JOHN GOSS GETS A 'GONG'

My friend and champion racer John Goss has been awarded a Medal of Australia in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Congratulations Gossy.

Irrepressible, unbelievable, and an unreal driver. On his day, John Goss was unbeatable.

He’s been a household name in Australian motor sport for almost 50 years, starting out in Tasmania, like many other racing aspirants, in a Holden FJ and even at one time a Ford Customline.

He moved to Melbourne and developed his self-built Tornado Ford sports racing car, scoring points in the Australian Sports Car Championship in 1969 and 1970.

In 1969 Gossy also entered the new Series Production category in a standard Ford Falcon GTHO.

This was the car everyone wanted, it had winner written all over it, and Gossy scored one of the first cars, thanks to his sponsor, Sydney Ford dealer Max McLeod.

In 1972 Goss won the Sandown 250 endurance race, and the South Pacific Touring Car Series, driving a Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.

In 1974, teamed with Kevin Bartlett in a Ford Falcon hardtop, the pair won the Hardie Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst’s Mount Panorama circuit in pouring rain.

The following year, 1975, Goss moved to open wheelers, entering a Match A53 open wheeler, and he won the Sandown Park round of that year’s Tasman Series.

In 1976 John Goss became the only man to win the Bathurst 1000, and the Australian Grand Prix, when he won the championship race, once again at Sandown Park in Melbourne.

John Goss came into my life in 1980, when I invited him, and six other top level professional Australian drivers to participate in the one-make racing series my company (Leyland Australia) created - the Barclays TR7 Pro Car Series, to promote the poor-selling Triumph TR7.

Gossy participated in all seven rounds and we became very good friends, so I should not have been surprised when he asked me to support his private racing efforts in a Jaguar XJ-S in the James Hardie 1000 at Bathurst.

Short of time, the car lacked meticulous preparation, and failed to finish in 1980 and 1981, but along the way, via an introduction from me, John had become very close friends with the Chief Engineer of Jaguar Cars, Jim Randle. I think it’s true to say that Jim treated him almost like a son, and after every visit to Browns Lane, Gossy would return, followed by a container full of ‘special bits’ endowed by Randle.

All of which helped prepare a more competitive car for the 1982 Bathurst 1000. And then John announced to me that he had invited America’s premier Jaguar racer, Bob Tullius, to be his co-driver for the 1982 James Hardie 1000! 

John is not short of confidence, or ‘front’ and I was both surprised and delighted that Tullius had agreed to come to Australia. He had vast experience racing the XJ-S in the USA and was able to pass on a great number of tips and tricks to prepare the car.

The car ran strongly, but unfortunately did not finish due to suspension failure after 119 laps.

However, this primed John Goss to further campaign the Jaguar coupe, and in 1984 he joined British Jaguar supremo Tom Walkinshaw in a TWR-prepared XJ-S.

Tragedy struck again. As Walkinshaw sat on the grid waiting for the starting flag to fall, the clutch failed, and the Jaguar was hit in the rear and disabled on the grid.

In 1985, Walkinshaw, determined to return to Bathurst victorious, agreed with my company (now called JRA Limited) to field a three-car team and invited Goss to join the driver lineup.

Fastest in pre-qualifying Goss started the race in 6^th.

History records that the TWR Jaguars finished first and third, with John Goss taking the chequered flag after a stirring drive partnered by German ace Armin Hahne.

In the closing laps Goss had to contend with a broken seat back, but held on to cross the line, winning the Bathurst 1000 for a second time.

John Goss competed a few times over the following two years, but retired from competitive racing in 1987.

He’s described as a colourful and entertaining character, with a great sense of humour, and although his plans did not often turn out the way he desired, no one can doubt his commitment, his determination, and most of all his natural driving skill.

Well done Gossy, for an honour from your country that you well and truly deserve.

Note: In Australia ‘a gong’ is a slang word describing a medal.

VETTEL BESTS THE REST IN CANADA

Sebastian Vettel brought Ferrari back to the podium’s top spot in the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, with two Number Two drivers claiming the other podium positions -  Valteri Bottas second for Mercedes-Benz, and Max Verstappen claiming third for Red Bull.

Vettel won by just a bit more than the same margin Ricciardo enjoyed at Monaco, but Seb didn’t have to worry about championship leader Hamilton, who finished 5^thbehind Daniel Ricciardo.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that F1 fans were bemoaning the fact that Ferrari’s powertrain package could not match the Silver Arrows, but an intense program of engine development at Maranello over the winter break shows that it’s the Germans and the Italians you have to knock off, to be in the spotlight.

Although Fernando Alonso was a DNF at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, F1 boss Chase Cary joined drivers to celebrate Alonso’s 300^thGrand Prix – who apparently responded to a question by the media about his track record by saying: “I’m one of the best of the best.”

(Photos - Sky Sports)

HYUNDAI i30 N - IS IT IN THE GOLF GAME?

Let’s start off with: “The i30N is THE business! It's the bee's knees.” Yes, it is a Golf GTi chaser, and coming in AUD$8K cheaper than a Golf GTi, you should test drive it and compare both cars.

Now, we’ll cut to the chase – side by side the German bests the Korean, but not in ‘feel’ and performance. The German-built 5-door may be more expensive, but the most important thing you notice when you sit in the Volkswagen is that the Golf is a premium-priced car, with a premium finish.

The Hyundai i30N is a stylish hot hatch, however it’s my opinion that the interior that does not make you feel special. Okay, everything you add, to make the i30 more special, begins to eat into that $8K advantage – but in this segment, it’s not all about performance.

Make no mistake, Hyundai has produced a genuine Golf competitor, and named it after its Korean test centre at Namyang, and the work it does at its Nurburgring test centre – so that’s where the ‘N’ comes from. 

The i30N is an extremely competent performance car, and in fact it’s a performance car I could live with every day, except for the self-shifter.

Having said that, the gearbox is a 'shifter's delight' - it's slick, positive and the movement beautifully precise.

The compliance in the suspension at low speeds is very good, and the grip it reveals at high speed is phenomenal – partly due to the Pirelli P Zero’s – but also down to the Hyundai engineering team in Australia, which was ‘allowed’ to massage the suspension for our crappy, multi-variety, road surfaces. The local team even included the Mount Panorama circuit in the ‘localising’ schedule.

One must not under-estimate the value of the work done on the basic package by the Australian engineering team. They are expert at refining and recalibrating the Korean ride and handling settings.

In fact, I’d say if you took the plunge and parked one in your driveway, new roads would open up for you!

Behind the wheel it’s obvious you get every piece of the latest tech Hyundai has been able to cram into the package, including ‘N’ mode! Just the suggestion of ‘N’ mode made me feel uneasy – as if I wasn’t competent to get the most out of this car.

On a fast 250km test drive, the car was unquestionably smooth, and a delight to drive. Long sweepers were fun, but when you get into the really twisty bits, it’s even more enjoyable, thanks to grip and stability. The steering response is impeccable.

However, in Regular mode, as you change down and pull out to overtake, when you floor the accelerator your progress may be quick, but the torque steer is massive and you need to keep your wits about you, guiding this fishtailing missile back onto the correct side of the road.

Just on that basis alone, this is not a car for me. I’m perfectly satisfied with the Hyundai i30 SR, which is potent, but persuasively more civilized. And I would gladly swap the 6-speed manual for an auto with paddles.

Although, after this test drive, I reckon the i30N would make an ideal car for track days. It's certainly got both the performance and the handling credentials.

I must say from an interior perspective it’s obvious to me that Hyundai has saved a few bucks here and there to keep the price down. The interior plastics (when you compare it to a VW Golf) are unattractive; the seats are nothing special (after 250km I had a sore bum), but it’s going to be reliable and the build quality is rock-solid.

So really the final choice is down to two items: Are you a badge snob, prepared to pay a premium price for a premium European, OR, do you just want the performance, with pretty much all the bells and whistles, comparable handling response, and save AUD$8000?

Both Golf GTi and Hyundai i30N deliver what you pay for, and that’s what's important.

BUTTON PUSHES THE BUTTON ON LE MANS

One of Formula One's most genuine, talented and friendliest World Champions, Jenson Button, has announced he will not only drive one of the Jaguar XJ-R9 Group C cars which won Le Mans in 1988, at the Le Mans Classic, on July 7 - he will also participate in 'The Real Thing' next weekend, driving an LMP1 car for the Russian-backed SMP team.

Jenson competed in F1 from 2000-2016, winning the World Champion's crown in 2009. He has always evinced a desire to compete at Le Mans, and will now get a double dose of endurance racing.

Jenson Button raced in 305 Grands Prix, winning 15 times.

CAN YOU WAIT UNTIL 2019 FOR THE NEW MAZDA 3?

Bristling with a battery of new technologies, Mazda will debut its new 3 model next year, and it will be powered by the SkyActiv-X engine, which Mazda describes as Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SCCI).

American website Car Buzz has all the details, including a fascinating and rivetting description of the engine.

Check out: www.carbuzz.com

It's basically a combination of technologies that are seen in both diesel and petrol engines, but the new Mazda 3's powerplant will be petrol-only. Simply speaking, it's a compression ignition system, which uses spark plugs, but not for the primary spark.

Part of the solution is also a very high compression ratio - like, about 16:1. It also has a bevvy of sensors inside the engine which link to a highly sophisticated computer running a plethora of algorithms which deliver clean power, low NOX, and incredible fuel economy.

It's further evidence of the innovation and committment by Mazda to beat EVs at their own game. Remember, members of the Greens and other eco-loonies, until we get 100% base load electricity from renewables, electric vehicles still produce a heavy carbon footprint. And, that includes manufacture, use and recycling.

Have a look at these photos, and I give you permission to salivate over the styling.

JAGUAR IN AMERICA - FROM GABLE TO GREATNESS

Jaguar’s North American sales really got a boost following the U.S. launch of the svelte Jaguar XK120 in 1950, which, when combined with Phil Hill and Don Parkinson finishing first and second in the inaugural Pebble Beach Cup, put the British marque on the map.

When actor Clark Gable decided to buy a car from the Beverly Hills dealership, the owner Charles Hornburg cabled the company founder, William Lyons and suggested he fly to the USA for a photo op with Gable – which became one of the most important early photos in the Jaguar archives.

Thus began a great success story for British companies, especially a British carmaker, in North America. Of course British cars had been sold in the USA for decades before Jaguar came on the scene, but generally they were expensive, bespoke cars like Rolls-Royce. The many other British marques sold in very small numbers, but when the much more affordable XK120 went on sale, Jaguar’s success was assured.

Jaguar enjoys a huge degree of residual affection from Americans, but their collective patience was sorely tested over the years as the quality of the cars became inconsistent, especially when sales volumes increased. The problem was that unlike the more patient British buyers, who appeared to tolerate inconsistent quality, American buyers were very demanding.

Americans don’t mind paying a premium price for a car with a famous lineage and history, but they won’t tolerate poor quality, and since 1950 Jaguar sales in the USA have been up and down as the quality deteriorated, and then later improved. It’s been a roller-coast ride for almost 70 years.

In the late 60s when the famous Mark 1 XJ6 debuted in 1968, boosting Jaguar sales to new heights, British car companies were simply not agile, or willing enough to recognize the impact of poor quality on their reputations.

The Brits may accept less-than-perfect, with almost infinite patience, but export markets, especially America would not.

I wrote recently that when I was hired to join the ‘Rescue Team’ which new owner Ford Motor Company put in place in 1990, sales were once again falling due to poor quality. In 1991 sales crashed to 9376 cars; but fell even further in 1992 to a new low of 8681.

The man who had been appointed President and CEO in 1990, British-born Mike Dale, faced not only angry dealers, watching their Jaguar profit margins diminishing, but also a concerned Ford Board of Directors.

I enjoyed a strong friendship with Mike Dale, and together we knew that Jaguar’s salvation lay in promoting the ‘Myths and Legends’ of the marque, whilst Ford’s salvage operation to boost quality took shape.

Ford had appointed Jim Padilla as Chief Engineer, and quite frankly Jim worked miracles not only in addressing the quality problems, but also in winning the confidence of even the most recalcitrant union shop steward, and the workforce as a whole.

Jim Padilla artwork by Stuart Spencer

The actions he took at the works in Coventry, and the quality improvement programs he initiated resulted in greatly improved quality, but at Jaguar Cars NA we still had to survive the lack of interest from potential American buyers, who had well and truly picked up the negative gossip through their social circles.

In the USA, President Mike Dale managed to win the American dealers’ confidence that their highest hopes would be fulfilled, and with the reality of much-improved quality, by the end of 1995 sales had grown to 15,195.

I left the USA in 1994, but Mike Dale and his team, pushed on, boosting sales each year until Mike Dale retired in 2000.

In that year the team had improved sales to 43,728 – and all that with only four models – the S-type sedan; the XJ sedan; and the XK coupe and convertible.

After Mike Dale’s retirement, Mike O’Driscoll* was appointed President and the sales momentum Mike Dale had achieved helped Mike O'Driscoll increase sales to 61,204 in 2002.

It’s worth noting that under Mike Dale’s leadership Jaguar achieved several more important milestones.

In the year 2000, Jaguar Cars NA also achieved several notable results in three J.D. Power surveys. Jaguar topped the Vehicle Dependability; Sales Satisfaction and Customer Service surveys, and the sales result in 2000 was 10,000 more cars than Sir William Lyons built for the world in one year during his tenure!

Then, when Jaguar, with Ford’s help, entered the world of vehicle leasing, Jaguar also scored the top prize for several years with the Select Edition Pre-owned Car Program.

Ford sold Jaguar to India’s Tata Group in 2008; and despite the continuation of sales success with a flood of new models made possible by Tata’s investments, there’s still a way to close the gap with Mike Dale’s retirement year, which was a stunning climax to his career, which began when he crossed the Atlantic in 1966 to become sales manager at BMC USA.

*Mike O'Driscoll:
Mike O'Driscoll served as Managing Director of Jaguar Cars Limited from 2007 to March 2011. He joined Jaguar Rover Triumph in 1975 as a Business Student and held various positions in Finance, Product Development and Marketing, prior to his appointment as Marketing and Product Planning Manager for Jaguar Cars North America in 1987. Mr. O'Driscoll served as General Sales Manager for Jaguar in the United States from 1992 to 1995.
After four years with Ford and Lincoln Mercury, he returned to Jaguar in December 1999 as President of Jaguar Cars North America. and a year later assumed responsibility for Aston Martin, then Jaguar Land Rover NA from September 2001 until 2007.
Mr. O'Driscoll served as Managing Director of Jaguar Cars Limited from 2007 to March 2011.
Mike O'Driscoll has been the Group Chief Executive Officer at Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC since May 29, 2013.

THE I.C.E. ISN'T OUT COLD, YET

That much-maligned invention, the Internal Combustion Engine (I.C.E.) has a long life ahead, despite the clamouring of the Greens, the Battery Brigade, and those poor, deluded souls who actually believe you can create Base Load electricity supply using just wind, wave and solar power.

Why am I driven to make what many futurists might call a spurious declaration?

An example produced in 2002 by my then employer, Volkswagen AG.

More precisely, the example was laid bare by none other than the head of VWAG at the time, Dr. Ferdinand Piech.

Dr. Piech is an engineering genius, a true futurist, and a great lateral thinker. Back in 2001 he announced that Volkswagen would produce a ‘One Litre Car’ – a car which could travel 100km on 1 Litre of fuel!

Then in 2002 he personally drove the VW XL-1 concept car from Wolfsburg to the VWAG shareholders’ meeting in Frankfurt – providing a graphic example that the concept was not only possible, but practical as well.

His original concept was powered by an 800cc three-cylinder petrol engine, and although he drove alone, the design had been configured to take two people – one behind the other.

Fast forward to the Geneva Salon in 2013, and VW CEO Martin Winterkorn revealed the production version (below), designed by Peter Wouda.

Although the design now had two people sitting side by side; the petrol engine replaced by a two-cylinder turbodiesel; plus a hybrid power unit with a small Lithium battery. Volkswagen said it would begin production later that year and make 250 cars.

And so VW did produce 250 cars, but because of the small scale, the price was ratcheted up to €111,000 (USD$146,000), which was no problem, because the complete inventory was sold within a few weeks. VW XL-1s have been spotted in a Frankfurt traffic jam, the Austrian alps and crossing London Bridge.

Having proven that the concept worked, Dr. Piech of course realised there would not be many takers for the minimalist design, or the high pricetag.

At the 2014 Geneva Salon, I managed to catch up with Dr. and Mrs. Piech on the Toyota stand, as they inspected an Auris Hybrid concept, and we talked for 20 minutes about the One Litre program and whether or not it could be brought to production with an affordable price.

I've had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Dr. Piech several times during my tenure as PR Director for Bentley Motors North America, and that morning in Switzerland, he told me what would be obvious to most car company executives.

Having learned valuable lessons during the design, engineering and testing phases of the VW XL-1, much of the technology it encompassed could be, and would be, introduced to a variety of models in the VWAG catalogue. Especially the dramatic reduction in tailpipe emissions. Keep in mind that currently the industry sees 100gm/km as the first milestone - the XL-1 achieves 21 gm/km!

And, that is exactly what VW has been doing, over the past 7 years, with many of the first fruits of the technology transfer appearing in the VW Up! in 2011 (right).

Unfortunately, the achievements with the One Litre car have been somewhat overshadowed by ‘Dieselgate’, but although I was devastated by that scandal, I remain fully confident VW’s ability to operate at the leading edge of technology is not diminished.

Whether the Internal Combustion Engine (I.C.E.) is powered by diesel or petrol, the basic fuel (oil) has distinct advantages in energy density, cost, infrastructure and transportability that electricity doesn’t, and won’t have, for decades.

Electric vehicles were supposed to be the solution when the world was running out of oil, however, the world is not running out of oil, so it makes sense to continue improving the I.C.E. to ensure personal transport remains possible and affordable.

VW XL-1 FACTS:

Body: Carbon fibre and aluminium

Weight: 759kg (1752lbs)

Co-efficient of drag: 0.189

Engine: 800cc two-cylinder diesel (power output 47 bhp)

E-Motor: Hybrid drive, 5.5 kW/h Lithium battery (power output 26 bhp)

Transmission: 7-Speed Twin Clutch automatic

Driving range (diesel): 650km

Driving range (battery): 50 km

Fuel economy: 0.9 L/100km (313 mpg)

Top speed: 99mph (electrically-governed)

C02 emissions: 21 gm/km

To save weight the body of the original test car was unpainted, and the wing mirrors replaced by small cameras, to minimise drag.