Smart News

In some people’s eyes, Honda may have already lost its sporty car manufacturer mantle but that could change with the appearance of a cracking little roadster at the Paris motor show this week. Called EV-STER - dumb name, it’s an all-electric effort shying away from Honda’s strength as a petrol engine specialist. Honda describes the EV-STER as a next-generation electric small sports concept model. It is nothing like the underwhelming CR-Z, the screaming S2000 or even the NSX. EV-STER is new and exciting - elements missing from Honda’s line up for years. It features extensive use of carbon fibre to cut weight and a lightweight 10kWh lithium ion battery rechargeable in as little as three hours. The styling is dramatic, dynamic and innovative cloaking a car with excellent environmental credentials and if it makes it into production, presumably finely-honed performance and handling. As a true convertible sports car should, two seater EV-STER drives the rear wheels... via an electric motor which Honda says propels EV-STER from 0-100kmh in 5.0 seconds. Because it’s so light (no figure available), the car has a range of up to 160km on one charge. One of its stand out features is an “easy-to-operate” twin-lever steering system that was adopted “in the pursuit of the joy of driving.” We wonder how it works and how it actually feels. Looks incredible though. Drivers who like to calibrate their car will love the EV-STERS dial up systems for engine performance, steering, suspension and other dynamics. The instrument panel of the EV-STER features a vehicle information display which provides the driver with an interface that accesses a network display used for the audio and navigation systems and also for using the internet. Hopefully this car or something like it will become a reality sooner rather than later.  

The eternal city is a perpetual snarl, with parking slots as rare as South Sydney premierships and one piece of road - the giant roundabout at the Arch d'Triumph - where all car insurance is automatically void.The Smart ForTwo could have been invented just for Paris, and not just because it's the four-wheeled equivalent of a handbag.But Paris is also the city of lights and the lights are shining this week on the Mondial de L'Automobile - Paris motor show to you and me - and an astounding lineup of dream machines and showroom bait.Europe is really struggling and the show is one way for carmakers to talk about their future plans and dreams, while trying to ignore for a few days the reality of a sales slide that's topped 10 per cent through most of this year.It's easy to be overwhelmed by a motoring menu that's top heavy with cordon bleu cars, but there is also a lot of meat-and-spuds stuff that will be relevant to Australia over the next few years.So, what did I see that I like in Paris? The star car, for me, has to be the McLaren P1. Anyone who knows a bit about motorsport will know that P1 is shorthand for position one, not just another silly jumble of numbers and letters like the company's current MP4-12C.The P1 is designed and developed to be best-of-the-best in the supercar world with the promise of a 340km/h top speed, ultimate luxury, and looks to shut down any Ferrari.McLaren turned the supercar business upside-down in the 1980s with its landmark F1, with cars still selling for more than $1.5 million second hand, and everything points to the P1 repeating the dose.Then there is the Jaguar F-Type. It's far more affordable, at least for people who can afford at least $200,000, with great looks and the promise of performance to match a Porsche.The F proves that Jaguar is finally back to its best - did I mention the millions from India that have funded the turnaround? - with a car that's also coming next month to Sydney. On the concept car front, the home teams at Paris always go all-out for something special.For 2012, the Peugeot Onyx is the head-turning supermodel. It looks great and makes all sorts of promises on the performance angle. But, like so many chic concepts in the past from Peugeot and Renault, it has about as much chance of reaching the road as finding a parking spot in Paris. Then we come to the real stuff at Paris, and two cars stand out from the crowd.First is the Volkswagen Golf, the car called the Mark 7. It's a total overhaul of the Volkswagen group's global flagship, which has to do the heavy lifting as it aims to overtake Toyota and General Motors in the next five years to become the world's leading carmaker.The Golf looks sharp and refined, much more than just the tizzie and a facelift for the current car, and I'm driving it next week to see if it delivers on the promises.Then there is the Hyundai i30 three-door hatch. It's a good looking car that would be a huge hit in Australia, if only Hyundai would get serious - as Renault plans, with the chic new Clio that's also unveiled in Paris - about taking cars from Europe and not just relying on the low-cost supply line to home base in Korea.

... and this test mule points to a potential +2 model with a bigger cabin. The new ForTwo stays as a tiny two-seater but the +2 is expected to add back seats for two more.

Jag's new F-Type all-new aluminium two-seater sports car will make its global debut in production form at the Paris Motor Show on 27th September. The F-Type will be launched as a convertible with a choice of three petrol engines: two versions of Jaguar's new 3.0-litre supercharged V6, and a new derivative of its existing supercharged 5.0-litre V8. All will drive the rear wheels through an eight-speed transmission and will be equipped with Stop/Start technology. Following the F-Type's `camouflaged' public drive at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June this year, testing of the final verification prototypes has continued in some of the harshest environments in the world.  

Based on the BMW Z4 sDrive35is, the Roadster has been created by Italian design house Zagato – and carries as one of its cues their signature 'doppio gobba' double-bubble in the soft-top roof cover. Unveiled at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on the weekend, the Roadster echoes the Zagato Coupe's aggressive nose, long bonnet and the sharp cut-off of an aerodynamic Kamm tail, but with subtly smoother lines towards the rear to suggest style rather than hardcore sportiness. “The tail end as a whole places a greater emphasis on elegance than that of the Coupé, which shows a sharper sporting edge. The Roadster’s lines are smoother here and the rear is lower-slung,” BMW says. For the prominent roll-bars, the designers were inspired by the shape of an aircraft wing and experimented with the mass of the components before deciding in the forward-leaning final design. There's also an intentional hint of propeller to the five-spoke 19-in light-alloy wheels, making reference to the aircraft production in both BMW and Zagato history. BMW says the positive response to the Zagato Coupe prompted a swift decision to produce the Roadster – with just six weeks of build time after the design was finalised. “We set ourselves the challenge of preparing the car in time for the renowned Pebble Beach Concours,” BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk says. “It was only with the expertise of both companies in the manufacture of high-end one-off cars and another display of outstanding teamwork that we were able to finish the car on schedule.” The BMW Zagato Roadster has been finished in a special grey that changes from dark charcoal to light silver depending on how the light hits it. BMW has not given any detailed technical, weight or performance figures, but in the standard Z4 sDrive35is is powered by a 250kW/450Nm turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine that gets to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds and to a top speed of 250km/h (electronically-limited).  

  The roadster will be based on the rear-wheel drive MX-5 platform and built at Mazda’s plant in Hiroshima, Japan. However the two cars will be given individual styling treatment – and carry different engines – for each of the badges. A statement from Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said the joint project highlighted Fiat’s commitment to building Alfa Romeo into “a truly global brand”. “By partnering with Mazda, we will be co-operating with the recognised leader in compact rear-drive vehicle architectures in order to deliver an exciting and stylish roadster in the Alfa Romeo tradition. We are appreciative of this collaboration with Mazda and look forward to maintaining a fruitful and continuous relationship,” the statement said. Mazda hinted that the collaboration would be followed by others. “Establishing technology and product development alliances is one of Mazda’s corporate objectives and this announcement with Fiat is an important first step in that direction,” the Japanese carmaker’s CEO Takashi Yamanouchi said. The announcement said the Alfa-Romeo version of the car would start rolling off the production line in 2015, which means the new MX-5 could arrive in showrooms ahead of its Italian relation –possibly by early 2014 at the latest -- although Mazda is not ready to confirm dates yet. “We haven’t made any announcement of a production start date for the next MX-5,” was all Mazda Australia spokesman Steve Maciver would share on the subject. However he was clear on which side of the partnership would be responsible for development of the project – and why. “Rear-wheel drive has been the basis of the MX-5’s success over the years,” he pointed out. “We will lead the development, with the project based on the next generation MX-5 platform with Skyactiv technology and the benefit of Mazda suspension tune and dynamics. However my understanding is that Alfa will use a Fiat powertrain.” Both companies have been seeking partnerships in the crusade to trim costs and expand markets. Marchionne has said previously Fiat’s brands (including Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge) need to expand to annual global sales of 6 million – a 60 per cent rise on the 2010 total of 3.6 million. Meantime Mazda, despite its success in the Australian market, had global sales of 1.3 million and is looking to head of a fourth year of losses by activating more volume at its factories.

Since it was launched at the show, the electric line-up that included the Smart ebike and fortwo electric coupé and a convertible cars has nabbed a swag of awards, including a prestigious red dot international design gong for 'best of the best'. Smart has decided to reward the little city scooter's contribution towards that by putting it into production, with a launch date in 2014. "With this step, we are adding a further important component to our smart mobility concept for urban mobility in the future," Mercedes-Benz executive vice president of sales and marketing, Dr Joachim Schmidt says. The escooter will follow in the footsteps of the ebike which is rolling out now in Europe and the Smart fortwo electric car, which has just been test-driven by Carsguide and goes on sale in Europe shortly. Mercedes-Benz says there will be more development of the escooter motor show concept before it is launched. In Europe a license will not be required for the scooter, targeting the younger buyer who is not looking at cars. “Anyone who thinks of urban mobility has to think of smart,” says Dr. Annette Winkler, the head of smart. “We offer the perfect zero-emissions vehicle for every requirement, and with our products, electric travel is a lot of fun too.” Will we see it bring all that 'urban mobility fun' here? It's not being ruled out, according to Mercedes-Benz Australia. "I wouldn't say no but it's too early to talk about the scooter and the bike," spokesman Jerry Stamoulis says. "But we certainly wouldn't say no, and will be investigating the case for both of them." "One of the main reasons is that we want to help give the Smart brand a lift in Australia and this could form part of our strategy. So if the technical case is good, we've got a business case to look at."  

The substantially revamped smart fortwo sports a markedly more dynamic appearance, featuring a larger radiator grille with integrated logo, striking front aprons in a new design, horizontally arranged LED daytime driving lights, muscular side skirts and modified rear aprons. The five lines: pure, pulse, passion, BRABUS and BRABUS Xclusive are to be retained. Similarly, the smart fortwo will continue to be available as a coupe and cabrio version and with five engine and motor variants. They range from a 40kW diesel through to the 75kW Brabus, but not all models are available in Australia. The chrome-coloured logo is now positioned directly in the black radiator grille. The air inlets under the number plate have been combined into a single unit, lending the smart fortwo a bolder appearance. The new, optionally available LED daytime driving lights are now arranged horizontally. There is also a choice of three new alloy wheels. The choice of colours comprises seven options, including matt anthracite for the first time. The smart fortwo BRABUS Xclusive is now also optionally available in white. In addition to the three soft top colours for the smart cabrio which were previously available from the smart programme (black, red, blue), the smart BRABUS tailor made program offers six other soft top colours. While the main focus of this facelift is on the exterior, there are changes inside the car, too.  These include a new, high-quality interior package in crystal grey, comprising a fresh leather/fabric combination for the seats, an imitation leather/fabric mix for the door trims and black imitation leather for the instrument panel in combination with a grey knee pad.  

The NSX will be sold in the US under Honda's luxury Acura brand and the company is officially saying that the roadster was made specifically for the film. That may be the case but it has been built off the regular NSX underpinnings and there's already talk of it following the hardtop down the production line. Acura is expected to gauge moviegoers' reactions to the car before committing to build the roadster. The car was photographed late last year during filming of the movie, with suggestions the convertible would be the default NSX. That was quashed when the company revealed its NSX Concept with a roof at the Detroit Motor Show in January. Acura vice-president Mike Accavitti said at this month's New York Motor Show the NSX roadster was a "design exercise". "The appearance of an Acura model in The Avengers'_ even one that won't be on sale, further leverages Acura's ongoing association with the Marvel superhero franchise, which has seen Acura vehicles in both the second 'Iron Man' instalment and in last year's Captain America and Thor," he says. The NSX is driven in the movie by Tony Stark (a.k.a Iron Man), played by Robert Downey Jr and continues the superhero's association with supercars. Iron Man drove an Audi R8 in the original movie and backed it up with an R8 Spyder in the second film.  The NSX roadster is thought to be powered by the same Super Handling All-Wheel Drive hybrid set-up seen in the hard-top. The system uses a V6 petrol engine and three electric motors. Two of the motors power the front wheels with the third used to boost the engine's output to the rear wheels. As a result, the NSX can theoretically operate in full electric, full petrol or hybrid modes using front, rear or all-wheel drive IRON MAN'S WHEELS When he's not flying around as Iron Man, Tony Stark has an enviable collection of cars in the garage. Here's what Robert Downey Jr  has already driven in the first two movies based on the Marvel Comics superhero. Iron Man: Audi R8, Tesla Roadster, 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster, Saleen S7, Shelby Cobra Iron Man 2: Audi R8 Spyder, '32 Ford Flathead, Rolls-Royce Phantom