GM DAMNED, BY ITS OWN HAND by John Crawford

How’s this for hypocrisy? General Motors was reported in The Australian newspaper today formally revealing its plans to introduce the Chevrolet Silverado pickup, and the Chevrolet Corvette C8 sports car, using the services of its ‘Australian Partner’ (Walkinshaw Special Vehicles).

 

Both these vehicles will be hugely popular from the get-go, and represent very handsome profit opportunities for General Motors. There will be strong demand, because both vehicles represent a pinnacle in their respective segments.

 

The success of the Dodge RAM project undertaken by Ateco reveals how successful the importation and conversion of these huge American pickups is.

Meanwhile, we can only reflect on discussions in the GM Boardroom high atop the Renaissance Centre in Detroit.

 

“Well, we can’t make enough money from manufacturing in Australia, so let’s cut our losses and shut Holden down. Oh, but, by the way, there’s huge demand for American pickups in Australia, and the market for Corvette’s new C8 is potentially very profitable – so let’s just concentrate on those two, and pocket the profits.” 

Holden employees have every right to be incensed by GM’s latest decisions, and so too the Morrison government (which has huffed and puffed within the limits of its ability to call GM to account). The decision to shut Holden not only put thousands of direct employees out of work, but also those involved in the secondary industries, as suppliers.

 

Not to put to finer point on this development, I did forecast it months ago on this Blog.

 

Yes, I know, it’s just business. These things happen, as markets and circumstances evolve, but think about it. Holden has been an integral part of Australian society since 1948, and its success has delivered handsome profits to General Motors for decades.

 

After the recent rift between Holden dealers and GM over the separation payments and the piss-poor financial offers to dealers who have invested lives and livelihoods in their business relationship with GM over that time, this latest news is another arrow to the heart.

 

What are the lessons? No matter how successful a business relationship is, you have to have a Plan B. However, with the size of the investment in a dealership, the Plan B simply may not be workable, so you have to invest a lot of trust in your business partner.

 

Well in the case of GM and the Holden dealers, we all know how that worked out!

John Crawford

2020 TOYOTA YARIS - PRODUCT SUICIDE BY PRICELIST? by Paul Gover

Please ensure you are sitting down before you read any further. This is going to be a shock.

It comes as Toyota unveils its new and vastly-improved Yaris baby car, with the promise of everything from class-leading safety equipment to a new generation of hybrid drive.

The new Yaris looks nicer, should be smoother in the driving responses, and has had a major lift in cabin quality.

There is also a hybrid model, with which Toyota Australia is certain to increase its following among ‘green-power’ buyers, who have been fawning over, and flocking to, the Corolla and HR-V hybrids in 2020.

But, back to the Yaris. And now we come to the price.

Are you sure you’re sitting down?

To provide some showroom context, the recommended retail price of the outgoing Yaris is AUD$15,390. And the new one?

Still sitting?  How does AUD$22,130 sound?

Yes, the baby Yaris, starter car for youngsters buying their first car, is now priced a significant way beyond the AUD$19,990 bottom line that was the Corolla benchmark for a generation. And that’s without considering the on-road costs or the optional CVT automatic gearbox.

That’s an increase of 43.79%!

Now, I’m not sure about you, but I cannot remember the last time any new car - regardless of the amount of new technology, and safety, and higher quality, etc, etc, etc - came to showrooms with a 44% price increase.

 

Actually, In a world where most consumer products get cheaper with generation changes - think televisions, fridges and even some Apple products - I cannot think of anything with a 44% price increase.

The bottom-line number must also include some degree of exchange rate movement, and I must not forget that Toyota Australia is trumpeting the brand-new, highly-efficient three-cylinder engine in the new Yaris.

The press preview of the fourth-generation Yaris is done through a Zoom conference that includes the car’s chief engineer from Japan, a local technical chief, and Toyota Australia’s marketing boss Sean Hanley - a straight shooter and all-round good bloke.

He talks confidently about the styling and technology and a range line-up that escalates all the way to the ZR Hybrid CVT model at … big swallow here … AUD$32,100, even though none of the Brand experts are able to give us the electric-only range of the hybrid car.

But as the Zoom meeting rolls on we’re hearing more and more about secondhand Toyota prices and support packages.

And then it hits me. Toyota now believes the starter car in their Australian line-up is a secondhand car.

I can still recall the last time a car brand admitted that people could not afford a new car, and that a secondhand car was the best way into their brand.  It was the 1990s. And it was Porsche.

The all-new Yaris is certain to be a very nice car, I want to drive it, I want to hear more detail about the safety features, and I’m already thinking it could be worth some sort of support when I sit down to cast my votes for the World Car of the Year award.

But 44%? Now I need to lay down.

Paul Gover

 

THIS BENZ IS NO BABY by Paul Gover

No, it’s a big grown-up, with big balls, and bitumen-blasting performance.

Way out in the back blocks, a million miles from care, and watching the road ahead and over my shoulder for Mr. Plod, I have my right foot pushing against the firewall, and quickly deciding, this may be the youngest of the breed from Benz, but as the scenery flashed by in a blur, I’m thinking about comparisons with mature models, the Subaru WRX and the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO.

 

Both those cars were spawned in the spotlight of international rallying and built entirely for purpose. The A45 AMG S offers the same urgent, enthusiastic acceleration of the rally cars from the rising sun, and when my road speed and pulse rate slows, I realise this may be the most fun Benz I’ve burned rubber off.

 

I thought the AMG C63 was a pretty nifty piece of kit, but the A45 AMG S is actually more enjoyable, easier the throw around, and its all-wheel-drive set up, and well-tuned suspension delivers confidence-boosting potential for real fun in a dedicated performance car.

 

This model’s predecessor was wild, untamed, uncomfortable around town, and very immature. Everything has changed. It’s like it was sent off to a new school to learn a bit about compliance, smoother power delivery and real comfort. This one is way better than the old farty-burpy-barky teenager. Let's face it everyone's a teenager at some point.

 

That's why as I contemplated this review, I find myself asking: “Why wasn’t it this way, the first time around?” Fact of the matter is cars like this have to evolve from something, and it’s not as if Benz burned its bridges with version one. This one is just better in every respect.

 

It’s all very nicely crafted and well equipped, right down to the ‘Hey Mercedes ' voice-recognition system that can control a bundle of adjustments that would normally need a switch or knob.

 

There is a brilliant Burmeister sound system, four USB charging ports and a wireless charging pad, a giant panorama of instrument and infotainment displays, four cupholders, reasonable boot space and enough room in the back for kids.

Mechanically, the car has an eight-speed DSG gearbox and all-wheel drive with the ability to move the grip around to the axle that needs the most help, and there is a big rear wing, oversized 18-inch alloys and a four-barrel exhaust.

But the crew at AMG has turned the dial around to 13 for the engine of the A45, which is said to be the most powerful four-cylinder in the world.

 

It makes a truly wicked 310 kiloWatts, with 500 Newton-metres of torque, although it takes premium unleaded, and can get as thirsty as a V8 if you spend a lot of time with the right foot on the floor.

 

However, I think this A45 S sets a new standard for exceptionally ‘hot’ hatches - even if it does cost an eye-watering AUD$93,600! For the people who want what it offers the A45 S graduated with honours, and they’ll be very happy with how this graduate turned out.

Paul Gover

Read this and other reviews plus the latest racing news at https://www.race.news

FORMULA ONE MEMORIES, THICK AND FAST by Paul Gover

My first grand prix in 1982 was also the last one for Gilles Villeneuve.

It was the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, I was a guest of Alfa Romeo on a new-car preview in Italy, and the race was epic in so many ways.

I can still recall a busload of hyped-up Aussie journalists arriving on race morning, asking for pitlane passes, and getting them with just the presentation of a passport!

 

The twin Ferrari turbos of Villeneuve and Didier Pironi put on a demonstration at the front and all seemed well, and entertaining.

That was until Pironi ignored orders to hand top spot to the mercurial Canadian, who was so incensed he effectively boycotted the podium. Sadly, Gilles died in an unnecessary qualifying crash for the next race at Zolder in Belgium.

My memories of Imola come flooding back as Formula One celebrates its 70th anniversary at Silverstone.

I’ve been at the British track twice for F1, in 1990 when a frustrated Nigel Mansell announced he was quitting Ferrari and threw his gloves into the crowd.

The next Silverstone visit was when Lewis Hamilton flew to a last-gasp pole position with McLaren in 2007.

Both were, and still are, massively memorable days.

 

That second trip to Silverstone introduced me to the most mercurial qualifier I had seen since Ayrton Senna.

 

I was also at the Portuguese Grand Prix in 1984 when canny old Niki Lauda beat his young McLaren team mate Alain Prost to the world title - by half a point. Talk about old dog teaching new tricks, as Lauda let Prost win, knowing the scoring system would give him the crown.

That was also the first day I got to interview Ecclestone, who speaks very softly but carries a big stick - and a giant intellect.

 

The only other person I’ve met who talks so softly is Jean Todt (right), who famously led Ferrari through Michael Schumacher’s halcyon days and now heads the FIA

 

Away from the track, Schumacher is one of my most memorable F1 interview subjects.

Once I got through all the hoops and minders, and started my three minutes of chat time - monitored on a stopwatch - he is warm, welcoming, highly intelligent and provides great insights.

 

Schumacher was ruthless on the track but I never saw anything to match Ayrton Senna during his turbocharged qualifying laps in Adelaide.

I watched, spellbound, from the grandstand on the corner that now carries his name, as he did other-worldly things with Lotus and McLaren.

 

Adelaide was also where I saw Alan Jones celebrate the arrival of a World Championship grand prix in Australia, by leading the cars onto the track in his Beatrice-Ford.

The same day, a BMW media lunch was interrupted by a hand-delivered letter from Ecclestone to our BMW hosts demanding that flags were taken down - or a giant fee was paid - because they were in the view of the television cameras. And Ecclestone was sponsored by BMW at the time! Bernie always had his eyes on the money!

 

And so to Monza, where I once cut some laps at the wheel of a Volvo 7-Series turbo, plus another memorable BMW moment.

 

If you’ve ever seen a jet fighter on take-off, you might have witnessed the giant plume of black smoke from the tail. It was the same as we waited at the first chicane for Nelson Piquet to fire from the base of a similar cloud in a turbocharged Brabham-BMW that had 1300 horsepower and hit 202 miles-an-hour.

 

In those days a journalist could jump the fence and walk down to the first corner, so we - most of the same crew from Imola - made the trip, and were rewarded by a once-in-a-lifetime view, as well as water bombs arriving over the fence from irate Italian tifosi spectators because we were blocking their view!

 

On the walk back to the pits I passed Kenny Acheson’s abandoned RAM-Hart and, as I wondered why it was parked, I looked into the engine bay. The only sign of the engine was the rocker cover, as all the rest had clearly left the scene of a massive blow-up.

 

My days in Adelaide were great, because there was time to watch and think and even meet the drivers at informal events, but things changed massively as the AGP moved to Melbourne, and with Ron Walker guiding the show it was all business.

 

But my best memory is an unbeatable experience, taking part twice in the Ultimate Speed Comparison driving a BMW M road car against a V8 Supercar and a BMW F1 car, driven each year by Christian Klein.

It’s a handicap contest, obviously, and I famously scored one victory in 2009, but my clearest memory - by far - is the first time I entered pit straight, and the F1 car went past. It was like driving alongside an explosion.

 

Later that weekend, as I braked at the end of the straight from 240km/h, struggling to stop the baby BMW 1-Series for turn one, Klein rocketed past - and changed up a gear!

 

There are so, so, so many more memories from Formula One. So the 70th at Silverstone is memorable for everyone, but I have my own memories from nearly 40 years with a coveted media pit pass on a lanyard around my neck.

 

And did I tell you about the invitation-only visit to Silverstone last year, for the 125th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz’s involvement in motorsport, when a cavalcade of awesome drivers drove a variety of the company’s most memorable cars, and Valtieri Bottas sprinted around the deserted circuit in the latest grand prix car, just for us . . .

PAUL GOVER

GREAT NEW PETROLHEAD WEBSITE TO BOOKMARK by John Crawford

 If you're into cars and motor sport, be sure to bookmark the following website, edited by Paul Gover.

It's called <www.race.news> and it's entertaining, informative and right up to the minute. Rumour has it that Gover gets about two hours sleep a night, ensuring the website has all the latest news.

You won't be disappointed.

JOHN CRAWFORD

JAGUAR LAND ROVER DUE FOR A SHAKEUP by John Crawford

The JLR gang in Gaydon better prepare themselves for, first, a whirlwind, and second, the fallout.

 

TATA SONS has appointed former head of Renault, Thierry Bollore, as JLR’s new CEO to replace Ralph Speth, who is stepping down. Speth, who will retain a seat on the Tata Sons Board, is a British-German who was appointed to run JLR by Tata in 2010.

 

Under Speth’s leadership, workforce numbers increased by 17,000 over the last five years, but it was his strong emphasis on R&D which has been his most impressive contribution, and his legacy. Speth took over JLR, following three years running the quality division of Ford Motor’s Premier Automotive Group – and was a logical choice as CEO when Ford divested itself of the two companies to Tata.

 

I always thought Speth was brilliant, but too low-key, having only met him once, in Geneva. However, he was just the steady hands which Ratan Tata wanted (and needed) to run JLR.

On the other hand, Thierry Bollore, who was personally chosen by Carlos Ghosn as his deputy at Renault, is likely to be a big shock for the Brits.

He is just as ruthless as Ghosn about cost-cutting, and efficiency. I believe he will go through JLR like a laxative, cleaning out dead wood and redundant spending. I think he's an excellent choice.

 

JLR is in huge financial trouble right now, thanks not only to the pandemic, but spending which has, quite frankly, gone completely over the top.

Remember, by global standards, JLR is a very small company – albeit with huge aspirations. I think Bollore is just the man for the challenge of pulling it back into line.

 

There was considerable buzz that once the Groupe PSA-Fiat Chrysler Automobiles takeover was completed that Mike Manley may score the JLR gig, but wisely, Tata chose a man who has a significant track record in corporate discipline and results-based credentials.

 

NOTE: In the 2015 Special Honours list, Ralph Speth was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, following him becoming a British citizen.

JOHN CRAWFORD

TRIPPING THROUGH FALL - MEMORABLE VISIT TO AMERICA by John Crawford

Trawling through old photo albums is an ideal diversion from low temperatures and torrential driving rain on this winter’s day, and I’m reminded that among all the car stuff in my life, there have been many other memorable moments.

American Jaguar racer, and owner of the Group 44 race team in the USA, Bob Tullius, had accepted an invitation in 1982, to co-drive at Bathurst in John Goss’s Jaguar XJ-S.

Despite both impressive performance from the car, and impressive driving from John and Bob, sadly the car was a non-finisher.

However, I formed a very close bond with Bob Tullius which exists to this day.

After the event, he said I should try and get across to the USA to check out the Group 44 team, and we agreed to meet in Bob's home town, Winchester, Virginia in the Fall of the following October.

There were memorable moments, even as the trip began.

Thanks to a contact at PanAm I was upgraded to First Class, and found myself sitting next to one of Australia’s greatest stage and film actresses, Wendy Hughes, between Sydney and Los Angeles.

Not only did I have beautiful and talented company, but also a wonderful lobster lunch.

This was also my one and only ride on the fabulous Boeing 747SP, the ‘sports car’ of the Boeing 747 series

Being shorter and lighter, with the same size engines as the 747-200, this baby could go fast, and I recall it was a great flight.

 

On arrival in Winchester, I duly visited the Group 44 headquarters, which revealed the Tullius dictum of organisation, meticulous preparation, cleanliness and a constant search for greater performance.

I dined out with Bob and the race team, and Bob offered me the use of his XJ-S to tour Civil War battlefields, and prominent Civil War locations, like Harper’s Ferry and Leesburg. It was sobering to visit the Civil War sites, guidebook in hand, listing the record of deaths suffered by both Union and Confederate forces. 

Walking around the Gettysburg National Park I even managed to find a couple of Civil War-era bullets to bring home as mementos.

It was gentle, relaxed touring among beautiful Fall colours, returning Bob’s daily driver to him before heading off to visit Washington, DC.

Passes were arranged for me, by the Australian legation, to visit both the Congress and the Senate, where I again ran into Wendy Hughes, who was on her own voyage of discovery.

It turned out we were visiting the Senate on a momentous day for America, as the laws establishing the Martin Luther King, Jr Day, as a national public holiday, were passed.

 

During the period I was employed by Jaguar and Bentley in North America, I got the chance to visit Washington, DC a number of times, and after many meetings with politicians and media, it very much reminded me of the Australian political bubble in our national capital, Canberra.

Pollies should get out more, and see how the real people live (or in some cases, just survive).

 

JOHN CRAWFORD