Stars of the Sydney Motor Show

The Sydney Motor Show had plenty to spark the interest of vehicle enthusiasts, as motoring editor ALASTAIR SLOANE found.

Carmakers showed off new and concept models at this week's Sydney Motor Show, the 90th anniversary of the first vehicle expo held in Australia.

The star of the show was the new Holden Monaro, a two-door coupe based on the Commodore sedan.

It comes with a choice of V6 and V8 engines and colours and trim and will go on sale in New Zealand in January.

Mercedes-Benz rushed in its new SL roadster, less than a month after it broke cover at Frankfurt.

The plush German is in the middle of a huge sportscar renewal programme and the SL introduces a host of new technology including an electric braking system instead of a hydraulic one. It is the first production car in the world to offer the system.

The SL will go on sale in New Zealand next year powered by a 5-litre 225kW V8 engine. The car is longer, lower, lighter, more aerodynamic and more sumptuous than the outgoing model.

Interest in the SL centred on the folding hardtop roof which, at the touch of a button, turns the car into a convertible in 16 seconds.

The vario-roof folds into the top section of the boot instead of the boot proper. This allows for more useable luggage space than would otherwise be available with such a fold-up system.

Mercedes-Benz says it has developed a glass version of the vario-roof which will be available from late next year.

Mazda's RX-8 design study headed many of the models that first appeared at the Detroit show in January.

The four-door, four-seater RX-8 is a further development of the rotary-powered RX-EVOLV concept.

It features Mazda's freestyle door system, which combines both front-hinged and rear-hinged doors and no centre pillar to make getting into and out of the car easier.

The Mazda competed for attention with Nissan's near-ready Z sports car, scheduled to go on sale in America early next year.

The six-cylinder rear-drive Z is designed to be the spiritual successor to the original Datsun 240Z of the 1970s.

Saab had its 9X concept car, its first study model in about 15 years.

The 9X spearheads a major offensive from the Swedish company, with at least one new car or concept to be announced every year for the next six years.

Saab says the concept is a statement of intent that challenges traditional car design by incorporating the key attributes of a coupe, roadster, estate and pickup.

Korea's Daewoo had its Kalos Dream, a prototype of the model that will eventually replace its volume-selling Lanos small car.

BMW's new 7-Series breaks new ground with its iDrive dashboard, which uses a single large rotating knob to select menu screens for adjusting air-conditioning and audio and accessing telematics such as satellite navigation and the internet.

BMW says the new generation of V8 engines in the 7-Series use 14 per cent less fuel while providing 14 per cent more power.

Maserati's new Spyder features an all-new 4.2-litre V8 and a six-speed sequential gearbox operated by Formula One-style paddles behind the steering wheel.

Volvo's ACC (Adventure Concept Car) is a design study for the carmaker's planned entry into the booming market for sports-utility vehicles.

Volvo says the cab-forward shape is designed to offer maximum crash protection for occupants while minimising its impact in a collision with another car.

One of the most popular vehicles was the Volkswagen Microbus, the spiritual successor to the Kombi.

The first all-new Harley-Davidson motorbike in 50 years headed the line-up of two-wheelers.

The bike, the V-Rod, combines a high-tech V-twin engine with a modernisation of the traditional Harley style.

The 60 degree V-twin was designed with the help of sportscar heavyweight Porsche and breaks with Harley tradition by being water-cooled and relatively high-revving.

It develops 86kW at 8500 rpm and a top speed of 225 km/h. The V-Rod sits on a steel tube frame, powder-coated silver to match the aluminium body parts.

The fuel tank is located under the seat.

Another two-wheeler that drew a crowd was the AprillaSR Ditech scooter. It is the first Aprilla to come with direct-injection technology developed by Australia's Orbital engine company.