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In 2002, Porsche set the cat among the pigeons with

their 4-door 4WD Cayenne. There was a predicable uproar

from purists, many from the same ranks who took

umbrage at the Pride of Stuttgart moving its engine out of

the rear. Now the scandal continues, but Porsche is not

alone. A new category of 4-door infuriator has emerged to

send sports car diehards into a spin: the 4-door saloon.

Four Door FuryThe Porsche Panamera first hit the market in 2009 and

has since become an “overnight” success. Porsche had

toyed with the idea of four doors previously with the

stillborn Porsche 989 concept in 1988 but decreed the

market was now right. Good call.

To get some perspective, we need to look back to 1963

when Prince Karim Aga Khan ordered a specially

designed four-door Maserati 5000. A four-door Maserati

(Quattroporte) has been an almost constant member of the

Trident-badged line-up ever since. The current model

(fifth generation) was introduced in 2004 and is powered

by a Ferrari family 4.2 litre V8.

About the same time as the Aga Khan picked up the

phone to Bologna, Aston Martin’s David Brown tried to

revive the Lagonda marque he purchased back in 1948

with a four-door version based on his DB4 chassis. Only

55 were ever produced.

futureDRIVING INTO THE

Anyone with even a passing interest in the automotive world will know that the global industry has been through the wringer. As new survival strategies evolve,

the market is seeing a wave of vehicles that are designed to last into the future, not just cash in on the latest fancy. Auto observer RODERICK EIME brings us up to speed.

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26 Quest Kudos Quest Kudos 27

In 1976, the Lagonda re-emerged and persisted until 1989

in four series. 645 vehicles were produced including a

(gasp!) station wagon. Often lampooned as an ugly goose

among the family, Aston Martin has emerged from the

styling studio with its most recent addition to this hair-

curling offshoot range of sports cars with an all-new Aston

Martin Rapide. No mention of Lagonda, this is

emphatically an Aston Martin, thank you!

Styled first and engineered second, this vehicle was going

to look right from the get-go and the critics agree.

Powered by a 350kW 6.0 litre V12, it can idle around town

like a limousine but out on the open road, it goes wild.

Interestingly, Aston Martin claim many new deliveries are

for women and first time owners.

Ferrari, meanwhile, is steadfast in its denial of a four door,

while Lamborghini has teased the market with its Estoque

concept shown to viewers of Top Gear.

A Tonne of DifferenceAs industry gets on with the job, the big manufacturers

recognize the worldwide demand for light, one tonne

utility vehicles in both two- and four-wheel-drive.

Traditionally dominated by the ever-present Toyota HiLux,

both Ford and GM are mustering their own brands in a

counter-offensive designed to unseat the dominant

Japanese workhorse.

Allied badges, Ford and Mazda, chose the Sydney Motor

Show as the launch venue for their latest offering. Ford is

attacking the “hard working” light truck market with

Ranger while Mazda are going the “Active Lifestyle” SUV

road with their BT-50. Both vehicles share the same basic

platform and drivetrains but are differentiated by subtle

cosmetic styling that will have car spotters making double

takes.

“Compact pickups are hugely important to customers in

many regions of the world,” said Jim

Farley, Ford Group Vice President,

Marketing, Sales and Service at the

launch. “For many, it’s the only

vehicle in a household headed by a

hard-working person others depend

on. These people need a truck that

can get the job done – and they’ll be

amazed how Ranger’s smart new

technologies make the job easier.

And increasingly, they’re also

looking for the kinds of features,

technologies, spaciousness and

refinement you’d expect in a car, and

Ranger is just as innovative here.”

Over at Mazda, Ryo Yanagisawa, chief designer of the All-

New BT-50, offered an alternative. “Mazda’s brand

message is Zoom-Zoom, which refers to the emotion of

motion first experienced as a child. With the all-new BT-

50, we aimed to express this emotion through the design,

and we drew a lot of inspiration from various ‘movements’

in the world around us.”

Across the road at GM there was big brand shake-up that

saw Isuzu and GM part company in 2008 with the

American giant selling its 7.9 per cent stake to raise

much-needed capital. Holden’s stalwart Rodeo was one of

the casualties. Isuzu, which owns the Rodeo name, chose

to retire it permanently. Holden then mildly restyled the

Isuzu-engineered utility and rebadged it Colorado, which

continues to be assembled at a separate GM plant in

Thailand.

Watch this space: Volkswagen will release their acclaimed

“best in class” Amarok diesel utility in 2011.

The Power of SilenceNot everything on wheels has to sound like a racing car.

In fact, some of the latest wave of eco-vehicles have been

criticised for being too quiet.

The familiar hybrid (part electric, part petrol) vehicles

we’ve come to know from Toyota and Honda have been

joined by some exclusively electric cars that employ the

latest zero-emission technology and free them from fossil

fuel dependency.

Nissan’s LEAF is about to go on a Victorian Government

trial. This battery-only medium size hatch is powered by

Lithium-Ion batteries and will have a fully charged range

of up to 160kms making it

ideal for smoke-less city

commuting and suburban

use. The LEAF (Leading,

Environmentally friendly,

Affordable, Family car)

starts selling in the US in

2010 and is expected on

sale in Australia by 2012.

And yes, it employs an

audible pedestrian warning

system. Excuse me?

Mitsubishi is also part of

this quiet race with

production of its i-MiEV

new-generation electric

vehicle (along with

concurrent production of

Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-

ZERO) at its Mizushima

plant. Full release date of i-

MiEV in Australia is

unclear, but several

examples are already in

long term trials with potential lease customers.

One of the hurdles for EV (Electric Vehicle) producers is the

establishment of a national charging network although

Australia should present less of a problem as many owners

are likely to have garages and off-street parking unlike

Europe. �

BASE MODELS

� Ford Ranger 4x2 XL Single Cab Chassis $24,4902.5l turbo diesel, 5-speed man

� Mazda BT-50 4x2 Single Cab Chassis DX $24,0792.5l turbo diesel, 5-speed man, a/c

� Isuzu D-Max SX 4x2 Cab Chassis $24,9003.0l turbo diesel, 5-speed man, a/c

� Holden Colorado LX RC $28,4903.6l petrol, 5-speed man,

� Toyota Hilux Workmate TGN16R $18,4902.6l petrol, 5-speed man

* Prices sourced from redbook.com.au

O N E T O N N E R S S O R T E D *

FOUR DOORWRAPAston Martin RapideAnnual production: 2000.Price: $366,280

Porsche Panamera20,000, from $193,000 (5 models)

Maserati Quattroporte 15,000 , from $286,000 (3 models)

Other 4-door supercars onthe market come frommanufacturers with awider backseat view.Examples: Audi A8 D4(from $188,000), BMW 7-series (from $198,800) andJaguar XJ (from $198,800).

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