Articles by Stuart Martin

The charge will be led by the Skoda Fabia small car range and the Yeti compact SUV, with both aiming to provide an entry-point for the Czech range as well as its VW parent when launched at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne mid-year. The Fabia small-car range will kick off with a hatchback model in manual petrol form - using the 77kW TSI engine - as well as a Monte Carlo model, with DSG and wagon models to follow later in the year. A hot RS variant - with 132kW and only a DSG transmission - is also set for touchdown before the end of 2011. The Yeti compact SUV will be the second star for Melbourne, with both two and four-wheel drive versions on the list of vehicles Skoda hopes will bring in younger buyers, with an emphasis on tapping the female side of the market. Local brand boss Matthew Wiesner says the two small vehicles will be price-competitive in the two fast-growing segments and have buyer appeal. "The Yeti will have very broad appeal, the whole segment is evolving with 2WD and 4WD, there's a strong younger buyer part to that 2WD segment," he says. "The Fabia - hatch, wagon, Monte Carlo and RS - offers a mix of vehicles for younger buyers, the wagon will get some older buyers in as well," Mr Wiesner says. The Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne will see these two debut, as well as the Skoda brand's new-look logo and refreshed brand personality first seen at the recent Geneva motor show. Wiesner is aiming to double the Skoda sales figure of 1632 (a 31 per cent improvement on 2009) for 2010 this year, with 2012 expected to double that already-lofty 2011 target. "We will go close to doubling our 2010 volumes this year, and again doubling that effort for 2012" he says. Wiesner says the brand's representatives in the larger segments are hamstrung by supply that's well short of demand - the Superg flagship will be expanded the front and all-wheel drive offerings for the large car range. "We'll be adding the 103 TDI drivetrain that's in the new Scout to the Superb range." The Octavia Scout could also have another engine on offer - "We'll see how it goes, a petrol TSI engine would be nice if and when it becomes available, there's still a significant petrol market there," he says.

The 911 was first offered with all-wheel drive in 1989. Now the 911 Carrera 4 GTS broadens customer choice in 2011, building on the success of the two-wheel drive Carrera GTS that went on sale last year. The 911 Carrera 4 GTS power unit is the 3.8-litre, six-cylinder from the Carrera S, with a redesigned intake increasing peak power output to 304kW at 7300rpm and improved low and mid-range torque - 320Nm is available from 1500rpm, with peak torque of 420Nm from 4200 to 5600rpm. The GTS also gets a sports exhaust system with model-specific black-finished exhaust pipes. The all-wheel drive system has Porsche Traction Management sending appropriate drive to the front wheels via a multiple-plate clutch, as well as a limited-slip rear differential as standard, a six-speed manual transmission. The Coupe sprints 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds, the Cabriolet in 4.8 seconds. The GTS also has the option of the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) seven-speed double-clutch transmission, which takes 0.2 seconds from the sprint times of the conventional manual. Porsche claims the fuel economy for the GTS is unchanged despite the power increase - Carrera 4 GTS Coup#aace returns 10.5 litres/100km on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) with CO2 emissions of 247 g/km. The Carrera 4 GTS will get model badges on the doors and rump, extra bits on the front spoiler and side skirts, an additional reflective stripe between the tail lights, increased rear track and 19in RS Spyder black alloy wheels with a centre wheel bolt. The cabin is upgraded with alcantara trim for the sports seats, the steering wheel, gearshifter and handbrake. Porsche Australia says the 911 C4 GTS will come in only on individual customer order - at $283,300 for the coupe and $302,600 for the cabriolet.

There's a lot to be said for the Holden engineering teams' efforts with models sourced from Korea, especially the Cruze sedan. It's a shame they can't do more with the Captiva SUV. The pricepoint and features list is competitive, but the new model seems to have lost its way dynamically.We're in the LX seven-seater all-wheel drive flagship. At $42,490, it's $2000 cheaper than the pevious model. Another $1000 gets you into the turbodiesel. The LX has a long standard features list - climate control air conditioning, power windows, three 12 volt power outlets, split second and third row seats, leather trim, power-adjustable driver's seat, automatic headlights (but no rain-sensing wipers), bluetooth phone (which was temperamental at best) and audio link for the eight speaker sound system, cruise control, electrochromatic centre rearvision mirror, satellite navigation (with compass), tilt-and-reach adjustable leather-wrapped steering wheel, mu ltifunction driver information display, rear parking sensors and rear camera and a trip computer.There's little ground-breaking gear here. The 3.0-litre direct-injection V6 is good for 190kW/288Nm, but feels short of that. The diesel has 400Nm on tap. The V6 doesn't seem to be enamoured of the six-speed auto, which feels a little slow and confused when asked for quick action. The combined fuel use claim is 11.3l/100km. We got 13.2 during our time in the car, which was not always driven for frugality, which is on par with its petrol competition.The all-wheel drive system is on-demand. This, like most of such systems, takes a very long time to bring the front wheels into play, despite extreme provocation. The delay suggests anything other than fire trails and hard-packed beach sand would be a challenge. The descent control system does a reasonable job of bringing the big SUV down a hill at a gracious pace, but serious off-road work would probably bake the brakes.That's an issue in any of these SUVs with electronics in lieu of a good low-range. There's a USB port within the more spacious centre console for added connectivity  the extra room comes from the inclusion of an electric park brake.The main change aesthetically comes at the front, with a sharper, sculpted snout and more air intake grilles. The bonnet and headlights have been re-designed and seem to be following a similar path to the new Ford Territory.The Captiva rates a four-star crash performer, though it has dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags, anti-lock braking on four-wheel ventilated discs, emergency brake assist, a hill descent control system (which is too fast), electronic brakeforce distribution, rollover, stability and traction control.Immediately the ride was a concern  very sharp over small bumps and not much better over bigger ones. A quick check with the pressure gauge prompted five pounds of pressure out of each tyre and the ride became a little less brittle, but it was still too firm for the rugrats and the Speaker Of The House. Part of the problem is, regardless of the myriad seating configurations, the seats themselves are flat and not overly comfortable.The suspension's taut control does deliver flat cornering and that shows up the seating's deficiency in terms of lateral support, but the compromised ride is too hard for a family truckster. As mentioned, the six-speed auto and the petrol V6 are not the best of bed-fellows, with a dearth of low-down torque to overcome the transmission's indecision.The infotainment side of the cabin is considerable, with Bluetooth phone and music link, but the system seems more adept at the latter than the former. The satellite navigation screen is clear and easy enough to use and read but gets confused. Despite claiming signal from nine satellites, the map was telling me I was driving on the South Eastern freeway when I was still well and truly on Upper Sturt Road, more than a couple of kilometres away.

The Corsa has just been released in its most powerful incarnation yet, with the UK hot hatch market the beneficiary of the VXR Nurburgring Edition. Australians haven't seen a decent hot hatch from GM since the Holden Barina SRi bit the dust in 2005, but with the impending return of Opel, there may be a chance - a Corsa OPC paying homage to the same track. Officially there's nothing more from Opel on its Australian model line-up beyond what was revealed by Opel vice-president for business and product planning Frank Weber. "All are under study, because it only makes sense to come to the market with a certain portfolio size and where you are also different from what Holden has," he said at the Geneva motor show. But given there's a chance of production Astra GTC, the Opel OPC is a shot of making the boat as well. Opel communications director Peter Erhardt says: "we can however confirm that OPC models will be part of the Opel portfolio in Australia. The exact OPC models, their arrival times to market will be communicated closer to the 2012 launch." On sale in the UK next month with a Vauxhall badge and a 22,295/AUD$33,975 pricetag, the VXR Nurburgring edition uses the same 1.6-litre turbo four engine of the existing VXR. The little powerplant now produces 151kW (up from 141kW) and between 250-280Nm of torque (up from 230-266Nm) with the benefit of an overboost function. A modified engine management and turbocharger system, a sports exhaust with reduced back pressure and an apetitite for 98RON PULP the ability to run on 98-octane fuel - have all contributed to the rise in power. The hot little mite has a mechanical limited-slip differential to temper the anger from the front wheels and the GM Europe staffers are saying the LSD also takes care of any throttle-induced understeer or torque steer. The Nurburgring logos are not just for decoration either - the company is saying the lowered chassis tune (toughened up with Bilstein springs and dampers) got its final sign-off after time on the renowned Nordschleife test track. The special edition also gets lighter yet larger Brembo brakes, as well as recalibrated stability and anti-lock brake systems. Clues to the performance upgrade - which boasts 0-100km/h in under seven seconds and a 230km/h top speed - also include stainless steel exhaust tips, Recaro sports seats and forged alloy wheels.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash test of the $10,990 driveaway Chery J1 resulted in a three-star rating for the Chinese-built hatchback. It reports the car "lost structural integrity in the frontal offset crash test at 64km/h, which would result in considerable injury risk for the occupants". There was also "poor protection from serious chest injuries for the driver in both the frontal offset and side impact crash tests". Chery spokesman Daniel Cotterill says the high point for importer Ateco Automotive was that Chery sent engineers from China to watch the tests. "They sent senior crash-test people here from China for the testing. They had a good dialogue with the ANCAP people," he says. Cotterill says the J1 is sold with more safety gear in Australia than in any other market. "It's never been the case with any of our Chinese offerings that there has been a box to tick for extra safety gear that we've left off," he says. "If they can do it we take it. I reckon that we'll see some improvements via running changes to current cars, now they've seen it first hand that will have an effect on the way they go about designing future models." ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh says there were concerns over the lack of side airbags and stability control, which are featured in key competitors, including the Holden Barina Spark, the Mazda2 and some Hyundai Getz models. "These life-saving features are available on competing models from other manufacturers many of which have a five-star ANCAP rating. ANCAP was pleased that engineers from Chery travelled to Australia to attend the crash tests and discuss how to improve their products with ANCAP technical staff," he says. Toyota got an upgrade from four to five stars without smashing a car into any obstacle. The Camry range has been upgraded to five stars (a rating already applied to the locally built Aurion) with the introduction of a seat belt reminder and improved knee protection for front passengers, standard in cars produced from this month. McIntosh says Toyota's upgrades were worthwhile safety features and would meet new government fleet regulations. Such purchases account for a large percentage of Camry sales. "A seat belt reminder device for the front passenger seat and more crash protection for the driver's knees have been made just weeks before the Australian government introduces a mandatory five-star safety standard for all federal fleet passenger car purchases from July 1." He says about one in five road crash fatalities in Australia are caused by failure to wear seat belts. "Under ANCAP's recently released Roadmap, seat belt reminders will become mandatory for front seats for a five-star rating from 2013." He says the new rule which affected around half of the new vehicle market also would lead to improved safety standards and features in private vehicles. "Commonwealth fleet vehicles are commonly sold into the private vehicle market within two or three years," he says. "The sales of these vehicles will allow Australian families another avenue via which they can purchase five-star vehicles."

..,popping and banging sideways through the forests south of Perth. The Forester S-Edition doesn't have a rollcage or the super-grippy rally tyres either, but that's no reason not to give it good consideration.Back on Planet Earth, we have to perform the daily duties - school runs, commuting, family roadtrips and the like - none of which is much fun for passengers in a rally car.Even so, we're driving the most powerful (says Subaru) Forester yet unleashed on Australian roads - remember they've had STi versions of this model in Japan.VALUESubaru is asking $50,990 for the Forester S-Edition - a $3500 jump up from the (25kg lighter) XT Premium automatic.The extra cash buys an additional 24kW and 27Nm, a paddleshift five-speed (the rest of the range has only four and no paddles) auto, STI-style wheels (but the same 17in diameter), the sports interior trim with blue alcantara inserts on the sports leather seats, an upgraded instrument panel and blue hue to the interior lighting.The features list also includes a large electric sunroof, electric folding rear seat function, dual-zone climate control, a six-speaker CD/DVD touchscreen sound and satnav system (which failed to switch screen display when in Auto mode), Bluetooth phone link and a trip computer.TECHNOLOGY The S-Edition packs a solid shove from the re-tuned WRX motor - the turbocharged 2.5-litre flat-four offers 193kW at 6000rpm and 347Nm of torque between 2800-4800 rpm, with variable valve timing among its arsenal.Don't look for any stratospheric ratio tallies here - the Forester S-Edition has the five-speed paddleshift automatic transmission from the WRX STI, which has paddleshifters but feels as though it could do with six gears to keep the 2.5 in the meaty section of the tacho.Given that the rest of the range has a four-speed auto and a five-speed manual on offer, perhaps we shouldn't complain.The all-wheel drive set-up has variable torque distribution - 45/55 front/rear is the norm but it changes as required, something which you get a taste of on the dirt before the electronics kick-in.Even with the driver aids retarded, the nursemaid system still smacks your hand if you attempt to emulate the WRC boys, but swift, secure and sensible dirt road driving is easily achieved without incurring the car's wrath.DESIGNA big, square-rumped bull-nose box with air intakes a-plenty, the Forester has thankfully not yet started to look like the Outback and Liberty.The cabin has a useful amount of room for passengers and cargo, with no shortage of headroom and enough legroom in the back for me to sit behind my own driving position.In-cabin storage is good, with plenty of space in the doors and centre console.SAFETYThe Forester S-Edition has the variable (but not front-biased thankfully) all-wheel drive system, as well as stability and traction control which can be toned down but not disabled, giving it the dynamic ability to avoid misfortune in many cases.The passive safety features include dual front, side and curtain airbags, as well as a reversing camera.DRIVINGThe tall Forester is not all show and no go, that is for certain - 193kW and 347Nm equates to a claim of 6.5 seconds to 100km/h, which is not dawdling for some sportscars, let alone an SUV - gunning away from standstill does little to cast doubt on the numbers.The five-speed auto is smooth but a little on the slow side for shift speed and sometimes get caught snoozing, made worse when the revs fall to the bottom third of the tacho.Flicking the selector across to Sport mode does alleviate some of the tardiness, or the driver can use the elegant paddles behind the steering wheel, complete with grippy rubber backing, but the car will over-rule and up-change rather than tickle the limiter, in the same annoying way the STI auto does.On the plus side, it does have 225mm ground clearance and that is better than many of the alleged soft-roaders, and it will tackle unsealed surfaces comfortably.The Yokohama Geolander tyres fall into the category of Jack of All Trades - useful on most surfaces but not excelling on any either. Early-onset mild understeer is the diagnosis when pushed in corners, with a little bit (but not excessive) body roll, but once settled the Forester covers winding roads at a decent pace - but slower in and faster out being a better cornering option.The S-Edition will also zip quietly through traffic and does it without too much tyre or engine noise (something the STI wanna-haves might miss), riding firmly and with a little too much chatter over the bumps - a check of the tyre pressures revealed normal amounts.The satnav screen is clear and bright, but despite several attempts it would not go to its night display using the Auto mode - a manual change needed to be selected, which can only happen at rest.VERDICTThe top-selling Subaru all-rounder packs plenty of punch and can carry the brood with ease, but it's not yet perfect, better rubber would help.OWNERSHIPPrice: $50,990Warranty: 3 years, unlimited kmResale: 74%Service Interval: 10,000km or 6 monthsEconomy: 10.5l/100km, on test 13.8, 95RON PULP; 248g/km CO2Safety Equipment six airbags, stability and traction control, ABS, EBD.Crash rating: 5 starEngine: 193kW/347Nm 2.5-litre turbocharged flat-fourTransmission: five speed auto, all-wheel driveBody: 5-door, 5 seatsDimensions: 4560mm (L); 1795mm (W); 1700mm (H); 2615mm (WB)Weight: 1585kgTyre size: 225/55 R17 YokohamaSpare tyre: full size alloy

With the introduction of the Countryman, Mini is no longer the one-model wonder of BMW's stable.There's more to come than just its take on soft-roaders to keep DINKS and well-funded trendy folk in the fold when they need to make a lifestyle vehicle change.The car we're in is the front-wheel drive Cooper S six-speed auto, which provides wagon space and ample pep without the AWD set-up to get it dirty, or bogged.The Cooper S Countryman starts on the pricelist at just a tickle under $50,000 but the options and extras list is easily capable of bumping up the pricetag.Our test car was a Chilli edition, which carries a $53,150 pricetag before $3055 is added for the six-speed auto.The test car is awash with features, starting with the choice of four or no-cost-options five-seat rear bench (which removes the gimmicky centre-rail), front and rear fog lights, remote control central locking, bi-xenon headlights, roof rails and a sports leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise and audio controls.There's also single-zone climate control, multi-coloured ambient lighting, a 3.5mm auxiliary and USB connection to six-speaker sound system, Bluetooth phone link, cloth upholstery, trip computer, the six-speaker sound system, rain sensing wipers, automatic headlights and cloth-trimmed sports seats.The as-tested price was $62,542 - including 18in black alloy wheels (for $1170), about $1000 worth of striping and chrome bits, the double glass sunroof (which has front and rear vent function, but only the front slides aft) that adds $2587 and the satnav system (with Visual Boost graphics upgrade) contributes $2470 to the bottom line.The Countryman gets the latest incarnation of the 1.6-litre turbo four that Mini and BMW share with Citroen and Peugeot.The little turbo powerplant is flexible and punches hard when asked, thanks to a twin-scroll turbo teamed with direct injection and variable valve systems.Power and torque is the same as the rest of the Cooper S models - 135kW at 5500rpm and 240Nm of torque from 1600 through to 5000rpm, with an extra 20Nm on offer for a short burst when full-throttle demands it.The six-speed auto is 0.3 of a second slower than the manual for overall performance - 0-100km/h takes 7.9 seconds; fuel use in the auto is 7.5l/100km, almost a litre per 100km more than the manual.The Countryman sits 154mm taller, 106mm wider, 128mm more in the wheelbase (part of an extra 381mm in overall length) than the traditional Mini hatches, with a bull-nose look and wider stance suggesting this is a Mini with maxi intentions.In terms of rougher-road work, there's only an extra 19mm of clearance - 149mm for the Countryman over the hatch's 130mm - so regardless of how many wheels are driven, there's not much chance of spending much time far from sealed roads.The cabin - in the test car's case a four-seat configuration with the centre rail - has reasonable space for its overall size, more than ample for two adults and two kids, or four average-sized adults.You'll need the cargo area at its lower-capacity level for fully-grown occupants, but I - now bearing the title apparently of Carsguide's burliest road-tester - can sit behind my own driving position without serious discomfort.Bootspace isn't invaded by a spare tyre of any type and can be tailored a little using the rear seat to boost luggage space from 350 to 440 litres, or with all rear seats folded the capacity rises to 1170 litres.The little SUV gets a full list of safety features - dual front, side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes with corner brake control and electronic brakeforce distribution, switchable stability and traction control and a tyre pressure monitoring system for the hard-riding runflats.Even with the higher ride height and slightly elevated clearance, the Countryman still carries attributes that mark it as a Mini.The steering is sharp as you'd expect, tipping the wagon into corners with gusto thanks to the punchy little powerplant.The 1.6 works well in most situations with the six-speed auto, but to keep the little wagon singing the sport mode on the automatic (and the Sport mode button that sharpens up throttle and steering a little) helps improve the response a little.The engine also returns decent fuel use figures despite some enthusiastic throttle use - the ADR claim is 7.5 litres per 100km for the auto and the trip computer showed 10.8l/100km at the end of our time in the car.With a 47-litre tank, three litres fewer than it's smaller, lighter sibling, the 620km range (using the ADR figure) isn't ground-breaking.The steering can be effected a little by camber, kickback and torque steer but generally that didn't detract too much from the drive.The cornering capability is considerable - well above what you'd expect for anything purporting to even flirt with the SUV segment.But the ride pay-off is too firm for some, with the rigidity of the runflat tyres on the 18in wheels not dealing with smaller bumps as well as would be ideal.The cloth-trimmed seats are not hugely comfortable but do offer decent levels of lateral support.

The diamond-in-the-rough of Toyota's range has a solid history here and Karin Scanlon has kept her Cruiser un-polished, so to speak.Mrs Scanlon and her late husband Michael bought "Milo" new in 1984 from CMI Toyota in Adelaide."It is plated April 1983 and we kept our eye on it for a while on the show room floor," she says.The family took delivery of their new off-roader and never looked back."Milo" is a 1983 LandCruiser BJ42 LX model, powered by a 3.4-litre naturally-aspirated diesel and is one of the earliest of the breed with a five-speed manual gearbox, air conditioning and power steering.The BJ model designation marks the short-wheelbase model with a 3B naturally-aspirated diesel engine producing 73kW and 226Nm. The 42-Series ran from 1979 through until 1984, when the FJ/BJ model ceased production in most countries.The short-wheelbase 4WD has been used as its maker intended, taking the family to Tibooburra and Camerons Corner not long after it graced their driveway."In 1985 my husband and I and our son took the vehicle to Mootwinge north east of Broken Hill, Tibooburra and Camerons Corner, it was a fantastic trip and the vehicle travelled faultlessly," she says.It's still only showing 143,000km on its clock - there's a RAV4 that Mrs Scanlon uses day-to-day - and "Milo" is largely original, although some (reversible) changes were made for a recent Simpson Desert trip."It was something that my late husband would have loved to have done so I did it for him and thoroughly enjoyed it," she says.The convoy travelled from Adelaide north to Roxby Downs, through to Dalhousie Springs, Purni Bore and across the Simpson Desert to Birdsville , then back to Adelaide via the old Innamincka road, covering 3500 tough kilometres in 15 days."It is not an easy trip .... but the immense sense of satisfaction as you sit on top of Big Red, is indescribable," she says.Mrs Scanlon is conscious of keeping the car as original as possible - although it seems unlikely to go on the market."I still have the original wheels and the storage system installed in the rear of the wagon has only used existing holes, no holes have been drilled into the vehicle - I still have all the rear seats," she says.Toyota's recent re-introduction of the FJ Cruiser has renewed interest in the original - the FJ40 LandCruiser was seen as a genuine off-roader - more than 1.1 million were produced between 1960 and 1984.This year the company is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the LandCruiser, which began production in Japan in 1951 and has sold more than 6.4 million globally, including wagon, military versions and the smaller Prado - more than 765,000 have been sold here since it first arrived in 1958.About the Toyota FJ LandCruiserMANUFACTURED 1960 to 1984PRICE NOW $7600PRICE NEW $13,991ENGINE 3.4-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder 73kW/226Nm BODY Two-door 4WD wagonTRANSMISSION Five-speed manual, four-wheel driveDID YOU KNOW? The FJ/BJ LandCruiser was known as the Toyota Bandeirante in Brazil, where it was made from 1959 until 2001.

Teenage boys try to be cool, aloof and dis-interested, but all it takes is a German droptop sportscar to transform them into wide-eyed gawkers.  Blip the Audi R8 V10 Spider's throttle and they jump a little before returning to filling their smart phones with pics.  It might well be similar in outlay to the median house price in Adelaide, but these boys would probably ignore the capital gain and take the keys.VALUENext please. You do pay for the blue sky privileges of the R8 Spyder V10, which asks $392,200 for the R-Tronic automated manual - a $16,100 ask over the six-speed manual that's probably not money well spent, but more on that later.The features list goes some way towards offsetting the mortgage-sized pricetag - standard in the Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro are the power mirrors, auto LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, an alarm, a Bang & Olufsen 12-speaker sound system (that spent most of its time dormant while I had the car).There's also Bluetooth phone link (which regularly argued with my iPhone) satnav, power-adjustable and heated Nappa leather seats with special coating to reduce heat absorption, parking sensors, a  rear-view camera and the auto-dipping high-beam assist.TECHNOLOGYAlmost everything about this car says high-tech - starting with the light-emitting diode (LED) lights for both beams, the daytime running lights and the indicators.  Built on the Audi Space Frame, which consists of aluminium and carbon-fibre composite materials, the R8's body panels also made using the strong lightweight materials to keep weight increases to a minimum.The soft top's mechanism adds 42kg to the scales but the roofless and reinforced body alone is just 6kg more than the Coupe.  The work has had an effect as the open-topped car has little movement or shake over bumps or through dips; overall the Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro weighs only 1725kg - 100kg more than the hardtop.The Spyder's 5.2-litre V10 is an Audi powerplant (says Audi) shared with Lamborghini (who do a Lambo-specific top end), but in the German machine produces 386kW and 530Nm - enough to hit 100km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h.DESIGNStill an eye-catcher of epic proportions, the convertible's styling has held up to the sands of time.  Unlike the coupe, the R8 Spyder has vents in lieu of the "sideblades" just aft of the doors are functional, with the convertible tonneau (made from carbon-fibre composite) giving the rear-end attractive proportions, although the pop-up rear-spoiler ruin the lines a little.The roof is an insulated soft-top that opens and closes within 19 seconds, at speeds up to 50 km/h, with a heated glass rear window that doubles as a wind-blocker to good effect.  Storage space is limited - a couple of cubby holes in the cabin and a luggage compartment in the snout thatclaims a capacity of 100 litres.SAFETYThe R8 Spyder not short on safety gear, with dual front and side airbags, stability control, tyre pressure monitoring and roll-over protection in the form of two spring-loaded aluminium sections within the bulkhead.Magnetic switches release the bars within 0.2 of a second of the system detecting an airbag or seatbelt pre-tensioner firing.It stops in a similarly staggering fashion to its departures - massive drilled and ventilated brakes with eight-piston front and four-piston rear calipers will bring things to a halt in short order.DRIVINGViolent forward motion - with a banshee at your shoulder - sums up the R8 V10 Spyder, of which Audi have sold 10 in Australia since its September launch last year.  Even with the roof up, you can drop the back window and keep the shrieking soundtrack - at least that's what I think my passenger called it, I could be wrong.In full-monty sport mode, the sharpened drivetrain smashes your senses, with the only interruption being the (admittedly old-school) single-clutch automated manual swapping cogs.  With 530Nm of torque at 6500rpm and 386kW arriving at a hysterical 8000rpm, the Spyder lays claim to a 313km/h top speed and a sprint to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds - nothing about the R8's demeanour suggests these are optimistic.But it's the mundane mooching on main roads where the R8 is surprising - the magnetic dampers (which would only ever need Sport mode on a racetrack) offer a good ride - firm but with more compliance than many vehicles with vastly inferior cornering ability.That list of cars is toilet-roll long - the rear-biased all-wheel drive system, meaty steering and grip levels that make a leech look lazy all team up to give the Spyder prowess in corners that re-arranges your internal organs.The cabin noise levels are well below average for a convertible and, if you use the paddles and change manually in Normal mode, the drivetrain is far more pleasant - save the $16,000 Audi charges for the R-Tronic and spend it on other options.Sadly the droptop doesn't provide the same delicious powerplant view on offer in the coupe, but the open-air experience - with none of the body weakness and creaking that sullies other soft-tops - makes the peak-a-boo view of the V10 easier to take.VERDICTA potent drive of epic proportions, the R8 Spyder is a supercar that could easily be driven every day without complaint from car or driver - I'll live in a swag and take the car.AUDI R8 V10 SPYDER ****1/2 Price: $392,000Warranty: 3 years, unlimited  kmResale: 85% Service Interval: 15,000km or 12-monthsEconomy: 13.9 l/100km, 98 RON PULP, on test 20.5; 332g/km CO2, tank 80 litresSAFETY  Equipment: four airbags, stability control, ABS, EBD.Crash rating: n/a star TECHNICAL Engine: 386kW/530Nm 5.2-litre DOHC direct-injection 40-valve V10Transmission: six-speed R-Tronic automated manual, all-wheel driveBody: 2-door, 2 seats convertibleDimensions: 4434mm (L); 1904mm (W); 1244mm (H); 2650mm (WB)Weight: 1725kgTyre size: 235/35 fr, 295/30 rr, 19inSpare tyre:Tyre mobility system 

The Lonsdale engine plant might be unrecognisable and Tonsley Park has little signage left, but there's plenty of examples of Chrysler's production history still running hard. The Chrysler Charger legend was born in 1971 and for years was the fastest-accelerating Australian-built car. Tony and Karen Lennell have strong connections to the breed, with family working for the company at the time of the Charger's production. But it wasn't always Chryslers that sat in the Lennell garage - Holdens and later HSVs were under the the roof as well. "I was a Holden man but had family ties to Chrysler here - Karen's dad was an engineer there, they've grown on me over the years so we decided to buy one," he says. The couple - under the pretence of a weekend away in Sydney - found what they were looking for just over a year ago at Australian Musclecar Sales in Sydney. The couple's car is a pretty rare beast - a 1971 three-speed manual VH E37 Charger R/T, powered by the famous 265-cubic inch (about 4.3-litre) in-line "Hemi" six-cylinder engine. When it left the factory in 1971 priced at $3935 new, there was 248 horsepower on offer - 185kW and 415Nm - thanks to triple Weber carburettors. It's one of only 135 R/Ts built and one of just 18 painted in the hot mustard colour - while Mr Lennell was coy about how much he paid for the car, pristine examples have sold for as much as $100,000. "We flew to Sydney for a weekend away, and I happened to just say that we were going to stop off and look at a car - four hours later we owned the car," he says. The E37 has been returned to factory-spec after the long and expensive task of sourcing parts and getting the car to the right automotive people for the serious work. Friday nights have become known as shed night with work continuing into early hours of Saturday morning. "We got to work on researching the original parts and equipment, it needed a three-speed gearbox, Mark at Brighton Service Centre put that in for me - he sourced the gearbox for me." Mr Lennell said the floor, interior trim and the cabin have been returned to how the car was as it left the line at Tonsley Park 40 years ago. "The engine and diff have been given the once-over as well, the 3.23:1 LSD is back in there, it's got new original-spec extractors and the triple carburettors have been put back to rights by West Torrens Dyno Centre," he says. Although registered on historic plates, the E37 isn't a molly-coddled museum piece - the Lennells drove it to Renmark for an award-winning appearance at a recent club event and more recently braved locusts and native fauna to enter the car in the Chrysler on The Murray event at Albury-Wodonga. "We were just at Chrysler On The Murray, where we won the best VH Charger .... we were one of more than 150 Chargers up there for the 40th anniversary," he says. The couple received plenty of "Hey Charger" salutes on the trip to Albury-Wodonga. "Every time we stopped for fuel it took about half an hour to leave as people wanted to have a look at the car, it hardly used any oil and cruised at 100km/h all the way. "We were driving down the Hume with Leo Geoghegan's car next to us, E49s, E38s - they got a group shot of 150 of these cars together, it was fantastic." The job is not done yet as the couple have plans to pull the engine out for another re-build - as well as a taking it back to its original colour - re-painting the engine bay and re-building the front suspension in preparation for next year. "It was a fun drive and we're going to do it again next year - we're going to take it up to Bathurst next year and take it up The Mountain," he says. About the Chrysler Valiant Charger The Chrysler Valiant Charger is an icon of Australian motor vehicle manufacturing and the VH started it all. The company started manufacturing in 1971 and built 17,918 VH Chargers - at one stage accounting for half of the total Valiant production by Chrysler. Overall, around 1300 were R/T models, and of these, but R/T E37 Performance models numbered only 135. The R/T had a 3.23:1 differential (rather than the 2.92 standard in other Chargers), as well as a tachometer, oil pressure gauge, six-inch rims, a front anti-roll bar and a three-speed manual gearbox. At the time the company claimed a stock E37 could complete a quarter-mile sprint in 15.7 seconds, but that number fell if the optional "six-pack" package was added, which put three two-barrel Weber carburettors on the straight-six engine and upped the power to 248hp (a 30hp increase) and 306 foot pounds. The base-model car was priced from $2795 but the R/T was priced $3395 - now these cars can fetch anywhere between $60,000 and $110,000. The R/T high performance pack came about from a desire to go motor racing, adding black stripes, a black radiator grille, driving lights, model-specific steel wheels, a sports instrumentation pack and a two-spoke aluminium steering wheel.