I have honed an ability to develop exclusive news stories, based on a sizeable and ever-growing list of local and international industry contacts.

Highlights include: producing an exclusive report that the forthcoming Ford Territory would benefit from extensive noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) reductions; revealing secrets learned about the imminent Mercedes-Benz AMG C63; discovering that the replacement for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X would utilise electric power (in 2012, more than three years before an official announcement); and finding that the forthcoming Volkswagen Golf GTI would gain a 350Nm engine, up a significant 70Nm on the existing model, a sizeable enough story that would run on the front cover of Wheels.

At CarAdvice, I was in January 2014 first to report that Holden would bring back Opel products to Australia – some 18 months before it would happen.

Above: Mercedes-Benz unhappy, concerned with V8 Supercars team.

Above: Volkswagen Tiguan – Next-gen SUV confirmed with seven seats, 500-litre-plus boot.

Above: 2018 Holden Commodore – Australian designers and engineers heavily involved in VF successor.

Above: Volvo XC40 – forthcoming small SUV set for plug-in hybrid power.

Above: 2018 Porsche 911 likely to have hybrid model.

Above: Audi R8 – 400km-plus range and March debut for electric-only new model.

Above: Volvo S60 Polestar – next-generation confirmed as turbo four, but won’t rival BMW M3.

Above: 2016 Porsche Panamera – “the design could be better” says CEO.