ISSUE No.6 WINTER 2008

Scott Cam Meet the TV tradie’s new Hino

Punch Buggy The wildest racing car you’ve ever seen

The Life of HybridA day on the road with TNT

2 | Torque | AUTUMN 2007

A TOYOTA GROUP COMPANY

Managing Director, Wales Truck Repairs

“

It’s taken Wales Truck Repairs 30 years

to build our reputation, and the only way

we’ve gotten there is by not cutting any

corners. We offer the best of everything

– service, workmanship, equipment and

innovation. But the one major reason

why we can proudly offer our lifetime

truck repair warranty is by always fitting

genuine parts. Hino Genuine Parts

are manufactured to stringent original

equipment specifications so they fit

perfectly, perform brilliantly and they’re

even competitively priced. If you’ve got a

damaged Hino, make sure you insist on

Hino Genuine Parts. Better Go Hino.

It is just over two years since I joined Hino as chief operating officer.

In this time I have learned what a fantastic industry this is.

Despite often being overlooked in favour of our car industry cousins, I have found the truck industry to be particularly welcoming, friendly, enthusiastic, and above all, promising.

It is just the sort of industry that would be perfect for young people looking to begin their careers – which is why I am constantly baffled by the seeming lack of young people in the Australian truck industry.

It’s not just the truck industry either, but the entire automotive industry is suffering from a lack of young people.

This challenges the ongoing vitality and dynamism of the industry, as it strives to compete with others – particularly in the transport sector.

Covering technical skills, sales, marketing, finance and customer service, there is something for virtually everyone in this industry and it is a rewarding place to be.

The opportunities for career progression are endless. For instance, our chairman John Conomos AO began his illustrious career as an apprentice diesel mechanic.

He has since gone on to become chairman of both Toyota and Hino Australia, president of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, and a managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan.

Sam Nixon is an ambitious young man who happens to be the dealer principal of our Metropolitan Dealer of the Year.

If this sounds like a sales pitch, that’s because it is!

I could offer no stronger advice to a young person considering a new career than to consider the truck industry.

More than ever, truck operators are under extreme pressure to minimise operating costs.

Diesel prices are rapidly approaching two dollars per litre, and they are only going to keep going up.

The higher the diesel price, the more that can be saved by companies

with vehicles like the Hino Hybrid.I am proud to be a part of the

company that pushed for years to have hybrid approved by government, that educated authorities on diesel-electric power, and that continues to push for acceptance of hybrid in the marketplace.

The industry has certainly embraced the technology, with a number of awards being presented to the Hino Hybrid since its local unveiling – the most recent of which was Power Torque magazine’s Primary Technology and Innovation Award for 2008.

Significantly, Power Torque also recognised TNT with an award for being the first company in Australia to implement a fleet of hybrid trucks after it purchased ten of the Hino models.

In early August, we will launch a new Hino Hybrid, with increased performance, improved economy, lower emissions, and importantly, more units coming into the country.

It will make even more financial sense.

Around the same time, Hino will

be bringing another hybrid-powered truck model into the country for evaluation ahead of possible launch.

It is an exciting time for Hino as it continues on its pioneering journey of hybrid technology.

I am happy to congratulate Sam Nixon and his Prestige Hino dealership, as well as Bruce Vandersee’s Vanderfield Hino dealership in Toowoomba, on their recognition of being Hino’s Dealers of the Year.

It is a fantastic achievement for these dealers to accomplish in Hino’s record 2007 year.

I would also like to use this edition of Torque by Hino to welcome Channel Nine’s Scott Cam as a Hino ambassador.

Scott is a host of the new show Domestic Blitz on Sunday nights. He has been driving a Hino 300 for a few months now, and absolutely loves it.

Turn to page 12 to find out why.

Steve LotterChief Operating OfficerHino Motor Sales Australia

Inside Line

Torque | 3

4 | Torque

Dandenong’s Prestige Hino has been crowned Hino’s 2007 metropolitan Dealer of the Year (DOTY) in only its first year of operation.

Dealer principal Sam Nixon said he was thrilled to win the award.

“I am both humbled and honoured to win this award so soon into the life of Prestige Hino,” he said.

“To be recognised like this after one year is amazing, and we are determined to keep the crown in 2008.

“This award belongs to the fantastic team at Prestige – it is a reward for their determination to make the business the best it can possibly be across areas such as dealing with customers, sales, service, parts and accessories.

“We were number one in our prime market area in 2007, and beating a rival dealership that has held that title for some 20 years was a huge effort.”

The spectacular Prestige Hino dealership was opened in February 2007 and has been hailed by Hino Japan as a benchmark for Hino dealerships across the world.

“Hino has really become a franchise of choice in recent years – it is a growing brand with lofty ambitions,” Mr Nixon said.

“Being part of such an ambitious organisation is hugely motivating for us.

“Hino now covers far more niches in the marketplace than ever before, which makes it easier for the dealerships to sell.”

To the north, Queensland’s Vanderfield Hino has again been named Hino’s 2007 Rural Dealer of the Year – and is determined to make it three Hino DOTY awards in the near future.

The 2007 award marked the second time in five years that Vanderfield Hino

has been successful in claiming Hino’s top dealer award.

Dealer principal Bruce Vandersee said that while his company doesn’t aim to win awards, it is welcome recognition of its efforts.

“I certainly didn’t expect to win the award,” he said, “but I was really thrilled to win it, and we would like to deliver the same top-shelf performance in 2008.

“Our main focus as a business is

to make sure we operate efficiently and ensure that our customers are happy.”

The dealership uses its own aircraft to service its more remote customers to ensure that they are well looked-after.

“We at Vanderfield Hino are very serious about our trucks – and we are even more serious about making sure our customers receive the best possible customer service.”

Mr Vandersee believes Hino’s push to become number one in the Australian

truck market will only help his dealership achieve greater success.

“Hino has made a conscious effort to put in place the necessary people and procedures to help the company grow very quickly,” he said.

“We support that wholeheartedly. Hino has always been a well-respected brand and we have always had strong product, and now everyone within the Hino network needs to take that extra step.”

Dealers score Hino’s top prize

Hino stars at new truck showHino was one of the star attractions at the inaugural International Trailer, Truck & Equipment Show held from 8 to 10 May at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

The Hino display featured 60 trucks and two buses, making it the largest exhibit at the all-new event.

Hino filled its 1340-square-metre stand with a mix of its light, medium and heavy duty truck line-ups, including a number of its ‘Built to Go’ models such as the LoadAce, SteelAce and TradeAce, as well as a range of factory dump trucks.

Hino Hybrid also featured, as did a Hino Genuine Parts & Accessories display as well engine blocks from the Hino Hybrid, 300 and 500 which demonstrated Hino innovation at work.

Show organisers estimated that half a billion dollars worth of the latest road transport technology was on display at the three-day show that attracted 35,000 visitors.

Of the 60 Hino trucks on display, 58 were fitted with bodies to provide customers with an accurate

representation of what each variant can provide logistically.

“It was very important for Hino to have a major presence at this new event in one of Australia’s largest road transport centres,” said Hino marketing coordinator, Glen Sharman.

“Displaying such a high proportion of built trucks and buses attracted many potential buyers, so the whole exercise was worthwhile in terms of generating new business and showcasing our latest models to existing customers.”

Sam Nixon of Prestige Hino (centre) celebrates success with Hino Australia COO Steve Lotter, senior executive officer Hino Motors Limited Koichi Ojima, Hino Australia president Junsuke Ando, and John Conomos AO, chairman Hino Australia.

Rob and Bruce Vandersee of Vanderfield Hino (centre) celebrate their success after being named Hino's Rural Dealer of the Year.

Torque | 5

Hino stars at new truck show

Hino has continued its long-term leadership of the medium and heavy-duty truck markets in Japan for the 35th consecutive year.

In 2007 Hino Japan topped the medium-duty sales charts with sales of 13,333, representing 35.6 per cent of the market.

It led the way in heavy-duty sales with 15,576 trucks sold, a market share of 30.2 per cent.

Hino was consequently number one in combined medium and heavy duty sales last year, with sales of 28,909 trucks.

The company is aiming to use the continued success and acceptance of its medium and heavy-duty product in Japan to strengthen its relative position in Australia.

Galvanising Hino’s charge are a number of new models in the 500 and 700 line-ups.

In Western Australia – flush with the riches generated by the mining boom –

WA Hino was the number one dealer in its market area for heavy-duty trucks, proving that Hino can mix it with the biggest heavy-duty competitors in Australia.

“Hino understands that to be number one overall, it needs to be number one in all markets,” said Junsuke Ando, president Hino Australia.

“The performance of Hino vehicles in Japan’s medium and heavy-duty segments shows the capability of these products to establish themselves as market leaders.

“To be number one for 35 years is a simply amazing result!

“However, Australia is one of the most competitive truck markets in the world, and in the last 12 months the market has become even tougher.

“We want to be bigger and better – and we only have to look to our parent company’s domination of the medium and heavy-duty markets in Japan for our inspiration.”

Leading Victorian towing company Nationwide Towing & Transport has switched its allegiance to Hino after many years with another leading brand.

Nationwide Towing & Transport operates 145 trucks, of which 90 are Hino Ranger Pros – dubbed the “Toyota of trucks” for their reliability.

Established in 1987 by director Ian McMillan and two partners, Nationwide Towing & Transport has depots in Blackburn, Dandenong and Collingwood and is now the biggest commercial towing company in Victoria, and one of the largest in Australia.

It has the contract with the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) to provide exclusive towing in metropolitan Melbourne, with 27 Hino 500s in RACV livery dedicated to this task

Completing about 250,000 tows a year Nationwide Towing & Transport will carry cars, machinery, excavators, forklifts, buses, caravans, trucks, shipping containers, sheds and generators anywhere in Australia.

“We used Isuzu for many years, but switched over to Hino for our medium duty truck needs and have been very impressed with the reliability, driveability and overall performance,”

Mr McMillan said. “It’s a good product.”“Along with its nice ride, Hino’s

air-bag suspension is a major feature as it keeps the vehicle level under all load conditions – which is very important for the safe transportation of heavy and expensive equipment.”

In addition to the high quality of Hino trucks, Mr McMillan credited

his local Hino dealer for providing excellent service.

“We have developed a very good relationship with Prestige Hino at Dandenong, so from a product and customer service point of view we are very happy with Hino as a brand.”

Mr McMillan said that on any given morning there could be 40

to 50 urgent towing jobs that have come in overnight, making reliability a key factor.

“Being number one in towing is about fast turnarounds and minimum downtime of our fleet, and with Hino being the ‘Toyota of trucks’ when it comes to reliability we are confident about getting the job done on time.”

Nationwide Towing picks up Hino

Hino Japan continues domination of key segmentA Hino 700 going through its paces at

the Hino Gozenyama Test track.

Nationwide Towing and

Transport director Ian

McMillan with two Hino

Ranger Pros at the company’s

Blackburn depot.

Forster Bus Service on the mid-north coast of NSW has 28 vehicles in its fleet, 16 of them Hino. Its new Hino RK260 bus covers 150km a week in the hands of managing director Brenton Dean, who says it is an all-round pleasure to drive. As with any transport business located out of the metro areas, reliability and access to parts are a major priority – and Brenton says Hino delivers on both.

Buildsafe, which provides scaffolding and handrails to the building industry, opted for Hino 300 for its reliability, ease-of-use and standard equipment, including air-conditioning and ABS. This vehicle will travel over 60,000km per annum, most of it metropolitan driving.

Instant Waste Management in WA has 64 vehicles in its fleet. Managing director Sam Magione says that 80 per cent of the fleet is made up of Hino Ranger Pros and light-duty trucks which pick up and deliver skips and containers. Mr Magione says the Ranger Pro’s proven reliability and easy serviceability make it the ideal choice for the fast and competitive waste management business.

Richards Mining Services specialises in training resource development, mobile plant operator training and assessment, and heavy vehicle driver training and evaluations. It also has four Hino 700s that haul sand and gravel. The decision to go for the 700s – three FS models and one SS – is based on exceptional value, reliability, and Hino’s three-year warranty.

On the go

6 | Torque

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New recruit Glen Jewell is heading Hino’s revamped fleet sales department.

A day in the life of TNT Hybrid

8 | Torque

TNT Express Australia recently became the first business in Australia to start operating a fleet of diesel-electric, fuel-saving hybrid trucks as replacements for conventionally-powered vehicles. Torque by Hino's Darryl Flack joins TNT driver Danny Rizzo in the cabin and on the road.

6am – It’s cold and dark as Sydney stirs into life. Inside TNT Express’s vast Mascot depot near Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport dozens of overhead halogen lights blaze down on 126 TNT van drivers arriving at work. Thousands of morning deliveries are sorted, scanned, and loaded by each driver before the TNT vans hit the road, ready for an early morning sortie into

Sydney’s choking traffic. It’s vital that each package, no matter how big or small, reaches its intended destination on time. By 7:30am, all the vans have left, and the cavernous TNT depot is eerily empty and quiet.

7am – Danny Rizzo arrives at TNT’s Mascot depot, has a coffee, then checks out the deliveries that have arrived from either the international

or domestic terminals. TNT’s Mascot vans generally deliver lighter and less bulky items, but the TNT Hino Hybrid Danny drives is classified as a ‘bulk’ carrier. International deliveries come in overnight from Europe, China, India and Brazil, with Singapore usually the last flight to arrive. Each of the international packages must go through an Australian Customs scanner placed in the TNT depot

in a caged-off area that also doubles as a quarantine holding centre.

After sorting the packages from lightest to heaviest, Danny scans each consignment note with his hand-held TNT Web-tracker with built-in modem. This lets the customer know – anywhere in the world – that their package has arrived at the Mascot depot and is on its way for delivery.

"Just turn the key and go," says TNT Express driver Danny Rizzo of his Hino Hybrid.

A day in the life of TNT Hybrid Danny loads the truck and heads off

to deliver the packages to the nearby suburbs of Alexandria and Botany. Upon arrival of the packages at each address, the designated recipient of each consignment electronically signs for their delivery on the hand-held modem, flagging to the client that the package has been received at its final destination. After making his first round of deliveries, Danny heads back to TNT’s Mascot depot.

10am – Danny grabs a second cup of coffee, picks then scans his second round of deliveries and heads out at 11am. This time it’s to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and across the Harbour Bridge to the busy lower North Shore – perfect conditions for TNT Hino Hybrid among the stop-start traffic. He later links up with other TNT drivers at Willoughby, where he distributes more packages which they on-deliver to their final destinations.

2pm – While the morning run is all about deliveries, the afternoon is about pick-up. Danny travels to a dozen or so addresses where he processes the packages and loads them onto the truck – they will be onforwarded domestically or internationally later on. Once all the pick-ups have been made, he is back at the depot at 6.30pm to ready the packages for their short trip to the airport and beyond.

7pm – By this time the day’s work is done and dusted, and Danny heads for home – sometimes at 7pm, sometimes later. The 12-hour days are punishing, but it’s clear this hard-working but laid-back driver enjoys his work and the uniqueness and normality of the Hino Hybrid. As for adapting to green hybrid technology, it’s a walk in the park.

“It’s important technology that helps the overall performance of the truck. It’s definitely the way of the future.”

Torque | 9

In addition to its fuel and emissions savings, Hino Hybrid delivers other benefits over a conventionally powered truck of similar size.

“There’s a little bit more torque. The regenerative braking system does slow the truck down a little bit more than a normal braking system, but it’s redirecting energy,” Danny says.

“It takes a bit of getting used to the engine switching off when you push the clutch in once you’ve stopped at first, but the good thing about this feature is that the cabin is quiet while you’re waiting at the lights.

“There’s nothing to it. Just turn the key and go,” says Danny.

His final verdict? “It’s important technology that helps the overall performance of the truck. It’s definitely the way of the future.”

TNT has 10 Hino Hybrid trucks in service as part of its commitment to achieving better environmental outcomes across all areas of its business – particularly the reduction of CO2 emissions.

“Our tests showed that in real-world operating conditions, the Hino Hybrid truck emits 14 per cent less carbon dioxide than a conventional diesel-engined truck of equivalent size,” says TNT Express Australia managing director Roger Corcoran. “In addition, the hybrid vehicle reduces emissions of nitrous oxides by almost half, and harmful particulate matter by 98.9 per cent – so the environmental case for adding these trucks to our fleet is compelling.”

Driver’s delight

The Magnificent

10

When asked why his business card doesn’t even have a job title Paul says it’s because the list of tasks he manages just keeps getting longer and longer.

One of those tasks is managing the national vehicle fleet for Amerind, a company that distributes timber-based products and wood veneers to architects, builders and furniture-makers.

With a fleet of 64 trucks, 72 cars and 50 Toyota forklifts, that on its own is a punishing schedule.

When Amerind started running

its own fleet some five years ago the company chose Hino trucks for the job. However, a sister company in Ghana, West Africa, suggested a change to a European brand. The fleet changed over but is now in the process of going back to Hino.

“We ran those (European) trucks for three-and-a-half years, and to be honest the trucks haven’t come up to what we expected and what we needed,” Paul says.

Amerind started the switch-back with one Hino 500 for a country branch

in Victoria. It now has five in its fleet, with more being reintroduced on a regular basis.

Paul anticipates that it will take four years to completely convert the fleet back to Hino. However, as the company is currently in a growth phase, there is also a need to increase the size of the fleet as well as turn it over.

“I received three deliveries from Prestige Hino two weeks ago, and I phoned them just before to say I’ll be ordering another one,” he says.

“We source all of our vehicles from Prestige Hino, so we can build up a relationship.”

Prestige Hino is located near Amerind’s distribution depot in Dandenong, Victoria, but that’s not the main reason why Paul chooses to deal with them.

Prestige Hino’s modern premises and facilities mean he can rely on the dealership to respond quickly and efficiently to any of Amerind’s servicing or spare parts needs.

“I’m also really impressed by the

10 | Torque

Amerind switches back with prestigeThey say if you want something done, ask a busy person. Paul Cheadle of Amerind certainly falls into that mould.

Torque | 11

team there. They are really very good to deal with,” he says. “I find Sam Nixon and all the staff very easy to work with, they are easy to get hold of and they also make a point of following up with me.”

Amerind keeps its trucks on a five-year lease plan and then evaluates them.

“The country branches do a lot of kilometres while some of our other branches like Canberra only do a minimal amount,” Paul explains. “We expect to get 500 to 600,000 kilometres out of them.”

Each truck is specially fitted to take loose sheets of veneer or timber in one section, with the main area for the larger loads.

There are 14 Amerind branches Australia-wide. Each has trucks allocated to it, while Dandenong is its main distribution centre.

“Downtime with Hino trucks seems to be less than with our previous brand. They are turned around in servicing a lot quicker, and the availability of parts is good,” Paul says. “Along with them being more reliable and more suitable

for our work, they are also more economical for us to run.

“The drivers love them, and they ask when they are going to get their own. When they first saw the 500s they wanted to stay in the European truck, but after having a test drive they quickly changed their minds.”

What they really appreciated, Paul says, was the Hino’s superior driver comfort, and they are very happy with the range of vision and the general driveability.

“I’m very keen to have my drivers

happy with what they drive and put them in a good environment,” he explains.

“We put them in new trucks, we regularly service them and we maintain our vehicles. I give the drivers a truck, and it’s their truck. They take pride in their vehicle.”

Paul adds that he now gets call-backs. What’s that? It’s when one of his drivers calls him to say how happy he is with his new Hino.

“I’ve never had call-backs before!” he says.

Paul Cheadle of Amerind at the company’s distribution centre.

“Downtime with Hino trucks seems to be less than with our previous brand. They are turned around in servicing a lot quicker, and the availability of parts is good“

Each Hino 500 is specifically fitted-out to carry Amerind's products.

He's gone HINO

12 | Torque

Scott Cam is a familiar face on our TV screens, having starred on the successful property renovation shows Backyard Blitz and Renovation Rescue. He’s also published a book on home maintenance and renovating and appeared in numerous TV commercials.

More recently, he’s come on board with Hino as an ambassador. He took delivery of his new Hino 300 616 earlier this year, and says it is the perfect truck for his needs.

The 616 comes standard with a factory-built tipper body, and the only addition made to Scott’s truck is the shiny bull-bar attached to the front.

“I use it for absolutely everything,” says Scott, with his ever-present enthusiasm. “If we’re on the worksite and the brickies need a couple of tonnes of sand, I’ll drive down to the yard, load her up and bring it back for them – that saves hours in delivery time.

“We leave it out the front of the building site and fill it up with rubbish, then drive it all down to the tip. I throw all of my tools in it and carry them all over the place.”

And he loves the fact he can drive it everywhere; whether it’s to the building site or just to duck down to the shops, or into the Channel Nine studios. “It’s a four-in-one: a delivery truck, a mobile skip bin, a toolbox, and a car,” he says.

For anyone who has seen Scott Cam on the various Channel Nine television programs he has appeared on, you might have noticed that he likes a chat. And if you ask him what he likes about his Hino, you will get a familiar extended description of the features that tick his boxes.

“I use it for everything,” he says. “You throw everything in the back and you might be driving down to the tip – but you are in absolute comfort. You have to keep telling yourself that you are driving a truck because the interior is like a sedan – it’s really refined.

He's gone HINOTelevision personality Scott Cam has a new TV show on Channel Nine called Domestic Blitz and he’s also got a new truck, the Hino 300 616 factory tipper – and he couldn’t be happier with both of them.

Torque | 13

14 | Torque

“I mean, it’s got power windows, power steering, air-conditioning, a CD player and dual airbags. A few years ago you wouldn’t find a standard equipment list that long in plenty of family cars.”

Scott readily admits to being surprised by how much he enjoyed getting behind the wheel of the Hino. Having driven plenty of commercial vehicles before, he says he expected it to have the usual bad ergonomics, and be a bit uncomfortable to drive.

“But it’s a pleasure,” he says. “I love it.”“The thing that most amazed me

was the turning circle – it’s the best of any vehicle I’ve driven. U-turns are a piece of cake in this.”

And Scott’s more than satisfied with the amount of power on offer. “It’s got plenty of power. I had about three tonnes of sand in the back of it the other day and you couldn’t tell the difference,” he explains. “It just keeps powering on no matter how much you put in the back.”

“I use it for everything. You have to keep telling yourself that you are driving a truck because the interior is like a sedan – it’s really refined.“

Scott Cam is the first star of Hino’s new website section Gone Hino.

Gone Hino is a regular feature that takes a closer look into the lives of Hino customers.

It complements Hino’s Better Go Hino slogan by profiling customers who have already Gone Hino.

In the first episode, Scott gives viewers a glimpse at his latest building project, as well as giving a guided tour of his new Hino truck.

Other customers featured to date include TNT and the handover of 10 new Hino Hybrids at its Botany depot, and Hino dealer Peter Kittle’s Northern Territory-based race team – both of which also appear in this edition of Torque by Hino.

To see the latest episodes of Gone Hino, go to www.hino.com.au.

Gone HINO

Torque | 15

Hino’s Easy Start system is another feature of the 300 that has captured his attention.

“That [Easy Start] is a fantastic little gadget. With Easy Start activated you stop on a hill and press the switch down beside your right knee, and you take off like you are on a flat piece of road without using the handbrake; there’s no rollback at all,” he says.

“You put your foot on the clutch and activate the throttle, and Easy Start controls the brake to make sure you don’t roll. I thought it might get confused if you put a heavy load in the back, but it works perfectly regardless of how much weight you’ve got in it.

“You might be able to tell that I kind

of like my new truck!” Scott says with a laugh.

Scott uses his new Hino to drive to the set of his new television program, Domestic Blitz. “When we’re on set, we never know what’s going to happen next, or what materials we might need.

“I tend to just hop in the Hino and head down to the hardware store or wherever we need to go and pick up whatever’s needed.”

So, will we see the Hino 300 on Domestic Blitz?

“Maybe. You might see a few frames of it. You could play a sort of Where’s Wally type of game with it and try and find it in each episode!” he laughs.

Hino 300 616 DumpThe Hino 300 616 Dump is part of the light-duty range of trucks launched by Hino at the start of 2007.

It has a long list of features, including dual airbags, ventilated disc brakes, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Easy Start, cornering headlamps and a factory-built tipper body with two-way tail gate and drop sides.

The 616 has a 4.0-litre common-rail direct injection turbocharged and intercooled engine, producing 110kW (ISO) of power at 2700rpm, and 397Nm (ISO) of torque at 1800rpm.

It has a GVM of 5500kg, though it can be registered at 4495kg to ensure it can be operated by drivers with a car licence.

For more information on the Hino 300, go to www.hino.com.au.

Domestic Blitz

Domestic Blitz is Scott Cam’s new show on Channel Nine on Sunday nights. The program is co-hosted by Shelley Craft, and features a host of hot new talent.

Domestic Blitz takes the concept of Scott’s two previous successful programs, Backyard Blitz and Renovation Rescue, and combines them to not only give viewers some useful tips for their own home makeovers, but also lends a helping hand to some very worthy Australians.

“Every Australian would love to makeover their backyard, or the

interior of their home,” said Scott.“We visit people who might be in

a bit of strife, or who’ve been through a rough patch and lend them a helping hand to turn their places into dream homes.

“Obviously we can’t fix up everyone’s house so we try and include a whole bunch of handy hints that might give the viewers an idea to help them with their own homes.

“We have a lot of fun on the show, and it’s been received incredibly well so far.”

Domestic Blitz airs on Sundays at 6:30pm on Channel Nine.

16 | Torque

Faster than you FinkePeter Trevaskis ventured to Australia’s red centre to meet the people behind one of the teams competing in t he annual Finke Desert Race, part of the gruelling Australian Off Road Championship.

As we approach a blind crest at around 240km/h on a dry, barren, red dirt track in the Northern Territory, two-time Finke Desert Race winner Dave Fellows tells me we are going to “back-off a little”.

With my heart firmly planted in my mouth and a 700-plus horsepower engine still screaming behind me despite a slight throttle lift, we hit the crest at just under 200km/h. We’re launched two metres into the air, soaring above the few desert oaks and mulgas that dot the landscape.

Everything is silent, and after what seems like an age we eventually land safely on the track ahead, some 30 metres from where we took off, ready for the next crest that is fast approaching.

This is what life is like in the Australian Off Road Championship (AORC) in Peter Kittle Motor Sports’ Toyota-powered Jimco buggy.

Fellows’ attempt at turning the buggy into an aeroplane occurred at the Alice Springs Off-Road Racing Club during the team’s pre-event shakedown for the AORC’s version of Bathurst, the wild and brutally tough Finke Desert Race.

Although he no longer competes in the AORC, team owner Peter Kittle grew up in Alice Springs and, as one of the small group of crazed folk who competed in the first desert race in 1976, he knows how tough and cruel both the sport and the event can be.

From its humble beginnings (when a few local motorbike riders decided to race out and back from Alice Springs to the tiny desert community of Finke 230km south of the town) the race has become the richest and most highly sought-after prize in southern hemisphere off-road racing.

At first glance the Toyota-powered buggy looks like something out of a heavy metal rock band, but it performs like a symphony orchestra.

Standing around two metres tall and weighing in at more than 1300kg, the Kittle buggy makes the Incredible Hulk look like a smurf.

Although developed from the same engine found in Toyota’s Aurion road car, the Jimco’s fire-breathing twin- turbocharged power plant roars if Fellows even sneezes on the throttle pedal.

The modified 3.5-litre V6 Aurion

engine produces 800 horsepower (600kW) and enough torque to rotate the earth on its axis.

The team estimates it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in about the time it takes to read this sentence. But they can only estimate, as trying to generate enough traction out of the buggy’s humungous 35-inch tyres to control this monster is a near impossible feat.

However, massive shock absorbers and finely-tuned suspension allow the buggy to dance across the top of rutted tracks and remain firmly planted through tight, banked red dirt corners – making the harsh desert terrain feel like a freshly laid highway.

Kittle’s passion for the sport over

such a long time stems from his love of Australia’s remote landscape, and the fact he is yet to secure outright honours in the Finke.

Formerly as driver and now in the role of a hands-on team owner, the director of the Peter Kittle Motor Company has a strong appreciation for the team’s TRD Jimco buggy.

“We import the chassis from the United States and it arrives to us pretty much as just a frame and panels,” Kittle said.

“We build the buggy ourselves so we can use the Toyota engine. It is very reliable, has a strong bottom end and the six-cylinder allows our engine builder to use turbochargers: something we couldn’t do with a V8.”

Although at times a reluctant spectator, Kittle is full of praise for current driver Fellows.

“I still want to be driving it but Dave Fellows is one of the best drivers in this class in Australia – and to be honest, the boss isn’t fast enough anymore!”

Fellows’ character is typical of the majority of people in the sport – casual and laid-back, but with an absolute

“The Kittle buggy makes the Incredible Hulk look like a smurf”

passion for speed. As a two-time Finke winner, his aim is to bring Kittle Motor Sport the series title and to deliver Peter Kittle his elusive Finke victory.

“I’m the envy of a lot of off-road racing drivers,” Fellows admits. “The TRD buggy is great to drive, but you have to really punish it to get the most out of it.

“Having spent many years competing against Peter I know how hard he has tried to win Finke. Luck let us down last year, so we will try again this year and we are on form, so the entire team wants nothing more than for Peter to realise Finke success.”

Racing in remote locations like Alice Springs, Mildura in the north-west of Victoria and Hyden, east of Perth, it is the passion and dedication of the Peter Kittle Motor Sports team that embody why the AORC and the Finke Desert race are so hotly contested.

It is that same passion and dedication, and maybe a little luck that will possibly deliver Peter Kittle the biggest prize in off road racing named after a tiny community in the middle of the Australian outback.

Torque | 17

Bounding along a dirt road 100km south of Alice Springs is hardly the first place you would expect to see a Hino Ranger Pro. But such is the nature of the Australian Off Road Championship and the Peter Kittle Motor Sports team, that such a trip is the norm for their Hino transporter.

Modified for use as both a mobile workshop and transport for their Toyota-powered off-road buggy, the Ranger Pro traverses Australia and must carry everything the team needs to be completely self-sufficient, often for days at a time.

Apart from the 700 horsepower buggy, the Ranger Pro’s custom-designed Pan carries tools, lubricants, generators, suspension components and spares of all kinds.

The Ranger Pro also tows a trailer carrying spare engines and the monster 35-inch tyres needed to give traction to the twin-turbo Toyota power plant.

Team manager and regular driver of the Hino Rob Richardson said the Ranger Pro was chosen because it met the varied requirements of the team and could handle the constant rough terrain.

“We had free choice on which truck we would use as our transporter, but the Hino was the only one that was capable of doing the job,” Richardson said.

“It has never let us down in the four years we have had it and we take it to some places that I don’t think they were designed to go. It is also really easy to drive and the cabin is comfortable – a must on the long trips we make throughout the year.”

Home on the Range(r Pro)

“The Toyota-powered buggy looks like something out of a heavy metal rock band, but it performs like a symphony orchestra”

Top: The Toyota-powered Jimco

buggy produces 600kW of power.

Above: Team manager Rob

Richardson (left) with Peter Kittle

and the team's Hino support vehicles.

We’re please to report that, after the deadline for this issue of Torque by Hino, the Peter Kittle Motor Sport team did in fact win the 2008 Finke Desert race, ending Peter’s 32-year wait to take out the elusive title. Congratulations to Peter, Dave and the rest of the team.

STOP PRESS

18 | Torque

Hino Australia president Junsuke Ando sampled life as a rally co-driver for a morning, slipping into the passenger seat for a ride with Team TRD Rally at the first round of the Australian Rally Championship in Western Australia.

Mr Ando joined team boss and championship leader Neal Bates

for a blast around the Busselton Toyota Super Special Stage during the pre-event shakedown.

Bates, who has never been defeated around the event’s opening stage, did not hold back, giving Mr Ando full appreciation of the speed possible from the team’s Hino-backed S2000 Corollas.

The president was nearly rendered speechless following his hot lap, giving a big ‘thumbs-up’ as he stepped out of the three-time champion’s Corolla.

“Amazing, really amazing,” Mr Ando said. “Neal certainly is very skilled and the speed and quality of the car is a real credit to the whole team.

“It is also good to see them putting their Hino 700 to good use and helping to spread the Hino name.”

Mr Ando, who was attending his first-ever ARC round, is no stranger to motorsport, having spent time with Hino’s longstanding and successful Dakar endurance rally program.

Team TRD Rally driver Neal Bates is leading the Australian Rally Championship (ARC) following outright victory in the first three rounds of the 2008 season.

Three-time Australian Champion Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor secured victory in the season-opening round in Western Australia, before repeating the feat at the next two events in Canberra in May and Queensland in June.

Bates’ team-mate and reigning champion Simon Evans currently sits fifth in the championship after a luckless start to the season following non-finishes in WA and Queensland – his first for more than two years.

The Hino-backed squad is now running two normally-aspirated Super 2000-spec Corollas following Evans’ switch from the turbo-charged Group N (P) in the off-season, a move that has brought the team instant success.

In Western Australia, Bates’ overall victory and Evans’ Heat 1 win were the first such triumphs for S2000 cars in the ARC.

Bates then went on to win Heat 1 in Canberra, before Evans bounced back to win Heat 2, and at the next round in Queensland Bates took Heat 1 as well as outright victory.

“We have had a dream year so far and I couldn’t be happier with the result,”

Bates said following his third win of 2008. “Queensland is the roughest rally in the championship and our Corolla was just so strong. It handled jumps, rocky creek beds and some roads that were so hard they cracked the windscreen.

“We are a small team but it is a

real credit to the guys just how amazing the S2000 Corolla is – the world is starting to pay attention.”

Team TRD Rally heads to the Barossa Valley in South Australia for Round 4 of the ARC, Rally SA, on 26–27 July.

Hino Australia President

Junsuke Ando with the

TRD Rally Team.

Presidential approval

Bates’ triple treat

Neal Bates and Coral Taylor on the way to winning the TRD Rally Team’s home event in Canberra.

LOGO Guideline

DRAFT 1

§ B-TYPE LOGO

§ TRD LOGO（Letter）

B-TYPE

§ "Racing Development" type is only to be used in Black§ Only use TRD RED

TRD RED

§ Framed logo to be used on coloured background. Frame is always in this proportion to the logo and only in solid white (see examples below).

§ For use on a white background

Mono

Correct Use of Brand

Incorrect Use of Brand

§ USE ONLY AS SOLID (NO OUTLINE) IN BLACK, WHITE OR TRD RED.

DO NOT COMBINE OUTLINE WITH SOLID FILL.

§ USE ONLY AS OUTLINE (NO FILL) IN BLACK, WHITE OR TRD RED.

§ White Background§ With light coloured background

DO NOT use keyline on white background

DO NOT modify brand DO NOT stretch brand

Y=100% + M=100% PMS 032

DO NOT change colour of the brand

DO NOT use keyline on light coloured backgroundDO NOT use logo without white frame on light coloured background

DO NOT change proportion of white frame

§ With dark coloured background § Mono

　

Racing Development

Torque | 15

Hino's advanced six-speed fully automatic transmission is now available on more variants in the 300 range.

In addition to auto, the single rear wheel Hino 300 414 is now available as a manual.

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CMI HINO, SA 08 8243 8100DAVID BENNETT 0417 857 389cmihino.com.au

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NEWCASTLE HINO, NSW 02 4974 7800BRENTON ELSEY 0418 493 255newcastlehino.com.au

PACIFIC HINO, CAIRNS, QLD 07 4052 4703MIKE GRANT or STAN FREEMANpacifichino.com.au

SCI-FLEET HINO, KEDRON, QLD 07 3361 0024STEVE BUXTON 0419 554 741scifleet.com.au

WA HINO, PERTH 08 9351 2000BRUNO CIRILLO or ROBERT TOTwahino.com.au

*Vehicles available at time of publication.

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