Author archive
Mooted FBT Changes: More Fallout…
Not unexpectedly, the proposed changes for fleet vehicle Fringe Benefit Tax has had more fallout, with Kevin Rudd stating that the current Opposition leader, Tony Abbott, will kill the flailing Australian car manufacturing industry by allegedly cutting government funding whereas Mr Abbott claims that his propos
ed tax cut policy will actually help: http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/coalition-rules-out-further-funding-for-car-industry-20130822-2sdgb.html and http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/8711026/abbott-will-kill-car-industry-says-rudd
It’s a sad offset of our current pre-election situation that neither side really actually appear to be truly interested in helping Holden and Toyota continue whilst also easing Ford’s slide into full importation. There’s already automotive unrest with one major Sydney based dealer advertising cars once intended for fleet buyers being made available for the private buyer at fleet prices while the Australian Salary Packaging Industry Association is also hitting out with online ads asking “who’s next”. There are some that claim the changes are good for the industry, which may be all well and good but the effects are tangible already with real and confirmed job cuts. With our economy at a standstill, pretty much pending the result of September 7, Aussie families don’t need this extra burden.
On a lighter note somewhat, a couple of Holden designers have been beavering away behind the scenes on what could be a new Monaro. Based on a combination of VE and VF smarts, it’s a design study, at this stage and highly unlikely to see real world production.
What do you think?
History. Remade. Jaguar's New F-Type
Moments in history happen once. Invariably the huge majority slide on by with no impact on humanity but occasionally they leave an indelible mark. In 1961, just as the “Swinging 60s” was just getting into stride, a British automobile manufacturer released upon an unsuspecting motoring public a gem called “the most beautiful car in the world”, by Enzo Ferrari, no less. 13 years and 70 odd thousand builds later the E-Type Jaguar is still regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made, leaving its imprint upon history. Powered, initially, by a 3.8L straight six and from 1964 the snarling 4.2L, the E-Type shocked other makers and remains a sought after item.
Come 2012 and Jaguar, after a few years under the ownership of Indian based conglomerate Tata, release the much anticipated successor at the Paris Motor Show. Immediately the F-Type stirs emotions, has Jaguarphiles prostrating themselves in ecstasy and rattles the cages of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche. In August of 2013, Jaguar Australia hosts the launch of this spiritually moving car.
Three engines: There’s two supercharged V6, both of three litres capacity. A snorting, angry, growling supercharged five litre V8 is your other choice and aurally, it’s hard to decide; banshee scream or basso profundo. An interior that’s for two and two only. Seats that are for drivers, drivers of a certain size as they’re hip hugging snug. Looks that would put Jennifer Hawkins into a tizzy and frighten mirrors for not being able to live up to what they see. A folding roof that goes up quicker than a bank’s interest rate and down quicker than a farmer’s beer on a hot day. This is the Jaguar F-Type.
The Australian launch was in Sydney, starting with a product overview on a Thursday night. Friday was drive day; heading north from Sydney, looping through some tight and twisty roads before directions took us to Cessnock then back south for some private tuition before a return to the big smoke.
It was impressed upon us to listen to the exhaust; a deliberate effort from the design and engineering teams to give the ears something delightful and they succeeded. A rasping crackle comes from the centrally mounted pipes as the eight speed auto blips its way through the gears; a down shift and a foot off the go pedal elicits a smile as the snarling, raspy sound reverberates off tunnel walls. An upshift is completed in less time it takes to think about it, a computer instructs the engine to match revs on both the up and downwards journey through the gears and with eight closely stacked ratios it provides flexibility and exquisite driveability. Another computer reads the driver’s style, conversing with the gearbox to decide which one of 25 programmes to use to ensure the right gear is right to go. The S models utilise more smarts, with sensors measuring steering wheel input, body movement, pitch and roll, tuning each suspension damper to give that razor sharp precision such a car deserves.
On the road it’s breathtaking to look at, inside and out; breathtaking to drive and awesomely beautiful to look at. The aluminuim construction reduces weight (a maximum of 1665kg for the V8S), provides stiffness and adds strength to the F-Type. The suspension is taut, talkative, communicating the road to the driver. Acceleration is rapid, as you’d expect from three powerful (250/280kW or 364kW) Jaguar engines and braking is inspiring, in the weight of the pedal and lack of squirm from the car.This is partly down to the breadth of the F-Type, with 1597mm and 1649mm 
track for the V6 twins and slightly narrower (1585/1627) for the V8S. Fat rubber across the board on the 18/19/20 inch rims provides superlative searching grip, allowing the F-Type to power into tight turns, off camber corners as if attached on velcro, all the time caressing the ears with that superb soundtrack as a wing arises majestically from the rear deck at around 90 kilometres per hour.
The interior of the F-Type is akin to pulling on well fitted boots, with wrap around, snug seating holding the driver and passenger like a lover’s embrace, facing minimalistic yet effective switchgear and a cabin inspired by a Typhoon fighter jet. Unlike its brethren, there’s no rising from the console of a gear selector, instead there’s a multipurpose gear lever; aircon vents rise from the dash with a monolithic grace. The dash dials are LCD based, with rapid response and glowing good looks. There’s a Meridian sound system on board, superfluous thanks to that 
awesome exhaust note. Seating is low down yet never lacks for 360 degree vision, whilst those on the outside see what Jaguar is all about: grace, space and pace. Ranging from $139K to $208K, the Jaguar F-Type takes the fight up to its rivals from Germany while simultaneously becoming part of history. Remade.
Ford's High Tech Revamp While Holden Workers Back Change
It’s tough times in the Australian automotive manufacturing field; Ford is looking to go out with a bang locally and Holden workers confirm a pay freeze to try and help extend the Adelaide based operations lifespan.
Ford released details (13 August 2013) about its revamped range of vehicles as it looks to provide Australian buyers some sort of joy before wrapping local building operations in 2016. Chief amongst this is confirmation the iconic Mustang name will spearhead the Ford range however the midsized Mondeo is slated to become the main seller, due to the continuing dropoff in large car sales. The new Fiesta range is also due before years end as is a new form of driver safety. Ford calls it “MyKey” and is intended to give parents more control over the driving habits of their children plus, should the worst happen (a crash) contact emergency services automatically. “MyKey is an industry-first technology that allows parents to program a key that limits top speed, reduces maximum radio volume, disables the radio until the seatbelts are fastened and prevents deactivation of driver assistance and safety technologies.”
Staying with the tech theme, the 2014 arrival of Mondeo sees inflatable
seatbelts for rear passengers; on impact the belts inflate and cover five times more surface area on a body than conventional seatbelts, reducing physical trauma. Ford also continues with the Mondeo station wagon, a criminally underrated segment in Australia with the seemingly almost unstoppable surge towards SUVs, with a redesign offering better interior packaging plus a reintroduction of the hatchback, with a slim and aerodynamic look. Ford’s commercial 
buyers will also be looked after with an update to the venerable 
Transit range also on stream. With seven million sold since 1965 it remains one of Ford’s most successful commercially oriented vehicles and for 2014 the range cops a substantial reskinning with two distinct looks, the Cargo and Custom, being set to roll into businesses next year. The Cargo will come with a variety of body shapes and will also a 12 seater bus variant.
In regards to Ford Australia’s oldest nameplate, the Falcon, that will be retired when Ford Oz ceases local building and full details of what the big car will feature and look like are yet to be confirmed.
For the red lion brand, it’s confirmed now that workers at the Elizabeth, South Australia, plant have backed a wage freeze and will help contribute a saving of $15 million, adding to the struggling makers push to stay local past 2020. Holden has been in talks with both the current Federal government and the Opposition in order to source more funding, which in some circles has been decried as a blatant exercise in corporate hostage taking. What’s overlooked is the knock on effect, already felt in third and fourth party supply circles after Ford’s announcement, with other manufacturing streams largely reliant on the auto industry. Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state secretary John Camillo said Holden’s Adelaide workforce had voted to help save not only Holden but the wider car component sector.”It was a tough choice, but they made the right decision,” an emotional Mr Camillo told reporters. He said the onus was now on the federal government and the opposition to declare their support for the company to ensure Holden pushes ahead with a $1 billion investment to build two new cars in Australia from 2016. Holden will now delay its decision on local manufacturing until the September 7 Federal election is concluded and will restart talks with whomever becomes the government.
On The Road: the New Volvo Driver Is…..
As a freelance vehicle reviewer, amongst other things, I spend a fair bit of time on the road. As a driver safety and education promoter, I look at the habits of other drivers because, as a good driver, you should always be watching what’s going on around you. There’s plenty of non indication; swapping of lanes all of a sudden, without planning the merge; the usual colour blind drivers that believe red is green and so on. What stands out, for me, is how often it seems to be the same “kind” of person that is involved in situations such as these.
I’d say, by now, we’ve all heard the term “soccer mums”; these are the mothers that transport their and other kids around in a people mover vehicle, invariably a 4WD vehicle and invariably it’s a Prado. On the long but dead end road on which I live is both a high school (at the end of the road and therefore truly bad council decision making)
and a child care, both bringing plenty of traffic morning and afternoon. The majority of vehicle are SUVs along the lines of Prados and Volvo XC90s (ironically) with a few station wagons for good measure. The ones that consistently exceed the 50kmh posted limit are consistently the soccer mum driven SUVs.
When it comes to freeway driving and the failure to indicate, more often than not it’s two distinct groups; the P plater driver (who clearly should know better) or drivers over (roughly) 55. The quick mergers tend to be across the board. Social media chatter is a great source; each state claims they have the worst drivers due to xyz factors, which, to me, indicates a systemic failure of driver instruction Australia wide, especially at the P plate level. Sure, there’s a measure of personal responsibility that needs to be taken, responsibility that could be said to have been reduced as a safety factor thanks to the almost singular focus on speeding as a breach of road safety, plus an understandable frustration with poor road design and surfaces, however there’s a correlation between styles of driving and those that make the errors.
When it comes to the new Volvo drivers, my personal opinion is it’s those that drive SUVs and, as a general rule, it’s the soccer mums. And that’s worrying because of the cargo they carry: children.
Level 2, 9 Help Street