Articles by Stephen Ottley

It‘s business as usual for two of Australia's biggest racing series, despite being for sale. The Porsche Carrera Cup and the Mini Challenge are on the market after current owner Ian Sherrin decided he was too busy to run them.Sherrin's company, Motorsport Event Management (MEM), owns the category management rights for both series.After a rapid expansion into motorsport in recent years, including running cars in both series and Targa Tasmania, Sherrin says he has too much on his plate.He runs six cars in the Mini Challenge and two in the Carrera Cup.“After owning a category and a multiple-car race team in the same category for the past two years, it's time to concentrate on one or the other. I think this is the right decision to make,” he says.MEM will run both series for the rest of the year while a buyer is found.Porsche Cars Australia managing director Michael Winkler will help.“We'll work with Ian to have an arrangement in place by the end of this season to ensure a seamless and smooth transition into 2009. Until then, it's racing and business as usual,” Winkler says.The news is abrupt for Mini, with the series only three rounds old. But the company confirmed it remains committed.“Mini is confident that any sale of MEM will be to a suitable purchaser who will continue to manage the increasingly popular Mini Challenge series exactly in line with the arrangements Mini put in place with MEM,” Mini national manager Justin Hocevar says. 

 Droptop buyers on a budget can at last put BMW on their shopping list.Instead of settling for a convertible Ford Focus, or Holden Astra, or Volkswagen Eos, they can buy a badge to set them apart from the crowd.“We're hoping to get non-premium segment buyers,” 1 Series product manager Paul Ryan says.In a segment in which style usually triumphs over substance, BMW has given its rivals something to think about. The pricing and standard equipment on the entry-level 120i makes it a genuine option for many buyers in the market for a small luxury convertible.BMW has a long history of compact convertibles, most recently with the 3 Series, but that car has grown up and left a hole in the range, a hole filled by the 1 Series Convertible, which joins a growing crowd in the compact convertible market.And it does even more that than, breaking new ground for the German luxury brand. PRICING AND EQUIPMENTWith the entry-level 120i available at $52,990, BMW says it will open the door for a new breed of buyers.The 120i stacks up well on price and equipment against such cars as the Astra, Focus, Eos and Audi's forthcoming A3 Cabriolet.Standard features include leather seats, fully automatic roof, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, leather sports steering wheel, cruise control, climate control airconditioning, Bluetooth and iPod/MP3 input for the stereo plus all the usual safety features (anti-skid brakes, traction control and electronic stability control).But, as is typical of BMW, the options list is long and expensive. For example, metallic paint will cost an extra $1600.If you have more money to play with, BMW caters for that, too, with the six-cylinder 125i and 135i.The 125i starts at $63,400 and the twin-turbo 135i at $78,400, both with six-speed manual as standard. STYLINGWhile the 120i is strong on value that isn't to suggest the 1 Series Convertible lacks any style.The topless version is arguably the best looker in the 1 Series range. For the first time the car's long bonnet is balanced by a long tail, leaving the car well proportioned. MARKETThe biggest danger the car poses for BMW is damaging the brand's image of exclusivity. The company has to walk a fine line between retaining its image and increasing sales volume.BMW is planning for 700 convertible sales to add to the 500 coupes and 1700 hatches.“We're expecting a younger market, a conquest market and a strong female market,” says Ryan.The 120i is expected to make up the bulk of the sales, with 150 already ordered by dealers, but Ryan says it will be hard to judge how popular the six-cylinders will be.“The segment is going to get competitive,” he says. ON THE ROAD In a segment where good looks are usually the most important feature, the 1 Series is a refreshing driving experience.Sticking with the BMW ethos, the car is rear-wheel drive, giving it a huge dynamic advantage over the opposition.Even though no 135i was on offer at the launch, our time in the 120i and 125i was enough to leave a good impression.Early reports suggesting Australia wouldn't get the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine proved wrong and the 1 Series convertible is all the better for it.Not only does the 120i help the car's price, it's a really fun car.It may need plenty of revs to find its real performance, but the car is happy to live above 5000 revs, making a great sound while it's there. The six-speed manual gearbox is a good unit and well-suited to the engine.The only downside to the 120i is the suspension.The smaller engine changes the settings and the ride is harsher than in the six-cylinder 125i.In contrast, the 125i was supple on the bumpy country road on which we tested it and felt sure-footed when driven hard.In fact, both variants felt like serious driving machines when pushed, rather than flashy boulevard cruisers, testament to the emphasis the company puts on driving dynamics.By making the car an entertaining drive the 1 Series will cater to a wider audience.That means in addition to Astra, Eos, A3 and the Peugeot 307CC, the 1 Series should be considered by those looking at a Mazda MX-5 or Nissan 350Z Roadster. VERDICT: 8.5/10BMW 1 Series convertiblePrice: From $52,900 (120i), $63,400 (125i), $78,400 (135i)On sale: MayEngine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol, twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrolPower: 115kW at 6400 revs, 160kW at 6100 revs, 225kW at 5800 revsTorque: 200Nm at 3600 revs, 270Nm at 2500 revs, 400Nm at 1300 revsTransmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveEconomy: 8.1l/100km, 9.1l/100km, 9.8l/100km on combined cycle 

Seven of the 11 winners in Germany last week were turbo-charged units, which reflects the major part the technology is now playing in efforts to improve fuel economy and curb emissions.Six companies collected prizes, but one brand had more reason than most to celebrate.BMW dominated the competition, claiming half of the awards including the top honour, International Engine of the Year.That accolade went to its 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder unit available in the 135i, 335i and X6.It is the second year in a row the engine has won the top gong.The German firm also claimed the New Engine of 2008 title with its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, available in the 123d.Other winners for the company were the 4.0-litre V8 found in the new M3 and the 5.0-litre V10 in the M5 and M6.BMW's joint venture with French company PSA also paid off. The 1.6-litre turbo-charged four-cylinder used in the Mini and Peugeot 308 won its class.“BMW rightly views these awards as the highest industry recognition of its outstanding achievements in engine technology and manufacturing,” BMW director of power-train Peter Langen says.“It is an honour for our 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine to have earned the highest accolade for the second year running. And we are truly delighted that so many of our other engines have been judged class leaders.”The other multiple winners were Toyota and Volkswagen/Audi.Toyota's hybrid synergy drive, which powers the Prius, won the inaugural Green Engine of the Year prize.It's not the first time the engine has been honoured, though. It has previously won 10 gongs in the annual awards.Toyota's other winner — the 1.0-litre unit that powers the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 — came in the under 1.0-litre category.Like BMW, Volkswagen/Audi was honoured for its forced induction engines.The 1.4-litre TSI engine, which uses super-charging and turbo-charging, won its category. It's other winner was the 2.0-litre turbo motor in the Audi A3, VW Golf GTi and Skoda Octavia.That engine drew particular praise for not only its performance and economy but its flexibility.The 2.0-litre unit comes in a variety of tunes — 125kW, 147kW, 195kW and 200kW — to suit different vehicles, including the new Audi TTS.“The benchmark for efficiency and performance in its category,” was one comment from the judges. “A great example of an engine that's so flexible it can deliver the right solutions for a variety of vehicles.”Porsche won the performance engine award with its 3.6-litre turbo from the 911 turbo and 911 GT2.Subaru was the only other winner with its 2.5-litre turbo.British specialist magazine Engine Technology International is responsible for the awards, which are voted on by 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries, including Australia.The ceremony was held as part of the 2008 Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.The awards are held in high regard by the automotive industry because the judges consider the full range of engine criteria: performance, fuel consumption, driving behaviour, driving comfort and the use of technology. The highest industry recognition of its outstanding achievementsThe Winners of the International Engine of the Year 2008 BMW 3.0-litre twin-turboBest new engineBMW 2.0-litre diesel twin-turboGreen engine of the yearToyota 1.5-litre hybrid synergy driveBest performance-enginePorsche 3.6-litre turboBest sub 1.0-litreToyota 1.0-litreBest 1.0-litre to 1.4-litreVolkswagen 1.4-litre TSI twinchargerBest 1.4-litre to 1.8-litreBMW-PSA 1.6-litre turboBest 1.8-litre to 2.0-litreVolkswagen/Audi 2-litre turboBest 2.0-litre to 2.5-litreSubaru 2.5-litre turboBest 2.5-litre to 3.0-litreBMW 3.0-litre twin-turboBest 3.0-litre to 4.0-litreBMW 4.0-litre V8Best above 4.0-litreBMW 5.0-litre V10 

A move towards large cars is part of Proton's growth plan. After years of concentrating on small vehicles, the Malaysian brand will step up to bigger cars with a people mover and possibly a compact off-roader.Recently speaking at the launch of the new Persona small sedan, Proton Australia managing director John Startari revealed the company's plans for the next two years.Several updated models are coming our way next year, including the new seven-seat MPV.The people mover is a big step for Proton, which has had only compact sedans and hatches.The van will be officially unveiled later this year in Malaysia, but Startari would not reveal details of the new model.He says the company is also considering a move into the competitive compact off-roader market soon, but the deal hinges on the company's expansion.“Proton is starting to seek partners in Russia. That, I think, will help Australia immensely,” Startari says.Startari did confirm that an upgraded version of the GEN.2 hatch is due at the end of this year and will begin a busy period for the brand.The face lifted GEN.2 is expected to use the company's new CAMPRO CPS engine that lifts power from 82kW to 93kW.The Saga and Satria R3 will be introduced early next year. The Saga will replace the Savvy light sedan and be available with either a 1.3-litre or 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The Satria R3 is a performance version of the current hatch.Though the company hasn't said what will power the R3, Startari did say Proton is developing forced-induction engines.The Jumbuck light ute will also receive an update next year and is the “prime target” for Proton's eventual move into diesel powerplants.Since negotiations with Volkswagen for a joint-venture agreement to develop diesel engines broke down, Proton has been looking for a new partner.The Proton could produce a range of hybrid vehicles based on the Lotus-developed hybrid prototype. Lotus built the GEN.2 based EVE hybrid last year, but so far there has been no confirmation it will go into production. 

It may not be V8 Supercars, but Toyota is hitting the racetrack against Holden and Ford. As predicted by carsguide, Toyota will become the first carmaker to officially put its weight behind the Aussie Racing Cars series.The pint-sized racing machines have been a big hit with competitors and spectators since the series began locally in 2001.Though Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon shaped bodies are available, Toyota's involvement is the first time a factory has endorsed the series.Toyota will use a scaled-down version of its TRD Aurion sedan to sit atop the series' control chassis and engine package.At least four Toyota Aurions will be on track by the end of the season, led by current series driver Adam Gowans.A rotating roster of Toyota's motorsport talent will get to try their hand in a factory-backed entry. Rally stars Simon Evans and Neal Bates have so far been confirmed to race this year.“It is a great grassroots category for young drivers to showcase their talent and for experienced campaigners to race competitively at a minimal cost,” Toyota Australia motorsport manager Todd Connolly says.Despite their small size, the Aussie Racing Cars can race at 230km/h. They have a Yamaha engine with 91kW at 11,500 revs. 

The Australian ace had his first test in Subaru's new Impreza WRC2008 recently in Italy.It is due to make its rally debut this year and will hold the key to Atkinson's world title hopes.Despite sitting third in the championship, seven points behind leader Mikko Hirvonen, Atkinson is worried about his chances.The team's current Impreza WRC2007 is outdated and off the pace of the Ford Focus and Citroen C4, meaning the new car needs a big step forward in performance.Speaking after finishing a distant third in Rally Jordan, Atkinson admitted his concerns.“OK, we're third and that's great, but I'm not sure how this has happened,” he says. “We're five minutes behind the winner. We still have work to do.”Atkinson was joined by teammate Petter Solberg in Italy to take over from test driver Markko Martin in the new car, Subaru's first WRC hatchback.The pair had two days running on the gravel roads of Sardinia, but details of the test are limited.“It was always in the plan that they (Solberg and Atkinson) would drive the car for the first time this week,” team manager Richard Taylor says. “The test was part of the development process. I have no comment to make on the technical aspect of the test, but we are pleased with this stage of the program.”Subaru has not won a WRC round since 2005. Team boss David Richards said earlier this year that the new car would be a clean sheet design, to get the team back into winning contention.The team still hasn't revealed a date for the car's debut, saying only that it will be mid-season.Atkinson will be hoping it is sooner rather than later. 

After coming under fire, Hyundai is increasing the number of models with electronic stability control.The Elantra, Tucson City and Getz will get stability control as standard from this month, the South Korean brand has announced.The trio join the Grandeur, Tiburon and the new iMax van with the safety feature.The company has been questioned for offering stability control only as an optional extra, despite admitting it is life-saving.Hyundai Australia executives were questioned about the decision not to offer it as standard on the 3.3-litre Santa Fe at last year's launch.The new deal is part of the company's rollout of the feature across its range before the State Government's new laws mandating it by 2012 come into effect.“Our vision is to see electronic stability control mandated across all new vehicles in Australia,” Hyundai Australia's director of sales and marketing Kevin McCann says.“Our research shows that stability control can reduce the risk of single-car accidents by as much as 68 per cent.”Hyundai now charges $990 for the ProtectX Pack that offers electronic stability control as part of a safety upgrade.Hyundai spokeswoman Tiffany Junee says: “Hyundai has been progressively introducing stability control across its range of lifestyle vehicles.”She says the company completely supports the new Victorian laws.“We presented at the Victorian Government's vehicle safety inquiry at the end of last year and have invested significantly in training and making the lifesaving technology available to Australian new-car buyers.“Our research indicates that stability control is the biggest safety technology in motoring since the seatbelt."“Not surprisingly, we have thrown our full weight behind mandating stability control across all new cars sold in Australia.” 

A delegation of Singapore motor racing officials will visit Sandown's V8 race in June.Speaking after the successful debut of the Hamilton street race in New Zealand at the weekend, V8 Supercars Australia chairman Tony Cochrane said the series was investigating three options for a Singapore event.The first option is to race as the daytime support race for the night Singapore Grand Prix.Cochrane said he was confident that if V8 Supercars Australia secured that deal, it could be in place for next year's championship series.The second offer on the table is a stand-alone race at the permanent circuit that is under construction in Changi. The track is expected to be ready in time for 2010.The third idea is to run at the Singapore Grand Prix for two years before moving to the Changi circuit.The Changi track is being built near Singapore's main airport alongside the beach.“The government is right behind using motor sport as a major economic and tourism platform. It just a matter of determining if V8 Supercars is a part of that,” Cochrane said.While he said there was still “a lot of water to go under the bridge” before a deal was signed, Cochrane was adamant Singapore was the ideal venue for the series' third international race.He cited Singapore's strong expatriate Australian community, time zone and proximity to Australia as its key strengths.After the Sandown visit Cochrane will travel to Singapore in July to continue talks. With New Zealand and Bahrain on the schedule, he has admitted Singapore would be the last international addition for a while.“Long-term we're always talked about four,” Cochrane said. “But I think long-term a third event would be the last until 2015.”Should the Singapore deal be signed, it would most likely mean the end of V8 Supercar racing in Sydney.Cochrane said Eastern Creek would have to make way for the new race after years of disappointing crowd numbers.But he has vowed to keep fighting for a street race in Sydney.Cochrane has also revealed V8 Supercars is pursuing a July date for next year's new Townsville street race. He said that was the preferred time but is waiting on government approval before making it official.

Reigning Australian Formula Ford champion Tim Blanchard has had a fast start in the British series and is a serious title contender.After two rounds in the British Formula Ford championship, the Melbourne-born driver is second in the points standings.The last Aussie driver to make such a strong impression in the category was James Courtney in 2000.“It's going pretty well,” Blanchard says. “I've joined a good team. They've won the championship in the past. I've done a fair amount of testing and all the races have gone well so far.”That's understating things.Blanchard led the points after the first round and backed it up with two more podium finishes last weekend at Scotland's Knockhill circuit.His biggest rival at this stage is his Jamun Motorsport teammate Wayne Boyd, and Blanchard knows he will need to maintain his strong start if he is going to win the title. If he does win it, he'll join Courtney and Russell Ingall as Aussies to take the UK crown.“My teammate is a good driver so we just have to keep chipping away getting good points hauls,” he says. “If we do that we should be there at the end of the year.”Blanchard's aim is to reach Formula One, but he knows if he doesn't make it his English experience will help prepare him for a career in Australia.“I think V8 Supercars has become so competitive that doing the Fujitsu Series or Carrera Cup isn't enough to get you a drive in the main game,” he says. “You see guys like James Courtney and Will Davison come into the series with international experience and go well.”Win or lose, Blanchard is already planning a move to the British Formula Three championship next year. 

But thanks to professional spy photographers and rev-heads with camera phones, it is becoming harder to keep secrets. Cars regularly appear in newspapers and magazines months or years ahead of time because of eagle-eyed snappers.Car companies spend years designing and engineering new models. Ford and Holden, like all carmakers around the world, spend months testing prototypes at test facilities, such as those at the You Yangs and Lang Lang outside Melbourne. But there comes a time when the test mules must make their way into the wider world for testing on proper roads.That's when the camouflage team steps in. It's their job to hide the new lines of the prototypes from prying eyes and camera lenses.Hiding the distinctive new look of a new model is crucial in ensuring the vehicle makes an impact when it reaches the showrooms.The process begins when the cars come off the drawing board and actually become metal.At this stage the company's camouflage team meets with the designers to decided how best to hide the car's new features.This often turns into a negotiation between the desires of the marketing and design departments and the needs of the engineering division.Marketing wants to keep as much hidden as possible, to keep the surprises in store for the official unveiling. Engineering wants as few extra pieces on the car as possible, to make sure all the test data is as accurate as possible.Adding the camouflage can change the aerodynamics, handling, acoustics, cooling and comfort of the car, so a balance must be struck between the two groups. Once that compromise has been reached, the camouflage team goes to work on the cars. The main tools used are stickers, car bras and padded covers.The stickers are an interesting story in themselves. Black-and-white checkerboard has been the usual pattern most companies use — including Ford and Holden — but in recent years a lot of work has been done to improve the shape of stickers, to make them even more effective.Aside from trying triangles and other simple shapes, companies are using fish-shaped diamonds and a new style called “Flimmies”.Flimmies are designed to create a flickering effect, to trick camera lenses. Then comes the padded bodywork covers for large areas such as the front and rear of the cars.“The in-house team does the checkerboard work,” Holden spokesman John Lindsay says.“We get the bras done by an outside company. They are custom-made like a suit. It's measured just like you get at a tailor.”That's no surprise given the front and back of cars are usually the most crucial design elements. But having working headlights and tail-lights are an absolute must.The car, simply, has to drive on public roads, so a close-fitting bra is a vital part of the disguise.The stickers and padding break up the lines of the cars the designers have carefully crafted.In some cases the stickers serve the dual purpose of concealing the design and misdirecting the media.For example, on the new Holden VE Ute the company deliberately put a line of tape down the middle of the car to make sure its new one-piece side panel remained a secret. Carmakers also try to throw the media off the scent by using the wrong badges and numberplates.Though this may sound straightforward, and as simple as putting on a car bra and some stickers, it is anything but when you consider the size of the operation. For example, over the course of the VE Commodore program, 200 cars were used. That's an awful lot of stickers.One of the biggest problems for carmakers is that professional spy photographers know where the testing happens and can stake out important venues. Even though most Commodores and Falcons will never see snow, that doesn't stop both companies undertaking cold-weather testing at Mt Hotham and surrounding areas.The same applies to the manufacturers' hot-weather testing in the Northern Territory.But in some cases the camouflage serves only to make the car attract more attention. That was the case with the Chevrolet Camaro.The camouflage made the car stand out on Melbourne roads, which led, predictably, to a flood of amateur photos on the web.Bob Lutz, the product development chief of General Motors, was sent a letter by a member of the public asking why the car was so heavily camouflaged given that GM had already shown the car at several motor shows, and it had had a starring role in the movie Transformers.Lutz realised that it made little sense to hide the subtle changes to the production model and told his engineers to remove the camouflage from the test cars.Ford, meanwhile, started its own trend of releasing “official spy photos” in the build-up to a model being unveiled. The photos showed thinly disguised versions of the car to act as a teaser to the media and public. The company first tried it with the Territory and again with the FG Falcon.Ford included the Falcon photos as part of a CD of images of its new testing facility in Geelong released only months before the official unveiling of the car in Melbourne.Hyundai followed by releasing a photograph of a disguised i30 in the lead-up to its local launch.Despite all the hard work of the camouflage teams, it is getting harder to keep things secret.The advent of both camera phones and the internet have really changed the nature of the game. In the past, carmakers could go out into the world confident there wouldn't be a camera in every other car they pass.But nowadays, every second person has a camera in their mobile phone.So the chances of a disguised car not passing a camera are remote, to say the least.And if a quality image is snapped on a phone camera or digital camera, the shot can be published on the internet within hours.If you've seen a new car testing in disguise, let us know.