Holden Commodore News

Car companies are struggling with a $1000 problem — buyers want the latest safety technology but don't like to pay for it.In fact, they'd rather have bling rims than a certain, potentially life-saving active safety measure.The issue is over stability control, a hi-tech system that can prevent a skid. Most experts rate it as the single biggest advance in car safety in a generation. However, the Australian car industry has found it is popular only when standard, not when an extra-cost option.So far this year, only one in 100 buyers of the Hyundai Getz, from $13,990, have added the safety pack option including stability control.A “sports pack” of alloy wheels, roof spoiler and bright interior trim has proved twice as popular.In the $21,000-plus Mazda 3, demand for the stability control option has reached five per cent this year, up from two per cent last year.The US intends to make stability control mandatory on all new cars and Europe reportedly has plans to do the same.European research found the move could reduce by 80 per cent the number of crashes caused by skidding, saving 4000 lives a year if fitted to all cars there, according to Germany's University of Cologne.But in Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, representing car makers and importers, is pressing the Federal Government not to make stability control mandatory.“That just tends to lock in old technology,” said FCAI president and Toyota Australia chairman emeritus, John Conomos.He said self-regulation would allow companies to switch to better systems as they were developed.Stability control is expected to be in 40 per cent of new cars by the end of the year.Holden has made it standard in Commodore sedans and Toyota will fit it to all Camry sedans from August. It is an option in most Falcons, standard in top-level versions. But it is not available in the new model Toyota Corolla, the top-selling small car. 

The country's four car makers have responded coolly to suggestions they supply cars free of charge for independent crash testing. Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) chairman, Lauchlan McIntosh, says it's a big ask but it would go a long way to establishing a better partnership between ANCAP and the local car companies.However, Ford, Holden, Toyota and Mitsubishi have long held the opinion that they crash test their cars to stringent internal standards and all their vehicles pass Australian Design Rules, so there is no need to support ANCAP.McIntosh's suggestion comes on the back of a trend by European carmakers to donate cars for EuroNCAP testing. Depending on the size of the vehicle, it costs between $50,000 and $60,000 for each Australian crash test, involving a front offset, side and pedestrian collision, he says.“We're up for $150,000 in total plus administrative costs that go with it,” he says.“In Europe most of the manufacturers donate the cars to the EuroNCAP process. Half of their total costs are met by the manufacturers.”Local carmakers refuse to endorse EuroNCAP or ANCAP testing but as safety increasingly becomes a factor in new car purchases, they are under pressure to show some acceptance of the procedure. However, they still refuse to share their own crash data with ANCAP and providing cars could be seen as a tacit endorsement.Toyota spokesman Peter Griffin says giving cars to ANCAP is “not on our agenda” but says anything could happen in the longer term. He says the company would also have issues with releasing internal crash test data publicly because it could provide an advantage to rivals.Holden spokesman John Lindsay says the ANCAP process lacks the detail of Holden's own internal testing. In developing the VE Commodore, Holden crash tested 80 cars, performed 5000 computer simulations and did 500 seatbelt restraint tests.ANCAP performs just the three tests.McIntosh says if the carmakers come on board the cars will still be selected randomly.This would avoid any allegations of testing bias or the use of specially built vehicles designed just to pass the crash test process.In EuroNCAP testing, the carmakers can request their car be tested and in such circumstances they pay for the testing.However, they have no control over the publishing of the results.Once the test is complete, the car companies are given the test results and invited to comment.McIntosh says its independent crash testing is a win-win situation for the car companies as they get vital crash test information about their new products straight into the marketplace.“They make plenty of cars available for people to test for road performance, why wouldn't they make one available for crash testing?” he says. 

The V8 Supercar school created by Paul Morris and Marcos Ambrose has always been a hit with the rev-heads.

It has been a turbulent past year for Australia's automotive industry but one that will go down as its best, at least in numbers of cars sold.A record one million new cars are tipped to be sold here in 2007, the first time the magic million will be eclipsed.It should be good news but such sales have only encouraged new brands to flood the market and pressure the local manufacturing base and established marques - cutting margins on new cars and largely to blame for forcing redundancies in Australian factories.Good news for new-car buyers, at least.By the end of this year, Czech and Indian-built cars will be sold in Australia, with Chinese-made cars soon to follow.Those cheap imports, along with more than 40 other imported brands competing for the Australian new-car dollar, have been held partly to blame for job losses at Holden, Mitsubishi and Ford.Holden cut more than 600 jobs at its Elizabeth plant in March, Ford announced it will stop production of its long-wheel-base cars, putting more pressure on its Geelong workforce which was cut by 600 late last year, while Mitsubishi's Tonsley Park factory is operating at just 50 cars a day with a “skeleton” staff.The job losses and flow-on job cuts in the automotive industry - more than 7500 in the past three years - also have been the result of consumers shying away from the Australian-built large sedans amid high petrol prices.However, domestic carmakers are sticking to their ambitions. Holden's new VE Commodore is proving to be a viable export option, as are Toyota's Australian-built Camry and Aurion.Up to 50,000 Commodores will end up in the U.S. as Pontiacs and long-wheel-base models will be exported to the Middle East, China and Korea.Mitsubishi - rebutting speculation that its SA plant will close - says it is tracking to its business plan, despite less than 900 of its 380-model sedans selling each month recently.Anthony Casey, general manager of national sales for Mitsubishi Australia, said the business, at the end of the first quarter of its fiscal year, looked like “a reasonable distance in front of where we had to be”.“We've stabilised (380-model sales) and, certainly from an imported product point of view, we were able to launch a number of new cars at the end of last year and they have been good for us,” Mr Casey said.“I think we've done a lot of work to consolidate our position. We did a lot of work last year in terms of right-sizing the business.”Mr Casey said Mitsubishi was gaining ground in the all-important eastern states in terms of sales and establishing a solid dealer network.Both Adelaide carmakers, Mitsubishi and Holden, have quietly revealed they have considered and studied bringing diesel powerplants to their range . . . even hybrid cars.Imported brands, particularly from Europe, are capitalising on a growing Australian passion for diesel, while improving hybrid technology has encouraged a growing green brigade of motorists here.GM Holden boss Denney Mooney said the economic climate had made it tough for the Adelaide carmaker to deliver a brand-new-model Commodore in the past financial year.The start-up costs for the VE Commodore and tough times for new-car trading sent GM Holden $146.5 million into the red in 2006. 

There's nothing like good, friendly Aussie rivalry. And since the 1960s, the one played out on the racetrack, which has in turn spread to suburban driveways, has attracted some very passionate and dedicated fans on either side of the fence. It's none other than the Holden v Ford debate, pitching mate against mate, car against car.From a young age, many car fans choose a side and stick with it. Most wear their team insignia advertising their choice from head to toe.But then there are those who are best referred to as the 'more extreme' fans.Take Dave Kahila and Bob Pupovac, for example. Both have spent about $100,000 and endless hours transforming an average car from their favourite brand into a masterpiece.And both will put their cars on display at next weekend's MotorEx for the first time.For Kahila, not only did he know where his loyalties lie from a young age, he also knew exactly what car he wanted and needed to show off this allegiance.As a teenager, Kahila was full of envy when his cousin bought his dream car, a VK Commodore. Kahila continued to pester his cousin for more than 10 years, making his intentions well known.“I said one day, `I'm going to own that car'; he would say, `Yeah, yeah, whatever'. And now I've ended up owning it,” Kahila says. “He wanted to build it himself, but kept putting it off.“It sat in the garage for about five years. Over coffee, I said, `Sell me the car'. He said, `All right'. I think he just got sick of me asking,” he says.And with the car finally in his possession, Kahila then enlisted the help of his younger brother, Paul, and the pair got to work.“We stripped every nut and bolt, every panel, every door, paint stripped it, supercharged it, put a nine-inch diff on it, tubbed the back ... it was a full custom restoration,” he says.“Ever since I was a kid that was my dream to have a blue VK Commodore.”This is the third car Kahila has restored, and the one he lists as the best. While he bought the brown car on his own for $5000, he has now given half of the ownership to his brother for all his help on the project. He estimates the car would be worth between $50,000 to $60,000, despite the extra money he spent restoring it.But to him, it's priceless.And when examining the extravagant nature of it, it's clear this isn't your daily driver.Kahila says he mainly takes it out on the weekends and is often greeted with some fairly scared responses, especially from the noise.“They freak out, it turns heads big time.They really get scared, it's so loud.”And it's not just kids with this reaction. Kahila says it's “kids, dogs, grown-ups, everyone, all the time”. Kahila may be proud of his car, but that doesn't mean he'll be embarking on another one any time soon.“I'm not allowed to do anymore,” he says, mentioning the house he is in the process of building. "I have got two kids, I've married recently, there's just no time for them (the cars). My wife hates it.”Kahila also says that he's not prepared to spend the huge amount of money that is needed with a new project.However, that doesn't mean he has completely finished this one yet. “Once I've finished the house, I'm planning to strip it and do the underneath, make it a full proper showroom car. I want to go that little bit extra.”While he's a Holden man, Kahila is one of those rare fans who doesn't mind Fords as well. But when it comes to V8 Supercars and the car he loves to own, he always has his Holden hat on.Over in the other corner is Bob Pupovac.There's no sitting on the fence at any time for this self-described “Ford freak”.“I've always loved them, always, the shape of them, and they're quicker,” he says.Pupovac became a Ford fan at a young age, and says it's a bit of a mystery as to why he fell in love with the blue oval. “One of my uncles has always been into drag racing,” he says.However, Pupovac says his father always drove a Ford, although wasn't really a big car enthusiast. And like Kahila, he's turned his dream car into a reality. His is in the guise of a 1981 Ford Fairmont XE ESP — the very first car he purchased 11 years ago, at just 18 years old.He says he paid $5500 for it and spent the first five years cruising around in it as his daily driver.But Pupovac knew it had a lot more potential.“About seven, eight years ago I pulled the car down to a bare shell,” he says. “I've added a supercharger, fuel injection, airbags, suspension, a roll cage, 20-inch wheels, I could keep going on forever but that's probably the main ones.”Pupovac, who co-owns a Bridgestone Tyre Centre, completed the restoration in stages with his business partner. He still plans to spend another $10,000 on brakes and suspension.“I love doing it, it's like a hobby,” Pupovac says.He gets a similar reaction to Kahila when he takes the car out. “People freak out, they can't believe the size of the engine and wheels.“I plan to drive it a bit more about and I'm going to race it as well,” he adds. FAST FACTS1986 VK COMMODOREEngine: 355 cubic inch with supercharger, 500kW at the motor 328kW at rear wheelsValue: $50,000-$60,000 1981 FORD FAIRMONT XE ESPOwner: Bob PupovacEngine: 408 cubic-inch Cleveland, 395kW at the wheelsValue: $60,000-$80,000 WHERE TO SEE THEMWhere:  MotorExWhen: next weekend June 30 - July 1Where: Sydney Olympic Park, HomebushMore than 50 Ford and Holdens, plus more than 500 hot rods, street machines, performance and classic cars, exceeding $60 million in value.  

Craig Lowndes drove a near faultless race to take top spot on the podium, at the Hidden Valley raceway in Darwin yesterday.The 33-year-old Ford star, whose birthday was on the weekend, finished second in race one, before going back-to-back yesterday to hold off championship leader Rick Kelly, with the barnstorming Mark Skaife third.“It feels nice to finally win a round,” said Lowndes, after putting his birthday celebrations on hold.“Winning up here for the second year in a row, and especially for a new sponsor in Vodafone, is doubly special.“If I had it my way, I'd pick up the track up and have it trucked around the circuit.”The win took Lowndes to 213 points and sixth in the series standings, still 123 points in arrears of leader Rick Kelly in the Toll Holden.Holden drivers Garth Tander, Todd Kelly and Skaife also fill out three of the next top four placings.While Lowndes finished the weekend on a high, the ageless Skaife, who took the major points at Eastern Creek a fortnight ago, again took the honours in the opening race on Saturday. In a dramatic race, Will Davison, in the second of the Jim Beam Falcons, fell foul of the stewards.Davison was excluded from the results of race one and was fined $5000 (suspended) for his part in a dingle that took four cars out of the reckoning.But Lowndes, who started race three on pole, proved unstoppable yesterday, at one point opening up a 4.5-second gap, leaving a swag of Holden drivers to race for the minor placings.“The team mechanics deserve much of the credit for the improvement in the car,” Lowndes said. “I got them to make some minor adjustments to the suspension and on the rear of the car."“With 600 horsepower under the bonnet, I thought I may as well make use of it."“It certainly made the car a little bit more driveable.”Lowndes says the series is by no means over, with eight rounds still to race.“We've got a testing day organised at Willowbank to tweak the car, before we race there again in July,” he said.Kelly's podium finish in Darwin sees him open up a 39-point buffer on his Toll HSV dealer team-mate Tander, heading into the next round of the series, the Queensland 300 at Ipswich on July 22.The defending series champion has finished on the podium every round this year. 

Strongly built and engineered for country roads as well as city streets, the King of the new car market; Holden Commodore, has an excellent reputation for being able to stand up to daily running on bush roads, as well as the equally tough city commuting.The current Commodore body began in August 1997 with the VT series. It received a minor facelift and mechanical changes to become the VT Series II in June 1999. The Commodore VX of August 2000 had more appearance changes and the VX Series II arrived just 12 months later. The real changes to the VX II were to the suspension, especially the rear, further improving stability and handling.Holden introduced the VY Commodore in October 2002 with substantial styling changes. The VY was facelifted to become the VY II in August 2003. Finally, the VZ arrived in September 2004.The big news with the introduction of the VZ was a new six-cylinder engine. A forerunner of the unit fitted to the current VE Commodore, it was an all-new twin-cam V6 of 3.6 litres. This powerplant is sold in two formats, one with variable valve and intake timing for a greater spread of torque and improved power, the other a more basic unit.As fitted to the VZ, this engine is not as smooth or quiet as it should be.Ride comfort is very good, even on rough roads, and this is a genuine five-seater car. Boot space is good in the sedan and excellent in the wagon.The model range is large: Commodore Executive, Acclaim and Berlina. The most expensive of the lot isn't called a Commodore, simply a Calais, and has almost invariably belonged to a private buyer, while there's a risk the cheaper variants may have been company cars.On the sporting side are the Commodore S and SS with firmer suspension, tauter steering and revamped seats and body kits. Not as hot as the HSV Commodores, these models do provide a lot of driving pleasure at a moderate price.Holden frequently does runs of special editions. The best value of them is arguably the oft-recurring Vacationer series.Under the bonnetMost Commodores prior to the VZ range have a pushrod V6 engine of 3.8 litres. There's also a supercharged 3.8-litre V6 with added torque, but it never found any real adherents and was discontinued in 2004. From the VZ range, all-new twin-cam V6s of 3.6 litres replaced the ageing 3.8-litre engine. It's a modern engine but not as smooth or quiet as many of its competitors.There were two V8s in the pre-VZ Commodores, one an old Australian design of 5.0 litres, the other a 5.7-litre Chevrolet unit adapted to Holden specifications. This Generation III Chev V8 is much better than the old Holden one, and resale values of the Holden 5.0-litre suffer in comparison.Gen III has recently been replaced by a Gen IV with 6.0 litres, but it is still too new to have had any effect on the used-car scene at this time.Almost all Commodores come with a four-speed automatic transmission; the five-speed manuals are on the crude side by today's standards, so they are rare. Manuals could be difficult to resell, so unless you do a lot of country running or really enjoy that extra bit of control, they are possibly best bypassed.These are easy cars to work on, with plenty of access to most mechanical components. Good amateur mechanics can do most of their own repairs, although it's best to leave safety-related items to professionals. There are numerous electronic components that also require specialist knowledge and/or diagnostic equipment.Spare parts are generally reasonably priced and we hear very few complaints about availability from Holden's widespread dealer network, as prevalent in the bush as in the 'burbs.Insurance is pretty cheap for a car of this size and performance, though there can be a significant extra slug for the sportier models, especially if they have supercharged or V8 engines.Danger SignsBe wary of a Commodore that has been a taxi. Look for where signs and meters have been removed and for paint respraying. Severe wear in the cabin and boot is another pointer to an ex-taxi or a hard-working commercial car.Check for brake fade by doing a succession of hard stops and feeling for a pedal that gradually has more and more travel.Look for oil leaks at the rear of the engine sump and check the dipstick level as some early units had high oil consumption problems.Automatic transmissions are generally OK, but one that is slow to go into gear and/or noisy and harsh in operation should be treated with caution.Rust is seldom a problem in later model Commodores. But look at the lower areas of the body — doors, tailgate and rear windscreen surround — to be sure. Rust is more likely to be caused by poor quality panel repairs than anything else.Check for previous body repairs by running your eye over the panels, looking for a slightly uneven finish. Watch for paint that doesn't match exactly from one panel to another. Another sign is minute spots of paint on areas normally unpainted.

In the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) results this week, the Toyota Aurion, Toyota Camry and Holden Commodore all received a four-star safety rating, adding to the previously tested four-star performers, the Ford Falcon and Mitsubishi 380.NRMA Motoring and Services Vehicle Safety Expert, Jack Haley says most of these cars failed to reach a top rating because of the lack of side curtain airbags.The Toyota Aurion is the only car equipped with side head protection as standard, but Haley says Toyota chose not to proceed with an optional pole test. This meant they were unable to score five stars in the overall testing. The testing involved the top-selling version of each model and Haley says the other large cars offered curtain airbags as an option, but not as a standard feature in the models tested.“Obviously our aim is to get all cars up to a five-star safety rating,” Haley says. “We'd like to see curtain airbags in all vehicles and we would also like to see stability control as standard.”The Toyota Aurion and Holden Commodore have stability control as standard, but it is only an option in various other family cars. But Haley says stability control didn't contribute to the ANCAP testing, as the results show how a car performs in a crash, whereas stability control is an active accident-prevention device.Each car underwent three main areas of testing under ANCAP.They included frontal, side impact and pedestrian tests.Many Japanese and European cars have already received a five-star rating in the European version of testing, known as the EuroNCAP.They include the Toyota Corolla, Peugeot 207, Ford Focus XR5, Land Rover Freelander 2, Citroen Picasso, Mitsubishi Outlander, Volvo C30, VW Passat and Mini Cooper.Most of these models were tested as top-of-the-range, whereas in Australia the extra airbags are optional on some models. ANCAP advises motorists to buy vehicles with a full six-airbag package, including side head protection and electronic stability control.The Toyota Tarago and Mitsubishi Triton also scored a four-star rating in the recent testing, an improvement for the Triton, which is up from a previously low two-star rating.The Hyundai Accent scored three stars and the Mitsubishi Express van scored poorly with just one star. STAR RATINGS  Source: ANCAP 2007 

As Australia's new car juggernaut rolls on towards the magic million sales mark, the number of available models continues to swell. Already recognised as one of the most diverse and competitive car markets in the world, Australian importers continue to add to the mix.With half the year nearly gone, buyers have taken almost 500,000 new vehicles into their garages with some of the traditional biggest selling months still to come.At least three new marques will arrive in Australian showrooms in the second half of  the year; Hummer, Mahindra and Skoda,  testament to the vibrancy of what is, in world terms, a minor market.However, it is the expanding model range within existing brands that will drive the Aussie market over the million mark for the first time.Over the next six months more than 50 new or revised models will arrive in Australian new car showrooms. Here's a look at what's coming soon:ASTON MARTINDip your lid in style in September with the V8 Roadster, a gorgeous extension of the Vantage. AUDI Audi starts its end-of-year program in September with the R8, the biggest, baddest Audi in the garage The Supercar looks with enough performance to keep most on their toes. Also on the cards for October is the A5, Audi's first coupe since the TT. An all-new platform which comes as a front-wheel-drive and quattro. In November the V8 4.2 TDi may answer some questions for the Q7, including on fuel economy. BMW You'll have to wait until October for the new M3, but the latest offering from the M garage has something special. It's the first V8 for an M3. CHRYSLER A Sebring convertible, topless cousin of the sedan launched in early 2007, arrives in December. DODGE The Nitro SUV joins the Caliber for Dodge next month and the US marque backs that up with its Avenger sedan in August. FIAT The baby Ritmo, sold as the Bravo in Europe, will be Fiat's second passenger offering in Australia when it lands in October. Expect petrol and diesel. FORD The rush to oil-burners continues with the Focus getting the honour of being Ford's first passenger diesel next month before the Focus CC, the drop-top concept that set hearts aflutter at Frankfurt two years ago lands in October. The other big news for Ford is the return in November of the Mondeo for a third tilt at Australia. HOLDEN The key second-half model from the General is the VE Ute, bringing all the developments in the VE sedan to the working man's Holden. HONDA The Civic Type-R is razor-sharp styling built around a high-revving fun package. Next month. HUMMER The iconic offroader from the land of the large truck opens its Aussie account in October, a couple of months later than anticipated as a result of production delays for the H3. Surprisingly agile with real offroad ability. HYUNDAI An important second-half for the Korean marque. It starts with the popular Santa Fe SUV finally getting the 3.3-litre V6 from the Sonata to give it some extra punch. In October, the new Elantra hatch joins the sedan in the Aussie line-up after a wait of almost 12 months. JAGUAR An October styling refresh for the marque's luxury sedan, the XJ, is all from the Big Cat this year before a big 2008. JEEP The second of Jeep's non-Rubicon Trail-rated soft-roaders arrives in August to join the Compass for duty around town. KIA The Carens compact people mover has never really taken off here. The new generation is a little bigger and more stylish. It will be powered by a four-cylinder petrol or diesel engine with five- or seven-seat capacity. On sale in October. LAND ROVERThe baby Freelander gets a complete makeover for this generational change. New engines and a new family look all go on show in July. MAHINDRAIndia's workhorse ute, the Pik-Up, starts to roll out to Australia in July. MAZDA A new generation and a new look for the little Mazda2. Sharper styling is the key to this one's October debut. At the same time Mazda will add a diesel option to its top-selling Mazda3 range. MERCEDES-BENZThe key model for Mercedes this year is the meat-and-potatoes C-Class. Bigger, brighter and ready to meet the masses it is available from July. Also on Mercedes' new-model list is an upgraded ML500 and R-Class in September, both getting the 285kW V8 engine. October is a big month for the three-pointed star with the crackingCL65 AMG (a bi-turbo V12 with 450kW and 1000Nm) and the more sociable S320 CDi, which marries diesel with uber-luxury. MITSUBISHI You have to love a fighter. Australia's “other” family car, the 380, wins a minor refresh with some interior updates from next month. In August the automatic turbo diesel, traditionally the model's top seller, completes the Triton range while in October the point guard for the red-hot Evo X (due late in the year), the new Lancer, promises look-at-me-styling and more punch than the current model. NISSANThe baby Micra finally gets the green light for Australia with an October date with sales. In November the X-Trail, a core model for Nissan and the compact SUV that set the benchmark for those who actually can go off-road, gets a full generational change. The Dualis arrives in December. A softer option to the X-Trail, it sits on a similar platform but is more plush. PEUGEOT It's all about size for the French manufacturer. In July the 207CC, the previous generation of which set the standard for accessorising small cars, is back and promising to reclaim the crown. Its far more focused and athletic sibling, the GTi arrives in August with its turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. The station wagon derivative of the base 207 goes on sale in October. PORSCHEThe 911 turbo cabriolet proves Porsche's belief that if you can go fast in a sedan you should be able to go just as fast in a cabriolet. In September you can prove it for yourself. RENAULT August sees the Megane diesel join the Renault fleet, while the Clio Sport returns in November in an all-new guise. SAAB The new 9-3 will highlight Saab's first all-wheel-drive system in a completely renewed model range. All models arrive in November. SKODA Launches into Australia with a two-pronged attack in October. The Octavia medium-sized hatch and the quaintly named Roomster compact MPV will carry the flag initially. SMARTIn September the next next-generation smart ForTwo arrives, a little bigger and a little smarter. SUBARU The new Impreza is one of the most polarising styling departures of the year. In basic and WRX fettle the hatch arrives in September. A cult car heads mainstream and the jury is out. SUZUKIIf it ain't broke ... A freshen-up for the car that put punch back in Suzuki's local range, the brilliant Swift is in showrooms in October with the sedan version of the SX4 “tall hatch” joining the stable in September. TOYOTA The first product from Toyota's new “hot shop”, the Aurion TRD, arrives in August with a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 with sports manners and a load of plastic kit. Also in August is the generational change for Kluger with the SUV getting a substantial facelift and the 3.5-litre V6 from the Aurion. November brings the Landcruiser 200 Series and a TRD version of the HiLux. VOLVO The highlight for the Swedes in the second half of the year is the all-new generation of the XC70 due in November. About the same time the C30 will get the in-line five-cylinder diesel. VW A hot version of the Passat, the R36, is heading Down Under in November. 

Enough to fuel 1.7 million cars.That's 1.7 million passenger cars running on 85 per cent ethanol-15 per cent petrol, called E85, a year, with sustainable crops annually capable of repeating that fuel production.It gets even better. Wheat similarly can be refined to produce ethanol. Western Australia is the nation's biggest producer and the latest plans can boost annual output to 540 million litres.That's part of the good news — and here's part of the bad.The cost of establishing irrigated land, harvesting, refining and distributing ethanol is very expensive.To get E85 fuel to a potential 1.7 million cars may push the price of ethanol too close to petrol to be economical for motorists to make the move.Ethanol isn't especially efficient as a motor fuel. Compared with petrol-fuelled equivalents, E85 cars would have up to 10 per cent degraded performance and up to 30 per cent higher fuel consumption.Outwardly, ethanol's benefits appear modest at best.However, consider this: by 2015 our crude oil stocks are forecast to plummet from 85 per cent now to a level where we're about 40 per cent self-sufficient. At that time Australia becomes a major oil importer — with a trade deficit of up to $25 billion a year, reports ABARE — and, because of that, exposed to whatever price and supply fluctuations are dictated by world oil producers.We could be, to use the vernacular, stuffed.A similar situation was played out in the US and Brazil in 1973 when the predominantly Arabic OPEC producers sparked retribution for the US and US sympathisers over the Yom Kippur war between Arab nations and Israel.Simply, OPEC caused the '73 oil crisis by turning off the tap to the US and its supporters.Brazil, to use that term again, was stuffed. In 1975 it turned, by government decree, to using its enormous sugar cane fields to produce the alcohol, ethanol.More than 30 years later, 75 per cent of new cars sold in Brazil are compatible for ethanol in varying percentages, from 10 to 85. It's mixed with unleaded petrol.Many run on 85 per cent ethanol-15 per cent petrol with the fuel known as E85 but most new vehicles are “flex-fuel” cars that are capable of drinking anything from E85 to 100 per cent petrol.Given Australia has sugar cane crops and vast wheat, barley and corn fields, could we do the same?Basically, yes. Data from government agriculture departments, ABARE, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Perth-based consultant Economics Consulting Services and many other sources show ethanol is a viable replacement for petrol — with a few hiccups thrown in for a challenge.Bureau of Statistics figures of 2004 report there is 440,000ha of land cropped for sugar cane in Australia.We can get, at best, about 120 tonnes/ha of cane, with a rated extraction of 88.5-litres/tonne, according to ECS and the WA Department of Agriculture.Do the sums and that equates to 4.6 billion litres of ethanol from existing cane fields. We haven't yet included wheat and other ethanol-producing grains.If that sounds a lot, it isn't. Australia consumes 25 billion litres of petrol and diesel a year, withpetrol-fuelled cars drinking about 15.8 billion litres a year (ABS).It's an impressive start, though. If we run E85, we could service almost 35 per cent of passenger car fuel needs just with what we have growing in Queensland cane fields. Right now.There's more. The WA and Northern Territory governments are poring over submissions from three prospective cane growing and ethanol-producing companies that want to get involved in an expansion of the Ord River project. The plans outline the possibility of 24,000ha of ethanol-producing cane by the Ord River, a water-rich zone in the northeast of WA.Bring that into the equation and there's a further 255 million litres of E85.So it's plausible that Australia, perhaps within a decade, could have 4.9 billion litres of E85 ethanol from sugar cane available as motor fuel.In perspective, that's enough to run 3.2 million Toyota Corollas averaging 10 litres/100km over 15,000km each year on E85.Here I'll mention that ethanol is a sustainable fuel: it's harvested and regrows in a 12-16 month cycle; as it grows it absorbs carbon dioxide emitted from the exhaust of our cars.If it sounds too good to be true, you're partially right.The first hiccup is ensuring permanent water for the crops; crop disease is another factor.Developing the Ord River expansion would cost about $200 million and need government financial help.Ethanol is a corrosive alcohol, meaning cars need specialised components to run on E85, although the diluted E10 fuel suits most post-1986 vehicles. Holden exports its Commodore to Brazil to run on E24 and company spokesman John Lindsay says there are “no major issues” in operating on E85.Flex-fuel cars in Brazil sell for the same price as petrol cars but that may differ in Australia.Theoretically, ethanol produced in Australia will be cheaper than petrol.A study by WA-based Economics Consulting Services (ECS) for the WA Department of Agriculture believes ethanol for the domestic market from the proposed Ord River cane fields could be produced at “around 56c/litre delivered to an Australian capital city”, which it says is equivalent to an oil price of $US56 a barrel. Oil is now about $US65 a barrel.ECS director Murray Meaton stresses the viability of ethanol is tightly bound by the world crude oil price.“There is a point where, if the oil price falls, it may become uneconomic to produce ethanol,” he says.The Federal Government has an excise on ethanol and a rebate for producers. The two cancel each other out so, effectively, ethanol at the pump isn't taxed.That changes in July 2011 when a 2.5c per litre tax applies, rising 2.5c/litre each year until July 2015 when it will be frozen at 12.5c/litre.The ethanol argument is plausible. Australia can become self-sufficient.Yet will we overturn our existing reliance on imported crude oil just to feel green?Even if the answer is yes, it won't happen overnight. It took the country almost two decades from 1985 to switch from leaded to unleaded petrol.Unlike Brazil in 1973, Australia isn't (yet) up against a wall when it comes to petrol supply and price.