy recovery systems to boost drive to the rear wheels but Porsche has turned its 911 into an all-wheel drive racer with electric power to the front wheels, something also being trialled by Toyota. The Toyota 030 hybrid races for the first time at Spa in Belgium in May and, apart from Nakajima, the six-driver lineup also includes former F1 racer Alex Wurz.