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It's also home to some of the world's most exotic cars — even police get around in a Bugatti.And buyer tastes range from expensive to downright bizarre in some cases.Just ask Hans Holzgartner, head of product for Bentley's Mulsanne limousine.The latest and greatest Bentley, the $733,000 Mulsanne Speed, has an optional entertainment system that costs $43,000.The outrageous requests for customised Bentleys...can take up to 12 months to buildThe rolling lounge room that is the rear seat can be further embellished with a frosted glass bottle cooler at a cost of $22,000 (with crystal champagne flutes, of course). Fold-down picnic tables with iPad docks can be added for another $28,000.That's just the starting point, Holzgartner says.His job is to deal with the outrageous requests for customised Bentleys, which can take up to 12 months to build.By far the wackiest request came from a Middle East customer who wanted a prescription windscreen fitted so she would not have to wear glasses when driving (that went into the "not possible" folder).There was another Middle East woman who wanted to paint her car the same shade as her favourite nail polish. The problem was she would not part with the bottle (one of the Bentley execs got her to paint his nails so he could show the techs back home).Or there was the Dualit food blender that turned up in the post one morning. Puzzled craftsmen phoned the customer, who explained he wanted his car painted the same shade of powder blue.If it's legal and it's do-able, then we'll tryOr how about the man who wanted to incorporate the wood from a tree on his property or the woman who sent some flower petals in the mail and wanted the colour matched?"The paint guys deserve a medal for that one," says Holzgartner. "If it's legal and it's do-able, then we'll try."Surprisingly, the one thing Bentley won't come at is gold plating, simply because the precious metal doesn't wear very well — but the paint shop is experimenting with new finishes, such as rose gold.Described as the world's fastest ultra-luxury driving experience, the Mulsanne is a big — 5.6 metres, 2.7 tonnes — twin turbo V8 sedan.The Speed version is a step up again, with more power and torque, faster acceleration and an even higher top speed.Its 7.0-litre V8 produces 395kW of power and a massive 1100Nm of torque, the latter from just 1750rpm.The combo is capable of catapulting the land yacht from 0-100km/h in a mere 4.9 secs and on to 305km/h.Despite the expense, Bentley sold more than 10,000 cars worldwide last year, 135 in Australia — 87 coupes and 48 of the larger sedans.The new Speed is expected here soon.

Independent research firm Roy Morgan, which surveys more than 5000 car buyers annually, has been measuring their "intention to buy" certain brands for the past decade.And the news is not good for our former favourites that for decades dominated the top two spots on the Australians sales charts.Holden is now ranking almost as low as Ford in buyers' mindsThe number of people intending to buy a Holden in the next four years has slumped by more than half, from a peak of 15 per cent in 2006, to just 7 per cent in the most recent survey (the 12 months to March 2015).To put this in perspective, Holden is now ranking almost as low as Ford in buyers' minds.The figure for people intending to buy a Ford has dropped from a peak of 12.1 per cent in 2005 to just 6.5 per cent in the most recent survey.In other words, both brands have suffered a similar fall from grace and both are now battling to get back on top.The new metal can't come soon enoughHolden says it has 24 new models due in the next five years. Ford says it has 20.The new metal can't come soon enough. However Ford looks as if it has a head start, with important new models around the corner including a refreshed Ford Ranger ute, all-new Everest SUV and sporty Mustang to add some gloss.Holden's revival plan is still some years off. The replacement for the ageing Captiva is at least 12 months away, as are the revised Colorado ute and the next-generation Cruze.Meanwhile, the age-old Holden versus Ford battle is set to return — but they're duking it out for No.4 and 5 on the ladder, not one and two.

The new Giulia sedan is arguably the most important car in the history of Alfa Romeo.While the slinky 4C sports car was responsible for returning the Italian brand to its sports car roots after it sunk itself into also-ran oblivion, this new Giulia sedan looks to bring the sporty new Alfa Romeo into the mainstream. The Giulia is a small premium sedan which is set to rival the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4 and Lexus IS, along with the upcoming Jaguar XE.Alfa has attempted to compete with those cars before but with only a small development budget and Fiat-based front-drive underpinnings to play with.RELATED: 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia revealedThe new Giulia is a much more ambitious beast, packing lightweight platform with rear and all-wheel drive and a Ferrari-developed engine.It’s the first step in an aggressive $8 billion strategy that Alfa hopes will see production rise from less than 68,000 units in 2014 to over 400,000 by 2018 with eight all-new models.It’s a strategy that’s delivered an aggressive-looking car too, with the Giulia featuring piercing headlights, a big angry snout and a tough stance.The basic shape isn’t overtly angry, preferring softer round shapes over taut and sharp ones but once you add the big wheels, aero addenda and quad exhaust tips of the Quadrifoglio (QV) performance version it starts to look suitably menacing.The interior is also very driver-focused and bathed in leather, Alcantara and carbon fibre.It’s dominated by a large central display which is operated by a new BMW iDrive-style controller, while the familiar ‘DNA’ switch toggles between the various drive modes. For now Alfa Romeo has only confirmed the range-topping Giulia QV aimed at the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG but softer versions are coming. Boasting a 380kW turbocharged six-cylinder mill developed with help from Ferrari, the performance model can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds – quicker than both the Germans.Alfa promises it’ll be a return to form in the handling department too, claiming a perfect 50:50 weight distribution helped by the use of lightweight materials including carbon fibre.The prop shaft, roof and bonnet are all made from carbon, while the doors and fenders are aluminium.There’s no official weight figure yet, but the QV is expected to tip the scales at around 1500kg.Boasting a 380kW turbocharged six-cylinder developed with Ferrari, the Giulia QV can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds.At the front the Giulia adopts a aluminium double wishbones with what Alfa calls a ‘semi-virtual steering axis’ to give an ultra-pointy nose.By also gearing the steering to be quicker than any other car in this segment, it seems the engineers want to give the car a sensitive and alert feeling like the current range of Ferrari supercars.The rear suspension is by a multi-link arrangement, similar to most other small sports sedans.Like the rear-drive German super sedans, the Giulia QV also employs a torque-vectoring active rear differential to give the best possible on-limit handling balance.Active aerodynamics are also part of the package, including a small splitter which automatically deploys when the Chassis Demand Control system senses it’s required.The rear of the car also features a big lower diffuser that looks like it’s been snatched form the Ferrari parts bin, which seems entirely possible given the Giulia QV was developed by a team of ‘skunkworks’ engineers.The first pre-production cars have already begun rolling down the assembly line, but right-hand drive customer cars won’t be ready until late 2016. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia CEO Pat Dougherty confirmed today that the new Alfa Romeo Giulia will be coming to Australia. 

The top selling cars of Audi, BMW and Mercedes are described as "cold, technological, boring products with zero emotion" in Italy today by the man who is leading the - latest - rebirth of the historic Italian brand."Premium cars today are cells designed to separate you from the world and the road. Premiumness has become another product. A sea of indifference," says Harald Wester, CEO of Alfa Romeo. The Giulia flagship has a twin-turbo V6 engine and rear or all-wheel drive"The new Alfa Romeos put the driver back at the centre. It's never just a machine. It must be an extension of a driver's soul."The Giulia looks good and has impressive numbers, headlining an $8 billion investment program that will create eight all-new products with the objective of lifting global sales from less than 68,000 in 2014 to more than 400,000 by 2018.There is little fine detail beyond a preview of the Giulia flagship, which has a twin-turbo V6 engine and rear or all-wheel drive to tackle the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 performance sedans.But the Giulia is totally upstaged at its unveiling at the Arese headquarters of Alfa Romeo by a true Italian icon, opera singer Andrea Bocelli.The blind superstar gets a standing ovation as he performs Nessun Dorma from Turandot while the Giulia is driven on stage behind him, but he shows his own feeling about cars in one sentence."I used to listen every day for the sound of my father's car coming home," he tells an audience of more than 500 hardened motoring commentators.Right-hand drive cars will not be ready for Australia until the third quarter of 2016He is followed by the man who provided the drive and the cash for the Alfa comeback plan, Fiat Chrysler Automobile boss Sergio Marchionne."It's no mystery that Alfa is one of the projects that I have been most involved in. It's been crying out for revenge. Giving voice to the real Alfa Romeo was a moral imperative," Marchionne says.Trial production of the Giulia has already begun but right-hand drive cars will not be ready for Australia until the third quarter of 2016 and there is no confirmation yet of any models below the QV flagship.The Giulia was created from scratch in only two years, using a 'Skunkworks' program similar to the Lockheed-Martin jet fighter project in the USA in the 1940s. It's a four-door sedan that's promised to drive like a sports car, with benchmark quality for an Italian car, and even a new Alfa Romeo badge that's been updated for the 21st century."The brand is on the verge of re-taking its rightful position in the market. It will once again be one of the leading symbols of Italian engineering and style," says Marchionne.

The Holden Insignia comes from Germany and has technology that can brake automatically to avoid hitting the car in front if the driver is distracted. It also has a rear-mounted radar to spot cars overtaking at a high speed, and headlights that automatically adjust their intensity in wet weather.But there is a catch: the Insignia VXR costs more than $50,000, as much as the dearest Commodore models on sale today, as Holden is only importing the flagship model for now.The all-new Insignia, due in 2018, will wear a Commodore badge and replace the locally-made sedan and wagon.It means the Commodore will have come full circle: the original 1978 model was an Australianised version of the German family sedan made by Opel.The shift to an imported Commodore means there will be no V8 sedan in Holden showrooms for the first time since 1968 and no passenger-car-based ute for the first time since 1990.The Insignia arrives as independent research shows Australians are falling out of love with Holden at rapid rate.A survey from Roy Morgan research of more than 5000 customers annually shows that the number of people intending to buy a Holden has halved in the past five years.Our market share is falling, are we happy with that? No. Are we going to grow? YesExclusive figures supplied to News Corp Australia show in 2010 about 14 per cent of new-car buyers had Holden at the top of their shopping list, but that figure has fallen to just 7.4 per cent so far this year.Against the odds, following Holden's lowest sales tally in 21 years in 2014, the company still has highly ambitious plans to overtake Toyota by the end of the decade, even though the Japanese company now outsells Holden by almost two-to-one and Holden has not led the Australian new-car market for 13 years.So far this year Holden has slipped to third place in the rankings behind Toyota and Mazda and is just 800 sales away from being overtaken by South Korean car maker Hyundai, according to figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries."Intention to buy goes with market share. Our market share is falling, are we happy with that? No. Are we going to grow? Yes," said Holden executive director of sales Peter Keley.Holden says it will introduce 24 new models over the next five years"We all wake up every day to take a step forward to be number one. We are not getting up to be number two," he said.Holden says it will introduce 24 new models over the next five years but admits that most of those arrive after the factory at Elizabeth on the outskirts of Adelaide shuts down.The former boss of Holden Gerry Dorizas boldly claimed just two months into the job in February 2014 that Holden could overtake car giant Toyota, but he left the company barely six months into the role.The first Australian to run Holden in 25 years, Mark Bernhard, is due to start at Holden next month (July 2015).

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol will land in Australian showrooms on September 1 in Prestige trim level. Jaguar Australia opted not to take the base Pure specification.Buyers will get an eight-speed automatic to handle the 147kW/280Nm from the Ford-built engine, reversing camera, automated parking, blind spot and lane departure warning with autonomous emergency braking, a eight-inch infotainment screen with satnav, high-intensity xenon headlamps, leather upholstery, electric seats and 11-speaker audio, though digital audio is an option.The same engine in a higher "25t" tune develops 177kW/340Nm. The sticker: $64,900.The single diesel model is a 2.0-litre turbo priced from $62,800. The Jaguar-developed engine is good for 132kW/430Nm and class-leading fuel economy of 4.2L/100km.Prices undercut the rival BMW 3 Series and Benz C-Class but are about $3000 dearer than Audi's ageing but still more than competent A4.The three XE variants also come in R-Sport trim that adds $4000 and includes distinctive 18-inch alloy wheels, sports seats with grippy mesh inserts, sportier suspension tune and body kit.A Portfolio edition, exclusive to the 25t at $70,400, adds luxury touches such as premium perforated leather, instrument panel topped with faux-leather and electric rear window blind.At the peak of the range is the $104,200 XE S, sharing the 250kW/450Nm supercharged V6 from the F-Type coupe. It rolls on 19-inch alloys and includes sports leather seats with suede inserts, adaptive dampers, unique body kit and blacked-out window surrounds and rear valance.That pitches it directly at the Audi S4 sedan; neither BMW or Benz has a comparable model. Then again, Jaguar doesn't have a rival — for now — for the M3 or C63 AMG S.Notable options include the Highway Technology Pack, which for $3420 bundles adaptive cruise control with a head-up display and a "solar attenuating" windscreen. The adaptive dampers from the XE S can be ordered as an $1850 option on the rest of the range.Jaguar Land Rover Australia managing director Matt Weisner admits it was an arm-wrestle with head office to secure the price and specification needed to give Jaguar impetus in the segment."This is the most hotly contested field in the premium market, we're the new kids on the block and we needed to make sure we could make a statement from a value point of view as well as with the product itself," Weisner says."The XE is important to give us volume. The XE, like all Jaguars, at its core is and must be a drivers' car."The September rollout is the start of a frantic 10 months for Jag. The facelifted XJ is due in November, followed by the XF about February and the F-Pace arriving mid-2016.

The Remote Control Parking function lets drivers exit the vehicle and use the key fob with a colour LED screen to direct the car to drive into or out of a tight parking slot or garage.The logic is such a feature avoids the difficulty of the driver parking and then trying to open the doors with little room to manoeuvre.BMW Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says there's every chance the feature will make an appearance on local cars in the near future."There are some steps we have to go through to comply with Australian laws and we're working on that now," she says.The sixth-generation 7 Series still has plenty of other techno-wizardry. It has gesture recognition for audio volume controls and accepting or rejecting an incoming phone call, an inductive pad to recharge smartphones wirelessly, a touchscreen mounted on the top of the iDrive rotary controller and a bigger, brighter head-up display.There's also a new adaptive mode in the so-called Driving Experience Control settings to adjust the vehicle's transmission and throttle responses, according to the driver's inputs and the nature of the route as determined by GPS mapping and forward facing cameras.Weight has been trimmed by up to 130kg relative to the current car with carbon-fibre reinforced plastic first used on the BMW i3 and i8.

Cars equipped with futuristic technology that can save lives by braking automatically are being recalled in Australia and overseas because their latest safety systems are on the blink.Japanese car makers Subaru and Honda have issued two separate recalls involving technology that is designed to prevent rear-end crashes and/or avoid hitting pedestrians.Subaru is recalling more than 5000 of its latest Outback wagon and Liberty sedan models equipped with its “Eyesight” system that uses two cameras behind the windscreen to scan the road ahead.A sign of just how complex modern cars have become, Subaru has discovered a seemingly unrelated brake light fault can disable the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking system.A statement from Subaru said: “The (Eyesight) system may not operate as intended in an emergency braking situation (where the driver has failed to apply the brake), or may fail to properly engage the brakes when the vehicle has been placed in (automatic cruise control) mode. This is due to a software programming issue.”Subaru says the fault “does not affect the performance of the brakes when engaged by the driver” and no incidents have been reported in Australia or overseas.See full details on the Subaru recall here.  Meanwhile Honda Australia is recalling more than 2000 examples of its latest Accord sedan and CR-V that are equipped with similar automatic emergency braking technology.Rather alarmingly, in the case of the Honda fault, the automatic braking system can be activated when it is not supposed to.“In certain driving conditions, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) may unexpectedly activate while operating the vehicle,” the Honda recall statement says.“In rare cases, the system may interpret certain roadside objects, such as metal fences or guardrails, as obstacles and apply emergency braking.”See full details on the Honda recall here and here.The faults come as the car industry is debating how much technology should be introduced in modern cars, and how much control should be taken away from the driver.Car giants Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and technology companies Apple and Google, are all experimenting with driverless cars that rely on cameras, radars and other sensors to navigate their way through traffic with limited or no input from the driver.But the latest recalls show that the technology still has a long way to go before it becomes failsafe.

Australian buyers have committed nearly $50 million on the yet-to-arrive Mercedes-Benz C63 S AMG.

Toyota has given the second-generation Aurion its final facelift ahead of the brand’s local manufacturing operations coming to a close in 2017.The changes come just two weeks after the locally-made Camry was updated, but the also-Altona-built V6 model’s changes are far less significant than those applied to the four-cylinder Camry, which has so far outsold the Aurion by more than 6:1 this year.The Aurion model lineup has also been consolidated, with the previous mid-spec Prodigy trim level dropped and the sports-flavoured Sportivo has been scaled back to a single variant.Where the Camry scored a comprehensive styling upgrade, the Aurion makes do with the sheetmetal and basic styling at both ends the model has worn since the second generation arrived in 2012.However, the new AT-X now comes with the chrome-free grille from the Sportivo, while the Presara scores a new grille design and the same 17-inch alloys as the new Camry Atara SL.The Sportivo’s look is now more discrete, with a more subtle body kit and the black 18-inch alloys from the new Camry Atara SX.At the top of the range, the Presara adds a unique grille design and lip spoiler, LED headlights and fog lights and new design 17-inch alloys. Larger 18-inch alloys can be optioned, however.All models in the Aurion range now come with a 4.2-inch information display for the driver, improved mobile phone connectivity and keyless ignition, along with front parking sensors added to the existing rear ones.These additions join the dual-zone air-con and reversing camera present on the outgoing model.The AT-X also retains its 6.1-inch touchscreen multimedia screen, as does the Sportivo, with the Presara still sporting 7-inch screen that brings satnav with real-time traffic updates.The Presara also continues to feature safety tech not available in lower model grades, including rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring.All Aurion variants continue with the same 200kW/336Nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission the model has used since 2006. The Sportivo is still the only model to get paddle-shifters.Pricing for the entry-level AT-X and mid-spec Sportivo is unchanged at $36,490 and $40,990 respectively. The top-spec Presara model has jumped slightly to $50,440, which Toyota says is a result of metallic or pearlescent paint being made standard.