Australian International Motor Show 2007: An Insiders Account (Part 2)

By Feann Torr - 15/October/2007

Sydney, Australia — After two and half hours at the 2007 Australian International Motor Show, three things are now abundantly clear. The cars on show in Sydney are very shiny; my appetite overshadows the major decision making processes made by my brain; and I can't remember the third thing.

After having witnessed the worldwide debut of the new LandCruiser, along with a number of other world firsts including the Holden Sportwagon and the FPV F6 X, it's time for another world first at the 2007 Australian International Motor show - the Volkswagen Touareg R50:

10:27am: It's Touareg time and the R50 SUV takes pride of place on the stand. It's quite a sight, with a sporty new look and a retuned twin turbo V10 diesel outputting 258kW and 850Nm of torque. The new model could attract Porsche Cayenne buyers, as it sits on huge 21-inch alloy wheel rims and can race from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds. It will be priced from$129,990.

My back begins to ache and I realise my posture is hunched. I use three different languages to curse the ever increasing burden of media kits and my uncomfortably pointy Italian shoes.

10:34am: Bentley is next and the smooth Continental GT Speed takes number one slot. I think the organisers know that by now, after dozens of reveals and speeches and no time to put our feet up, many of the media representatives' attention spans are waning, and so we're seeing models with tighter and/or less clothing. It seems to work. The Bentley GT Speed and it's two Amazonian ambassadors steal the limelight for a few moments. I notice one of the camera crews bash another print journalist out of the way to get footage of a GT. My blood boils and I make a vow to take revenge.

10:47am: Skoda is back on the roada (sorry...), and hot off our first drive of the Octavia and Roomster there's still a lot of buzz for the newest car brand in Australia. The Roomster and Octavia are unveiled and I notice the crowd is thinning a bit. This makes getting photos easier, and the Skoda babes are looking and remarkably cheery. And then, thank the heavens, there's a bloke with a tray of sushi! I will eat anything at this point, as my stomach begins to send angry messages to my brain. Which is lucky because it is vegan sushi. Skoda also shows off the Yeti concept, adding more interest to its exhibit. It's a small SUV crossover that provides a glimpse at the marque's design direction.

10:57am: Next on the long line of exhibitors is Italian sports car company Lamborghini, which is showing off the Gallardo Supermall Europeaneggera. Or was it Superleggera? No one really knew, but Lambo proudly announce that it won't be available in red. One person laughs; the Ferrari joke was terrible. There's also the very hot Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Versace, of which only one has been sold in Australia. Always a popular stand, there's also an incredibly tall Lambo girl posing for photos on the Gallardo to add interest. The company hopes to sell 100 Lamborghini cars in 2008, after selling 60 this year.

11:10am: You'd think the show had been running for days by the kind of cursing, complaining, and negativity I was observing in both myself and others, but no. Just three hours of bright lights, blaring music and long-winded speeches. The Mercedes stand was next and truth be told, it was a big disappointment. There were a few babes (who were most helpful in tracking down more food) but there was no music, no dancing, no acrobats, not even a joke from the German CEO like at Audi. Tsk tsk. You'd think they were targetting the ultra-rich with nothing better to spend their money on.

The new models on the stand were the $349,974 S63 AMG and the even more expensive 40th Anniversary CL 65 AMG at almost $500,000. There were plenty of new cars on as Merc had acquired a sizable chunk of show room real estate but there was nothing truly new or innovative. Hence I use the relative lull in schedule to nonchalantly hip-and-shoulder a TV cameraman into a B-Class. Winded, he glares at me. I ball my fists, narrow my eyes and return his look, thinking "It's not over, champ."

11:23am: Kia makes my day by providing ginger cookies and, lo and behold, coffee - and best of all some seats! The Gods are smiling once more. The ginger biscuits taste like pure gastro gold and the seat allows my vertebrae to expand slightly. Bliss. I watch the Kia unveiling from my seat, joined by a couple of other thankful journos, as the Rondo takes centre stage. Rondo rhymes with mondo and is an interesting crossover vehicle to be introduced here in 2008. It's also surrounded by four dancing supermodels with very short skirts, who cause enough camera flashes to be seen from orbit. Meanwhile I am vigilantly aware of the TV camera crews. Word seems to have spread. They know.

11:34am: It's the first of the French marques now, and I feel better after a sit down and biscuit. In 2006 Peugeot had the single-most popular exhibit at the Australian Motor Show thanks to conveniently naked body-painted dancers, but this year was a little more family friendly with a clever little ballet performance in honour of the all-new 308. Fresh from its Frankfurt Motor Show victory, the Peugeot 308 is one very appealing car. The 207 Touring was also present on the medium sized exhibit.

11:45am: By now the aches are beginning to work themselves back into my feet, neck and back as my bag fills up with even more press releases and several dozen pilfered car floor mats. As the media mob moves toward the Nissan stand, I find a high vantage point to watch the festivities. It's like being on Everest. The Nissan Micra compact, Dualis crossover and X-Trail compact AWD are all on show, and on sale, so garner a lot of attention. But my ears really prick up when talk turns the Nissan GT-R. Godzilla will return to Australia! For too long Nissan has been evading the question, but now it's official. When exactly we'll see it however is still not clear. We hope it's next week, but more likely next year.

11:55am: As we head over to the Volvo stand, I consider just leaving the convention centre and finding a dark corner to curl up in for a few days rest - but then the new XC70 grabs my attention. It looks very stylish and is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor in terms if design and practicality. The Volvo exhibit isn't very large, but is cleverly arranged to make an impact, and there's also a heavily weighted 'pregnant suit' that punters can wear to experience what its like to be with child while riding in a car. I posed with the suit but the photos were, um, lost in transit.

12:06pm: Looking at my battery operated wrist-watch, I realise it's past midday and my stomach is making demands as yet unmet. A mini pie cart trundles past, and the tension is palpable. The crowd is growing, the pies are running out. Before long it's overturned by angry show goers demanding food and chanting satanic slogans. The riot police stride in and beat offenders into submission with night-sticks before being carted away. I cautiously but rapidly do as I'm told and make my way to the Subaru exhibit like a well trained worker bee.

The biggest product at the Sooby stand is the new Tribeca, a mid-sized SUV. The front end has a new look and the design has gone back in time, eschewing the curvy and concept-like headlights in favour of square, angular headlights. The overall result is far less polarising, but I was just starting to get used to the previous design with its well-rounded headlights. This new American version is packed with a powerful 3.6-litre boxer six (Porsche fans will be gutted) and will come to Australia in late November. Subaru's exhibit was fairly large, but apart from the new Tribeca and the Impreza WRC concept there was nothing of great interest. We did learn that the Australian WRX STI will get the 2.5-litre boxer (and not the 2.0-litre version from the Japanese model) and will be available around February. They wouldn't say if it'll get DCCD but commented it will have more features than previous models. Intrigue.

12:20pm: The Suzuki exhibit was inundated with SX4s - sedans, hatchbacks, and even rally cars. There were also a couple of motorbikes which made for a nice change of pace, but now my brain is melting from lack of nutrition, compounded by the intense stresses of lugging several hundred kilograms of press releases. I realise at this point that one of TV crews has singled me out. A long microphone whistles dangerously towards my skull but I parry the strike with a Kia press release and leap into the relative safety of the Lamborghini enclosure.

12:28pm: After laying low, I head to Renault's small exhibit, which is populated by increasingly attractive machinery. The new Renaultsport Clio 197 is coming to Australia, with an awesome new design and serious performance. It could be the hot hatch to beat in 2008 if the price is right. The "197" part of the Cleo's name refers to horsepower (about 145kW), propelling the car from 0-100km/h in under 7.0 seconds. It's got a 6-speed manual, big wheels, a rear diffuser, and tidy little body kit. I can't wait to drive it! 

The other major model at the Renault exhibit was the new Laguna, which will be coming to Oz in mid 2008. The French company reckons it's sunk 1.5 billion clams into the project, and that it's the most sophisticated car the French company has ever built. There'll be some red faces if it flops then...

12:40pm: As I wander over to the Lotus stand, I realise that it's the second last exhibit of the show. My spirits rise, and I consider what I could be eating at dinner time. But my gastronomic daydreams are interrupted by another speech. Three cars are on display, including the Europa S shown last year. The Exige Sport 240 looks quite fearsome but the showpiece is the 188kW Lotus 211. 

This club racer is the quickest production Lotus ever built, tearing the 0-100km/h sprint apart in 3.9 seconds. It weighs 745kg, looks very menacing in a minimalist way and costs $127,500. It's presented by a stunning sextet of show gals dressed in (very) tight leather suits and race helmets. I feel a bit sorry for them because it is quite hot under the millions of lights. After pacing about in an up tempo dance, the leather-clad ladies stopped to pose for photos next to the hard core Lotus 211. I commented to a colleague that I thought the dance was underwhelming and sadly for me the choreographer was standing next to me. She wasn't happy.

12:56pm: As I approached the final exhibitor, Bufori, I could finally taste freedom. My mood was further improved as I heard the faint wailing of bagpipes. It was like music to my ears, only louder. Indeed, a troupe of Scotsmen paced towards the Bufori stand playing a rendition of the Waltzing Matilda to ensure that all and sundry knew that Bufori began it's journey in Australia. The Bufori cars look fantastic, in a very 1930s way, but beyond the retro styling they have entirely modern appointments. John Blackman (of Hey Hey It's Saturday fame) was the MC at the Bufori stand and tried to provoke some laughs by ridiculing his wife and making a joke about Redfern. The Bufori cars may be expensive (think six figures, then double it), but they look stunning.

12:12pm: The show is officially over. The crowds disperse in search of sustenance. I wander about, take a few more happy snaps, apologise to an intent looking TV crew (after running large magnets over their equipment and providing false directions to the casino), and then head to the media room to bash out this article.

Though these were four of the longest and most taxing hours of my life, it was well worth it. The cars on show were sensational, and with more world exclusives than ever before, the Australian International Motor Show's reputation is growing in both content and prestige. There were media from right around the globe in attendance, which shows how much interest the annual Sydney event generates.

It was a hard slog and sometimes painful, there were obstacles to overcome and dangers to avoid - but who am I kidding, I loved every minute! Roll on Melbourne 2008*.

* As long as there is plenty of food, ample seating, and no TV crews.