The American public will see BMW's hottest '1' coupe, but our man Michael Taylor has already driven it
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We can finally reveal that this is the 1-Series M Coupe that BMW will unveil during January’s Detroit Motor show.
The twin-turbo, rear-drive coupe, built to slot in underneath the V8 M3, will not just be the fastest, fattest, cheekiest M car in BMW's line-up, but it will also give us a first look at the brand's facelifted 1-Series as well, now that BMW has pulled the covers off the production version. We had previously driven the 1 Series M in pre-production form.
With a 250kW, 3.0-litre, straight-six engine up front, the car will sprint to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds and can burst from zero to 200km/h in just over 17 seconds, with its top speed limited by BMW to 250km/h.
And, while you might be able to get all this performance in a small package, you'll only be able to get it in black, white or this orange (pictured), because M will only provide three standard colours.
While the M3's engine is a naturally-aspirated V8, the 1-Series M Coupe uses an M-developed version of BMW's glorious force-fed six which produces a prodigious 450Nm of torque from just 1500rpm. For short bursts, it can even over-boost the turbos to deliver 500Nm.
The driver's enjoyment of all this may be limited to short bursts, though, because of the combination of a measly 53 litre fuel tank and a combined fuel-economy figure of 9.6 litres/100km (with a CO2 figure of 224g/km).
Revving to 5980rpm, the engine uses two smallish turbo-chargers to spin up quickly for better throttle response instead of a single, more-powerful large turbo.
But there are, as is M's norm, two different engine maps: one for aggressive driving and one for more relaxed forays and, based on our prototype test from a couple of months ago, its superb ride quality will help with the Jekyll and Hyde character changes as well.
Certainly, there's enough weight in the body to help keep the ride under control. At 1495kg with no liquids or people in it, the 1-Series M's mass has been a talking point even inside M as it tries to draw the obvious links to the original BMW M3, which is roughly the same size as its new car, though more than 400kg lighter.
Still, the stupendous urge of the direct-injection engine means it still has a power-to-weight ratio of 6kg per kilowatt (4.4kg per horsepower, for the old-schoolies).
Based around the 1-Series coupe, the 1-Series M Coupe scores typical M haus engineering details, such as forged aluminium suspension parts, monster brakes and the tricky, electronically-governed differential from the M3.
What it won't get is a paddle-shift gearbox, because BMW firmly insists the 1-Series M Coupe will only ever be sold with a six-speed, manual gearbox.
Besides, at €50,500 in its domestic German market, BMW insists the car is targeting a younger buyer group than the M3 or the M5 and its boffins believe younger buyers prefer manual 'boxes. Certainly (and somewhat paradoxically), the Americans do, with most of M's US buyers demanding "stick" shifters.
There's a fat footprint, too, and the car rides on custom-built, cast-alloy wheels with 245/35 R19 tyres up front and265/35 R19 rubber at the rear. The brake discs are also huge, with 360mm discs doing the job at the pointy end and 350mm discs at the rear, though both ends are clamped by M's traditional (but technically underwhelming) single-piston, floating brake calipers.
The new look is meant to be aggressive both inside and out, even if BMW hasn't skimped on the interior luxuries.
There are a range of new aero tweaks, including systems to close cooling vents to heat up the engine faster (to reduce emissions) and another system to reduce turbulence around the front wheels that saves 0.3 litres/100km by itself.
This explains the massive vertical chunks cut into the nose of the 1-Series M coupe, because they divert the onrushing air, channel it into a narrow duct and divert it around the front wheels, creating what BMW describes as a "curtain" of air that lowers aero drag around the wheels.
The two-door four seater is 4380mm long and 1420mm high, but it's also 55mm wider than the standard BMW 1-Series coupe and all of that extra width is reflected in the wider track and wheel arches.
M has gone to great lengths to accentuate the car's width, because the standard coupe looks a little too vertical for M tastes. That's why it scores the deeply sculpted air exit ducts in the rear bumper and four monster exhaust pipes at the outer edges, and it's also why it has such an accentuated, wide-mouthed air intake below the grille.
Inside, it's typically M, with high, strong seat bolstering, plenty of leather and Alcantara trimming and two huge dials for the speedo and the tachometer front and centre.
There's a tremendously fat steering wheel, too, and it has been given an M button so the driver can switch the car to the most-aggressive setup map (which will tighten throttle and steering response and move to a more-liberal ESP setting) without his/her hands leaving the wheel.
It scores BMW's new iDrive system, which thankfully (and belatedly) includes a button to easily go back one step if you get something wrong in the navigation or setup. There's also a 370-litre luggage capacity, which is not bad for a rear-wheel-drive car this size.
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Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 3, 2012
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The engine plant is working at full capacity, but demand for large-capacity V6 diesels from Mercedes-Benz is off the scale
Mercedes-Benz can't build enough of its larger-displacement V6 diesels. The engine plant responsible is operating at 'ramming speed', but the orders keep coming -- and not just from the company's own car-building plants either.
An industry insider, speaking with the Carsales Network on condition of anonymity, explained that the company was flat-out building the engines for its own vehicles.
"They're absolutely at capacity," he said, before further explaining that the company's Vito and Sprinter commercials are also powered by engines built in the same factory. In addition, Benz is supplying a lower-output version of the engine for Chrysler, in an agreement that still has a couple of years left in it. Chrysler has to continue sourcing the engine from Benz, because new parent Fiat can't offer the American brand an engine to suit. Indeed, Fiat itself has reportedly been in discussions with Benz for the supply of a large-displacement turbodiesel V6.
"Fiat face the same problem, [because] they don't have a large V6 diesel," said our undercover informant.
Fiat could, in theory, source suitable powerplants from Italian engine manufacturer VM-Motori, but it's suggested the VM-Motori product is probably too dated to meet Fiat's current needs. VM-Motori is part-owned by General Motors. GM, in 2005, was forced to pay a penalty of US $2 billion to Fiat for reneging on a deal to buy the Italian company's automotive division. That penalty payment has kept Fiat afloat during the GFC and has boosted the capital for the purchase of Chrysler. So perhaps supplying a diesel V6 to Fiat is not high on the list of priorities at GM? Not when the company is still bouncing back from bankruptcy in the aftermath of the worst economic and financial crisis in 80 years.
Apparently Fiat has also approached Benz to source diesel V6s, but the German company has "rebuffed" the Italians. The only immediate way for the Benz factory to accommodate a supply contract for Fiat would be by cutting back production of engines for the German company's own cars. Taken as a whole, there's more profit in Benz selling a car, including the engine that powers it, than selling just the engine alone to a rival company -- at wholesale prices to boot.
"Any increase in that plant capacity," said our insider, "is going [to] the 'three-pointed star'."
And that spells trouble for Nissan and Renault as well. Last we heard, Nissan is hoping for Benz to pull the fat out of the fire, by supplying a suitable diesel to power the new P61G Patrol for the Australian market. Without such an engine, the Patrol will not be able to carry the fight up to Toyota's 200 Series LandCruiser in Australia.
"I can tell you that [Nissan] has tested the higher output diesels..." said the insider, "but the problem [remains] that the plant is operating at capacity."
As the Carsales Network understands it, the lack of a diesel for the new Patrol is a debacle with its roots founded in decisions made some years ago, when Renault first acquired Nissan. Nissan originally planned to have a new engine reach the market here before the introduction of the P61G Patrol. Intended to replace the current 3.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder in the GU Patrol, the new V6 would have been state-of-the-art and capable of meeting emissions standards for years into the future.
We're told that Renault was originally tasked with developing this engine, but the project fell victim to cost-cutting that failed to take into account future needs -- and specifically the needs of tiny little right-hand drive markets for large-scale offroaders, marketed by the junior partner in the alliance.
The French company dragged out the life cycles of existing vehicles and drivetrains, only to find that in due course, all the stuff left on the backburner was suddenly in need of replacement or updating at the same time -- and there just wasn't the engineering resource available to handle all the new projects at once. That was when Renault decided to set action priorities for each project, culminating in a much lower priority for the new V6 diesel. Renault only planned to use it in its commercial vehicles and a few slow-selling luxury cars, so it was a logical choice to be cut off at the knees.
Once that news broke, Nissan had no choice but to embark on a series of upgrades for the existing 3.0-litre engine in the Patrol. Those upgrades, principally aimed at keeping pace with changing emissions standards, were much more costly than developing a whole new engine would have been in the first instance.
As for the new 550Nm V6 introduced to the Navara and Pathfinder ranges in recent months, our source argues that its output would be inadequate for something as large and as heavy as the next Patrol.
"It's not enough," he said. "[Patrol is] going to need 650 to 700Nm."
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Mercedes-Benz can't build enough of its larger-displacement V6 diesels. The engine plant responsible is operating at 'ramming speed', but the orders keep coming -- and not just from the company's own car-building plants either.
An industry insider, speaking with the Carsales Network on condition of anonymity, explained that the company was flat-out building the engines for its own vehicles.
"They're absolutely at capacity," he said, before further explaining that the company's Vito and Sprinter commercials are also powered by engines built in the same factory. In addition, Benz is supplying a lower-output version of the engine for Chrysler, in an agreement that still has a couple of years left in it. Chrysler has to continue sourcing the engine from Benz, because new parent Fiat can't offer the American brand an engine to suit. Indeed, Fiat itself has reportedly been in discussions with Benz for the supply of a large-displacement turbodiesel V6.
"Fiat face the same problem, [because] they don't have a large V6 diesel," said our undercover informant.
Fiat could, in theory, source suitable powerplants from Italian engine manufacturer VM-Motori, but it's suggested the VM-Motori product is probably too dated to meet Fiat's current needs. VM-Motori is part-owned by General Motors. GM, in 2005, was forced to pay a penalty of US $2 billion to Fiat for reneging on a deal to buy the Italian company's automotive division. That penalty payment has kept Fiat afloat during the GFC and has boosted the capital for the purchase of Chrysler. So perhaps supplying a diesel V6 to Fiat is not high on the list of priorities at GM? Not when the company is still bouncing back from bankruptcy in the aftermath of the worst economic and financial crisis in 80 years.
Apparently Fiat has also approached Benz to source diesel V6s, but the German company has "rebuffed" the Italians. The only immediate way for the Benz factory to accommodate a supply contract for Fiat would be by cutting back production of engines for the German company's own cars. Taken as a whole, there's more profit in Benz selling a car, including the engine that powers it, than selling just the engine alone to a rival company -- at wholesale prices to boot.
"Any increase in that plant capacity," said our insider, "is going [to] the 'three-pointed star'."
And that spells trouble for Nissan and Renault as well. Last we heard, Nissan is hoping for Benz to pull the fat out of the fire, by supplying a suitable diesel to power the new P61G Patrol for the Australian market. Without such an engine, the Patrol will not be able to carry the fight up to Toyota's 200 Series LandCruiser in Australia.
"I can tell you that [Nissan] has tested the higher output diesels..." said the insider, "but the problem [remains] that the plant is operating at capacity."
As the Carsales Network understands it, the lack of a diesel for the new Patrol is a debacle with its roots founded in decisions made some years ago, when Renault first acquired Nissan. Nissan originally planned to have a new engine reach the market here before the introduction of the P61G Patrol. Intended to replace the current 3.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder in the GU Patrol, the new V6 would have been state-of-the-art and capable of meeting emissions standards for years into the future.
We're told that Renault was originally tasked with developing this engine, but the project fell victim to cost-cutting that failed to take into account future needs -- and specifically the needs of tiny little right-hand drive markets for large-scale offroaders, marketed by the junior partner in the alliance.
The French company dragged out the life cycles of existing vehicles and drivetrains, only to find that in due course, all the stuff left on the backburner was suddenly in need of replacement or updating at the same time -- and there just wasn't the engineering resource available to handle all the new projects at once. That was when Renault decided to set action priorities for each project, culminating in a much lower priority for the new V6 diesel. Renault only planned to use it in its commercial vehicles and a few slow-selling luxury cars, so it was a logical choice to be cut off at the knees.
Once that news broke, Nissan had no choice but to embark on a series of upgrades for the existing 3.0-litre engine in the Patrol. Those upgrades, principally aimed at keeping pace with changing emissions standards, were much more costly than developing a whole new engine would have been in the first instance.
As for the new 550Nm V6 introduced to the Navara and Pathfinder ranges in recent months, our source argues that its output would be inadequate for something as large and as heavy as the next Patrol.
"It's not enough," he said. "[Patrol is] going to need 650 to 700Nm."
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Thứ Sáu, 23 tháng 3, 2012
GT3 Cup cars ready to race
Porsche's white, winged wonders are in the country ahead of a shakedown at Winton
More power, improved grip and stronger downforce are the hallmarks of the Porsche GT3 Cup cars competing in this year's Porsche Carrera Cup Australia (PCCA) series.
The 22 cars are already in the country -- clearing their way through customs -- and will be handed over to teams the day before a shakedown run at Victoria's Winton motor raceway on January 30.
On the track the cars will produce an aggregate of 10,000hp, according to the importer. It's actually a slightly lower figure, since the Cup cars are now producing 450hp each -- an improvement of 50hp on the previous models. For the pedants, that's actually 9900hp in total...
Other changes to the cars for the new year include wider tracks, front and rear, more downforce and a new design of tyre -- courtesy of contracted supplier, Michelin. In total, the field is worth $5 million and most of the cars have been sold already.
"Now that the cars have arrived it is only a matter of time before the entire grid is accounted for," Porsche Cars Australian motorsport manager Jamey Blaikie was quoted as saying in a press release.
"And despite enquiries as to whether PCA would bring in more cars if the demand is there -- the answer is a firm 'No'. We will cap the grid to a maximum of 22 cars to maximise the competitors' investment."
First official outing is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne during the month of March.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
More power, improved grip and stronger downforce are the hallmarks of the Porsche GT3 Cup cars competing in this year's Porsche Carrera Cup Australia (PCCA) series.
The 22 cars are already in the country -- clearing their way through customs -- and will be handed over to teams the day before a shakedown run at Victoria's Winton motor raceway on January 30.
On the track the cars will produce an aggregate of 10,000hp, according to the importer. It's actually a slightly lower figure, since the Cup cars are now producing 450hp each -- an improvement of 50hp on the previous models. For the pedants, that's actually 9900hp in total...
Other changes to the cars for the new year include wider tracks, front and rear, more downforce and a new design of tyre -- courtesy of contracted supplier, Michelin. In total, the field is worth $5 million and most of the cars have been sold already.
"Now that the cars have arrived it is only a matter of time before the entire grid is accounted for," Porsche Cars Australian motorsport manager Jamey Blaikie was quoted as saying in a press release.
"And despite enquiries as to whether PCA would bring in more cars if the demand is there -- the answer is a firm 'No'. We will cap the grid to a maximum of 22 cars to maximise the competitors' investment."
First official outing is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne during the month of March.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Ford UK's centennial countdown commences
12 months of celebrations planned as Ford commemorates a century of success in the UK
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Ahead of its 100th anniversary on March 8, Ford UK is preparing related events around the country as part of its year-long centenary celebration.
Themed marketing campaigns, historical displays and various motoring events will take place at locations around England, including the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Hampshire and the Heritage Centre at Gayon, Warwickshire. A special tribute will also be held at this year's Goodwood Revival in September with a number of classic Fords set to compete.
Ford's operations in the UK began in 1911 just three years after Henry Ford's 'Universal Car', the Model T, was unveiled in Britain. Ford Motor Company (England) Limited incorporated formed to become what was then the most important market outside North America.
That same year, a disused tram works in the Manchester suburb of Trafford Park was converted to become Ford's first UK assembly plant (pictured). Four-man teams built individual vehicles here until Henry Ford's revolutionary introduction of the moving assembly line in 1913.
By 1914 Ford sales of nearly 10,000 cars annually were equal to the output of the next six biggest British manufacturers combined.
Ford's start in Britain grew from humble beginnings. In 1903 two Ford A Models were shipped to England initiating a modest trade. By 1905 the Ford Model B had taken to London's roads, forming part of the earliest fleet of motor taxi cabs.
Three years later, the Model T debuted at the Olympia Motor Exhibition, the exhibition so popular it convinced Ford that a British division of his company was required.
Today, Ford has grown to become the UK's new car market leader, a position it has held for 34 consecutive years. Ford directly employs over 15,000 people in the UK, and has engine plants in Bridgend, South Wales and Dagenham, East London. Combined, the pair has the capacity to produce two million engines annually.
"Ford of Britain has been in the fabric of the nation for over a hundred years and no motor company has touched more lives in Britain," commented Ford of Britain chairman, Joe Greenwell.
"We have a proud heritage and a bright future. Ford of Britain is a major pillar of Ford's global strategy and the new Ford Focus, centrepiece of the centenary, features advanced powertrains developed and produced in the UK."
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
discount new cars games » Get the best price on a new Ford
Ahead of its 100th anniversary on March 8, Ford UK is preparing related events around the country as part of its year-long centenary celebration.
Themed marketing campaigns, historical displays and various motoring events will take place at locations around England, including the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Hampshire and the Heritage Centre at Gayon, Warwickshire. A special tribute will also be held at this year's Goodwood Revival in September with a number of classic Fords set to compete.
Ford's operations in the UK began in 1911 just three years after Henry Ford's 'Universal Car', the Model T, was unveiled in Britain. Ford Motor Company (England) Limited incorporated formed to become what was then the most important market outside North America.
That same year, a disused tram works in the Manchester suburb of Trafford Park was converted to become Ford's first UK assembly plant (pictured). Four-man teams built individual vehicles here until Henry Ford's revolutionary introduction of the moving assembly line in 1913.
By 1914 Ford sales of nearly 10,000 cars annually were equal to the output of the next six biggest British manufacturers combined.
Ford's start in Britain grew from humble beginnings. In 1903 two Ford A Models were shipped to England initiating a modest trade. By 1905 the Ford Model B had taken to London's roads, forming part of the earliest fleet of motor taxi cabs.
Three years later, the Model T debuted at the Olympia Motor Exhibition, the exhibition so popular it convinced Ford that a British division of his company was required.
Today, Ford has grown to become the UK's new car market leader, a position it has held for 34 consecutive years. Ford directly employs over 15,000 people in the UK, and has engine plants in Bridgend, South Wales and Dagenham, East London. Combined, the pair has the capacity to produce two million engines annually.
"Ford of Britain has been in the fabric of the nation for over a hundred years and no motor company has touched more lives in Britain," commented Ford of Britain chairman, Joe Greenwell.
"We have a proud heritage and a bright future. Ford of Britain is a major pillar of Ford's global strategy and the new Ford Focus, centrepiece of the centenary, features advanced powertrains developed and produced in the UK."
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Aston Martin to launch Rapide film set
Bond-esque short film released, Gaydon's viral promotion takes a classy turn
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new Aston Martin
Innovative viral marketing is a rapide-ly developing trend, pardon the pun, and as Aston Martin has proved this week, budget appears to know no bounds.
This video, the first in a three-part series, is a short Bond-esque film designed to showcase the British marque's new four-door sports coupe, Rapide, further expanding the desirable model's burgeoning appeal.
Even we've got to admit the newly released film -- the marque's first foray into the digital medium -- is quite well done, leaving us keen to track the storyline as the weeks progress.
Aston Martin will release the film across several social media outlets in 39 countries between now and February.
Shot in Lisbon, Portugal, the films follow a group of secret agents as they attempt to deliver a precious object, time, to a mystery figure. The ethos of the film is said to be based on one of life's quandaries: the more success you had, the less time you had to share it with the people who mattered.
"We wanted to deliver a subtle but clever piece of branded entertainment, something that mirrors the thrill of the drive," explained the film's director, Donnie Masters. "Intelligent, dramatic yet very exciting. It's an action-packed Aston Martin story in three parts, designed to entertain our audience. We're not hard selling, we're showcasing. After all it is the thinking man's (and woman's) performance car."
View the first instalment of "True power should be shared" below:
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new Aston Martin
Innovative viral marketing is a rapide-ly developing trend, pardon the pun, and as Aston Martin has proved this week, budget appears to know no bounds.
This video, the first in a three-part series, is a short Bond-esque film designed to showcase the British marque's new four-door sports coupe, Rapide, further expanding the desirable model's burgeoning appeal.
Even we've got to admit the newly released film -- the marque's first foray into the digital medium -- is quite well done, leaving us keen to track the storyline as the weeks progress.
Aston Martin will release the film across several social media outlets in 39 countries between now and February.
Shot in Lisbon, Portugal, the films follow a group of secret agents as they attempt to deliver a precious object, time, to a mystery figure. The ethos of the film is said to be based on one of life's quandaries: the more success you had, the less time you had to share it with the people who mattered.
"We wanted to deliver a subtle but clever piece of branded entertainment, something that mirrors the thrill of the drive," explained the film's director, Donnie Masters. "Intelligent, dramatic yet very exciting. It's an action-packed Aston Martin story in three parts, designed to entertain our audience. We're not hard selling, we're showcasing. After all it is the thinking man's (and woman's) performance car."
View the first instalment of "True power should be shared" below:
MOTORSPORT: Aussie heroes emerge in Dakar Rally
Never heard of Geoff Olholm and Steve Riley? Well, they're Australians who have just conquered the world's toughest motorsport event, the Dakar Rally -- an awesome feat
Volkswagen's Race Touareg 3s fill top three places
Australia has two new motorsport heroes, Geoff Olholm and Steve Riley, who have finished the torturous Dakar Rally in South America at their first attempt -- as Volkswagen celebrates a hat-trick of victories.
Olholm, of Cairns, and Victorian Steve Riley, driving a BMW-based Rally Raid UK four-wheel drive finished the 15-day, 9600km event that is the pinnacle of off-road racing 27th overall in the car section.
A crowd reputed to be one million people greeted the Dakar finishers in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, at the weekend.
Olholm's partner, Jenny Tonkin, has told the Cairns Post newspaper after speaking to the driver that he "just seemed to have this huge flood of emotion".
And she said co-driver Riley had proven to be "a real bush mechanic when needed".
"He was able to 'Band-Aid' the car and get it through to the end of the stages so the mechanics could work on it," she said.
Australia's more fancied crew, Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki, were forced out halfway through the Dakar when Garland suffered a spine injury as their Isuzu D-Max ute landed heavily in the Chilean dunes.
They had finished 11th in 2009, were around the top 20 in the first half of this year's rally and were aiming for a top 10 finish.
Meanwhile, the Cairns Post report on Olholm and Riley's triumph is here.
Volkswagen won the Dakar for the third straight year, continuing its unbeaten run since the event moved to South America from the traditional Europe and Africa, as its diesel, 2.5-litre, in-line five-cylinder, 310-horsepower Race Touareg 3s scored another one-two-three sweep.
Its winning driver combination in this 33rd running of the marathon was Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and Timo Gottschalk of Germany.
Its 2009 winners, South African Giniel de Villiers and German Dirk von Zitzewitz, were second this year, with last year's victors, Spaniards Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, third after winning the most stages.
Volkswagen led outright every day and won all but one of the 13 stages -- Sainz-Cruz seven, Al-Attiyah-Gottschalk four and de Villiers-von Zitzewitz one.
The other stage victory went to French legend Stephane Peterhansel, who finished fourth overall for the second year in a row in a BMW X3 with countryman Jean-Paul Cottret as his co-driver.
Sainz now has a record 24 stage wins in the Dakar, surpassing Peterhansel's 23.
Al-Attiyah won at his sixth Dakar start and his second for Volkswagen, after the bitter contest with Sainz last year. He is the first Arab to win the Dakar.
"I'm absolutely delighted to have been the first Arab to win the world's toughest desert rally," he said. "I reached my greatest goal thanks to the world's best cross-country rally car and the best team in this sport... We'll party like there's no tomorrow."
Jubilant at its Dakar hat-trick, Volkswagen described the challenges of the event as "winding gravel roads, soft and deep desert sand in the unrelenting Atacama Desert, navigationally demanding sections through labyrinth-like canyons and washed-out river beds as well as spectacular river crossings".
It said the "compact dimensions and low overall weight" of its Race Touareg 3s compared with its rival BMW's X3 "proved to be the best overall package for the third time in succession, suiting both the WRC-like tracks and the extreme dune crossings".
Volkswagen motorsport director Kris Nissen said the Dakar victory hat-trick was "a historic performance achieved thanks to perfect teamwork, exceptional driving and navigational skills and more specifically thanks to superior technology".
"It was without a shadow of doubt the toughest 'Dakar' that we have ever contested, and also probably the best organised," Nissen said. "We proved that the Race Touareg 3 is the world's most reliable and strongest cross-country rally vehicle. This is the result of years of hard work."
Volkswagen has not had a single technically-related retirement in cross-country rallying in four years.
The great Sainz, world rally champion in 1990 and '92, said he was "more than satisfied, all in all" with this year's third place.
"I think that my co-driver Lucas Cruz and I did a good job and therefore were rightfully fighting for victory for a long time," he said. "Unfortunately two bad days and several mistakes cost us any chance of overall victory, but this is the Dakar Rally -- you always have to be alert.
"I'm delighted for the entire Volkswagen team, which truly deserves this one-two-three finish, and to have contributed to it. Everybody worked hard for this win."
BMW had to content itself with fourth and fifth places, with Poland's Krzysztof Holowczyc and Belgian co-driver Jean-Marc Fortin in the top five for the second time in three years, ahead of another Volkswagen driven by American Mark Miller and South African Ralph Pitchford.
Nine-time Dakar winner Peterhansel -- six times on motorcycles and three times in Mitsubishi Pajeros -- said small mistakes on his part may have cost the BMW X-raid team. He said he had already pinpointed improvements that could be made for next year.
"This was not the result we maybe expected at the beginning," Peterhansel said. "But the car is at the finish and that is good. The motivation was big at the start but we made too many mistakes.
"We had a lot of punctures and we lost the road some times. At the end it is not perfect that we were not able to do better.
"Maybe there is a small step between us and our rivals. It is possible to follow the speed but we need to be perfect and this time we made too many mistakes.
"This was not more difficult that the African Dakars but, for sure, it was the hardest of the three Dakars we made in South America."
Peterhansel's co-driver Cottret said that "driving through the (Chilean) fesh-fesh is one particular area where we need to look at".
"There were large sections of this thick powder dust and it hides all sorts of problems," he said. "You are going fast and totally unaware that there can be rocks just under the surface and this is how punctures can happen."
X-raid team director Sven Quandt had mixed feelings.
"We had many ups and downs along the way, but we finished quite well -- even if it was not quite what he had expected," Quandt said. "Maybe our main rivals were too strong this time, but we now know that there is no-one challenging behind us.
"Now we have to work hard over the next year to prepare."
Quandt said the new Mini All4 was in a very good position when it was "withdrawn" -- Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit crashed it in a demonstration run on the mid-event rest day.
Quandt reckoned "it may well have been in fifth or sixth position at the end".
"We will develop that car further," he said. "We now have to look into what was causing the problem of the punctures.
"The setting up of the suspension was not 100 per cent good, so we need to address that."
Where there's Smoke there's fire
NASCAR star Tony "Smoke" Stewart got himself into strife with some fisticuffs at his final Australian dirt-track outing at the weekend at Sydney Speedway -- or what to many will always be Parramatta Speedway.
Stewart was questioned by police but not charged and allowed to leave the country on schedule as the NASCAR season start at Daytona nears. More here.
And a preview of Australian NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose's season with his new team, Richard Petty Motorsports, is here.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Volkswagen's Race Touareg 3s fill top three places
Australia has two new motorsport heroes, Geoff Olholm and Steve Riley, who have finished the torturous Dakar Rally in South America at their first attempt -- as Volkswagen celebrates a hat-trick of victories.
Olholm, of Cairns, and Victorian Steve Riley, driving a BMW-based Rally Raid UK four-wheel drive finished the 15-day, 9600km event that is the pinnacle of off-road racing 27th overall in the car section.
A crowd reputed to be one million people greeted the Dakar finishers in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, at the weekend.
Olholm's partner, Jenny Tonkin, has told the Cairns Post newspaper after speaking to the driver that he "just seemed to have this huge flood of emotion".
And she said co-driver Riley had proven to be "a real bush mechanic when needed".
"He was able to 'Band-Aid' the car and get it through to the end of the stages so the mechanics could work on it," she said.
Australia's more fancied crew, Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki, were forced out halfway through the Dakar when Garland suffered a spine injury as their Isuzu D-Max ute landed heavily in the Chilean dunes.
They had finished 11th in 2009, were around the top 20 in the first half of this year's rally and were aiming for a top 10 finish.
Meanwhile, the Cairns Post report on Olholm and Riley's triumph is here.
Volkswagen won the Dakar for the third straight year, continuing its unbeaten run since the event moved to South America from the traditional Europe and Africa, as its diesel, 2.5-litre, in-line five-cylinder, 310-horsepower Race Touareg 3s scored another one-two-three sweep.
Its winning driver combination in this 33rd running of the marathon was Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and Timo Gottschalk of Germany.
Its 2009 winners, South African Giniel de Villiers and German Dirk von Zitzewitz, were second this year, with last year's victors, Spaniards Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, third after winning the most stages.
Volkswagen led outright every day and won all but one of the 13 stages -- Sainz-Cruz seven, Al-Attiyah-Gottschalk four and de Villiers-von Zitzewitz one.
The other stage victory went to French legend Stephane Peterhansel, who finished fourth overall for the second year in a row in a BMW X3 with countryman Jean-Paul Cottret as his co-driver.
Sainz now has a record 24 stage wins in the Dakar, surpassing Peterhansel's 23.
Al-Attiyah won at his sixth Dakar start and his second for Volkswagen, after the bitter contest with Sainz last year. He is the first Arab to win the Dakar.
"I'm absolutely delighted to have been the first Arab to win the world's toughest desert rally," he said. "I reached my greatest goal thanks to the world's best cross-country rally car and the best team in this sport... We'll party like there's no tomorrow."
Jubilant at its Dakar hat-trick, Volkswagen described the challenges of the event as "winding gravel roads, soft and deep desert sand in the unrelenting Atacama Desert, navigationally demanding sections through labyrinth-like canyons and washed-out river beds as well as spectacular river crossings".
It said the "compact dimensions and low overall weight" of its Race Touareg 3s compared with its rival BMW's X3 "proved to be the best overall package for the third time in succession, suiting both the WRC-like tracks and the extreme dune crossings".
Volkswagen motorsport director Kris Nissen said the Dakar victory hat-trick was "a historic performance achieved thanks to perfect teamwork, exceptional driving and navigational skills and more specifically thanks to superior technology".
"It was without a shadow of doubt the toughest 'Dakar' that we have ever contested, and also probably the best organised," Nissen said. "We proved that the Race Touareg 3 is the world's most reliable and strongest cross-country rally vehicle. This is the result of years of hard work."
Volkswagen has not had a single technically-related retirement in cross-country rallying in four years.
The great Sainz, world rally champion in 1990 and '92, said he was "more than satisfied, all in all" with this year's third place.
"I think that my co-driver Lucas Cruz and I did a good job and therefore were rightfully fighting for victory for a long time," he said. "Unfortunately two bad days and several mistakes cost us any chance of overall victory, but this is the Dakar Rally -- you always have to be alert.
"I'm delighted for the entire Volkswagen team, which truly deserves this one-two-three finish, and to have contributed to it. Everybody worked hard for this win."
BMW had to content itself with fourth and fifth places, with Poland's Krzysztof Holowczyc and Belgian co-driver Jean-Marc Fortin in the top five for the second time in three years, ahead of another Volkswagen driven by American Mark Miller and South African Ralph Pitchford.
Nine-time Dakar winner Peterhansel -- six times on motorcycles and three times in Mitsubishi Pajeros -- said small mistakes on his part may have cost the BMW X-raid team. He said he had already pinpointed improvements that could be made for next year.
"This was not the result we maybe expected at the beginning," Peterhansel said. "But the car is at the finish and that is good. The motivation was big at the start but we made too many mistakes.
"We had a lot of punctures and we lost the road some times. At the end it is not perfect that we were not able to do better.
"Maybe there is a small step between us and our rivals. It is possible to follow the speed but we need to be perfect and this time we made too many mistakes.
"This was not more difficult that the African Dakars but, for sure, it was the hardest of the three Dakars we made in South America."
Peterhansel's co-driver Cottret said that "driving through the (Chilean) fesh-fesh is one particular area where we need to look at".
"There were large sections of this thick powder dust and it hides all sorts of problems," he said. "You are going fast and totally unaware that there can be rocks just under the surface and this is how punctures can happen."
X-raid team director Sven Quandt had mixed feelings.
"We had many ups and downs along the way, but we finished quite well -- even if it was not quite what he had expected," Quandt said. "Maybe our main rivals were too strong this time, but we now know that there is no-one challenging behind us.
"Now we have to work hard over the next year to prepare."
Quandt said the new Mini All4 was in a very good position when it was "withdrawn" -- Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit crashed it in a demonstration run on the mid-event rest day.
Quandt reckoned "it may well have been in fifth or sixth position at the end".
"We will develop that car further," he said. "We now have to look into what was causing the problem of the punctures.
"The setting up of the suspension was not 100 per cent good, so we need to address that."
Where there's Smoke there's fire
NASCAR star Tony "Smoke" Stewart got himself into strife with some fisticuffs at his final Australian dirt-track outing at the weekend at Sydney Speedway -- or what to many will always be Parramatta Speedway.
Stewart was questioned by police but not charged and allowed to leave the country on schedule as the NASCAR season start at Daytona nears. More here.
And a preview of Australian NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose's season with his new team, Richard Petty Motorsports, is here.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Police Caprice sales off to a steady start
Holden and Chevrolet have sold more cars than they're letting on
Holden's latest export push -- the 'Police Caprice' to be sold in North America as a Chevrolet -- is understood to have gotten off to a steady start even though General Motors executives won't confirm it.
Contrary to reports that only a handful of cars have been sold, the Carsales Network has been told that the order book is "in the thousands, not the hundreds".
At the Detroit motor show last week the former boss of Holden, and current boss of GM in North America, Mark Reuss, said: "We're not going to go into numbers today, but it's good. Better than expected in fact."
Later that week, at a police fleet preview in Phoenix Arizona -- which a small group of Australian journalists gate-crashed for brief ride and drive impressions -- the head of GM's police fleet business Dana Hammer said: "We'd like to tell you but we can't share any [sales] figures today."
GM is being coy because it does not want to show its hand to its rivals -- Dodge and Ford -- who are also vying for a slice of the 50,000 to 70,000 units-a-year police car business.
While some agencies have placed orders for "a solid number" of cars, according to our source, others have ordered only one or two for full evaluation.
Given that an all-new police car is a once-in-20-year event in North America, authorities are making sure they do their homework: that the car performs properly and, most importantly, the purchase and running costs are reasonable.
What became apparent after talking with several police fleet operators at the preview drive is that many agencies will buy only a handful of cars initially and test them for a period before ordering more.
One hurdle is that most police agencies have had budget cutbacks -- and cars are the single most expensive tool-of-trade item.
But, perhaps eventually working in Holden and Chevrolet's favour, during the global financial crisis many agencies extended the life of their Ford Crown Victoria sedans. A number of officers told the Carsales Network that their cars were being kept well beyond their 100,000 mile trade-in limit, some as high as 150,000 miles.
This means that, pretty soon, a glut of cars will need replacing -- and the Caprice may be one of the only options. The Crown Victoria is due to go out of production in August after almost two decades as the cop car favourite.
Some police agencies have ordered a final batch of Fords, but others are keen to make the transition to the next generation vehicle, whatever that is.
"We're confident that once a number of police agencies get their hands on a Caprice PPV and trial it for themselves doing real police work, the car will sell itself," said Hammer. "Word of mouth among the agencies is a very important factor. They place a lot of trust on each other's findings.
"There are 18,000 police agencies across North America, and if all of them only bought one car to trial, that's obviously a lot of cars."
The boss of Holden, Mike Devereux, said GM expected sales would get off to a "slow burn start" but once the car developed a reputation, demand would increase. The first ready-for-duty cars are due to arrive in April and should be on the beat by June.
They will dock at the same San Francisco port that received the Monaro as a Pontiac GTO and the Commodore as a Pontiac G8 in years gone by. There, they will undergo final preparation by Kerr Industries, a specialist police car fit-out company.
The delayed arrival of a V6 version means that Caprice PPV sales are most likely to reach full strength next year.
"We are in this for the long haul," said Devereux. "I know everyone expects us to say this, but we really believe we have the best vehicle out there for police work. We have developed it with their specific needs in mind and, frankly, right now there is nothing else out there that does what this car does, and has the space and features that this car has."
According to independent testing by Los Angeles and Michigan police forces, the Caprice PPV has better acceleration and shorter stopping distances than the Ford and Dodge rivals. The PPV also has a roomier interior with more safety features.
For example, the car can be equipped with a front curtain airbag even when a prisoner partition is fitted because Holden has adapted the curtain airbag from the ute. A full length curtain airbag is standard on detective Caprice PPV models that typically don't have prisoner modules.
The Caprice PPV boot is only marginally smaller than the Crown Victoria's boot -- but significantly bigger than the Dodge Charger's and the Ford Taurus sedan's (Ford's successor to the Crown Victoria police pack due next year).
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Holden's latest export push -- the 'Police Caprice' to be sold in North America as a Chevrolet -- is understood to have gotten off to a steady start even though General Motors executives won't confirm it.
Contrary to reports that only a handful of cars have been sold, the Carsales Network has been told that the order book is "in the thousands, not the hundreds".
At the Detroit motor show last week the former boss of Holden, and current boss of GM in North America, Mark Reuss, said: "We're not going to go into numbers today, but it's good. Better than expected in fact."
Later that week, at a police fleet preview in Phoenix Arizona -- which a small group of Australian journalists gate-crashed for brief ride and drive impressions -- the head of GM's police fleet business Dana Hammer said: "We'd like to tell you but we can't share any [sales] figures today."
GM is being coy because it does not want to show its hand to its rivals -- Dodge and Ford -- who are also vying for a slice of the 50,000 to 70,000 units-a-year police car business.
While some agencies have placed orders for "a solid number" of cars, according to our source, others have ordered only one or two for full evaluation.
Given that an all-new police car is a once-in-20-year event in North America, authorities are making sure they do their homework: that the car performs properly and, most importantly, the purchase and running costs are reasonable.
What became apparent after talking with several police fleet operators at the preview drive is that many agencies will buy only a handful of cars initially and test them for a period before ordering more.
One hurdle is that most police agencies have had budget cutbacks -- and cars are the single most expensive tool-of-trade item.
But, perhaps eventually working in Holden and Chevrolet's favour, during the global financial crisis many agencies extended the life of their Ford Crown Victoria sedans. A number of officers told the Carsales Network that their cars were being kept well beyond their 100,000 mile trade-in limit, some as high as 150,000 miles.
This means that, pretty soon, a glut of cars will need replacing -- and the Caprice may be one of the only options. The Crown Victoria is due to go out of production in August after almost two decades as the cop car favourite.
Some police agencies have ordered a final batch of Fords, but others are keen to make the transition to the next generation vehicle, whatever that is.
"We're confident that once a number of police agencies get their hands on a Caprice PPV and trial it for themselves doing real police work, the car will sell itself," said Hammer. "Word of mouth among the agencies is a very important factor. They place a lot of trust on each other's findings.
"There are 18,000 police agencies across North America, and if all of them only bought one car to trial, that's obviously a lot of cars."
The boss of Holden, Mike Devereux, said GM expected sales would get off to a "slow burn start" but once the car developed a reputation, demand would increase. The first ready-for-duty cars are due to arrive in April and should be on the beat by June.
They will dock at the same San Francisco port that received the Monaro as a Pontiac GTO and the Commodore as a Pontiac G8 in years gone by. There, they will undergo final preparation by Kerr Industries, a specialist police car fit-out company.
The delayed arrival of a V6 version means that Caprice PPV sales are most likely to reach full strength next year.
"We are in this for the long haul," said Devereux. "I know everyone expects us to say this, but we really believe we have the best vehicle out there for police work. We have developed it with their specific needs in mind and, frankly, right now there is nothing else out there that does what this car does, and has the space and features that this car has."
According to independent testing by Los Angeles and Michigan police forces, the Caprice PPV has better acceleration and shorter stopping distances than the Ford and Dodge rivals. The PPV also has a roomier interior with more safety features.
For example, the car can be equipped with a front curtain airbag even when a prisoner partition is fitted because Holden has adapted the curtain airbag from the ute. A full length curtain airbag is standard on detective Caprice PPV models that typically don't have prisoner modules.
The Caprice PPV boot is only marginally smaller than the Crown Victoria's boot -- but significantly bigger than the Dodge Charger's and the Ford Taurus sedan's (Ford's successor to the Crown Victoria police pack due next year).
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
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