Why did they do it? The current Liberty and Outback are pleasant looking cars, even if they are a little bland. But they've just made it hideous. Yep, this is the new Subaru Liberty and Outback, ready to take up the fight with the Mazda6 and Honda Accord Euro - but it has huge disadvantages before it even steps into the ring with the other two.

It's clear that they tried to make the new Liberty more macho and aggressive - we now get flared wheelarches, lots of sharp surface detailing on the bonnet, and aggro, flared-up headlamps. But for some reason, they didn't complete the job. Even without noting that the face of the car looks like a stunned rabbit, you can't deny the door handles look like they've been lifted off a Toyota Yaris, the alloy wheels couldn't have been plainer if they had tried, and the rear end looks so much like a toned down Honda Accord (the other one, not the Euro) it isn't funny.

And it's not like you can take solace in the interior, either. It looks quite similar (though thankfully not the same) to the interior of the new Impreza, which is odd, because I can't think of anyone who really likes the interior in the new Impreza. It really is a shame, because I was expecting a truly wonderful new interior for the Liberty. This was, of course, because the last Liberty had a fantastic interior. In fact, I think that this one may well be a step backward:

And the Outback isn't any better. At least its face doesn't look cross-eyed like the Liberty, but at the back, we have the worst-designed reflectors I have ever seen in a long time. How hard is it to integrate reflectors into the design of a car? They look as out of place as elephant tusks on a sausage dog.

In terms of specs, we have three engine choices: a 2.5 Litre, 127kW revision of the old engine, a turbocharged 198kW version of that same engine (for the Liberty GT models) and instead of the old 3.0 Litre, we now have a 3.6 Litre 191kW six-cylinder engine which no longer requires premium grade fuel like the old one. In transmissions, you can now get a 6-speed manual as standard, but the standard automatic has now become a CVT (continuously variable transmission). It remains to be seen how much confidence Subaru have in this kind of automatic transmission, because you can only get a standard 5-speed auto in the 3.6 Litre version.

Gains have also apparently been made in interior space, which is great, but the old Liberty wasn't as roomy as it could have been, so you'd hope the gains are fairly significant. In another sign of changing priorities for Subaru, they've also fitted a dreaded electronic parking brake. A normal parking brake would have been just fine, thanks.

NEW YORK 2009: Subaru Ruins the Liberty/Outback

This little oddity is the people's car of the 21st century. The Tata Nano will offer the dream of personalised transport to the millions of people in India who can afford 100,000 Rupees. This equates to just $2,815 Australian. And it's quite a normal car, considering - the entire bodywork is made of sheetmetal, like a normal car, it's safe enough to be a normal car, and is roomy enough to be a normal car. It even has four doors and four seats! At just over 3 metres long, this would have to be one of the most efficient uses of space I've ever seen.But I'm wary of Tata's Nano. Soon, millions upon millions of people will own this car, when ordinarily they would never have had enough money to buy a car. 350,000 Nanos will be built every year. At just 100,000 Rupees, so many more Indians will have a car. Millions and millions more Indians will be able to heavily contribute to global warming, and clog up the streets of India, and contribute to the frightening Indian road death toll.

This is obviously an arrogant and elitist point of view - I don't consider it wrong for any Australian to buy a car, and yet I think of denying Indians the privelige we have. The privelige of owning a car, and creating a global greenhouse problem. We should have known that eventually, the problem of petrol-powered cars will reach an epic scale - but the advent of the Nano makes it all the more real. Machines that destroy the environment are being made and used on a massive scale, and although I do love these machines (I am an automotive enthusiast after all) I can't help but feel morally obligated to voice my concerns.The green cars (electric, hydrogen fuel-cells, whatever) need to save us. We need to be able to buy them, and quickly. Cars like the Tata Nano are absolutely brilliant, but they're fatally flawed - not just by their CO2 emitting potential, but by their mass-production. Usually, I would delight in showing you all the laughable facts about this car, but the truth is, I'm sad about the release of the Tata Nano. I feel the forbidding of mother nature.FACTOIDS

• Drive system: Front Wheel Drive
• Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
  
• Number of doors: 5
• DIMENSIONS
  • Overall length: 3,099 mm
  • Overall width: 1,495 mm
  • Overall height: 1,652 mm
  • Wheelbase: 2,230 mm
  • Tread
    • Front: 1,325 mm
    • Rear: 1,315 mm
• CAPACITIES
  • Seating capacity: 4
  • Luggage capacity
    • Rear seatback raised (VDA method): 135 L
      
  • Fuel tank capacity: 15 L
    
• ENGINE
  
  • Number of cylinders: 2
    
  • Piston displacement: 624 cm3 (0.6 Litres)
    
  • Maximum output: 26kW @ 5,250 rpm
  • Maximum torque: 48 Nm @ 2,500-4,000 rpm
• PERFORMANCE
  • Maximum speed: 105 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: Probably quite a while
    
  • Fuel consumption (Average): 4.2 l/100 km
  • CO2 emissions (Average): 101 g/km

NEWS: India's Tata Nano Heralded As "World's Cheapest Car"

I struggled to come to terms with the Aston Martin Lagonda Concept. It looks like a truck. I didn't see how it is possible for Aston Martin, a company known for the graceful form of its cars, to conceive such a horrendous looking car for the revival of an iconic brand name. I obviously didn't understand what the brand "Lagonda" actually meant.

Aston Martin has owned Lagonda for over 60 years, and in that time, Lagonda cars have sort of dissipated, in the same way that Aston Martin had dissipated up until the recent arrivals of the DB7 and DB9. So occasionally, every now and then, Aston Martin produced a Lagonda, and then didn't, sometimes for decades at a time. Now is the time, then, during a period of Aston Martin's resurgence, that they have decided to revive Lagonda. Shame they're doing it at a time when everyone's broke.

But back to the point about why it is necessary for the new Lagonda to look like a truck. Aston Martin and Lagonda stand for two very different things. Aston Martins are athletic - the ultimate sports tourer. Lagonda is, put simply, the ultimate statement of what a car can be. Superlative, you could say. However, Lagondas simply don't have a sporty bone in their body. As Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez puts it:

"Lagonda is a car that can be used in Moscow in December with half a metre of snow, and used in countries with less well-developed infrastructure, and is a luxury product."

This car, which you see in the gallery at the bottom of this article, is like a new Range Rover, which isn't meant to have the same shoddy quality as Land Rover. And way more luxurious. In other words, this truck of a Lagonda is for people who want a massive 4x4, but think a Range Rover is a bit cheap and proletarian.

GENEVA 2009: Aston Martin Lagonda

It may surprise you, but as the Melbourne Motor Show draws to a close, I'm feeling thoroughly disappointed. Not for the fact that it's finished, and that there now won't be another one in Melbourne until 2011 - I'm disappointed because there wasn't a whole lot to see.I mean, yes, there were some important new releases, some great new eco-friendly technology, but ultimately, the appeal of something like a Motor Show is the variety of cars on show. That was missing this year - this is probably due to a multitude of reasons, the most important of which involves words like "economic" and "crisis". The spaces between cars was huge this year, and it felt almost empty. Not empty of people, but of cars. There is still strong public support for the Motor Show, as there has been for some years now, but this time, the carmakers just didn't rock up to the party. Perhaps this is why the Melbourne Motor Show has been rescheduled to every two years - Motor Show organisers want everyone to turn up.

There were so many quite important carmakers that were a no show that they were almost impossible to count. Not that it stopped me. I counted a total of 17 carmakers that ordinarily, would have been there, but were in fact absent. Count them if you don't believe me.

I certainly mourned Alfa Romeo, not just for the cars, but the seemingly mandatory sexy models in shiny red dresses. Instead, we had blonde bimbos in skimpy frills attempting to glamourise Toyotas. Not as satisfying.

Of course, American carmakers like Chrysler and Dodge and Jeep were absent, obviously because they are more strapped for cash than a boarding university student (and come from the same broke parent company). I didn't really miss them as much, coincidentally. Inexplicably, Hummer managed to get one solitary H3 under the lights of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Why Lord, why? I did miss Citroen, however. I was very much keen to explore the insides and outs of the new C5, and fall in love with the C4's dash design (and 3-door hatchback) all over again.

In the sports car arena, both Ferrari and Maserati were missing, leaving only Lamborghini to wave the flag for exotic Italian carmakers. I have also been waiting for Aston Martin to turn up for what seems like an eternity - the last time they showed was 2007, from memory. Any glimpse of a DB9 is absolutely worth every cent of the entry ticket price.

Fiat wasn't there, which I was annoyed by - I was having fun guessing what accessories they would have on display in their 500 demo car. Fashionistas would have been further disappointed by Mini and Smart, as they too failed to show. Even Land Rover decided they'd give the 2009 Melbourne show a miss.

Probably the most significant were Jaguar and the venerable Mercedes-Benz - while the absence of Jaguar is easily explained (they were struggling before the world economy went into self-destruct mode) but Mercedes remains a mystery. Perhaps this is a by-product of rapidly falling sales in premium segments? Not even Volvo made a showing, and they had the new XC60 to promote.

So you would think that a less luxurious brand such as, say, Proton, would be there instead? Nope, wrong again. No Ssangyong either, which surprised me - they usually have a much bigger stand than what they deserve.

If you had never been to the Motor Show before, you'd be forgiven for thinking these carmakers didn't exist. But they do, and it's a greater sign than ever that they're in some financial strife. I would suggest to buy cars from them (not Proton and Ssangyong, idiot) - not only will it help to inject cash into these struggling carmakers, it will be lighter on your wallet. At some manufacturers, some cars are being sold for frankly ridiculously low prices, so take advantage of it.

So even though I'm going to hold a grudge against these carmakers for not turning up to Melbourne 2009, I'm suggesting that we support them by buying their products. I'm a bit of a hypocrite sometimes, aren't I?

MELBOURNE 2009: Wrap-up

One of the biggest crowd pullers at this year's Melbourne Motor Show is this outrageous design study from BMW, a design study called "M1" - it's basically a retro homage to the real BMW M1 sports car of thirty years ago. This "design study" was not in fact designed by BMW's design team, rather, it was designed by legendary Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro - so I guess the term "design study" has been used loosely. BMW's design team are probably just studying the work of a master like Giugiaro.

This M1 will never become a reality, like the last one, so BMW are instead happy to parade this car around to motor shows, showing off the apparent "talent" at the German firm. In this case, Mr. Giugiaro was the talent, but I really shouldn't care - it looks fantastic. Enjoy.

MELBOURNE 2009: BMW Tips its Hat to the M1

Yes, on the surface of things, it is just a crummy little Suzuki. I say "crummy", but you know I only mean boring. It's probably a fine car, but most people won't care. A bit like a So You Think You Can Dance winner - they're very good at what they do, but you don't really care. What actually gives the launch of the Suzuki Alto relevance here in Australia, is that when it arrives here soon, it will have no direct competitor.

We no longer have Daihatsu, the Daewoo Matiz no longer exists, and in fact, the only car I can think of that is remotely like the Alto is the Proton Savvy - which is about as savvy as buying a Toyota LandCruiser for inner-city driving (there's no direct correlation there, by the way). The reason why the Alto has no direct competitor is its size, mainly - at 3.5 metres, it is 40 centimetres smaller than an average size "small car" - as we know them at the moment, anyway. At this length, the Alto is even tinier than a Mini Cooper, but will be nowhere near as expensive. Expect a price at about $13,000 - which is crazy these days, and reminds me of when Hyundai Excels were that price way back in the 90's. The million dollar question is: will the Suzuki Alto be good enough, in terms of quality for as start, to catch on in Australia? For more info, read the factoids below.

FACTOIDS

• Drive system: Front Wheel Drive
• Transmission: 5 Speed Manual/4 Speed Automatic
• Number of doors: 5
• DIMENSIONS
  • Overall length: 3,500 mm
  • Overall width: 1,600 mm
  • Overall height: 1,470 mm
  • Wheelbase: 2,360 mm
  • Tread
    • Front: 1,405 mm
    • Rear: 1,400 mm
• CAPACITIES
  • Seating capacity: 4
  • Luggage capacity
    • Max. Volume: 774 L
      
    • Rear seatback folded (VDA method): 367 L
      
    • Rear seatback raised (VDA method): 129 L
      
  • Fuel tank capacity: 35 L
    
• ENGINE
  
  • Number of cylinders: 3
  • Number of valves: 12
  • Piston displacement: 996 cm3 (1.0 Litres)
    
  • Maximum output: 50kW @ 6,000 rpm
  • Maximum torque: 90 Nm @ 4,800 rpm
  • Fuel distribution: Multipoint injection
• PERFORMANCE
  • Maximum speed: 155 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 14 s
  • Fuel consumption (Average): 4,5 l/100 km
  • CO2 emissions (Average): 103 g/km

MELBOURNE 2009: Suzuki Alto Creates Supermini Class in Australia

From some of your responses to my recent article about the Subaru Stella on show in Melbourne, I guessed that you may think I'm the usual middle-aged car-nut. Apparently, I hate the environment, and electric cars. Clearly, these people can't read.

As I said in that article, I love electric cars. Not ones like the Subaru Stella, though. I prefer ones that actually are a significant step toward sustainable and environmentally friendly motoring. Like this Mitsubishi iMiEV. And guess what? It's coming to a showroom near you. This is the good parts you need to know:

The Mitsubishi iMiEV may only have a 47kW motor, but with 180Nm it will have impressive acceleration, and it has a healthy top speed of 130kmh. If you don't believe that those figures are enough to provide "normal" acceleration, you only need to consider that the iMiEV weighs just over a tonne - 1080kg. It's plenty, trust me. Power comes from Lithium-ion batteries, and can give the iMiEV a range of 160km, which is more than enough for most daily commutes, or your lazy Sunday drive. Recharging the batteries at the end of the day takes between 7-14 hours from flat to fully charged, depending on your power source. That may sound like a lot, but most of the time, it won't take that long to fully charge it, because it won't be fully flat to start with, if you know what I mean. Putting it on charge overnight will do just fine.

So what are the downsides, assuming there are any? Yes, there are, but crucially, as I would like to point out, they are not as significant as they are with the Stella. Like the Stella, the iMiEV is expensive. At $30,000, it may be a seriously hefty price premium for a car that is only 3.4 metres long (a whole half a metre shorter than the Colt, which isn't a huge car to start with), but nevertheless, I must commend the iMiEV for putting environmentally friendly motoring within the financial reach of a lot of people. Not everyone, admittedly, and a car this small may not be practical for some people, but the iMiEV is highly space-efficient, since it is an electric adaptation of the hugely successful Mitsubishi i (which sadly isn't sold here).

Yes, it does have some limitations, but the Mitsubishi iMiEV is a huge step in the right direction, and one that is useable for an average Joe like me, everyday. That's a win-win. I can only hope that the Australian public take to it warmly, which will encourage other car makers to bring their new, high-tech electric cars to Australia.

MELBOURNE 2009: Mitsubishi iMiEV is Electrifying

I love electric cars. But I hate electric cars like the Subaru Stella. I hate electric cars that give the false pretence of being glimpses of the future - the Subaru Stella is not the future. Not only is production unlikely, but everyday use is downright impractical. Yes, it is a plug-in electric car, and yes, that is wonderful, but this is a poor example of a car company talking up its green and technological credentials.
For example, the Stella can only do 80km on one charge. And also, it can only go up to a top speed of 100kmh. That sounds fine, because it makes you unable to speed, but at the same token, electric cars only have one gear, as opposed to the four, five, or six you get in normal cars these days. At the car's top speed, the Stella absolutely revs its guts off, which is useless for engine life, and power usage.

And here's the clincher. If the Subaru Stella went into production, it would cost $100,000. What a waste of good money! Get it away from me - it's pathetic.

MELBOURNE 2009: Subaru Makes A Stella Electric Failure

The latest generation Ford Focus hasn't really been the success Ford thought it would be. Sharing similar components to the Mazda3, it has been outshined by its competitor, purely because of its lack of style, and the Mazda's abundance of it. But Ford hopes that it's fortunes will be lifted with the facelifted Focus, with a more Mondeo-like front end. It's still recognisable as a Focus, but unbelievably, it seems that the entire "look" of the car has been transformed. If the Focus had've looked as good as this on launch in 2004, it could have sold as well as the Mazda3.

This facelifted Focus not only brings changes to the exterior, but the interior as well. Allegedly, more upmarket materials are being used, with a black soft-touch dash pad, soft-touch upper door trims, and a contrasting tan coloured inner roof lining to visually lighten the cabin.

The changes to the Ford Territory are less satisfactory. The Territory was a runaway sales success when it debuted, also in 2004, but of late, the appeal of the Territory has waned. Blame the spike in petrol prices in early 2008, and the financial crisis that has plagued us ever since the prices came down again. So after seeing the facelift magic Ford created with the new Focus, I was actually excited when I heard Ford spruking a facelifted Territory. After all, we didn't think they would, what with the money woes of the car industry. So I was excited. Until I saw it.The facelift is in the form of this MkII model, on which it appears that only the front bumper and side mirrors have been modified. Pictured here is the Turbo Ghia model, so this really is as good as it gets. It's not enough. The Territory was a plain-looking car back in 2005, but now it looks old and tired. I really feel sorry for it. They didn't even update the engines to FG Falcon specification, so the new Territory gets a thumbs down from me.

MELBOURNE 2009: Ford Facelifts Focus and Territory

Holden really wants to sell some cars. They've proven their intent. The Holden Cruze, a rebadged version of GM's Chevrolet Cruze, will go on sale within six months. At that time, it won't be locally made, and Australian production will begin at Holden's Adelaide production plant. So desperate are Holden to sell some cars and turn a profit that they have accelerated the arrival of the Cruze, which originally wasn't meant to be sold until locally-made vehicles were ready. The small-car market is currently the fastest growing in Australia, and the Cruze will be sold alongside the Viva and Astra, neither of which Holden believes will be affected in sales by the new Cruze. This is primarily because the Viva will be significantly cheaper (not to mention crapper) and the Astra is only available as a hatch. The Cruze will be sedan only, and will be up against established competitors like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer, and Mazda3.

But Holden seems to be finally forgetting the foolish idea that because it is a Holden, it will sell. They've packed it with features that would make the aforementioned competitors weep - the full complement of 6 airbags and Electronic Stability Control will be standard on all models. Cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, and front/rear power windows will also be standard on all models.

And it's not just the features that sound impressive - the mechanicals sound just about right for this day and age. The Holden Cruze will be available with two engines: A brilliantly economical 1.8 Litre Petrol, (103kW, 6.8L/100km) and a 2.0 Litre Diesel (110kW, 5.8L/100km). Even the gearboxes are thoroughly modern and cutting edge - all Cruze models will be available with either a 5 speed manual or a 6 speed automatic. The interior design, also, appears to be functional and stylish (providing the quality of the plastics are up to scratch). The Cruze sounds just about unstoppable.

So although we have a thoroughly boring looking car (with a bum copied straight from the Honda City), we may also have a class-leader. And a car that will save the Australian automotive industry. And possibly save GM Holden from financial doom. Never has so much pressure rested on such a car - but the Cruze is readying itself for the challenge.

MELBOURNE 2009: Holden Cruze To Go On Sale in Six Months

The Audi Q5 has already been unveiled around the world, but Audi took the opportunity at the Melbourne Motor Show to launch it in Australia. Wherever it went, the Q5 didn't really get the warm reception Audi was looking for. Most people can see that the new Q5, although meaning to be compact, seems gregariously large, bulky, and lacks elegance. But Audi had a secret weapon in Melbourne - it was a weapon that gave Audi the warm reception it wanted. But it wasn't directed at the car.

To unveil the Audi Q5, Audi enlisted the help of 2004 Miss Universe winner Jennifer Hawkins, apparently to "show off" the "good looks" of the Q5 - but in reality, she was a welcome distraction.

To be honest, Hawkins was the real news of the launch, which mostly involved Audi prattling on about it's four engine choices (I actually almost tuned in when they talked about the 2.0 Litre Turbo-Diesel one that uses only 7.0 Litres per 100km). It will go on sale immediately, and will be a competitor to the BMW X3, Volvo XC60, and when it arrives, the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.

MELBOURNE 2009: Audi Q5 Stages Jennifer Hawkins

When the Motor Show comes to my home town, you just know I'm going to go all out. This is the first of a series of articles about the Melbourne Motor Show - not a large Motor Show by world standards, but this year, there are more new unveilings and locally relevant cars and concepts on show than ever before. For those of you who are international (not Australian) readers, don't worry - most of these articles will be highly relevant to you too.

So I've started with the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic - which is already sold in the UK, but will soon arrive here in down under. This is one of the most important cars of the Motor Show this year, because, crucially, the Fiesta ECOnetic aims to be the most economical car available in Australia when it launches later this year. How economical is it? Try just 3.7 Litres of diesel per 100 km, and on the environmental front, less than 100 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre. Which, in Australia - where the hyper-economical cars of Europe are currently not available - is a revelation. Definitely beats the Toyota Prius for green-credentials, anyway, which is fine with me, because I don't like it very much.

The crucial difference between the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic and the aforesaid Prius is clearly price. The ECOnetic is set to be priced at around $20,000 - which makes helping the environment within the reach of so many people. This is the way we have to save the environment until the electric cars arrive - not wacky hybrids that are ugly, environmentally unfriendly to make, and aren't particularly efficient. This car even has a decent amount of power - 66kW and 200Nm, if you please. There seems to be no downside to the ECOnetic, because not only is it economical, it is a real car, and has real performance, and a price-tag that is well and truly in the real world. And if the Fiesta ECOnetic sells well, Ford might also bring the Focus ECOnetic and Mondeo ECOnetic to Australia, which sounds like it's exactly what the doctor ordered.

Greenies, start your engines. Turbo-diesel engines, I mean.

MELBOURNE 2009: Ford Fiesta ECOnetic Slaps Hybrids in the Face

No, this is not a new Phantom, this is an entirely new Rolls-Royce car. Designed to sit below the Phantom in the product line-up, the 200EX is what you can call a "baby" Rolls-Royce, however oxymoronic that may sound. The 200EX is still 5.4 metres long, which only sounds baby when you consider that the Phantom is 5.8 metres. Essentially, this car will compete with Bentley's ageing Arnage, and offers a more youthful interpretation of the Rolls-Royce brand.

For example, the Rolls-Royce designers decided that they wanted to make the 200EX more streamlined than the Phantom. And it is almost noticeable - the 200EX looks softer, more sporting, and more subtle (slightly) than the Phantom, which tends to look a bit like a Kenworth truck. "Approachable" was a term bandied around quite a lot in Rolls-Royce's press release for the 200EX ahead of the Geneva unveiling, so that tells you quite a bit about how much they wanted to differentiate this car from the Phantom.

This is still unmistakeably a Roller - this new one boasts a rear door maximum opening angle of 83 degrees, which is an industry record, apparently. So you can be under no illusion as to what kind of social class considers to buy ths car. But inside, there are a few subtleties that indicate a different purpose for this car: the black-on-white-background instrumentation, chrome air vents, and convenience buttons on the steering wheel. It is, of course, as sumptuous as ever.

It is an awesome new car for a very bad time period - let's hope Rolls-Royce still get lots of buyers for their new 200EX, and don't plunge into debt.

GENEVA 2009: "Baby" Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept, Say What?

Ahead of it's official launch at the Geneva Motor Show, Hyundai has released preliminary pictures of the ix-onic Concept, which will become the Hyundai ix35 at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year, which will effectively replace today's Hyundai Tucson. Hope that all wasn't too confusing. At only 4.4 metres long, this new ix-onic concept proves that 4x4 cars don't need to be big and bulky to look cool - it will enter a market segment populated already by the Nissan Dualis, but will also head off the upcoming Peugeot 3008. If this concept is anything to go by, the Koreans will make a car that is sexier than both of them put together.

Obviously, the ix35 isn't quite going to look as good as this concept. But, as we've seen from the new i20, Hyundai are increasingly making cars that look as good as the best in the business. And if there's one thing I know, it's that style is the number one factor in getting people into showrooms. I swear it's 100% true.

This concept has a very attractive 1.6 Litre turbocharged petrol engine, which is likely to go to production on the ix35. This is wonderful news indeed, since this engine will pump out 125 kilowatts of power while emitting less CO2 than any of it's 4x4 competitors (149 g/km). That's something I like to hear.

GENEVA 2009: Hyundai ix-onic Will Become ix35 Tucson Replacement

Swiss firm Rinspeeed are a kind of odd-ball company that like to push the envelope. A lot. For instance, last year, they created a car that you could drive through water. Not just on the sea bed, but actually through the water, just like a fish. Just Google "Rinspeed sQuba Concept" to see for yourself. So when one of the biggest Motor Shows in the world came to a home-country city, they went all out. This bizarre looking car actually changes body shape, depending on how many passengers the car has to take.

Now I've been studying these pictures for a good half-hour now, and have been reading the Rinspeed press release, but I still don't really understand how it works. Here's my theory. Basically, the rear of the car, including the rear wheels, slides out, increasing the wheelbase of the car, even though the glass area (the roof) doesn't change. So I'm slightly doubtful about the amount of extra room this system provides. If there is no extra cabin space for extra passengers, what is the point of the extra length, and how does this car swallow more passengers, anyway?

Probably more relevant to today's automobile industry is the fact that this car is an electric sports car, which weighs only 1050kg, goes from 0-100kmh in just four seconds, and has batteries that recharge using solar power collected from panels in the roof. Yes, it's wierd, but it's interesting all the same.

GENEVA 2009: Rinspeed iChange Shapeshifter

Just days after the Saab 9-3X has been revealed, Audi has decided that this is a market it wants in on. For some reason. Well, anyway, it has jacked up the ride height of the A4 Avant, and given it a funky two-tone paint job. If you get a lighter shade in the main colour, the complementary colour will be a dark grey, but if you get a darker shade for the main colour, you get a lighter, silvery-grey for the complementary colour. This, of course, looks rather questionable if you choose the poo-brown colour - check it out in the picture gallery below.

NEWS: Audi A4 Allroad

As regular readers of IYF! will know, I'm a huge fan of the Fiat 500. It is one of a rare breed of cars that makes the driver feel absurdly special, is cute but not puke-worthy, and is a good representation of retro cool. What I love most, however is the attention to detail. Read my post How to do Retro Tastefully for more information on this stunning car. It even won my Really Cool Fashion Accessory Award for 2008.

But this attention to detail is completely missing in the new 500C. It's just a convertible version of the 500, but I'm missing the point of it. Why did they leave the sides intact when the fabric roof lifts off? It means that the fresh air isn't all around you, but just above you, where you won't feel it or see it, and the roof just ends up sitting on the back of the car, all crumpled up and disgusting. This is not stylish, this is just dumb. I would rather get a regular 500 with the panoramic sunroof - at least that way I'd have a normal looking car that didn't have a spastic coloured roof.

NEWS: Fiat 500C Has Questionable Appeal

The latest battlefront that the German juggernaut of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz will fight for are cars like this 5-Series Gran Turismo Concept. They're based on sedans, but mostly, they are, but they think they're coupes. They're a bit confused, mostly, but they're essentially jazzy versions of otherwise conservative sedans, aimed at a more youthful market which looks toward a more sporting character. It's all about making a brand name more versatile by offering different cars that on the surface, appear to compete, but are really aimed at very different buyers. This is how the battle will play out:

Mercedes-Benz E-Class --> Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (since 2005)
Audi A6 --> Audi A7 (due 2010, but in meantime, see Audi Sportback Concept article)
BMW 5-Series --> BMW 5-Series GT (due November 2009, based on BMW CS Concept of 2007)

Yes, from all accounts, it does seem that BMW will be calling this car the BMW 5-Series GT. BMW has revealed that this car is not just a sedan that thinks it's a coupe, but much much more. In fact, as I see it, it's a long hatchback that's almost a sedan, but with a wagon-like stance, and an element of "squashed X6" thrown in. So yes, it does have a huge rear hatchback (double hinged, thank you, sir!), it is not a sedan, and even though it doesn't look that large in these pictures (at least, not compared to the Audi Sportback) it will, in fact be exactly 5 metres long, making it almost as long as the short-wheelbase 7-Series.

With the November launch so imminent for the 5-Series GT, this "concept" is really more of a preview of the real thing. Not much will change, I would imagine - the 21 inch alloy wheels are, of course, pure fantasy, though beautiful, the wing mirrors are likely to be replaced with something less controversial, and perhaps those cool side indicators will be relocated to the mirrors. But that's it, really.

So what do I think? Well, I'm not a big fan of the X6 roofline which has been translated to this car, because it makes the car too tall, and not sleek enough - the rear is an absolute mess, and makes the infamous Bangle-butt 7-Series look graceful. Though having said that, the surfacing of the car (namely, the hard crease spanning the length of the car) is pure genius, I've fallen in love with the door handles (I know that's sad...!) and I really really like the nose of this car. It's tasteful, original and athletic - a new BMW trait that was recently seen on the next-gen Z4. But what is also rather interesting is the rumour going around that this face is exactly the same as the next-gen 5-Series sedan, and that all that differs between the GT and the sedan is the roofline and rear hatchback.

Which, of course I think bodes well for the new 5-Series, but might make the GT the less attractive relative. Which, I think, means that BMW have missed the point with this car.

GENEVA 2009: BMW Says "It's On, Biatch!" With 5-Series Gran Turismo

This is the star of the new transformers movie, coming to cinemas later this year, called Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It's being called the Stingray Concept at the Chicago Motor Show, but in the movie, this "character" will be called Sideswipe. It's obviously a dream car from General Motors and Chevrolet, but this Stingray Concept takes inspiration from both the original Stingray Racer concept of 1959 (from which it thankfully doesn't borrow the exhaust pipes that look like noodles), and the current Corvette C6.

I think it also might be an exercise of design at GM, which is probably keen to see public reaction to this car. Want to know why? Because I think this concept might hint at what's going to turn into the Corvette C7. Although the Corvette C7 was meant to be released in 2012, it has now been "delayed indefinitely" according to the official line at GM, because of the financial crisis, of course. But providing General Motors stays afloat, I can't see them ever dropping the Chevrolet Corvette. I would guess that the new C7 Corvette will turn up by about 2014, possibly later. So because the new Corvette is going to be delayed so much, expect more drastic changes that would originally have been planned, at least from a design perspective. So while this concept might look outlandish now, it will look just about perfect for Chevrolet's hero model in 2014.

Because although the face of this car is obviously futuristic and grotesque, the rest of the car is quite neatly proportioned, and if you visualise more conventionally Corvette-like headlights on this car, I think you'll realise that what I'm talking about makes sense.

CHICAGO 2009: Chevrolet Stingray Concept to Star in Transformers

The long and short of this is that Saab have converted their 9-3 SportCombi (read wagon) into a Subaru Outback-like AWD wagon. In other words, it gets a raised ride height (an extra 35 millimetres), some tough looking cladding, and as chief designer Simon Padian says, "we are offering a vehicle that will do what's required in more comfort and style than a heavier SUV." Which of course, sounds great, and is an idea that may well work. The idea isn't new, however. There is the aforementioned Outback, the Audi A6 Allroad and the Volvo XC70. The Audi and the Volvo aren't exactly sales sensations, but that does not mean the Saab 9-3X is unlikely to find buyers.

Compared to the Volvo and the Audi, the Saab will be far more competitively priced, and represents a very practical and upmarket alternative at a cut price. And of course, it is far more handsome than the Audi and Subaru, probably on par with the Volvo. This car will share its engines with the 9-3, and in some markets will also have a front-wheel-drive version, which I doubt will come to Australia. In any case, it's set to hit showrooms late this year, a few months before the 9-4X (Saab's take on the Cadillac SRX) arrives in 2010.

NEWS: Saab 9-3X Turns Swedes Butch