Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. The naturally aspirated version of the front-wheel-drive coupe will hit Australia next month and the US will get the turbo variant in the middle of this year. It is powered by the same 1.6-litre engine, but with a twin-scroll turbo that unleashes 150kW of power, up from 103kW, and 226Nm of torque, up from 167Nm. Yet Hyundai claims a respectable 6.2 litres per 100km fuel consumption. It will feature sport suspension, 18-inch wheels, a bigger grille, fog lamps, LED accent lights, a massive rear diffuser, twin tailpipes, alloy pedals and a 450-watt, eight-speaker sound system. The show car also features matte paint which Hyundai promises will not just be a show attention-getter but will make it into production. Hyundai also showed an upgraded Genesis Coupe for 2013 with a cosmetic mid-life facelift including LED daytime running lights, bigger wheel options and fog lights. It's not all just cosmetics, though. Under the bonnet is some serious tweaking. The four-cylinder gets a 30 per cent power boost to 204kW while the 3.6-litre turbo V6 is up 31kW to 252kW.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. It's featuring as a concept car at the Detroit motor show. But the NSX comes with a few twists in the tail. It's branded an Acura which is the luxury arm of Honda as Lexus is to Toyota. It also features two badges which will throw loyal fans of the supercar which was shelved in 2005. One badge says "sports hybrid" and the other says "AWD", as in all-wheel drive. It's still a mid-engined car, but fans may not like the move from rear-wheel drive or the hybrid power train. There are no specifications yet except that it will still have a V6 engine and impressve power-to-weight figures. It's a dazzling futuristic concept that may be a show stopper, but it is far from production ready with heavily tinted windows scarcely concealing an unfinished interior. Best guess is that it is at least three years away from production.

1. LeTourneau L-2350 front-loader - Each pneumatic tyre weighs 6.8 tonne, is 4m in diameter, 1.8m wide and is covered in chains to extend the life to 12 months. Price: $63,000 each.2. Caterpillar 797 dump truck - Michelin 59/80R63 XDR are 3.9m in diameter, weigh 5.3 tonnes and replacing a tyre means you'll be undoing (and tightening) 47 nuts. Price: $42,500 each.3. Bugatti Veyron - Michelin Pilot Sport PAX (run flat) 245/690 R520 (front) and 365/710 R540 (rear) tyres. Made to sustain 406km/h and a brisk 0-300km/h time of less than 14 seconds. Price: $10,000 each.4. Space shuttle - The main landing gear tyres are only good for one landing while the smaller nose tyres can do two. The bigger tyres are pumped on nitrogen to 340psi, are rated at 56 tonnes load and 420km/h. Price: $5500.5. Monster Truck - Made by Goodyear and Firestone to a specific size of 2.6m high and 1.7m wide. The average monster truck team goes through eight tyres a year. Each is hand cut - taking up to 50 hours per tyre - for specific track conditions and driving style. Price: $2500 each.6. Boeing 747 - Uses two nose and 16 main tyres with the mains good for about six years with retreading. The tyres weigh 110kg each and have a 1.2m diameter. Price: $2000 each.7. Formula One - control tyres at 265/55R13 (front) and 325/R13 (rear) last a maximum of 200km and at the end of their useful life are recycled. Teams generally have a minimum of 20 tyres per car on hand. Price: $1500 each.8. 1929 Leyland Lion bus - The pride of the Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum needed new tyres to celebrate its 50th anniversary. They were specially made in the US. Price: $800 each.9. Porsche Turbo - rubber choices for the rear include Toyo Proxes R888 at 285/30ZR18 that may last 30,000km if you're nice. The tyres suit a range of cars but not Proton S16. Price: $500 each.10. Tufo Elite Pulse tubular bicycle road tyre - High traction Silane tyre features 10 per cent less rolling resistance than rivals and weighs only 230g. Comes only in black and size 700x22. You'll need two of these and a bicycle too. Price: $150 each.

But the while that seems a huge number of vehicles recalled by manufacturers for safety checks, the number is slightly down on previous years.  Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries executive director Ian Chalmers says this shows the high quality of modern vehicles. Department of Infrastructure and Transport figures show there were 138 voluntary recalls of vehicles and vehicle parts last year compared with an annual average over the past decade of about 145.  There were 147 voluntary recalls in 2010 and 173 in 2009. The lowest on record was in 1986 when there were 18 recalls. A departmental spokesman pointed out that the Government has never needed to invoke its powers to enforce a mandatory recall of vehicles. Chalmers says the motor vehicle industry has been on a "pathway of continuous improvement for decades".  "Consumers are benefiting from their ability to buy cars that are getting better and better and better, and in real terms becoming less and less expensive," he says. Chalmers pointed out that 50 years ago the Australian population was just over 10 million with 145,000 new cars sold in 1951. It is now 23m with more than 1m new cars sold last year.  "That's a bit more than double the population while the number of new cars bought has increased 690 per cent," he said. "That's a remarkable, breathtaking number and it's possibly because cars are becoming less and less expensive while their quality is getting better."  Of the 138 voluntary recalls last year, Citroen topped the list with eight model recalls. However, these represented only a few hundred cars, while some other recalls, such as the recall of Honda Accord Euros made from 2003-08 represented 45,524 vehicles.  That recall was for inspection of a leak in power steering fluid. Other big recalls were made by Honda for 26,496 Jazz vehicles built from 2005 to 2007 for possible faulty power window switches and Nissan for possible cracks in wheel spokes of 23,694 of their Navara D40 dual-cab utes made from 2005-08.  BMW has made no safety recalls since 2006, VW has made none since 2007 nor Renault since 2009. Recalls vary from minor (Honda power window switches) to major (fuel leaks, fires, brake and steering failure and the cruise control failing to disengage).  Most recalls are made after incidents overseas and the vehicles are checked before there are any incidents in Australia. In all cases, manufacturers made changes for free after contacting customers or examining the vehicle at the next service interval. The department spokesman said recall action by a vehicle manufacturer "does not necessarily indicate that the product is defective".  "Many recalls are for inspection only and are precautionary in nature," the spokesman said. "It would be undesirable if vehicle recall campaigns were seen in a negative light - recalls should be viewed as manufacturers doing the right thing and responding to issues that have emerged since vehicles went to market."  Vehicle and other product recalls are covered by the Trade Practices Act 1974 and administered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which has launched a free Recalls Australia iPhone app available through iTunes.  The app allows users to search the Recalls Australia database, view detailed information on each recalled product, receive notifications when new recalls are announced and report products consumers think are unsafe directly to the ACCC. Users can also attach a photo of the vehicle and the defect. NOTE: Some Carsguide print sections incorrectly captioned the photograph used in the print pages to accompany this story. The Honda Accord Euro that appeared on those pages was captioned to suggest the car had been recalled for a fuel leak problem. However, the recall on the Honda Accord Euro was in fact for a steering fluid leak.   2011 RECALLS  

... this year's Australian Rally Championship when Polaris and BRP meet in battle. A new category has been added to this year's ARC series for side-by-side ATV machines or quad bikes, allowing the two North American powersports companies to compete as they have for more than 50 years overseas. The CAMS-approved ARC SxS Racing Series will allow competitors to race in four of the ARC rounds in either a Polaris RZR XP or Can-Am Commander XT made by BRP.   Polaris national marketing manager Neil Anderson says this will be a stock class with everything standard apart from necessary safety changes such as approved racing cage and harnesses. "We are very keen that this not become cheque book racing," he says.   "As a result, there will be no engine or transmission modifications allowed. Even the alloy wheels must be stock." BRP Australia marketing manager Kym Pardey admitted that Polaris may have an advantage with their "full-on race machine".   "The unit which Polaris is entering is more racy while ours is a more practical allrounder that is more comfortable and has a heavy tip-tray," he says.   "But to make it more equitable they have allowed some rule changes for us to reduce weight and increase track width; ours is narrower and was designed to fit on a pick-up truck. The wider track means much quicker cornering speed."  The Can Am is powered by a Rotax 1000cc v-twin engine while the Polaris has a smaller 976cc engine. However, the Polaris has more top-end power for speed while the Can Am has more torque for load capacity. Polaris and BRP began their fierce competition in the 1960s with snowmobiles then ATVs or quad bikes in the 1980s and more recently Side by Side (SxS) vehicles.  Polaris is from Minnesota, USA, and BRP which makes Can-Am ATVs and SxS is from just north of the border in Canada. SxS racing has exploded in North America in the past decade and in Australia SxS racers have competed at recent events such as the Finke Desert Race, Cliffhanger and KharnaCross, endorsed by CAMS or the Cross Country Drivers Association.  Three-time Australian and four-time Asia-Pacific rally champion Cody Crocker will race for Polaris. "It's absolutely fantastic," Crocker says. "The jumps are different as you don't go as far. But the landing is much softer. Even though you aren't going as fast . . . the thrill factor is the same."  Can Am has enlisted the talents of retired Australian and international rally driver Michael Guest who has driven for Mitsubishi, Subaru and Ford factory teams. BRP is also preparing race-ready Commanders for private competitors to buy and race. ARC SxS Racing Series Calder Park, Victoria, March 2-4 Busselton, WA, March 31-April 1 Sunshine Coast, Queensland, May 26-27 Coffs Harbour, NSW, October 13-14

... leading to a surge of new vehicle sales last year.  While annual new car sales reached the one million mark for the fourth time in Australia, sales were down 2.6 per cent nationally or 27,137 on the previous year. However, Queensland bucked the trend to be the only state to record an increase in sales, up 2980 or 1.4 per cent.  Official VFacts industry figures released yesterday by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show New South Wales was down 1894 or 0.6 per cent, Victoria down 13,217 (-4.7 per cent), South Australia - 3684 (-5.5 per cent), Western Australia -7961 (-6.8 per cent) and Tasmania -2601 (-13.4 per cent).  RACQ spokesman Michael Roth said not all of the estimated 3000 flood-damaged vehicles were replaced by new cars. "But it would have helped lift Queensland sales," he said. Roth warned that while most of the flood-damaged vehicles had been written off, he warned that some owners may have cleaned them up and put them on the market.  RACQ researcher Russell Manning said buyers should check all vehicles closely, including starting the engine, running their hand under the dashboard to feel for mud and checking for signs of water entry into the engine and driveline. "But even then you don't know how badly it has been flooded and how long it was under water," he said. "I'd get an expert to look at the car."  FCAI chief executive Ian Chalmers said the national new vehicle sales results were "exceptional" given the effects of floods in Queensland and Victoria, the north Queensland cyclone, bushfires in Western Australia, the tsunami in Japan and floods in Thailand from where we get 18 per cent of our imported vehicles.  "The resilience of the Australian marketplace, combined with strong industry resolve, saw sales recover strongly in the fourth quarter, with total sales finishing just 3.9 per cent behind the FCAI's forecast of 1,050,000 for the year," he said.  The FCAI is predicting another million-plus sales this year given the resurgence of the retail sector and strong consumer demand for new models. Source: VFacts

On January 31 a new national register of vehicles takes over from the state-based Register of Encumbent Vehicles (REVS) and Vehicles Securities Register (VSR) certificates. The new Personal Property Security Register (PPSR) will not only include information about whether money is still owed on the vehicle but also whether it has been written off in a crash. National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council executive director Ray Carroll says private buyers will be big winners with the check also costing substantially less than before. "We've been working pretty hard to make sure when it was introduced it had the full range of vehicle information included in the check," Carroll says. "It had been established as a financial encumbrance check, but now it also includes information on whether it's a written-off vehicle. It's what we've been aiming for for a long, long time; a national one-stop shop. Instead of having to know which state it was originally registered in, there is now just one place to go to." Buyers can perform a vehicle check online or via SMS through the Department of Insolvency and Trustee Service inside the Attorney General's department. "Anyone who doesn't do this simple check has rocks in their head," Carroll says. "People have lost their car because the seller hasn't paid the money back. Previous surveys we've done show nine out of 10 people say that if they knew a car was a written-off vehicle before they purchased it, they wouldn't have bought it. Some written-off repairs are fine and can be repaired if done properly, but if buyers know it has been written off it at least gives them the option of having it tested or renegotiating a better price. This register puts information back in the consumers' hands and makes them better protected." Carroll says it will also help to reduce professional car theft as it will make it more difficult for criminals to rebirth a written-off vehicle, even if they send it interstate. "From the theft perspective it's fantastic news," he says. "It's a way of attacking the professional thief who relies on the fact that people don't know it was written off." The PPRS had a couple of false starts. It was to have been introduced last May but the finance industry needed more time to get their IT systems compatible. It was then planned for November, but will now be introduced from next month. Sydney used car dealer Brad Coleman has cautiously welcomed the new register. "It could previously cost up to $250 to do a search of all the state-based REVS and repairable write-offs checks," he said. "This should have been introduced 10 years ago, but the states couldn't agree." He said he was concerned that the register would not be promptly updated and would not be jeopardised by incorrect information input. To search a vehicle's records, motorists must supply the vehicle identification number (VIN) or chassis number. The PSR will also include other possessions that people can buy with a personal loan. For more information, visit www.ppsr.gov.au.

There's the Scarabeo, Mojito, Pepe, Baby Doll, B Bone, Alien, Like, Ego, BeeWee, Nifty, Fiddle, Sharpy, Ardour, Zip, Fly, MP3, Orbit, People,  Today and Honda's unfortunately named Lead which is supposed to be pronounced "leed" as in leading by example, but most pronounce it "led".  And then there is the Yamaha Vity. No, not City, but Vity, probably short for vitality with its light weight and punchy fuel-injected 125cc engine.  It's the smallest and lightest 125cc scooter in its class at 110kg with a 730mm seat, 1250mm wheelbase and 100/90-10 tyres.  Like the new BeeWee, Vity has a four-stroke single-cylinder engine and 153mm front disc brake.  It has a storage compartment in the steering column and under the seat plus a rear luggage rack.  The Vity's instrument panel features an analogue speedometer, fuel gauge, and an array of indicator lights. It comes in black or white. Yamaha XC125 Vity  Price: $2699 Warranty: 12 months unlimited kms, parts and labour Engine: air-cooled, 4-stroke, fuel-injected 125cc single Transmission: V-Belt automatic Brakes: 153mm disc (front), 110mm drum (rear) Tyres: 100/90-10 Dimensions: 1860mm (L), 670mm (W), 1045mm (H), 730mm (Seat), 1250mm (WB), 95mm (Clearance) West weight: 110kg Fuel: 5.5-litre tank  

According to an online poll of 2000 British drivers, 53 per cent of BMW drivers admit to using their horn at least once every journey, almost triple the national average of 18 per cent. Other hornblowers are Jag drivers (45 per cent), Fiats (43 per cent), Audis (39 per cent) and Saabs (29 per cent), while, Nissan drivers are a quiet lot with 95 per cent saying they only use their horns in emergencies.  Blowing your horn in Australia could cost you thousands of dollars if misused. Queensland road rules declare that drivers must not use a car horn unless warning other road users or animals of a danger with fines up to a maximum of $2000. However the horn can also be used as part of an anti-theft device or an alcohol interlock device. Australian Design Rules stipulate that the car horn must be audible and reachable by the driver, but have only one note and not sound like a siren, bell or whistle. Consequently, car horns that play a tune such as the popular La Cucaracha (Spanish for cockroach) are illegal. RACQ Insurance spokesman Mike Sopinski says misuse of horns shows up on their annual survey of what peeves drivers. "Improper use of vehicle horns could be a distraction to other drivers and may be the cause of an accident," he said. "Improper and over use of car horns is also often associated with aggressive driving and anti-social driver behaviour." "Perhaps one of the most prevalent misuses of car horns is the blasting of the horn when leaving a friend's house, a behaviour many motorists are known to engage in to the complete annoyance of neighbours." Student Faith Hartley, 23, admits she has tooted the horn at drivers who are "being stupid on the road" and been honked at for not taking off from the lights quick enough; "which is really stupid". The part-time model also revealed she has been honked with appreciation by the opposite sex. "On the highway if you are going down the coast and there are guys in the car next to you they might blow the horn," she said. The UK survey by webuyanycar.com found that reasons for blowing the horn included when another driver pulls out in front (52 per cent) and when a vehicle is stationary at a green traffic light (51 per cent). Only 29 per cent said they blew the horn to warn other drivers of danger. British motorists also admitted to using the horn if they spot a fellow road user talking on a mobile phone, when a cyclist is using incorrect road positioning as well as alerting other drivers when travelling on winding country lanes. Six per cent reckoned the horn should only be used to express anger, while 3 per cent said it was to be used if they spot someone they know.

Design student Dean Benstead has produced a bike that runs on nothing but compressed air. He says that with further development there is a place in the future for compressed air as an economical and environmentally-friendly option. "I wanted to explore the viability of compressed air as an alternative fuel, and my childhood experiences riding dirt bikes led me to design the motocross bike based around the Engineair engine," says the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Industrial student. The 21-year-old industrial design student says it's called the 02 Pursuit because it runs on oxygen (O2) and is "the pursuit for a better and more sustainable future". The machine is a working prototype of a motocross bike with Yamaha running gear, a DiPietro air engine developed by Angelo DiPietro of Engineair Australia, and chassis and bodywork by Rinlatech Engineering of Victoria. "The stationary test runs we've run have been very positive - the bike can hit speeds in excess of 100km/h in its current build, and with more development we can see the range of the bike doubling or tripling," Benstead says. "The next prototype would involve a total re-style, different material choices over the current steel tube chassis, such as aluminium or even a futuristic printed titanium, reducing the weight comparable to a heavy-duty mountain bike." The first prototype has road tyres, but the bike has developed since then. "That was a project which I did last December. It has evolved from that into a motocross bike with dirt tyres which is yet to be unveiled to the public," says Benstead who will reveal the machine at 10.30am on the first day of the three-day show in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. "I'm from Bright in north-east Victoria so I rode motocross bikes as a kid and I'm familiar with that sort of riding," he says. "Another advantage is that it is dramatically quieter than a petrol engine, even though it still has a bit of a beat to it. I could ride it any time at home and I wouldn't get complaints from the neighbours like you might with a normal dirt bike." The bike's engine is supplied by an 18-litre scuba tank. "In stationary testing it lasts about 15 minutes but we may be able to double or triple that with development. "I see it could definitely having a future in short-range inner-city commuting with closely connected re-fuelling stations or as a recreational bike for half-hour races. Refuelling would be free once you have a compressor." Visit: motorcycleshow.com.au