Articles by Philip King

Spicy hatch needs plenty of saltSAT 06 MAR 2010, Page 012The hype is overdone, but the 5 GT adds flavour to a plain sedanIF you ask BMW what sort of car its 5 Series GT is, it will tell you that it's something unique: a groundbreaking vehicle that combines the best bits of a sedan, SUV and grand tourer; BMW boldly going where no brand has gone before.Of course, car-maker hyperbole should always be taken with a pinch of salt. In this case, it should be generously seasoned, baked in a salt crust, then served on a bed of salt crystals with a saline jus.The 5 Series GT is something new for BMW but, viewed objectively, it's a luxury four-door hatchback. Other luxury makers are already making these, as they diversify madly into smaller and smaller niches. Recent examples include the A5 Sportback, a hatchback variant of Audi's mid-size A4; the Panamera, Porsche's first sedan; and Aston Martin's Rapide.Of course, the idea itself is nothing new. Saab used to recruit loyal buyers with the unusual -- at the time -- hatchback styling on its four-door cars, until General Motors poured cold water on its Scandinavian-ness.The trick when expanding into niches is to use as many pre-prepared ingredients as possible. On price, the 5 Series GT fits between the 5 Series large sedan and the 7 Series extremely large sedan. However, its dimensions are closer to the latter and it has an identical wheelbase because it's built on the same underpinnings.That length helps the designers achieve the low roofline and shallow side glass.From the rear it looks odd; too tall and a bit confusing. But from the front it's one of BMW's most attractive recent designs. It achieves some of the advantages of an SUV, such as an elevated ride height, without any of the environmental odium. At the same time, it looks more interesting than a straightforward sedan and less ostentatious than a limo.It has something in common, from a conceptual standpoint, with the multi-purpose vehicles so popular in Europe. The French, in particular, have made a huge success of these people-movers aimed at young families. But their MPVs have tiny engines and cabins constructed out of the plastic used for picnic plates.By comparison, the 5 GT and its ilk are business-people movers.Their occupants need enough room, facilities and comfort to accommodate four high-fliers after a long lunch discussing the size of this year's bonus.The cabin, suitably up-specced with DVD screens and other goodies, is pitched somewhere between boardroom and loungeroom. The back seats are slightly raised off the floor in people-mover fashion but the comfort and refinement levels are much higher. Headroom in the rear isn't an issue, thanks to a sculpted ceiling, and leg space feels generous, especially in the four-seat configuration.Material quality is on a par with the 7 Series and the cabin is well sealed for quietness.Some clever design isolates the load area from the occupant space, avoiding the boomy noises that wagons are prone to. Door sealing is also good, despite coupe-style frameless windows.Even on large wheels, ride quality is a standout, although with a slightly perched-on-suspension character in comfort mode.Plenty of light enters the cabin, thanks in part to an oversize glass sunroof. In the regions of Europe where these cars are designed, watery sunshine is the best you can expect for much of the year and so large expanses of glass are becoming increasingly popular.In Australia, they should be delete-options rather than standard, as here. At least the fabric cover is reasonably opaque.The load area is cavernous and the rear seats fold in a 40-20-40 pattern, just like a French MPV. The flexibility extends to the tailgate itself, which can be partially opened like a boot to stash smaller stuff. In this case the cabin remains isolated, so that the air-conditioning isn't working in vain.BMW claims its dual-action tailgate is unique, but luckily I had another barrel of salt in reserve. Skoda was the first with this idea in its Superb large car last year.The difference is that BMW's system is automatic, and just as well. The full-size tailgate is so large and heavy you would not want to be lifting it yourself.It rises on telescopic struts that could have come from a cargo plane to open as wide as a yawning hippo, or to owner-preset heights to allow for the low ceilings in many garages.There are plenty of gadgets for the driver, including BMW's excellent head-up display, cornering headlights, parking radar and a rear camera.The brand's interiors have been slowly returning to form after the wrong turn taken under former design chief Chris Bangle and this car continues the positive trend. So the layout and general ergonomics are good, although the lack of a cowl over the control screen can make it hard to read in some lights. BMW's unique (yes, really) gearshifter design feels more substantial than usual.Vision out the rear isn't bad, despite a letterbox quality to the rear glass, and while the wing mirrors are sedan-sized rather than the monsters on most SUVs, they seem big enough to do the job.Dynamically, the 5 GT drives like a BMW despite weighing two tonnes. BMW always manages to engineer a similar behind-the-wheel feel into its cars, regardless how big they are, although as they get larger and more luxurious they tend to seem more remote from the driver.The test cars, driven on the sinuous roads of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, were fitted with many of BMW's dynamic options, including adaptive dampers and active anti-roll bars (collectively called Adaptive Drive) and active steering. A large car with all these can almost defy the laws of physics.Performance comes from the top end of BMW's engine range, with the 3.0-litre diesel or 4.4-litre V8 already offered in the 7 Series. This car also comes with the latest version of BMWs 3.0-litre turbocharged six, which gains direct injection -- a genuine first, so hold the salt.The standard transmission is the eight-speed automatic offered -- so far -- only in the most expensive V12 version of the 7.Both the petrol six and V8 were available on the launch drive and both are every bit as good as you would expect. The tendency of turbochargers to lag throttle inputs has been virtually eliminated and power delivery is nicely linear in both, with little hesitation off the mark.The V8 has plenty of character and can hit 100km/h in 5.5 seconds, which is respectably quick. The six has to work a bit harder, but never feels like it's doing overtime. The transmission is so smooth it almost goes unnoticed.Whichever engine you choose, the 5 GT benefits from a selection of BMW's efficient dynamics technology, including brake regeneration, which harvests energy under deceleration, and low-rolling resistance tyres.The V8 achieves an average of 11.2 litres per 100km, which is hardly punitive for the performance it can deliver, while the diesel returns 6.5, which is remarkable.So in this respect, as well as a few others, the 5 GT is the large car you have when you're not having a large car. Although less extreme than BMW's other recent niche success, the X6 SUV-coupe, the 5 GT is far from bland.For those tired of plain meat-and-three-veg luxury sedans, the 5 GT has a bit more spice despite the need to add salt.BMW 5 SERIES GTVEHICLE: Large luxury hatchbackENGINES: 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel or petrol six-cylinder; 4.4-litre turbocharged petrol V8OUTPUTS: 180kW at 4000rpm and 540Nm at 1750rpm (530d); 225kW at 5800rpm and400Nm at 1200rpm (535i); 300kW at 5500rpm and 600Nm at 1750rpm (550i)TRANSMISSION: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drivePRICE: From $143,400 (530d) to $192,900 (550i) plus on-road costsON SALE: March 27

Nothing on four wheels can beat a Porsche 911 Turbo off the lights.  My right foot presses down hard on the throttle and the tachometer leaps to 5000rpm. The power of this Porsche 911 Turbo can be heard in the mechanical snarl from behind the cabin and the way it strains to be let loose.It's in gear, sport-plus setting engaged, but we're not going anywhere. Yet.  Ahead is nearly 2km of tarmac stretching into the haze of a 35C South Australian summer day. This facility at Tailem Bend, used by Mitsubishi when it was still making cars in the state, appears to be a half-built proving ground. There's this straight, a tiny tarmac loop and acres of not much else. Never finished, it's now neglected.Except today. Porsche has borrowed it to demonstrate the capabilities of its 911 Turbo.  This variant has been part of the line-up for 35 years, almost as long as the evergreen 911 itself, and sits at the pinnacle of the range. There are more extreme, track-focused 911s but this one, as either coupe or convertible, is meant for everyday use. No roll bars or fire extinguishers in here. Just lots of leather.The Turbo is in the middle of its model cycle but has just been extensively overhauled and, for the first time since 1974, gets a completely new engine. A larger, 3.8-litre unit replaces the previous 3.6 to deliver 15kW more power and 30Nm more torque. With 368kW, it now has nearly twice the output of the original.The new engine is also lighter, introduces direct fuel injection to the Turbo, and rethinks everything from the oil pump to the exhaust system.  It revs higher, but average fuel consumption of 11.4 litres per 100km is a substantial improvement on the previous best of 12.8.Of course the Turbo is all about performance and this is where the gains are most apparent. The company quotes a 3.4 second time from standstill to 100km/h, 0.3 quicker than before. The 0-200km/h time falls by nearly a second, to 11.3. I'm about to test those numbers out.I hold the car against the brake for a second or so and gauge the potency of what I'm about to unleash. The word "Launch'' appears in a small display in one of the steering wheel spokes and the Porsche product expert in the passenger seat warns that a launch control start can be "quite severe''. Even knowing this, nothing can prevent me being thrown back in the seat when I lift my left foot off the brake.The surface isn't as grippy as Porsche would like, but G-force jolt aside the way this car takes off is amazingly drama free. The all-wheel drive system can divide torque between the front and rear axles as required, and gets power down efficiently. The tyres are warm from previous runs and there's no wheel spin. All I have to do is keep my right foot pinned to the firewall.The tachometer climbs quickly from 5000rpm to 7000rpm then flicks back as the gearbox automatically shifts up, before repeating the sequence. The Turbo uses the seven-speed double-clutch transmission, called PDK, now available across the Porsche range, and changes gear with remarkable smoothness even under full throttle.Like the five-speed torque converter automatic it replaces, it delivers better acceleration times than the six-speed manual. The PDK now has the best fuel economy figures as well.  Here, I'm only interested in speed and the tiny speedometer goes in only one direction as the Turbo fast-forwards the horizon.There's no let-up. The 400m markers pass in a flash, then the ones at 750m and at 1km the car is still accelerating. That's my signal to brake, and I do. Hard.The run takes place so quickly it's difficult to take it all in. Radar measures my speed as 254km/h crossing the 1km mark, which is a rough guide. It's fast.  Back in one of the small service buildings there's a chance to study the telemetry from a special recorder inside the car that uses the global positioning system. It offers a wealth of accurate detail.The times are astonishing. Getting to 100km/h takes just 3.3 seconds and little more than 50m of road. By 400m, the Turbo is exceeding 200km/h and it's taken just 11.2 seconds to get there. From standstill, the car dispatches a kilometre of tarmac in 20.6 seconds. By any measure, these are supercar vital statistics. There is nothing on sale in Australia that a Turbo driver needs to worry about at the lights. Nothing on four wheels, at any rate.Even more remarkable, the times are repeatable, with two aboard, in the shade-less heat. Maximum speeds are almost identical on every run, with small variations in 0-100km/h times coming down to tiny differences in conditions, such as the weights of the various drivers. Unlike the launch control button on some sportscars, the Porsche system can be used all day. The engine remains smooth and completely unruffled.For knowledgeable onlookers, there are visual clues that this is a special 911, including huge tailpipes, a split wing and the word "Turbo'' spelled out across the rear. But none of the drama of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. For an owner, it offers relative anonymity compared with something red and Italian.Its performance doesn't compromise its useability, either. The 911 Turbo has talent at both ends of the performance spectrum. Around town, the tiger is a pussycat and the ride comfort, even on 19-inch wheels, is pliant enough for commuting.The interior is quiet for a sportscar, even refined at low-speeds and on smooth surfaces. The options list is long, but the cabin is anything but sparse.  Leaving Adelaide on the way to Tailem Bend, the city soon gives way to the twisty hills that play host to the annual classic rally - a favourite for Porscheowners. From behind the wheel of the Turbo, these can be dispatched at remarkable pace and with incredible ease.The variable turbine geometry that debuted in the previous model is retained here, and with the PDK gearbox, engine response is first-rate. The brakes are strong and the chassis engaging.What the Turbo conveys, almost immediately, is an immense reserve of dynamic ability combined with the intimacy of a driver's car. Few vehicles have as many trump cards in this suit.The test cars on last week's drive were fitted with all the latest tricks and as with many cars at this level, many of these have to be optioned in. Chief among them is the Sport Chrono pack, which for another $8590 brings the launch control function mentioned above, sport and sport-plus settings and an overboost to the turbochargers, which briefly raises maximum torque to 700Nm.This option also includes the active engine mounts that debuted recently in the 911 GT3. When pressing on, these stiffen to make the engine a rigid part of the car so that there is no unwelcome weight transfer in corners. Around town, the engine mounts allow a bit more "give'' for better ride comfort.The PDK gearbox is also an option but unlike the previous automatic, it now comes with a limited-slip rear differential. A new dynamic feature is Porsche Torque Vectoring, which actively enhances cornering ability by selectively, and momentarily, braking an inside wheel. It only comes into play at maximum attack.By the time you've added steering wheel gearshift paddles (new to Porsche), dynamic headlights and ceramic brakes (one of the more expensive boxes to tick at $20,590), the $360,100 starting price will be nudging $400,000.  However, a full-fruit Turbo still looks like a bargain next to its Italian rivals, which start much higher up the price scale and have an equally extensive options strategy.The twin aces of liveability and driveability makes the Turbo a favourite among 911 buyers, with 230 opting for the previous model over three years on sale here. Porsche expects no shortage of buyers this time despite a market still hung over from the GFC.PORSCHE 911 TURBOVehicle: Sports coupe and convertibleEngine: 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged horizontal six-cylinderOutputs: 368kW at 6000rpm and 650Nm at 2100rpmTransmission: Six-speed manual or seven-speed double clutch transmission, all-wheel drivePrice: From $360,100 plus on-road costs

This is the car GM Holden developed, but won't sell you: the Camaro. Work to revive the famous badge was done in Australia by Holden's engineers. Strip away the Detroit muscle and underneath is a Commodore skeleton.When Holden designed the Commodore fundamentals it made them flexible enough to be the starting point for a whole range of large, rear-wheel-drive cars. In the giant that General Motors used to be, there were no end of possibilities.However, GM could see the traffic lights changing ahead and didn't know whether to accelerate or brake. It ended up doing both, but before other projects could get traction, ran out of money. Apart from a few Commodores rebadged as Pontiacs, the Chevrolet Camaro is the sole result.It went on sale stateside a year ago and enthusiasts here were left holding their breath. The Camaro has a special place in Australia's racing history as a two-time winner of the touring car championship in the early 1970s, driven by Bob Jane. Kevin Bartlett twice put the car on pole at Bathurst.Since Holden has no plans to revive the Monaro again, would the US coupe be available in right-hand drive?  On more than one occasion, GM has encouraged the idea. But thanks to the global financial crisis, accountants are calling the tune and the lyrics go: "You say Ca-maa-ro, I say Ca-mair-o . . . let's call the whole thing off.'' For a tiny market such as Australia, the numbers don't add up.So if you want one, the only option for the foreseeable future is to buy a local conversion of a left-hand drive import. Performax International, based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, claims to be first to complete the task. It has already converted a few cars and is taking orders for more, with a price of $135,000 on a top-of-the-range V8.At the Lakeside Raceway north of Brisbane last week the results were on show. There was time to examine Performax's handiwork and drive a few laps of the track.  The Camaro is GM's pitch to US revheads and competes against the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.Their shapes are all modern versions of the 1960s muscle car classics and the Camaro is one of the more successful, with a low-slung cabin, pronounced haunches and huge 20-inch wheels. The engine will be familiar to HSV owners: GM's 6.2-litre LS3 V8, with 318kW in the six-speed manual Camaro.It delivers a perfect muscle-car soundtrack -- a laid-back rumble that makes acceleration seem effortless. Compared to an HSV, the Camaro V8 has about 130kg less weight to move.It's shorter and wider too, and feels nicely balanced through corners. Racetracks can make the firmest suspensions feel soft, but the chassis benefits from the solid fundamentals of the donor Commodore. It's not as crisp, perhaps, as an HSV GTS but tight and enjoyable. The hardest thing to live with would be the spongy brake pedal.The cabin owes nothing to the Holden sedan and feels half a notch above it for desirability, but no more. Body-coloured trim panels line the doors in a nod to the 1960s while the seats, wheel and gearshift are nicely judged.  The centre console controls are simple and clear, even if the obligatory extra dials are set absurdly low.Best, though, is that the cabin seems neat and seems to have lost nothing in the conversion. Performax claims to have perfection as its goal and even these early cars had a neatness that could have almost rolled off an assembly line.Company co-founder Greg Waters believes the results are a pay-off from investment in new technology that changed the way the company tackles each job. Crucial to the process now is a three-dimensional scanner that inputs all the bits that need flipping into a computer program. Then a three-dimensional printer generates a usable part in plastic. If it works, it's used as a pattern to mould as many as they need.Performax says it's the only conversion company using the system and with 200 finished vehicles a year, it's also the largest. Sports cars such as the Camaro, Corvette and Mustang are the headline acts and Performax imported H2 Hummers when they were popular a few years ago. But its bread and butter are large pick-ups such as the Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra.There's a small but resilient market for these American staples here, as Ford discovered when it brought in its large F-series trucks a few years ago. In a good year, Ford sold about 2000 F250s, but the range was discontinued in 2007.Waters says businesses and recreational users will pay a premium for the extra hauling ability these vehicles offer. "Our target market is older people or businesspeople who are buying Chevy trucks to tow their big caravan or fishing boat,'' he explains.Waters thinks the company will find buyers for about 60 Camaros over the next two years and most of them will be older too, thanks mainly to the price. "Not many young people can write out a $130,000 cheque for a car.'' It's certainly a lot to pay for a model that costs $US34,000 ($38,000) in the US, but Waters and his team are only partly to blame. Regulations require imports to be new, which means they incur US sales taxes. Performax has to buy through a US agent rather than direct from dealers, so there's a commission to pay. Then there's shipping costs of about $4000 a car, the Australian import tariff of 5 per cent, GST and the luxury car tax. It quickly adds up.It also sounds like a tricky operation with a lot of fraught paperwork, and I wonder how it got started. Waters says it began 20 years ago after he and mate Brian Learoyd went backpacking to the US with the aim of buying a car."Brian and myself pooled our resources and bought a Corvette in the States and shipped it home. Our intention was to get it converted,'' he says. When they saw what conversion companies were doing, they decided to have a go themselves. Then they did a couple more cars to recoup the administration costs. Before long it had gone beyond a hobby."Every time we did a conversion, we enjoyed it and made something out of it. So we said, let's get fair dinkum about it and chase the work.''The paperwork is still challenging, Water says. Performax is allowed to convert up to 200 examples of one model each year under two different low-volume import schemes.  The cars are not required to undergo complete testing here as long as the overseas standards are recognised in Australia.Corvettes are the most difficult to convert and the job is getting harder due to the increasing complexity of electronics, Waters says. Although there's never been a car they couldn't do. The 3D printer has allowed the company to expand but it's now thinking about the next step. To help it move more mainstream it has recruited Glenn Soper, formerly with Renault and Bentley, as general manager.Soper says Performax could tackle more models, such as Ford F-series pick-ups, and increase sales by stepping through all the regulatory hoops.  "We're looking at full-volume compliance on particular models, which means we can do as many as we want,'' he says.The workshop is already expanding and Soper says a presence in other states is also on the agenda. "Melbourne is definitely on the cards and Western Australia would be a priority,'' he says.Having well-established rivals in Victoria means it won't be easy, but Soper believes the Performax approach gives it an edge.  And once there are a few Camaros running around our roads, that will be a very visible edge indeed.CHEVROLET CAMAROVehicle: Performance coupeEngine: 6.2-litre V8Outputs: 318kW at 5000rpm and 553Nm at 4500rpmTransmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drivePrice: $135,000 plus on-road costsOn sale: Now

The price of a Rolls-Royce has tumbled by $50,000, a Ferrari V12 is now $27,000 cheaper and $20,000 has been taken off the price of a top-spec Aston Martin. An Audi A3 can now be bought for under $35,000 while a Porsche Boxster costs less than when it first went on sale more than a decade ago, at $105,000.The tariff cut applied this month, which reduces the impost on imported cars to 5 per cent, came into effect as the government's tax incentive scheme for business vehicle buyers was wound up. The tax break boosted vehicle demand by 9 per cent last year, according to estimates by Toyota.Luxury brands have been quick to reduce prices instead of adding equipment to cars, as they have done in the past when tariffs have fallen."We made the decision to pass on the saving in full -- it was the right thing to do," Bentley spokesman Ian Churchill said.Sales of the elite British brand slumped more than 60 per cent last year as premium makers felt the downturn more than most.

The sixth generation of the car beat 56 rivals representing 16 carmakers in testing by the monthly motoring magazine. Announcing the award yesterday, editor Ged Bulmer said the German-built car was a worthy winner."The turbocharged five-door hatch VW Golf range is outstanding," he said.  "It oozes sophistication, refinement and development in an energetic package that comes with fundamentally good steering and balance."Wheels whittled down its largest field of contenders over a week of testing that evaluated the cars for function, technology, efficiency, safety and value.

Black editions are what Mercedes tuning house AMG produces when it throws subtlety to the wind.

With fewer selling days this month because of Easter, and some dealers reporting a drop in buyer interest last weekend, March may be the first month to show that the brakes have been applied to car sales when the figures are released at the end of next week.This year began at the same hectic pace it finished 2007, with January and February both record months and growth still running hot at 7.2 per cent.“But Easter takes a bit of steam out of it,” said Tony Robinson of fleet risk management company Sureplan.“March and April will be a litmus test of what impact the interest rate increases have had on private buyers.”The Westpac-Melbourne Institute measure of consumer sentiment for March fell to its lowest in seven years and the time-to-buy-a-car index slumped by 22.5 per cent — its worst drop in more than a decade.Mr Robinson said segments already suffering would be hardest hit. “The large car is under siege and there's a slight drying up on the larger commercial vehicles, especially among fleets.”The Ford Falcon is in run-out mode ahead of the new FG model going on sale next month, and wagon sales are missing from the Holden Commodore figures as it waits for the VE Sportwagon to join the line-up.It is a mixed picture. With buyers shunning large sedans for SUVs, the category is running 23 per cent up year-to-date.Mr Robinson said most importers were reporting a strong start to the year, fleet orders were not drying up and it was too early to be writing off 2008.“We're still going to have a strong year, but we'll see some levelling off or even a marginal drop in sales.”BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski said Easter was typically quiet “but overall for March we'll be up on last year.” 

Europeans tore themselves away from exotic supercars to catch a close-up glimpse of the Nano, a tiny, basic and extremely cheap runabout which promises to turn the motoring world on its head.

It stopped making its NSX a couple of years ago and, as yet, hasn't produced another. Honda's sole supercar contender was a watershed though, as it finally forced Ferrari, Lamborghini and the rest to lift their game. On reliability. On ergonomics. On build quality. The NSX was usable every day because it didn't chuck tantrums like the highly-strung Italians.Now there's another contender raising the bar on supercars, and not from Italy.Audi's first attempt at the genre won't go down as the fastest, best-sounding, most beautiful or most desirable supercar you can buy. And despite limiting production to just 20 R8s a day, Audi could still learn a lot about exclusivity from Ferrari or Aston Martin.But the R8 is a landmark nonetheless, both for the supercar genre and for the brand.I stepped from an R8 into a Q7, Audi's gargantuan SUV. It was a lesson in contrasts, and not just for the obvious reasons. The Q7 has enormous cushiony tyres and because it's so tall, there's plenty of room for the suspension to do its stuff. But the more comfortable, better riding car was the R8.That was quite a surprise, and now I'm afraid all other supercars will feel like go-karts.Happily, the R8's ride quality doesn't come at the expense of handling, and you can put that down to its fancy magnetic dampers. The chassis feels very alert, hugs the tarmac like a clam and lacks obvious flaws such as the understeer that can blight some all-wheel drives. Instead, it's very disciplined but with an emphasis on the carrot rather than the stick.This supremely competent car’s very easy to drive. There's no lack of character here either, and to me it felt like a Lotus might feel if it had been built by Germans.Another departure from the supercar norm is the R8's design. Audi has been treading a fine line with some of the exterior detailing lately and is in danger of overdoing it. Any more LED lights and the cars will twinkle like a department store at Christmas.There's no doubting the drama of the R8 shape though, emphasised by some daring features such as the contrasting “blades” behind the doors. A clear engine-cover displays the V8 to advantage behind the cabin, in typical show-off supercar fashion.To my eyes it was taller than expected at first sight and the front overhang seemed a bit long. To other roads users, it was a cause for cheer.Inside, it's the driver's turn to applaud. Audi takes its usual detailing to a new exquisite level. The knurled metal gear shifter and its slotted metal plate were a special favourite, but the seats and pedals are also very pleasing. Even the flat-bottomed steering wheel, which looks cheap and plasticky in some Audis, is splendid here. It's just the right size, and perfectly trimmed in leather.In fact the whole cabin has Audi's typically clean and well-organised air. If there's a criticism, it's the contrived sweep of styling that's designed to impart a sense of being in a “cockpit” by partly enclosing the driver.A lesser sin, considering the limitations of mid-engined supercar design, is the lack of vision. It's restricted rearwards (and the rear glass needs a wiper) and forwards, with a very wide base to the A-pillars.But the controls mark a big step forward in Audi's bid for driver appeal. They all have a directness and subtlety that's closer to Porsche in quality than regular Audi stuff. The gearshift is terrifically satisfying to use as you double-clunk into the next slot against the weight of the spring. The clutch and throttle are nicely weighted, and between them they connect the driver directly to the responsive, torquey V8.This unit revs brilliantly and while it doesn't soar like a Ferrari, there's plenty to love in the soundtrack.The car is quick and there's a generous, torquey mid-range, which means you can leave the R8 in sixth and trundle around with the engine barely turning over. The brake pedal can be a bit numb at first, although it's miles ahead of the usual, over-sensitive Audi set-ups. A bit of kickback through the steering wheel over bumps isn't desirable, but demonstrates a lot more connection to the road than Audis can usually muster.All told, this is an Audi any driver will relish.However, before soccer mums descend on Audi dealerships hoping to trade in their Q7s for something a little more comfortable, it should be pointed out that Audi hasn't dodged the usual supercar space and cargo compromises. There's a front bin under the bonnet, akin to the Porsche 911. But not a lot else.There's little doubt Audi has leveraged its ownership of Lamborghini to build this car and along the way there's been a wholesale borrowing of parts. But Audi insists that was just the starting point, and that rings true.The R8 doesn't feel like a Lamborghini and is all the better for not feeling much like an Audi, either. Let's hope the R8 isn't a one-off like the Honda NSX threatens to be. Need to knowAudi R8Engine: 4.2-litre V8Outputs: 309kW at 7800rpm; 430Nm at 4500rpmTransmission: Six-speed manual, all-wheel drivePrice: $259,900On sale: Now 

However, Ford hasn't made any promises that the FG model would continue to be built in Australia.The unveiling of the FG in Melbourne came as doubts over the viability of local car-making reaches a crescendo, following the closure of Mitsubishi's Tonsley Park plant earlier this month.Ford Australia president Bill Osborne was bullish about the car's prospects and said the FG Falcon would recapture market leadership from the Holden Commodore by reasserting its place in family life.“Our intention is to grow sales and take our rightful place at the top of the segment,” Mr Osborne said at the launch.“The primary thing driving our strategy is to target a broader range of customers, to move beyond the fleet buyer and performance buyer into more of a family-type customer. It's a stretching of the brand to appeal to more lifestyle.”The biggest change to Ford's signature model in a decade focuses on improving safety, economy and comfort in a reorganised range but with many of the familiar model names — such as Fairmont — ditched.They are replaced by a new G Series line-up, which targets the middle ground between fleet fodder at one end of the range and the V8 performance buyer at the other end.All FG models are slightly bigger than before, with more powerful engines, new transmissions and a completely reworked cabin. In an unusual move, the ute and performance line-ups were revealed simultaneously with the mainstream sedans. The wagon continues in a revised version of its current shape.Mr Osborne said that, as Ford reorganised globally to make better use of its engineering resources, it was an open question whether the Falcon would continue to be built here.“No one in the industry is able to guarantee the future,” he said. “Right now, there is no plan for the foreseeable future for Falcon to go away.”Regardless of whether the Falcon stayed, Ford was committed to Australian car-making. Last year, Ford announced its Broadmeadows factory would begin building the Focus small car from 2011.“Whether or not this is the last Falcon is not really the appropriate question,” Mr Osborne said. “Our operations here are competitive and that's the benchmark for whether any manufacturing operation is viable.”The FG is the result of two years' effort at Ford's Broadmeadows plant in Melbourne and unspecified millions of dollars, but it arrives as Australia's love affair with large four-doors has gone into deep freeze as buyers opt for SUVs or smaller cars.Last year was the worst in the Falcon's 47-year history as sales plummeted 20 per cent with fewer than 34,000 buyers.The FG looks certain to be the last large sedan engineered uniquely for Australia as Ford reorganises globally to make better use of its widespread resources. Mr Osborne said Australia was likely to have a say in the result “simply because our expertise is quite strong.”The new Falcon goes on sale in April with prices to be announced nearer the date.