Smart #3 Reviews

An updated BMW Z4 roadster will reach us Down Under at about the time the new financial year ticks over. Which may be good news for those who have done all right in the 2012/13 year, because a new entry-level model, the BMW Z4 sDrive18i, will be one of the most eagerly awaited models in the shipment.VALUEBMW Australia won’t reveal the price until closer to the launch, but can we speculate that it will be somewhere in the high $60s? That’s going to be a significant drop from the current $77,500 entry price for the BMW Z4 sDrive20i -- putting the BMW Z4 into closer reach for a lot of buyers.ENGINESThe new BMW Z4 sDrive18i (why does BMW insist on these extraordinarily complex model names?) is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with BMW’s highly efficient TwinPower turbo technology. It produces maximum power output of 115 kW. Peak torque of 240 Nm is brilliant, spread from just 1250 rpm and is there all the way up to 4400 revs.As befits a pure sports model, the Z4 sDrive18i is fitted as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox. An eight-speed sports automatic is an option.The 18i accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a sporty 7.9 seconds with the six-speed manual box, (the automatic is a little slower at 8.1 seconds).The BMW TwinPower Turbo technology package for the new BMW Z4 sDrive18i includes twin-scroll turbocharging, High Precision Direct Petrol Injection, VALVETRONIC fully variable valve control and Double-Vanos continuously variable camshaft control.TECHNOLOGYThe optional BMW Individual hardtop, available in Black non-metallic and Glacier Silver metallic, adds to the appearance for the person wanting to stand out in the styling crowd. The hardtop can be opened while the Z4 is moving at up to 40 km/h, further adding to its practicality. If rain is looming you can keep the car topless knowing you only have to slow down, push the button and be secure again.The standard bi-xenon headlights of the revised BMW Z4 have a very slim design and extend well back into the front guards. There are LED daytime running lights. The integrated turn signal indicators now have chrome-coloured surrounds.Changes to the standard interior include high-gloss black surrounds for the central air vents and the iDrive control system’s folding Control Display (where fitted).The BMW Z4 sDrive28i, BMW Z4 sDrive35i and BMW Z4 sDrive35is are offered with Kansas leather trim, which is available as an option for the two other models.STYLINGWith a facelift of the body style, interior refinements and what BMW calls its new Design Pure Traction equipment package all variants of the Z4s are interesting sports machines.BMW Z4 is a true roadster thanks to its long bonnet, stubby tail and a low seating position that’s right back at the rear axle. This is strictly a two-seater, and we admire it for that.BMW’s ‘Design Pure Traction’ option is a vivid new equipment package that will please those who are bored with the unvarying black-on-black of too many new cars.Such-equipped Z4's will feature bespoke Alcantara door trim and orange-coloured lower section of the instrument panel. The black leather seats have contrast stitching in Valencia Orange and an accent stripe running down the central section of the backrests and seat cushions. This stripe is likewise orange and is flanked by two thin white lines.Another exclusive element of the Design Pure Traction package is the metal weave trim strip, which can be combined with further decorative elements in high-gloss black for the door openers and the gearshift or selector lever. 

SMART cars will take a bigger role in Daimler's future, with the phonebox-on-wheels ForTwo growing and improving next year under a new development deal with Renault. Part of the plan is this car, the born-again ForFour, which is intended to provide a proper four-city city car - even though it only has two doors and currently looks more like a delivery van. Here in 2014 for less than $30,000.

...unless new technology is embraced, a report says.Smart Grid Australia says intelligent meters and other devices can help consumers cut electricity use at certain times of day and reduce network traffic. This would reduce the need to build up poles and wires to deal with "peaks" in power use on extremely hot days or in the evenings.But the report warns that consumers must be educated on the benefits of such technology so that there is no public backlash against change.Read the full story at news.com.au.

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.