Lamborghini Countach Reviews

The striking little yellow Dongfeng D120 was a star at this week's Beijing motor show, the largest auto show in the massive Chinese market.The D120 was one of 15 cars at the show from Dongfeng, a major Chinese manufacturer. It has joint ventures with Citroen, Nissan and Honda.The show opened last Sunday amid rocketing sales with few signs that growing traffic congestion, pollution and rising oil prices were clouding the future of the industry.While international producers unveiled their latest products, the Chinese were displaying more than 180 domestic-made vehicles. Many of them are hoping that their inexpensive cars may one day find their way into global markets.Australian importer Ateco is looking at bringing Chinese-made cars Down Under within the next two years.Cars like the Geely, Great Wall, Chery and Red Flag are enjoying an almost 25 per cent market share in China, according to Xinhua news agency reports this week.After years of growth, China is the world's second largest car market after the US.In the first 10 months of 2006, 5.89 million cars were produced and 5.77 million cars sold in China, figures up 27 per cent and 26 per cent respectively from January-October 2005, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.If this trend does continue, China will have 100 million cars on its roads by 2020, up from43 million in 2005, a phenomenon that will cause severe pollution unless stricter emission controls are implemented, Xinhua says.More than 500,000 potential car buyers are expected to attend the 10-day show, many of them first-time buyers.International prestige brands are at the show keen to sell to the country's wealthy who are proud, and keen to flaunt their riches.It is this fast-growing generation of mainly under 35-year-old, self-made tycoons that the world's top luxury carmakers have now firmly set their sights on."We have more than 300,000 millionaires in China, so I think it's a good number for us to go into the market," Stephan Winkelmann, president and CEO of Lamborghini, says.Rolls Royce sales are up 50 per cent from last year and China has become its third largest market after the US and Britain, says Ian Robertson, chairman and chief executive."It is growing dramatically. There is a fast growing number of very rich people in this country," Robertson says.And sales in China, including Hong Kong, at 65 vehicles out of its global total of about 800, represented "nearly 10 per cent of our business," Robertson says.Porsche, which entered China in 2001, sold 857 cars in China last year and says it expects that figure to double this year.However, the show also comes as a new report shows there are problems with local production. Defects have been found in 77 per cent of domestically made cars, largely due to a price war forcing manufacturers to cut corners, according to an industry survey which was released this week.The range of defects, found within six months of the car being bought, involved tyres, airconditioning, brakes, locks and steering wheels, the China Daily newspaper reported, citing as its source the 2006 China Automobile Customer Satisfaction Index."The defects are a result of car makers constantly reducing prices and sacrificing quality," the paper quoted Fan Tianshun, director of the China Quality Association, which conducted the poll, as saying.For every 100 new cars, there were an average of 338 defects, much higher than last year's figure of 246.On average, China's car prices have dropped about 10,000 yuan ($A1250) per car each year over "the past few years" as manufacturers try to compete in the the booming market, the paper writes.Defects were more prevalent in cheaper cars in the 30,000 yuan ($A5000) to the 50,000 yuan ($A8240) range, such as China's Geely, Chery QQ and the Changan Alto.But fewer defects in more expensive cars helped result in customer satisfaction for China's domestically-built automobiles growing by 0.1 per cent so far this year over the figures reported in 2005. The index was based on a poll of 4648 participants in 36 cities this year, the paper reported.AFP 

But now the country's new rich are proud, and are keen to flaunt their wealth.It is this fast-growing generation of self-made tycoons that the world's top luxury carmakers have set their sights on as they flock to the Chinese capital this week for the Auto China show, which opened today."We have over 300,000 millionaires in China, so I think it's a good number for us to go into the market," said Stephan Winkelmann, president and chief executive officer of Italian luxury sports car maker Lamborghini.China's passenger car sales have been growing strongly, at 26.4 per cent in the first nine months of the year, amid a burgeoning affluent class and a desire by those who have made it to flaunt their hard-earned cash.Rolls Royce sales are up 50 per cent from last year and China has become its third largest market after the United States and Britain, said Ian Robertson, chairman and chief executive."It is growing dramatically," he said. "There is a very fast growing number of very rich people in this country."Sales in China, including Hong Kong, at 65 vehicles out of its global total of around 800, was "nearly 10 per cent of our business," Robertson said.Porsche, which entered China in 2001, sold 857 cars in China last year and said it expected that figure to double in 2006.With price tags ranging from $US377,215 ($A492,801) to $US554,430 ($A724,319), Lamborghini has sold just 25 cars since it started selling here two years ago but Winkelmann said the company expected to sell 30 each year in the near future.Their Chinese clientele tend to be male entrepreneurs under 35, and were developing a discerning taste for luxury brands, while at the same time were keen to show off their wealth, the executives said."There is lot of peer pressure here... you've got to have this, you've got to have that... by positioning our brand, we're attracting a lot of business that way," said Mark Bishop, managing director of Porsche China.And the prestigious brand forays into China are as much about testing the market in the untapped territory which they believe has tremendous potential, even if business is not immediately profitable."It's not so much selling the cars these days but getting to know the market... get to know how they live, eat, what their hobbies are," Winkelmann said."This market is going to explode in terms of high luxury and super sports cars so I think in years to come, there is a big potential in volume."But distribution of wealth in China is extremely unequal and the sources of the fortunes of its new rich are often questionable.With nearly 200 million people in China living below the World Bank's poverty line of one US dollar per person per day, the nation's richest 10 per cent are enjoying 45 per cent of the country's wealth.There is also a disproportionately large number of Chinese tycoons on Forbes' rich lists over the years who have been linked to graft scandals.International firms said it was no business of theirs to judge a client's background."I don't think these are the things you can be overly worried about, because you can't change your market positioning for that," Bishop said."We don't look into their history. They have got the money to buy, it's not the issue of the car industry to blame them, it's someone else's business," Winkelmann said."This is a phase in the economic growth of the country," he said.While millions in China cannot afford their own luxury cars now, there is nothing to stop them from dreaming owning a Porsche, a revolution in itself given that such dreams were once an anathema to the ruling communists.And this was evident at this year's auto show where hundreds of ordinary citizens thronged to the exhibition where many could not afford a ticket to get in the door and hung about outside in the hope of getting a free pass."I can't afford it, but I just want to look at the new models. I love cars and it gives me great satisfaction just looking at them," said 36-year-old driver Li Jinshui.AFP

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation was deep in discussions with the organisers of the European GT3 Championship — contested by race versions of cars such as the Dodge Viper, Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911 and Lamborghini Gallardo — but the class will not race at the Australian Grand Prix in 2007.It is understood the bid to bring the GT3 racers to Australia was on track until late last week.Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Tim Bamford said the company was involved in discussions with European GT3 series organiser Stephane Ratel."Up to the last minute we are considering options and making decisions, so the reality is there is lots of things that we think about," Bamford said.He said the fact the GT3 championship would not run at the Grand Prix did not detract from the event."I think that really it is a matter of making sure we have got the best possible package of entertainment and we are confident that with Formula One and four days of on-track action ... that is what we have got," he said.The main support races for the Grand Prix will include the Porsche Carrera Cup, Formula Three and the celebrity race, with Aussie Racers and V8 utes joining the line-up next year.Race organisers are keen to fill the void that will be left by the absence of the V8 Supercars, which will be missing from next year's Formula One festival for the first time.Many fans looked forward to the V8 Supercar races at Albert Park, even though the races did not carry championship points, because it was often the first chance to see the Ford and Holden race cars, with some drivers making their debuts for new teams at the track.Asked if having the V8 utes race at Albert Park would appeal to V8 fans, Bamford suggested the Formula Ones were already doing so."You know what, we have got V8s at the Grand Prix? We have the best, the loudest, the most exciting V8s in the world — Formula One," he said.Australian Mark Webber said the V8 Supercar class was a great category, but added the Grand Prix would draw a good crowd without it."The event is big enough and strong enough, it is an F1 event, that is the main drawcard," Webber said.While it is still unclear whether or not the loss of the V8 Supercars would hurt the Melbourne Grand Prix, it is worth noting the support card still outshines that of many Formula One races held overseas.

New Cars at Australian Motor Show

Show organisers have changed the format this year to expand the offerings that they see as competing with a range of cultural activities offered around Sydney."The Australian Motor Show is the second largest event in New South Wales after the Easter Show," said spokesman Mark Mathot. "We’ve really had to think about how we can maintain a large scale event that appeals to revheads, families, and people from all walks of life," he said.More than $1.5 million has been spent on marketing and promotion of the new show, which is up 15 per cent on last year’s budget. Last year’s pioneering success of webcasting the show will continue again, with eight hours of live car releases shown via the new website at www.australianmotorshow.com. The website is also selling show tickets for the first time, and offering quicker entry to those who prepurchase online.There will also be video interviews with industry commentators, car executives and designers available on the internet.The Great OutdoorsThe show is also expanding outside the Darling Harbour Exhibition Hall due to more car makers wanting greater space for the show. Forty three individual brands have confirmed attendance, plus a small area dedicated to retail accessories.Outdoor activities will range from events around Darling Harbour and the CBD."Family Day" is set for November 14 and will feature Australian Idol finalists on a stage sponsored by Mazda. Printed balloons, jugglers, face painting and Geoff Giraffe will also be there with giveaways for young ones.A 4WD track has also been set up outdoors, and Toyota and VW have booked extensive outdoor stands to show certain types of vehicles such as 4WDs and Kombis.Sydney Model Autosports will host model car races of miniature Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s, Porsche’s and more at lunchtimes in Martin Place.New stuffA new addition inside the Exhibition Hall is the Australian Scooter Federation. The ASF is holding a rally with a demonstration of member’s scooter on a large area in Hall 6. Shannons Unique Vintage cars will also be in Hall 6, plus the Edag concept car and Western Sydney international dragway exhibits.The usual half-a-dozen or so new car launches, concept cars, and prototype production vehicles will feature at the show, although car makers are being tightlipped about those until the day for maximum impact.Key among the new offerings is a week-long fashion parade – designed specifically to entice more women to the show.The motor industry has long had an association with fashion as leading designers often assist with car interiors and vehicle launches. Mercedes also sponsors Australian Fashion Week, recently held in Sydney.The second week of the motor show will feature two fashion parades each day at 6.30pm and 7pm from Monday to Friday. "There will be one designer per car maker for the five day parade," said event organiser Carlene Clarke. "Brands have aligned with designers that they think create fashion which best reflects the values offered with their cars," Clarke said.Audi has hooked up with Herringbone. Lexus has Carla Zampatti. Saab and Nicola Fenetti will be an item. Alfa Romeo and Roberto Pierucci are together, and VW will be joined by Zimmermann.Big issuesAmidst the razzle dazzle of new metal and fashion parades, there will be one clear theme emerging from the makers showcasing their newest cars: Fuel technology.It’s the first opportunity that car makers have had to seriously offer cleaner fuel variants, according to Peter Sturrock, CEO of Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)."Australia this year got an upgrade to a higher standard of diesel fuel that is more aligned with Japan and Europe."There is significant interest in engine technology and the types of fuel that new cars can now offer and you’ll see cleaner fuel cars being demonstrated by Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Volvo, Audi, Mazda, Honda, Saab and many others. The cars will have a much more advanced engines, with better performance in terms of driveability, power, speed and fuel consumption – but also with much cleaner emissions," Sturrock said."It’s the first time these cars will have been shown in Australia. LPG, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, hybrid petrol-electric…you name it and you will see the largest range of fuel types being brought to market this year."The show is critical to showcasing these new fuel technologies to show people what each brand is bringing to the Australian market," Sturrock said.Hybrid petrol-electrics have had only modest success in the past five years, but Sturrock said this year’s show will see brands heavily promote these cars."We’ve seen rapid growth from Toyota, Lexus and Honda with these types of cars," he said. "The hybrids use petrol to accelerate the car, but rely on an electric charge generated by the car’s speed to produce braking. That way you only use half the fuel and that’s something Australians are thinking about a lot at the moment."Sturrock said he still didn’t know what the "hero car" would be at the show, but said this year’s show was particularly important for three new local cars: Holden’s VE Commodore, Toyota’s Camry, plus the six-cylinder Toyota Aurion that is scheduled for release in October."These three cars make this show significant because of the export opportunities," Sturrock said."Toyota and Holden are aggressively looking to expand their exports to the Middle East, Asia, South Africa and South America, and this show forms part of the strategy for some of those initiatives."

The car will feature among millions of dollars worth of vehicles at the Adelaide Motor Show from April 5-9.Maker Nick Tomkinson first began designing the Batmobile-style sportscar in his backyard shed in 2001. He now has one of the cars in the US and has completed a second Redback, which is touring the show circuit.The car will be a feature at this weekend's Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, where the car was made.It will give Mr Tomkinson the rare chance to test drive his Chevrolet V8-powered, carbon fibre creation - capable of going from 0 to 100km/h in a little over three seconds.Mr Tomkinson said yesterday he built the $250,000 car because he wanted to own a supercar but couldn't afford one."I wasn't out there to please people. I just wanted a car that I liked the look of and the project just grew," he said.The Redback Spyder is now attracting "big interest" from segments of the automotive industry and Mr Tomkinson is hopeful he can soon have the car road registered in Australia.He also hopes to soon put the vehicle into level production.American talkshow host Jay Leno, a self-confessed car nut, has seen pictures of the Redback and has reportedly enquired about buying one.Other Adelaide Motor Show, highlights include Holden's FJ-inspired show car, Efijy, and sportscars from Ferrari and Lamborghini, as well as a touch of aristocratic elegance from Bentley and Jaguar. All Australian makers also will have their latest vehicles on show.CARSguide is once again the official partner of this year's show, at the Royal Adelaide Showground, Wayville, and The Advertiser and Sunday Mail will support the event by giving away a trip for two to one of the world's biggest motoring events - the Paris Motor Show in September.The promotion starts on the show's opening day next Wednesday and finishes the following Sunday. An entry form will be in in The Advertiser each day.To be eligible readers must purchase a copy of The Advertiser , find the code word and log onto CARSguide.com.au/trip-to-paris and enter their details.

Motor show committee chairman Chris Beecham said attendance was more than 117,000 over the 10 days of the show, compared with last year's record 128,000.He attributed the smaller figure to the one-off move from February to March, CityTrain and the Broncos versus Cowboys clash on Sunday."We'll be happy to go back to February next year," he said. The Brisbane show swapped dates with the Melbourne Motor Show so it could avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games."Overall, the quality of the stands was good and there were a lot of sales made," Beecham said.Audi Centre dealer principal Greg Willims said they sold a lot of luxury vehicles including a $748,000 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, a Maserati GranSport costing $264,000 and two Bentley Continental Flying Spurs worth $390,000 each.He said they also had orders for two Bentley Azure convertibles worth $650,000 each and 32 Audi Q7 sports utility vehicles.A custom chopper built during the duration of the show was passed in at auction for $75,000 on Saturday night as it was below reserve.The Croc Chopper, built by King Pin Choppers of Geebung, is now for sale by private tender with profits going to the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation.Leukemia patient Harley Jack Davidson Jones, 7, of the Gold Coast, gave the project his seal of approval when he was a guest of the show last week.With a name like that, he could hardly be expected to disapprove, although he seemed more interested in the Wiggles car on a nearby stand.Harley did, however, appreciate the crushing action of the croc's jaws at the front of the bike.A Royal Children's Hospital Foundation spokeswoman said the money raised from the auction would be used to help find a cure for people like Harley.Kin Pin Choppers boss Phil Harwood said he was disappointed the bike was not sold, but the way now was open for its true value to be realised.Prospective buyers should contact motor show organiser Michelle Ramsey, on 3237 8760.More than $105,000 was raised for the Road Safety Fund of Queensland in the annual Personalised Plates Queensland Collector Plate Auction at the show with the top price of $15,000 bid for Q162.Successful bidder Peter Campbell of the Gold Coast said he already had Q308 and wanted to acquire more of the historic Q plates, the first series issued in Queensland early last century.Another collector bought the new football-themed, seven-character plates BRONCOS ($14,000) and COWBOYS ($13,000).Next year's motor show will be from February 2-11.Exhibitor stand results: motorcycles and scooters, Morgan & Wacker Harley-Davidson; motor vehicle stand under 500sq m, Saab; stand over 500sq m and John Cant Award, Hyundai; allied industry display, Personalised Plates Queensland; and aftermarket stand, Northfield Car Sound.

At $1.3 million the V12 Pagani Zonda roadster, pictured, one of the most expensive cars to be revealed in Queensland, will roar to life among close to 20 environmentally friendly diesel and hybrid (petrol/electric) examples.Queensland's annual motoring extravaganza has drawn a record number of cars making their Australian or Queensland debuts which reflects the buoyant state of the local new car market.More than 216,000 (22 per cent of the national market) new vehicles were purchased in Queensland last year, with the Sunshine State leading the way in growth.What has also helped build the imposing list of Motor Show exhibits is the scheduling of the show a month later than normal because it swapped dates with Melbourne which avoided clashing with the Commonwealth Games."Visitors this year will see more than 50 cars that either are just released or still to be released, while there are quite a few more they may never see on the roads, such as the Holden Efijy concept or ultra-rare exotics like the Pagani Zonda," Chris Beecham, chairman of the motor show organising committee said."By putting on their best displays the companies are acknowledging the growing influence of Queensland car buyers."From the industry's viewpoint, the show provides a strong kick-start to the sales year."Also competing for exotic bragging rights will be Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti and F430, the $650,000 Bentley Azure convertible, Maserati GranSport Spyder, the Lamborghini Gallardo Roadster and Murcielago, Jaguar XK convertible and Australia's 300km/h Redback Spyder which is featured on the cover of the motor show program in The Courier-Mail today.The Porsche range returns after several years which features the all-new Cayman S coupe which sits between the Boxster and the 911.The traditional display of motorcycles will have a spectacular star, with predictions the "Croc Chopper", being custom-built on a special show stand, could fetch up to $120,000 when it is auctioned on the final night for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation charity.Fuel-efficient, environment-friendly cars will appear in record numbers.Lexus debuts Australia's first luxury sedan with petrol-electric hybrid power, the 450H, and Honda with an all-new Civic hybrid.The latest examples of clean, powerful and economical turbocharged diesel engines will be displayed by traditionally sporty brands BMW, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar.Citroen, Peugeot, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Holden will show "oil-burners".An added attraction will be the staging of the official V8 Supercars championship launch featuring all cars, drivers and transporters at South Bank from 10am-2pm on Saturday.Both Little Stanley St and Glenelg St, just outside the motor show, will be closed for the free event.While the V8 launch only runs on one day the motor show continues until Saturday week.

The Lamborghini Gallardo would be the quietest car in the world, if it wasn't for a massive V10 engine roaring a few centimetres behind your head.An oscillating paired set of five can-sized pistons run at blistering speed at the engine heart.Sure, you can talk about the leather, discuss intricacies of the sophisticated chassis electronics, or quantify the engineering in the massive Brembo brakes that are hand slotted and drilled to thwart any fade or slip caused by a summer's rain while one was descending the Dolomites.You may also talk of visibility from the driver's seat, the sweep of the odd-length pair of wipers when it rains, the fact that the cabin's headliner is suede, and the very Audi-like look of the sound system. Perhaps a moment to chat of seat comfort and that $400,000-plus-plus price tag.But it all comes back to the engine: almost 370kW of raw power sitting waiting at the back of your head.On the open road, one brief stab of the accelerator pedal will open Pandora's box. This is a car that erupts instantaneously, without any lag to afford the novice a chance to suck breathe and think.Play games with the Lambo and it has good cause to bite back hard. In the wrong hands, it's the teacher. In the right hands it's a peer. Just don't ever think it's the pupil. Yet, the Gallardo has a soft side.Treat it like a lady and it'll respond with accurate steering, strong low-end torque and manners that, while a long way from a Kia Rio, are compliant enough to manage a city snarl.Simply, this is one of the best cars I've ever driven in the city.Without a clutch, the $25,000 E-gear option gives relief for the left leg though invites new demons. In sympathy with the electronically operated clutch systems that sit atop a standard manual gearbox, the E-gear is at first awfully vague, grows to be clunky, and is at best a rapid-fire delivery system that can scare the undies off a driver who doesn't expect such speedy upchanges.It'll bang through the ratios as fast as you can pull up the right-side lever, plummet through the cogs at a touch of the left-side lever with a cute throttle blip on the way through.Soon it becomes a dance. Tab up on the right. Do it again, and again. Corner. Flick the left-side lever once for second gear, apply weight to the accelerator, squeak your hands over the leather steering wheel as you twist left for the corner, then right, more pressure on the throttle, click up with the right gear lever, squeeze the accelerator pedal again, sweep the wheel to the right.I know. This is not the waltz.But learn this car and it can become a well-orchestrated movement in metal.Given the Gallardo is from Italy, with German parents, and it's easy to see why it responds so well to open roads and tight city streets.Despite the awesome power and torque, the car is difficult to get off the mark.The engine will need a healthy boot to more than 2000rpm to get off the line, then all hell breaks lose. Don't pussy-foot with this baby — it can bite.Once under way it is surprisingly docile and can be putted around the city with ease.There's virtually no rear vision — Lamborghini apparently reckons you're at the front of the pack with no need to check out those trying to keep pace — yet front and side visibility are reasonable.It can be initially challenging to place on the road, or especially to park.Selecting reverse gear is by pressing a lonely button on the right-side of the dashboard.You get acquainted with a small diameter leather-rimmed steering wheel, chamfered at its lower edge so it doesn't scrape across your thighs.Get used to the idiosyncrasies of the E-gear box and the small stuff — parking in the city, dribbling into the service station, idling into McDonald's and then faced with handing your money up an extra 300mm to the cashier — becomes easier.I'll quickly inform you that it's not as hard to get into as it initially seems — bum first is the best approach — and visibility to the front is fine.General switchgear and instrumentation is standard Audi — that's who owns Lamborghini — so that means left-side indicators and left-side volume control for the audio.In standard form, the V10 is quite muted. While the Germans might be self-conscious about creating too much attention, the exhaust note is the antithesis of Italian thinking, where noise reflects bravado, macho, power.In standard form it's a rather disappointing soulless aural performance. Kitted with Lamborghini's sports exhaust — around the $6000 mark — it takes on all the aural hype to go with the speed.Drive it quick, but not too quick, and the gears can be clicked over with very little noise or thump. Hit the loud pedal and start quickly clicking up the ratios, and the Gallardo jerks into the next gear, flinging the head, letting it reveal its power.The Gallardo was built specifically to take on Ferrari.It worked, but Ferrari didn't sit idle. Ferrari was already well down the track of building the replacement for the 360.When the Gallardo — with a 5-litre V10 engine, all-wheel drive, and a 0-100km/h time of 4.2 seconds — appeared, it could better the expected performance of Ferrari's 360 replacement.So Ferrari simply dumped its new model and started from scratch. Now the latest Ferrari 430 is faster than the Gallardo with acceleration to 100km/h of a flat 4 seconds.And it does it with a V8, not a V10, and without all-wheel drive.But don't let this diminish how good the Gallardo is.That four-wheel-drive system gives a tenacious bite on the bitumen, ideal for fast motoring on winding roads and gives absolutely mind-boggling grip when the road turns wet.That's something the 430 can't match.Visually, the Gallardo shows the resemblance to an animal's hind leg as the sheet aluminium is curved over the rear wheels.Deep mesh, vertical intakes on the flanks ahead of the rear wheels introduces cool air to the engine bay, with hot air exiting through slats over the chunky rear tail-lights.It is a very strong, masculine design, though perhaps a bit clinical in its execution.Hewn, rather than carved.Most of the rear is taken up by a meshed valance, with relief offered by two fat exhaust pipes.Interestingly, Lamborghini uses black crinkle finish for the exposed engine's intake tubes.Ferrari uses the same finish, only in red.Is colour that important?