Articles by Stuart Innes

Some of these myths are perpetuated as tales and tips passed on from a well-meaning grandfather or pub mate. Some might be amusing to those who know better. But to those who don't, it can be costly in repairs and maintenance and it can be dangerous with injury or worse as a result.Even what might have been handy advice a few decades ago could no longer be suitable for the modern motor car.I recall seeing years ago a guy stopped on the roadside in a country town letting air out of the tyres on his packed car. Why? Because when you drive, the tyres get hotter and the air pressure in them increases, so he was bringing them back to pressure.Wrong. The recommended pressures take that into account. That's why the pressures should be checked when the tyres are cold. Letting air out when the tyres are hot and with more driving to go will only increase the chance of a blow-put because the tyre wall will flex too much.One man when driving quickly along a twisty road shoved his foot down on  the clutch for the tighter corners. Why? ``To stop the wheels from spinning or sliding.'' Again wrong: the sudden disengagement of power can cause snap oversteer (a tail slide).Motoring organisation the RAA has compiled a series of examples of motoring myths and says why they are wrong. More than an idiots' guide to running a car, being aware of this stuff can avoid expensive repairs and crashes.Servicing, warranties and maintenanceTyres and brakesFuelAccessoriesUnder the bonnetSource: The RAA

... for your private garage. Something to contemplate after Christmas lunch as you snooze in the armchair with hands resting on a content tummy full of Christmas pud. But we've made a head-start for you. A quick poll of Carsguide writers across Australia on what each would chose for their $1 million garage shows Santa is well poised to start his trip from the North Pole. Because he'll need to drop into England, Germany (especially Germany) and Italy on his way to Australia. Almost all of the Carsguide writers polled want at least one vehicle from Germany. Only one wants a car from Italy but several have put Ducati motorbikes on their wish list. The vehicles don't have to be brand new, so most have taken advantage of Santa allowing them to have classics in cars and motorbikes (in the rules, this is known as the Santa clause). Perhaps unsurprisingly, performance cars feature well on the "I wanna buy" lists. But there are some unusuals, such as a 600cc Citroen Dyane, Indian Chief motorbike and 1960s Mini. Carsguide writers were invited to give a few comments on why particular vehicles are in their selections. Stuart Martin: I've gone for a restored early 1960s E-Type 4.2 Jaguar roadster, to me the E-Type was the best looking car ever. My modern supercar is an Aston Martin DB9; it's quick, it looks brilliant and I can pretend to be James Bond. But a Porsche would be needed for reliable, hard driving day after day and the Cayman S will be fast enough, thanks. A Land Rover Disco4 with the 3.0V6 diesel would be for Bush driving and taking to the beach at Goolwa. A ute is handy in the garage for practical load carrying and the Holden SV6 Ute also is a pretty good runabout. A Mazda MX-5 has the handling that allows big-grin driving through the Hills without losing your licence for speeding and it's an open-top car. The `sensible" sedan will be a Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI, safe, runs on diesel and a great tourer. Finally a 1960s Mini Cooper S simply because as a kid I desperately wanted one. Neil Dowling starts with a "delightfully balanced" Audi TTS and a Porsche Carrera S "to keep the heart fluttering" and having a sound that raises the hairs on your back. A Volkswagen Polo GTI is essential and cheap as chips. A Citroen Dyane representing a stage in motoring evolution and a Jaguar XJ Supersport for the missus. An Ariel Atom for track days and a Range Rover Sport TDV6 to tow it there and for dirt road and family wagon work. Then three motorbikes a Ducati 450 Desmo (1972) having no accoutrements to wreck the spirit of motorcycling, a Ducati 1000 Sport looking perfect in yellow, and a MZ 250GS ISDT enduro needing guts and determination to ride. Mark Hinchliffe will send most of his Santa cheque to triple Eight Race Engineering.: he wants a V8 Supercar just like the TeamVodafone racers. It would be only for track days, of course, but he notes that the Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins of the world can not be driven to anyway near their full potential on public roads; and they provoke road rage. His road car would be a VW Passat R36 for its wolf in sheep's clothing approach to motoring. His others would be motorbikes: A BMW F800 Anniversary GS for adventures, a Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle Road King for touring and a Triumph Bonneville T100 Sixty SE for commuting and the weekend trip in the mountains. It adds to only $656,000 so he'll have the remainder to spend on spares for the V8 Supercar. Craig Duff kicks off with a Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG to pick up the kids from school in style and a Porsche 911 Turbo, "every boy's childhood fantasy - it just needs the accompanying blonde and my mid-life crisis is complete." He than adds an HSV Grange or an FPV GT-E as local talent that can embarrass the Europeans, a BMW S10000 RR bike for its fun and safety technology and finally a Mazda BT-50 ute allowing trips to the tip that have never looked this good. Karla Pincott is quick to choose classic Mercedes-Benz sportsters, a 450SLC and a 300SL plus a mint condition Indian Chief bike. Then she asks can she have the change from the one mill. Paul Pottinger is a man who knows what he wants without second thought: 23 Volkswagen Golf GTI cars or 19 of the even-faster R version. "Well, why not?" he argues. "The Golf GTI is pound for pound one of the world's best cars and surely the best allrounder under $100,000. It would be unconscionable to pass up the chance to own a life-time's supply. Nothing else does so much so well." Ged Bulmer wants the sole Ferrari in the group, a 599 GTB, "one of the all-time supercar gods" and simply the greatest car he's ever driven. He wants a muscle car, and he's a true-blue Aussie,so goes for a Valiant Charger RT E49, in hemi-orange. A Falcon XR6 Turbo would do duty as the ute. A Range-Rover TDV8 has proper offroad credentials and will do for family holiday runs. His motorbike would be a Ducati 916 Senna edition, a dramatically styled road race machine. And for a nimble quick thing he wants a low-kilometre Tommi Makinen edition Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI turbo. Now, Santa, about that cheque. . . Stuart Innes Jaguar 4.2 E-Type 1964 roadster $150,000 Aston Martin DB9 $369,000 Porsche Cayman S $153,000 Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI $134,000 Land Rover Disco4 3.0D $82,000 Mazda MX-5 $44,000 Holden SV6 Ute $40,000 1964 Morris Mini Cooper S $24,000 Neil Dowling Audi TTS $98,000 Porsche Carrera S $255,000 Volkswagen Polo GTI $30,000 Citroen Dyane $10,000 Jaguar XJ Supersport $360,000 Ariel Atom $110,000 Range Rover Sport TDV6 $100,000 Ducati 450 Desmo 1972 $15,000 Ducati 1000 Sport $12,000 MZ250 GS ISDT (1980s) $10,000 Mark Hinchliffe V8 Supercar $500,000 Volkswagen Passat R36 $64,000 BMW F 800 30th Ann. GS $20,000 Harley-Davidson Scream' Eagle Road King $57,000 Triumph Bonneville 100 Sixty SE $15,000 Craig Duff Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG $386,000 Porsche 911 Turbo $370,000 BMW S1000 RR $27,000 HSV Grange/FPV GT-E $90,000 Mazda MT-50 $46,000 Paul Pottinger 23 Volkswagen Golf GTIs at $43,000 or 19 VW Golf Rs at $53,000 Ged Bulmer Ferrari 599 GTB $677,000 1972 Valiant RT E49 Charger $150,000 Falcon XR6 Turbo Ute $42,000 Range Rover TDV8 $121,000 Tommi Makinen Edition Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, 2001 $25,000 Ducati 916 Senna 1996 $13,000

Richards, 38, is one of the most experienced drivers in the category, having started in 1996, and he is particularly good at long-distance races, such as the Melbourne 500 and Bathurst 1000. Driving for Ford Performance Racing, he has not had good success over the past few years, yet took second place in the final race of the 2010 season, in Sydney, last week. ”By no means is this … retiring from driving fulltime in the V8 Supercar Championship,” he stressed yesterday. Who knows what lies beyond 2011.” He said he would be evaluating opportunities to be a co-driver at the endurance races next year. Richards was 1994 Australian Formula Ford Champion and is the only driver to have won the Bathurst 1000 in successive years driving different brands of car in 1998 in a Ford then in 1999 in a Holden. He has six podium finishes at Bathurst. Richards will believe he is not too old to remain a racer: his father Jim Richards won the Bathurst 1000 at age 53. His departure from FPR leaves a seat vacant possibly for Will Davison who has left rival Holden Racing Team.

IF YOU want a car that stands out, that is really different, you can opt for something unique. And it's not always money that brings that.Spend $320,000 on a Porsche Panamera and you can say you have a four-door version of a high-performance exotic brand. But if a Maserati Quattroporte pulls up next to you at the lights you'll see it, too, is a four-door supercar. Unique cars are hard to find. But they do exist.  Sometimes it is difficult to find a direct competitor for some vehicles. For example, the Mazda MX-5. It's the only true sports car - a two-seat, open-top with excellent handling - under $50,000. You'd have to go to a $70,000 Lotus Elise otherwise. The Jeep Wrangler stands out as a tough, highly competent offroad four-wheel drive. Yet it has a soft top that can be peeled off for open-air rock hopping, even as a longer, four-door version. For four-seat convertibles, is there another beside the Fiat 500C for less than $30,000? The Smart fortwo cabrio is a two-seater.  Mazda RX-8 is the only car with a rotary engine (and a pair of small, rear-hinged back doors on a coupe). Mini Clubman is the only station wagon under 4m long (the baby Peugeot 207 wagon is 22cm longer).  Smart fortwo is shortest car at just 2695mm. But its 999cc three-cylinder engine of 52kW is "beaten'' by Suzuki Alto, which has the smallest engine and least power of any car on our market - a three-cylinder 996cc and 50kW. Alto at $11,700 is also the only car with a list price under $12,000. Price? Length? Engine size? Let's look at the Rolls-Royce Phantom. The EWB (long wheelbase version) takes 6090mm of garage space and costs $1.25 million. But the convertible hits $1,355,000. You can buy 116 Suzuki Altos for that. And Rolls-Royce has the largest engine on sale, a 6749cc V12. Runner-up in engine size is the 6496cc V12 of the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, the only car on sale in Australia with a power rating of 500kW or more. (Mercedes-Benz AMG engines manage 450kW.) Cars have three, four, five, six, eight, 10 and 12-cylinder engines but each of those configurations has more than one brand with such an engine, so nothing unique there. FPV's new supercharged V8 in its GT has 335kW, making this Falcon-based car the most powerful of any Australian-built machine (HSV weighs in at 325kW). Torque? Try a Queen Mary-towing 1000Nm, available in the Audi Q7 six-litre turbo-diesel and in the Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG L. Ford Fiesta diesel is the only car that on the official fuel ratings uses less than 3.8 litres/100km. It is rated at 3.7 while the Mini diesel and Volvo C30 DRIVe each are at 3.8 and the hybrid Toyota Prius at 3.9 litres/100km. Power for value? Try Toyota Aurion AT-X at $35,990. Its 3.5-litre V6 engine gives 200kW. The only other car with 200kW at less than 40 grand is the RAV-4 with the same engine. Holden's 210kW SV6 Commodore is listed at $42,790. Think the Nissan GT-R is a standout? Not quite. It's got 357kW and all-wheel-drive for $158,000. But the BMW M3 comes close with 309kW for the same price. Holden Caprice is the only Australian-built long-wheelbase version and so the only Aussie car more than 5.1m long, and therefore the only LWB car less than $70,000. Ugliest car? That's a matter of subjective opinion. Let's just say that Ssangyong Stavic is an interesting design.  Much of the above is based on data in Glass's Guide.ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM EWBClaim: Longest car. Shares largest engine with $1,355,000 convertible version that is most expensive car.Price: $1,250,000Engine: 6749cc V12. 338kW power @ 5350rpm. 720Nm torque @ 3500rpmDimensions: 6090mm long, 1990mm wide, 1640mm high; 2670kg.MAZDA MX-5Claim: Only true sports car under $50,000 (or $70,000)Price: from $44,265Engine: 1998cc, four-cylinder. 118kW power @ 7000rpm. 188Nm torque @ 5000rpmDimensions: 4020mm long, 1720mm wide, 1245mm high; 1135kgFORD FPV GTClaim: Most powerful Australian-made carPrice: $71,290Engine: Five-litre supercharged V8. 335kW power @ 5750rpm. 570Nm torque @ 2200-5500rpm.Dimensions: 4970mm long, 1868mm wide, 1453mm highMINI CLUBMANClaim: Only station wagon under 4mPrice: from $34,400Engine: 1598cc four-cylinder. 88kW power @ 6000rpm. 160Nm torque @ 4250rpmDimensions: 3937mm long, 1683mm wide, 1426mm high; 1145kg.SUZUKI ALTO GLClaim: Lowest-priced car, smallest engine, lowest power.Price: $11,790.Engine: 996cc, three-cylinder. 50kW power @ 6000rpm. 90Nm torque@ 4800rpm.Dimensions: 3506mm long, 1600mm wide, 1470mm high; 880kg.

"A team of specialists is planning the best course of action and the tumour is expected to be removed early next week,'' his Brad Jones-run race team confirmed late yesterday. "The focus of Jason and his family is on Jason's health and they have asked for privacy at this time.''  Fans have been asked to send any message of support to Team BOC or the Jason Richards Fan Page on Facebook. Richards, 34, married with two children, is a former New Zealand Touring Car Champion.  In V8 Supercars he has finished second three times at the Bathurst 1000 race. News footage of his spectacular crash at Queensland Raceway in 2005 went around the world.  Andrew Jones will drive the team BOC Commodore this weekend at Sandown, Melbourne and in the final V8 event for 2010, the Sydney street race, early next month.

Australia's love for SUVs already has blurred the border between what is a four-wheel-drive vehicle and what is not. Compact SUVs which are more car-like in their driving character and lacking low-range gears are not deemed serious, off-road 4WDs but that hasn't stopped them selling like cold beer at the end of a hot run on the Strzelecki Track.These "soft roaders" at least have reasonable ground clearance compared with a Corolla or Commodore and they have all-wheel-drive. Mitsubishi has added yet another model, the smart looking ASX and virtually created another sub-sector, for it's hard to find an all-wheel-drive SUV five-door available in petrol or diesel in its less than 4.3m length. Mitsubishi says ASX sits between its Lancer small car and the Outlander SUV and that ASX stands for "active smart crossover."Lower cost versions of ASX have two-wheel-drive but we are in a 4WD version and the highest-equipped, Aspire, model at that and with diesel engine. It costs $36,990 but includes climate control, cruise control, tilt and telescopic steering column, front fog lamps, leather seats, rear park sensors, a Rockford Fosgate premium audio system (nine speakers enough?), a 7in screen communications system with touchscreen and sat-nav, reversing camera, power driver's seat, keyless entry and start and 17in alloy wheels.The 1.8-litre turbocharged diesel engine feels bigger. It putters about gently and quietly at low engine revs but once the tacho needle passes 1800rpm there's a strong surge to push along the 1525kg car. Mitsubishi has put its variable valve timing into the diesel intake system and the turbocharger also has variable geometry so excellent fuel economy is there as is performance if you want it.The diesel is available only with a six-speed manual; the shift is light if not quick. Body lean on corners certainly is there if it's rushed. Its 4WD credentials include a good departure angle, hill-start assist and a dial that selects between front 2WD, 4WD (which gives from 98 per cent front/2 per cent rear to 50-50 torque split) and 4WD Lock for more slippery stuff. It uses a viscous coupling centre diff.It means ASX will go along a muddy or dirt track where you wouldn't want to take a Lancer. But it's no Pajero, as the crashing rear suspension reminded us over a few ruts and pot holes. It has a space-saver spare wheel and bitumen-biased tyres but with 60-aspect sidewalls. It needs that reversing camera and park control because there is little rear three-quarter vision.The diesel engine is quiet, attributed to a lower compression ratio, which means engine braking is not brilliant (though better than a petrol engine's). Cargo space (416 litres) is as much as you'd expect in a compact.

Different manufacturers call their four-door utes different names double-cab, crew-cab or dual-cab.

As head of the national motorsport governing body, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, Papadopoulos says CAMS' 430 affiliated car clubs and 52,000 members could help in driver training. Papadopoulos is dismayed that fines for traffic offences such as speeding are going up, speed limits are coming down, cars are now much safer and roads are says to be in better condition -- yet the road toll nationally is increasing. "That leaves the only factor as the driver," he says. He says drivers' attitude and car-control skills could be improved from driver training courses -- something that was not always achieved through spending money on road safety campaigns and advertising. Papadopoulos was speaking after giving the results of a survey of 2000 CAMS members on what they believed was the main cause of road crashes. More than 60 per cent says "speed excessive for the conditions" with a big gap to the 10.5 per cent who cited fatigue, 9.9 per cent who blamed alcohol and 9.2 per cent who selected road conditions. He says going too fast for the conditions includes drivers not adapting their vehicle for wet roads nor having competence in car control on wet roads. "All Australian motorists, regardless of their age, need to be educated on how to adapt their driving to the conditions," he says. "It's our firm belief that compulsory driver education courses will have the greatest impact on the road toll. Knowing how to drive in wet weather is an essential lesson for all drivers. More focus needs to be placed on education and this could easily be funded by directing funds from fines into education." He says individual car clubs are doing driver training for young people off the road, and his car club in NSW has been doing it since he taught his 12-year-old children on a skidpan 20 years ago. And CAMS has just begun its Ignition program to help novice young drivers. But driver training needs to be done nationally, and that requires dollars, he says.

Ambrose, about to turn 34, will drive a Ford Fusion from next year with the aptly-named RPM outfit.  It is a great relief to Ford that its protege-turned-star driver is back. Ambrose was Australian Formula Ford Champion in 1997, then European Formula Ford Champion in 1999. He entered V8 Supercar racing in Fords and won the 2003 and 2004 V8 Supercar Championship in Falcons run by Stone Brothers Racing.With Ford assistance, he moved to the US to take on Nascar racing at the start of 2006. He drove in the trucks (utes), then second-tier Nationwide and finally the top-level Sprint Cup.  But for the past two seasons he's been with JTG Daugherty Racing which runs Toyota Camry cars.He will move to Richard Petty Motorsport to resume his Ford career by driving the No9 Ford Fusion currently driven by Kasey Kahne. His team-mate in No19 will be A J Allmendinger.  "All of us at Ford are happy to have Marcos back home," said Jamie Allison, director of Ford North America Motorsport."We helped Marcos come to America and become a Nascar driver because we believed in his talent and loved the way he connected with Ford fans here and in Australia.  "We believe the move to RPM will give him the car and equipment to win races."Ambrose has been frustrated at not getting success on the traditional Nascar oval tracks, although he has been a star on the circuit courses."I'm happy to be back with Ford racing," Ambrose said. "I'm very excited to join Richard Petty Motorsports. It's an incredible honour to be racing for a legend like The King."  He was referring to team principal Richard Petty who won a record 200 Nascar races from 1184 starts in a 35-year career.The other co-owner of RPM is George Gillett Jnr, who also co-owns English Premier League team Liverpool FC.  Petty said he, too, was happy Ambrose was coming on board.  "He's a very talented and passionate driver," Petty said. "He's a fan favourite and he's proven to be a tough competitor on track."

Eleven sites in Melbourne will kick off the new fuel stream this month. Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra will be added by the end of October, making a total of 30, before greater expansion of the network into next year.  Caltex Australia says it will call its new product Bio E-Flex, having up to 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol, also known as E85. This confirms beliefs that the coming new Holden Commodore VE Series II will have some engines able to run on E85.  "Biofuels such as ethanol are fuels of the future as they are produced from renewable sources and can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Caltex Australia spokesman Frank Topham says. About 400 Caltex outlets in the eastern states already offer E10 fuel (10 per cent ethanol) and will continue to do so. Other fuel companies also offer E10. Many modern cars can run on E10. Caltex says sites that will have E85 also will have the normal range of petrol and LPG. Caltex claims its Bio E-Flex will have an octane rating of up to 105 RON. This is a higher "energy" level than even 98RON premium unleaded.  The coming new Commodore E85 engine has been engineered to accept any ethanol blend up to 85 per cent. But not all existing cars can run on E85 with assured no trouble with engine and fuel line components. It is recommended motorists check with their car manufacturer.