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748: Nissan GT-R It’s fast, sexy and a bargain. So what’s the catch? 744: Jaguar XF The new sedan from Britain’s storied automaker proves that appearances are, in fact, deceiving 736: Suzuki Swift Sport Suzuki’s bargain hatch proves big fun can come in small packages 732: Dualis & X-Trail Nissan introduces a new SUV while its marquee model continues to play tough 728: Toyota Vanguard Head off to the concrete jungle with a bit more vehicle than you need 724: Subaru Impreza S-GT Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners 720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008 Get ready for some modification mayhem at Makuhari Messe 716: Dodge These! Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan 712: Licensed to Drive We guide you through the bureaucratic jungle 708: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance Exotic autos from the past and present glide into Roppongi 704: Car Knows Best Automakers are introducing technology that will let your ride decide if you’ve had one too many 700: Range Rover & Land Rover We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces 696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Channel 007 in this latest incarnation of the marquee automaker’s “baby” 692: BMW R1200GS Adventure The storied bike maker competes with itself to create a three-in-one masterpiece 688: Lexus LS460 The new sedan is big, fast, safe, classy—and unremarkable 684: Alfa Romeo Spider We unleash the Italian monster on a 1,200km road trip 680: Ford Mustang The American classic goes back to its roots 676: Citroën C6 The French automaker's latest eccentricity pushes its own boundaries 672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti Japan-friendly K-cars pack a big punch 668: Jaguar XK Forget James Bond—this is the UK’s sexiest export 664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy! 660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy! 656: Alfa Romeo Brera This gorgeous Italian coupe is both poised and sexy 652: Premium wheels Business is good for Rolls-Royce in Japan, with an eagerly awaited convertible due out next year 648: Citroen C3 Pluriel The quirky French automaker barrels into the 21st century 644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee Off road and on, these 4×4s do their military heritage proud 640: BMW Z4 M Roadster Beemer’s monster convertible provides the most fun you can have sitting down 636: Name dropping What your car is called says something about you—and even more about automakers’ marketing departments 632: BMW Mini Cooper S All hail the mighty Mini! 628: Mazda Roadster Redesigned and retooled, this two-seater is now a car for enthusiasts 624: Hyundai Sonata A rev-happy South Korean import tries to find its niche in Japan 621: Lexus IS350 Toyota brings its upmarket brand to Japan—finally 616: Volvo XC90 V8 A bit sleeker and a lot more spacious, this SUV still puts a premium on safety 612: Chrysler 300C This black beauty recalls the golden age of motoring 608: The Big Ideas Tokyo Motor Show 2005 was a concept car bonanza 604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005 The automotive world’s big players zoom into Japan with some high concepts in tow 597: Three brothers We put a trio of Nissan sedans through their paces 593: Ducati 1000S DS Multistrada The boys from Bologna deliver an Italian masterpiece for your garage 589: Mazda Demio Sport A worthy cousin to the Atenza and RX8, this roomy sedan is happy around town and in the country 585: BMW K1200S The boys from bavaria clothe an iron fist in a velvet glove 581: Chrysler’s Cruisers The American auto manufacturer concentrates on the body beautiful 577: Suzuki Skywave 650LX If you thought scooters were just for kids, think again 573: Cadillac STS 4x4 America’s flagship automaker recaptures its former glory 569: Tour de Force Yamaha’s FJR1300A offers an unbeatable blend of poise, power and price 565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA With stunning looks and power to spare, these two Alfas are an enthusiast's dream 560: Driving the Future The talk of the auto industry in 2004 was hybrids, safe driving and intelligent vehicles 556: Deja vu Blast to the past on Harley-Davidson’s Road King Custom 552: Sports sensation Nissan's new SUV breaks out of its class 548: Lean machine Lighter, faster, stronger and sexier—a diet works wonders for BMW’s R1200GS 544: Kings for a day The Honda Elysion is master of all it surveys 539: Rules of the road New traffic laws are on the horizon. Turn off your cellphone, watch where you park and don’t ride in gangs, Chris Betros warns. 537: Open roadster William Bonds gets up-close with the elements courtesy of the Nissan Fairlady 350Z convertible. 535: Extreme makeover Volvo sheds its stodgy-but-safe image for sleek-and-sporty with the new S40 T5. William Bonds likes what he sees. 533: Sporting chance Mazda has brought the station wagon up to speed with its Atenza Sport Wagon 23Z. William Bonds takes one for a spin. 531: Street smarts Automakers are taking car safety to new levels with sophisticated warning systems that almost do the driving for you, reports Chris Betros. 529: Speed zone Just down the road from Ueno Zoo, a virtual hog heaven has everything for the motorcycling enthusiast. Steve Trautlein cruises on over. 527: Italian Stallion The Alfa Romeo 147 carries on its maker’s reputation for hot cars with unmatched sex appeal. William Bonds gets carried away. 525: Hot wheels A cross between a snowboard and a scooter, the Wheelman is a quirky Australian invention that's grabbing attention worldwide. Tim Colquhoun takes one for a ride. 523: Mean Machine William Bonds gets behind the wheel of the Nissan Skyline 350GT. 521: Show stealers Toyota stunned attendees at the recent Geneva and Melbourne auto shows with two concept cars that represent a powerful vision for the future of motoring. Tim Colquhoun reports. 519: Mighty mouse Subaru goes boldly against the tide with its new R2 minicar. Justin Gardiner admires this latest feat of audacity and engineering. 517: Trail blazer Nissan's top-selling 4x4 features cool touches for winter sports fans. Justin Gardiner drove the latest X-Trail to the slopes 515: Up to speed The Formula One circus is gaining momentum as the season opener in Australia draws near. Tim Colquhoun takes a look at the latest developments. 513: Good save Hybrid cars are the rage this year with Toyota, Honda and Subaru touting their gas-electric vehicles. Chris Betros looks at what they're offering. 512: The road ahead Despite the lack of a full-fledged Tokyo Motor Show in 2004, domestic manufacturers have a bevy of weird and wonderful offerings in store for this year. Justin Gardiner previews the lineup. 509/10: Top of the class Justin Gardiner finds his favorites from this year's Metropolis test drives. 507: Mom-mobiles Japanese mothers are trading in their once ubiquitous mama-chari bicycles for a new breed of K-car. Justin Gardiner tries a couple of the most popular mini-cars. 505: Cubic's rube Nissan has lengthened its highly successful Cube a few centimeters and added an extra row of seats. But, as Justin Gardiner finds out, the result is a bit puzzling. 503: Globe trotters Kerstin Gackle and Volker Aldinger left their native Germany on April 1 and pointed their Yamahas toward Australia. Eight months later Justin Gardiner caught up with the couple in Tokyo. 501: Back to the future Cutting-edge technology and futuristic vehicles highlight the 37th Tokyo Motor Show at Makuhari Messe through November 5. Justin Gardiner offers a guide. ISSUES 499- ISSUES 449- ISSUES 399- ISSUES 349- ISSUES 299-

Up to speed

The Formula One circus is gaining momentum as the season opener in Australia draws near. Tim Colquhoun takes a look at the latest developments.

Reigning world champions Ferrari look set to use a similar design this year

There is never a dull moment in the world of Formula One, but the new year period is always one of intense anticipation as teams unveil their new machines and driver line-ups. 2004 promises to be a classic season, with several of the top teams looking like serious contenders.

The Japanese contingent is looking particularly promising, with Takuma Sato returning to drive for the resurgent Honda-powered BAR, and Toyota predicting consistent points scoring and even a podium finish this year.

In terms of rule changes, the biggest news is the banning of electronic driver aids. Drivers will no longer have the assistance of traction and launch control, while fully automatic gearboxes will also be a thing of the past. Most challenging is the new one-engine-per-race weekend rule, which has forced engine re-designs to increase their durability and longevity.

The Japanese Grand Prix, meanwhile, is no longer the final Grand Prix of the season, but as the penultimate race of 2004 it may yet be the scene for dramatic season-deciding races as in years past. There will be a total of 17 races this year, one more than last. There will, however, be two brand-new circuits on the calendar, as the Formula One franchise broadens its reach into new and exotic places.

While Montreal has lost the right to host a Grand Prix, Bahrain and China will host the F1 circus for the first time at brand-new, purpose-built circuits. After initially struggling to find the necessary financial backing, the French Grand Prix has been retained for 2004.

Jenson Button and Takuma Sato celebrate their points finish in last year's Japanese Grand Prix

The cars
The biggest surprise among the new machines so far has come from BMW Williams, who unveiled a radical new design at their season launch in Valencia last month. The twin-keeled front nose has created a great deal of interest from commentators and rival teams; reports have already surfaced suggesting that Ferrari may imitate the design.

Chief Designer Gavin Fisher told the BMW Williams team, "It will be immediately evident to onlookers that a high degree of innovative design has gone into the FW26. The earlier launch date for FW26 is a clear statement of our intent to be in a position to win from the first race onwards."

Toyota's 2004 challenger was presented to the media at the team's base in Cologne, Germany on January 17. "There is no carry over from last year's car, but we have worked on every single part to make it lighter, stiffer, more reliable and with better overall performance," said Chief Designer Gustav Brunner.

Chairman and Team Principal Tsutomu Tomita expects the new car to lead to a big improvement on race day: "From a performance point of view, I believe that Panasonic Toyota Racing will achieve point-scoring race results during each F1 weekend in 2004. I also believe that we can score our first-ever podium finish."

Late last month, reigning world champions Ferrari unveiled their 2004 car. Many expected a more radical design; so perhaps the biggest surprise was the lack of surprises, with the F2004 looking very similar to last year's car although much of the bodywork has been changed to accommodate aerodynamic refinements. Designer Rory Byrnes says that there are more changes to come, which may include a response to the BMW Williams lead. For the first time in three seasons, the new car will debut at the first race of the season.

Other teams that have unveiled their 2004 cars include Renault, Jaguar and Sauber. BAR Honda launched their 2004 offering on February 1, after this issue went to press.

Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya at the unveiling of the new BMW Williams

The drivers
In the driver market, there have been a number of surprises, with at least two rookies set to debut in Melbourne on March 7 and several drivers returning to the top after time out of the big league. The door also seems to have closed on several prominent F1 careers, with only Jordan yet to announce their driver line-up.

The most sensational news has come from one of the established stars of the sport, with Juan Pablo Montoya announcing that he will leave BMW Williams at the end of the 2004 season. In a highly unusual move, the Colombian has already signed a contract to join McLaren and partner Kimi Raikkonen in 2005. This means that David Coulthard will lose his seat at McLaren after nine years with the team, and will be driving for his career as he attempts to secure a drive with another top team. Ralf Schumacher, meanwhile, will almost certainly receive the lion's share of development and race support at BMW Williams.

Japanese driver Takuma Sato returns for his second full season of F1 racing, after he famously announced his return to F1 at the end of last year when he finished in the points at the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. His superb sixth place behind teammate Jenson Button in fourth helped BAR secure fifth place in the 2003 Constructors championship.

The first rookie to take the wheel in Melbourne is Austrian Christian Klein, who has secured the number two seat at Jaguar and will partner with the impressive Mark Webber. Despite suggestions that Klein was chosen because of the reported $20 million dollars in sponsorship he brings to Jaguar from the Austrian energy drink company Red Bull, the team insists that he has been chosen on raw talent. Klein finished second in the European F3 championship last year behind Australian Ryan Briscoe, who is also the test driver for the Toyota F1 team.

The second rookie will be new Minardi driver Gianmaria Bruni, who test drove for the team last season. He will partner with Hungarian Zsolt Baumgartner, and lines up for Minardi this season after impressing in a short stint for Jordan late last season. The Hungarian Government will reportedly pay Minardi $4 million as part of the deal.

On the other hand, the door seems to have closed on the careers of two prominent drivers. 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who has been replaced by Sato at BAR, and journeyman Jos Verstappen seem likely to retire from F1, if neither secures a seat at Jordan. Verstappen has the backing of Dutch technology company Trust, which has been unable to broker a deal with the Jordan team despite offering a reported US$9 million in sponsorship.

In any case, 2004 is shaping up to be one of the best seasons yet, with several teams having made significant advances during the winter. It certainly seems that Ferrari, Williams and McLaren will have highly competitive cars and drivers. Let the racing begin.

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