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May 18, 2011 Australia’s No.1 Automotive Industry Journal No. 581 70,000 Readers Weekly 

Camry countdown 

All-new Aussie Camry takes shape but will rely on imported engines for up to a year 

By RON HAMMERTON 

TOYOTA Australia will import fourcylinder 

engines from Japan for up to a year 

for its crucial new-generation Camry as it 

completes its massive $331 million engine 

plant rejuvenation in Victoria. 

The new Camry engine plant, partly 

funded by a $63 million federal Green Car 

Innovation Fund grant, will not ramp up to 

full speed until October 2012 – about 12 

months after the new seventh-generation 

Camry is due to start rolling down the Altona 

production line. 

The company says the new model remains 

on track for a fourth-quarter launch this year, 

although Toyota planners appear not to have 

ruled out an early 2012 debut if the timing 

gets tight around Christmas. 

The Camry Hybrid variant, which again 

will be built alongside the standard petrol 

range, is expected to follow several months 

later, with the new V6 Aurion – based on the 

new Camry – arriving in the second quarter. 

The Altona assembly plant has been 

running on half shifts since May 9 due to a 

shortage of parts in the wake of the Japanese 

earthquake in March, but is set to resume 

normal production of the current Camry and 

Aurion on June 6 at the rate of about 9000 

units a month. 

In the meantime, Toyota is putting the 

fi nishing touches to its redesigned models, 

which have been designed overseas for 

global markets, but with local productplanning 

and engineering input. 

Sketches surfacing in Japan indicate the 

new-generation Camry will get a bolder 

face in a relatively conservative makeover 

that appears evolutionary rather than 

revolutionary. 

The images indicate a heavier grille and 

sharper headlight treatment for the all- 

 

 

DIG DIGITAL IMAGE: E Luc Br Britt it en e 

important, volume-selling Camry that will 

be tasked with retaining Toyota’s mid-size 

car crown against a raft of newcomers such 

as General Motors’ Malibu. 

Over the past week, Hyundai has also 

revealed its all-new i40 medium-sized 

sedan, which is under consideration for 

release in Australia to form a two-pronged 

attack – with the i45 – against the Camry. 

VFACTS fi gures show Camry sales are 

down 18.6 per cent year to date, although it 

still holds a commanding 32.8 per cent share 

of the mid-sized car market, well ahead of the 

Ford Mondeo (13.3 per cent), Mazda6 (10.6), 

Subaru Liberty (9.1), Honda Accord Euro 

(8.2) and the i45 (7.8). 

Continued next page 

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Camry countdown 

Continued from previous page 

Last year, Toyota sold just over 25,000 

Camrys for a 40.2 per cent share of the 

medium-car market segment. 

The new ‘AR’ 2.5-litre four-cylinder 

engine – including an Atkinson-cycle variant 

for the Camry Hybrid – is not scheduled to 

go into full production locally until late 2012, 

meaning Toyota Australia will have to carry a 

heavy import bill for drivetrains initially. 

Work on the 100,000-unit a year engine 

plant is due to start in August this year, with 

the so-called commissioning stage running 

from late January to March. 

But the plant is not scheduled to ramp 

up to full speed until October 2012, with 

Toyota’s offi cial project overview pamphlet 

saying the factory will conduct low-volume 

engine production trials to fi netune the 

new engine production line until the end of 

September 2012. 

Toyota Australia has this week confi rmed 

to GoAuto that more than 300 engine plant 

employees will be redeployed into other areas 

of the Altona factory for several months while 

the new production machinery is installed – a 

process that will require excavation for new 

foundations for some machines. 

Although the local engines will not arrive 

until 2012, production of the new Camry 



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EDITOR: Terry Martin 

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JOURNALISTS: Ron Hammerton, Haitham Razagui 

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We work with every 

factory in Australia. 

using the same AR four-cylinder engines 

from Japan will start late this year for local 

launch in either December or January. 

The hybrid version will go into production 

a few months later, with the new V6 Aurion 

next in line from about April. 

The new engines to be built at Altona will 

be the same AR powerplants that will be 

imported from Japan to fi ll the production gap 

once the all-new Camry model – the seventh 

generation in Australia – starts rolling down 

the Altona production line late this year. 

The 2.5-litre AR replaces the 2.4-litre 

AZ engine in the local Camry, although 

the newer engine has done duty in the 

American version since 2009. In the US, 

the engine comes in two states of tune – 

a 126kW/226Nm for base models and a 

133kW/230Nm version for the Camry SE. 

This compares with 117kW/218Nm for 

the current engine in the Australian Camry. 

Toyota says fuel consumption will 

improve by 4.5 per cent, cutting the current 

Camry combined fuel consumption from 8.8 

litres per 100km to about 8.5L/100km. 

CO2 emissions are also expected to be cut 

by about fi ve per cent, from 208 grams per 

kilometre to below 200g/km. 

The Camry is expected to get a six-speed 

automatic transmission – up from the current 

fi ve-speed – while the hybrid will continue 

to match its petrol-electric second-generation 


May 18, 2011 Page 2 

2.5-litre AR engine 

Hybrid Synergy Drive drivetrain with a 

continuously variable transmission (CVT). 

The current Camry Hybrid combines a 

110kW petrol engine – which is imported – 

with a 30kW electric motor for a combined 

output of 140kW. 

Ultimately, the 2.5-litre petrol engine 

for the new Hybrid Camry will be made 

alongside the standard engine at Altona, 

while the remainder of the hybrid powertrain 

will continue to be imported. 

The engine plant was the subject of much 

debate within Toyota until last year, when the 

federal government, Victorian government and 

Toyota Australia convinced TMC to invest in a 

much-needed revamp for the plant. 

The alternative for Toyota was to make 

the four-cylinder engines in Thailand and 

ship them to Australia. 

Now, Toyota Australia will export some 

of the engines to Thailand and Vietnam, 

as well as continuing to export completely 

built up Camrys to the Middle East. 

Announcing the intention of the company 

to return to normal production levels in June, 

Toyota Australia president and CEO Max 

Yasuda said last week that the company had 

confi rmed it had suffi cient parts to support a 

return to full vehicle production. 

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Back to ‘normal’ 

Toyota production set to 

ramp up here and abroad 

after sharp Q4 profi t fall 

By TERRY MARTIN 

TOYOTA has announced a return to normal 

levels of production at its Altona plant in 

Victoria from June 6 as the Japanese auto 

giant recovers more quickly than previously 

expected from the devastating March 11 

earthquake and tsunami. 

The earthquake was largely responsible 

for a 77 per cent fall in net income Toyota 

Motor Corporation (TMC) reported last 

week for the fi nal quarter of its fi nancial 

year ending March 31, with widespread 

production cutbacks forcing sales down 

across the globe. 

However, the world’s biggest car-maker 

– which is likely to lose its number-one 

ranking to General Motors as a result of the 

cutbacks – says global production will now 

begin returning to normal in June, rather than 

starting in July in Japan and in August outside 

its home market, as announced on April 22. 

In the fi rst week of June, Toyota’s global 

production is expected to be carried out 

at around 70 per cent of normal output, 

depending on the region and vehicle model. 

In Australia, production has been reduced 

to 50 per cent of pre-earthquake levels since 

May 9 as a result of the limited availability 

of components necessary to build Camry 

and Aurion models at Altona. 

With a resumption of parts supply, Toyota 

will return production to around 9000 vehicles 

a month from June. The company says it is 

also “reasonably confi dent” it will be able to 

maintain this output into July and August. 

“Toyota Australia and our suppliers 

have worked closely with Toyota Motor 

Corporation to secure the parts needed to 

resume normal vehicle production levels in 

early June,” said Toyota Australia president 

and CEO Max Yasuda. 

“This has involved studying and 

confi rming the supply of critical parts from 

the earthquake-affected areas and identifying 

interim alternate suppliers. 

“The past two months have been 

challenging for Toyota Australia employees, 

dealers and suppliers, but their fl exibility 

and support has been critical in helping the 

company get back on its feet quickly.” 

In Japan, Toyota last week made it clear 

that reduced production levels “may have 

signifi cant impact on TMC’s business 

results”. 

Notably, TMC has declined to provide 

a forecast on vehicle sales, revenue and 

earnings for the current fi nancial year due 

to the impact of the so-called Great East 

Japan Earthquake, saying that “more time 

is needed to complete the examination of 

production and sales plans”. 


More reports – next page 

Australia’s No.1 

Motor Marketing Specialist 


May 18, 2011 Page 3 

NISSAN RIDES STORM 

NISSAN appears to have weathered Japan’s 

devastating earthquake and tsunami far 

better than rival Toyota, reporting a better 

quarterly profi t than anticipated despite 

disrupted supply and factory shutdowns. 

The company appears to have avoided 

the fate of Toyota – which last week 

announced a 77 per cent fall in net income 

– because it is less dependent on Japanese 

production. Only 25 per cent of Nissans 

are built in Japan whereas global leader 

Toyota manufactures 45 per cent of its 

vehicles at home. 

Nissan Motor Company reported a net 

income of ¥30.8 billion ($A360.2 million) in 

the fourth quarter (to March 31) compared 

with a loss of ¥11.6 billion ($A135.7 

million) in the same period last year. 

It was the only one of Japan’s Big Three 

car-makers to report an improved result for 

the period. Honda, which was overtaken 

by Nissan last year, produces 26 per cent 

of its vehicles in Japan but reported a 38 

per cent drop in profi t for the quarter. 


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Quake rocks Prius+ 

Earthquake disrupts plans for Prius MPV in Australia 


PRODUCTION dislocation due to the 

Japanese earthquake in March is messing 

with plans by Toyota Australia to lock in 

its fi rst family-friendly hybrid vehicle, the 

Prius+ people-mover. 

The seven-seat Prius has just been 

formally launched alongside its fi ve-seat 

twin, the Prius V, under a new sub-brand – 

Prius Alpha – in Japan, where Toyota dealers 

are holding 25,000 pre-sale orders. 

But, in the same breath, Toyota Motor 

Corporation has warned Japanese customers 

they might have to cool their heels a little 

longer for the two vehicles while its factories 

play catch-up from the March 11 earthquake 

and tsunami. 

The same production dislocation is also 

hampering Toyota Australia’s efforts to fi rm 

up plans for the Prius+, which it wants to 

sell alongside the standard fi ve-seat Prius in 

this market. 

Toyota Australia spokesman Chris Parker 

told GoAuto: “Because of the Japanese 

quake, production hasn’t been confi rmed, so 

The Company 

Regent Motors Pty Ltd is a longstanding, 

privately owned automotive business in Western 

Australia. Our key business partners include 

Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Mitsubishi, Isuzu Ute, 

Proton and Chery. We employ over 250 

personnel across 4 sites and have acquisitive 

growth planned. We strive to provide 

employees with ongoing opportunities to 

challenge themselves and develop and grow 

their career. 

Galleria Toyota in Morley employs 65 

personnel across all areas of Dealership 

Operations. As a proud member of the 

global Toyota family we openly promote and 

embrace the “continuous improvement” 

philosophy of “Kaizen” in all that we do. We are 

constantly revising and reviewing our systems 

and processes to improve the customer’s 

purchase and ownership experience. 

everything is still under investigation at the 

moment.” 

Overseas reports suggest the combination 

of battery pack shortages caused by the 

earthquake and strong initial demand in the 

Japanese domestic market is expected to 

delay exports. 

The Detroit News said customers might 

have to wait up to a year for delivery, as 

Toyota can build only 3000 units a month. 

However, the Prius+ – revealed at the 

Geneva motor show in March – is still a 

chance for the Australian International 

Motor Show in Melbourne in July, if TMC 

gives the car the thumbs up for Australia. 

So far, Toyota Australia has confi rmed it 

will display yet another hybrid, the Prius C 

compact hatch concept, at the show, along 

with its new rear-drive, boxer-engined sports 

coupe, the FT-86. 

“For the Melbourne motor show, we have 

defi nitely confi rmed Prius C, but we have 

asked for a range of cars,” Mr Parker said. 


The Position 

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daily, developing high performance teams and 

delivering exemplary customer service. 

You will be responsible for each department 

achieving its mutually agreed nancial 

objectives as well as ensuring the Dealership 

exceeds all business benchmarks and 

manufacturer targets. 

Ultimately you will provide the vision, 

inspiration and professionalism required 

to successfully lead Galleria Toyota in 

driving growth whilst building strong 

key stakeholder partnerships. 


May 18, 2011 Page 4 

Toyota’s FT-86 coupe 

set for Melbourne show 

By MARTON PETTENDY 

TOYOTA has offi cially confi rmed its 

slick new rear-drive FT-86 boxer coupe 

for Australia, but appears to be hedging its 

bets on a release date. 

The FT-86 II concept was last week 

confi rmed to make its Australian debut 

at the Melbourne motor show on July 1, 

before the production version hits local 

showrooms “in the second half of 2012 or 

the fi rst half of 2013”. 

The fi rst rear-drive Toyota since the 

MR2 was due to roll off Toyota’s Japanese 

production lines in mid-2012, making an 

October 2012 local on-sale date the most 

likely given the traditional three-month 

delay between Japanese production and 

Australian release. 

Just two months ago at the Geneva 

motor show in March, Toyota Australia 

spokesman Mike Breen told GoAuto the 

production FT-86 would go on sale here 

in 18 months with a sharper-than-expected 

base price target of less than $35,000. 

“We would like it to be in the early 

$30,000s,” said Mr Breen at the time. 

“That’s where we would like it to be (but 

it) doesn’t mean it will be there. Eighteen 

months away, it is a little too far out to say 

it will be this or it will be that.” 


The Dealer Principal 

You will have experience as a Dealer Principal/General Manager in a large volume 

dealership and have an excellent reputation in Dealership Management. If you 

have the desire, capacity and capability to be an equity owner but do not have the 

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You will be an enthusiastic, outgoing and tenacious person who possesses a 

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All applications will be treated in the strictest of con dence and should 

be directed to Tyson Sutton on Tysons@regentmotors.com.au 

or on 0448 887 111. 

051711-282



MORE THAN JUST 


Hyundai’s other mid-sizer 

New i40 sedan hits show 

fl oor in Spain as HMCA 

considers spot next to i45 


HYUNDAI has taken the wraps off its 

all-new fl agship sedan for Europe, the i40, 

which could join the larger US-oriented 

i45 in a double-barrelled mid-size sedan 

onslaught in Australia next year. 

The release of fi rst images and full 

details alongside the car’s global debut at 

last week’s Barcelona motor show in Spain 

confi rms the four-door i40 is smaller and 

more understated than the i45. 

Riding on the same new global platform as 

the i45 but with a 25mm-shorter (2770mm) 

wheelbase, the i40 four-door is 80mm shorter 

at 4740mm long and 20mm narrower at 

1815mm wide overall, but shares the same 

coupe-like roofl ine and 1470mm height. 

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That makes it shorter than all but Suzuki’s 

Kizashi in Australia’s D-segment sedan 

category, where Hyundai Motor Company 

Australia (HMCA) is considering positioning 

the car above the i45, which was released 

here in May 2010 and was bolstered by a sub- 

$27,000 2.0-litre petrol variant last week. 

Hyundai has confi rmed it will introduce the 

similarly Euro-fl avoured i40 wagon – which 

debuted at the Geneva motor show in March 

– here in November, potentially giving it 

three entrants in a segment dominated by 

Toyota’s fl eet-friendly Camry sedan, which 

will soon be renewed, and multiple body 

styles of the Ford Mondeo and Mazda6. 

No interior images of the i40 sedan, which 

hits European showrooms in the fi nal quarter 

of this year and the UK in early 2012, have 

been released but the four-door’s cabin is 

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May 18, 2011 Page 5 

expected to mirror that of the fi ve-door’s and is 

claimed to offer best-in-class front headroom, 

shoulder room and legroom. 

That is despite a sweeping coupelike 

roofl ine that Hyundai admits took 

inspiration from Volkswagen’s Passat CC. 

The i40’s silhouette may be more compact 

but also looks similar to the i45, with which 

it also shares upmarket exterior cues like 

twin outboard exhaust outlets, wing mirror 

indicators and chromed window surrounds. 

Like the i45, the i40 is also distinguished 

by a bold body-side character line that 

descends from its tail-light to the front 

wheelarch, while the i40 adds an extra 

front quarter crease that extends from its 

headlights to the front doors. 


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Aftermarket sector waits 

as federal decision looms 

on access to vehicle data 

New Car Sales Manager 

Number one in Victoria and a Mazda Master dealer 

for the past four years, Max Kirwan Mazda is the 

dealership for individuals who want to excel. With 

over 60 years of experience in the automotive 

industry and numerous awards for outstanding 

service, Max Kirwan is a brand that is trusted and 

respected. It’s the perfect place for an ambitious and 

dedicated New Car Sales Manager to really fl ourish. 

You will thrive in our busy dealership, providing fi rst 

class customer service and driving sales results. 

You’ll be confi dent managing the sales team and 

overseeing our new vehicle sales, which average 

180 vehicles per month. 


May 18, 2011 Page 6 

Data access decision time 


THE Australian automotive aftermarket 

industry expects to know within weeks if its 

two-year campaign to gain the same access 

to motor vehicle manufacturer technical and 

diagnostic information as motor dealers will 

fi nd a foothold at federal government level. 

Representatives of the Australian 

Automotive Aftermarket Association 

(AAAA) – representing 1300 aftermarket 

parts, accessory and workshop 

equipment manufacturers and 

importers in an industry worth a 

claimed $8 billion a year – will 

meet with parliamentary secretary 

to the treasurer, David Bradbury, 

on June 1 to receive his feedback 

on a proposal to enshrine the right 

to access to the information in the 

Australian Design Rules (ADRs). 

They are also expecting to hear 

the latest on the warranty issue, which 

they say Mr Bradbury – whose ministerial 

responsibilities include competition and 

consumer policy – promised to raise with 

state consumer ministers. 

Speaking at the bi-annual Australian Auto 

Aftermarket Expo in Melbourne last week, 

AAAA executive director Stuart Charity said 

the independent, non-dealer aftermarket service 

and repair sector was fi nding it increasingly 

Stuart Charity 

diffi cult to access the latest information 

required to service and maintain vehicles. 

He said the aftermarket parts industry was 

inextricably linked with independent repairers 

who needed access to information 

such as electronic settings in modern 

engine management, traction control 

systems and electronic stability 

control systems, as well as panel 

repair information. 

“If the workshops close down 

because they can’t do repairs on 

modern vehicles, our industry closes 

as well,” he said. 

In 2009, the AAAA launched a 

campaign called Choice of Repairer, modelled 

on a campaign in the United States where the 

aftermarket industry is fi ghting a similar battle. 

A former vice-president of the Automotive 

Aftermarket Industry Association, Lee 

Kadrich, was the keynote speaker on the 

subject at the Melbourne show. 

Mr Kadrich said last week that the 

American industry was “moving the 

ball state to state” on the matter, with 

Massachusetts state legislators set to vote 

on the issue next month, and moves afoot to 

introduce a similar bill in Oregon. 

He said the US aftermarket industry hoped 

that if suffi cient states passed legislation to 

mandate access to the information from 

original equipment manufacturers, the US 

congress would eventually follow suit. 

Mr Kadrich said independent repairers in 

the US had also started a public campaign 

with “yard signs” asking car owners if they 

had “asked your congressmen about your 

right to repair”. 

Mr Charity said Europe had already 

adopted laws protecting the right of access of 

independent repairers to the electronic data 

and other information from manufacturers – 

rules that he described as “the holy grail”. 

He said the AAAA was not demanding 

free access for independent repairers to the 

information, but would be willing to pay for 

it in the same way as dealers. 


Aftermarket export boom – next page 

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Aftermarket export boom 

Exports of Aussie-made 

parts and accessories are 

now worth $850m a year 


AUSTRALIA’S automotive replacement 

parts and accessories manufacturing industry 

is fi nding its feet in high value-added and 

niche components as Asian manufacturers – 

particularly Chinese companies – take over 

the mass market. 

Australian Automotive Aftermarket 

Association executive director Stuart Charity 

told GoAuto at the Australian Automotive 

Aftermarket Expo in Melbourne last week 

that while the industry had been in decline 

in the face of imports, Australia still had 300 

manufacturers of replacement parts, accessories 

and motorsport components generating exports 

valued at $850 million a year. 

“The replacement parts side of things is 

really shifting to China, and manufacturers 

are turning into importers,” he said. 

“In the specialty equipment area – in high 

performance and motorsport and four-wheel 

drive, where it is high innovation, high-value 

add, niche volume – the Australian industry 

is still very competitive in that space and we 

are exporting all around the world. 

“In fact, we estimate that exports are at 

$850 million per annum of only aftermarket 

parts and accessories, and it is growing at 

8.5 per cent per annum. 

“We had 26 companies in a performance 

and racing show at Orlando last year. It 

was our biggest ever export mission to 

one of the homes of motorsport, and the 

Australian pavilion was the largest pavilion 

at that show.” 

A similar Australian mission is planned 

for a show in Dubai later this year. 

Mr Charity said the industry was receiving 

support from Austrade and the Victorian 

and NSW governments for its overseas 

push, with Austrade providing a dedicated 

aftermarket representative in Chicago to 

help facilitate exports to North America. 

He said products linked with Australianspecifi 

c niches, such as bullbars, roof racks, 

May 18, 2011 Page 7 

Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo 

winches and rugged suspension parts, were 

in demand in export markets. 

Chinese manufacturers were more interested 

in generic replacement parts and accessories 

with high volumes, while the Australian 

manufacturers could fi ll specifi c needs. 

“It (Australian manufacturing) is in the area 

of high technical content where people are 

paying a premium for high performance and 

features rather than just on price,” he said. 

Mr Charity gave the example of suspension 

parts-maker Pedder which he said had set up 

a highly successful network in the United 

States to sell its aftermarket shock absorbers 

and other parts for muscle-cars such as the 

Australian-engineered Pontiac GTO and 

Chevrolet Camaro. 


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SENIOR BUSINESS 

MANAGER 


FBT fl at rate ‘a tax grab’ 

Swan’s 20 per cent rule 

for car fringe benefi ts tax 

is too high, says industry 


A NEW fl at-rate system for calculating car 

fringe benefi ts tax, which was announced last 

week in the federal budget, will be phased in 

over four years to gradually standardise the 

current statutory kilometre-based formula to 

a fl at 20 per cent in a move that will cost 

industry an extra $953 million. 

Motor industry and fl eet association 

leaders have described the 20 per cent rate 

as a tax grab, saying the government should 

have adopted a lower percentage to make 

the move revenue neutral. 

The Federal Chamber of Automotive 

Industries (FCAI) says the government should 

either cut the tax rate to reduce the FBT 

windfall or offset it with some other tax reform, 

such as abolishing the luxury car tax, to reduce 

the burden on industry and motorists. 

However, the FCAI and the Australasian 

Fleet Managers Association (AFMA) have 

both welcomed the fl at rate system in 

principle, saying it is consistent with lowering 

greenhouse emissions by encouraging 

drivers to curb their kilometres. 

Announcing the revised system, federal 

treasurer Wayne Swan said it would remove 

the unintended incentive for people to drive 

their vehicle further than they need to, in 

order to obtain a larger tax concession. 

“Phasing out the current car fringe 

benefi t treatment is a sensible reform 

from both a taxation and an environmental 

perspective,” he said. 

While company car drivers who cover 

up to 15,000km a year will be better off 

under the new system, those who drive 

25,000km or more will be slugged harder 

than previously, carrying the extra burden of 

the higher percentage. 

The new system will apply to new 

contracts signed after 7.30pm on May 

10 – Budget night – and does not apply to 

existing contracts. 

Fleet drivers will also be able to retain 

the log-book method of calculating FBT, 

which some people feared might be given 

May 18, 2011 Page 8 

the chop in the budget. 

Under the new statutory system – where 

the rate is multiplied by the cost of the car 

to determine a person’s car fringe benefi t – 

drivers on new contracts who drive up to 

25,000km will be immediately standardised 

on 20 per cent. 

Drivers covering between 25,000km and 

40,000km will move up from 11 per cent to 

14 per cent immediately, and then to 17 per 

cent at the start of the new FBT year on April 

1, 2012, before reaching 20 per cent on April 

1, 2013. Long-distance drivers covering 

more than 40,000km will move up from 

seven per cent to 10 per cent immediately 

if they start a new contract, before sliding 

up each year to 13 per cent, 17 per cent and 

fi nally 20 per cent on April 1, 2014. 


Carbon tax costs – page 22 

– Multi-site Brisbane Dealerships 

– Attractive remuneration package (including company vehicle) 

– ASX Listed Company 

AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS GROUP Limited is Australia’s largest automotive group with 10 of the top 11 automotive brands in Australia, over 100 dealerships and 

employing over 3,500 people throughout Australia and New Zealand, with a group turnover in excess of $3.5 billion per annum. Due to planned growth of our Finance 

& Insurance business, we are seeking a highly motivated and successful Senior Business Manager with a proven track record of managing a pro table department. 

As the Senior Business Manager, you will be responsible and accountable for the professional day-to-day running of the F&I Department, managing rosters, ensuring 

department income / budget expectations are met and exceeded, ensuring activities are aligned with AHG expectations, providing accurate and timely reporting and 

ensuring compliance with regulatory and group obligations. The Senior Business Manager will also be expected to contribute to the pro t of the F&I Department. 

We are offering the following to the successful applicant: 

• Excellent Dealership Management team, with a positive team culture. 

• Industry Leading remuneration package. 

• Career path including future Dealership and Corporate of ce opportunities. 

• Continual support and training from our Corporate Of ce. 

To be considered you must have the following essential attributes: 

• Previous experience in managing a successful Finance & Insurance Department in the Automotive industry. 

• Track record of solid sales and management performance. 

• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with sales teams, management, direct reports and Finance and Insurance companies. 

• Tier 2 Accreditations as a Business Manager. 

• Sound reporting and analytical ability. 

• Previous experience in training and mentoring of staff. 

If you are self-motivated and would like to be part of our dynamic and successful team, then you are invited to submit your application to: 

Alana Henderson, F&I Training and Development Manager, Automotive Holdings Group Limited, PO Box 121 Mt Gravatt QLD 4122. Email: 

ahenderson@qld.ahg.com.au. Applications are strictly con dential and close Tuesday 31st May 2011.



Saab saved - again 

China’s Pang Da emerges 

as new Saab saviour after 

Hawtai Motor deal failed 

By TERRY MARTIN 

THE ongoing saga over the future of Saab 

Automobile took a new turn this week 

with the announcement by parent Spyker 

Cars that it had forged a €95 million-plus 

($A127.2m) deal with the large Chinese 

retail group Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. 

Just four days after the previous rescue 

deal and proposed strategic partnership with 

China’s Hawtai Motor Group collapsed, 

the Dutch-based Spyker said it had signed 

a memorandum of understanding with Pang 

Da that should secure its “medium-term” 

funding needs. 

Under the deal, Pang Da – which is 

described as China’s largest publicly listed 

automobile distributor with more than 

1100 dealerships nationwide – will pay €65 

million ($A87m) for a 24 per cent stake in 

Spyker Cars and make an additional €30 

million ($A40.2m) payment to purchase 

Saab cars for sale in China. 

It also has the option to buy up to €15 million 

worth of more Saab cars within 30 days. 

If approved, the agreement will form 

the basis of a 50/50 joint venture between 

A Daimler Brand 

We’re looking for Star Recruits. 

Mercedes-Benz Toorak is now seeking motivated individuals to 

join the team at its exclusive, boutique Melbourne dealership. 

Sales Executive 

An exciting opportunity is available for an experienced, driven, selfstarter 

to deliver exceptional customer service to optimise the sales 

and growth of Mercedes-Benz Toorak. 

Reporting to the Sales Manager, you will be responsible for 

proactively identifying new business opportunities and maintaining 

relationships with existing customers to ensure excellent levels 

of customer service are maintained. You will be experienced in 

achieving set sales targets while pursuing profi table growth and 

managing relationships with new and existing customers. 

A passion for Mercedes-Benz combined with knowledge of the 

prestige vehicle industry will be seen as an advantage. Benefi ts 

include a fully-maintained Mercedes-Benz vehicle, excellent OTE 

earnings potential, and numerous development opportunities 

including prestigious vehicles sales training. 

Technician 

Mercedes-Benz Toorak is seeking an experienced Technician to join 

our prestigious dealership in the heart of Toorak. This challenging 

role will see you work with the latest vehicle technology in the 

marketplace and for one of the most prominent brands in the world. 

Spyker and Pang Da for the distribution of 

Saab-branded vehicles in China. 

The memorandum also includes a 

manufacturing joint venture for Saab 

vehicles as well as those to emerge under 

a new Chinese brand established between 

Saab Automobile, Pang Da and a still-to-beselected 

manufacturing partner. 

Saab Automobile will be allowed up to a 50 

per cent shareholding in the manufacturing 

JV, with Pang Da and the manufacturing 

partner to own the remaining shares. 

The short-lived deal with Hawtai 

was struck on May 3 in a bid to resume 

production at Saab’s Trollhattan plant and to 

develop a new vehicle platform that would 

underpin its crucial next-generation 9-3 and 

other future models. 

In return, the privately owned, Beijingbased 

Hawtai was to take a 29.9 per cent 

stake in Spyker and secure the rights to 

Mercedes-Benz Toorak, 11 Carters Avenue, Toorak, VIC. Tel: 03 8825 5000. www.mbtoorak.com.au 


May 18, 2011 Page 9 

9-5 Trollhattan production 

produce and distribute Saab vehicles in 

China, as well as share technology. 

According to Spyker, the €30 million in 

cash from Pang Da should enable it to pay 

the debts owing to suppliers and restart 

production in Sweden “as soon as possible”. 

There is, however, no defi nitive word at this 

stage on future vehicle platform architecture. 

As was the case with Hawtai, the Pang 

Da deal is subject to “defi nitive transaction 

documentation and certain conditions”, 

which include approval from Chinese 

government agencies, the European 

Investment Bank, General Motors (which 

sold Saab to Spyker last year, but still 

has ties to the company) and the Swedish 

National Debt Offi ce. 


HAWTAI DEAL COLLAPSES: CLICK HERE 

The successful candidate will possess a natural aptitude for 

mechanical repairs and diagnosis, a thorough knowledge of 

mechanical and electronic systems and a strong work ethic with 

commitment to excellence. Previous experience in the Passenger 

Car retail industry with a recognised mechanical apprenticeship 

will be highly regarded. Mercedes-Benz experience is preferred but 

not essential. 

Vehicle Cleaner 

An exciting opportunity exists for a responsible and experienced 

Vehicle Cleaner to join our Mercedes-Benz Cars team. Reporting to the 

Service Manager your responsibilities will include washing vehicles 

to the required presentation standard while working to an agreed 

schedule and providing support to a number of departments. 

You will receive broad exposure to a range of business operations 

and work with one of the fi nest brands in the automotive industry. 

Applicants must hold a current Australian Driver’s License. 

Please forward your resumé and cover letter with job title to: 

human_resources@daimler.com by Friday 27th May 2011.



ERA SUPPORT 

CONSULTANT 

BRISBANE-BASED 

Duties will include: 

• Provision of operational, training, advisory and help desk support 

to dealership personnel in the use of “ERA”. 

• Provision of ERA technical (IT) support services. 

• Participation in various State and National ERA-based projects. 


The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes: 

• Good general motor dealership experience and/or understanding. 

• Fluency with ERA functionality, ideally including Vehicle Advisor. 

• Con dent in communicating clearly with dealership personnel. 

May 18, 2011 Page 10 

Bentley heats up Conti GT with more power, sharper dynamics and tech treats 

By JACQUI MADELIN in NEW ZEALAND 

BENTLEY has launched its secondgeneration 

Continental GT luxury fourseater 

coupe, which has undergone a host 

of engineering and design improvements 

including a reworked chassis, hi-tech cabin 

features and higher outputs from its twinturbocharged 

W12 engine. 

The Volkswagen-owned British prestige 

brand sold 23,000 versions of the outgoing 

GT worldwide from its 2003 launch to the 

present day – more than the 16,000 cars 

the Bentley marque had managed in the 80 

years preceding its arrival. 

At the redesigned model’s launch in New 

Zealand last week, Bentley Motors Limited’s 

regional manager for South East Asia and 

Australasia, Ed Striebig, told GoAuto that 

around 250 Gen I Conti GTs had been sold 

in Australia, primarily in Sydney but closely 

followed by Melbourne and Brisbane, and 

that he expected 80 to 90 registrations this 

year – up 50 per cent on 2010 – with continued 

Climate change 

growth as market conditions improve. 

Priced from $405,714 (plus on-road costs) 

and selling initially in a single specifi cation, 

the all-new GT closely resembles the current 

model but has emerged as a more driverfocused 

vehicle. 

At its core is the more powerful 6.0-litre 

twin-turbo W12 engine, up 11kW to 423kW 

at 6000rpm with torque boosted by 50Nm to 

700Nm – and available from just 1700rpm. 

Drive continues to all four wheels via an 

uprated six-speed ZF ‘Quickshift’ automatic 

transmission and a new Torsen centre 

differential which now splits torque 40:60 

front/rear – as seen on the current highperformance 

Supersports model. 

Transmission shift times are said to have 

halved to just 200 milliseconds, while the 

revised gearbox also now has the ability to 

deliver double downshifts, such as fourth to 

second. 

With a 65kg weight reduction (to 2320kg) 

and a more aerodynamic shape (now 0.33Cd), 

the Continental can accelerate from 0-100km/h 

in 4.6 seconds, making it two-tenths quicker 

than its predecessor, on its way to a top speed 

of 318km/h, the same as before. 

The engine will run on ethanol blends at up 

to E85, which Bentley says will cut well-towheel 

CO2 by up to 70 per cent. However, the 

raw numbers when it comes to environmental 

performance of the W12 are still high – the 

GT racks up 16.5L/100km on the combined 

EU cycle, 25.4L/100km in urban conditions 

and 11.4L/100km on the highway. CO2 

emissions are rated at 384g/km. 

The W12 will be joined later this year by 

a 4.0-litre V8 that Bentley claims will trim 

emissions by 40 per cent. 

There is no plan for a diesel engine, with 

Bentley Motors’ head of marketing and 

communications for the Asia Pacifi c region, 

Robin Peel, telling us: “We’re not against 

diesel but customer research says they don’t 

want diesel in a Bentley.” 

Continued next page 

AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS GROUP Limited is Australia’s largest automotive group with 10 of the top 11 automotive brands in Australia, over 100 dealerships and 

employing over 3,500 people throughout Australia and New Zealand, with a group turnover in excess of $3.5 billion per annum. 

AHG’s Queensland Information Services department wishes to augment its team with an experienced ERA Support Consultant to assist in the ongoing support 

and development of the Pentana Solutions “ERA” dealership management system (DMS) in Queensland. The primary function of this role will be to support AHG’s 

Queensland-based dealerships. 

AHG is a strong believer of promoting from within and provides career development with attractive remuneration. Salary dependent on skills and experience. 

Please forward your resumé with covering letter to Todd Brook, Manager Application and Support, by email: tbrook@qld.ahg.com.au. 

Applications are strictly con dential and close Tuesday 31st May 2011. AHG is an equal opportunity employer.



Climate change 

Continued from previous page 

More pertinent, Bentley’s biggest markets 

are the US and China, both strongly petrolfocused. 

Mr Peel also ruled out a fuel-saving 

idle-stop feature – apparently anathema 

to Bentley owners – but not cylinder 

deactivation technology, as seen on the 

Mulsanne limousine’s 377kW/1020Nm 

6.75-litre twin-turbo V8. Stand by for more 

news on that front. 

Dimensions are largely unchanged for 

the 4806mm-long GT, but overall width has 

increased to 2227mm and this is refl ected in the 

broader stance and wider wheelarches of the 

new model, which accommodate wider tracks 

– up 41mm at the front and 48mm at the rear. 

Other chassis highlights include the use 

of redesigned front suspension uprights 

made from hollow-but-strong ‘cast-forged’ 

aluminium, plus a redesigned anti-roll bar 

and retuned spring and damper settings. 

A revised electronic stability control 

system is said to provide additional traction, 

the variable damping system has been 

overhauled, and changes to the ZF-type 

Servotronic steering aim to reduce steering 

friction and deliver better road feel. 

Styling-wise, our initial taster in a 1929 

Bentley 4.5-litre and the 1939 Derby meant 

an opportunity to discuss visual parallels with 

interior designer Robin Page, an engagingly 

enthusiastic man whose fi rst great success was 

the interior of the original Continental GT. 

“Before we put pen to paper (on the new 

car) we did collective research on what our 

customer wanted,” he told GoAuto. “They 

Year end tax planning 

Are you ready for 30 June 2011? 

The end of the financial year is fast 

approaching and businesses should be taking 

action now to legitimately reduce your tax 

bill for 2011 year. 

• Superannuation contributions for owners/ 

directors must be paid and received by the 

fund by 30 June 2011 

in order to get a tax deduction 

• Obtain valuations for used vehicles and 

demonstrators at 30 June 2011 which can 

lower the dealership’s taxable income 

said, ‘Don’t start again, treat it like a 911.’” 

And evolutionary rather than wholesales 

changes bring their own puzzles: “As 

a designer you want to start afresh. It’s 

actually more diffi cult to take a design icon 

and not ruin it.” 

Mr Page says customers wanted a sportier, 

lighter, more modern and more dynamic 

look, and his team referenced athletes, and 

product design with strong, graphic lines and 

craftsmanship, always remembering that “a 

design is complete when there’s nothing to 

take away”. 

As the team sketched and carved, 

they involved not only engineers but the 

company’s craftsmen and women, to confi rm 

their vision could be built. 

The all-new cabin that resulted sports a 

dash with fl owing lines which refl ect the 

Bentley roundel and wings, with simple, 

sculpted forms, the designer’s original vision 

often refl ected in the leather’s stitching. 

The seats are wider at the top and 

• Obsolete spare parts stock can be written 

down to a reasonable value for tax 

purposes if it can be shown that there is 

little or no prospect of future sales. 

Deloitte Motor Industry Services will be 

holding free Year End Fraud and Tax Planning 

sessions at the following locations: 

• Brisbane office, Monday 20th June 2011 

• Sydney office, Wednesday 22nd June 2011 

• Melbourne office, Friday 24th June 2011. 

Please register your interest at 

Eprofitfocus.com.au 


Stavroula Papadatos 

Partner 

Tel: +61 (0) 2 9322 3577 

email: spapadatos@deloitte.com.au 

Grant Cameron 

Partner 

Tel: +61 (0) 2 9322 3535 

email: grcameron@deloitte.com.au 

Mark Weaver 

Director 

Mob: +61 (0) 400 085 553 

email: mweaver@deloitte.com.au 

May 18, 2011 Page 11 

narrower at the hip to provide both comfort 

and support, and the seatbelt has moved to 

the car’s frame, removing seat bulk. These 

pews are 25kg lighter – and slimmer, to 

liberate rear space. 

Meantime, Mr Page and his team had to 

accommodate modern technology without 

creating a car that would be outdated with 

the next iPod generation. So there is a touchscreen 

to access the wide array of features, 

from the 11-speaker Naim sound system to 

the variable damping settings or the sat-nav. 


DRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE

Caring approach to fleet pays off 

Blue Care is one of Queensland’s 

leading providers of community health 

and aged care, which has more than 

10,000 volunteers and staff that travel in 

excess of 32 million kilometres each year. 

So it’s no wonder Blue Care’s Fleet 

Manager Mark Stephens devised a 

strategy to ensure their drivers were 

safe on the road and their vehicles are 

well maintained. 

“We have an absolute obligation as a 

large employer to do everything we can 

to ensure all our nurses, carers and support staff have 

the best possible assistance and training to minimise 

the risk of injury,” Mr Stephens said. 

As driver safety has always been a critical focus for 

the company, Blue Care turned to RACQ to deliver 

driver training and manage their roadside assistance 

requirements. 

Blue Care credits using RACQ, for a big reduction 

in the number of significant crashes (claims valued at 

$10,000 or more), from 10 in 2009 to zero in 2010. 

“We have also reduced red light camera and speeding 

offences and associated costs by 75% during the same 

period as our staff have become more focused on their 

responsibilities on the road. This year we also had a 3.5% 

reduction in our insurance premiums,” Mr Stephens said. 

Driver Education 

“ We have also reduced 

red light camera and 

speeding offences 

and associated costs by 

75% during the same 

period as our staff have 

become more focused 

on their responsibilities 

“As well, we were the proud 

recipients of the 2010 Australian 

Fleet Managers Association (AFMA) 

Fleet Safety Award.” 

RACQ’s Driver Education 

Executive Manager Scott Lewin said 

the types of outcomes achieved by 

Blue Care would be of great benefit 

to Queensland community groups 

and commercial organisations alike, 

on the road.” ranging from small businesses to 

corporate fleets. 

“Our driver education programs give Blue Care 

Mark Stephens 

Blue Care’s Fleet Manager 

staff the opportunity to update driving skills and the 

knowledge to help keep them safe on the roads,” To find out more 

Mr Lewin said. “The result is big savings in the 

information on how your 

financial and human costs of crashes and the programs business could benefit 

also help reduce the carbon footprint of fleets, to from RACQ’s driver 

make them more sustainable in the long run.” 

education programs, 

Another area of RACQ’s business which has helped visit racq.com/drivered 

Blue Care is their Fleet Care Membership. “RACQ‘s or contact Scott Lewin 

Fleet Care Membership has also helped us save on on 07 3361 2380. For 

costs and keep our cars safe on the roads. Our staff fleet care and business 

are always pleased with the prompt and friendly membership information 

roadside service RACQ provides and we only have to contact Justin Dunford 

pay for what we use”, explained Mark Stephens. on 07 3361 2429 or visit 

Written by Georgina Terepai, RACQ. racq.com/business 

Does your fleet maintain 

your brand reputation? 

RACQ‘s Driver Education programs have a proven reputation 

for positively influencing driver attitude and behaviour. 

RACQ’s Driver Education programs: 

significantly assist in reducing the risk of an accident 

occurring or being charged with a traffic offence 

include defensive driving, urban and outback and site 

specific courses 

Contact RACQ’s Executive Manager Driver Education on 1800 680 039 

scott.lewin@racq.com.au 

tailored to specific organisational and industry training needs 

are highly cost-effective and have genuine tangible benefits 

Could your organisation benefit from a 

driver education program?



AWD for 911 GTS 

Porsche product offensive 

continues as 911 C4 twins 

take on GTS state of mind 


PORSCHE has gone niche model mad, with 

six new vehicle debuts in as many weeks 

comprising fi ve additions to its existing range. 

The latest surprise new 911 variants are 

the Carrera 4 GTS Coupe and Cabriolet, 

both of which will be available to customer 

order only in Australia priced from $283,300 

and $302,600 respectively. 

Porsche is in the middle of launching 

its second petrol-electric model in the 

Panamera Hybrid, but since the start of April 

has also released the Cayman Black Edition 

alongside all-black versions of the Boxster 

and 911, the frugal new Panamera Diesel 

and top-shelf Turbo S four-door, as well as 

upgraded engines for the Cayenne SUV. 

The new all-wheel-drive Carrera GTS 

twins follow the release of the wild new 911 

GT3 RS 4.0 Coupe last month, when many 

took it to be a fresh and fi nal swansong for 

the existing 997-series 911 range before its 

991-series replacement premieres at this 

September’s Frankfurt motor show. 

The new C4 GTS models do not match 

the performance of the bigger-engined GT3 

RS 4.0, Porsche’s new naturally aspirated 

7-8 July 2011 

Park Hyatt 

Melbourne 


May 18, 2011 Page 13 

Aston celebrates 50th anniversary of 1961 DB4 GT Zagato with sleek new coupe 


BOUTIQUE British sportscar-maker Aston 

Martin and Italian design house Zagato 

have joined forces to celebrate the 50th 

anniversary year of their fi rst joint venture, 

the DB4 GT Zagato. 

The latest Aston-Zagato collaboration has 

resulted in a sleek new coupe with massive 

rear haunches, the fi rst teaser image of which 

has been revealed ahead of the concept car’s 

world debut at the Villa D’Este Concours on 

Italy’s Lake Como on May 21. 

911 fl agship, but they do offer the same 

17kW increase in peak power (to 300kW at 

7300rpm) over the 283kW 3.8-litre fl at-six 

in the Carrera S. 

The GTS engine’s unique induction system 

and throatier sports exhaust with specifi c black 

outlet surfacing also liberate more fl exibility, 

with 320Nm of torque said to be available at 

just 1500rpm and peak torque of 420Nm on 

tap anywhere between 4200 and 5600rpm. 

The result is an offi cial 0-100km/h 

acceleration time of just 4.6 seconds for the 

most basic Carrera 4 GTS Coupe manual, 

with the Cabriolet body style adding 0.2 

seconds to that fi gure. 

Opting for the PDK twin-clutch 

semi-automatic transmission reduces 

acceleration times in both models by two 

tenths of a second. 

Despite this, neither C4 GTS is thirstier 

than their equivalent Carrera models, 

Aston says development of the as-yetunnamed 

vehicle, which will make its 

endurance racing debut at Germany’s 

Nurburgring on May 28, is well underway 

and initial customer interest will be used to 

with the coupe’s offi cial European fuel 

consumption remaining at 11.0L/100km and 

the convertible at 11.2L/100km. 

Also like their rear-wheel-drive GTS 

counterparts, the AWD models add a range 

of performance-oriented extras, including 

a motorsport-inspired interior headlined by 

sports seats and Alcantara fake-suede-trimmed 

steering wheel, gearshifter, handbrake, doorpulls, 

door box lids and centre panels. 

Once again, the C4 GTS cars are 

differentiated externally by a pacier Sport 

Design front spoiler with black lip, specifi c 

black side skirts, black centre-locking 

19-inch RS Spyder wheels with gloss-lathed 

rim fl anges and tyres as wide as 305/30 

ZR19 at the rear, GTS decals on the doors 

and boot, and a refl ective strip between the 

tail-lights to denote AWD. 


gauge whether a production version will be 

forthcoming in 2012. 

“Now is the right time for a new Aston 

Martin Zagato and in combining our design 

intelligence I think we can create something 

fi tting of the iconic DB4 GT Zagato that has 

gone before and since established itself as 

one of the most famous Aston Martins of 

all time,” said Aston Martin chief executive 

Ulrich Bez. 


Registrations are now open for the 2011 FAPM 

conference, “Sustainability in a global market”. 

Sponsorship opportunities are available from the 

Conference website, but hurry as many opportunities 

have already been presold. 

Additional confi rmed speakers include: 

Professor Tim Flannery, 2007 Australian 

of the Year 

Mr. Robert Graziano, President & CEO, 

Ford of Australia 

To register go the last page of this publication or visit www.fapm2011.com 

See REGISTRATION FORM back page



Quattroporte now $36K 

more affordable as EAI 

cuts pricing of key cars 

Fancy yourself an Asset Finance Top Gun? 

PROVE IT! Join our Car and Equipment Finance Team that’s gunning above the rest! 

“ Coming from a car dealership background, I was looking for greater stability and 

security in my job, a better work-life-balance and more flexibility in my role. 

I found that when I joined the Car Finance Centre, the team is young, vibrant and 

passionate about what they do. It’s incredible how simple the loan process is, 

it makes life easier for me but more importantly all the customers I service.” 

New Car Finance Centre Sales Associate recent recruit Keiron Rice. 

Commonwealth Bank is renowned for providing quick and easy, accurate car 

and equipment finance. Due to recent growth, we are seeking Car and 

Equipment finance professionals that are highly motivated and energetic 

to join our sales, credit and customer service divisions. 

To apply please visit www.commbank.com.au/careers and click on the Job Search link. 

Enter Job reference number 914256 in the keyword search area and complete an online application. 

Experience in finance is essential, preferable in vehicle or equipment finance. 

OUR VISION IS TO BE AUSTRALIA’S FINEST FINANCIAL SERVICES ORGANISATION THROUGH EXCELLING IN CUSTOMER SERVICE. 


Maserati price meltdown 


MASERATI’S Quattroporte is now 

$36,000 more affordable in Australia 

following a range-wide reshuffl e that passes 

on currency-based savings to new customers 

but is likely to disappoint recent buyers. 

The sleeker GranTurismo coupe and 

GranCabrio convertible have also come in 

for price cuts of $10,000 or more as part 

of the latest Maserati range repositioning, 

which also aims to more distinctly separate 

its luxury and sports models. 

The Quattroporte sedan range – which 

will be replaced by a signifi cantly lighter 

and more effi cient model expected to appear 

at next year’s Paris motor show – now opens 

at $250,000 (down from $286,000) for the 

entry-level 4.2-litre V8 automatic. 

Australian Maserati distributor European 

Automotive Imports (EAI) says the lower 

pricetag takes advantage of the surging 

Australian dollar and positions the base 

Quattroporte to better compete with the least 

sporting versions of its most direct rivals. 

Of course, that means Porsche’s Panamera, 

which costs less than $200,000 in V6 petrol and 

MASERATI PRICING: 

Quattroporte (a) $250,000 (-$36,000) 

Quattroporte Sport GT S MC Sportline $298,800 (unchanged) 

Quattroporte Sport GT S (a) $328,900 (unchanged) 

GranTurismo (a) $288,800 (unchanged) 

GranTurismo S (a) $308,000 (-$10,500) 

GranTurismo S MC Shift $345,000 (-$900) 

GranTurismo MC Stradale $364,900 (new in June) 

GranCabrio (a) $328,000 (-$10,000) 

diesel guise, and $279,800 with a 4.8-litre V8. 

EAI spokesman Edward Rowe said the 

cheapest Quattroporte will also offer a range 

of more luxury-oriented features from an 

expanded range of nine million possible colour 

and trim choices, including plush-pile carpet 

mats and comfort seats, to better differentiate 

it from more sporting Quattroporte variants. 

“The 4.2-litre Quattroporte has been 

repositioned to focus on the luxury part 

of that market sector, and remains fully 

competitive with new arrivals,” said Mr 

Rowe. “It has been given a range of luxury 

equipment and a price that will make it even 

more appealing to customers in the area 

of the market that is growing. It is there to 

bring new customers to the brand.” 

Pricing for the 4.7-litre Quattroporte Sport 

GT S models remains 

unchanged at $298,800 

for the Sportline 

version with MC Shift 

sequential transaxle, 

and $328,900 for the 

top-shelf variant with a 

conventional automatic 

transmission. 

However, just as the 

May 18, 2011 Page 14 

base Quattroporte 4.2 comes with more 

luxury features, a number of extra sportsoriented 

features will be added to the more 

powerful Quattroporte 4.7 models, which 

have traditionally attracted the bulk of 

sales. 

“The Quattroporte MC Sportline 

represents even better value for our 

traditional customers – it is now a better 

equipped, more overtly sporting car for 

traditional customers,” said Mr Rowe. 

While pricing of the GranCabrio 

drops to $328,000 without any change to 

specifi cations less than a year after its local 

launch, the closely related GranTurismo 

coupe range continues to comprise three 

variants and will be topped by the wild new 

GranTurismo MC Stradale in June, priced 

from $364,900. 

Incidentally, both the stripped-out 

GranTurismo Stradale and the new, more 

powerful GranCabrio Sport fl agship 

will make their Australian debuts at the 

Melbourne motor show on July 1, when 

pricing for the latter will be revealed before 

it hits local showrooms in early 2012. 


Quattroporte



Corvette confi dence 

General Motors reveals 

plans for radical coupe 

and an eight-speed auto 


GENERAL Motors has revealed it will soon 

begin preparations to build Chevrolet’s nextgeneration 

C7 Corvette super-coupe and an 

all-new eight-speed automatic transmission 

for a range of future models. 

The news was announced on May 10 – 

just days after it posted a $US3.2 billion 

($A3b) fi rst quarter net profi t on top of its 

fi rst full year in the black since 2004 – as the 

US auto giant revealed it will invest $US2 

billion ($A1.9b) in plant and equipment in 

North America. 

GM also confi rmed it will continue to 

produce the current Corvette for at least 

two more model years, corroborating recent 

US reports that the replacement for GM’s 

all-American sportscar icon will appear in 

2013, when it could become the fi rst midengined 

Corvette. 

“Plant improvements and installation 

of new equipment to make the nextgeneration 

Chevrolet Corvette will begin 

soon while the current-generation Corvette 

is assembled for at least the next two model 

years,” said GM. 

Please send your resume to Bartons Dealer Principal - Mark Beitz markb@bartonsbayside.com.au 

BARTONS HOLDEN & MITSUBISHI 200 Tingal Road Wynnum. 3396 7777 

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Ford details gruelling development program for next-generation Focus XR 


FORD of Europe has released details and 

images of its next-generation Focus ST 

development program, but has provided 

few clues to the all-new Focus XR that is 

due on sale in Australia next year. 

Previously confi rmed to join mainstream 

versions of the third-generation Focus hatch 

and sedan, which will go on sale in Australia 

in August, the hot ST version is currently 

undergoing validation testing in Europe. 

Ford says a fl eet of about 60 prototypes 

Some Chev web bloggers went wild with 

speculation the next Corvette will ditch its 

traditional front-engine confi guration in 

favour of a more exotic mid-engine layout 

after a top GM executive promised the 

existing model’s successor will be something 

“completely different”. 

All offi cial details of the new Corvette 

remain under tight wraps, but GM North 

America president and former GM Holden 

boss Mark Reuss has said it will be a genuine 

competitor in the high-end sportscar market, 

presumably including the fi nest supercars 

from Porsche and Ferrari. 

It has even been suggested the 2013 

Corvette – which is likely to continue to 

be a left-hand-drive-only model positioned 

above Chevrolet’s Australian-designed 

LHD-only Camaro coupe – could come 

with a split rear window, a design element 

not seen since the 1963 model. 

based on the garden-variety models already 

on sale in the US – plus a few based on 

the previous Focus ST/XR – have been 

put to the test on everything from British 

B-roads to Californian freeways and from 

May 18, 2011 Page 15 

Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition 

GM’s fresh cash injection will also result 

in the retention of about 250 jobs at Toledo 

to produce “an all-new, advanced eightspeed 

automatic transmission for future 

vehicles that offer customers improved fuel 

economy and outstanding performance”. 

Announcing the investment at the 54-yearold 

Toledo transmission plant last Tuesday, 

GM chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said 

his company’s latest investment – including 

$US204 million for Toledo – would create 

or preserve more than 4000 jobs at 17 GM 

facilities in eight US states. 

“We are doing this because we are 

confi dent about demand for our vehicles 

and the economy,” said Mr Akerson. “This 

new investment is on top of $3.4 billion and 

more than 9000 jobs that GM has added or 

saved since mid-2009.” 


Germany’s famed Nurburgring to extremely 

cold conditions in northern Europe. 

It is therefore unclear from the three 

frontal ‘spy’ images of the same semidisguised 

fi ve-door prototype whether the 

Focus range-topper will wear the gaping 

Aston Martin-style grille of the bright 

orange show car that debuted at last year’s 

Paris motor show, or its oversized rear wing 

and dual central exhaust outlets. 


DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER 

Holden and Mitsubishi Dealership Rare Opportunity Bayside Location 

Bartons Holden and Mitsubishi are a Family Owned dealership located on the Bayside at Wynnum. We are seeking expressions of interest for an Experienced Service Manager to take 

control and expand our already succesfull service department. Due to a career change, our service manager is leaving after 14 years to pursue new challenges. 

The Bartons Service Department is regarded as the benchmark in service departments in both Holden and Mitsubishi. Averaging over 1000 R/O's per month, managing 28 staff, a 

workshop and a PreDelivery centre, this job requires the "Best of the Best" in service managers. 

If your looking to join a family owned company with a strong loyal culture without the hassles of the larger automotive groups, Bartons is the place for you. An attractive remuneration 

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BMW blueprint 

Norbert Reithofer and the Vision 

ConnectedDrive concept 

Record sales, extra staff coming in lead-up to i3 EV 


JUST four months into the year, BMW has 

laid out an audacious plan to sell “well over” 

1.5 million vehicles and hire around 2000 

extra staff in 2011, before it releases its allelectric 

i3 city car in 2013. 

Buoyed by BMW’s best-ever full-year 

and fi rst-quarter fi nancial results – and its 

second-best Q1 sales results – chairman 

Norbert Reithofer revealed the ambitious 

sales target with which BMW hopes to 

achieve its previously stated aim of setting 

a new earnings record in 2011. 

“We aim to deliver more vehicles than ever 

before – well over 1.5 million vehicles (in 

2011),” said Mr Reithofer at BMW’s annual 

general meeting last Thursday in Munich. 

As well as reaffi rming that BMW’s 

goals of achieving record earnings and 

sales fi gures remain intact, Mr Reithofer 

said BMW’s earnings before income tax 

(EBIT) margin target of more than eight 

per cent for the automotive segment also 

remains in place. 

And, fresh from announcing a $US4 

billion investment in China, BMW said it 

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will create about 2000 new jobs this year – 

more than half of them in Germany – in the 

lead-up to production of the i3 EV in 2013, 

followed by the company’s second allelectric 

volume model, the i8 eco-coupe. 

“The company will be launching its 

innovative BMW i3, the fi rst pure electric 

vehicle for major cities, on the market in 

2013,” said BMW in a statement. 

“This will be followed by the BMW 

i8, an extremely fuel-effi cient sportscar. 

Both vehicles will have a passenger 

compartment made of carbon – a fi rst for 

the automobile industry. 

“The BMW Group will also be making 

its future combustion engines even more 

economical.” 

Having just posted its most successful 

fi nancial year in its history, BMW also 

used the AGM to announce a record share 

of profi ts for its workers. Combined with 

Christmas bonuses, BMW said most staff 

on collective pay-scale agreements will take 

home an extra €7490 ($A9992) for 2010. 

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May 18, 2011 Page 16 

BMW teases all-new 1 

ahead of October debut 

By HAITHAM RAZAGUI 

BMW has kicked off the marketing 

campaign for its redesigned 1 Series 

hatchback range, which will go on sale in 

Australia in October. 

The Bavarian luxury car brand has 

launched a website featuring videos of 

same-sex siblings who have contrasting 

personalities, tying in with the F20generation 

1 Series launch campaign’s 

‘One origin, two originals’ slogan. 

The website also teases two body 

derivatives of the new 1 Series – presumably 

three- and fi ve-door versions given that one 

appears to have two protrusions on the side 

in the doorhandle area – cloaked in cloth. 

However, it is only possible to discern that 

the new 1 Series will feature the bulbous, 

sharply-creased bonnet styling that debuted 

with the latest 5 Series large sedan. 

BMW Group Australia head of corporate 

communications Piers Scott told GoAuto 

the new 1 Series is expected to arrive in 

Australian showrooms in October. Although 

he was unable to say which model variants 

lurked under the red and blue cloth, he 

confi rmed only the fi ve-door hatch would 

be made available in Australia. 

As GoAuto has reported, although 

BMW has confi rmed plans to produce an 

all-new BMW-badged front-wheel drive 

model based on the next-generation Mini 

platform – perhaps badged as the 0 Series 

– the new 1 Series will continue with its 

mould-breaking rear-drive layout. 

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Honda boosts Accord 

Subtle styling tweaks and 

more standard features in 

store for Accord V6 sedan 

By MIKE COSTELLO 

HONDA’s top-spec Accord V6 Luxury is 

set to get front and rear styling tweaks and 

more interior features at no extra charge 

when the facelifted model arrives in June. 

Photos received from a GoAuto industry 

source reveal that the cosmetic changes will 

include subtle revisions to the front bumper 

and the grille, which will have two horizontal 

bars compared to the current model’s three, 

as well as chrome stripes running along the 

rear tail-lights. 

The modifi cations to the grille and tail-lights 

appear to be the same as those on the facelifted 

US version of the car, which appeared in 

American showrooms in August last year. 

The Thai-sourced large sedan also gets 

Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port with 

iPod integration, a new style jack-knife key 

and intelligent dual-zone climate-control 

air-conditioning. 

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Fuel consumption has also been 

marginally improved to 9.9L/100km (down 

from 10.0L/100km), while CO2 output will 

drop to 235g/km, down from 239g/km on 

the outgoing model. 

Pricing for the MY2011 Accord V6 

Luxury will remain unchanged at $49,990. 

It is unclear at this stage if the same changes 

will appear on the four-cylinder VTi Accord 

models, with details of the update to those 

models not yet available. 

The Accord facelift cannot come soon 

enough for Honda. Sales of its large sedan 

have almost halved so far this year, with the 

company managing to shift just 733 units 

compared with 1370 sales at the same time 

last year. 

Meanwhile, the Accord Euro facelift, 

which debuted at the Geneva motor show 

in March, is set to arrive here in the second 

half of this year. 


May 18, 2011 Page 17 

Jeep celebrates 70 years with special-edition models 

By MIKE COSTELLO 

JEEP has released special-edition versions 

of its entire model range to celebrate its 

70th anniversary, most of which are now 

available in local showrooms. 

The 70th Anniversary promotion, which 

includes the Patriot, Wrangler, Wrangler 

Unlimited and Cherokee petrol models and 

the Grand Cherokee in both petrol and diesel 

guises, brings new alloy wheels, stainless 

steel for the brand’s trademark seven-bar 

mesh grille, leather interior highlights and 

various equipment upgrades. 

All models are available in limited 

numbers and come in either silver or black 

colour schemes. 

The special-edition Patriot compact SUV 

is based on the top-spec Limited, and adds 

18-inch Mopar alloy wheels and stainless 

steel mesh grille, a power sunroof, leather 

seats, a leather-clad steering wheel with 

chestnut accents, berber fl oor and cargo 

mats, a dark green cluster overlay and 70th 

Changes seen on the show model included 

the obligatory tweaks to the grille, lights and 

bumpers, as well as alterations to interior fabrics 

and trim and technological updates. The current 

model Accord Euro is now offi cially in run-out, 

according to the company’s public website. 

The Accord is the latest in a string of mild 

changes across Honda’s range so far this 

year. In April, the company attained a fi vestar 

ANCAP safety rating for its entire Jazz 

line-up after it fi tted the base GLi model 

with side and curtain airbags. 

The Japanese manufacturer also tinkered 

with the Odyssey people-mover last month 

by including more standard equipment, 

changing the interior trim and adding a 

colour to the range. These changes were 

also accompanied by a $1500 price increase 

for the top-shelf Luxury variant. 


anniversary logos. 

The Anniversary Edition 2.4-litre petrol 

is priced at $40,000 driveaway, compared 

to the regular Patriot Limited’s price of 

$35,000 before on-road costs. 

The Cherokee Anniversary edition, which 

his based on the 3.7-litre petrol V6 Limited 

variant, also gets 18-inch Mopar wheels 

with polished face and painted accents 

on the spokes, stainless steel mesh grille 

inserts, a sunroof and leather upholstery 

for the seats, steering wheel, door armrests 

and centre console, all of which also get 

chestnut accents and stitching. 

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE



Amarok’s fresh swipe 

New TDI340 variant slips 

under HiLux as VW takes 

$2000 from ute start price 


VOLKSWAGEN will reduce the admission 

price of its HiLux-crushing Amarok dualcab 

ute to $31,990 (plus on-road costs) with 

the addition of a new entry-level variant 

dubbed the TDI340. 

That makes the base Amarok $600 cheaper 

than its most direct rival within Toyota’s 

top-selling utility range, the 2WD SR dualcab 

diesel pick-up ($32,590 plus ORCs). 

Reducing the Amarok starting price by 

$2000, the new model shares the same 

specifi cation as the previous range-opener, 

the Amarok TDI400 2WD manual ($33,990), 

but is powered by a lower-output version of 

Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. 

As its name suggests, instead of the 

TDI400’s 120kW/400Nm peak fi gures, 

the TDI340 produces 90kW of power 

at 3850rpm (150rpm lower the TDI400 

engine) and 340Nm of torque. 

Matched exclusively with the same 

six-speed ZF manual transmission, it is 

unclear whether the TDI340 will be more 

economical than TDI400 2WD, which 

returns just 7.7L/100km. 

As with other Amarok models, two load 

confi gurations will be available for the new 

TDI340: the standard heavy-duty set-up 

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with 3+2 leaf springs offering a GVM of 

3040kg and payload of almost 1200kg; the 

other with a no-cost ‘Comfort’ suspension 

option with 3+1 leaf springs, a 2820kg 

GVM and a payload of almost one tonne. 

Like all other Amarok twin-cabs, the 

four-door fi ve-seater TDI340 comes with a 

braked towing capacity of 2800kg (750kg 

unbraked). 

Standard equipment remains the same 

as the TDI400 2WD, including twin front 

and side head/thorax airbags, front seatbelt 

tensioners, fi ve three-point seatbelts and 

head restraints for all fi ve occupants, plus 

ABS brakes and ESC. 

It also offers the 2WD TDI400’s 16-inch 

steel wheels, ‘Spacer’ cloth trim, power 

windows/mirrors, air-conditioning, AM/ 

FM/CD audio and reach/rake-adjustable 

steering wheel. 



May 18, 2011 Page 18 

Fiat and PSA outline joint van and drivetrain plans 


FIAT and PSA Peugeot Citroen will end 

a joint-venture arrangement in 2017 that 

produces the mid-size Fiat Scudo, Peugeot 

Expert and Citroen Jumpy vans in France 

“due to diverging product strategies”. 

However, the two European auto 

giants – which also share a compact van 

– have extended to 2019 their agreement 

to produce a common large commercial 

vehicle in Italy, meaning the nextgeneration 

Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer 

and Citroen Jumper vans will again be 

mechanically identical. 

PSA and Fiat jointly revealed the 

commercial model decisions last week at 

the SevelSud plant in Val Di Sangro. 

“Following detailed analysis, it has 

been jointly agreed by PSA Peugeot 

Citroen and Fiat Group Automobiles that 

their SevelNord joint venture, based in 

Valenciennes, France, will not be renewed 

at its expiry in 2017 due to changes in 

GOLF GTI TURNS 35 

VOLKSWAGEN has unveiled a more 

powerful version of its Golf GTI hot 

hatch to mark the now-iconic model’s 

35th birthday, a small number of which 

are expected to be available in Australia 

before the end of this year. 

The Edition 35 produces 173kW – up 

18kW on the standard model – from the 

same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 

engine, though Volkswagen remains tightlipped 

on any changes to performance 

or economy. 


Jumpy 

each partner’s future product strategies,” 

said Fiat. 

PSA said: “The product strategies of Fiat 

and PSA Peugeot Citroen in the segment 

served by the Peugeot Expert, Citroen 

Jumpy and Fiat Scudo being divergent, 

their joint-venture at SevelNord will not 

be renewed.” 

At the same time, PSA announced a 

major three-year €355 million ($A474m) 

capital expenditure program to produce a 

turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine 

and new dual-clutch transmission. 


TDI400


GoAuto Market Insight 

Shortcomings in Chery 

J1 crash safety highlight 

ANCAP value to buyers 


THE prevalence of fi ve-star safety performers 

coming down the engineering pipeline from 

car-makers these days has caused observers 

to ponder if the independent crash-test 

system is really relevant to consumers when 

making purchasing decisions. 

And then along comes a Chery J1. With a 

safety score of just 16.97 out of a maximum 37, 

the Chinese-made small car scraped through 

for a three-star rating, despite a comment from 

Australasian New Car Assessment Program 

(ANCAP) engineers that chest protection for 

a J1 driver was poor. 

In fact, the car was awarded zero points for 

chest protection in both the side impact and 

frontal offset crash tests. In the latter, cars are 

crashed into a deformable aluminium barrier 

at 64km/h, with only the front driver’s side 

of the vehicle bearing the brunt. 

It is undoubtedly a tough test, but safety 

engineers believe it best represents a realworld 

crash scenario, and it has become a 

global NCAP standard, along with a side 

impact and side pole impact tests. 

To put crash performance in perspective, 

the A-pillar of the top-performing light car, the 

Alfa Romeo MiTo, moved rearwards 4mm in 

the offset crash, while its steering wheel hub 

actually moved forward 11mm – away from 

the driver. Afterwards, the doors could be 

opened and shut “with normal effort”. 

The little Alfa scored a total of 36.1 out 

of a possible 37 points – a stunning effort. 

In the Chery, the A-pillar moved rearward 

75mm, causing a large kink in the roof rail, 

while the steering wheel hub was forced 

GoAuto Market Insight is brought 

to you by Dealer Solutions 

backwards 151mm. “High manual effort” was 

needed to open the driver’s door afterwards. 

The Chery – the fi rst Chinese-made 

passenger car to be tested by ANCAP – 

even trailed the performance of the lowly 

Malaysian-made Proton S16 (now in runout 

in Australia), which scored 19.96 out of 

37 (for three stars) from ANCAP. 

Neither the J1 nor the S16 have side, curtain 

or knee airbags. The best performing lights 

cars do, although other factors such as inherent 

structural integrity are also signifi cant. 

Electronic stability control, which since 

2008 has been required by ANCAP for a 

fi ve-star rating, is also not fi tted to the J1 

or the S16. 

However, it is instructive to look at the 

performances of comparable single models 

to see how much the addition of airbags can 

add to an ANCAP score. 

Hyundai’s new i20 managed just 28.07 

points out of 37 when fi tted only with dual 

front airbags – as was the case with the entrylevel 

Active variants at launch – but when 


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Keeping safety in sight 

Overall score 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Selected light car ANCAP safety scores 

ANCAP 

Distributing your inventory online has never 

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Dealer Solutions Inventory Distribution is here to help you. 

May 18, 2011 Page 19 

Chery J1 

Proton S16 

Ford Fiesta CL 

Holden Barina 

Toyota Yaris YR 

Holden Barina Spark 

Audi A1 

Hyundai i20 

Mazda2 

Ford Fiesta Econetic 

Toyota Yaris* 

VW Polo 

Honda Jazz 

Suzuki Swift 

Alfa Romeo MiTo 

*With optional safety pack of curtain, side and knee airbags 

Three stars Four stars Five stars 37 maximum score 

Inventory & Photo Distribution 

tested with six airbags (adding side and curtain 

airbags), the result improved to 34.07 points 

and lifted the i20 from four to fi ve stars. 

Within three months, Hyundai Motor Co 

Australia had the entire i20 range fi tted with 

the full complement of airbags. 

In the case of the Ford Fiesta, the base model 

falls short of fi ve-star qualifi cation unless the 

customer pays extra for a safety pack that 

includes extra airbags and a passenger seatbelt 

warning indicator. The most recent ANCAP 

rating for the two-airbag Fiesta CL places its 

points score at 24.84 points – four stars – for 

the previous WS range. 

Better-equipped models in both the 

previous WT and facelifted WS ranges 

turned in a 34.4-point, fi ve-star effort. 

With the Toyota Yaris, a three-door base 

YR with two airbags came in at 29.46, 

while a fi ve-door model with the optional 

safety pack of airbags scored a creditable 

34.95 – well into fi ve-star range. 


No hidden agendas. Contact Dealer Solutions today. 1300 66 11 33 

www.dealersolutions.com.au


GoAuto Green 

Green issues in the auto world 

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Renault all in a Twizy 

$27 is all that European 

buyers need to reserve a 

place in Twizy EV queue 


RENAULT’S futuristic all-electric Twizy 

can be reserved online by would-be buyers in 

Europe, with the French car-maker opening 

the books for pre-orders of the cross-bred car/ 

scooter ahead of its world debut in production 

form at the Barcelona motor show last week. 

However, Australian buyers need not 

rush to their computers just yet, as Renault 

Australia has no plans to import the 

revolutionary vehicle any time soon. 

Due to go on sale in Europe at the end 

of this year and manufactured at Renault’s 

Valladolid plant in Spain, the two-seat 

Twizy will be available as a three-variant 

line-up, with prices ranging from €6990 

($A9334) to €8490 ($A11,337). 

Renault is taking €20 ($A27) deposits 

via a special website for customers wanting 

to pre-reserve their Twizy ahead of its 

showroom release in the 38 countries slated 

to receive the vehicle. 

The €6990 entry-level Twizy 45 is so-called 

because its 4kW electric motor enables a 

top speed of 45km/h, meaning that in some 

countries it can be driven unaccompanied 

without a driving licence and on a provisional 

driving licence from the age of 16 in others. 

For qualifi ed drivers, the 7kW Twizy 

Urban (€7690) and Technic (€8490) can 

reach 80km/h. Both low and high power 

outputs are complemented by 57Nm of 

torque, available from zero revs. 

In addition to the purchase price, Twizy 

customers must also pay a battery leasing fee of 

€49 per month (€45 for the low-power model) 

in a 36 month/7200km per year agreement. 

Renault says the Twizy is more agile than a 

car – having a turning circle of just 3.4 metres 

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May 18, 2011 Page 20 

– and that its acceleration performance is 

“comparable with that of a scooter”. 

All Twizy variants are claimed to be 

capable of a 100km range from their lithiumion 

batteries, which take 3.5 hours for a full 

charge from a standard 10 amp power outlet, 

using a three-metre spiral cord stored under 

a hatch at the front of the vehicle. 

The battery pack accounts for 100kg of 

the vehicle’s 450kg weight and Renault 

quotes the Twizy’s offi cial European CO2 

emissions fi gure of 32 grams per kilometre 

as including the “entire energy production 

cycle and vehicle usage”. 


Frugal Volvos to light up in eco-rally as brand CO2 emissions drop 13.8 per cent 


VOLVO’S super-economical V60 Plug-in 

Hybrid – which made its world debut at the 

Geneva show in March – takes its fi rst offi cial 

test-drive on public roads in the German 

capital city of Berlin today (May 18) as part 

of the 11th Michelin Challenge Bibendum. 

Alongside the electrifi ed V60 at the 

event is the C30 EV and diesel-powered 

V50 DRIVe, forming a line-up for the 

sustainability rally that Volvo believes will 

“emphasise the company’s leadership in 

combining environmental technology with 

a full luxury car experience”. 

Volvo Car Corporation’s senior vicepresident 

for research and development, 

Peter Mertens, said he expected the cars to 

perform well at the challenge, considering 

“the drives include acceleration and handling 

tests as well as energy-effi cient driving”. 

The Chinese-owned Swedish carmaker’s 

participation in the event comes as 

it is named “most improved” manufacturer 

in JATO’s review of car CO2 emissions, 

with its eco-centric DRIVe-branded range 

helping the company’s average emissions 

drop 13.8 per cent year-on-year, to below 

158 grams per kilometre. 


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GoAuto Personnel 

GLOBAL automotive 

data specialist JATO 

Dynamics has appointed 

Mark Hutchison as 

regional sales president 

for Australia and New 

Zealand. 

Mr Hutchison brings 

more than 25 years’ 

experience to the Mark Hutchison 

role, most recently as sales, marketing 

and product development manager for 

MSX International, a global provider 

of outsourced business solutions for the 

automotive industry. 

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He has also worked at a national level 

for a range of automotive brands including 

Saab, Mazda, Iveco and Ford Performance 

Vehicles. 

JATO’s vice-president of sales (Asia- 

Pacifi c and The Americas) Paul Stokes said: 

“Mark’s professionalism and dynamism 

together with extensive real-world 

automotive OEM experience, will allow us 

to get even closer to clients and to shape our 

products and services based on his intimate 

knowledge of the true business issues faced 


May 18, 2011 Page 21 

FORMER GM CEO AND ENGINEERING VISIONARY BOB STEMPEL DIES, AGED 77 


FORMER General Motors chairman and 

CEO Robert Stempel – an engineer whose 

list of credits include helping to create the 

mass production catalytic converter and 

igniting GM’s interest in electrifi ed cars – 

has died in Florida, aged 77. 

The renowned “car guy” and career GM 

man also helped to develop the landmark 

front-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Toronado 

coupe – the forerunner of many front-drive 

GM cars – in the 1960s. 

But Mr Stempel is best known for taking 

the GM helm during one of the bleakest 

periods in the company’s history, after the 

company racked up billions of dollars in debt 

and came perilously close to bankruptcy in 

the recession of the early 1990s. 

In the end, he was forced out by fellow 

directors in 1992 after just two years, a 

move seen by many as a classic scapegoat 

manoeuvre to help convince the world that 

things were changing at The General. 

Mr Stempel was born in New Jersey 

in 1933, and after gaining a degree in 

mechanical engineering, joined GM in 

1958. He worked his way up through the 

ranks to become general manager of Pontiac 

in 1978, and was then sent off to Europe to 

look after Opel in 1980. 

Following that, he did stints in the chair 

at Chevrolet and the Buick-Oldsmobile- 

Cadillac division in quick succession, 

earning a seat on the GM board in 1984. 

With unlucky timing, he replaced long-time 

GM boss Roger Smith as CEO and chairman 

in August 1990, and was left to manage a debtladen 

GM and its shrinking market share just 

as Iraq invaded Kuwait, plunging an already 

shaky world economy into recession. 

During his tenure, Mr Stempel put 

GM on its path to electrifi ed vehicles by 

encouraging battery research, development 

of the EV1 electric car prototype and GM’s 

successful SunRaycer entry into the World 

Solar Car Challenge in Australia. 

A long-time believer that the motor 

industry’s days of running on fossil fuels were 

numbered, Mr Stempel pursued his interest in 

electric vehicle technology by serving on the 

boards of two American battery development 

companies after departing GM in 1992. 

GM paid tribute to Mr Stempel in a brief 

statement last week, saying he “admirably 

led the company during very diffi cult times 

in the early 1990s”. 

“Bob was a very popular chairman with 

employees, and his many accomplishments 

as a visionary engineer included leading the 

development of the catalytic converter, one 

of the great environmental advancements in 

auto history,” it said. 

“His knowledge of battery development 

led to the push for the EV1 electric car, and 

Bob continued to build his expertise in the 

electrifi cation of the automobile after he left 

GM in 1992.” 

HUTCHISON NAMED JATO REGIONAL SALES PRESIDENT FOR AUST/NZ 

Australia’s No.1 

Motor Recruitment Specialist 

If you have any car industry personnel 

announcements, please email them to 

Terry Martin at tmartin@mellor.net 

Anne Taylor 

Sharon Hunter 

George Hennessy 

Mara Nogarotto 

Sonya Poci 

Les Land 

by the industry across the region.” 

Mr Hutchison said he was “excited ... 

to be driving new business growth whilst 

upholding and deepening our already 

trusted close client relationships.” 

His appointment comes a month 

after JATO announced Andy Rothery 

as its new global CEO, succeeding Neil 

Palfreeman and moving up after two 

years as chief operating offi cer – a role 

which saw him undertake “a companywide 

change program, reshaping JATO’s 

business services operations, including 

marketing, customer services and product 

management”. 

“Our people take the stress 

out of hiring the best people 

for your business.” 

For more information please call 1300 666 562 or visit www.motorstaff.com.au




May 18, 2011 Page 22 

GoAuto’s latest car review www.GoAuto.com.au 

CARBON TAX COSTS 

Tony Abbott 

A CARBON tax could add between $222 

and $412 to the cost of each car made in 

Australia if the carbon price is set at between 

$20 and $30 a tonne, according to a report 

prepared on behalf of the Federal Chamber 

of Automotive Industries (FCAI). 

The investigation, by Pricewaterhouse- 

Coopers Australia (PWCA), found that the 

overall cost to the $6.2 billion domestic 

automotive industry was likely to be between 

$30 million and $84 million, depending on 

factors including compensation. 

The report warned that additional cost 

burdens could threaten plans for growth in 

the automotive industry, which it described 

as “vulnerable”. 

The opposition leader Tony Abbott used 

the fi gures during a visit to Ford’s factory 

at Geelong in Victoria yesterday to raise the 

spectre of lost jobs in the motor industry due 

to Labor’s carbon tax. 

“If the carbon tax turns out to be the nail in 

the coffi n of the motor manufacturing industry 

in this country, that spells disaster for Australia 

as a fi rst-world economy,” he said. 

“We want to be a country that makes things, 

and the risk with this carbon tax is that we will 

stop being a country that makes things any 

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could choose a small three-door hatch from the four-ringed marque known as the Audi 50 – and 

even begat the Polo that eventually usurped it. Nearly 40 years later we have the all-new A1, 

co-developed with VW to open up the brand to a growing legion of younger (and young-at-heart) 

premium spenders. But is the A1 just that – a Polo in exxy couture, or do the Mini, Alfa MiTo, 

Citroen DS3 DSport and Renault Clio RS 200 have something to worry about? 


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CHINESE car sales have fallen for the fi rst 

time in 28 months, while India’s motor 

industry reported its slowest monthly growth 

in two years. 

China Association of Automobile 

Manufacturers (CAAM) data shows 1.55 

million cars were sold in China last month, 

0.25 per cent down year-on-year and 15 per 

cent lower than March. 

A contributing factor – other than that 

China’s once-rampant economic growth has 

been slowing since the middle of last year – is 

that its government is introducing measures to 

curb the unfettered growth in vehicle volumes 

to a more sustainable level to ease pressure on 

parking, road congestion and air pollution. 


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more – an absolute disaster for Australia.” 

The federal government is set to spell out 

the details of its carbon tax plan by July, 

with the scheme set to be introduced on July 

1, 2012. 

The PWCA report said each domestically 

made vehicle would have a CO2 footprint of 

between 11.1 tonnes and 13.6 tonnes. 

The largest proportion – between 6.0 

and 7.8 tonnes – would be embodied in the 

manufacturing of materials such as steel, 

aluminium and plastics. 

Parts manufacturing would generate between 

2.6 and 3.5 tonnes and vehicle assembly 

1.5 tonnes, while small amounts would be 

contributed by air-conditioning gases, the 

retailing of the vehicle and transportation. 

The report said the extent of greenhouse 

gas emissions depended on factors such 

as the size of the vehicle, extent of local 

content, vehicle confi guration and energy 

supply mix. 

Of the materials used in the typical vehicle, 

steel was by far the biggest contributor of 

greenhouse gases, at 67 per cent, followed 

by aluminium on 26 per cent. Plastics rated 

only two per cent. 


CHINA, INDIA CAR SALES

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Special Requirements eg. Vegetarian, Wheelchair access _____________________________________________________________________ 

* Required fi eld † If an alternate email address is specifi ed, all email correspondance will be sent to both addresses. 

Registration Fees 

7-8 July 2011 Park Hyatt Melbourne 

Full Delegate Registration - FAPM Member @ $1199 (inc GST) _______________________ 

Full Delegate Registration - Non-Member @ $1699 (inc GST) _______________________ 

Full Delegate Registration - Government & Teaching Institutions @ $1500 (inc GST) _______________________ 

Registration Fees Subtotal $ ________________________ 

Social Program 

Payment Details 

Welcome Reception 

All Payments must be made in Australian Dollars only. 

Date: Thursday, 7 July 2011 

Time: 17:30–19:30 

Venue: Trilogy Room, Park Hyatt Melbourne 

Dress: Smart Casual 

Included in registration fee. 

Note that payment by credit card is mandatory for registration 

online. Cheque or overseas bank drafts are not permitted for 

electronic submission. Charges will appear as ICMS Pty Ltd on 

your credit card statement. 

Please indicate attendance: Attending Not Attending 

Amount Due $___________ 

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Conference Gala Dinner 

Card Type Mastercard Visa American Express 

Date: Friday, 8 July 2011 

Pre-dinner drinks: 18:15–19:15 

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Sit down Dinner: 19:15–23:30 

Venue: Park Hyatt Melbourne 

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Dress: Business Attire 

Included in registration fee. 

Expiry Date _ _ /_ _ Month / Year 

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Signature__________________________________________ 

Additional tickets ________ x @ $150 (inc GST) $____________ Note to Conference Offi ce 

Post-Conference AFL Function - Essendon VS Richmond 

Date: Saturday, 9 July 2011 

If you have any special comments for the Conference Offi ce 

please write a short note here. 

Time: 

Venue: 

17:30–23:00 

Hilton on the Park for pre-game dinner; 

Note_____________________________________________ 

Included: 

Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the game 

Pre-game dinner (including drinks) and reserved seat at the _________________________________________________ 

Meeting point: 

game. Food and drink at the MCG is not included. 

Hilton on the Park foyer 

_________________________________________________ 

Tickets ________ x @ $140 (inc GST) $___________ _________________________________________________ 

Social Program Subtotal $___________ _________________________________________________ 

Cancellations and Refunds 

Cancellations must be advised in writing 

to the Conference Offi ce. Cancellations 

received prior to Thursday, 26 

May 2011 will receive a refund of 

registration fees less an administration 

charge of $250.00. Cancellations after 

this date will not be refunded. 

Privacy Policy 

In registering for this conference, relevant details will be incorporated into a participant list for 

the benefi t of all delegates (name and organisation only). Details may be made available to parties 

directly related to the conference including venue providers (for the purpose of room bookings 

and conference options), key sponsors (subject to strict conditions) and to inform you via email of 

future FAPM conferences. Please tick the box below if you do not wish to have your name included 

in the participant list. 

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Fax/email the completed form to +61 3 9682 0288 or fapm2011@icms.com.au. 

For phone enquires please call +61 3 9682 0244 or visit the website www.fapm2011.com

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