Buy A New Car
Alphabetical History Repeats: Jaguar's F-Type Coupe.
Easily one of the most anticipated cars of recent times was the F-Type convertible from Jaguar. Released to thunderous acclaim, it’s re-entered Jaguar back into the realm of sports cars and the public eye. Jaguar Australia’s own management admitted it was a heartstarter for the brand here with sales steady but hurting from a lack of public recognition or memory. With a broad track and wheelbase underpinning what surely is one of the most beautiful looking bodies on wheels, motivated by a cracking trio of engines including the ripsnorting, firebreathing supercharged 5.0L V8, growling out 364kW and 635 torques, the soft top version drew worldwide attention immediately. But something was missing….unlike its famous predecessor, the E-Type, this one was only available with a easily removed soft top.
On the 19th of November , just before 8pm Pacific Standard Time, the dreams of Jaguarphiles were realised, with the unveiling of the stunningly gorgeous F-Type Coupe. Immediately comparisons were made with its famous brethren, with the aggressive styling at the front running into the smooth, lithe curves of the hard top, a profile so akin to the E-Type. However, much like a supermodel with an IQ of 200, there’s much more than fantastic curves….the all aluminuim construction shaves weight while adding rigidity, especially to the rear of the car. Having no B pillars, 
technology came to the rescue with a hydro-formed aluminuim alloy beam that runs almost the length of the coupe’s immensely strong and rigid body. Adding to the strength are the side panels; they’re single pieces, cold pressed from one sheet of aluminuim, which also eliminates join lines and potential weak spots from bolts and screws; Jaguar is also highly green with up to 50% of the construction sourced from recycled material. With the engineering prowess on display, the F-Type Coupe has a torsional rigidity reading of 33000 Newton metres per degree, a figure unchanged if you specify the glass top roof option instead of a total sheet of metal.
At the pointy end Jaguar has given the five litre a dose of Viagra; power is upped to 404kW and 680 Newton metres in the F-Type R whilst the F-TYPE S Coupé and F-TYPE Coupé are powered by Jaguar’s 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engines in 280kW/460Nm and 250Kw/450Nm 
forms respectively, giving 0-100k/h in 4.9/5.3-seconds and top speeds of 275/260km/h.All through power through Jaguar’s lauded eight speed automatic transmission, operable both from the centre console lever or steering column mounted paddle shifts. Hauling up the beast are optional Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes. Vivid yellow monoblock calipers – six-piston at the front and four-piston at the rear – grip 398mm front and 380mm rear brake discs made from a matrix of carbon fibre and ceramic, which is extremely hard and highly resistant to wear.
The cabin is a workspace you’d be hard pressed to leave, with ultra supportive and comfortable leather seats, with the R also getting inflatable side bolsters for extra bodily support. Acclaimed British audio manufacturer Meridian also supply a choice of two high powered, multi speaker audio systems with 10 or 12 speakers pumping either 380W or 770W respectively, not that you’d want to listen to anything other than that superbly tailored exhaust. On the road there’s plenty of safety systems in place in case the driver gets too (understandably) exuberant, including powerful 
ABS brakes, multiple airbags and the F-Type’s aerobrake. Nestled in the shapely rear of the car is a wing that rises out of the metalwork at 110 kmh and drops back in once under 80, keeping the rump firmly planted.
Sadly for Australia, the F-Type Coupe won’t be available until after July of 2014 and pricing is yet to be confirmed at time of writing. For me, it’s a car I’d have, in all variations, parked in my garage.
Powering Into History: HSV ClubSport R8 Enhanced
A certain car magazine recently bemoaned what drivers will miss out on in coming years, with the change to more technological features in our chosen chariots. Ripping up a handbrake lever to drop a skid on the tarmac or dirt, for example, or fiddling around with cassettes whilst hanging onto the steering wheel with one hand and a ciggie perched between the lips. But there’s more that we’ll miss out on. I’ll explain later as I look at the last of a breed: Holden Special Vehicle’s ClubSport R8 Enhanced. (http://www.hsv.com.au/Gen-F/See/ClubSport-R8/)
The Driven Heart
Recipe: take six litres of already grunty alloy block Chevrolet V8, massage and prod until it becomes 6.2, add a freer flowing exhaust and add the ingredients R8. Then massage even more, find a few extra ponies and torques then screw them up to a smooth shifting six speed manual, big 20 inch diameter black coated alloys, black highlights and that awesome bi-modal exhaust. That is what you’ll get when 340 killer Watts and 570 metres of Mr Newton’s torques appear after HSV waves their magic wand over the marvel that is a freebreathing V8 engine and uprated wheels; it adds the Enhanced part to the standard R8. It’s an engine that appeals instantly to a driver than can not merely understand, but 
appreciate, what these terms and numbers mean. It’s immensely flexible, with torque on tap from almost zero rpm which allows even fifth and sixth gears to be utilised at low revs, being able to pull away from 40 km/h in sixth is a party piece. With peak torque at 4400rpm but what feels like 99 percent of it available before then, it requires only a sneeze on the foot for the ClubSport to sprint away in lower gears. As it does so another party piece is put on show, this time an aural one. Inside the cabin, right where the window switches used to be in a VE Commodore, is a dial for the traction control and three suspension settings: Touring, Sport and Performance. The latter two engage an exhaust mode called Bi-modal, taking the already subterranean note to the earth’s core.
The gear shift is surprisingly (bad grammar alert) untight, meaning there’s not a hell of a lot of effort required to move the short throw gear lever…it slides from gear to gear with a hint of a notch as it does. the new Tremec T6060 transmission also throws up a softer, less pressure required clutch. I have a slightly arthritic left knee, courtesy of a prang as a passenger over twenty years ago and it’s come away unscathed. What this also means is that for those that whinge about manuals in Sydney’s utterly pathetic excuse for a road system that you can leave it in third or fourth in traffic and just clutch and accelerate without changing gear. The AP racing brakes are sensational, with a well modulated pressure, no fade and virtually no ABS intrusion when the anchors are thrown out from high speed.
The Office
HSVs of days gone by were sometimes a case of too much red was never enough. In the VF based ClubSport it’s more of a visually muted environment, with red highlights restricted to the headrests and squab on the seat cushion plus a tasteful alignment of fuel and temperature gauge needles with the red piping in the two main dash dials. Otherwise it’s a tasteful mix of charcoal fabric and leather accentuating black plastic. There’s also a relocation of the battery and oil pressure gauges to the empty space ahead of the gear lever, rather than on the upper dash. It’s comfortable to look at, comfortable to be in bar one thing…I’m of average height, call it 177cm. The placing of the pedals, steering column (adjustable for height and reach) and playing with the many ways adjustable electric seating still left me with my clutch leg’s thigh (the leading edge of the seat squab was pressing up and just behind the knee joint) just not feeling comfortable enough to push the pedal in all the way without feeling as if my arms were too close to my body. The support from the wings of the seat is admirable and into hard corners holds the body in tight and that’s a plus. Seats wise, I’d like to see the crocodile skin style replaced with a more suave looking suede style plastic.
Holden’s spend on new architecture has paid off; a relocation of the window switches and central locking to the 
driver’s door, a new touch screen setup plus HSV’s addition of the EDI (Electronic Driver Interface) which provides a 
treasure trove of info such as G forces side to side or front to rear, race track info and stopwatch information, actual kilowatts and torque figures thanks to the fly by wire interface; it’s intuitive, user friendly and supplies the kind of info a driver likes to have. There’s also the HUD, Head Up Display, providing an eye level (and height adjustable) information source including the aforementioned G forces, revs, and speed. It’s handy and well placed. Other fun stuff comes in the form of the Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA), which uss side facing sensors to warn of vehicles at the rear and side of the car that may not be clearly seen in the rear vision mirrors. There’s a reverse park camera as standard, the parking assist system (uses the sensors to measure and read a parking space) plus the hidden Hill Start Assist and Hill Hold Control (HSA/HHC) which applies a touch of brake to hold the car before moving off. Music wise there’s a Bose audio system powered and accessed via the eight inch touchscreen, with satnav and internet radio apps Pandora and Stitcher plus there’s a voice interactive setup alongside Bluetooth music streaming.
The Bodywork
Body mods on the ClubSport aren’t as “in yer face” as the VE based models; a restyled front bumper locates the LED 
running lights closer to the top of the corner mounted vents, which themselves are more of a functional look and feel. The hawkeye look headlights have the internal blackout colouring and the side vent insert is a matt black, rather than the chrome on a Commodore. At the rear it’s subtle, with a smaller rear wing (a bigger one is an option), LED taillights and restyled rear apron. It’s still a matter of taste regards the look as the quad exhaust tips poke through the matt 
black plastic but are separated by a colour coordinated (test car was Heron white) V strip. It’s a better look than before but a subjective one. Of note is the shark’s fin radio aerial which, at speed and on a rainy day, funnels a stream of water directly down the middle of the rear window, making the rear vision mirror useless in seeing vehicles behind and there’s also no airflow to clear the side mirrors of precipitation either. The bonnet is now aluminuim and with that comes a small yet vital change; there’s only one gas strut required to keep it up. There’s a subtle restyling to the grille as well.
On The Road
The combination of a lightish clutch, a smoothish gear lever movement and more torque than a chat show means the ClubSport is a doddle to get off the line. Acceleration is pushed back in your seat rapid, with the first couple of gears snatched quicker than a wallet by a pickpocket as the ClubSport reels in the horizon. Whilst you’re peeling your eyeballs off the back of your skull, your ears are reverberating with the bass notes produced by that superb exhaust. Freeway speeds come up with indecent haste (HSV quotes 5.0 seconds to 100 km/h) but it’s the seamless delivery of torque that excites; at Bathurst’s Mt Panorama it was almost possible to climb up through the Esses in no lower than fourth. Around town in sixth it’s barely off idle and will pull away with a touch of drivetrain vibration quite comfortably with nary a hint of road noise via the Continental tyres at 255 and 275/35/20s front and rear. The ride is superb; the ClubSport comes with HSV’s MRC (Magnetic Ride Control, see here: http://www.hsv.com.au/gen-f/feel/performance-technology/) with three settings: Touring, Sport and Performance. Touring turns off the bi-modal exhaust and gives a smooth, firm and flat ride. Sport and Performance up the ante, sharpening the response of the 
steering, 
firming the ride yet without crashing through potholes or speedbumps and opens up the exhaust. One would expect the hardest setting to provide the hardest ride yet it simply ignores road imperfections. Steering is three fingers light, with the electrically assisted steering wonderfully weighted; it’s full of feedback, telling the driver exactly where they’re going whilst the grip levels from the European Continental tyres pair up with the traction control to allow a measure of spin before the fun police step in. All of this can be monitored via the EDI, it is not recommended doing so in traffic even with the front collision alarm engaged…Thankfully, at Bathurst, although a full lap wasn’t permissible due to track work, the ClubSport could be given some room to stretch its considerable legs and was not found wanting.
The Wrap
Just a few days before I picked up the V8 powered HSV ClubSport R8 Enhanced, it was announced that the new Commodore model, in a couple of years (think 2016), would more than likely not have a V8 engine in the range. It’s also been rumoured that the V8 Supercars will have a name change of sorts as they investigate other engine alternatives. Could it be that future generations will only know of and hear the thunderous soundtrack that is a bare chested, muscle flexing V8 via whatever audio and video means will be available in ten, twenty, fifty or more years? George Lucas was quoted as saying, about watching a movie, that sound was half of the experience. A well balanced surround sound system has clear highs, a defined middle range and bass that kicks you in the guts while subsonically curling hairs. The ClubSport with the bi-modal exhaust, that source of so much aural pleasure, is what we stand to lose alongside its brethren such as the GTS. That spine tingling sensation of sound along with the neck bending acceleration that a ball tearing V8 offers is in true and real danger of being a museum piece. Priced at $76285 + on roads, the R8 Enhanced delivers an almost surreal, brain altering experience; it’ll pull Superman’s cape off while being almost gentle enough for Nan to wander off to Bingo at a price that leaves Euro rivals gasping. But at well over twenty grand more than the Holden SS V Redline edition, with 517Nm and 260kW I have to ask, is it worth it? If only for that sound, then the answer is yes.
Anomalous Cargo: Holden's Calais and Evoke Sportwagons
In an Australian world 
where uncertainty about local car manufacturing reigns supreme, Holden stays true to one traditional element: the station wagon. Of the four manufacturers of recent years, Mitsubishi gave up after the final Magna, Toyota canned it with the change from Camry to Aurion and Ford said the Territory will have to do. Fondly regarded as either a rep-mobile or something to lug Mum, Dad and 2.5 kids about in something that wasn’t a SUV, the station wagon is seen as an anomaly. Overseas it’s called an Estate, Tourer, Sportbrake however Holden has gone with Sportwagon.
The Driven Heart
Holden’s alloy 3.0L V6 is the budget repmobile powerplant for the Evoke. 
It’s aimed at companies, a fleet purchase style and maybe, just maybe, an entrepreneurial private buyer. It’s not the torqueiest donk around, with 290 metres of Mr Newton’s finest at 2600rpm butting up against max power of 185kW at a high 6700rpm. It’s a lack noticeable off the line 
compared to the standard 3.6L, but will still get you, thanks 
to the smooth six speed auto with some smart ratio thinking, to illegal speeds reasonably quickly. It’s relatively unstressed, quiet even as it reaches its top revline, with the transmission mostly holding up. It’s hesitant under low throttle, unsure and has the vehicle stuttering somewhat until a reasonable right foot pressure measurement comes into play. Once in its stride the engine and gearbox work well together, minimally fussed, the lack of punch noticeable but not an issue. It’s rated, economy wise, at 8.6L/100K from the 71L tank but on a seven day test was closer to 11L (combined city and highway), with that lack of torque (and moved slightly higher up the rev range compared to VE) contributing to the extra usage. It will, however, run on unleaded from E85 to E10. The Calais V has the 6.0L V8 with 260kW @5600rpm and twists out 517Nm at 4400 rpm (auto, with the manual gaining 10kW and 13Nm) with the gear rations slightly different to the manual and virtually identical in the higher gears to the Evoke. The extra torque sees less stuttering, a more surefooted approach to acceleration and, naturally, a bigger shove in the back when the go pedal is asked to say yes.
The Office
It’s certainly a sweeter looking place inside the cabin for the driver 
and passenger with Holden’s much vaunted revamp providing better ergonomics but, more importantly, a better electronic architecture. The redesigned dash holds a eight inch touch screen infotainment setup (MyLink) with internet radio applications, available via smartphone connection and for those using Apple phones there’s a Siri EyesFree mode, reverse park camera standard across the range, Bluetooth phone connectivity with voice control, plus a new electric park brake and information shown in monochromatic glory for the driver (Evoke) with the Calais getting a colour screen; info is selected via a button and rotary dial on the indicator stalk. The plastics for the interior still have a touch of old school look and feel, particularly for the seat supports, the key barrel for the Evoke looks tacked on like an afterthought however the Calais V is push button started and the top of the dash console has an uneasy mix of rippled plastic and faux leather covering for the instrument binnacle. A colour coordinated touch is the cloth run as a swathe across from one side to the other, with a dark grey blending with the black 
plastic on the Evoke however the Calais gets a lighter colour swatch and doesn’t appear to be quite at home. The Evoke’s tiller is a solid, chunky yet comfortable piece with the Calais V sporting a slightly slimmer and leather clad version, complete with a flat curve on the bottom. The seats are comfortable enough, look fine with the black cloth or leather (apart from the same light colour 
material looking as if it will dirty earlier), there’s memory and heated seats for the V and having an auto box somehow makes it just that much easier to reach the pedals compared to the layout with a manual. The rear seats are a sixty/forty split fold and provide a mammoth cargo space, 895L or 2000L with seats down.
Holden’s spend on the Commodore hasn’t been all wise though; as I’ve previously noted, placing the USB/Aux connections in the centre console bin makes no ergonomic sense at all given that there’s space to use ahead of the gear lever in the rubberised (and tacky looking) storage section and electronically would make sense to have the ports closer to the main part of the system, although it is where HSV place a dial cluster. Also, the chrome surround for the gear lever has a tendency to reflect the sun directly into the drivers eyes.
Naturally there’s a full suite of electronic stuff to play with: the aforementioned Bluetooth and touchscreen with buttons at the bottom that can too easily be rested on by a wrist, dual zone climate control aircon, plenty of airbags, cruise, electric windows all round (oddly however, not auto up on the Evoke), bottom of door mounted exit lights and the reverse parking system that reads the painted lines and car spaces then guides you in but still relies on the pilot to control the throttle. There’s also remote start for the Calais.
The Sheetmetal)
Externally, the Sportwagon is identically curved to its VE predecessor from
the A pillar rearwards. It’s forward that a visual difference is apparent; from the hawk eye headlight cluster above and framing the chin spoiler and re-profiled grille, to the Jaguar inspired fender vents and bonnet bulge. It has the effect of visually shortening the frontal look, handy with a vehicle just shy of five metres long (4919mm). The Calais has the addition of black chrome to the headlight inserts and LED DRLs (daytime running lights).
On The Road
The Evoke rides on 225/65 Bridgestone Turanza tyres wrapping 16 inch alloys and the Calais V is shod with 245/40/19s. The Calais has the firmer ride, not unexpectedly and a slightly heavier heft to the electrically assisted steering. Both tip into turns nicely, the Turanza tyres will scrabble for grip and squeal with protest on the Evoke but will provide front end grip and a touch of slip to the rear for the Calais; the traction control system is programmed for Aussie conditions, allowing some normal driving latitude before nanny mode cuts in.
There’s a distinct lack of wallowing over bumps, shopping centre entry bumps are dispatched with nary an afterthought and the lower profile rubber on the Calais transmits little in the way of noise and plenty in the way of what the road and car are doing. Steering is largely direct, there is a touch of vagueness on centre but the feel is of a communicative and well weighted setup. It shows some solid and sensible engineering, given the still too porky weight of the cars (including aluminuim bonnet) ranging from 1717kg to a whopping 1866kg for the Calais V.
The Wrap
Holden is Australian. It’s synonymous with our lifestyle, its cars have been developed for our conditions. Holden can also be, somewhat fairly, accused of hubris, in believing it was untouchable. Its big car line, the Commodore, is 35 years old, one of the country’s oldest continuing nameplates yet, at times, never seemed to advance hugely or be priced at a rate commensurate with its market share. It’s history now that Holden has undertaken a significant redevelopment of the aging VE platform and reduced prices in a possibly last ditch effort to stave off what many see as the inevitable. It’s worked, so far, with Commodore sales on a rise since the VF was released. The Evoke retails at $36990 + ORCs while the Calais V is down to $54990 + ORCs. In an environment where the Australian car industry is under threat yet we do make world class vehicles at a pretty decent price, these two stand out and moreso for the fact they’re wagons, a rarity in our overcrowded market and absolutely deserve a re-consideration for your drive.
http://www.holden.com.au/cars/commodore/sportwagon-range
A Driverless Future?
It has come to my attention through the British press that a new scheme is beginning to take shape within the UK. A pilot scheme in the planned city of Milton Keynes is seeing the development of driverless cars that will ferry people around the city on planned trackways. It has been predicted that more and more of these will be brought into use over the next decade. Driverless cars have already been introduced at Heathrow airport for passengers in the high flying (see what I did there?) business class. This whole concept of driverless cars is fascinating, and having read up on the topic I believe the time has come for me to set forth unto the world my views on this issue.
Are driverless cars the future of the motoring world? Or are they more trouble than they are worth?
Driverless cars have been the talk of science-fiction for years; we dream of hopping into our car and being driven to where we want to go. Sometimes this has involved talking cars, Knight Rider for example, or maybe even cars that ‘have a heart’ in the form of the loveable Beetle Herbie. However, I am just going to put it out there, speaking as a driver, I am not sure I really want that. Technology is moving at such a pace these days that before we know it, the human input will have been lost altogether.
I am fully aware that the margin for error when it comes to human control is giganto-normous (another new word courtesy of me). But then again, it is not like computer technology itself is perfect. I have seen too many times a computer crashing for no apparent reason, losing me many hours of work that is not always recovered… So do not go telling me that computers are perfect and do not go wrong. Let’s be honest here, if a driverless car shuts down mid-journey, there would be nothing to do but await your fate, whereas human error in many cases is instantly correctable.
This went so well last time…
I would like to draw your attention to the example of Jurassic Park. The cars used in the park were completely driverless and controlled by computers. As pointed out, the headlights stopped responding quite early on into the tour, which should have been warning sign number one. But then, as I just said, when the entire computer system crashes, the cars are stranded by the T-Rex paddock and are then totally ripped apart by the tiny armed beast that is the T-Rex. Maybe we should take this film as a warning for the future. Maybe it is a foretelling the future of humans and our machines.
As I have previously stated, in the UK these driverless machines are already in use at Heathrow airport, but only for the select special few with the economic means to afford them. I will be the first to admit that this is a neat little idea to have tiny pod cars taking you from one place to another within a defined territory. I would love a go in one of these pods, but I would see it as nothing more than a novelty as opposed to the next step forward in motoring.
In the case of Milton Keynes, the cars will run on defined track ways across the city. This comes as part of a proposed plan to ease traffic and congestion. Similarly, in the USA Google have been given a mountain of money to investigate the effectiveness of driverless technology to explode into the public sector. One of my main concerns is not with the pods themselves, in fact it is more of a conceptual thing. If the cars are taking people from one place to another on defined track ways, surely they have stopped becoming cars and have transformed into another version of public transport. Surely they are becoming a mixture of a bus and a train. Is that really a car?
The proposed designs for the new driverless cars in the UK
Furthermore, these pods appear to only hold one person at a time – will that not be of great cost to the taxpayer (I mean, who else is it going to be charged to if we are honest). Would it not make sense to have cars to fit multiple people? Or is my logic just too well thought out for the British government to think it is a good idea? My final issue with the concept of the driverless car is one of love. By this, I mean that I love driving and everything that it involves. I know humanity is on a quest for ultimate safety in all that we do, but that does take a lot of the fun out of it. I am not afraid to say that I like the fact that we are not perfect; I like the fact that we make mistakes every now and again, i like the fact we all have a chance to show our individuality. If we are all destined for a future of driverless cars, where will the imagination go? Where will the personality go? It is estimated by 2050 that all production cars will have ceased to be using the combustion engine. If we are going to lose the majesty of the V8 for example, let us at least keep the joy of driving for US not the computers.
I am all for the idea of incorporating driverless cars into society. But please, keep it in a contained context. The way it works at Heathrow is great. This proposed plan for city travel in Milton Keynes is forward thinking and quite brilliant. And I know that the motoring world is trying to keep up with the rate of change in technology but please, no more. For the future of motoring as we know it, do not be afraid to speak your mind! Let us preserve what we all love.
…after all, we do not want to be eaten by a T-Rex now do we?
Keep Driving People!
Follow me on Twitter: @lewisglynn69
Peace and Love!
Level 2, 9 Help Street