RISING CONCERNS about the risks near-silent hybrid vehicles pose to pedestrians, in particular the vision-impaired, has prompted Japan’s Transport Ministry to seek views on how to best remedy the problem.

With hybrid vehicles now the top sellers in Japan, the Ministry has called on consumers, police, vision-impaired groups, and automakers to discuss adding a mandatory sound-generating function to hybrid cars.

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HYBRID TECH is increasingly the flavour of the month; now, even the most un-green marques such as Ferrari are contemplating their own petrol-electric high-performance models.

Not wanting to be left out of the game, it appears McLaren is looking to establish a hybrid vehicle program of its own.

The British supercar maker has advertised a job vacancy on its website for a senior engineer specialising in hybrid powertrain technology - the most blatant of hints that it’s giving serious thought to joining the hybrid club.

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THE GOODWOOD Festival of Speed (UK) is but a few days away from opening to the public, and it’s shaping up to be a hell of a show.

The Infiniti Essence and GTbyCitroen concepts are already set to make an appearance at the show, and now Audi has announced that it will be celebrating its centenary at Goodwood in a big way.

A very big way.

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MERCEDES-BENZ is expected to issue some light cosmetic refinements to its volume-selling C-Class sometime next year, with the most visible changes limited to bumper, wheel and lamp-cluster designs.

Interior trim changes will likely feature in the MY 2011 update as well, while the C-Class’s mechanical package will also undergo some subtle refinements.

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VFACTS SALES FIGURES for June 2009 contain a few surprises, not the least the strength of the recovery in the light commercial market.

This segment, it would seem, is being fuelled strongly by the Federal Government’s 50 percent tax rebate on equipment purchases to eligible small businesses. And while it’s hard to say it is propping up the market, it is certainly helping.

But more on that later. There are other interesting currents at work in a car market that, while down, has proven remarkably resilient.

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PORSCHE’S PANAMERA is increasingly looking like having a footprint across every premium sports niche, with the model range featuring the Panamera, the Panamera S, the all-wheel-drive Panamera 4S and the twin-turbo Panamera Turbo.

For now, the Panamera line-up can only be had with a 4.8 litre V8 engine, but in 2010 the range will grow yet again, with the German supercar manufacturer adding V6 and petrol-electric hybrid engines to the mix, and - according to Autocar - a diesel engine, to be joined later by a GTS range-topping flagship.

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ALTHOUGH BMW WON’T be bringing the admirably powerful diesel-powered 740d Australia’s way, the German automaker’s local arm will still be rolling out a number of new diesel models in the near future.

Chief among these is the new 330d sedan, which shares its 3.0 litre twin-turbo diesel powerplant with the just-launched 730d.

Generating a healthy 180kW and a sizable 540Nm of torque, the diesel-drinking engine isn’t just a grunty, economical piece of equipment - it’s also genuinely powerful.

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SYDNEY LORD MAYOR Clover Moore has today renewed her commitment to clearing the Sydney CBD’s “unpleasant” and “congested” roads of cars, with a view to creating more public squares and cycling paths.

Ms Moore said the Sustainable Sydney 2030 - first unveiled in early 2008 - focuses on improved access and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and the development of an extensive light rail network through the heart of Sydney.

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THE ULTRA-SMALL HATCH market in Australia was bracing for a newcomer when the Hyundai i20 made its Australian debut at the 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show in February, with sales of the diminutive Korean car expected to begin in the third quarter of this year.

Now, with the global financial crisis in full swing, Hyundai’s plans for the i20 in Australia have hit a snag.

Speaking with News Limited, Hyundai Australia’s Director for Sales and Marketing, Kevin McCann, confirmed that the i20 may now not see Australian shores until the middle of 2010.

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The Z car is back, or so Nissan says. But is the new 370Z a genuine improvement over the 350Z and, more importantly, is it a worthy successor to the legendary 240Z?

WHILE CARS LIKE the Porsche 911 might enjoy a longer, more storied history, Nissan’s Z has its own unique pedigree.

It might not be as sophisticated, as quick or as desirable as the German, but in a lot of ways it’s equally significant. Here’s a quick history lesson.

Back in the late 1960s, Datsun (which later became Nissan) launched a lightweight, long-bonneted sports coupe into the American market that announced to the world that the still-young Japanese auto industry was capable of building a proper, bona-fide sportscar.

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DESPITE THE DECISION last year to cancel the 2009 Brisbane Motor Show, and the economic downturn raising fears that 2010 might also pass it by, the event’s organisers have announced the Show will return in February next year.

The 2010 Brisbane Motor Show will run for only five days - half as long as in previous years. Gary Fitz-Roy, Managing Director of Expertise Events which has signed a 10-year agreement to run the show, is confident the show will bring a level of entertainment and interactivity to the event unseen at any other motor show.

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HSV HAS CONFIRMED it will be bringing in a raft of new changes to its E Series lineup, which comprises the Clubsport R8, GTS, Maloo, W427 and the Statesman-based Grange and Senator.

The major upgrade will be a multi-million dollar exercise for the Clayton-based manufacturer and will constitute a comprehensive revamp of its range of performance sedans.

HSV won’t go into specifics on exactly what the changes will be, but the company says that more power, vastly improved fuel economy and revised styling are to be expected.

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