Articles by Philip King

Having resurrected the Mini Cooper S Paceman 12 years ago, BMW is gradually morphing it into an entire range. In part, this mimics the variety of the original but BMW has gone further and faster.The German luxury leader set out to make Mini bigger, so to speak; it's now on the brink of realising that goal.So a measure of its success is this: it's difficult to imagine the revived Volkswagen Beetle or Fiat 500 being able to stretch as far, despite, in the 500's case, of following the Mini example into SUVs.It's there in the numbers; the Beetle has been around longer but Mini has outstripped it in sales -- 2.3 million against about 1 million -- and now reaches 100 markets. Last year was a record 301,000 sales.There was a danger that each additional Mini variant would add only marginal extra volume, while the Hatch remained the main game. But the Countryman shows signs of being able to stand on its own four wheels, with 250,000 buyers in just three years.It has meant Mini expanding beyond its manufacturing base in Britain, with the Countryman and Paceman built under contract in Austria. The latest move is to make Minis in Chennai, India, alongside BMWs.The eventual line-up will probably reach 10 or more, with concepts such as the Rocketman (a sort of city runabout), Beachcomber (a Moke-style buggy) and even an electric Mini scooter a window on its inventive thinking.There are signs the next generation -- the third -- is well advanced and this time BMW will reap economies of scale by sharing the underpinnings with its first front-wheel drive cars.Once drivelines and trims are factored in, there are about 40 Mini variants in the price list. The latest addition is a racy variant of the Countryman called Paceman -- a sort of SUV-coupe cross. It takes the model count to seven -- more if the battery-powered Mini E or track-focused GP version are counted.Parts commonality within the Mini line-up is already extensive, with Paceman sharing its cabin architecture and layout with the rest of the range. One exception is the (welcome) relocation of the window switches to the door from their usual spot low in the centre console.The Paceman starts from $44,100 and the ergonomics remain imperfect and there are familiar negatives: hard plastics, cheap ratchet-style seat adjusters, pointless push-in-key-and press-button start, gimmicky pizza-sized central speedo.Each additional Mini moves further away from the retro starting point. They encompass the Hatch, the new Mini with the complete suite of winning aesthetics, to the Countryman and Coupe which take Mini-ness a long way from Carnaby Street.The Coupe, for example, has an odd cap-shaped roof while the Countryman moves the badge into the booming premium small SUV segment. For the first time in a Mini, you get four doors and four-wheel drive.The ability to personalise your Mini has been vital to its appeal and it makes a habit of producing themed specials, from a budget version called Ray to an Inspired by Goodwood edition decked out in the Rolls-Royce manner.There's also a Monopoly Board of trim specials called Baker Street, Hyde Park, Bayswater and more. From the outset it had a companion go-fast sub-brand called John Cooper Works.Reportedly, the interior moves up a grade for the next wave and not before time. From the exterior, the Paceman is a sheet metal twist on the Countryman. Butch and bulky looking, it's a high-riding (and substantially heavier) version of the Hatch in effect, with raised ride height. It's one of the more appealing variants visually, with the darkened B and C pillars giving a wraparound look to the glass.Design has to win because it brings little in the way of extra practicality. Getting into the rear isn't the easiest despite long doors and the two seats are suitable only for short adults. The boot is deep and rear seats split-fold, but it's not all that capacious and cheaply lined.The engine and transmission line-up is familiar too. Petrol Minis employ a 1.6-litre four-cylinder in various states of tune, shared with Peugeot. It's naturally aspirated in the budget Ray and Cooper models and turbocharged in the Cooper S tested.This unit develops as much as 160kW in its highly tuned forms. Two turbocharged diesels offered elsewhere in the Mini range, of 1.6 or 2.0-litre, are not available in Paceman here.In the manual I drove it can reach 100km/h in 7.5 seconds, with the automatic adding 0.3s.The 135kW engine is feisty enough though, sounds good for a turbo and revs to 6500rpm, pulling with conviction. A notchy but likeable gearshift complements good pedals and the steering is also a strongpoint.It's a driveable thing with a terrific chassis. You feel its added height, but it handles sweetly nonetheless. Just like a Mini, in fact. In other words, the Paceman successfully translates the recipe into yet another shape.

The doubts have come after its regional boss refused to commit to manufacturing beyond 2016 and discounted the role of its Melbourne design operation in the brand's centrepiece at the Shanghai motor show.Work on the show car, a four-door larger than the Focus sedan that revives the famous Escort badge, was led by the 1100-strong design and development team in Melbourne, Ford's new Asia-Pacific design director, Joel Piaskowski, said last week.However, senior Ford executives including former Australian chief Marin Burela, now based in China, shrugged off the role of its Victorian studios at the show and said the Escort concept was a “global car”.Asia-Pacific president Dave Schoch said the car was shaped by Chinese customer input and declined to credit Australia. “Our product development process is global,'' he said.“We've got bits and pieces of it done in Europe, in Australia, in Nanjing.” However, Ford lacks a Chinese design centre and Ford Australia sent a delegation to Shanghai that claimed the design as their own.Mr Schoch also played down the significance of reviving the Escort badge and Ford executives spoken to by The Australian were unclear whether the car would have a life outside China if it enters production. “Think of it as a concept vehicle,” Mr Schoch said.“The Escort is well respected and we thought it would resonate with Chinese customers.'' Ford has been slow to exploit the opportunities in China compared with General Motors or Volkswagen. However, in terms of a single car, the Ford Focus was last year's bestseller in China, helping it reach No 1 on the global sales chart.The concept car based on the Focus targets China's fondness for rear-seat amenities and preference for sedans over hatchbacks. Ford expects the Chinese vehicle market to reach 32 million by the end of the decade and plans huge expansion in the region with five new plants opening in the next few years.But Mr Schoch refused to say whether Ford's Broadmeadows plant could continue beyond the life cycle of its Australian-made Falcon and Territory, which is due to end in three years. “We've made commitments and we're sticking to them,'' Mr Schoch said. “We have nothing to announce beyond 2016 and are still evaluating.” 

After someone asks me what car I'm driving, the next thing they ask is invariably, “What's it like?'' When the answer to the first question is, “a Mercedes'', then the answer to the second one is invariable too: “The older I get, the more I like them.''There are two thoughts at work here. First, that the finely calibrated discrimination of maturity is required to appreciate their qualities; like stilton or single malt, perhaps. But also, and more ambiguously for the brand, that Mercedes are old people's cars.The image of Mercedes as a venerable maker of ponderous limousines is something it has been trying to shrug off for decades. It has no choice because the prestige car market has been changing. Luxury buyers increasingly demand smaller cars and non-luxury buyers increasingly demand, well, luxury.Then there's the issue of tighter and tighter emissions regulations, which are impossible to meet without small cars in your line-up.In some ways Mercedes was an early mover here. Its first crack at the small market was the A-Class from 15 years ago. However, it was not a happy birth. The tall tiddler famously failed a swerve-to-avoid manoeuvre known as the “elk test'', undertaken by a specialist magazine, and needed a PR rearguard action to avoid disaster.“The prospects for premium compact cars have never been better,'' Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche said when revealing the car last year. “We expect global demand to grow by more than four million units over the next 10 years.''Capturing some of those extra buyers is essential to Mercedes' goal of regaining No 1 spot in luxury sales by the end of the decade. “A stands for attack,'' Zetsche said, with 50 per cent of buyers expected to be new to the brand.At the Melbourne launch local chief Horst von Sanden was confident of selling 200 a month, many more than the previous A and B-Class put together. It will be a challenge for the dealer network, as Merc novitiates would demand the full three-pointed star treatment.“It's very important that we treat these newcomers to the brand like every loyal Mercedes customer would be treated,'' he said. “Although we have some aggressive and attractive pricing, they still accept a premium price, and for that they want something special.''VALUEThat price starts at $35,600, which is lower than the original 15 years ago. It sent a shiver through its rivals. Additional cost reassurance comes in the shape of a $1383 service contract to cover the first 50,000km or more than three years for an average driver. Who says Europeans are expensive to run?Equipment levels, however, would make a Merc buyer of only a decade ago recoil with envy. All cars are fitted with a seven-speed double-clutch automatic, so that's standard, so is useful stuff such as auto headlights and for the spatially challenged, a semi-automatic parking system. There are classy features such as ambient lighting and illuminated door sills.One feature much touted at last year's reveal was a high level of integration with Apple's iPhone. However, this requires a special kit that has yet to be confirmed for Australia. There's Bluetooth, but a $2990 option pack is needed for internet, digital radio and 10 gigabyte music storage.It's clear where costs have been cut. The leather is artificial unless you pay extra -- bundled with other bits it's $2490. Many levels have cheap racket seat adjustment and when the soft textures run out the plastics are any-level hatchback.DESIGNAn accessible price is just the start. Other A-Class lures are a combination of traditional Merc virtues and something new. The design is in-your-face, with large lights and grille the most conspicuous elements of a bulbous front end. There are pronounced style creases along the flanks, very much design du jour, while the rear is anonymous enough to be almost any small hatch. It's bold but not beautiful.The cabin is more successful. The surfaces are clean and uncluttered; there are soft textures at dash level and some below. The wands feel quality; so do the gearshift paddles and satin metallic highlights around door handles and vents. The button-gear and steering wheel are standard-issue Merc, a plus. A crisp control screen looks expensive. The boot looks big enough but the finish is not at mainstream Merc standards.TECHNOLOGYFor 2013, kit debuted only a few years ago on Merc's tech spearhead, the S-Class, has trickled down to the A. Of four engines on offer the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol is quickest by far but requires buying into the Sport trim and comes with some drawbacks. Its bass soundtrack has a thrumminess at constant revs and the quicker Sport steering is too quick, if anything.SAFETYFor many, Mercedes' reputation for safety will be a wallet winner and the A-Class has form here, having introduced electronic stability control to the segment in 1997. It also has a collision prevention system that alerts the driver and primes the brakes if it senses imminent impact with a car in front at speeds above 30km/h.DRIVINGIts Sport suspension struggles to control body movements on Australian country roads and the ride quality is brittle. The high-output version of the 1.6-litre in the A200 is quieter and slower but easier to live with. It has enough get up and go, and actually sounds terrific when you push it. I preferred the steering and suspension set-up.The 1.8-litre diesel in the A200 CDI won't kid you into mistaking it for a petrol engine, as some do, but it does pull strongly and for long hauls would be worth considering. One problem for all the cars was a bit more tyre noise than expected, a common problem among European imports. It was one reason the A-Class doesn't deliver the serenity you expect in a Merc.VERDICTThere's enough brand feel-good to make this a convincing junior Merc. And as the young brand adopters get older, they'll have acquired a taste for full-strength versions.NEED TO KNOWPrice: From $35,600 (A180) to $49,900 (A250) plus on-road costsEngines: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol (A180, A200); 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel (A200 CDI); 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol (A250)Transmission: Seven-speed automatic, front-wheel driveThirst: 4.6l/100km combined (A200 CDI); 5.8-6.6l/100km combined (petrol), CO2 135g/km

Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren hogged the headlines at the recent Geneva motor show but on the Volkswagen stand was a supercar of a different sort: an efficiency champion. The XL1 has a fraction of the power of those machines but a surprising amount in common in other ways. To achieve Volkswagen's goal of creating a car that uses just one litre of fuel per 100km, about a quarter of the best available now, means employing techniques that also help achieve pace. It's the result of a challenge set for Volkswagen engineers by Ferdinand Piech, the patriarch of the German car industry, more than a decade ago. Piech is the man who demanded that Bugatti, which is owned by Volkswagen, produce a supercar that could exceed 400km/h. It took a while, but the Veyron conquered that mark. The XL1 also beats its target, and production begins later this year. But it also raises a question that bedevils the car industry: how far can it go towards fuel economy and still make an acceptable car? To an extent, it already knows the answer: buyers are shunning pure electric cars because of their limited range. A petrol-electric hybrid, such as the Toyota Prius, has an acceptable range but advances in internal combustion engines mean its economy advantages have been eroded. Volkswagen is not alone in believing that a halfway house between the two is the answer. Plug-in hybrids can travel worthwhile distances on electric power alone, unlike the Prius, yet have the range of a standard car. The powertrain project leader for the XL1, Thomas Herbst, says a plug-in hybrid driveline was essential to success. “Plug-in hybrids we think will be the future for at least the next 15 to 20 years because of the poor power of battery technology,” he says. If the XL1 had relied on a conventional combustion engine it would have meant reducing its weight to 300kg, he says -- an impossible goal. As it is, the XL1 weighs just 795kg thanks to carbon-fibre construction. It also has magnesium wheels, ceramic brakes and thin-glass technology. Less than a quarter of its weight is steel or iron. Much of that is the driveline, which combines a 0.8 two-cylinder diesel engine with a 20kW electric motor, integrated into the transmission. A 60kg lithium ion battery pack, which can be charged from a standard socket in two hours, can propel the car in electric mode for 50km. It also acts as generator, harvesting the heat energy of the brakes. The engine and motor work together when required, with a 10-litre fuel tank giving a 500km range. Speed is limited to 160km/h, which is enough for an autobahn, and during a short drive in Switzerland I saw 130km/h and the XL1 didn't feel stretched. But it's no supercar and, to many, the driveline compromises alone would be enough of a deterrent. Power is 51kW, or a whisker more than a Suzuki Alto, one of the weediest cars you can buy, and that's reflected in a glacial 0-100km/h time of 12.7 seconds. Worst of all, though, is the noise. It sounds like a tram in electric mode but when the engine first fired up I thought something was wrong. The tiny unit has a loud rhythmic patter like a card stuck in bicycle spokes. There's little of the sound deadening you find in standard cars because it adds weight, so there's plenty of road noise from the tyres, too. If the engine was under the bonnet you would hear it much less, says Herbst, but it's behind the rear axle like the one in the original Beetle. That's because another key feature of the XL1 is its shape, which slips through the air with a remarkably low drag coefficient of just 0.189. To achieve that it adopts a teardrop design which means there's no room up front for the engine. It also has an enclosed underbody, wheel spats and electrically controlled louvres on the front air intake. The precise trailing edges at the rear ease its passage through the air and even the wing mirrors have been replaced by cameras. Few production cars come close to that 0.189 figure. The Mercedes CLA, at 0.23, will stand out as the best achieved when it goes on sale at the end of the year. The aerodynamics impose other compromises. While the XL1 is as long as a Mazda 2 at 3.9m, it's extremely low-slung and only 2cm taller than a Lamborghini Aventador. Hence the upwards opening doors -- without them, you'd never get in. Herbst says to make it more aerodynamic it would have to be longer and narrower, and two previous versions of the car had tandem seating for just that reason. But Piech decided that was unacceptable. As it is, the cabin is cosy and spartan, with almost zero storage and windows that only partly open. Exposed carbon fibre is a constant reminder of its construction but it feels like a hair-shirt hatchback rather than a race car, with wind-up windows that only partially open. There's no rear mirror and you must lower your gaze to small screens in the doors that act as wing mirrors, relaying pictures from the cameras. To save weight, the steering is unassisted and feels heavy. The boot holds a mere 120 litres -- the size of a reasonable esky. The net result of all this is a car that can travel 100km using 0.83 litres of diesel -- rounded up to 0.9 for the sake of modesty -- but one that will have limited appeal in almost every other way. Rather than what is desirable, it shows what is possible. “The XL1 is a technological spearhead,” Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn said on the eve of the Geneva show. “The technologies used in the XL1 find their way into our series vehicles.” Volkswagen is putting two-thirds of its E50 billion ($62bn) investment to 2015 towards efficient drivelines and says it will reduce average CO2 emissions of its European new car fleet to 95g/km by 2020 -- well below the EU target. That's equivalent to fuel consumption below four litres per 100km. Next year the plug-in techniques in the XL1 will appear in a Golf and an Audi A3, both shown at Geneva. Herbst says the Golf, with 1.4-litre TSI engine and all the convenience of a standard hatchback, achieves economy in the low 2s. And without the compromises. Volkswagen XL1 Vehicle: Two-seat economy car Driveline: Hybrid 0.8-litre two-cylinder turbocharged diesel plus electric motor, combined outputs 51kW and 140Nm Transmission: Seven-speed double-clutch automatic, rear-wheel drive Fuel consumption: 0.9/100km average Range: 500km (50km electric only) Production run: 250, only left-hand drive Price: To be announced  

If you want to know the difference between a small SUV and a medium SUV, multiply the length of the vehicle by its width.

Europe’s annual motoring event, the Geneva motor show, opened this week with a rich list of debuts from elite brands topped by the opening rounds in a performance showdown between Ferrari and McLaren

Findings by research company Jato show Europe is on track to achieve its 2015 target of 130g of carbon dioxide per kilometre for new cars ahead of schedule, after a fall of almost 3 per cent last year.The 2012 figure of 132.3g/km includes nine mainstream brands that already get 130g/km or better while 40 per cent of new cars sold in Europe emitted 120g/km or less.Fiat is the star performer in terms of average emissions but the German luxury trio of Audi, BMW and Mercedes are reducing quickest as they focus more on small cars.The picture in Australia is very different. Figures from the National Transport Commission released today show Australian emissions are reducing slightly faster with a 3.7 per cent fall last year. However, we remain a long way behind Europe with a 2012 result of 199g/km, down from 206.6g/km the year before.The reason, according to Neil Wong of the NTC, is Australia's preference for larger vehicles with automatic transmissions, compared with Europe's fondness for small manuals.Given the government's intention to introduce mandatory emissions targets in 2015, the NTC report contains an informative comparison between buyer types. Private buyers averaged 191g/km against 206g/km for business purchasers and 212g/km for government fleets.In other words, if the expected 2015 target of 190g/km is introduced, then government will have to set its house in order -- or ordinary consumers will need to make up the difference. One thing governments might consider -- in the absence of local purchasing obligations, of course -- is to steer clear of Australian-made cars. Average CO2 for them was 210g/km.Another alternative would be to abandon the idea of mandatory targets all together. They can influence what carmakers offer but do little to change showroom preferences. The NTC report calculates that if we had all bought vehicles with best-in-class emissions last year, the national average would be 40 per cent lower (119g/km). 

Audi's RS4 Avant is a good car, but is it much better than its predecessor? Every year I drive about 100 cars, but the actual number is much larger than that. Or much lower. It depends how you count.Most models come in a variety of body styles. If I drive the sedan, does the coupe count as a different car? How about the wagon? Or convertible?The problem multiplies when you factor in engines and transmissions. Both can change the character of a vehicle completely. By the time you get to the differences between the bottom and top of a well-populated range, say the span from a BMW 320i to an M3, there's an awful lot that separates them. But where do you draw the line?VALUEWhen I play the motoring parlour game of, “If I had to buy one of (brand), which would it be?”, the RS4 Avant is usually the Audi answer. Compared with a standard A4 Avant, it has been lowered, has aluminium-rich suspension, a wider track and a sports rear differential.It's a practical wagon that's not too big, not too showy, has all-wheel drive and a big, high-revving naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8. Just the thing for a trip to Ikea. And since Audi has given up its former ban on producing more than one RS variant at a time, it's also very like the RS5, the RS5 Cabrio and probably some other RSs I haven't encountered yet.Which leaves you wondering why there has been a five-year gap since the last RS4. There is one way, though, that you'll know the difference between the 2013 car and the one from 2008: price. At $149,400 plus on-roads, this one is about $20,000 cheaper. On that basis, I'm prepared to say it's absolutely all new.DESIGNWhen is a new car really “new”? When every last nut and bolt has been redesigned from scratch is one answer. But that rarely happens, if ever. A proportion of the same bits carry over from one generation to the next.Car companies like to gloss over this. Regardless how minor an upgrade, every car is “new”. The term has become so devalued that “all-new” is now the default. And that means “Mostly stuff we've used before” as well.Often, large swathes of engineering are carried over and only the pressed metal is different. If that's indistinguishable, then you're really in trouble. This problem is starting to creep up on Audi. Any Audi you see on the road is unmistakeably from the Ingolstadt maker, so distinctive are its designs.But which one? Is that the new A3 or the old?Inside it's a similar story. The Audi cabin was lauded as best-in-class a few years back. Then Audi set the backrest to a comfortable angle and put its feet up. The materials and layout have barely changed and the novelty of having to press a button umpteen times to change the fan speed has long worn off. Now when I enter an Audi cabin I'm craving innovation.TECHNOLOGYThe newcomers include two of the fastest diesels you can buy in the A6/A7 3.0 TDI, which develop 230kW thanks to clever turbocharging. They leverage Audi's race success with diesels at the Le Mans 24-hour race, which it has dominated since 2006, and employ some of that know-how to hit 100km/h in a whisker over five seconds.They feed an increasing fondness for diesel engines in Australia, with 43 per cent of Audis now sold with one. At 4.7 seconds to 100km/h it's quicker than the previous RS4, too, by 0.2s. A seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission replaces the previous six-speed unit and the engine has been reworked to deliver 21 per cent better fuel economy.DRIVINGAn A7 example driven to Sydney from Canberra left me cold. The engine sounds good when you're giving it an absolute hiding, but most of the time it doesn't sound like much at all. There's a distinct lack of drama or excitement.The suspension was unsettled by country roads and the ride was poor even in comfort mode. There's the performance of a V8 but the diesel lacks the fizz of an old-fashioned petrol donk and I looked forward to the next day, when the latest RS4 Avant was available.It's terrific to be driving a non-turbo engine for a change and this one revs freely, delivering sound and power in equal measure all the way to 8250rpm. Now I'm sure if I drove old and new back to back the differences would be glaring. I'd probably notice the extra couple of hundred kilos for a start.This one feels like a heavy car. It would certainly be more than simply, “It's been a long time since I've filled up -- 21 per cent longer than I thought it would be.'' But it wasn't possible to do that, so the way I feel about the RS4 is unchanged.On one hand, it has the sort of performance any enthusiast would like in any vehicle, regardless of function. It's a wagon, but it goes like stink. If you must go shopping, then it might as well be in one of these. It's a prize fighter in civvies who knows he can whip anyone in the room. Because of that, it's the sort of car you end thinking can be exploited fully only on a track.Then you go to a track and it's confusing because it doesn't seem quite right there either. The all-wheel drive system is amazing and you can feel it shuffling torque from front to rear as grip levels change. In some fast corners this can also be a bit disconcerting. It's not the simple equation delivered by a rear or front-drive car, where you get a sense of its limits.In an RS4, it's difficult to work out where they are. The all-drive system always seems to have tricks up its sleeve. The result is invariably that you go steaming into corners a bit too quickly and get understeer -- going straight on when you want to turn. You're going faster in the first place because it's possible, and because it's difficult to tell how fast is too fast.I remember this from other performance Audis and perhaps it's a question of familiarisation. A few laps wasn't enough last time and isn't enough this time.VERDICTIs it new? Well, some of it is. The bits that deliver an extra 18kW and burn less fuel. In approach and much else, it's the same.Audi RS4 AvantPrice: from $149,400Vehicle: Performance wagonEngine: 4.2-litre 8-cylinder petrol, 331kW/430NmTransmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, AWDThirst: 10.7L/100km 

It used to be that when you wanted a taste of outdoors you went camping. You carried your own canvas, erected it somewhere you hoped was not snake-infested, then incinerated food on that most fickle of stoves, the campfire.So along came the campsite, which introduced the toilet block. It should have been a good idea but wasn't due to the incessant sound of generators. A similar catch-22 confronts convertible makers. Remove the roof, and the rigid metal canister that was a car becomes a soggy mass of uncertainty.These are the motoring equivalents of the campsite: they appear convenient -- four seats, say, and a secure folding metal roof -- but actually ruin the very thing they set out to make acceptable. You've got wind in your hair but can't enjoy it because the ride quality is intolerable and your knees are pressed to your chin.I'd rather go behind a tree and happily some convertibles are still like this. The Lotus Elise, for example, is a loud and uncompromising sportscar with a roof from a 1950s scout manual. It's as raw as the environment you're in, a two-person bivouac on wheels.Or, if you're going to make the experience luxurious, at least do it with conviction. When we're talking tents this is called “glamping” -- glamorous camping. You're in pristine natural wilderness, of course, but never far from a comfy bed and a coffee machine. When we're talking large convertibles, this is called the Bentley GTC.If the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead at $1,075,000 is the Everest of convertibles, the GTC is K2. Not the tallest, but head and shoulders above everything bar one. The version I drove, with a new V8 engine, starts at $407,000.After a few essentials were added, such as deep-pile floor mats, a knurled gear lever and diamond-quilted upholstery, it came in at $497,288. The next most expensive, Maserati's Grancabrio, starts way below at $338,000.A BMW M6 Convertible is $308,500 while the most luxurious Mercedes four-seat convertible is the E500, at $188,635, which wouldn't give any self-respecting glamper altitude sickness. You could buy a convertible Aston DB9, Jaguar XK or Porsche 911, but only if you're clear about your seating needs. The rears are splendidly upholstered parcel shelves.In the Bentley, rear seating is tight for adults but at least usable by humans of some dimensions. And if its rivals' cabins are splendid, it ups the ante with sumptuous. Bentley is fond of saying that if a piece of trim looks like wood, it is wood, and if it looks like metal it is metal.That's rare these days but it's more than that. A paperclip looks like metal. In the GTC, each piece could come from an expensive watchstrap. As if to prove it, there's a little Breitling set in the dash. A nice touch, as is the silent silver arm that moves the seatbelt within reach. Did I mention the knurled gear knob? Few cabins are this lovely.The roof is large and leisurely in operation, at around 25 seconds. It doesn't open on the move and a wind deflector must be manually fitted. A bit old-school, but without it the cabin stays fairly calm and it delivers on other counts. Closed, the tight roofline gives the car great hunkered-down proportions and tightly insulates the interior.There are fold-out beds less generously padded. This is the second generation of the GTC and it follows the coupe, driven almost two years ago, in making modest changes. So modest, at the time it felt a little underdone. This is especially true of the exterior, where the crisper lines need an acute visual memory to discern from the original.But it's even more true of one crucial area: the control screen. It shares this with other brands in the Volkswagen group and even two years ago the upgrade was off the pace. Perhaps that won't matter because other impressions are more potent. Few cars take pride in their weight these days because they're shedding every conceivable gram to lower fuel consumption.Certainly, it feels better balanced than its nose-heavy predecessor, which was offered only with a huge turbocharged 6.0-litre 12-cylinder. That engine, upgraded, remains available for another $42,500. But even for a badge that relishes extremes it now looks like overkill.The 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 is shared with Audi and I was expecting it to be a bit more vocal, especially roof-down. But it has enough power for the car, with easy driveability thanks to loads of low-rev torque. The GTC gathers pace with inevitability, like a steam train.Then it's easy to exceed the speed limit. It will reach 100km/h in five seconds, amazingly quick for something this heavy. In a nod to efficiency, there are fuel-saving features such as direct injection and the ability to shut down half its cylinders when cruising.A new eight-speed automatic also helps, even if it's not the quickest changing transmission. Eight -- a lucky number for Bentley -- is also the piston count on the huge brakes. They work, thankfully.So even more than usual, a Bentley can make other cars feel like toys. It has substance. After just a few hundred metres behind the wheel this solidity betrays the badge. Blindfolded (a thought experiment!) I reckon I could tell what it was just from its road feel. Few, if any, convertibles ride this well, with just the occasional minor shudder reminding you that it's an imperfect world. One you can blithely ignore.Because at heart it's tarmac imperialism, this 2.4-tonne British expeditionary force, and it imparts a certain road swagger to the driver. You become a hoon in a pith helmet. That's because it's good to drive. Bentley claims it's the stiffest convertible in the world and the suspension engineers must have been delighted. You feel the weight in corners but it settles into the task and the chassis is surprisingly nuanced and subtle in the signals it sends the driver. Huge rubber and all-wheel drive, split 40:60 front-rear, add to its fundamental ability. Driving it fast feels like you've mastered juggling medicine balls.I've confessed before in these pages to being no lover of convertibles. But I've realised now it has to be one extreme or the other. If I'm going to commune with nature, it's got to be hardcore. Or hedonistic. And few do it as well as this Bentley GTC.

The VF Commodore is the first substantial upgrade to the VE model launched in 2006 and must sustain sales until an entirely new car replaces it early in 2017.Holden is believed to have spent about $400 million on the VF, which focuses on installing modern electronics and safety features while raising cabin quality at the expense of wholesale exterior changes.Holden chief Mike Devereux said the VF would challenge preconceptions about Australian-made cars. “The VF Commodore really is a class above,'' Mr Devereux said. “No other car created in Australia is as technologically advanced."“It will offer levels of quality and sophistication to rival some of the best cars in the world.'' The VF debuts features previously unique to imported cars such as automatic parking, a head-up display which projects information on to the windscreen, and collision-warning systems.With almost $40m from the government's defunct Green Car Fund, Holden has also taken measures designed to improve fuel efficiency, such as installing electric power steering and lightweight aluminium panels.Mr Devereux said that during its four-year production run the VF would put $2 billion back into the economy through jobs, the supplier base and logistics. He expected it to appeal to Commodore loyalists and attract “a new breed of discerning customer who wants higher levels of luxury and technology''.The cabin has been thoroughly redesigned to address criticisms that the VE had poor ergonomics and a downmarket interior. Holden has fitted a new instrument panel and it describes the central control cluster as “a contemporary piece of modern electronics''.Redesigned seats, better materials and ambient lighting are also ingredients in the debut example, a top-end Calais V. “It's a carefully cohesive design which places emphasis on rich, tactile materials and technical refinement,'' design director Andrew Smith said.The VF aims to reverse a 25 per cent sales slump for Commodore last year, when it found just 30,500 buyers. Holden spokesman Craig Cheetham said that the company was aiming for a significant increase in demand when the car reached showrooms mid-year, although it did not expect the VF to reclaim the best-seller spot for Commodore, which the car held for 15 years until 2011.The VF also adds another dimension to Holden's small-scale export program, with sales of a V8 model to the US badged as the Chevrolet SS. That car will be unveiled at the first NASCAR race meeting of the year at Daytona next weekend and General Motors expects to import at least 5000 a year. Holden already sells a specially equipped version of the long-wheelbase Commodore, known as the Caprice, to the US as a police car.