BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo , Alfa Romeo and Audi are among the marques with quality, small cars.

Audi offers its A3 in an extensive range: $33,950 for an A3 1.6-litre manual to $65,900 for the S3 turbocharged hot rod. It's the latter car at the top of the Audi small-car range in Australia that soon will have an almost identical twin.

The S3, currently available as a three-door hatchback, will also be imported as a five-door hatch from late this year, giving it more practicality as a family sporty. Both versions will share the 1984cc turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which generates 188kW of power, catering for Australian conditions. Its 330Nm of torque streams from 2500rpm to 5000rpm.

Audi says the extra weight of the rear doors adds just 0.1 seconds to the 0-100km/h sprint time (5.8 seconds) and its official fuel use rating is 8.5 litres per 100km.

The S3 three-door is listed at $65,900 and the price for the five-door will be released closer to its on-sale date. The five-door will also have a six-speed manual transmission and Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system and 18-inch wheels. The S3 gets more sports and performance components over the A3 on which it is based.

Its suspension brings a 25mm-lower ride height and includes aluminium components. The brake discs are larger.

The S3 will come with aluminium-look exterior mirrors, leather-clad sports seats, xenon-plus headlights with LED daytime-running lights and aluminium pedals.

Meanwhile, Audi has unveiled a show-car version of the Audi TT two-seat sports car called the Clubsport quattro.

The Clubsport has a low, raked, small windscreen. That means the A-pillars are short, so there is a pair of generous rollover hoops behind the seats, aft of which are aero humps.

In fact, they’re encouraging people to go their hardest at it, with the top times every month until October winning the chance to drive some AMG Mercs for real.

While the CLC-Class coupe won’t arrive here for a couple of weeks, downloading the driving game at www.CLCdreamtestdrive.com offers the chance to have a bit of fun with it, customising the top-spec CLC 350 Sport — and then thrashing the daylights out of it.

But the downside for us is that the competition is open only to UK residents.

This is also the closest we’ll get to the CLC 350, as only the CLC 200 variants are on their way to Australia.

The cars will be priced from $49,900 for the entry level CLC 200 Kompressor, with the Evolution version costing $53,900 and the Evolution Plus costing $58.990.

All will carry the same 1.8-litre engine developing 135kW of power at 5500rpm and 250Nm of torque between 2800-5000rpm, mated with a five-speed automatic transmission.

Maserati is pushing its financial fortunes to a higher level thanks, in part, to a bigger engine.

Profits have alluded the company for about 15 years and its financial history includes five bankruptcies.

Now, after starting out in Bologna in 1913 headed by four brothers and then being owned variously by Citroen, de Tomasa and Ferrari, the company is a fully-owned division of Fiat.

Getting back on track is attributed to Fiat demands for a leaner Maserati.

This year it will make only four models based on two cars, though it adds a third car late next year.

It fits two engines - a 4.2 and the new 4.7-litre V8s - and two gearboxes - a ZF six-speed auto and a “robotised” six-speed semi-auto.

The GranSport has been dropped and the vastly superior GranTurismo takes its place. Now the Quattroporte (literally, four door) gets upgraded after five years on the market.

The new Quattroporte offers two models - the continuation of the 4.2-litre V8 with the ZF gearbox - and a high performance 4.7-litre V8 that will be called the “S” and that takes the engine from the GranTurismo.

The Quattroporte S goes on sale for about $320,000 in October.

Styling changes are led by a vertical-slat grille that looks more purposeful and aggressive than the tea-strainer design of the current version. This grille is based on that fitted to the first Pininfarina-designed Maserati, the A6 GCS of 1953.

The touch of Pininfarina is pertinent given that one-time Maserati owner, Ferrari, refused to allow Maserati access to this designer. The Quattroporte was the first Maserati by Pininfarina since the A6.

The latest Quattroporte adds a new bootline with bolder lights that use LED technology (there are 64 LEDs across the back and 20 across the front as indicators), bigger wheels starting at 19-inch as standard and remodelled side skirts. Even the cabin is fresher and boasts a more ergonomic centre console.

The equipment level is exhaustive though the company will let you choose from thousands of leather, wood and colour combinations.

Which is all very nice but it's not what we're here for. The stand out feature is the 4.7-litre V8 that has been borrowed from the two-door coupe, the GranTurismo S.

Maserati has retuned - some say, detuned - the engine for 317kW and 490Nm of torque.

The GranTurismo S gets 323kW and 490Nm.

For the saloon, the 4.7 has been modified to flatten out its low to mid-range torque delivery that polishes out any low-speed weakness and gearbox abruptness.

It is enough to push the Quattroporte to 100km/h from rest in 5.4 seconds which is commendable for any coupe and startling for a sedan that weighs 2-tonnes.

Unlike the GranTurismo S which has a new semi-auto transmission - one that's vastly improved over the first generation box - the saloon gets the same six-speed ZF automatic as the lesser 4.2-litre version.

That makes it quiet, smooth and more importantly to the well-heeled who will get behind the wheel, dead easy to drive.

But it doesn't make it very fuel efficient. The company claims the S model will average 15.7 litres/100km, up 1.0 l/100km on the 4.2, while CO2 emissions are 20 grams/km more at 365g/km.

Maserati's Australian importer Ateco plans to sell 220 cars this year with about 80 being Quattroportes. Of that, about 55 - or about 60 per cent - are forecast to be the 4.7-litre version.

The S model is expected to be about $320,000 while the 4.2-litre version will sit under $300,000.

DRIVING

Put a 317kW engine in a two-tonne saloon and you'd hope for reasonable performance.

But the Quattroporte surprises with a real lust for performance.

In a straight line it wil knock the socks off a lot of rivals. It will outrun the BMW 750L and Audi A8L to 100km/h and stay alongside the Mercedes-Benz S500. The only one in its class that will beat it is the Jaguar XJ8 - it weighs 280kg less - and then only by 0.1 seconds.

But where the Quattroporte really comes alive is through the bends.

When the road twists tighter and the camber goes offside and it starts to rain as the road narrows and becomes rutted, this big four-door comes into its own.

There is barely no understeer so the Quattroporte revels in being pushed hard and close into corners. The engine is set behind the front axle line so its responds instantly to incremental changes to the leather-wrapped steering wheel. There is also two suspension modes - standard and Sport - to suit driver and road conditions.

The brakes are stunning - diametric metals of steel discs with alloy centres that have been melded when liquid - in power and amazing in their fade-free characteristics. Repeated jabs and longer pressure periods through northern Italian mountains showed no fade.

What the colourful brochures fail to convey is the serenity in which it's all delivered.

There's the comfort of soft leather and the insulation that bares all noise except the muted throaty roar from the four exhaust pipes.

Maserati has greatly improved the dashboard by using a similar centre console of the GranTurismo.

But though it all looks wonderful, there are some annoyances.

Many of the push-button controls are hidden behind the spokes of the steering wheel. Personal storage space is good, though has room for improvement.

The boot is small and there's no room for a full-size spare. Some versions, in fact, get no spare at all.

But even in its home country, Maserati is looked upon in awe.

It will glide through a city and passers-by will still gawk. Cruise the country and people wave.

It may have been decades from dicing with Ferrari on the racetrack but Maserati proves it still carries a powerful allure.

The initiatives include using lightweight technologies, upgrading almost all of Mazda's petrol engines, introducing a Smart Idle Stop System, a new petrol rotary engine and new diesel engines.

By 2015, Mazda will have renewed almost its entire powertrain line-up and, from 2011, aims to reduce the weight of its new vehicles by at least 100kg.

Mazda claims the average fuel economy of its vehicles sold in Japan improved by about 30 per cent during the past seven years. It says it has been working on developing hydrogen-powered vehicles since 1991. This month, the Japanese Government agreed to begin testing the Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid on public roads.

The Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid has 40 per cent more power and a driving range of 200km. It will be available for commercial lease in Japan. Mazda also is developing a new Hydrogen RE vehicle with performance equivalent to a 3-litre petrol engine and a hydrogen range of 400km.

Next year, Mazda will begin mass production of its Smart Idle Stop System in one of its cars, initially in Japan and Europe. Australia is unlikely to see it before the next decade.

Mazda's system restarts the engine from idle by injecting fuel directly into the cylinder and igniting it to force the piston down.

It claims restart is fast and quiet and improves economy by up to 8 per cent.

An E85 fuel-compatible flex-fuel engine that can run on up to 85 per cent ethanol will be introduced into the north European and North American markets.

From 2011, new petrol engines will incorporate next-generation direct-injection spark ignition and other systems to boost power by 15 to 20 per cent and improve fuel economy by about 20 per cent.

Mazda also says it will introduce new diesel engines worldwide in 2011 that meet the strictest future exhaust gas regulations in each market. These engines will feature next-generation direct-injection technology, turbocharging systems and nitrogen oxide reduction technology, which will enhance fuel economy by 20 per cent and produce cleaner exhaust gases. The trademark Mazda rotary engine will be upgraded in the early 2010s.

Currently referred to as the 16X, the next rotary engine will offer improved performance and economy through use of direct-injection spark ignition and high-speed combustion technology. Mazda also has committed to cleaning up its production facilities. Last year, the volume of CO2 emissions from production activities in Japan was reduced by 15.4 per cent compared with 1990.

Mazda plans to introduce a more advanced version of its low-VOC paint system, introduced in 2005, next year.

It says it is in the process of finalising development of a water-based paint technology that reduces VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions by 57 per cent without increasing CO2 emissions.

At about the same time, the first issue of twowheels, the magazine of Australian motorcycling, hit the news stands.

Honda is still making headlines with its motorcycles and twowheels is still at the cutting edge of worldwide motorcycle media. To celebrate twowheels' 40th anniversary issue, here are some of the most influential motorcycles of the past 40 years.

1968 Honda CB750

The first really accessible superbike. Evolutionary concepts at the time included hydraulic disc brakes, four cylinders and four exhaust pipes, eye-popping performance and, a first for motorcycling, an electric start.

1980 Ducati SL500 Pantah

Faced with financial ruin, Ducati developed an engine that used toothed-belt cam drive in place of the costly bevel-drive gear system. This move, devastating to the faithful at the time, allowed Ducati to keep its trademark desmo valve gear, increase production, decrease problems, dominate Superbike racing and get Australian Casey Stoner to the podium in MotoGP.

1981 BMW R 80 G/S

Anyone with a TV and a passing interest in motorcycling will have seen Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor in the Long Way Round and the Long Way Down. Their exploits both reflect and have fuelled a growing interest in adventure touring. The R 1200 GS is all the rage now, but it all started with an odd-looking R 80 G/S.

1983 Drysdale DRYVTECH 2

Not all of the most influential motorcycles ever made it to production. Here's a case in point. Australian designer and engineer Ian Drysdale built a hydraulic two-wheel drive bike. It satisfied his curiosity but never went much further at the time. Some 15 years later, however, it was proved to have been the precursor of Yamaha's 2Trac, a hydraulic two-wheel drive dirtbike that was put into production (and a 1000cc sportsbike variant that wasn't, yet).

1985 Suzuki GSX-R750

With a racing class capacity of 750cc, manufacturers were keen to sell on Monday what they raced on Sunday. Suzuki rewrote the rules with the 1985 GSX-R750. It combined the trinity of motorcycling — power, light weight and handling — into a machine that became the modern sportsbike template.

1986-1995 Britten

Built as an all-consuming passion by Kiwi developer John Britten, the bike gave heart and a sense of heroism to backyard builders everywhere. It was not about profit or production; it was about passion. And about making simply the best motorcycle he could possibly make, no matter what it took.

1994 Ducati 916

The best combination of form and function in four decades and the pinnacle of motorcycle design in many books. Designed by Italian guru Massimo Tamburini, the 916 became the Ferrari of motorcycling and an ambassador for the company that crossed boundaries from the racetrack to the Guggenheim museum.

2000 Harley-Davidson Softail

You can't talk about motorcycling without at least one mention of the Harley-Davidson range. Our selection for the most influential Harley in the past four decades has to be the bike that combined the rigid, hard-tail style, with modern suspension. Built in homage to the 1980-81 WideGlide, the Softail is the bike that launched the Harley clone (or Metric cruiser) phenomenon, from Honda VT750 to Yamaha XV1900 Roadliner.

2001 Honda GL1800 Goldwing

Nothing exceeds like excess and the 'wing is a call of the road for nomads like no other. With a six-stacker CD, rider/passenger intercom and CB radio, plus heated hand-grips and seats, SatNav, electronically adjustable suspension and air vents the 'wing is the last word in luxury touring, down to the lit vanity mirror.

The future

Here's a tip for tomorrow's list. Yamaha is about to release the new VMax, based on the fire-breathing VMax 1200cc V-four of 1995, with only 150 due to arrive in Australia.

Holden's Australian headquarters played host this week to the official unveiling of the revived Chevrolet Camaro as part of the classic badge's global reveal. Despite its American heritage, Aussie know-how was called on to develop the two-door coupe.

The new Camaro was first shown as a concept at the Detroit show in January, 2006, after GM had axed the badge four years earlier. Its rolling chassis was developed in Australia from what was once called the Zeta platform (now the global rear-wheel-drive platform) — the same architecture as the VE Commodore.

But although the car has plenty of Commodore DNA, there is still no official word on whether Australians will get to drive it. Holden is still waiting on GM to make a decision about making the car in right-hand-drive.

“If there is confirmation of right-hand-drive, we'd be interested,” says Holden's John Lindsay. Holden designers and engineers have spent the past two-and-a-half years working on the project — along with the US design and engineering teams — as part of the push by General Motors to streamline its business.

“It's different,” says Peter Hughes, who is the design manager on the project.

“GM has gone global in the past few years and Holden Design has been part of that.”

Global warming hasn't been forgotten either. The 6.2-litre V8 engine uses the latest cylinder deactivation technology to save fuel by turning the engine into a fuel sipping four-cylinder.

And the new Camaro will also be available with a 3.6-litre V6 engine in the US.

However, it is obvious that while much of the original appeal of the show car has been retained, the production model has lost a great deal of the jewellery that adorned that car when we first drove it at a US speedway in 2007.

“Instructions were to interpret the Camaro as a contemporary design ... and to create the meanest street dog in town,” Micah Jones, lead interior designer on the show car project, said at the time. “In the interior there are definite cues from the classic '69 Camaro — especially in the gauges and dials, a reinterpretation of what was unique in that car.”

One of the visual delights of the concept was the pure, clean engine bay with nothing other than a brake booster and oil and water filler caps left to drag the eye away from the shining engine. The wires and odds and ends that usually give an engine bay its confused look were tucked away under plastic covers.

The milled and polished aluminium engine cover has made way for a more mainstream and cost-effective treatment — a pity, along with the integrated strut tower brace.

The side mirrors (slim to the point of being useless) and the bonnet-lip air intake are gone.

The long hood, short deck and wide stance of the concept remain and it appears rumblings at GM that the roofline needed to be lifted to allow more headroom have been swept aside.

The deep set anodised main gauges with matching centre cluster have survived. And the retro styling of the bucket seats, keeps the '60s theme rolling.

Reigning V8 Supercar Champion Garth Tander was on hand at the Australian launch — and even brought along his own 1969 5.7-litre, four-speed manual, V8 Camaro SS muscle car for a nice comparison.

Two of the best and brightest Fords from Europe are being readied for sales in Australia. The great-looking, new Fiesta and the compact Kuga four-wheel drive are set for Down Under deliveries, with only the timing, price and equipment still to be set. Both should be in showrooms in the first quarter of 2009.

They will —Join the Mondeo station wagon, which is already confirmed but running late, and probably the S-Max people mover. Ford Australia, however, isn't revealing details under a policy that prevents commenting on future products and despite the importance of the company's quality compact imports.

Even the Mondeo wagon, which was previewed at the Melbourne motor show at the start of the year, is still subject to speculation.

“Yes, the car is coming,” says spokesman Mark Winslow.

“We will announce the details when we are ready.”

The Mondeo, S-Max and Kuga have all been out for some time but the Fiesta has only just been unveiled in Europe. It is far edgier than the current car, with a crisper shape reflecting the latest direction in Ford design. Ford of Europe says it is intended to reflect style, efficiency and value, and standard equipment is more extensive than ever before in a baby Ford.

Everything about the all-new Ford Fiesta is new — from the styling, materials and technologies to the core development and manufacturing processes that bring it to life. It represents our future, in more ways than one,” says Marin Burela, the executive director of small cars.

Mechanically, more than half the body is made from high-strength steel for safety — which includes an “intelligent” protection system with the first knee airbag in a small Ford — and there are two new engines including one with an ultra-low CO2 emission ranking. It is the first European Ford to have electric power steering. Other features include keyless entry, a start button, electric mirrors and cap-less refuelling. There is also an entertainment system which Ford says was inspired by mobile phones.

The model plan for Australia is still being developed, but in Europe the new Fiesta comes with three- and five-door hatchback bodies and a range of four petrol and two diesel engines.

The car will be on sale in Europe in October.

Ford says the new Fiesta was design, for the first time, as a global car.

“It is also the blueprint for future Ford global product development, bringing together Europe, the Americas and Asia where it will be tailored for each region and go on sale progressively between now and 2010,” says John Fleming, the president of Ford of Europe.

“I believe this is the most dramatic Fiesta since the very first model. One of the development teams greatest achievements is that it has been able to make the new Fiesta stronger, safer and more comfortable, yet lighter and more fuel efficient than the car it replaces.”

The new Fiesta was developed from Ford's Verve concept car, which signalled a major change in style for the blue oval's baby cars.

The car will be built in Germany, Spain and China but there is no indication of where Australian Fiestas will be made.

The big Caddy is due for release in Australia within months and now there's the possibility of a two-door Coupe stablemate to join it on the showroom floor.

Right-hand-drive production of the CTS saloon has started. It is making its world debut at the British Motor Show next week and will go on sale in Britain in September. The big American should be in Australian showrooms in October.

But Cadillac also has unveiled a Coupe version, below, of that car, officially listed as a concept at this stage, but one that management of the U. S. iconic car brand says “is a strong indication of Cadillac's future design language”.

Given that the Coupe is based on the production sedan, sharing its wheelbase, underpinnings and components such as engines and dashboard, it would help contain the cost of tooling and production for such a car and so make it more feasible.

“The dramatic design of the saloon begged the question of what it would look like in the unbridled form of a Coupe,” says Cadillac boss Jim Taylor.

The Coupe is 50mm lower and 50mm shorter than the CTS saloon. It even shares the same windscreen, but it is laid at a steeper angle. It's a classic hard-top style with no B-pillar, has slim-profile exterior mirror and roof-mounted antenna for radio and navigation signals.

The concept car has 20in front wheels and 21in rear wheels behind which are massive brakes with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear units.

The Coupe is a 2+2, with special Recaro seats.

It has a premium Bose sound system with a 40GB hard drive. The navigation system, like that on the CTS saloon, has a screen that rises from the centre of the hand-finished instrument panel. It has been designed to accept the range of Cadillac CTS engines, including the 3.6-litre V6 that will power the CTS saloon in Australia through a six-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.

That engine is essentially the same unit as the power plant used by GM Holden in its range of VE Commodores.

But the Cadillac version runs high-pressure fuel injection to lift power output to 227kW and torque to 370Nm.

GM expects the Cadillac CTS saloon will carry a $75,000 price tag when it hits Australian showroom floors.

The company has just revealed the latest in its series of swoopy concept cars, called the Kazamai, but in reality it is a clear pointer to a CX-5.

The CX-7 and CX-9 SUVs are already on the road and doing well across the world, but the CX-5 will give Mazda a sharp new contender in the compact soft-roader class to put up against the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

The Kazamai, whose name means “swirling crosswinds” in Japanese, will be revealed next month at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. Its importance is as obvious as the leaks of information, starting with a rough sketch and, now, official pictures.

Mazda Australia is avoiding comment on the Kazamai, or what it means, but there is obvious potential.

“We're not in the business of releasing information about future models,” spokesman Glenn Butler says. “Clearly, what we're talking about is a concept car. There has been no talk at all about production.”

Still, Mazda is dropping plenty of hints.

Official press information on the Kazamai says the design is intended to be “spirited and fun to drive, with compact dimensions”.

“The concept's four-wheel drive Mazda powertrain will consist of a next-generation direct-injection engine and a newly developed transmission.

“It is aerodynamically efficient, with an evolved lightweight and robust body structure that contributes to dynamics and safety,” Mazda says.

“If it were to be built, Mazda's latest showcar would deliver exciting driving dynamics, frugal fuel consumption and greatly reduced CO2 emissions.” The mechanical platform for a CX-5 would come from the Ford Kuga, a RAV4 rival which is already selling well in Europe. It has the all-wheel-drive system which Mazda wants for a production version of the Kazamai.

The direct-injection engine fitted to the concept car could be petrol or diesel, as Mazda is looking at both and has developed diesels for its Mazda3 and Mazda6 to boost European sales.

The CX-5 would also be expected to come with a DSG-style manu-matic gearbox similar to the ones which have been so successful for Volkswagen and are now also in use by BMW with its M3 and Porsche with the recently updated 911.

The CX-5 plan is likely to advance from a Kazamai dream to a Zoom-Zoom reality within two years, even if the company is only talking vaguely about its work. It would obviously lose the 22-inch wheels from the motor show machine and would pick up rear doors, as the Kazamai is only a two-door design.

“There is such potential in the compact SUV market that we want a car here today,” Butler says.

“If Mazda was to green-light something for production, we would do everything we can to get our share.”

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Its parent company, Hyundai Motor Company, has revealed details for an Elantra powered by an LPG engine paired with an electric motor. The car is known as the LPI HEV, which stands for Liquid Petroleum Injected Hybrid Electric Vehicle. It is due to hit South Korean roads by July 2009 and Hyundai Australia has already told its parent company it is interested in getting it into Australian showrooms.

“We are interested and have let HMC know that we are,” Hyundai Australia spokesman Ben Hershman says. “But at this stage there is no confirmation that the car will be released in Australia.”

Despite that, there is plenty of enthusiasm from Hyundai Australia.

“We had a product meeting in May and made it clear a product like this would be one we'd be very interested in,” Hershman says. “The concept is great. Obviously South Korea has a great LPG infrastructure and so does Australia and we've pointed that out.”

Australia is one of few countries with a well-established LPG network and with no other manufacturers with such a car, Hyundai knows that it is well placed to get a jump on its rivals.

“There's no doubt it would be an opportunity,” Hershman says.

“We're very focused on the roll-out of our diesel products at the moment but we're looking to the future.”

The car is labelled by Hyundai as a mild hybrid and is powered by a 1.6-litre LPG engine that is supported by a 15kW electric motor.

Drive is through a continuously variable transmission. Though pricing is still be be revealed, the company claims the price premium for the hybrid Elantra will be made up within two years through fuel savings.

As well as its reduced economy, Hyundai is also claiming the car is a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle.

It emits 103g/km of CO2, 90 per cent less than the petrol-powered Elantra.

While the company is rolling out the technology in the Elantra, plans are already under way to transfer it to other models across the range, starting with a mid-sized sedan by 2010. The announcement comes as Hyundai continues to show the economic benefits of its diesel engine.

Auto adventurer Hans Tholstrup drove a Hyundai i30 SX CRDi manual diesel towing a trailer from Sydney to Melbourne without refuelling.

The 400kg trailer also had a 300kg load on board. The i30 averaged 5.4 litres per 100km Its official combined claimed figure is slightly lower at 4.7 litres, but that's without a trailer.