Nissan Australia is taking a fresh look at the quirky Juke, now that the dollar is escalating in value
discount new cars games » Get the best price on a new Nissan
The opportunity for the Nissan Juke to go on sale in Australia has opened up, following the strong performance of the Aussie dollar in recent months. Nissan had more or less written off the K12 Micra-based crossover, but it's back on the 'for consideration' list maintained by the company's local product planners.
"We looked at it in Geneva," the head of Corporate Communications for Nissan Australia, Jeff Fisher, told the Carsales Network earlier this week, "[but] the numbers didn't add up..."
Nissan has a target price in mind for the Juke, should it come here, and that's shaped by currency exchange rates, among other things. The Juke, which is Nissan's answer to the Toyota Urban Cruiser, is a Japanese product built for European markets -- in Europe.
That has made it too expensive to bring here, "but things have moved a bit since mid-year," said Fisher during Nissan's 4WD Panorama media event on Monday. The decision to go ahead with importation or stick with the status quo won't be formally made until next year at the earliest, according to Fisher.
"It's only just gone on sale [in Europe], as of about two weeks ago," Fisher mentioned as an aside. Apparently the factory has been inundated with forward orders for the new model and any export program beyond Europe is on the back-burner for the time being, leaving Nissan Australia a little time to see how things pan out before committing one way or another.
Exchange rates aren't the only factor in the decision-making process. While the Juke has a tangible competitor overseas in the Urban Cruiser, the Toyota is not available in Australia either, so Nissan is forced to look at such unlikely rivals in the light/small-car segments as the Toyota Rukus and the Kia Soul. Other than styling novelty, the fluently-styled Juke appears to have little in common with the angular Rukus or Soul -- cars that are more likely to compare with Nissan's Cube. But Nissan has nothing else close in size and market appeal to provide a benchmark for the Juke. Fisher advised that the sales numbers for the Rukus and the Soul in the local market to date are not encouraging. The figures for the Rukus in particular are an argument against importation of the Juke, a car that will be seen very much as a niche-market model, rather than a mainstream, volume-selling car.
But the Soul, as a vehicle that serves to build the Kia brand, could be an argument in favour of the Juke coming here. While the Kia sells in negligible numbers, Fisher suggested that Nissan might consider bringing the Juke in as a loss-leader -- also with the aim of building the brand and expanding sales growth in Australia by whatever means available.
During the media event on Monday, Nissan Australia MD, Dan Thompson spoke of the company's "aspirations and ambitions" to be the number one full-line importer in Australia. That would require Nissan to overtake Mazda, Hyundai and Mitsubishi. Thompson said that the company was now "moving into the aggressive growth phase of the plan," by which is referring to Nissan's GT2012 program.
Juke may be a small, but significant part of that plan -- and the "aggressive growth phase", to use Thompson's expression. It's tempting to think, on the basis of what Thompson and Fisher said, that the Juke might be sold at a loss to Nissan Australia of $2000 a unit, but the company is so very confident in its current and upcoming products that such an idea seems a tactic of last resort.
Either the Juke can sell profitably on its own merits, or it's not worth importing...
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Thứ Tư, 28 tháng 3, 2012
Carsales' brand new car competition
Win $5000 cash towards your new-car purchase
The Carsales Network is offering new-car buyers a chance to score big during the next three months. Buy a new car through a participating dealer and you'll go into the draw for a $5000 cash prize.
The competition runs from November 4 to February 5, 2011, and is open to anyone making an enquiry through the Carsales Network and following through with a sale at the dealership.
So if you want to cover the cost of driving your car out of the showroom and then some, here's your chance. Competition terms and conditions can be read at: www.carsales.com.au/brandnewcarcomp.
The Carsales Network is offering new-car buyers a chance to score big during the next three months. Buy a new car through a participating dealer and you'll go into the draw for a $5000 cash prize.
The competition runs from November 4 to February 5, 2011, and is open to anyone making an enquiry through the Carsales Network and following through with a sale at the dealership.
So if you want to cover the cost of driving your car out of the showroom and then some, here's your chance. Competition terms and conditions can be read at: www.carsales.com.au/brandnewcarcomp.
MOTORSPORT: Webber takes title fight to the wire
Mark Webber can be F1 world champion but he needs to win next Sunday's finale with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso no higher than third -- and the Aussie probably needs a little help from teammate Sebastian Vettel, without instruction from Red Bull.
Abu Dhabi decides whether Webber's world champion
The Formula One world championship will go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi next Sunday with Aussie Mark Webber still a chance to be champion -- but to be sure of it he needs to win the race and still have a few other things go his way.
After Red Bull Racing's fourth one-two finish of the year in today's Brazilian GP, with German youngster Sebastian Vettel ahead of Webber, the Australian has narrowed Fernando Alonso's championship lead to eight points. If Webber wins the race in Abu Dhabi he cannot afford Alonso and his Ferrari to finish higher than third.
Vettel is 15 points behind Alonso and if he wins in Abu Dhabi with Webber second the German could be world champion -- the Red Bull pair would have the same number of points but Vettel five wins for the season to Webber's four. However, Vettel won't be champion in that scenario if Alonso finishes fifth or better.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton remains an outside chance to repeat his 2008 title, but -- 24 points behind Alonso -- needs a miracle. McLaren's other driver, Jenson Button, champion last year with BrawnGP, is out of the running now.
These five filled the top five finishing positions at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit this morning -- Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Hamilton and Button -- and have been the class of field in what has been the most enthralling championship in F1 history.
Alonso, champion with Renault in 2005 and '06, is in the box seat to become, at 29, the sport's youngest triple world champion.
Webber, who led this championship longer than anyone but lost that advantage when he spun and crashed into a safety wall at the new Korean GP late last month, reckons he's "still absolutely in the hunt".
"It was very good for me to come back [in Brazil] after a bad race in Korea. I took a few points off Fernando today, so it's still all to play for in Abu Dhabi," Webber said.
"The (Red Bull) team's philosophy is that we race (each other) and we will work to that. Seb deserved the win today -- it was a close fight... Both of us need to finish ahead of Fernando in Abu Dhabi, so let's see what happens there."
Red Bull has won the constructors' championship in only its sixth season as an F1 team, but it is the drivers' title that counts. There is still no sign from Red Bull that it will break from its very public policy that it won't impose team orders. Yet this stance could deny it having the world champion driver this year.
If Vettel wins again in Abu Dhabi -- where he was victorious last year, and he's won two of the past three GPs this season and dominated the other until his Renault engine blew -- and Webber is second, with Alonso third, then the Spaniard will be world champion a third time.
But if the race finishing order were to be Webber, Vettel and Alonso then Webber would be champion -- and Red Bull would have the world champion driver as well as the constructors' world championship.
While Red Bull steadfastly says it won't impose any orders on its drivers, there has been just the slightest hint from Vettel after the Brazilian GP that he may be prepared to help Webber if he can't be champion himself.
He said the pair "will have to judge according to the situation (in Abu Dhabi)".
"I think both of us know how to act," he said.
Perhaps, after all the fuss that reached even new heights on the eve of the Brazilian race, Webber has a teammate rather than an enemy in the team's other car. Yet if Alonso were to finish sixth or worse in Abu Dhabi then Vettel could still be champion himself, if he and Webber finish in the same order they did today again next Sunday.
In that case they would be tied on points but Vettel would take Alonso's mantle as F1's youngest champion with more wins in the season than Webber.
The great irony is that, while Red Bull won't use team orders, the instruction Ferrari gave its Brazilian driver Felipe Massa at the German GP to surrender the race lead to Alonso -- and the extra seven points the Spaniard scored as a result -- could now be decisive.
Ferrari escaped that episode with a US$100,000 fine -- for breaching the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) rule forbidding such tactics -- yet there was no points penalty imposed either on the team or its drivers.
Even if Red Bull now had a change of heart about its stance, any blatant manipulation by it now of Sunday's finishing order in Abu Dhabi would cast a cloud over any drivers' title and perhaps trigger months of legal action.
Alonso has come back from 47 points adrift in this championship at one point to be the favourite going into the finale. As much as Australian hearts will want Webber to join Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones as a world champion, the odds must favour the Spaniard to become a triple champion.
Formula One drivers' world championship after 18 of 19 rounds: Fernando Alonso (Spain, Ferrari) 246 points, Mark Webber (Australia, Red Bull-Renault) 238, Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Red Bull-Renault) 231, Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes) 222, Jenson Button (Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes) 199.
F1 constructors' championship: Red Bull-Renault 469 points, McLaren-Mercedes 421, Ferrari 389, Mercedes 202, Renault 145.
Scoring system: 25 points for win, 18 for second, 15 for third, then 12, 10, eight, six, four, two and one (for 10th place).
Toyota driver takes lead in NASCAR'S Sprint Cup
Toyota is close to snatching its first NASCAR Sprint Cup. Toyota driver Denny Hamlin won at Texas today for the second time this season to take the lead in the closest three-way Chase for the Sprint Cup yet, with just two races left.
Hamlin took the lead today with 29 laps to go, then got a push from Matt Kenseth's Ford on the final restart with three laps to go. Kenseth got ahead briefly but Hamlin regained the lead to score his eighth victory of the season.
Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet's champion of the past four seasons, had a 14-point lead before the Texas race but left 33 behind Hamlin, with another Chevrolet driver, Kevin Harvick, third -- 59 points behind Hamlin.
Australia's Marcos Ambrose finished 12th in Texas in his third last race driving a Toyota for JTG Daugherty Racing before his scheduled switch back to a Ford with Richard Petty Motorsports next season.
The story of the Texas race, the finishing order and series pointscore are all at nascar.com
Atkinson ends Asia-Pacific rally series with podium
Australian rally ace Chris Atkinson notched a podium at the final round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in China, driving a Proton Satria Neo.
Young Japanese driver Yuya Sumiyama won the rally in a Mitsubishi ahead of Atkinson's Proton teammate, Alister McRae -- the Perth-based brother of late Scottish world champion Colin McRae.
It was an encouraging end to the season for Proton after its drivers had led rallies but failed to finish. They were the first APRC-registered drivers to finish in China, while Sumiyama won the Asia Cup.
Japan's Katsu Taguchi won the Asia-Pacific title for India's Team MRF in a Mitsubishi with Australian Chris Murphy as his co-driver.
Glenn MacNeall, another Australian partnering Taguchi's Indian teammate Gaurav Gill, won the co-drivers' championship as Murphy missed a round when unable to fly out of Britain in April because of the Iceland volcano.
Taguchi and Murphy and Gill and MacNeall retired on the first day of the Chinese event.
Lambo triumph at first Targa High Country
Victory in Victoria's first Targa High Country -- the first round of the new national targa championship -- went to a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, but there was confusion about which one it was.
Initially, Tasmanian Jason White was handed the trophy as it was believed he had crossed the finish line 6 seconds ahead in a gruelling final day tussle. But South Australian Kevin Weeks asked for a review of times on Sunday's fifth stage and it was found he had been wrongly allocated a time.
With the corrected time Weeks became the winner, 20 seconds clear of White and a further 1 minute 21 seconds in front of third placegetter, eight-time Targa Tasmania winner Jim Richards.
"It is unfortunate that the error happened, but these things can occur in such logistically complicated events like a Targa and it's just one of those things," Weeks said.
"It's been a fantastic rally -- the roads [in and around Mt Buller] are amazing and take so much commitment."
The showroom competition was won by Peter Brown in a Mazda3 Diesel, while former touring car driver Andrew Miedecke won the Shannons Classic Outright section in a 1970 Ford Capri Perana.
The next round of the Australian Targa Championship is the Hobart-based Targa Wrest Point on January 29-30, with the 20th Targa Tasmania in April.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Abu Dhabi decides whether Webber's world champion
The Formula One world championship will go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi next Sunday with Aussie Mark Webber still a chance to be champion -- but to be sure of it he needs to win the race and still have a few other things go his way.
After Red Bull Racing's fourth one-two finish of the year in today's Brazilian GP, with German youngster Sebastian Vettel ahead of Webber, the Australian has narrowed Fernando Alonso's championship lead to eight points. If Webber wins the race in Abu Dhabi he cannot afford Alonso and his Ferrari to finish higher than third.
Vettel is 15 points behind Alonso and if he wins in Abu Dhabi with Webber second the German could be world champion -- the Red Bull pair would have the same number of points but Vettel five wins for the season to Webber's four. However, Vettel won't be champion in that scenario if Alonso finishes fifth or better.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton remains an outside chance to repeat his 2008 title, but -- 24 points behind Alonso -- needs a miracle. McLaren's other driver, Jenson Button, champion last year with BrawnGP, is out of the running now.
These five filled the top five finishing positions at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit this morning -- Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Hamilton and Button -- and have been the class of field in what has been the most enthralling championship in F1 history.
Alonso, champion with Renault in 2005 and '06, is in the box seat to become, at 29, the sport's youngest triple world champion.
Webber, who led this championship longer than anyone but lost that advantage when he spun and crashed into a safety wall at the new Korean GP late last month, reckons he's "still absolutely in the hunt".
"It was very good for me to come back [in Brazil] after a bad race in Korea. I took a few points off Fernando today, so it's still all to play for in Abu Dhabi," Webber said.
"The (Red Bull) team's philosophy is that we race (each other) and we will work to that. Seb deserved the win today -- it was a close fight... Both of us need to finish ahead of Fernando in Abu Dhabi, so let's see what happens there."
Red Bull has won the constructors' championship in only its sixth season as an F1 team, but it is the drivers' title that counts. There is still no sign from Red Bull that it will break from its very public policy that it won't impose team orders. Yet this stance could deny it having the world champion driver this year.
If Vettel wins again in Abu Dhabi -- where he was victorious last year, and he's won two of the past three GPs this season and dominated the other until his Renault engine blew -- and Webber is second, with Alonso third, then the Spaniard will be world champion a third time.
But if the race finishing order were to be Webber, Vettel and Alonso then Webber would be champion -- and Red Bull would have the world champion driver as well as the constructors' world championship.
While Red Bull steadfastly says it won't impose any orders on its drivers, there has been just the slightest hint from Vettel after the Brazilian GP that he may be prepared to help Webber if he can't be champion himself.
He said the pair "will have to judge according to the situation (in Abu Dhabi)".
"I think both of us know how to act," he said.
Perhaps, after all the fuss that reached even new heights on the eve of the Brazilian race, Webber has a teammate rather than an enemy in the team's other car. Yet if Alonso were to finish sixth or worse in Abu Dhabi then Vettel could still be champion himself, if he and Webber finish in the same order they did today again next Sunday.
In that case they would be tied on points but Vettel would take Alonso's mantle as F1's youngest champion with more wins in the season than Webber.
The great irony is that, while Red Bull won't use team orders, the instruction Ferrari gave its Brazilian driver Felipe Massa at the German GP to surrender the race lead to Alonso -- and the extra seven points the Spaniard scored as a result -- could now be decisive.
Ferrari escaped that episode with a US$100,000 fine -- for breaching the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) rule forbidding such tactics -- yet there was no points penalty imposed either on the team or its drivers.
Even if Red Bull now had a change of heart about its stance, any blatant manipulation by it now of Sunday's finishing order in Abu Dhabi would cast a cloud over any drivers' title and perhaps trigger months of legal action.
Alonso has come back from 47 points adrift in this championship at one point to be the favourite going into the finale. As much as Australian hearts will want Webber to join Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones as a world champion, the odds must favour the Spaniard to become a triple champion.
Formula One drivers' world championship after 18 of 19 rounds: Fernando Alonso (Spain, Ferrari) 246 points, Mark Webber (Australia, Red Bull-Renault) 238, Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Red Bull-Renault) 231, Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes) 222, Jenson Button (Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes) 199.
F1 constructors' championship: Red Bull-Renault 469 points, McLaren-Mercedes 421, Ferrari 389, Mercedes 202, Renault 145.
Scoring system: 25 points for win, 18 for second, 15 for third, then 12, 10, eight, six, four, two and one (for 10th place).
Toyota driver takes lead in NASCAR'S Sprint Cup
Toyota is close to snatching its first NASCAR Sprint Cup. Toyota driver Denny Hamlin won at Texas today for the second time this season to take the lead in the closest three-way Chase for the Sprint Cup yet, with just two races left.
Hamlin took the lead today with 29 laps to go, then got a push from Matt Kenseth's Ford on the final restart with three laps to go. Kenseth got ahead briefly but Hamlin regained the lead to score his eighth victory of the season.
Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet's champion of the past four seasons, had a 14-point lead before the Texas race but left 33 behind Hamlin, with another Chevrolet driver, Kevin Harvick, third -- 59 points behind Hamlin.
Australia's Marcos Ambrose finished 12th in Texas in his third last race driving a Toyota for JTG Daugherty Racing before his scheduled switch back to a Ford with Richard Petty Motorsports next season.
The story of the Texas race, the finishing order and series pointscore are all at nascar.com
Atkinson ends Asia-Pacific rally series with podium
Australian rally ace Chris Atkinson notched a podium at the final round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in China, driving a Proton Satria Neo.
Young Japanese driver Yuya Sumiyama won the rally in a Mitsubishi ahead of Atkinson's Proton teammate, Alister McRae -- the Perth-based brother of late Scottish world champion Colin McRae.
It was an encouraging end to the season for Proton after its drivers had led rallies but failed to finish. They were the first APRC-registered drivers to finish in China, while Sumiyama won the Asia Cup.
Japan's Katsu Taguchi won the Asia-Pacific title for India's Team MRF in a Mitsubishi with Australian Chris Murphy as his co-driver.
Glenn MacNeall, another Australian partnering Taguchi's Indian teammate Gaurav Gill, won the co-drivers' championship as Murphy missed a round when unable to fly out of Britain in April because of the Iceland volcano.
Taguchi and Murphy and Gill and MacNeall retired on the first day of the Chinese event.
Lambo triumph at first Targa High Country
Victory in Victoria's first Targa High Country -- the first round of the new national targa championship -- went to a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, but there was confusion about which one it was.
Initially, Tasmanian Jason White was handed the trophy as it was believed he had crossed the finish line 6 seconds ahead in a gruelling final day tussle. But South Australian Kevin Weeks asked for a review of times on Sunday's fifth stage and it was found he had been wrongly allocated a time.
With the corrected time Weeks became the winner, 20 seconds clear of White and a further 1 minute 21 seconds in front of third placegetter, eight-time Targa Tasmania winner Jim Richards.
"It is unfortunate that the error happened, but these things can occur in such logistically complicated events like a Targa and it's just one of those things," Weeks said.
"It's been a fantastic rally -- the roads [in and around Mt Buller] are amazing and take so much commitment."
The showroom competition was won by Peter Brown in a Mazda3 Diesel, while former touring car driver Andrew Miedecke won the Shannons Classic Outright section in a 1970 Ford Capri Perana.
The next round of the Australian Targa Championship is the Hobart-based Targa Wrest Point on January 29-30, with the 20th Targa Tasmania in April.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 3, 2012
BMW 6 Series Convertible revealed
Soft top 6 brings more conservative styling to sporting range
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new BMW
BMW has officially revealed a soft-top version of the sporty new two-door, the 6 Series Convertible, following the release of its new 6 Series Coupe.
Bringing a more conservative look to the range, the new Convertible continues traditional 6 Series design cues -- sweeping bonnet, flat waistline and set-back passenger compartment -- while contouring external surfaces with a view to softening the more controversial lines found on the previous model's Bangle design.
At 4894mm in length, the new BMW 6 Series Convertible is 74mm longer than its predecessor. Its similarly extended wheelbase now stretches to 2855mm. The car games has also grown by 39mm in width, and now measures 1894mm across, while 9mm have been shaved off its height (now 1365mm). The 6 Series convertible models tip the scales at 2015 and 1915kg for the 650i and 640i respectively.
Advances in the use of materials and in the development of the car's load-bearing structure have seen its static torsional rigidity improve 50 per cent over that of its predecessor.
From the front, enlarged kidney grilles are angled forward slightly to promote a sense of motion, the "shark nose" also featuring a broader air intake, contoured wheel arches and chrome elements on the outboard edges of the front air dam. Optional foglamps bring LED daytime to the chrome trim pieces, further accentuating the car's width. The headlamps also include LED accents when the optional Active Headlights are specified.
Boasting a genuine 2+2 seating configuration, the new 6 Series Convertible combines a classic (powered) soft-top with customary "fin" design. The multi-layer roof has been optimised for acoustic performance and structural rigidity. Opening the roof takes 19 seconds, and closing 24 seconds. Both operations can be initiated while on the move at speeds of up to 40 km/h.
The new BMW 6 Series Convertible boasts 300-litres of boot space with the roof open and 350-litres when closed.
Inside, the cockpit is driver-orientated in typical BMW fashion, with the driver experiencing a new black-panel instrument cluster. The state-of-the-art display technology combines traditional twin-circular gauges with full-function high-resolution 9.2-inch info display screen.
Numerous BMW ConnectedDrive features offer owners a selection of optional driver assistance systems that include a rearview camera, Head-Up Display, Surround View, BMW Night Vision (with pedestrian recognition) and BMW Parking Assistant.
Additionally, a newly designed Control Display and revised iDrive functionality are also included, controlling navigation system, telephone and entertainment functions. The standard 7.0-inch screen can be upgraded to 10.2 inches by ordering the optional Professional navigation system. The larger screen features a high-quality galvanised chrome surround.
From launch, the new BMW 6 Series Convertible will be available with two engine variants. The BMW 650i Convertible will feature a 4.4-litre V8 producing 300kW/600Nm while the 640i Convertible's 3.0-litre TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder develops 235kW/450Nm. Both engines are mated exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission with Steptronic (+/-) override function.
Performance figures see the pair accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.0 and 5.7 seconds respectively with each having their top speed electronically limited to 250km/h.
As with almost every BMW in the current range, the 6 Series Convertible also includes a number of EfficientDynamics environmentally considerate technologies which include Brake Energy Regeneration (640i only), Auto Stop-Start functionality, Electronic Power Steering and low rolling resistance tyres. Fuel economy averages for 650i and 640i are 10.7 and 7.9L/100km respectively. CO2 emissions tally 249 and 185g/km.
Both 6 Series Convertible models are offered standard with Drive Dynamic Control, which allows drivers to choose their own suspension settings, while the Adaptive Drive system is available as an option with electrically controlled dampers and roll stabilisation.
Due for launch in Europe in Q2 next year, Australian launch will follow shortly thereafter. Engine variants, local pricing and specification for Australia will be announced closer to the local launch.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site.
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new BMW
BMW has officially revealed a soft-top version of the sporty new two-door, the 6 Series Convertible, following the release of its new 6 Series Coupe.
Bringing a more conservative look to the range, the new Convertible continues traditional 6 Series design cues -- sweeping bonnet, flat waistline and set-back passenger compartment -- while contouring external surfaces with a view to softening the more controversial lines found on the previous model's Bangle design.
At 4894mm in length, the new BMW 6 Series Convertible is 74mm longer than its predecessor. Its similarly extended wheelbase now stretches to 2855mm. The car games has also grown by 39mm in width, and now measures 1894mm across, while 9mm have been shaved off its height (now 1365mm). The 6 Series convertible models tip the scales at 2015 and 1915kg for the 650i and 640i respectively.
Advances in the use of materials and in the development of the car's load-bearing structure have seen its static torsional rigidity improve 50 per cent over that of its predecessor.
From the front, enlarged kidney grilles are angled forward slightly to promote a sense of motion, the "shark nose" also featuring a broader air intake, contoured wheel arches and chrome elements on the outboard edges of the front air dam. Optional foglamps bring LED daytime to the chrome trim pieces, further accentuating the car's width. The headlamps also include LED accents when the optional Active Headlights are specified.
Boasting a genuine 2+2 seating configuration, the new 6 Series Convertible combines a classic (powered) soft-top with customary "fin" design. The multi-layer roof has been optimised for acoustic performance and structural rigidity. Opening the roof takes 19 seconds, and closing 24 seconds. Both operations can be initiated while on the move at speeds of up to 40 km/h.
The new BMW 6 Series Convertible boasts 300-litres of boot space with the roof open and 350-litres when closed.
Inside, the cockpit is driver-orientated in typical BMW fashion, with the driver experiencing a new black-panel instrument cluster. The state-of-the-art display technology combines traditional twin-circular gauges with full-function high-resolution 9.2-inch info display screen.
Numerous BMW ConnectedDrive features offer owners a selection of optional driver assistance systems that include a rearview camera, Head-Up Display, Surround View, BMW Night Vision (with pedestrian recognition) and BMW Parking Assistant.
Additionally, a newly designed Control Display and revised iDrive functionality are also included, controlling navigation system, telephone and entertainment functions. The standard 7.0-inch screen can be upgraded to 10.2 inches by ordering the optional Professional navigation system. The larger screen features a high-quality galvanised chrome surround.
From launch, the new BMW 6 Series Convertible will be available with two engine variants. The BMW 650i Convertible will feature a 4.4-litre V8 producing 300kW/600Nm while the 640i Convertible's 3.0-litre TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder develops 235kW/450Nm. Both engines are mated exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission with Steptronic (+/-) override function.
Performance figures see the pair accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.0 and 5.7 seconds respectively with each having their top speed electronically limited to 250km/h.
As with almost every BMW in the current range, the 6 Series Convertible also includes a number of EfficientDynamics environmentally considerate technologies which include Brake Energy Regeneration (640i only), Auto Stop-Start functionality, Electronic Power Steering and low rolling resistance tyres. Fuel economy averages for 650i and 640i are 10.7 and 7.9L/100km respectively. CO2 emissions tally 249 and 185g/km.
Both 6 Series Convertible models are offered standard with Drive Dynamic Control, which allows drivers to choose their own suspension settings, while the Adaptive Drive system is available as an option with electrically controlled dampers and roll stabilisation.
Due for launch in Europe in Q2 next year, Australian launch will follow shortly thereafter. Engine variants, local pricing and specification for Australia will be announced closer to the local launch.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site.
CN CONFIDENTIAL: Seeing stars in safety punch-up
Benz delivers broadside to road safety research organisation, Impreza concept hints at new global design direction for Subaru, GM CEO confuses 'tact' with 'attack'... and more
Whether it's from the www, the latest motor show or the back doors of a carmaker near you, Carsales Network Confidential features the good oil other sources either won't publish, don't care about or don't know. Heard an automotive rumour or new model tip? Then let us know - editor@carpoint.com.au
Safety stoush
Mercedes-Benz and the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) are on opposing sides of a heated debate concerning the merits of MUARC's crash safety data.
According to MUARC, the Benz Vito van is not as safe as Ford's Transit van. Benz executives have come out fighting in response. At least one media outlet and a motoring association have been caught up in the ensuing vortex of words.
Benz management types are fit to be tied, since the MUARC findings don't square with ANCAP test results that rate the Vito a five-star-safe commercial vehicle. It confuses the safety message from Mulgrave at a time when the importer is arguing that employers are putting their staff at risk in fleet vehicles that aren't safe enough -- and there are plainly occupational health and safety ramifications that could cost companies big time.
Benz's Senior Manager for Corporate Communications, David McCarthy, has been tirelessly defending the company and its products from what he questions as misleading information out there in the marketplace.
"[MUARC] rates vehicles in terms of the occupants' ability to survive a crash; the ability of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users [to survive] if hit by one of these vehicles. They rate the Ford Transit as safer than our Vito/Viano, but also safer than a VE Commodore," he told the Carsales Network.
"Whilst I accept that there can be differences in how you calculate data and how you gather it... I asked [MUARC] how they accounted for different road conditions, different times, different temperatures, different drivers, different vehicle condition -- all these factors. I was told they had a very calculated algorithm."
Plainly unimpressed by that answer, McCarthy told the Carsales Network that he is yet to see the road safety organisation's data in detail. In the absence of hard data from MUARC he backs comments from Benz safety expert, Ullrich Mellinghof, who has been in Australia recently to meet the local media and assess the Australian road safety environment for himself.
"When I discussed this with Mellinghof..." said McCarthy, "he said to me that he does not accept [MUARC's] data. He said that it is simply inconceivable... that this vehicle [the Transit] could rate higher than our Vito or Viano...
"Look, let's put aside Transit versus Vito/Viano, let's look at Transit versus VE Commodore..." he continued. Even if readers have never heard of the Vito or the Viano, says McCarthy, surely they would recognise the top-selling car in the nation -- and its safety credentials.
Where does that leave Benz, we asked? Would the importer seek legal redress through the courts if it came to that?
"I don't see any point in giving further validity to something that's discredited," McCarthy answered. "In all these things, the punter reads it and the punter will make his or her own assessment. In the example that a VE Commodore is less safe than a Transit, I can't accept that..."
Presumably punters familiar with the Commodore wouldn't either.
"Would we want to sue them?" he continued. "No, I think why give something more oxygen when it needs to be starved of it?"
Impreza concept heralds future design strategy?
Following the publication of our original story -- and out of curiosity -- we checked with Subaru Australia's National Corporate Affairs Manager, David Rowley, concerning the Impreza concept car the company introduced at the LA motor show. Rowley was under strict instructions not to discuss the new concept prior to its debut.
In the article published by the Carsales Network, we surmised that the concept may point to future design directions for Subaru. That has since been revealed to be the case.
On the basis of a 'smoke and fire' analogy, we subscribed to the view that where there are concepts, there is design disharmony. For a company such as Subaru to produce firstly the gullwing hybrid tourer design study for Tokyo last year and now the new concept for LA, the company seems to be casting around for a new corporate look.
Rowley isn't unduly concerned about reports in the media and feedback from the public concerning the current Impreza and Liberty/Outback models. As he said, both cars are selling better than the models they replaced -- and that's usually a sign of satisfaction that supersedes any other factors in the way a car is perceived by the market.
"Customer feedback and media perception is certainly something that we and Fuji [Heavy Industries] take on board," he replied. "Having said that, in terms of the current Liberty and Outback for example, the increases in the sales of those two models confirm that our customers are looking at the overall package -- in terms of Subaru traits... durability, safety, retained value, engineering. So they're looking at the holistic thing, they're not just looking at design when they go and buy their car."
But if Subaru does buy into the alleged public backlash to the styling of the volume-selling models -- and history suggests the company might -- that would certainly support the contention that the LA concept will pioneer a new styling theme for Subaru's entire product portfolio -- not just the Impreza -- just as the SLS Gullwing has done for Mercedes-Benz.
"I certainly wouldn't downplay the importance of styling in the purchase decision," Rowley responded. "I would underline that Fuji do take criticism -- both good and bad -- on board, over time. Some of the very recent concepts -- likely to include this latest one in LA -- no doubt provide some exciting clues as to the [company's] future design direction."
First Dan
Dan Akerson, the man who replaced Ed Whitacre at the very pinnacle of the General Motors management hierarchy, seems to be determined to make a name for himself. And his preferred name appears to be 'cockeyed optimist'.
As reported by the Detroit Free Press on October 28, Akerson was talking up a jobs boost for the Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan, shortly to forego production of the Cadillac STS, but then slated to start a second shift building the Cadillac ATS. The ATS is a car smaller than the Cadillac CTS model and is to be pitted against BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Reportedly built on GM's rear-drive Alpha platform (the 'A' in ATS), the new model is expected to be Cadillac's game-changer in Europe. The Cadillac brand has not made major inroads into European markets, with the CTS failing to make an impact there. Based on a Saab, the Cadillac BLS has been even more a flop.
The smaller ATS, when it arrives, is Cadillac's best chance of changing market perceptions outside North America, but it's going to be struggling in the face of Akerson's brash words quoted in the press.
"We've ceded this segment of the market to our foreign competitors for far too long," Akerson said.
And what words of high praise did he have for the segment leader, the car that is the benchmark by which any other car in the segment will be judged?
"They call it the C-Class because it's very average."
Now he might have been joking -- but what does that say of his own company's CTS?
Mondo Voodoo in Canberra
Word has reached us here in Schloss Carsales that the head honcho of a Japanese car importer has met with Sophie Mirabella, shadow industry minister. This particular meeting has sounded alarm bells in the precinct of a completely different car company.
A company insider there tells us that the said honcho, who has spoken candidly in the past about government assistance for local auto manufacturing, was warmly received by Ms Mirabella.
Our source expressed concern the opposition MP shares at least some of the views of the auto industry exec she met. Should the current Gillard government lose power -- and it wouldn't take much in a hung parliament -- the auto industry could be faced with an industry minister less amenable than the incumbent, Kim Carr (himself not entirely pin-up of the month material, as far as the industry's concerned). Although nothing has been said outright, the industry -- and especially the local manufacturers -- would be anxious about a new government's lack of support for the current New Car Plan and the Green Car Innovation Fund.
"Let's just say that voodoo economics did not die with Ronald Reagan," said our source, "it lives on in Sophie's office."
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Whether it's from the www, the latest motor show or the back doors of a carmaker near you, Carsales Network Confidential features the good oil other sources either won't publish, don't care about or don't know. Heard an automotive rumour or new model tip? Then let us know - editor@carpoint.com.au
Safety stoush
Mercedes-Benz and the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) are on opposing sides of a heated debate concerning the merits of MUARC's crash safety data.
According to MUARC, the Benz Vito van is not as safe as Ford's Transit van. Benz executives have come out fighting in response. At least one media outlet and a motoring association have been caught up in the ensuing vortex of words.
Benz management types are fit to be tied, since the MUARC findings don't square with ANCAP test results that rate the Vito a five-star-safe commercial vehicle. It confuses the safety message from Mulgrave at a time when the importer is arguing that employers are putting their staff at risk in fleet vehicles that aren't safe enough -- and there are plainly occupational health and safety ramifications that could cost companies big time.
Benz's Senior Manager for Corporate Communications, David McCarthy, has been tirelessly defending the company and its products from what he questions as misleading information out there in the marketplace.
"[MUARC] rates vehicles in terms of the occupants' ability to survive a crash; the ability of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users [to survive] if hit by one of these vehicles. They rate the Ford Transit as safer than our Vito/Viano, but also safer than a VE Commodore," he told the Carsales Network.
"Whilst I accept that there can be differences in how you calculate data and how you gather it... I asked [MUARC] how they accounted for different road conditions, different times, different temperatures, different drivers, different vehicle condition -- all these factors. I was told they had a very calculated algorithm."
Plainly unimpressed by that answer, McCarthy told the Carsales Network that he is yet to see the road safety organisation's data in detail. In the absence of hard data from MUARC he backs comments from Benz safety expert, Ullrich Mellinghof, who has been in Australia recently to meet the local media and assess the Australian road safety environment for himself.
"When I discussed this with Mellinghof..." said McCarthy, "he said to me that he does not accept [MUARC's] data. He said that it is simply inconceivable... that this vehicle [the Transit] could rate higher than our Vito or Viano...
"Look, let's put aside Transit versus Vito/Viano, let's look at Transit versus VE Commodore..." he continued. Even if readers have never heard of the Vito or the Viano, says McCarthy, surely they would recognise the top-selling car in the nation -- and its safety credentials.
Where does that leave Benz, we asked? Would the importer seek legal redress through the courts if it came to that?
"I don't see any point in giving further validity to something that's discredited," McCarthy answered. "In all these things, the punter reads it and the punter will make his or her own assessment. In the example that a VE Commodore is less safe than a Transit, I can't accept that..."
Presumably punters familiar with the Commodore wouldn't either.
"Would we want to sue them?" he continued. "No, I think why give something more oxygen when it needs to be starved of it?"
Impreza concept heralds future design strategy?
Following the publication of our original story -- and out of curiosity -- we checked with Subaru Australia's National Corporate Affairs Manager, David Rowley, concerning the Impreza concept car the company introduced at the LA motor show. Rowley was under strict instructions not to discuss the new concept prior to its debut.
In the article published by the Carsales Network, we surmised that the concept may point to future design directions for Subaru. That has since been revealed to be the case.
On the basis of a 'smoke and fire' analogy, we subscribed to the view that where there are concepts, there is design disharmony. For a company such as Subaru to produce firstly the gullwing hybrid tourer design study for Tokyo last year and now the new concept for LA, the company seems to be casting around for a new corporate look.
Rowley isn't unduly concerned about reports in the media and feedback from the public concerning the current Impreza and Liberty/Outback models. As he said, both cars are selling better than the models they replaced -- and that's usually a sign of satisfaction that supersedes any other factors in the way a car is perceived by the market.
"Customer feedback and media perception is certainly something that we and Fuji [Heavy Industries] take on board," he replied. "Having said that, in terms of the current Liberty and Outback for example, the increases in the sales of those two models confirm that our customers are looking at the overall package -- in terms of Subaru traits... durability, safety, retained value, engineering. So they're looking at the holistic thing, they're not just looking at design when they go and buy their car."
But if Subaru does buy into the alleged public backlash to the styling of the volume-selling models -- and history suggests the company might -- that would certainly support the contention that the LA concept will pioneer a new styling theme for Subaru's entire product portfolio -- not just the Impreza -- just as the SLS Gullwing has done for Mercedes-Benz.
"I certainly wouldn't downplay the importance of styling in the purchase decision," Rowley responded. "I would underline that Fuji do take criticism -- both good and bad -- on board, over time. Some of the very recent concepts -- likely to include this latest one in LA -- no doubt provide some exciting clues as to the [company's] future design direction."
First Dan
Dan Akerson, the man who replaced Ed Whitacre at the very pinnacle of the General Motors management hierarchy, seems to be determined to make a name for himself. And his preferred name appears to be 'cockeyed optimist'.
As reported by the Detroit Free Press on October 28, Akerson was talking up a jobs boost for the Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan, shortly to forego production of the Cadillac STS, but then slated to start a second shift building the Cadillac ATS. The ATS is a car smaller than the Cadillac CTS model and is to be pitted against BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Reportedly built on GM's rear-drive Alpha platform (the 'A' in ATS), the new model is expected to be Cadillac's game-changer in Europe. The Cadillac brand has not made major inroads into European markets, with the CTS failing to make an impact there. Based on a Saab, the Cadillac BLS has been even more a flop.
The smaller ATS, when it arrives, is Cadillac's best chance of changing market perceptions outside North America, but it's going to be struggling in the face of Akerson's brash words quoted in the press.
"We've ceded this segment of the market to our foreign competitors for far too long," Akerson said.
And what words of high praise did he have for the segment leader, the car that is the benchmark by which any other car in the segment will be judged?
"They call it the C-Class because it's very average."
Now he might have been joking -- but what does that say of his own company's CTS?
Mondo Voodoo in Canberra
Word has reached us here in Schloss Carsales that the head honcho of a Japanese car importer has met with Sophie Mirabella, shadow industry minister. This particular meeting has sounded alarm bells in the precinct of a completely different car company.
A company insider there tells us that the said honcho, who has spoken candidly in the past about government assistance for local auto manufacturing, was warmly received by Ms Mirabella.
Our source expressed concern the opposition MP shares at least some of the views of the auto industry exec she met. Should the current Gillard government lose power -- and it wouldn't take much in a hung parliament -- the auto industry could be faced with an industry minister less amenable than the incumbent, Kim Carr (himself not entirely pin-up of the month material, as far as the industry's concerned). Although nothing has been said outright, the industry -- and especially the local manufacturers -- would be anxious about a new government's lack of support for the current New Car Plan and the Green Car Innovation Fund.
"Let's just say that voodoo economics did not die with Ronald Reagan," said our source, "it lives on in Sophie's office."
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Young Aussie rocket faster than Vettel!
Perth's Daniel Ricciardo has proven again that he has the speed to be an F1 driver with two scintillating days of testing in Abu Dhabi, but he doesn't know when he's going to get on a GP grid
Twenty one-year-old Australian Daniel Ricciardo has lapped Abu Dhabi's grand prix track faster than new world champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber -- but still doesn't know whether and when he will get to race in Formula One.
Ricciardo's racing future is to be decided before Christmas by Red Bull motorsport supremo, Austrian ex-F1 driver Dr Helmut Marko.
The West Australian may have to do one more year in a junior category as Red Bull Racing has Germany's new world champion Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber contracted again next season, and smaller sister team Toro Rosso has committed to Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari.
However, Ricciardo will get another F1 outing this month -- some demonstration runs at Perth's new Festival of Speed at Barbagallo Raceway on Sunday, November 28.
Ricciardo, of Duncraig in Perth, has won 24 races in Europe in the past three seasons, taken two titles -- including the prestigious British Formula Three Championship last year -- and been runner-up in two other series, most recently the World Series by Renault for 3.5-litre V6 openwheeler cars.
Possibilities for next year are the GP2 category, a support series to F1 at many GPs, or another season in the Renault series.
Ricciardo lapped Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit overnight 1.3 seconds faster than Vettel did in taking pole position for last weekend's season-ending GP, at which he became F1's youngest world champion at 23.
Ricciardo, at the wheel of the Red Bull RB6 car that Webber drove in that race, was more than 1.8 seconds quicker than his countryman -- a veteran of almost 160 GPs -- was last weekend.
Ricciardo's best lap last night was 1 minute 38.102 seconds as headed testing for potential F1 drivers for the second and final day in Abu Dhabi.
Vettel's pole position time last Saturday was 1 minute 39.394 seconds, while Webber qualified fifth at 1 minute 39.925 seconds.
F1 experts estimated the Yas Marina track was about 1.5 seconds faster last night than on the weekend, with more traction as much more rubber had been laid on the racing line from more than a dozen F1 aspirants circulating each of the past two days.
Ricciardo drove 77 laps last night -- almost 1½ times a GP distance -- and the second fastest driver on trial, Belgian Jerome D'Ambrosio in a Renault, was 0.7 seconds slower.
"I had the most amazing time in the car," Ricciardo said. "The team (Red Bull Racing) seemed very pleased, which is really nice for me and I got on so well with everyone over the two days.
"It's an amazing experience to work with so many people who are all focused on one car -- it is such a professional team effort.
"I'm not sure what this test will mean for next year, but I know even more now that this is where I want to be.
"Whether I might be in F1 next year or the following, I will do everything to make sure it happens -- and I think this test has probably helped me.
"I feel like I've had a really eventful season (runner-up in the World Series by Renault and F1 reserve driver for Red Bull) and now with the F1 test over I can step back a bit -- I've done what I can.
"It's been an amazing experience and I hope I can repeat it again soon."
The car Ricciardo -- and Webber -- will demonstrate in Perth on November 28 will be an older, Cosworth-engined Red Bull, rather than the Renault-powered RB6.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Twenty one-year-old Australian Daniel Ricciardo has lapped Abu Dhabi's grand prix track faster than new world champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber -- but still doesn't know whether and when he will get to race in Formula One.
Ricciardo's racing future is to be decided before Christmas by Red Bull motorsport supremo, Austrian ex-F1 driver Dr Helmut Marko.
The West Australian may have to do one more year in a junior category as Red Bull Racing has Germany's new world champion Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber contracted again next season, and smaller sister team Toro Rosso has committed to Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari.
However, Ricciardo will get another F1 outing this month -- some demonstration runs at Perth's new Festival of Speed at Barbagallo Raceway on Sunday, November 28.
Ricciardo, of Duncraig in Perth, has won 24 races in Europe in the past three seasons, taken two titles -- including the prestigious British Formula Three Championship last year -- and been runner-up in two other series, most recently the World Series by Renault for 3.5-litre V6 openwheeler cars.
Possibilities for next year are the GP2 category, a support series to F1 at many GPs, or another season in the Renault series.
Ricciardo lapped Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit overnight 1.3 seconds faster than Vettel did in taking pole position for last weekend's season-ending GP, at which he became F1's youngest world champion at 23.
Ricciardo, at the wheel of the Red Bull RB6 car that Webber drove in that race, was more than 1.8 seconds quicker than his countryman -- a veteran of almost 160 GPs -- was last weekend.
Ricciardo's best lap last night was 1 minute 38.102 seconds as headed testing for potential F1 drivers for the second and final day in Abu Dhabi.
Vettel's pole position time last Saturday was 1 minute 39.394 seconds, while Webber qualified fifth at 1 minute 39.925 seconds.
F1 experts estimated the Yas Marina track was about 1.5 seconds faster last night than on the weekend, with more traction as much more rubber had been laid on the racing line from more than a dozen F1 aspirants circulating each of the past two days.
Ricciardo drove 77 laps last night -- almost 1½ times a GP distance -- and the second fastest driver on trial, Belgian Jerome D'Ambrosio in a Renault, was 0.7 seconds slower.
"I had the most amazing time in the car," Ricciardo said. "The team (Red Bull Racing) seemed very pleased, which is really nice for me and I got on so well with everyone over the two days.
"It's an amazing experience to work with so many people who are all focused on one car -- it is such a professional team effort.
"I'm not sure what this test will mean for next year, but I know even more now that this is where I want to be.
"Whether I might be in F1 next year or the following, I will do everything to make sure it happens -- and I think this test has probably helped me.
"I feel like I've had a really eventful season (runner-up in the World Series by Renault and F1 reserve driver for Red Bull) and now with the F1 test over I can step back a bit -- I've done what I can.
"It's been an amazing experience and I hope I can repeat it again soon."
The car Ricciardo -- and Webber -- will demonstrate in Perth on November 28 will be an older, Cosworth-engined Red Bull, rather than the Renault-powered RB6.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Thứ Bảy, 24 tháng 3, 2012
Winds of change generate a whole new sameness
Amid the deluge of tiny electric city cars coming on stream through motor shows to market, it's getting hard to tell one from the next
The announcement of another new-name electric city car at November's LA Auto Show came and went. The pool is expanding and a great school of such vehicles is swimming upstream to get to it. Not just from big-name makers like Mitsubishi (i-MiEV), Nissan (Leaf, Townpod) and BMW (MCV) -- they're the lucky ones with well-built brand platforms from which to make the transition into the EV and alt-fuels market.
But beneath them is a horde of new names and less well-knowns jumping on an opportunity to raise their profiles or start over. With predictions abounding that the mainstream global car market could be 20 per cent electric-powered by 2020, it's not surprising that the auto media is drowning in material from manufacturers well known, less known and unknown alike.
Among the reams of material emanating from this month's LA Auto Show was a release announcing the arrival of yet another new name when US EV specialist Wheego took the wraps off its Whip LiFe EV (pictured), staking its claim in what it hopes will one day be a serious chunk of the mainstream auto market.
The LiFe, a tiny city car straight from the smart fortwo, Toyota iQ et al mould, gets its steam from a 45 kW electric motor powered by a 115 volt Li-ion battery pack. It produces 128 Nm of torque and will make up to 160 km on a single charge. A top-up charge from 50 to 100 per cent takes about five hours off a 240 volt outlet. Regenerative braking helps stretch its range with constant battery top-ups.
Wheego has equipped it with what's fast becoming standard kit in the light car market -- two airbags, ABS, power steering and an AM/FM CD player with MP3 and USB ports, plus remote central locking and power windows and mirrors.
Production of the LiFe has already started, with the car reaching dealerships late November at a base price of US$32,995 (AUD$33,755), before federal tax credits of up to US$7500 cut in.
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the LiFe is its increasing lack of upstandingness. Wheego has popped up as one more in a growing phalanx of new names looking to stake their claim in the new goldfields of the EV and altfuels sectors. Names like Tesla, Fisker and Aptera are already well known, thanks more to well funded publicity campaigns than sales at this point (the latter two have generated plenty of noise in the US without having yet sold a unit). But others are growing profile now too, often care of some radical ideas built into their concept vehicles.
Take UK company Riversimple. Their two-seat city car is revolutionary in several ways. It uses an electric motor on each wheel; these draw power from a small (6kW) hydrogen fuel cell and a bank of ultracapacitors fed by its energy regeneration systems. Riversimple has kept the weight down to 350kg by using mainly carbonfibre composite body panels and subframe. The company claims a potential range of 300-400 km on a single fill of its 1kg hydrogen tank, which calculates out to about 1.0L/100km and 30g/km CO2. All that and -- perhaps most radically of all -- the blueprints are open-source, inviting input from anyone who thinks they can help.
Meanwhile, French company Lumeneo has come up with something called the Smera, a tandem two-seat affair reminiscent of the Messerschmidt 'bubble cars', but powered by a 15kW electric motor producing an astonishing claimed 1000Nm of torque. That's bound to be a hoot in a 450 kg midget that leans into corners like an enclosed bike.
Closer to home is Eday Life, an Australian company that's been looking to China to source a small EV possibly a single platform available with electric, LPG and petrol power options. Eday is also investigating business models based on a two-year battery-lease program, part of a wider whole-of-life vehicle management strategy.
The top-shelf contenders and pretenders
The supercar market isn't without its contenders and pretenders either. And not just in imagination grabbers like Audi's R8-based e-tron. To quote a Swiss outfit called Protoscar, who describe themselves as "Clean Car Shapers", "electric drive-trains are mature and perform sufficiently well to be a solution for all types of vehicles, not just city cars. This includes premium cars, the segment through which most new technologies have successfully been introduced into the market." As an example that "impressively demonstrates that", the company used the 2010 Geneva show to serve up the Lampo 2, a none-too-pretty pitch at Tesla's Roadster based on GM's now defunct Kappa platform. It uses a 30 kWh Li-ion battery pack powering two electric motors -- one per axle, allowing variable torque distribution among all four wheels -- for a total claimed output of 260 kW and 600 Nm. That's enough for a 0-100 km/h dash in around five seconds, a 200 km/h top speed and a range of "over 200 km". All with the ability to absorb "an extra 100 km of additional range" in just ten minutes off a DC fast-charge point.
German outfit e-Wolf generated loads of copy with pics of its Lambo-esque e2 electric supercar in 2009. A year later, the company has gone remarkably quiet, its ludicrously vain website having disappeared. Not so Swedish photovoltaics specialist NVL, which teamed up with sportscar maker Koenigsegg to adorn the 2009 Geneva motor show with a massive four seat, gullwinged electric sportsbarge called the Quant. Driven by a 150 kW motor inside each of its 23-inch wheels, it powers its instruments and helps keeps its charge up with the help of photovoltaic pyrite film over its carbon fibre body panels.
NVL turned up again at the 2010 Geneva show without Koenigsegg but with a working prototype of the Quant. The figures being bandied around are staggering, especially the 2.7 second 0-100 acceleration time. Questions remain about much of the technical detail.
At the same show, Italian design house I.DE.A Institute (Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering) rolled out its Sophia concept, a Karma-esque sedan designed from scratch to accommodate a V8 petrol or hybrid powertrain. Despite the abundance of superlatives in the press material for the concept -- "Italian to the core: its shape, its look, its elegance and name are instantly recognized as being synonymous with Italian styling and beauty" etc -- nothing has been heard about it since.
Opportunity to boost profile
Actually, I.DE.A fits more appropriately among that other group in the mix: names that aren't so new but are using changing times to gain a leg-up from obscurity, boost their profiles or expand out of limited markets. Norwegian specialist Think, for example, has been producing EVs since the early 1990s; current conditions have changed to provide what might appear a God-given springboard to success of the kind its people could only dream of a decade ago. Think certainly seems to think so, given how much of its recent media activity has revolved around getting its executive mix right for growth.
Then there's Gordon Murray -- the engineering brains behind McLaren's legendary 1990s F1, for a while the world's fastest road car. Murray's moved on to something altogether less spectacular, but likely more applicable on a mass scale. The T.27 electric city car, a joint project with UK EV and hybrid engineering outfit Zytek, is just 2.3 metres long with a 12 kW/h Li-ion battery pack powering a 25kW electric motor driving the rear wheels. Much of the T.27's USP lies in the packaging of its entire powertrain -- battery, motor, transmission, power management unit -- in a single module. The car is good for a claimed 130-160 km, with CO2 emissions calculated at somewhere around 48 g/km combined when it's charged from the standard UK grid.
Swiss custom house Rinspeed is best known for garish chop-and-tweak jobs on Porsches and the like for the Arab and Russian quarters. Until last year, at least, when it took the covers off a radical road-rail concept called UC. It's a small city car that can be hitched in multiples like a train to ride the inter-city rails, at least partially solving some of the range problems that restrict EVs to city use.
And venerated Italian design house Pininfarina has been busy on EV concepts aimed at the mass market. First came the Bluecar, (initially B0 or B-Zero), a small four-seater developed with French battery specialist Bollore. It was designed from scratch as a ready-to-roll production model and went on sale in late 2009. Following its debut at the Geneva motor show in March, the car has generated more than 6000 orders. Deliveries begin early in 2011.
Now comes the Nido platform, developed in-house at Pininfarina's Cambiano studios. The aim is, once again, affordability with the flexibility to produce it in different body styles -- two- and four-seat city cars, a pickup and a van. The company plans to use an Audi-style aluminium space frame to keep the kilos down.
The Nido's 30 kW electric motor drives the rear wheels. Unusually, it's powered by a nickel-salt Zebra battery -- a formula high on the energy density scale but marred by high operating temperatures. Power-to-weight is what counts, and Pininfarina reckons that 21.2 kW/h from a relatively light 180 kg leaves it with plenty of margin to deal with the heat. It helps that the nickel-salt formula contains nothing toxic (at least until you look back to the process of mining nickel...) and allows for full recyclability. The company claims a range of about 140 km and 0-100 sprint time inside seven seconds. It's looking at future Nido product with hybrid power as well.
Indian giant Tata has hit the EV trail as well, using the Geneva show to debut an all-electric version of its tiny four-seat Nano. The company claims a range of 160km and acceleration of 0-60km/h in under 10 seconds. It joins the company's Indica Vista EV, already on sale in Europe.
At end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 the wires were buzzing with rumours that Caterham was looking at extending its stock in trade, the open-wheeled Seven roadster, to include electric and/or hybrid powertrains. The noise has died down, so it appears the company has shelved such plans for the time being.
Don't expect it to be forever, though. No nook or cranny of the industry is immune to the winds of change.
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The announcement of another new-name electric city car at November's LA Auto Show came and went. The pool is expanding and a great school of such vehicles is swimming upstream to get to it. Not just from big-name makers like Mitsubishi (i-MiEV), Nissan (Leaf, Townpod) and BMW (MCV) -- they're the lucky ones with well-built brand platforms from which to make the transition into the EV and alt-fuels market.
But beneath them is a horde of new names and less well-knowns jumping on an opportunity to raise their profiles or start over. With predictions abounding that the mainstream global car market could be 20 per cent electric-powered by 2020, it's not surprising that the auto media is drowning in material from manufacturers well known, less known and unknown alike.
Among the reams of material emanating from this month's LA Auto Show was a release announcing the arrival of yet another new name when US EV specialist Wheego took the wraps off its Whip LiFe EV (pictured), staking its claim in what it hopes will one day be a serious chunk of the mainstream auto market.
The LiFe, a tiny city car straight from the smart fortwo, Toyota iQ et al mould, gets its steam from a 45 kW electric motor powered by a 115 volt Li-ion battery pack. It produces 128 Nm of torque and will make up to 160 km on a single charge. A top-up charge from 50 to 100 per cent takes about five hours off a 240 volt outlet. Regenerative braking helps stretch its range with constant battery top-ups.
Wheego has equipped it with what's fast becoming standard kit in the light car market -- two airbags, ABS, power steering and an AM/FM CD player with MP3 and USB ports, plus remote central locking and power windows and mirrors.
Production of the LiFe has already started, with the car reaching dealerships late November at a base price of US$32,995 (AUD$33,755), before federal tax credits of up to US$7500 cut in.
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the LiFe is its increasing lack of upstandingness. Wheego has popped up as one more in a growing phalanx of new names looking to stake their claim in the new goldfields of the EV and altfuels sectors. Names like Tesla, Fisker and Aptera are already well known, thanks more to well funded publicity campaigns than sales at this point (the latter two have generated plenty of noise in the US without having yet sold a unit). But others are growing profile now too, often care of some radical ideas built into their concept vehicles.
Take UK company Riversimple. Their two-seat city car is revolutionary in several ways. It uses an electric motor on each wheel; these draw power from a small (6kW) hydrogen fuel cell and a bank of ultracapacitors fed by its energy regeneration systems. Riversimple has kept the weight down to 350kg by using mainly carbonfibre composite body panels and subframe. The company claims a potential range of 300-400 km on a single fill of its 1kg hydrogen tank, which calculates out to about 1.0L/100km and 30g/km CO2. All that and -- perhaps most radically of all -- the blueprints are open-source, inviting input from anyone who thinks they can help.
Meanwhile, French company Lumeneo has come up with something called the Smera, a tandem two-seat affair reminiscent of the Messerschmidt 'bubble cars', but powered by a 15kW electric motor producing an astonishing claimed 1000Nm of torque. That's bound to be a hoot in a 450 kg midget that leans into corners like an enclosed bike.
Closer to home is Eday Life, an Australian company that's been looking to China to source a small EV possibly a single platform available with electric, LPG and petrol power options. Eday is also investigating business models based on a two-year battery-lease program, part of a wider whole-of-life vehicle management strategy.
The top-shelf contenders and pretenders
The supercar market isn't without its contenders and pretenders either. And not just in imagination grabbers like Audi's R8-based e-tron. To quote a Swiss outfit called Protoscar, who describe themselves as "Clean Car Shapers", "electric drive-trains are mature and perform sufficiently well to be a solution for all types of vehicles, not just city cars. This includes premium cars, the segment through which most new technologies have successfully been introduced into the market." As an example that "impressively demonstrates that", the company used the 2010 Geneva show to serve up the Lampo 2, a none-too-pretty pitch at Tesla's Roadster based on GM's now defunct Kappa platform. It uses a 30 kWh Li-ion battery pack powering two electric motors -- one per axle, allowing variable torque distribution among all four wheels -- for a total claimed output of 260 kW and 600 Nm. That's enough for a 0-100 km/h dash in around five seconds, a 200 km/h top speed and a range of "over 200 km". All with the ability to absorb "an extra 100 km of additional range" in just ten minutes off a DC fast-charge point.
German outfit e-Wolf generated loads of copy with pics of its Lambo-esque e2 electric supercar in 2009. A year later, the company has gone remarkably quiet, its ludicrously vain website having disappeared. Not so Swedish photovoltaics specialist NVL, which teamed up with sportscar maker Koenigsegg to adorn the 2009 Geneva motor show with a massive four seat, gullwinged electric sportsbarge called the Quant. Driven by a 150 kW motor inside each of its 23-inch wheels, it powers its instruments and helps keeps its charge up with the help of photovoltaic pyrite film over its carbon fibre body panels.
NVL turned up again at the 2010 Geneva show without Koenigsegg but with a working prototype of the Quant. The figures being bandied around are staggering, especially the 2.7 second 0-100 acceleration time. Questions remain about much of the technical detail.
At the same show, Italian design house I.DE.A Institute (Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering) rolled out its Sophia concept, a Karma-esque sedan designed from scratch to accommodate a V8 petrol or hybrid powertrain. Despite the abundance of superlatives in the press material for the concept -- "Italian to the core: its shape, its look, its elegance and name are instantly recognized as being synonymous with Italian styling and beauty" etc -- nothing has been heard about it since.
Opportunity to boost profile
Actually, I.DE.A fits more appropriately among that other group in the mix: names that aren't so new but are using changing times to gain a leg-up from obscurity, boost their profiles or expand out of limited markets. Norwegian specialist Think, for example, has been producing EVs since the early 1990s; current conditions have changed to provide what might appear a God-given springboard to success of the kind its people could only dream of a decade ago. Think certainly seems to think so, given how much of its recent media activity has revolved around getting its executive mix right for growth.
Then there's Gordon Murray -- the engineering brains behind McLaren's legendary 1990s F1, for a while the world's fastest road car. Murray's moved on to something altogether less spectacular, but likely more applicable on a mass scale. The T.27 electric city car, a joint project with UK EV and hybrid engineering outfit Zytek, is just 2.3 metres long with a 12 kW/h Li-ion battery pack powering a 25kW electric motor driving the rear wheels. Much of the T.27's USP lies in the packaging of its entire powertrain -- battery, motor, transmission, power management unit -- in a single module. The car is good for a claimed 130-160 km, with CO2 emissions calculated at somewhere around 48 g/km combined when it's charged from the standard UK grid.
Swiss custom house Rinspeed is best known for garish chop-and-tweak jobs on Porsches and the like for the Arab and Russian quarters. Until last year, at least, when it took the covers off a radical road-rail concept called UC. It's a small city car that can be hitched in multiples like a train to ride the inter-city rails, at least partially solving some of the range problems that restrict EVs to city use.
And venerated Italian design house Pininfarina has been busy on EV concepts aimed at the mass market. First came the Bluecar, (initially B0 or B-Zero), a small four-seater developed with French battery specialist Bollore. It was designed from scratch as a ready-to-roll production model and went on sale in late 2009. Following its debut at the Geneva motor show in March, the car has generated more than 6000 orders. Deliveries begin early in 2011.
Now comes the Nido platform, developed in-house at Pininfarina's Cambiano studios. The aim is, once again, affordability with the flexibility to produce it in different body styles -- two- and four-seat city cars, a pickup and a van. The company plans to use an Audi-style aluminium space frame to keep the kilos down.
The Nido's 30 kW electric motor drives the rear wheels. Unusually, it's powered by a nickel-salt Zebra battery -- a formula high on the energy density scale but marred by high operating temperatures. Power-to-weight is what counts, and Pininfarina reckons that 21.2 kW/h from a relatively light 180 kg leaves it with plenty of margin to deal with the heat. It helps that the nickel-salt formula contains nothing toxic (at least until you look back to the process of mining nickel...) and allows for full recyclability. The company claims a range of about 140 km and 0-100 sprint time inside seven seconds. It's looking at future Nido product with hybrid power as well.
Indian giant Tata has hit the EV trail as well, using the Geneva show to debut an all-electric version of its tiny four-seat Nano. The company claims a range of 160km and acceleration of 0-60km/h in under 10 seconds. It joins the company's Indica Vista EV, already on sale in Europe.
At end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 the wires were buzzing with rumours that Caterham was looking at extending its stock in trade, the open-wheeled Seven roadster, to include electric and/or hybrid powertrains. The noise has died down, so it appears the company has shelved such plans for the time being.
Don't expect it to be forever, though. No nook or cranny of the industry is immune to the winds of change.
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Top safety marks for A1, Countryman and Sportage
Mixed results as latest Euro NCAP test sees several comers miss out on five-star rating
Recent crash testing by the European New Car Assessment Program has seen mixed results for several new comers.
Of note, four models available on the Australian market scored top safety marks with Audi's new A1 hatch, the Kia Sportage, MINI Countryman and Volkswagen Passat all achieving a maximum possible five-star result. Elsewhere, however, results were not as positive.
Jaguar's latest executive sedan, the XF, scored a four-star result in the latest round of tests. The rating was said to be limited by both adult and child protection. EuroNCAP announced that in the side pole impact test, Jaguar XF's chest protection was rated as 'weak'. Similarly, the car's seat and head restraint offered only 'marginal' whiplash protection.
On the small car front, Nissan's new Micra fell short of top marks with EuroNCAP rewarding the light hatch with a four-star result. Despite a full complement of airbags, stability control and front and rear crumple zones, Micra was marked down for its pedestrian impact protection, insufficient labelling of airbag dangers in relation to rearward facing child seats and chest protection during the side pole impact test. Whiplash protection in the event of a rear-end collision was also rated as 'marginal'.
Commercial new comer Volkswagen Amarok also received a four-star result. The vehicle offered the best pedestrian protection of any commercial utility yet tested by EuroNCAP but scored a 'poor' level of chest protection in the side pole impact test. In frontal collisions, the Amarok offered 'good' knee and femur protection but only 'marginal' neck protection when struck from the rear. Like Micra, VW's new commercial vehicle also lost points for the insufficient labelling of airbag dangers in relation to rearward facing child seats.
Unlike many commercial vehicles currently available on the Australian market, the Volkswagen Amarok will come standard with stability control.
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Recent crash testing by the European New Car Assessment Program has seen mixed results for several new comers.
Of note, four models available on the Australian market scored top safety marks with Audi's new A1 hatch, the Kia Sportage, MINI Countryman and Volkswagen Passat all achieving a maximum possible five-star result. Elsewhere, however, results were not as positive.
Jaguar's latest executive sedan, the XF, scored a four-star result in the latest round of tests. The rating was said to be limited by both adult and child protection. EuroNCAP announced that in the side pole impact test, Jaguar XF's chest protection was rated as 'weak'. Similarly, the car's seat and head restraint offered only 'marginal' whiplash protection.
On the small car front, Nissan's new Micra fell short of top marks with EuroNCAP rewarding the light hatch with a four-star result. Despite a full complement of airbags, stability control and front and rear crumple zones, Micra was marked down for its pedestrian impact protection, insufficient labelling of airbag dangers in relation to rearward facing child seats and chest protection during the side pole impact test. Whiplash protection in the event of a rear-end collision was also rated as 'marginal'.
Commercial new comer Volkswagen Amarok also received a four-star result. The vehicle offered the best pedestrian protection of any commercial utility yet tested by EuroNCAP but scored a 'poor' level of chest protection in the side pole impact test. In frontal collisions, the Amarok offered 'good' knee and femur protection but only 'marginal' neck protection when struck from the rear. Like Micra, VW's new commercial vehicle also lost points for the insufficient labelling of airbag dangers in relation to rearward facing child seats.
Unlike many commercial vehicles currently available on the Australian market, the Volkswagen Amarok will come standard with stability control.
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Porsche unleashes updated 911 GT3 RSR
Stuttgart reveals the latest big daddy of its 911-based motorsport range
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Porsche recently revealed its 2011 GT3 Cup racer and now the Stuttgart mob has unleashed the even more feral 911 GT3 RSR.
Although based on last year's car, the newbie has scored a host of mods that allegedly boost its pace and driveability. It was unveiled at the "Night of Champions" party held at the R&D Centre in Weissach to mark the end of the motorsport season.
Porsche says it focused primarily on the car's aerodynamics, but it's also tweaked the suspension kinematics and engine. The 4.0-litre flat-six now cranks out 355kW at 7800rpm, four kilowatts more than its predecessor.
The extra neddies were harnessed via a revised engine management system that adapts better to different fuel grades, as well as a redesigned exhaust system and a modified air intake housing.
Apart from producing more power, Porsche says the driveability of the engine has also improved. Maximum revs remain unchanged at 9400rpm.
Meanwhile, the aero enhancements include a new front lip that provides higher downforce over the front axle. The rear wing and wing mounting have also been reprofiled and were adapted to the new rear fairing with additional air outlet louvres. The rear lid was also redesigned for optimised air ducting.
Front-end grip is said to further benefit from a wider footprint, with the rims growing from 11 to 12 inches to lessen understeer.
As per the 911 GT3 Cup and the GT3 R that sit below it in the Porsche Motorsport range, the RSR is now equipped with the LED rear lights taken from the latest 911 road-legal cars.
The Weissach-built long-distance racer can now be ordered from the factory at a price that equates to $550,000 in our money -- excluding duties, taxes and shipping. Alternatively, those who already own a 2010 GT3 RSR can order the 2011 modifications in kit form.
FAST FACTS: PORSCHE GT3 RSR (2011 MODEL YEAR)
Engine: 3996cc water-cooled flat-six
Power: 335kW at 7800rpm
Torque: 450Nm
Air restrictors: 2 x 28.6 mm
Max revs: 9400 rpm
Transmission: Porsche six-speed sequential gearbox; three-plate carbon-fibre clutch; rear wheel drive; limited slip differential 45/65 percent.
Body: Monocoque body (basis GT3 RS); bespoke front spoiler; aerodynamically optimised front underfloor; adjustable rear wing; 90-litre FT3 safety fuel tank with fast filling function; air jack.
Cockpit: Welded-in safety cage; race seat (driver's side only) with flame retardant upholstery; six-point seat belt adapted for use of the HANS Head and Neck Support; electric fire extinguishing system.
Suspension: Front -- McPherson spring strut axle; Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers; double coil springs (main and auxiliary); front axle arms adjustable for camber; adjustable sword-type anti-roll bar; power steering.
Rear -- Multi-arm axle with rigidly mounted axle sub-frame; Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers; double coil springs (main and auxiliary); rear axle tie-bar reinforced and infinitely adjustable; adjustable sword-type anti-roll bar.
Complete suspension infinitely adjustable (height, camber, track).
Brakes: Front -- Single-piece six-piston aluminium fixed callipers; inner vented, 380mm; racing brake pads.
Rear -- Single-piece four-piston aluminium fixed callipers; inner vented, 355mm; racing brake pads.
Wheels: Front -- Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (12J x 18 ET 34); central bolt; Rear -- Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (13J x 18 ET 12.5); central bolt.
Weight: 1220 kg
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Porsche recently revealed its 2011 GT3 Cup racer and now the Stuttgart mob has unleashed the even more feral 911 GT3 RSR.
Although based on last year's car, the newbie has scored a host of mods that allegedly boost its pace and driveability. It was unveiled at the "Night of Champions" party held at the R&D Centre in Weissach to mark the end of the motorsport season.
Porsche says it focused primarily on the car's aerodynamics, but it's also tweaked the suspension kinematics and engine. The 4.0-litre flat-six now cranks out 355kW at 7800rpm, four kilowatts more than its predecessor.
The extra neddies were harnessed via a revised engine management system that adapts better to different fuel grades, as well as a redesigned exhaust system and a modified air intake housing.
Apart from producing more power, Porsche says the driveability of the engine has also improved. Maximum revs remain unchanged at 9400rpm.
Meanwhile, the aero enhancements include a new front lip that provides higher downforce over the front axle. The rear wing and wing mounting have also been reprofiled and were adapted to the new rear fairing with additional air outlet louvres. The rear lid was also redesigned for optimised air ducting.
Front-end grip is said to further benefit from a wider footprint, with the rims growing from 11 to 12 inches to lessen understeer.
As per the 911 GT3 Cup and the GT3 R that sit below it in the Porsche Motorsport range, the RSR is now equipped with the LED rear lights taken from the latest 911 road-legal cars.
The Weissach-built long-distance racer can now be ordered from the factory at a price that equates to $550,000 in our money -- excluding duties, taxes and shipping. Alternatively, those who already own a 2010 GT3 RSR can order the 2011 modifications in kit form.
FAST FACTS: PORSCHE GT3 RSR (2011 MODEL YEAR)
Engine: 3996cc water-cooled flat-six
Power: 335kW at 7800rpm
Torque: 450Nm
Air restrictors: 2 x 28.6 mm
Max revs: 9400 rpm
Transmission: Porsche six-speed sequential gearbox; three-plate carbon-fibre clutch; rear wheel drive; limited slip differential 45/65 percent.
Body: Monocoque body (basis GT3 RS); bespoke front spoiler; aerodynamically optimised front underfloor; adjustable rear wing; 90-litre FT3 safety fuel tank with fast filling function; air jack.
Cockpit: Welded-in safety cage; race seat (driver's side only) with flame retardant upholstery; six-point seat belt adapted for use of the HANS Head and Neck Support; electric fire extinguishing system.
Suspension: Front -- McPherson spring strut axle; Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers; double coil springs (main and auxiliary); front axle arms adjustable for camber; adjustable sword-type anti-roll bar; power steering.
Rear -- Multi-arm axle with rigidly mounted axle sub-frame; Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers; double coil springs (main and auxiliary); rear axle tie-bar reinforced and infinitely adjustable; adjustable sword-type anti-roll bar.
Complete suspension infinitely adjustable (height, camber, track).
Brakes: Front -- Single-piece six-piston aluminium fixed callipers; inner vented, 380mm; racing brake pads.
Rear -- Single-piece four-piston aluminium fixed callipers; inner vented, 355mm; racing brake pads.
Wheels: Front -- Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (12J x 18 ET 34); central bolt; Rear -- Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (13J x 18 ET 12.5); central bolt.
Weight: 1220 kg
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Ferrari wagon set for Geneva debut
612 Shooting Brake concept set to push Ferrari's design envelope
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A Ferrari insider has told UK publication AutoExpress that the Italian brand is preparing something "very different" for the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The report suggests a shooting brake concept based on the 612 Scaglietti (pictured) will premiere on the prancing horse stage aimed at not only marking the end of the 612's production, but testing how far Ferrari can push the supercar design envelope. Like other high-end performance brand's Ferrari is seeking to broaden its portfolio over the coming decade, but says it will stop short of building an SUV.
"We know there can never be a Ferrari SUV," one source explained. "But we would like to find out what we can put the marque's DNA into and still have it accepted as a Ferrari."
The concept was said to have been penned in-house at Maranello, the project overseen by Fiat Group design boss and ex-Pininfarina chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti. The two-door V12 concept has been described as more practical, roomier and even radical by the report's source.
A replacement for the 612 Scaglietti is also on the cards, reportedly codenamed F151. The new two-door coupe will join the brand's GT line-up, alongside California. Estimates place the new Scaglietti's ticket price at around £230,000 (AUD$357,000).
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A Ferrari insider has told UK publication AutoExpress that the Italian brand is preparing something "very different" for the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The report suggests a shooting brake concept based on the 612 Scaglietti (pictured) will premiere on the prancing horse stage aimed at not only marking the end of the 612's production, but testing how far Ferrari can push the supercar design envelope. Like other high-end performance brand's Ferrari is seeking to broaden its portfolio over the coming decade, but says it will stop short of building an SUV.
"We know there can never be a Ferrari SUV," one source explained. "But we would like to find out what we can put the marque's DNA into and still have it accepted as a Ferrari."
The concept was said to have been penned in-house at Maranello, the project overseen by Fiat Group design boss and ex-Pininfarina chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti. The two-door V12 concept has been described as more practical, roomier and even radical by the report's source.
A replacement for the 612 Scaglietti is also on the cards, reportedly codenamed F151. The new two-door coupe will join the brand's GT line-up, alongside California. Estimates place the new Scaglietti's ticket price at around £230,000 (AUD$357,000).
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GM announces UK Volt price
Suspicion and negativity inevitably accompany the shock of the new. That's why Vauxhall has embarked on the marketing push for its Ampera PHEV a full year up front, including revealing the price
GM's British brand, Vauxhall, has announced the release price of its Ampera -- aka Volt -- plug-in hybrid a year or more ahead of its scheduled launch in early 2012.
The car will go to market for £28,995 (AU$44,980 at the time of writing). That figure includes the UK government's Plug-in Car Grant of £5,000 -- which means the actual price of the car is £33,990.
The reasoning behind the release of the price so far ahead of time is to allay sticker shock among prospective early adopters, giving Vauxhall time to explain what's behind it and lay out the running-cost benefits to counter the up-front whack.
Unfamiliar and costly new technologies like the Volt/Ampera need a long marketing run-up. For the Ampera, Vauxhall is offering a no-commitment opportunity to join the ranks of 'ePioneers', who, for a £150 deposit, can reserve an up-front spot in the buyer queue and gain 'access to exclusive events and opportunities'.
GM is also putting it out everywhere how cheap the car will be to run. The battery charges from the standard mains in about four hours, giving an all-electric range of up to 80 km for as little as £1 (about $1.50) on some household energy plans. All of which sounds great. But here's a sample of the kind of press they're up against, care of carsuk.co.uk...
[Whether] you pick the subsidised price or the actual price, [that's] an awful lot of money. Yes, you can plug the Ampera in to the mains and get enough juice -- if you leave it there for four hours -- to travel for fifty miles (although the EPA in the US says the range is actually just 35 miles). And that fifty miles will only cost you a bit over £1. Cheap motoring by any measure.
The trouble is, the bulk of that cheap motoring is because electricity isn't being taxed in the same way as petrol and diesel. If it were, the savings wouldn't be as dramatic. But for savings like that buyers will probably put up with the fifty mile electric-only range and the four hour top-up time.
But it will take a huge mileage to even start to make a dent in the purchase price. Even though the range-extender is by far the most practical of the hybrid solutions it is still a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Take away the 35-50 miles of EV ability and the rest of the time you'll get 44 mpg (6.4L/100 km).
For half the money of an Ampera you could buy a 1.6 diesel Focus with similar performance but which does 62mpg and has a range of twice that of the Ampera. If you did just 35 miles a day in the Focus it would cost you £3 a day instead of a £1 in the Ampera. The difference in list price of the Ampera and Focus is £16,000. So it would take 8000 days to recover the extra cost of the Ampera.
That's 22 years.
As the site implicitly points out, buyers need to take considerable care in assessing the verity of manufacturer claims about range and charge times and running costs, particularly when they includes phrases like "up to" and "as little as".
Probably more so in Australia than in Britain, given the predicted exponential energy price rises here and the British government's gearing of it tax regimen to strongly favour the uptake of low- and zero-emissions vehicles. There's zero excise duty on purchase, company car taxation is capped at five per cent, they're exempt from London's congestion charge and once they're in there they have parking privileges.
The car also favours the predominant use of the car for journeys of less than the 80km all-electric range, which knocks much of country Australia off the beneficiary list immediately.
That said, with the load on the 1.4-litre petrol four largely restricted to a generator rather than an entire car, it will doubtless prove frugal as well. And, of course, we have a fair way to go to catch up with the UK on fuel prices.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
GM's British brand, Vauxhall, has announced the release price of its Ampera -- aka Volt -- plug-in hybrid a year or more ahead of its scheduled launch in early 2012.
The car will go to market for £28,995 (AU$44,980 at the time of writing). That figure includes the UK government's Plug-in Car Grant of £5,000 -- which means the actual price of the car is £33,990.
The reasoning behind the release of the price so far ahead of time is to allay sticker shock among prospective early adopters, giving Vauxhall time to explain what's behind it and lay out the running-cost benefits to counter the up-front whack.
Unfamiliar and costly new technologies like the Volt/Ampera need a long marketing run-up. For the Ampera, Vauxhall is offering a no-commitment opportunity to join the ranks of 'ePioneers', who, for a £150 deposit, can reserve an up-front spot in the buyer queue and gain 'access to exclusive events and opportunities'.
GM is also putting it out everywhere how cheap the car will be to run. The battery charges from the standard mains in about four hours, giving an all-electric range of up to 80 km for as little as £1 (about $1.50) on some household energy plans. All of which sounds great. But here's a sample of the kind of press they're up against, care of carsuk.co.uk...
[Whether] you pick the subsidised price or the actual price, [that's] an awful lot of money. Yes, you can plug the Ampera in to the mains and get enough juice -- if you leave it there for four hours -- to travel for fifty miles (although the EPA in the US says the range is actually just 35 miles). And that fifty miles will only cost you a bit over £1. Cheap motoring by any measure.
The trouble is, the bulk of that cheap motoring is because electricity isn't being taxed in the same way as petrol and diesel. If it were, the savings wouldn't be as dramatic. But for savings like that buyers will probably put up with the fifty mile electric-only range and the four hour top-up time.
But it will take a huge mileage to even start to make a dent in the purchase price. Even though the range-extender is by far the most practical of the hybrid solutions it is still a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Take away the 35-50 miles of EV ability and the rest of the time you'll get 44 mpg (6.4L/100 km).
For half the money of an Ampera you could buy a 1.6 diesel Focus with similar performance but which does 62mpg and has a range of twice that of the Ampera. If you did just 35 miles a day in the Focus it would cost you £3 a day instead of a £1 in the Ampera. The difference in list price of the Ampera and Focus is £16,000. So it would take 8000 days to recover the extra cost of the Ampera.
That's 22 years.
As the site implicitly points out, buyers need to take considerable care in assessing the verity of manufacturer claims about range and charge times and running costs, particularly when they includes phrases like "up to" and "as little as".
Probably more so in Australia than in Britain, given the predicted exponential energy price rises here and the British government's gearing of it tax regimen to strongly favour the uptake of low- and zero-emissions vehicles. There's zero excise duty on purchase, company car taxation is capped at five per cent, they're exempt from London's congestion charge and once they're in there they have parking privileges.
The car also favours the predominant use of the car for journeys of less than the 80km all-electric range, which knocks much of country Australia off the beneficiary list immediately.
That said, with the load on the 1.4-litre petrol four largely restricted to a generator rather than an entire car, it will doubtless prove frugal as well. And, of course, we have a fair way to go to catch up with the UK on fuel prices.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Ford Focus Electric ready for sale
Battery-powered Focus leads the charge for Ford's new EV and hybrid range
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Just twelve months after announcing plans to release an all-electric Focus, Ford has confirmed a battery powered version of its popular small car is just about ready to hit US showrooms.
Stealing some of the limelight from GM's plug-in Volt and the Nissan LEAF, both of which debuted last year, Focus Electric will be introduced tomorrow by Ford CEO Alan Mulally at a consumer electronics show. At the same time, Ford's executive chairman Bill Ford will unveil the car in New York.
"The message we are sending in New York and Las Vegas is simple: Ford is serious about electrified vehicles as part of our plan to make fuel economy affordable," explained Ford's product development chief Derrick Kuzak. "The new Focus Electric is the company's first global electric production car and one of a family of five electrified vehicles coming from Ford in the US by 2012 and in Europe by 2013."
Ford will officially debut the car to the world's automotive media at next week's Detroit Motor Show where it also plans to reveal a number of new hybrid models. Ford currently sells three hybrid models in the US -- the Fusion sedan, Escape SUV and Lincoln MKZ.
"Ford is offering consumers the power of choice and an ownership experience designed specifically to make it easier for customers to enjoy their electrified vehicles and maximise the energy-saving benefits," said Kuzak.
Locally, Ford Australia plans to introduce a number of new models over the coming 12 months, including the recently spied Territory diesel, new Ranger, facelifted Mondeo range and locally-developed Falcon LPI. The all-new Focus range will follow later in 2011.
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Just twelve months after announcing plans to release an all-electric Focus, Ford has confirmed a battery powered version of its popular small car is just about ready to hit US showrooms.
Stealing some of the limelight from GM's plug-in Volt and the Nissan LEAF, both of which debuted last year, Focus Electric will be introduced tomorrow by Ford CEO Alan Mulally at a consumer electronics show. At the same time, Ford's executive chairman Bill Ford will unveil the car in New York.
"The message we are sending in New York and Las Vegas is simple: Ford is serious about electrified vehicles as part of our plan to make fuel economy affordable," explained Ford's product development chief Derrick Kuzak. "The new Focus Electric is the company's first global electric production car and one of a family of five electrified vehicles coming from Ford in the US by 2012 and in Europe by 2013."
Ford will officially debut the car to the world's automotive media at next week's Detroit Motor Show where it also plans to reveal a number of new hybrid models. Ford currently sells three hybrid models in the US -- the Fusion sedan, Escape SUV and Lincoln MKZ.
"Ford is offering consumers the power of choice and an ownership experience designed specifically to make it easier for customers to enjoy their electrified vehicles and maximise the energy-saving benefits," said Kuzak.
Locally, Ford Australia plans to introduce a number of new models over the coming 12 months, including the recently spied Territory diesel, new Ranger, facelifted Mondeo range and locally-developed Falcon LPI. The all-new Focus range will follow later in 2011.
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Thứ Sáu, 23 tháng 3, 2012
Toyota clears the decks for 2011
FJ Cruiser, the updated HiLux and altogether new models of Yaris and Camry are expected to boost Toyota's stocks
discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Toyota
Most of the models in Toyota's Australian product range are at least three years old. Some, such as the Camry and Aurion date back to 2006, and the company's senior executive director of sales and marketing strongly believes the age of the current models is holding back sales for the brand.
"In 2011, we will launch the FJ Cruiser in March, followed by a significant second-half update for HiLux and the new Yaris hatch later in the year," said David Buttner during a press conference yesterday. "After that, the renewal of our range continues, starting for the fourth quarter with the next generation Camry, followed in 2012 by the Hybrid [Camry]."
"When you look at where Toyota's poised now, in terms of its model offerings, we're fundamentally in the middle of our current generation, or indeed, the end of our current generation [for a large number of models]. When we think back to 2007, when Toyota launched seven next-generation cars games, that's always a very buoyant time for the franchise.
"[New models] attract customers and always lead to a huge boom in sales. We are now poised to commence that journey again over the next two years."
The FJ Cruiser is the sort of vehicle that will draw buyers into showrooms, although Toyota doesn't expect the Prado-based retro SUV to sell in massive numbers. When it arrives in Australia, it will be offered with air-conditioning, eight-speaker six-CD audio, Bluetooth connectivity, reversing camera and keyless entry.
Possibly of more interest to mainstream buyers will be a new, small hybrid due here in 2012. Buttner wasn't sure whether the car will fit within the light or small VFACTS segments, but denied that it would be the Yaris hybrid. As we've reported previously, it's likely to be the hybrid variant of the Corolla, sold overseas as the Auris. It would sell as a lower-priced alternative to the Prius, appealing to the same sort of buyers who prefer their hybrids to appear more conventional -- much like the Camry Hybrid.
All the new models are expected to stir up showroom traffic and interest across the full model range. And they will start from scratch with the appropriate pricing and equipment levels. Buttner explained that it's not just how an older car looks and feels to drive that can deter buyers, it's also a 'bracket creep' syndrome in each car's kit.
"What we did with both Corolla and Yaris last year... there was some deterioration in our spec-adjusted price position. Over time the position we'd set [against a benchmark competitor] had been eroded in the market place, as competitors brought out more competitive offerings -- added specification for no price [increase]. So what we fundamentally did was reposition our vehicles back to the spec-adjusted price when we launched the vehicles," he said. That is basically a matter of adding extra equipment to improve each car's value as a package.
Previously Buttner had estimated the difference between new models in the show room and an older range could be as much as two to five per cent. But that flies in the face of Toyota's experience over the last 12 months. The only major new model from Toyota last year was the Prado, but Toyota's total sales for the year rebounded 6.8 per cent over the previous year's -- way more than can be credited to the introduction of the new SUV.
As for most car companies, the jump in sales last year was relative to the performance in 2009, as the GFC's impact slowly faded. Toyota's tally for 2010 was 214,718 -- 81,795 units ahead of second-placed Holden, but over 24,000 units fewer than the company's record in 2009. If not for the GFC, Toyota might have enjoyed sales in 2010 around the quarter of a million mark -- or not...
But the GFC wasn't the only problem faced by Toyota over the past two years. Global recalls may have had some impact on the perception of the brand, although Buttner believes that Aussie customers have not switched allegiance from Toyota and the adverse publicity has "abated" over the last six months.
That has likely resulted from Toyota Australia's very measured response to the high-profile recalls. The company has sent technicians to private homes and work places -- wherever a Prius has been parked -- to upload new software for the braking system within 10 minutes, without inconveniencing owners.
Toyota Australia didn't publish full-page ads in the papers to boost brand image at the time of the recalls, Buttner says, because there was not the same need here as was the case for Toyota in the US.
"We consulted our dealers, we consulted widely internally -- and we felt to [publish such ads] might just add fuel to what wasn't a fire in Australia."
Recalls may have delayed purchase decisions by buyers, but sales for Prius, for instance, are where they should be, according to the Toyota chief. Buttner admits that the hybrid car, which was recalled in Australia for brake pedal feel, is selling at a rate 1400 units lower than for the previous year. That's attributable to what he calls "some degree of substitution" following the introduction of the Camry Hybrid.
Thus, through its handling of the recalls and weathering the GFC by means of retail incentive, Toyota has a broad-brush strategy in place for enhancing sales that had fallen behind over the past couple of years. Maybe 2011 will see Toyota pass a quarter million...
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discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Toyota
Most of the models in Toyota's Australian product range are at least three years old. Some, such as the Camry and Aurion date back to 2006, and the company's senior executive director of sales and marketing strongly believes the age of the current models is holding back sales for the brand.
"In 2011, we will launch the FJ Cruiser in March, followed by a significant second-half update for HiLux and the new Yaris hatch later in the year," said David Buttner during a press conference yesterday. "After that, the renewal of our range continues, starting for the fourth quarter with the next generation Camry, followed in 2012 by the Hybrid [Camry]."
"When you look at where Toyota's poised now, in terms of its model offerings, we're fundamentally in the middle of our current generation, or indeed, the end of our current generation [for a large number of models]. When we think back to 2007, when Toyota launched seven next-generation cars games, that's always a very buoyant time for the franchise.
"[New models] attract customers and always lead to a huge boom in sales. We are now poised to commence that journey again over the next two years."
The FJ Cruiser is the sort of vehicle that will draw buyers into showrooms, although Toyota doesn't expect the Prado-based retro SUV to sell in massive numbers. When it arrives in Australia, it will be offered with air-conditioning, eight-speaker six-CD audio, Bluetooth connectivity, reversing camera and keyless entry.
Possibly of more interest to mainstream buyers will be a new, small hybrid due here in 2012. Buttner wasn't sure whether the car will fit within the light or small VFACTS segments, but denied that it would be the Yaris hybrid. As we've reported previously, it's likely to be the hybrid variant of the Corolla, sold overseas as the Auris. It would sell as a lower-priced alternative to the Prius, appealing to the same sort of buyers who prefer their hybrids to appear more conventional -- much like the Camry Hybrid.
All the new models are expected to stir up showroom traffic and interest across the full model range. And they will start from scratch with the appropriate pricing and equipment levels. Buttner explained that it's not just how an older car looks and feels to drive that can deter buyers, it's also a 'bracket creep' syndrome in each car's kit.
"What we did with both Corolla and Yaris last year... there was some deterioration in our spec-adjusted price position. Over time the position we'd set [against a benchmark competitor] had been eroded in the market place, as competitors brought out more competitive offerings -- added specification for no price [increase]. So what we fundamentally did was reposition our vehicles back to the spec-adjusted price when we launched the vehicles," he said. That is basically a matter of adding extra equipment to improve each car's value as a package.
Previously Buttner had estimated the difference between new models in the show room and an older range could be as much as two to five per cent. But that flies in the face of Toyota's experience over the last 12 months. The only major new model from Toyota last year was the Prado, but Toyota's total sales for the year rebounded 6.8 per cent over the previous year's -- way more than can be credited to the introduction of the new SUV.
As for most car companies, the jump in sales last year was relative to the performance in 2009, as the GFC's impact slowly faded. Toyota's tally for 2010 was 214,718 -- 81,795 units ahead of second-placed Holden, but over 24,000 units fewer than the company's record in 2009. If not for the GFC, Toyota might have enjoyed sales in 2010 around the quarter of a million mark -- or not...
But the GFC wasn't the only problem faced by Toyota over the past two years. Global recalls may have had some impact on the perception of the brand, although Buttner believes that Aussie customers have not switched allegiance from Toyota and the adverse publicity has "abated" over the last six months.
That has likely resulted from Toyota Australia's very measured response to the high-profile recalls. The company has sent technicians to private homes and work places -- wherever a Prius has been parked -- to upload new software for the braking system within 10 minutes, without inconveniencing owners.
Toyota Australia didn't publish full-page ads in the papers to boost brand image at the time of the recalls, Buttner says, because there was not the same need here as was the case for Toyota in the US.
"We consulted our dealers, we consulted widely internally -- and we felt to [publish such ads] might just add fuel to what wasn't a fire in Australia."
Recalls may have delayed purchase decisions by buyers, but sales for Prius, for instance, are where they should be, according to the Toyota chief. Buttner admits that the hybrid car, which was recalled in Australia for brake pedal feel, is selling at a rate 1400 units lower than for the previous year. That's attributable to what he calls "some degree of substitution" following the introduction of the Camry Hybrid.
Thus, through its handling of the recalls and weathering the GFC by means of retail incentive, Toyota has a broad-brush strategy in place for enhancing sales that had fallen behind over the past couple of years. Maybe 2011 will see Toyota pass a quarter million...
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Nürburgring facing closure
One of the world's oldest and most famous race tracks, the Nürburgring, is facing closure unless hundreds of millions of Euros of debt are repaid
Is the world-famous Nürburgring facing closure? According to European reports, the 21km Nürburgring race track, which is regularly used by car and motorcycle companies to test prototypes of their upcoming models and many weekend warrirors, is facing closure due to outstanding debts.
The legendary Nürburgring originally opened in 1927, and was nicknamed the 'Green Hell' by famous F1 driver Jackie Stewart, but the decision to upgrade the motorsports complex in 2007, with a rollercoaster theme park, hotel and other facilities, seems to have backfired.
The capital used to fund the project was supposed to be from private investment but the Government ended up fitting the bill, and with the GFC taking its toll on European coffers, the EU wants its almost €400 ($523) million back. The theme park is alleged to be unpopular.
There is a possibility that the motorsports complex could be shut down or its facilities pared back in the future if an alternative is not found, and for the time being maintenance is expected to drop and while entry prices rise.
Arguably Germany's -- if not the world's -- most famous racetrack, more and more car manufacturers used their 'Ring lap times to spruik their high performance products over the past half decade, a practice that may soon come to an end.
On certain days the public can pay a nominal fee to do one lap around the Nürburgring on their motorcycle or in their car, but if the issue isn't resolved in the mid-term future, the only way the public will be able to experience the Green Hell will be on the Playstation and Xbox.
There is currently a groundswell of public support to keep the Nürburgring open to the public, via Gopetition.com and several Facebook pages have also emerged.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.
Is the world-famous Nürburgring facing closure? According to European reports, the 21km Nürburgring race track, which is regularly used by car and motorcycle companies to test prototypes of their upcoming models and many weekend warrirors, is facing closure due to outstanding debts.
The legendary Nürburgring originally opened in 1927, and was nicknamed the 'Green Hell' by famous F1 driver Jackie Stewart, but the decision to upgrade the motorsports complex in 2007, with a rollercoaster theme park, hotel and other facilities, seems to have backfired.
The capital used to fund the project was supposed to be from private investment but the Government ended up fitting the bill, and with the GFC taking its toll on European coffers, the EU wants its almost €400 ($523) million back. The theme park is alleged to be unpopular.
There is a possibility that the motorsports complex could be shut down or its facilities pared back in the future if an alternative is not found, and for the time being maintenance is expected to drop and while entry prices rise.
Arguably Germany's -- if not the world's -- most famous racetrack, more and more car manufacturers used their 'Ring lap times to spruik their high performance products over the past half decade, a practice that may soon come to an end.
On certain days the public can pay a nominal fee to do one lap around the Nürburgring on their motorcycle or in their car, but if the issue isn't resolved in the mid-term future, the only way the public will be able to experience the Green Hell will be on the Playstation and Xbox.
There is currently a groundswell of public support to keep the Nürburgring open to the public, via Gopetition.com and several Facebook pages have also emerged.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.
MOTORSPORT: No Car of the Future until 2013
The V8 Supercar Car of the Future now won't race for another two years, Volkswagens still on top the Dakar, Australia's injured Dakar star Bruce Garland has new plans, and Bruno Senna's F1 career may be over
V8SA says delay will ensure a level playing field
The Car of the Future won't be seen in V8 Supercar racing until 2013.
Rather than a transition year in 2012 with the first Cars of the Future running against the existing specification race cars, V8 Supercars Australia has decided that the CotF will be "fully implemented across the entire field" the following season.
"Car of the Future is incredibly important to the future direction of V8 Supercars and as such it is vital that we get the product and its introduction absolutely right," V8SA chief executive Martin Whitaker said.
"We have complete support from all the teams and manufacturers in this decision. It's a common sense decision that allows all teams to be on an equal playing field at the start of 2013."
Whitaker said two prototypes being constructed by Pace Innovations were "on target" for completion in time for "winter testing".
The prototypes were intended to have been ready for the season launch and test day at Sydney's Eastern Creek on January 29. Whitaker claimed the CotF program was "well advanced -- and we will have two prototypes built and ready to test mid-year".
"This (postponement) decision allows all the players in the car's introduction the flexibility of time to plan for a full and well-considered transition in 2013," he said.
Mark Skaife (pictured), the six-time Bathurst 1000 winner, five-time series champion and TV commentator as well as a V8SA director, has overall responsibility for the CofF project.
"It is imperative we ensure these technical changes are fairly dealt with across all teams and that we adhere to the primary objectives of reducing cost whilst maintaining the integrity of the championship and ultimately the high quality of racing," Skaife said.
"The CotF is the platform for the next decade of V8 Supercars, which will be implemented to ensure the future success of the sport with the ability to introduce more manufacturers.
"In discussions with manufacturers, it is crucial that the car's appearance and DNA will closely mirror that of the road-going equivalent of the respective manufacturer -- a unique element that allows the V8 Supercar CotF to genuinely stand apart from other touring car series in the world.
"The CotF involves significant technical changes that ensure teams are able to build and maintain these cars with greater efficiencies, which will assist with their overall viability. This is certainly a very exciting period for V8 Supercars."
Plenty of spins on those comments from Whitaker and Skaife, while many fans will still be wondering what the CotF project is all about and whether there ever will be new manufacturers in the sport.
VW rivals close in Dakar as punctures blow BMW's chances
The Volkswagen Touaregs have reasserted themselves over the BMW X3 in the Dakar Rally in South America while Australia's main man in the torturous event, Bruce Garland, is in good spirits after the crash that put in him hospital.
Garland has a fractured vertebra halfway down his spine after his Isuzu D-MAX ute bounced off a sand dune and landed heavily near the end of stage six.
The remaining competitors have had the rest day in the two-week rally and are now heading back through Chile towards next weekend's finish in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires.
Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard who won last year's Dakar after two world rally championships in the early 1990s, has won four stages so far this year, but his VW teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar won the latest, seventh stage.
What was to have been the longest section of the event was cut in half -- to "just" 273km between Arica and Antofagasta -- because organisers said it would allow teams and drivers to be better prepared for the second half of the rally.
BMW's Stephane Peterhansel, the Frenchman who won the Dakar three times for Mitsubishi after six wins on two wheels, had another puncture on stage seven -- after four on stage six -- and lost seven minutes.
Peterhansel still finished fourth for the day, but almost five minutes behind South African Giniel de Villiers, another former winner who made the day a trifecta for VW.
Peterhansel remains third outright but more than 21 minutes behind leader Sainz, while Al-Attiyah is just 82 seconds in arrears of the Spaniard -- having halved the gap on stage seven, on which his victory was the seventh of his Dakar career and second this year.
Sainz and Al-Attiyah had a bitter row at the end of last year's Dakar, with the Spaniard accusing the Qatari of dangerous tactics. Sainz said that was now behind them but that the rivalry remained "intense". He said the shortened stage seven was still "really hard".
"But in the end, I am happy. There was a very tricky sand dune section. It was a good day -- but a tough one," Sainz said.
Al-Attiyah said he would now step up his efforts to overhaul his teammate and win the Dakar for the first time.
"From now on, I really have to attack," Al-Attiyah said.
"In order to avoid flat tyres we have to avoid sliding sideways too much. Last year I had six flat tyres. This year I really focused on my driving to avoid flats and stay on course as much as possible."
Meanwhile, Peterhansel admitted it was "getting pretty bad" for his chances.
"It is my fault. I drive too fast on this terrain. I don't have the right pace," he said. "Anyway, on the podium, second, third, fourth, fifth or eighth, it's all the same. The only thing we wanted at the start was final victory and that seems to be getting out of reach."
Poland's Krzysztof Holowczyc finished stage seven fifth in his BMW after two punctures and wondering whether the BMWs were too heavy for the tyres on the terrain.
Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit destroyed his MINI Countryman while doing demonstration runs for the cameras on the rest day.
Outright leaders after seven stages
1. Carlos Sainz (Spain, VW) 23 hours 21 minutes 58 seconds
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar, VW) +1min 22sec
3. Stephane Peterhansel (France, BMW) +21min 11sec
4. Giniel de Villiers (South Africa, VW) +32min 45sec
5. Krzysztof Holowczyc (Poland, BMW) +1hour 28min 59sec
Injured Garland plans customer car program
Bruce Garland has been in hospital in Chilean city Iquique since he was forced out of the Dakar after crashing on the stage from the Atacama Desert to the Pacific Ocean and hopes to return to Australia soon, lucky not to be a paraplegic.
Garland remains his usual cheerful self.
"The hospital is wonderful -- it's more like a resort, really comfortable with a fantastic view of the coast, and lots of pretty nurses who have been giving me sponge baths -- it's not all bad!" he said.
"We [he and long-time co-driver Harry Suzuki] were going so well and everything was running to plan. We were in the top 20 and ready to start moving up the field. The D-MAX was running like a charm and now this -- when we so badly needed a good result.
"I knew I was in trouble as soon as we landed. I felt my spine crunch. I've landed hard plenty of times but never had this much pain. It was unbelievable. I just drove off the main track so we were out of the way of the crazy truck racers, and then I got out and lay down.
"The hit was so hard on my side that it broke an engine mount. We were lucky that a spectator who obviously knew a lot about cars came out of the crowd and helped Harry get the car sorted. I took a couple of Nurofen and then we took it slowly for the last 30km and I went straight to the medical centre."
Garland and Suzuki still finished the stage 26th, which left them 22nd outright -- after having been 19th the day before. They had been aiming to end the third Dakar in South America in the top 10 after finishing 11th in the first in 2009, when they were the first "amateur" or non-factory team, the first diesel ute and first production chassis car.
They had to withdraw last year after a freak incident in which a spare wheel dislodged and smashed the radiator on the same stage that was their downfall this time.
Of his injury, Garland said: "Apparently it's quite a big crack and very close to the spinal cord. If it had been a bigger hit or I'd had another knock, I could have ended up a paraplegic, so I know how lucky I am.
"I've had to lie really still for 24 hours or so, which is a big challenge for someone like me, but you do as you are told in a situation like this. I nearly went stir-crazy counting all the lines on the ceiling, but I've now got a brace on which means I can move about a bit, which is wonderful.
"Now they are making me a special hard brace and I could be ready to come home within a few days. Once I get home, we'll find out what we need to do but they're saying it could be three or four months of being careful before it's right again.
"I can't wait to get home. Then I'll just lick my wounds and see what happens next."
For progress on Garland check www.isuzumotorsports.com
Suzuki and the Isuzu Motorsports team are traveling back to Buenos Aires to prepare to return to Australia while Garland already has plans for a customer car building program and a team management arrangement for would-be Dakar competitors.
Geoff Olholm of Cairns and co-driver Steve Riley were 58th in their first four-wheel Dakar before the rest day. Olholm, driving a BMW, has described one of the stages as "rougher than seven days of [the Australasian] Safari".
The website of Australian telecaster SBS is keeping a tab on the pair's progress, while a mid-event report posted in Cairns is here: http://therocknews.com.au/
Senna's nephew on Formula One scrapheap
The Formula One career of the legendary Ayrton Senna's nephew Bruno may be over after just one season.
The Hispania Racing Team has said it won't be fielding the younger Senna this year and there appears to be no other opening for him now.
"I can definitely say that Bruno Senna is not going to race for HRT -- 100 per cent not," team principal Colin Kolles told Reuters.
Spanish-owned HRT has signed 33-year-old Indian Narain Karthikeyan, who last raced in F1 for Jordan in 2005, as one of its drivers.
The only remaining vacancies left, apart from the second HRT seat, are at Force India, which is expected to stick with Germany's Adrian Sutil and introduce Briton Paul di Resta.
However, Reuters said Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi and Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, who raced for Williams last year before making way for cashed-up Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, also are in contention.
Karthikeyan returns to F1 in the season that will see the first Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi on October 30.
Fellow Indian Karun Chandhok started 10 GPs for HRT in its debut season last year but his career has now stalled.
Kolles said Austrian Christian Klien and Japan's Sakon Yamamoto remained in the frame for the remaining HRT seat.
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V8SA says delay will ensure a level playing field
The Car of the Future won't be seen in V8 Supercar racing until 2013.
Rather than a transition year in 2012 with the first Cars of the Future running against the existing specification race cars, V8 Supercars Australia has decided that the CotF will be "fully implemented across the entire field" the following season.
"Car of the Future is incredibly important to the future direction of V8 Supercars and as such it is vital that we get the product and its introduction absolutely right," V8SA chief executive Martin Whitaker said.
"We have complete support from all the teams and manufacturers in this decision. It's a common sense decision that allows all teams to be on an equal playing field at the start of 2013."
Whitaker said two prototypes being constructed by Pace Innovations were "on target" for completion in time for "winter testing".
The prototypes were intended to have been ready for the season launch and test day at Sydney's Eastern Creek on January 29. Whitaker claimed the CotF program was "well advanced -- and we will have two prototypes built and ready to test mid-year".
"This (postponement) decision allows all the players in the car's introduction the flexibility of time to plan for a full and well-considered transition in 2013," he said.
Mark Skaife (pictured), the six-time Bathurst 1000 winner, five-time series champion and TV commentator as well as a V8SA director, has overall responsibility for the CofF project.
"It is imperative we ensure these technical changes are fairly dealt with across all teams and that we adhere to the primary objectives of reducing cost whilst maintaining the integrity of the championship and ultimately the high quality of racing," Skaife said.
"The CotF is the platform for the next decade of V8 Supercars, which will be implemented to ensure the future success of the sport with the ability to introduce more manufacturers.
"In discussions with manufacturers, it is crucial that the car's appearance and DNA will closely mirror that of the road-going equivalent of the respective manufacturer -- a unique element that allows the V8 Supercar CotF to genuinely stand apart from other touring car series in the world.
"The CotF involves significant technical changes that ensure teams are able to build and maintain these cars with greater efficiencies, which will assist with their overall viability. This is certainly a very exciting period for V8 Supercars."
Plenty of spins on those comments from Whitaker and Skaife, while many fans will still be wondering what the CotF project is all about and whether there ever will be new manufacturers in the sport.
VW rivals close in Dakar as punctures blow BMW's chances
The Volkswagen Touaregs have reasserted themselves over the BMW X3 in the Dakar Rally in South America while Australia's main man in the torturous event, Bruce Garland, is in good spirits after the crash that put in him hospital.
Garland has a fractured vertebra halfway down his spine after his Isuzu D-MAX ute bounced off a sand dune and landed heavily near the end of stage six.
The remaining competitors have had the rest day in the two-week rally and are now heading back through Chile towards next weekend's finish in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires.
Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard who won last year's Dakar after two world rally championships in the early 1990s, has won four stages so far this year, but his VW teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar won the latest, seventh stage.
What was to have been the longest section of the event was cut in half -- to "just" 273km between Arica and Antofagasta -- because organisers said it would allow teams and drivers to be better prepared for the second half of the rally.
BMW's Stephane Peterhansel, the Frenchman who won the Dakar three times for Mitsubishi after six wins on two wheels, had another puncture on stage seven -- after four on stage six -- and lost seven minutes.
Peterhansel still finished fourth for the day, but almost five minutes behind South African Giniel de Villiers, another former winner who made the day a trifecta for VW.
Peterhansel remains third outright but more than 21 minutes behind leader Sainz, while Al-Attiyah is just 82 seconds in arrears of the Spaniard -- having halved the gap on stage seven, on which his victory was the seventh of his Dakar career and second this year.
Sainz and Al-Attiyah had a bitter row at the end of last year's Dakar, with the Spaniard accusing the Qatari of dangerous tactics. Sainz said that was now behind them but that the rivalry remained "intense". He said the shortened stage seven was still "really hard".
"But in the end, I am happy. There was a very tricky sand dune section. It was a good day -- but a tough one," Sainz said.
Al-Attiyah said he would now step up his efforts to overhaul his teammate and win the Dakar for the first time.
"From now on, I really have to attack," Al-Attiyah said.
"In order to avoid flat tyres we have to avoid sliding sideways too much. Last year I had six flat tyres. This year I really focused on my driving to avoid flats and stay on course as much as possible."
Meanwhile, Peterhansel admitted it was "getting pretty bad" for his chances.
"It is my fault. I drive too fast on this terrain. I don't have the right pace," he said. "Anyway, on the podium, second, third, fourth, fifth or eighth, it's all the same. The only thing we wanted at the start was final victory and that seems to be getting out of reach."
Poland's Krzysztof Holowczyc finished stage seven fifth in his BMW after two punctures and wondering whether the BMWs were too heavy for the tyres on the terrain.
Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit destroyed his MINI Countryman while doing demonstration runs for the cameras on the rest day.
Outright leaders after seven stages
1. Carlos Sainz (Spain, VW) 23 hours 21 minutes 58 seconds
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar, VW) +1min 22sec
3. Stephane Peterhansel (France, BMW) +21min 11sec
4. Giniel de Villiers (South Africa, VW) +32min 45sec
5. Krzysztof Holowczyc (Poland, BMW) +1hour 28min 59sec
Injured Garland plans customer car program
Bruce Garland has been in hospital in Chilean city Iquique since he was forced out of the Dakar after crashing on the stage from the Atacama Desert to the Pacific Ocean and hopes to return to Australia soon, lucky not to be a paraplegic.
Garland remains his usual cheerful self.
"The hospital is wonderful -- it's more like a resort, really comfortable with a fantastic view of the coast, and lots of pretty nurses who have been giving me sponge baths -- it's not all bad!" he said.
"We [he and long-time co-driver Harry Suzuki] were going so well and everything was running to plan. We were in the top 20 and ready to start moving up the field. The D-MAX was running like a charm and now this -- when we so badly needed a good result.
"I knew I was in trouble as soon as we landed. I felt my spine crunch. I've landed hard plenty of times but never had this much pain. It was unbelievable. I just drove off the main track so we were out of the way of the crazy truck racers, and then I got out and lay down.
"The hit was so hard on my side that it broke an engine mount. We were lucky that a spectator who obviously knew a lot about cars came out of the crowd and helped Harry get the car sorted. I took a couple of Nurofen and then we took it slowly for the last 30km and I went straight to the medical centre."
Garland and Suzuki still finished the stage 26th, which left them 22nd outright -- after having been 19th the day before. They had been aiming to end the third Dakar in South America in the top 10 after finishing 11th in the first in 2009, when they were the first "amateur" or non-factory team, the first diesel ute and first production chassis car.
They had to withdraw last year after a freak incident in which a spare wheel dislodged and smashed the radiator on the same stage that was their downfall this time.
Of his injury, Garland said: "Apparently it's quite a big crack and very close to the spinal cord. If it had been a bigger hit or I'd had another knock, I could have ended up a paraplegic, so I know how lucky I am.
"I've had to lie really still for 24 hours or so, which is a big challenge for someone like me, but you do as you are told in a situation like this. I nearly went stir-crazy counting all the lines on the ceiling, but I've now got a brace on which means I can move about a bit, which is wonderful.
"Now they are making me a special hard brace and I could be ready to come home within a few days. Once I get home, we'll find out what we need to do but they're saying it could be three or four months of being careful before it's right again.
"I can't wait to get home. Then I'll just lick my wounds and see what happens next."
For progress on Garland check www.isuzumotorsports.com
Suzuki and the Isuzu Motorsports team are traveling back to Buenos Aires to prepare to return to Australia while Garland already has plans for a customer car building program and a team management arrangement for would-be Dakar competitors.
Geoff Olholm of Cairns and co-driver Steve Riley were 58th in their first four-wheel Dakar before the rest day. Olholm, driving a BMW, has described one of the stages as "rougher than seven days of [the Australasian] Safari".
The website of Australian telecaster SBS is keeping a tab on the pair's progress, while a mid-event report posted in Cairns is here: http://therocknews.com.au/
Senna's nephew on Formula One scrapheap
The Formula One career of the legendary Ayrton Senna's nephew Bruno may be over after just one season.
The Hispania Racing Team has said it won't be fielding the younger Senna this year and there appears to be no other opening for him now.
"I can definitely say that Bruno Senna is not going to race for HRT -- 100 per cent not," team principal Colin Kolles told Reuters.
Spanish-owned HRT has signed 33-year-old Indian Narain Karthikeyan, who last raced in F1 for Jordan in 2005, as one of its drivers.
The only remaining vacancies left, apart from the second HRT seat, are at Force India, which is expected to stick with Germany's Adrian Sutil and introduce Briton Paul di Resta.
However, Reuters said Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi and Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, who raced for Williams last year before making way for cashed-up Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, also are in contention.
Karthikeyan returns to F1 in the season that will see the first Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi on October 30.
Fellow Indian Karun Chandhok started 10 GPs for HRT in its debut season last year but his career has now stalled.
Kolles said Austrian Christian Klien and Japan's Sakon Yamamoto remained in the frame for the remaining HRT seat.
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Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 3, 2012
Classic Morgans, classic prices
Morgan pricing reduced as two new models join the range, Aero SuperSport discontinued from July
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new Morgan
Following Morgan's return to the Australian market last October, a shift in the value of the Aussie Dollar against the British Pound has seen a significant reduction in the range's list price.
For 2011, Ford-powered Classic Morgan models are now available from as little as $75,000 drive-away.
The Morgan 4/4 - a new addition to the range - and the Morgan 4/4 Sport now quote manufacturer's recommended list prices of $68,200 and $69,300 respectively (Victorian pricing, out-of-state buyers will incur an additional delivery charge). The standard specification of Sport models now includes reclining leather-trimmed seats.
In part, the reduction of the Morgan 4/4 (pictured) model's list price is contributed to by low fuel consumption figures which see it slip under the Luxury Car games Tax threshold. The Morgan 4/4 consumes just 6.4L/100km on the combined cycle, while emitting 140g/km of CO2.
Morgan Plus 4, a model boasting a 60-year heritage, is now joined by a second new model, the Morgan Plus 4 Sport. Featuring black wire wheels and the deletion of bumper overriders 'for a sportier look', the Sport model is priced at $1350 more than its entry-level sibling.
The first of the V6-powered Morgans, the Roadster, is now fitted with a trailing arm rear suspension, complementing the Australian-made rear axle when optioned with a limited slip differential. Roadster Sport sees a reduction in list price of more than $8500.
In closing, we should mention the mighty Morgan Aero SuperSports will cease production in July. This V8-powered Morgan was produced in limited numbers with only four examples making it Down Under. The last Australian delivered car will be handed to its owner in Q3 of this year.
2011 Morgan pricing:
- Morgan 4/4 (1.6-litre four-cylinder 82kW) $68,200
- Morgan 4/4 Sport (1.6-litre four-cylinder 82kW) $69,300
- Morgan Plus 4 (2.0-litre four-cylinder 106kW) $89,910
- Morgan Plus 4 Sport (2.0-litre four-cylinder 106kW) $91,440
- Morgan Roadster (3.0-litre six-cylinder 165kW) $122,900
- Morgan Roadster Sport (3.0-litre six-cylinder 165kW) $124,330
- Morgan Aero SuperSports (4.8-litre eight-cylinder 270kW) $375,000
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new Morgan
Following Morgan's return to the Australian market last October, a shift in the value of the Aussie Dollar against the British Pound has seen a significant reduction in the range's list price.
For 2011, Ford-powered Classic Morgan models are now available from as little as $75,000 drive-away.
The Morgan 4/4 - a new addition to the range - and the Morgan 4/4 Sport now quote manufacturer's recommended list prices of $68,200 and $69,300 respectively (Victorian pricing, out-of-state buyers will incur an additional delivery charge). The standard specification of Sport models now includes reclining leather-trimmed seats.
In part, the reduction of the Morgan 4/4 (pictured) model's list price is contributed to by low fuel consumption figures which see it slip under the Luxury Car games Tax threshold. The Morgan 4/4 consumes just 6.4L/100km on the combined cycle, while emitting 140g/km of CO2.
Morgan Plus 4, a model boasting a 60-year heritage, is now joined by a second new model, the Morgan Plus 4 Sport. Featuring black wire wheels and the deletion of bumper overriders 'for a sportier look', the Sport model is priced at $1350 more than its entry-level sibling.
The first of the V6-powered Morgans, the Roadster, is now fitted with a trailing arm rear suspension, complementing the Australian-made rear axle when optioned with a limited slip differential. Roadster Sport sees a reduction in list price of more than $8500.
In closing, we should mention the mighty Morgan Aero SuperSports will cease production in July. This V8-powered Morgan was produced in limited numbers with only four examples making it Down Under. The last Australian delivered car will be handed to its owner in Q3 of this year.
2011 Morgan pricing:
- Morgan 4/4 (1.6-litre four-cylinder 82kW) $68,200
- Morgan 4/4 Sport (1.6-litre four-cylinder 82kW) $69,300
- Morgan Plus 4 (2.0-litre four-cylinder 106kW) $89,910
- Morgan Plus 4 Sport (2.0-litre four-cylinder 106kW) $91,440
- Morgan Roadster (3.0-litre six-cylinder 165kW) $122,900
- Morgan Roadster Sport (3.0-litre six-cylinder 165kW) $124,330
- Morgan Aero SuperSports (4.8-litre eight-cylinder 270kW) $375,000
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Alfa's Giulietta tops EuroNCAP
New small car from Italy scores major gongs from Euro safety authority
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There are other car brands more familiar when it comes to safety ratings, but Alfa Romeo must be chuffed by the top gong given its new Giulietta model by the EuroNCAP organisation.
The Alfa 147 replacement, which has just gone on sale in Australia, has been named by EuroNCAP as the safest car in its category and the leading small car tested in 2010.
Scoring maximum points in side barrier tests, the 147 was found by EuroNCAP to be "stable in the front impact" while the head restraints offered "good protection against whiplash."
The Alfa also did well in terms of pedestrian protection, scoring maximum points in protection from bumper impacts, with the bonnet providing good protection in most areas "likely to be struck by the head of a child".
It also scored well in accident-avoiding technology with a EuroNCAP score of 86 per cent.
Ratings achieved by the Giulietta according to new judgment criteria introduced in 2009 were: 97 per cent Adult Occupant, 85 per cent Child Occupant, 63 per cent Pedestrian Protection and 86 per cent Safety Assist (accident avoidance).
With EuroNCAP testing getting more demanding over the four years from 2009 to 2012, Alfa Romeo says these scores ensure the Giulietta will remain with a five-star rating in 2012.
The Giulietta comes with six airbags, SAHR self-aligning front head restraints and multiple electronic safety aids including anti-lock brakes with EBD, HBA hydraulic brake assistance and a new "Pre-Fill function" for the brakes that sets the system up for emergency stopping.
The body of the Giulietta is designed not only to protect occupants from injury in just about every imaginable form of accident, but to also minimise damage caused to other vehicles.
In Australia, the Giulietta is available in 125kW and 173kW form, priced, pre on-road costs, at $36,990 and $41,990 respectively.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Alfa Romeo
There are other car brands more familiar when it comes to safety ratings, but Alfa Romeo must be chuffed by the top gong given its new Giulietta model by the EuroNCAP organisation.
The Alfa 147 replacement, which has just gone on sale in Australia, has been named by EuroNCAP as the safest car in its category and the leading small car tested in 2010.
Scoring maximum points in side barrier tests, the 147 was found by EuroNCAP to be "stable in the front impact" while the head restraints offered "good protection against whiplash."
The Alfa also did well in terms of pedestrian protection, scoring maximum points in protection from bumper impacts, with the bonnet providing good protection in most areas "likely to be struck by the head of a child".
It also scored well in accident-avoiding technology with a EuroNCAP score of 86 per cent.
Ratings achieved by the Giulietta according to new judgment criteria introduced in 2009 were: 97 per cent Adult Occupant, 85 per cent Child Occupant, 63 per cent Pedestrian Protection and 86 per cent Safety Assist (accident avoidance).
With EuroNCAP testing getting more demanding over the four years from 2009 to 2012, Alfa Romeo says these scores ensure the Giulietta will remain with a five-star rating in 2012.
The Giulietta comes with six airbags, SAHR self-aligning front head restraints and multiple electronic safety aids including anti-lock brakes with EBD, HBA hydraulic brake assistance and a new "Pre-Fill function" for the brakes that sets the system up for emergency stopping.
The body of the Giulietta is designed not only to protect occupants from injury in just about every imaginable form of accident, but to also minimise damage caused to other vehicles.
In Australia, the Giulietta is available in 125kW and 173kW form, priced, pre on-road costs, at $36,990 and $41,990 respectively.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
VW unveils street-legal Race Touareg
It won the Dakar Rally barely three weeks ago. Now VW has unleashed a slightly more civilised, street-legal version of the Race Touareg 3
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The miserly XL1 wasn't the only curveball Volkswagen bowled up at the recent Qatar motor show.
Fresh from his victory in the punishing Dakar Rally, Qatari ace Nasser Al Attiyah was on hand to assist with the unveiling of the Race Touareg 3 Qatar, billed as "the world's most talented street-legal SUV".
Rather than being a superficial copy of the real McCoy, the show car is largely the same as the highly bespoke vehicles that finished 1-2-3 in the South American enduro, and it can allegedly withstand the same punishment.
VW claims the 228kW all-terrainer can sprint to 100km/h in less than six seconds, but its real USP is obviously the pace it can maintain across dunes, rocks and just about any other terrain.
The road-legal version looks essentially the same as its competition counterpart (obviously minus the blue race paint), but the 2m wide body required a few tweaks, and the 16-inch rims worn by Al Attiyah's car have been turfed in favour of gold-painted 18-inch BBS rims.
The same hue of gold is used for the "Race Touareg" livery on the car's flanks, while the bodywork is coated in "Magic Morning" -- a pearl white paint with a slight gold shimmer.
Al Attiyah's vehicle doesn't have the most hospitable cabin, so the road version's interior is immaculately crafted and finished in carbonfibre, although the roll cage has been carried over unchanged.
The Recaro racing bucket seats, switchgear and sequential gearshift lever -- plus the anodised plate on the centre console commemorating the Touareg's Dakar success -- all shout the car's competitive heritage, but it all has the look and finish of a mass-production vehicle.
The interior was designed to embody a "Stealth look" inspired by fighter planes, even though it's laced in Nubuk leather and carbonfibre.
VW officials are still being cagey about when (if at all) the Race Touareg 3 Qatar will be available to order, and they're even less willing to volunteer potential pricing and build volumes. It'll no doubt be a hugely pricey, low-volume proposition if it does indeed get the green light.
A more real-world (but less tasteful) offering also revealed at the Qatar show was the Touareg Gold Edition, which -- befitting its moniker -- is liberally daubed with 24-carat gold.
The gold bits include custom designed 22-inch wheels, roof rails, protective guard strips and window frames, mirror caps, grille/air intake slats, "Touareg V8" signature and boot sill trim.
Inside, 24-carat gold also adorns many of the car's accents and switches… in case the exterior tweaks were too subtle. Just the thing for rappers and oil barons…
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Volkswagen
The miserly XL1 wasn't the only curveball Volkswagen bowled up at the recent Qatar motor show.
Fresh from his victory in the punishing Dakar Rally, Qatari ace Nasser Al Attiyah was on hand to assist with the unveiling of the Race Touareg 3 Qatar, billed as "the world's most talented street-legal SUV".
Rather than being a superficial copy of the real McCoy, the show car is largely the same as the highly bespoke vehicles that finished 1-2-3 in the South American enduro, and it can allegedly withstand the same punishment.
VW claims the 228kW all-terrainer can sprint to 100km/h in less than six seconds, but its real USP is obviously the pace it can maintain across dunes, rocks and just about any other terrain.
The road-legal version looks essentially the same as its competition counterpart (obviously minus the blue race paint), but the 2m wide body required a few tweaks, and the 16-inch rims worn by Al Attiyah's car have been turfed in favour of gold-painted 18-inch BBS rims.
The same hue of gold is used for the "Race Touareg" livery on the car's flanks, while the bodywork is coated in "Magic Morning" -- a pearl white paint with a slight gold shimmer.
Al Attiyah's vehicle doesn't have the most hospitable cabin, so the road version's interior is immaculately crafted and finished in carbonfibre, although the roll cage has been carried over unchanged.
The Recaro racing bucket seats, switchgear and sequential gearshift lever -- plus the anodised plate on the centre console commemorating the Touareg's Dakar success -- all shout the car's competitive heritage, but it all has the look and finish of a mass-production vehicle.
The interior was designed to embody a "Stealth look" inspired by fighter planes, even though it's laced in Nubuk leather and carbonfibre.
VW officials are still being cagey about when (if at all) the Race Touareg 3 Qatar will be available to order, and they're even less willing to volunteer potential pricing and build volumes. It'll no doubt be a hugely pricey, low-volume proposition if it does indeed get the green light.
A more real-world (but less tasteful) offering also revealed at the Qatar show was the Touareg Gold Edition, which -- befitting its moniker -- is liberally daubed with 24-carat gold.
The gold bits include custom designed 22-inch wheels, roof rails, protective guard strips and window frames, mirror caps, grille/air intake slats, "Touareg V8" signature and boot sill trim.
Inside, 24-carat gold also adorns many of the car's accents and switches… in case the exterior tweaks were too subtle. Just the thing for rappers and oil barons…
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Thứ Bảy, 17 tháng 3, 2012
A battery of reasons for Commodore EV
Why Aussies need an EV that's based on a large, family car
Australians are ready and waiting for an affordable car games that will accommodate the family in comfort and cover short distances at low cost -- without significant damage to the environment. That's the rationale of Evan Thornley, CEO of Better Place Australia, and Ian McCleave, CEO of EV Engineering.
Last week, when EV Engineering revealed its proof of concept trial for seven electric vehicles (EVs) based on the VE Commodore, the Carsales Network was on hand to speak with both men -- and ask what it was about the Commodore that made it the best choice for this project.
There's unlimited potential in a battery-powered EV based on Holden's Commodore large car -- pardon the pun and the technical inaccuracy. Thornley says that the internal-combustion Commodore meets the needs of a very broad section of the market, and acceptance of the same basic car -- with a different drive system -- is half the battle won for companies committed to growing the market for EVs. And the impulse comes from fleet buyers (the Commodore-purchasing heartland) as much as it comes from private buyers who are greener in their thinking.
"They want full-size cars," Thornley remarked of the fleet buyers. "They want the same size vehicles, obviously, that they have in their fleet. These are 'tool of trade' vehicles; they have to meet the purpose that they have in the vehicle fleet -- whether it's mid-size cars, full-size cars, SUVs, etc... the type of cars they normally buy. But if those vehicles were available in a range-unlimited electric form, then the appetite for that is very large."
McCleave, a former Holden staff member, had his reasons too, although he was unable to offer much information about what form the experimental cars will take.
"We're well down the road, in terms of packaging and understanding the technical arrangement of the product, but it's too early to share [that information with the media]."
He did say that "packaging" was a consideration, however.
"We weighed up opportunities with different large cars -- and Commodore, being the number one model, was an obvious choice to look at. So we looked at the packaging of various vehicles, and Commodore was clearly a suitable candidate."
Based on the Commodore's weight distribution and the fuel tank being fitted ahead of the rear axle (to be ripped out for the EV conversion, one presumes), there would seem to be some considerable room for a compact electric motor and the battery pack for it to be mounted between the axles.
What also carried the Commodore across the line as the donor of choice was the car's consistently high sales volumes and its high-profile reputation in the domestic market, rather than any prospect it might be exported as a production EV into markets where the Commodore is already sold -- or may be sold in the future.
So the fact that the Commodore can be built in left-hand-drive as well as RHD was of no consequence in the decision to settle on the Holden?
"No, not at all," McCleave replied. "Obviously, at some point down the road, maybe it could be a possibility, but certainly at this stage [there are] no thoughts at all of exports."
The Commodore's high profile in the market provides a useful drawcard for the EV Engineering project -- is market acceptance of an EV like Mitsubishi's i-MiEV possibly consequent upon the alien nature of its design? -- but Holden's support behind the scenes was at least as important to this project, it seems.
"Holden's support was paramount to [the project]," McCleave confirmed.
On the subject of Holden and its local R&D team, what's to stop EV Engineering developing an EV version of the Cruze, which is due for launch in Australia early next month? Thornley argues that the engineering expertise in Australia has traditionally focused on large-car development, which is another reason for the Commodore providing the fundament for the EV trial. Affordable large cars have been a particular forte of Australian-based manufacturers and buyers have shown a preference for such cars in the past -- so an EV based on a locally-manufactured large car is a no-brainer.
"I won't speak on behalf of Holden," Thornley replied. "Obviously they're well down the path with the Cruze and the... Volt -- and I'm sure there's an exciting future for that -- but I do think in Australia we have a particular expertise in large cars, historically, and that turns out to be a particularly attractive market to go electric.
"I think the industry recognised that in the Vision 2020 statement that talked about being a leading producer of large, powerful electric vehicles. It makes financial sense, it makes sense in terms of the fit with our capabilities as an industry and it makes sense in terms of many of the needs of our customers. So, that seems to be a tremendous opportunity -- and this project is the beginning of capturing that opportunity."
But they're a mixed bunch of people buying Commodores. At the basic level there are fleets and private buyers, then there are the active families who need to cart around dogs (Sportwagon for them), young tradies in snazzy utes and hire-car SMEs preferring Caprice for its affordable value. So a substantial part of the appeal of the Commodore lies in its diversity of variants. There are two wheelbases, two sedans, a wagon and light commercial vehicle derivatives. McCleave remained tight-lipped about the seven vehicles taking part in the proof of concept, but it seems quite likely that there won't be just one level of trim and one body style involved in the trial.
"That's more the intention of having that quantity of cars," he admitted. "We'll probably explore different body styles, but quite frankly... one of the nice features of Commodore is [everything] under the skin is identical. Ute's got a longer wheelbase, Caprice has a longer wheelbase, but fundamentally it's the same car underneath. From a packaging point of view, our objective will be to try and live within the constraints of the car as much as we possibly can -- and yet still deliver the same performance and safety, comfort and so on that the standard car offers.
"The main intention is to really get the vehicle out there, for people to evaluate -- other than us -- who are closer to the real customers if you like, to let them feel it and see what they think."
What they think might touch on how they will have to change their driving styles -- and even their lifestyles -- to accommodate a car with a much shorter range than the petrol-engined cars they've been driving. While it's well and good to wrap an unfamiliar concept in familiar packaging, at the core of the proof of concept trial is the still limited range of the new EV. With the added weight of the Commodore, that range will be severely constrained, although EV Engineering and Better Place submit the car should be good for a range of up to around 180km. But what about drivers travelling further than that distance in a day?
"The battery switch is the answer to that one," McCleave replied, but it seems the EV Engineering CEO expects a hypothetical production model would not necessarily suit "people that are going to do 200 to 300 kilometres a day…" and explained that "it's more [for] the people that are going to do a hundred kilometres per day or less... so the people who are going to plug in for part of the day or certainly plug in overnight are going to be the obvious targets."
However, for those occasions when the target buyers for a production model need to drive beyond the range of the battery, there's the Better Place battery switch option.
"For people who do want to use their cars more, then the battery-switch arrangement -- where you can drive into a battery switch station and get a freshly-charged battery in less than three minutes, is a good option," he added.
McCleave mentioned Better Place's Tokyo taxi trial as a demonstration of how that would work with the electric Commodore and other electric vehicles configured for battery swaps. To provide the necessary range (for a car with a hefty kerb mass in this case), the batteries are not light, but there's no manhandling involved in switching a discharged battery out and a fully charged battery back into the car.
"It's in the range of 250, 300kg -- something like that," said McCleave, in respect of the battery's weight. "It's all done robotically, it's just basically a pallet that comes up underneath the car [after receiving] the electronic signal, unlatches to release the existing battery and it gets shuttled away -- [and] the fresh battery gets shuttled in.
"That's your 160 to 180 kilometres of range," McCleave concluded. The Better Place video of the Tokyo Taxi trial is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh0mDhCGkkA
Where does Better Place fit in the picture?
During our interview with Evan Thornley, the CEO outlined the state of play for the EV power supplier.
"We're two and a half years into a five-year project," he said. "We are in the late stages of network planning, we're beginning the site acquisition process for both charge spots and swap stations. And we'll be rolling out the network in time for the mass arrival of electric vehicles. There's obviously no point in building a network until those vehicles are here.
"There are a few vehicles here at the moment... things like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. We're serving those customers with charge spots. By the second half of next year -- we're hearing from the manufacturers around the world -- that significant volumes of affordable electric cars will be hitting the Australian market and we'll want to make sure we're there, ready to serve them with charge network infrastructure."
During his earlier presentation to the press Thornley offered his view that by 2020, running an EV of the same general size and packaging as the VE Commodore would cost owners half the amount that the same car -- petrol-powered -- would cost. But EVs cost less to run now as is. In fact, EVs cost considerably less than half the running costs of a petrol-engined vehicle. Thornley explained that his figure of 'half' the running costs included the cost of battery replacement and recharging from renewable energy.
"I'm including in those numbers the amortised capital cost of the battery," replied to our question. "The cost of the energy itself is already a quarter that of petrol. The cost of running a full-size car on renewable electricity is less than three cents a kilometre. The cost of running it on petrol is 10 to 12 [cents a kilometre].
"The difference between the two [five or six cents being 'half' the petrol running costs] is the amortised capital cost of the battery. As the cost of batteries plummets -- which everybody can see is happening -- then the total cost of both battery and renewable electricity, will be less than half the cost of running petrol in a similar vehicle."
But we're told by that there's a downside to EV technology rolled out on a larger scale to the mass market. Thornley refutes those claims: that demand for EV batteries will outstrip global supply faster than production can be increased; that there will be environmental and commercial costs to dispose of used batteries; and that recycling of rechargeable EV batteries will be an insurmountable cost society will be forced to pay.
"Those are important questions, but those suppositions are false in every case," he replied. "The volume of capital that's going into battery manufacturing capacity around the world has increased by an order of magnitude in the last three years.
"This is the biggest new manufacturing industry in the world -- electric vehicle batteries. The current battery chemistry of lithium-ion phosphate... has no toxic elements, is a hundred per cent recyclable and [there's] an abundance of all the elements required. So we don't see that as a constraint at all, we don't see any issues around disposal or recycling.
"Earlier generations of batteries had some of those issues -- the NiCads [Nickel Cadmium] and other things -- the toxic elements and an inability to recycle. The latest generation of batteries no longer has those problems."
As for production meeting demand, at least one important element of supplying the production plants can be overcome in this very country, Thornley explained.
"People talk about whether there's enough lithium in the world... the largest supply of lithium in the world is that great quarry known as Western Australia. This is a great opportunity for Australia."
What lies ahead for EV Engineering?
The public announcement of the proof of concept trial by EV Engineering came too late for the company to take part in the Victorian government's five-year EV experiment.
"We had talked with them," explained Ian McCleave, "but we elected not to be part of it, because they were a little bit too early for us -- but certainly if other initiatives become available, we'll be interested in talking to them."
So the company has missed the boat for the Victorian trial, but has it conversely jumped the gun announcing the trial? Perhaps building an EV in large-car format is an answer to a question nobody has asked -- because the rest of the world isn't ready for such a vehicle. The problem with being a pioneer is it often takes years for everyone else to catch up with your thinking -- and in the meantime you get attacked by the wild bears of 'bleeding edge' technology.
"You've seen hybrid technology in large [cars]," McCleave answered, "but I don't see other people focusing on large cars for their EV projects. They're either coming from two directions; one is either very small cars -- city cars, which as Evan [Thornley] pointed out, is okay, but not really where the problem is, because of petrol consumption -- or they're coming at it from sports cars or something like that. Tesla, of course... coming at it from the high-performance end downwards.
"I guess what we saw was coming at it from the consumer side -- and saying: 'Where do consumers get the greatest benefit? Where do Australians get the greatest benefit?' Clearly, if we target the people who do the high kilometres -- 25,000-kilometres-per-year-type of people -- [and] take advantage of the fact that Australia's population centres are fairly constrained in a sense; up and down the eastern seaboard and quite easy to service from an EV infrastructure point of view, all the research that we've looked at says that well over 90 per cent of people can be very satisfied with the range of an EV."
Currently, the company is looking forward to just the next step -- the successful trial of the Commodore-based EVs. But McCleave foresees the prospect of the intellectual property being commercialised, even if the cars themselves don't end up in production.
"At this point, everything's wrapped very tightly around the proof of concept vehicles. That's what we have funding to deliver... that's got to be our number one target of course. But clearly there are opportunities -- not only our company but our member companies -- to spread the knowledge they glean from this project onto other opportunities.
"What we've learned already from this, of course -- it's not rocket science -- is there's a desperate shortage of EV skills around the world. The companies that have [those skills] are very highly sought after, so one of my objectives was to get in there while it's still relatively new technology to be able to develop it here before other people get to it."
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Australians are ready and waiting for an affordable car games that will accommodate the family in comfort and cover short distances at low cost -- without significant damage to the environment. That's the rationale of Evan Thornley, CEO of Better Place Australia, and Ian McCleave, CEO of EV Engineering.
Last week, when EV Engineering revealed its proof of concept trial for seven electric vehicles (EVs) based on the VE Commodore, the Carsales Network was on hand to speak with both men -- and ask what it was about the Commodore that made it the best choice for this project.
There's unlimited potential in a battery-powered EV based on Holden's Commodore large car -- pardon the pun and the technical inaccuracy. Thornley says that the internal-combustion Commodore meets the needs of a very broad section of the market, and acceptance of the same basic car -- with a different drive system -- is half the battle won for companies committed to growing the market for EVs. And the impulse comes from fleet buyers (the Commodore-purchasing heartland) as much as it comes from private buyers who are greener in their thinking.
"They want full-size cars," Thornley remarked of the fleet buyers. "They want the same size vehicles, obviously, that they have in their fleet. These are 'tool of trade' vehicles; they have to meet the purpose that they have in the vehicle fleet -- whether it's mid-size cars, full-size cars, SUVs, etc... the type of cars they normally buy. But if those vehicles were available in a range-unlimited electric form, then the appetite for that is very large."
McCleave, a former Holden staff member, had his reasons too, although he was unable to offer much information about what form the experimental cars will take.
"We're well down the road, in terms of packaging and understanding the technical arrangement of the product, but it's too early to share [that information with the media]."
He did say that "packaging" was a consideration, however.
"We weighed up opportunities with different large cars -- and Commodore, being the number one model, was an obvious choice to look at. So we looked at the packaging of various vehicles, and Commodore was clearly a suitable candidate."
Based on the Commodore's weight distribution and the fuel tank being fitted ahead of the rear axle (to be ripped out for the EV conversion, one presumes), there would seem to be some considerable room for a compact electric motor and the battery pack for it to be mounted between the axles.
What also carried the Commodore across the line as the donor of choice was the car's consistently high sales volumes and its high-profile reputation in the domestic market, rather than any prospect it might be exported as a production EV into markets where the Commodore is already sold -- or may be sold in the future.
So the fact that the Commodore can be built in left-hand-drive as well as RHD was of no consequence in the decision to settle on the Holden?
"No, not at all," McCleave replied. "Obviously, at some point down the road, maybe it could be a possibility, but certainly at this stage [there are] no thoughts at all of exports."
The Commodore's high profile in the market provides a useful drawcard for the EV Engineering project -- is market acceptance of an EV like Mitsubishi's i-MiEV possibly consequent upon the alien nature of its design? -- but Holden's support behind the scenes was at least as important to this project, it seems.
"Holden's support was paramount to [the project]," McCleave confirmed.
On the subject of Holden and its local R&D team, what's to stop EV Engineering developing an EV version of the Cruze, which is due for launch in Australia early next month? Thornley argues that the engineering expertise in Australia has traditionally focused on large-car development, which is another reason for the Commodore providing the fundament for the EV trial. Affordable large cars have been a particular forte of Australian-based manufacturers and buyers have shown a preference for such cars in the past -- so an EV based on a locally-manufactured large car is a no-brainer.
"I won't speak on behalf of Holden," Thornley replied. "Obviously they're well down the path with the Cruze and the... Volt -- and I'm sure there's an exciting future for that -- but I do think in Australia we have a particular expertise in large cars, historically, and that turns out to be a particularly attractive market to go electric.
"I think the industry recognised that in the Vision 2020 statement that talked about being a leading producer of large, powerful electric vehicles. It makes financial sense, it makes sense in terms of the fit with our capabilities as an industry and it makes sense in terms of many of the needs of our customers. So, that seems to be a tremendous opportunity -- and this project is the beginning of capturing that opportunity."
But they're a mixed bunch of people buying Commodores. At the basic level there are fleets and private buyers, then there are the active families who need to cart around dogs (Sportwagon for them), young tradies in snazzy utes and hire-car SMEs preferring Caprice for its affordable value. So a substantial part of the appeal of the Commodore lies in its diversity of variants. There are two wheelbases, two sedans, a wagon and light commercial vehicle derivatives. McCleave remained tight-lipped about the seven vehicles taking part in the proof of concept, but it seems quite likely that there won't be just one level of trim and one body style involved in the trial.
"That's more the intention of having that quantity of cars," he admitted. "We'll probably explore different body styles, but quite frankly... one of the nice features of Commodore is [everything] under the skin is identical. Ute's got a longer wheelbase, Caprice has a longer wheelbase, but fundamentally it's the same car underneath. From a packaging point of view, our objective will be to try and live within the constraints of the car as much as we possibly can -- and yet still deliver the same performance and safety, comfort and so on that the standard car offers.
"The main intention is to really get the vehicle out there, for people to evaluate -- other than us -- who are closer to the real customers if you like, to let them feel it and see what they think."
What they think might touch on how they will have to change their driving styles -- and even their lifestyles -- to accommodate a car with a much shorter range than the petrol-engined cars they've been driving. While it's well and good to wrap an unfamiliar concept in familiar packaging, at the core of the proof of concept trial is the still limited range of the new EV. With the added weight of the Commodore, that range will be severely constrained, although EV Engineering and Better Place submit the car should be good for a range of up to around 180km. But what about drivers travelling further than that distance in a day?
"The battery switch is the answer to that one," McCleave replied, but it seems the EV Engineering CEO expects a hypothetical production model would not necessarily suit "people that are going to do 200 to 300 kilometres a day…" and explained that "it's more [for] the people that are going to do a hundred kilometres per day or less... so the people who are going to plug in for part of the day or certainly plug in overnight are going to be the obvious targets."
However, for those occasions when the target buyers for a production model need to drive beyond the range of the battery, there's the Better Place battery switch option.
"For people who do want to use their cars more, then the battery-switch arrangement -- where you can drive into a battery switch station and get a freshly-charged battery in less than three minutes, is a good option," he added.
McCleave mentioned Better Place's Tokyo taxi trial as a demonstration of how that would work with the electric Commodore and other electric vehicles configured for battery swaps. To provide the necessary range (for a car with a hefty kerb mass in this case), the batteries are not light, but there's no manhandling involved in switching a discharged battery out and a fully charged battery back into the car.
"It's in the range of 250, 300kg -- something like that," said McCleave, in respect of the battery's weight. "It's all done robotically, it's just basically a pallet that comes up underneath the car [after receiving] the electronic signal, unlatches to release the existing battery and it gets shuttled away -- [and] the fresh battery gets shuttled in.
"That's your 160 to 180 kilometres of range," McCleave concluded. The Better Place video of the Tokyo Taxi trial is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh0mDhCGkkA
Where does Better Place fit in the picture?
During our interview with Evan Thornley, the CEO outlined the state of play for the EV power supplier.
"We're two and a half years into a five-year project," he said. "We are in the late stages of network planning, we're beginning the site acquisition process for both charge spots and swap stations. And we'll be rolling out the network in time for the mass arrival of electric vehicles. There's obviously no point in building a network until those vehicles are here.
"There are a few vehicles here at the moment... things like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. We're serving those customers with charge spots. By the second half of next year -- we're hearing from the manufacturers around the world -- that significant volumes of affordable electric cars will be hitting the Australian market and we'll want to make sure we're there, ready to serve them with charge network infrastructure."
During his earlier presentation to the press Thornley offered his view that by 2020, running an EV of the same general size and packaging as the VE Commodore would cost owners half the amount that the same car -- petrol-powered -- would cost. But EVs cost less to run now as is. In fact, EVs cost considerably less than half the running costs of a petrol-engined vehicle. Thornley explained that his figure of 'half' the running costs included the cost of battery replacement and recharging from renewable energy.
"I'm including in those numbers the amortised capital cost of the battery," replied to our question. "The cost of the energy itself is already a quarter that of petrol. The cost of running a full-size car on renewable electricity is less than three cents a kilometre. The cost of running it on petrol is 10 to 12 [cents a kilometre].
"The difference between the two [five or six cents being 'half' the petrol running costs] is the amortised capital cost of the battery. As the cost of batteries plummets -- which everybody can see is happening -- then the total cost of both battery and renewable electricity, will be less than half the cost of running petrol in a similar vehicle."
But we're told by that there's a downside to EV technology rolled out on a larger scale to the mass market. Thornley refutes those claims: that demand for EV batteries will outstrip global supply faster than production can be increased; that there will be environmental and commercial costs to dispose of used batteries; and that recycling of rechargeable EV batteries will be an insurmountable cost society will be forced to pay.
"Those are important questions, but those suppositions are false in every case," he replied. "The volume of capital that's going into battery manufacturing capacity around the world has increased by an order of magnitude in the last three years.
"This is the biggest new manufacturing industry in the world -- electric vehicle batteries. The current battery chemistry of lithium-ion phosphate... has no toxic elements, is a hundred per cent recyclable and [there's] an abundance of all the elements required. So we don't see that as a constraint at all, we don't see any issues around disposal or recycling.
"Earlier generations of batteries had some of those issues -- the NiCads [Nickel Cadmium] and other things -- the toxic elements and an inability to recycle. The latest generation of batteries no longer has those problems."
As for production meeting demand, at least one important element of supplying the production plants can be overcome in this very country, Thornley explained.
"People talk about whether there's enough lithium in the world... the largest supply of lithium in the world is that great quarry known as Western Australia. This is a great opportunity for Australia."
What lies ahead for EV Engineering?
The public announcement of the proof of concept trial by EV Engineering came too late for the company to take part in the Victorian government's five-year EV experiment.
"We had talked with them," explained Ian McCleave, "but we elected not to be part of it, because they were a little bit too early for us -- but certainly if other initiatives become available, we'll be interested in talking to them."
So the company has missed the boat for the Victorian trial, but has it conversely jumped the gun announcing the trial? Perhaps building an EV in large-car format is an answer to a question nobody has asked -- because the rest of the world isn't ready for such a vehicle. The problem with being a pioneer is it often takes years for everyone else to catch up with your thinking -- and in the meantime you get attacked by the wild bears of 'bleeding edge' technology.
"You've seen hybrid technology in large [cars]," McCleave answered, "but I don't see other people focusing on large cars for their EV projects. They're either coming from two directions; one is either very small cars -- city cars, which as Evan [Thornley] pointed out, is okay, but not really where the problem is, because of petrol consumption -- or they're coming at it from sports cars or something like that. Tesla, of course... coming at it from the high-performance end downwards.
"I guess what we saw was coming at it from the consumer side -- and saying: 'Where do consumers get the greatest benefit? Where do Australians get the greatest benefit?' Clearly, if we target the people who do the high kilometres -- 25,000-kilometres-per-year-type of people -- [and] take advantage of the fact that Australia's population centres are fairly constrained in a sense; up and down the eastern seaboard and quite easy to service from an EV infrastructure point of view, all the research that we've looked at says that well over 90 per cent of people can be very satisfied with the range of an EV."
Currently, the company is looking forward to just the next step -- the successful trial of the Commodore-based EVs. But McCleave foresees the prospect of the intellectual property being commercialised, even if the cars themselves don't end up in production.
"At this point, everything's wrapped very tightly around the proof of concept vehicles. That's what we have funding to deliver... that's got to be our number one target of course. But clearly there are opportunities -- not only our company but our member companies -- to spread the knowledge they glean from this project onto other opportunities.
"What we've learned already from this, of course -- it's not rocket science -- is there's a desperate shortage of EV skills around the world. The companies that have [those skills] are very highly sought after, so one of my objectives was to get in there while it's still relatively new technology to be able to develop it here before other people get to it."
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