Articles by Stuart Martin

The Australian new-car market will soon see the Cadillac badge return to showrooms, but an event in Adelaide next week will refresh our Cadillac memories. While the reintroduction of Cadillac - it was last sold here between 1960 and 1973 - will begin with the CTS sedan in the last quarter of this year, more than 100 older Cadillacs will arrive here tomorrow for the Cadillac and LaSalle Nationals. More than two dozen pre-1930 and at least 40 Cadillacs with some of the biggest fins yet seen on a car will be here until Tuesday. The biennial event will be based in the Barossa Valley. National Cadillac Club of Australia SA branch president Ian Robertson says; it is the first time in the club's 31-year history to have entries from every Australian state and territory for the Cadillac Escape. “The event promises to be one of the largest gatherings of Cadillacs ever seen in Australia,” he says. The event also has confirmed entrants from the U.S., Canada, Britain and New Zealand. Activities include a car show at the Australian National Motor Museum, Birdwood, and a drive to the top of the Barossa Valley's highest point for panoramic photos. Mr Robertson says a wide variety of Cadillacs will be at the event. “The cars range from the 1905 Model F Tourer, through to a 1994 Eldorado Touring Coupe,” he says. “In between, there will be the elegant 1920s models, the Art Deco models of the '30s and '40s, the giant fins of the '50s and '60s and to the utter opulence of the Fleetwood d'Elegance models of the '80s.”  

The Italian car builder has released the first pictures of the Mi.To - and while we're not sure about the name, the little hatch will no doubt revive memories of the much loved 1970s Alfasud.The name is a conglomeration of parts of Alfa Romeo's history - the first two letters of the marque's spiritual home, Milan, plus the first two letters of Torino (or Turin), where it will be built. The sporty three-door small car will be officially unveiled in the metal midyear and it is likely to appear here 12 months after that.Alfa Romeo is aiming the Mi.To as a replacement for the Alfasud, last sold here in the mid 1980s. It says its little Sud was the benchmark small car of the 1970s that “redefined small car performance with a class-leading chassis, peppy performance and crisp styling.”Some owners also may remember its questionable reliability, rust issues and other maladies, but then misty-eyed nostalgia takes over. But Alfa, which has worked hard to leave such issues behind, says the Mi.To is looking to compete with smaller vehicles. The Sud was built to compete with Volkswagen's Golf, ground now covered by the Alfa 147.Alfa says the Mi.To is just over 4m long and 1.72m wide. This puts it up against the Peugeot 207, VW's Polo and the new Fiat 500.The hatch will be offered in petrol and diesel guises. Pricing and specifications will be announced when it goes on sale next year. 

If looks could kill then some recent models in the Subaru range would be dead - but the Japanese car maker has created a new look and dragged itself back from the cliff edge.A new design direction seems to have found more favour recently - first versus second-generation Tribeca being a prime example - but the company's Impreza range was an area where the company could ill-afford a sales drop.But I'm not driving the Impreza volume seller, I'm in a WRX and not even the normal STI version.The STI I've been given the keys to is the Spec.R model, which gets lightweight alloy wheels and grippy Recaro racing bucket seats.The standard WRX STI is priced from $59,990. Stepping up to the spec.R sheds 15kg, adds Recaro buckets and BBS alloy wheels and $5000 to the bottom line.Lacquered in the same blue that adorns the company's World Rally Championship cars, the STI has an abundance of menace.Scoops, vents, bulges, bumps and flares turn the Impreza hatchback into something that looks purposeful and says take me on at your peril.Power from the 2.5-litre turbo flat-four is up from 206kW to 221kW and torque has been upped to 407Nm from 392Nm, shoving an extra 10kg over the old model - 1505kg or 1520kg for the standard STI. The state limit is obliterated in a rapid 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h is claimed, as is a combined-cycle thirst of 10.3 litres/100km, although my stint returned 13.2 litres/100km.Slipping into the Recaro buckets, the bolsters hold occupants firmly in place and give a hint of what's to come. Thankfully, the personal number start process has been abandoned and getting under way only requires a key turn.With electronic trickery in all three diffs of the drivetrain, it's easy to leave it in Auto mode, followed by a flick of the Subaru Intelligent Drive to S# for the sharpest throttle response. With 18in wheels wrapped with sticky Dunlop SP600 semi-slick tyres, tricky diffs and all that urge, the STI was always going to be exhilarating.The six-speed manual gearchange is a good shift but requires some guidance - it's no brainless quick-flick shift - but once accustomed to the drivetrain the STI covers ground in an unfussed and rapid manner.There is a little more body roll, relative to its forebears, and while there's a bit of crunch on some bumps, the ride comfort is more liveable - mind you, earlier STI models couldn't even find the phrase in an automotive dictionary, let alone provide it.Only the hatch has a shallow load space but the five-door set-up does have a level of versatility not often seen with this level of performance.The sudden planned or unplanned halt is also considered, with big, effective Brembo brakes, with dual front, side and curtain airbags on the safety features list.As expected, there are the staple anti-lock brakes and stability control, although breaching its adhesion would suggest track-only speeds.There's no question the STI is no longer hard-edged, raw and uncompromising, but it's still quick and capable, with exceptional ability on sealed or unsealed surfaces and more able to deal with day-to-day activities as well.  Class competitionAudi S3, $65,500.VW Golf R32, $56,490.HSV VXR, $42,990.Mazda3 MPS, $39,990. 

The new compact SUV scored 34.31 out of 37 points for occupant protection, with dual front airbags, side airbags and side-curtain airbags fitted as standard.

IT has been a long time coming but Proton is set to produce a worthy successor to its Satria GTi. The Malaysian car maker will show off the GTi descendant when it unveils the R3 Satria at the Melbourne Motor Show later this month.The hot hatch version of the Satria is destined for an appearance on local roads inside the next 12 months.While the company is not prepared to divulge any details, the high-performance Satria was developed by the company's special vehicles and motor sport arm R3 - Race, Rally and Research - under the eye of former Lotus engineer and race driver Tengku Djan Ley.“We have very much focused on the Lotus philosophy of performance through light weight, utilising intelligent powerplant solutions while minimising weight and enhancing Satria's already impressive handling,” Mr Ley says. Expect the R3 Satria to have under body upgrades to match the exterior tweaks, with the R3 engineers targeting a “significant” power increase over the standard Proton Satria.The Malaysian hot hatch was thought to be a chance of getting a small-capacity turbocharged powerplant through one of the joint ventures mooted with Peugeot or Volkswagen. But given the lack of progress on that front, Proton looks like it will be keeping the powerplant in house, but forced induction is likely, as is a power figure above 120kW.The R3 Satria will share Proton's stand at the Melbourne show with the company's new Persona sedan, which goes on sale in April.The new Persona, based on the Gen2 Hatch platform, is powered by Proton's 1.6-litre engine with 82kW and 120Nm, using either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.Proton Cars Australia managing director John Startari says the presence of the R3 Satria on the Proton stand at Melbourne will be a huge drawcard.“The question we get asked all the time is when will the next Satria GTi be here,” Mr Startari says. “The first-generation GTi carved a real niche for itself and it is a bit of a cult car." 

In the case of the Clipsal 500, there's a good chance of plenty of aluminium - with expensive carbon fibre, magnesium alloy and composite materials - but not much chance of any tin.

Motoring journalists were transported to a secret location in buses with blacked-out windows to get a first look at the all-new Falcon, which goes on sale in May. Ford says it is 90 per cent new.

Double-takes from CX-7 drivers were not uncommon during my time in the biggest member of Mazda's SUV range - the CX-9. The exterior lines might be similar but there are big differences between the five and seven-seat Mazda kid-carriers.The slimming CX-9 styling hides quite a sizeable machine, which at just over 5m long and nearly 2m wide is no waif.While Mazda says it has 200mm of ground clearance it looks low-slung and almost sleek, suggesting snow-bunny locales and A-grade dirt are more this SUV's forte than rock-hopping.From behind the wheel its dimensions become more apparent - slipping into tight car spaces is helped by the presence of a rear-view camera but radar sensors would be a worthwhile addition to the features list.The drivetrain is smooth and quiet, although it has to shift two tonnes of Mazda, which means it has plenty of work to do.It's not the sweetest engine from the Mazda stable when working hard, nor is it the most frugal, returning figures in the 16 litres/100km (it's ADR claim is 13 litres/100km), which is about par for the petrol-powered opposition in the class.But the seven-seater has plenty to like. The features list includes 20 inch wheels, sunroof, front and rear airconditioning and cruise control.The Luxury edition also gets leather trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control switch gear, electrically-adjustable heated front seats and rain-sensing wipers.The CX-9 also packs a good range of safety gear, including stability control (with roll-over sensing function) and dual front, front-side and full-length curtain airbags.The Luxury edition also gets a good-quality Bose sound system with sub-woofer, controlled by the touch screen that also carries the rear camera images, but sun glare from the heavily-raked windscreen can interfere.The big Mazda is reasonably nimble but the electronics kick in quickly if pushed hard, making sure the two-tonne machine is reined in early, but most drivers won't push it to the same degree.The passenger accommodation is comfortable, with the middle row of seats able to slide fore and aft to give the third row a little extra leg room.The third-row seats fold flat into the floor but even with them up there's still some room for cargo, although it won't be enough for a weekend away for seven, but five passengers and their bags will fit.Ride comfort is on the firm side - the is price for some agility.The new Mazda is heading into SUV segment that showed the most sales growth last year - up against Ford's Territory, Holden's Captiva, Toyota's Kluger and the new-look Subaru Tribeca - and it deserves to be on the seven-seater medium SUV shopping list.

The prospect of time behind the wheel of the new LandCruiser was much anticipated as I'm a 100-Series owner. I'm starting at the top of the range, the turbodiesel Sahara, a descendant of my Cruiser.Chief among the differences is what's under the bonnet and attached to the wheels. The 200 gets an upgraded version of the twin-turbodiesel V8 already seen in the new Troopy, but now offering a more than useful 195kW of power (up from 151kW) and an indecent 650Nm of torque - a decent hike from the Troopy's 430Nm.While not surpassing the staggering 750Nm of the V10 Volkswagen Touareg turbodiesel, it's enough to shift a big chunk of Japanese off-roader without apparent effort.The turbodiesel V8 is a double-overhead cam unit that complies with Euro IV and is a quiet and refined unit, with a nice “trucky” V8 soundtrack.It's also frugal, with claims of 10.3 litres/100km - I was getting around 14 litres/100km - but it's 4.2 litres/100km better than the petrol V8, while generating fewer emissions and pumping out 240Nm of extra torque.The six-speed auto is generally smooth but sometimes feels a little confused about its job, jumping between ratios and losing its cool a little.The argument for diesel was pretty good in the 100-Series, but the 200's added refinement and increased power and torque make the $10,000 price difference almost irrelevant.The kinetic suspension, developed in Western Australia, is an all-new feature that lives up to the hype.Combining with a torque-sensing centre-differential, the hydro-mechanical semi-active anti-roll bars front and rear allow for maximum suspension travel and traction in off-road conditions. The suspension keeps good wheel contact when off-road, but its sealed-surface abilities are remarkable for such a large 4WD, with good body control on the bitumen.Ride quality is firm - little ripples are more of a problem than the bigger bumps - but all-round on-road abilities defy the ladder-chassis setup.Toyota has seen fit to remove the adjustable nature of the suspension, both in height and ride comfort - perhaps it needed something to differentiate the 200 from the upcoming Lexus version.While I'm griping about the changes, the chilled centre console might be a little deeper but it appears a little smaller overall when compared with the 100-Series.But the absence of a 12-volt plug in the cargo space at the back is inexcusable in a serious off-road machine.The Sahara also suffers for its extra underbody mechanical bits with a reduction in fuel-tank capacity - the fuel-tank size drops from the GXL's 138 litres to 93 in the VX and Sahara.The test car also had a squeaky left-hand front door and there was also a solid clunk in the driveline, something Toyota said was an ex-factory lubrication issue afflicting the bulk of the 200s and was being fixed. The noise was the only blight on an otherwise impressive drive.Cabin space is unchanged and still good (it sits on the same wheelbase as the 100-Series) and the extra cargo space from the added length doesn't do any harm. As is expected with the 200-Series flagship, there is no shortage of equipment - leather-wrapped reach'n'rake adjustable steering wheel, variable-ratio power steering, cruise control, trip computer and auto-dimming interior rear-vision mirror.There are a few flashings of fake woodgrain trim - including the top and bottom of the steering wheel - that look a little out of place; the wipers are variable intermittent and the headlights have an auto-off function, but neither are automatic - again a concession to Lexus?The eight-seater also gets nice leather trim, quad-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, a sunroof, power windows, alarm, anti-lock brakes, stability control, dual front, side and curtain airbags and a six-CD in-dash sound system. There's a reversing camera, which offers a good view and guidance, but no standard parking sensors, which would make a better team when manoeuvring such a large beast.There's no question about the LandCruiser's 4WD abilities, but the foremost 4WD manufacturer has tidied up the on-road manners further to produce a complete all-rounder.Some niggles remain, but the 200-Series has set a new benchmark.  SMALL TORQUEToyota LandCruiserSahara Turbodiesel V8From: $104,990Engine: 4.5-litre twin-turbodiesel 32-valve DOHC V8.Transmission: Six-speed automatic, constant four-wheel drive, lockable Torsen limited-slip centre differential.Power: 195kW at 3400rpm.Torque: 650Nm at 1600rpm.Fuel consumption: 10.3 litres/100km (claimed), on test 14.3 litres/100km, tank capacity 93 litres.Emissions: 273g/km.Suspension: Independent double wishbones, dampers, dampers, coil springs, hydro-mechanical semi-active anti roll bar (front). Live axle, trailing arms, coil springs, Panhard rod, dampers, hydro-mechanical semi-active anti roll bar (rear).Brakes: Four-wheel ventilated discs with four piston calipers (front). Single-piston rear calipers.Dimensions: Length 4950mm, width 1970mm, height 1905mm, wheelbase 2850mm, track fr/rr 1640/1635mm, ground clearance 220-225mm, cargo volume 700 litres, weight 2720kg.Wheels: 17in alloys.  CLASS COMPETITIONVolkswagen Touareg V10, From $121,990.Audi Q7 4.2 TDI, From $123,900.Range Rover Vogue , From $142,900.Nissan Patrol Ti, From $66,240. 

Opulence is a word used by soap companies, perfumeries and appears early on in the Lexus PR tome. It's appropriate - everything about this brand has been about taking aim at and surpassing the more established marques.The LS 600hL - the largest Lexus sedan ever to roll off the company's production line - has equalled and beaten them in many respects.It's a large vehicle, impressive and imposing at first sight, with a high waistline and broad stance.It sits on wide, 19in wheels with bespoke Dunlop tyres and plenty of street presence. The 5150mm long 600hL is 120mm longer than its LS 460 sibling, and all the extra length increases the wheelbase to 3090mm.To say the 600hL has good rear passenger room is like saying the Sultan of Brunei is comfortably well off; there's enough room for a seven-footer, broad of shoulder, to sit. His head is close to the roof but the fact that he could stay there for a journey is a feat in itself.The journey could be undertaken with serenity; combine a 290kW/520Nm five-litre V8 with a 650V electric motor producing 165kW and 300Nm of almost instant torque; and the 2430kg of luxury limo can move away from standstill in a hurry.Lexus quotes a combined power figure of 327kW comparable to a six-litre V8, which is where the 600 in the badge comes from. But it wont wake its passengers, unless the pedal is floored. Full bore, the LS 600hL can cover the zero to 100km/h sprint in 6.3 seconds and the standing 400m in 14.3 seconds, numbers that fell right when I was behind the wheel.With the multi-link air suspension, variable gear ratio steering and super-smooth transmission in sport mode, the big limo can hustle through bends with good body control and remarkable poise. Quick changes of direction are not its forte, but drop back the pace a notch or two and the 600hL can cover ground quickly. The performance comes with less of sting at the pump, with the test car using fuel at a rate of 12.3 litres/100km from mainly suburban work, although the Lexus claims it is capable of 9.3 litres/100km.Lexus also claims an exhaust emission level of 219g/km, which might not sound impressive until you compare it with some of its petrol V8 competition, which rack up numbers beyond 300g/km.The drive is sent through an eight-step electronic continuously variable transmission (ECVT), a new gear-drive transfer system and a Torsen mechanical limited-slip centre differential to apportion drive 40 per cent to the front and 60 per cent to the rear, with the ability to vary the split according to conditions.The big limo can also creep around at low speed in EV mode, which works up to 40km/h on electric power only.The car uses its transmission as a generator, which combines with a conventional raking system to recover energy and store it in the battery.It's the smoothest example of system yet, easily making a seamless transition and allowing the driver to brake cleanly without rough spots in deceleration.But this car is about occupant comfort and there is no shortage of equipment to look after passengers.The quad-zone climate-control system has a body-temperature-sensor network that combines with a stack of other sensors and vents - more than 20 outlets - to keep the temp at the set level, which can be controlled from the front or rear.Left-hand rear passengers in the four-seater get a reclining ottoman, reclining backrest, massage function, an adjustable seat base and the world-first in-seat airbag to keep the relaxed occupant safe in an accident.Rear-seat passengers also get a DVD screen, but if your rear occupants favour Tom and Jerry instead of more adult viewing, the soundtrack can't be isolated to the rear infra-red headphones.If Jaguar and Holden can do it, surely the Lexus boffins can.Tom and Jerry never sounded so good, thanks to the Mark Levinson surround system, which offers more than 400W from 19 speakers to produce impeccable sound at serious volume.The Lexus engineers have included LED low-beams, a world first, they claim, as is the Intelligent Park Assist (IPA) system, a first for this segment and for any vehicle in Australia.Although not as nimble as some of its competition, there's so much technology for driving and for occupant comfort that it's hard to ignore the big Lexus.Throw in the green credentials, its quality and reliability and the 600hL impresses even more.The serene, unfussed progress offered by the Lexus leviathan could almost (in a Lotto winner's way) be considered value for money. Almost. SnapshotSmall torqueLexus LS 600hLPrice: $240,000Engine: Hybrid petrol-electric, five-litre quad-cam, 32-valve V8, with electric generator, motor and battery system.Power: 290kW at 6400rpm.Torque: 520Nm at 4000rpm.Transmission: ECVT with Torsen limited-slip centre differential and electronic virtual rear limited-slip differential. All-wheel drive.Performance: 0-100km/h 6.3 seconds, 0-400m 14.3 seconds, top speed 250 km/h (governed).Fuel consumption: Claimed 9.3 litres/100km, on test 12.3 litres/100km. Tank capacity 84 litres.Emissions: 219g/km.Suspension: Multi-link front and rear, air suspension with Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS).Brakes: 357mm ventilated front discs, 335mm ventilated rear discs, four-piston aluminium front calipers, two-piston aluminium rear calipers; Electronically Controlled Braking (ECB), ABS with Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control (TRC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Vehicle Dynamics integrated Management (VDiM).Dimensions: Length 5150mm, width 1875mm, height 1480mm, wheelbase 3090mm, track fr/rr 1610mm, weight 2430kg, luggage capacity 330 litres.Wheels: 19in alloys.Class competitionMercedes-Benz S 500: $274,974.BMW 750Li: $239,000.Audi A8 4.2 FSI LWB: $219,600.Jaguar XJ Super V8 LWB:  $234,900.