Sommaire pour June 2016 de Wheels

MITSUBISHI’S future is on the line after the company admitted it had supplied artificially deflated fuel economy figures as far back as 1991, with results overstated by between five and 10 percent. The public acknowledgement of wrongdoing came on April 20 when company president and CEO Tetsuro Aikawa addressed the media in Tokyo. His statement confirmed 625,000 cars sold in Japan from 2013 were affected. Less than a week later, Mitsubishi also admitted that its testing procedure for fuel economy had not complied with Japanese regulations for almost 25 years, meaning more vehicles could be embroiled in the scandal. “I would first like to deeply apologise to our customers and others for the inappropriate fuel economy test methods we carried out on our vehicles,” Aikawa said at a media conference…

THE Ford Mustang’s unexpected popularity in Australia is costing owners more money. Wheels has learnt the real reason the American pony car was subjected to price increases of up to $2500 before it went on sale, and it has little to do with currency, as claimed by Ford. Wheels understands the Mustang’s price hike – diluting some of the “sharp pricing” spruiked in a March 2015 press release – was primarily to improve profitability for the company’s head office in Detroit. A person close to the positioning and pricing of the Mustang told Wheels that local executives crunched “a really sweet deal on the price” when negotiating two years ago. But our insider says the popularity of the car caught out Ford Australia executives, with orders for 6000 cars by…

Model Porsche 718 Boxster S PDK Engine 2497cc flat 4, dohc, 16v, turbo Max Power 257kW@ 7500rpm Max Torque 420Nm @ 1900-4500rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Weight 1385kg 0-100km/h 4.4sec (claimed) Fuel economy 7.3L/100km (EU) Price $148,390 On sale June FIRST DRIVES PORSCHE has ruined the Boxster. The switch from naturally aspirated six-cylinder engines to four-cylinder turbocharged units is a disaster. At least that’s what many commentators would have you believe as they chunter on about the drip-drip diminution of all they hold dear such as granularity of steering feel, fibrous response at the contact patch and endless reams of similar guff. None of that particularly matters, and here’s why. The Boxster is the entry-level Porsche sports car. A statistically insignificant number of 718-series buyers will have previously owned a Boxster,…

Model Citroen C4 Cactus e-HDi Engine 1560cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, TD Max power 68kW @ 4000 rpm Max torque 230Nm @ 1750rpm Transmission 6-speed sequential Kerb weight 1055kg 0-100km/h 11.4sec (claimed) Economy 3.6L/100km Price $29,990 On sale Now THE PUNS seem endless: ‘Citroen sales spike as its new front-drive crossover becomes a thorn in rivals’ side’. The pun-tastic name shows that, even before you’ve clapped eyes on its blunt, narrow-eyed nose, or poked and prodded the ‘Airbumps’ that garnish its doors and bumpers, this car has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek. Intrigue, then, is its first weapon, but at a pricey $29,990 for the semi-auto turbo-diesel, it’s potentially up against it. A single trim level brings 17-inch alloys, digital radio, climate control and a crisp 7.0-inch display with…

Model Mercedes-Benz GLS500 Engine 4663cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, twin-turbo Max power 335kW @ 5250-5500rpm Max torque 700Nm @ 1800-4000rpm Transmission 9-speed automatic Kerb weight 2445kg 0-100km/h 5.3sec (claimed) Economy 10.9L/100km Price $161,900 On sale Now DRIVING a GLS delivers a sensation that only very tall and muscular people must experience – you lord over almost everything else. And it’s not a friendly lording, either, like you might receive from a gentle giant, but an aggressive one that shouts, “Get out of my way”. A big part of this is down to the GLS’s colossal, US-friendly size, backed up by design tweaks that turn the aggression up to 11. This mild facelift brings a sharper nose, new tail-lights and a revised rear bumper to the seven-seat SUV, which is sold…

Model Mercedes-Benz S500 Cabriolet Engine 4663cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, twin-turbo Max power 335kW @ 5250-5500rpm Max torque 700Nm @ 1800-3500rpm Transmission 9-speed automatic Weight 2040kg 0-100km/h 4.6sec (claimed) Fuel economy 8.5L/100km Price $360,000 (estimated) On sale September WHEN Mercedes unveiled the C217 S-Class Coupe in 2014 as a pillarless two-door, we knew a Cabriolet was certain to follow. If anything, it’s even better looking than the Coupe, open or closed, a swooping, indulgent beauty whose styling benefits from not having to package a bulky, folding metal roof. The Cabriolet shares the Coupe’s footprint, though it’s 6mm taller. And heavier. The S500 sends the scales to 2040kg, 85kg more than the Coupe, 50kg of which comes from the astonishing power-operated roof. The roof – please don’t call it a ragtop…

Model BMW 750i M Sport Engine 4395cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, twin-turbo Max power 330kW @ 5500-6000rpm Max torque 650Nm @ 1800-4500rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Weight 1820kg 0-100km/h 4.7sec (claimed) Economy 8.1L/100km Price $289,600 On sale Now THE seventh-gen 7 dazzled at Wheels COTY 2016, but was limited to the six-cylinder range. Now the 750i has arrived with its twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 delivering 330kW in a measured but devastating fashion. Yet there’s more to it than simply a more powerful engine. The 750i sports a strong presence and a muscular stance on inch-bigger alloy 20s, while trainspotters will pick the V8’s dual exhausts. The cockpit takes familiar BMW architecture, loads it with tech, then dips it in swathes of Nappa leather and Alcantara. The plush rear carpet takes your feet…

I GREW up in a family that didn’t like Fords. They were owned by villains (my maternal grandfather in his XB Fairmont V8), leadfoots (mad Uncle Terry channelling Stephen King’s Christine in his ’74 LTD 351), disenchanted Holden faithful or the misguided, at least according to my one-eyed old man. But I never bought into any of that BS. I just liked cars, and if it happened to have Falcon emblazoned on its bootlid, mudguard or rear hindquarter, so be it. Maybe it’s a sign that the only current Falcon wearing the nameplate on its rump is the base fleet model, which no one buys anymore. In fact, hardly anyone buys a Falcon, full stop. Except for the performance models; Ford’s once-great Falcon nameplate might be facing imminent…

Model BMW M2 Pure Engine 2979cc 6cyl, dohc, 24v, turbo Max power 272kW @ 6500rpm Max torque 465Nm @ 1400-5560rpm Transmission 6-speed manual Weight 1495kg 0-100km/h 4.5sec (claimed) Economy 8.5L/100km Price $89,900 On sale Now “I left, 100, 5 right into 6 left, crest, 9 right, hug, 150 6 left, opens into 10 right, flat over crest…” Rising star Harry Bates – son of Australian rallying royalty Neal – sits in the co-driver’s seat delivering pace notes as we attack the wondrous roads of Australia’s island state in The Year’s Most Highly Anticipated Car: the BMW M2. In any of the other 51 weeks of the year, we’d have been charged with speeding, as well as reckless driving for accelerating around blind bends on the wrong side of the road.…

THE latest addition to our long-term fleet barely had a chance to get its 19-inch Continentals comfortable in the car park before it was passed over for something quite a bit faster, sexier and way more licence-endangering. Ponch’s long-term AMG C63 S needed a home for a few weeks and I couldn’t resist the lure of its almost satanic twin-turbo V8. The first few days passed in a frenzy of monster torque locked in brutal battle with sticky Michelins, and just a little spinal tap courtesy of the ultra-firm ride. Which is to say everything was going perfectly, right up until the power steering failed. Have you ever tried to extract yourself from an underground car park on 245/45 front tyres with unassisted steering? Wrestling a polar bear would be…

STRAIGHT off the back of the C63’s comparison win (see page 110), its talents were called on for a 400km slog to Dubbo for a 21st birthday party. Now I don’t know about you, but my cherished memories of 21sts include a fully clothed synchronised-swimming display in my parents’ pool and almost getting sprung by the cops smoking wacky tobacky with a dozen others in the local milkman’s van in Grafton. Now I can add my back-road blast home from Dubbo in the C63 S. Flushed with its towering comparo performance at Sydney Dragway and along Putty Road, I’d shuddered at the thought of a stupefying five-hour, speed-limited slog to get there. But with constant use of the Benz’s excellent cruise-control wand – flicking it up in 10-20km/h bursts when…

MONTH three and I’m starting to get used to Audi’s take on the (mostly) electric car. Easy torque is the name of the game. And I’m loving that you can zip around keenly without making much noise. Sure, there’s a lot to be said for the theatre of a barking, popping exhaust. But, as Tesla owners would attest, there’s also a certain appeal about making a brisk getaway without people thinking you’re a wally. That’s arguably the e-tron’s biggest party trick. There’s little visual fizz, and the only giveaway to people inside is the lack of noise. Good or bad, depending on your perspective. The charging thing is all good, though. My e-tron tops out at about 40km, which almost gets me to the city and back, and having the…

1 AUDI A8 4.2 TDI QUATTRO 283kW Every bit counts and Audi’s top-shelf diesel tops this list by a mere 2kW. Yet it’s the 850Nm of low-down grunt that make this such a useful device. Now, where’s that autobahn… 2 PORSCHE CAYENNE S DIESEL 281kW Same 4.1-litre twin-turbo diesel as the Audi – and same 850Nm – but Porsche’s go-fast SUV has a slightly lower power output. Still fun, though, and surprisingly characterful. 3 BMW X5 M50d 280kW The impressive power and 740Nm is a mighty shove from six cylinders. But BMW’s triple-turbo 3.0-litre – also employed in the X6 – is not short of tech. Or performance. 4 RANGE ROVER SPORT HSE SDV6 HYBRID 250kW Electric power adds punch to the 3.0-litre V6, bringing 700Nm to the equation. The…

There’s nothing like a celebration, especially when it’s combined with a hot hatch. VW has its hands full sorting out the Dieselgate scandal, but found time to create a 40th anniversary edition of its legendary Golf GTI. Key is a more powerful version of the 2.0-litre turbo. Power jumps to 195kW (up from 162kW in the regular GTI and 169kW in the GTI Performance), with an overboost function that ups that to 213kW – more than the 206kW peak in the all-wheel-drive Golf R. The GTI 40 Years also gets bigger brakes, a differential lock, adjustable dampers and 19-inch alloy wheels, as well as new bumpers, black mirrors, an optional black roof and various active safety features.…

MASERATI has confirmed it is working on a V8 version of the Levante SUV – launched this month in Europe – with the aim of creating an alternative to high-power rivals such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. The problem being, as Maserati acknowledges, that this is a very small market segment. According to Davide Danesin, Maserati’s vehicle line executive, only about 12,000 SUVs producing more than 370kW are sold globally each year, little more than a drop in the ocean of around half a million premium crossover sales. Yet he also acknowledges that, if Maserati wants Levante to be taken seriously against its full-fat rivals, it will need to stomach the engineering costs. Apparently the company has already constructed a prototype that uses the 390kW V8 engine from the Maserati…

THE ‘Dieselgate’ scandal has claimed the scalps of several Volkswagen models as the brand reels from the controversy. Models sent to the chopping block include the next-generation Beetle, Eos and Scirocco as Volkswagen’s R&D resources focus on Dieselgate remedies and the burgeoning SUV market. The company has also cancelled the high-performance Golf R 400. Speaking at the launch of second-generation Tiguan, Volkswagen concept developer Mathias Thom said: “All of these are stopped … these are not the important cars. We have more important things to do. The direction is now make your volume [selling] cars better.” That means yet more SUVs. A number of new SUV variants are on the horizon, including possible sportier body shapes with coupe-inspired rooflines, in the style of the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and BMW X4.…

Model Volkswagen Tiguan 132TSI Engine 1984cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 132kW @ 5100-6200rpm Max torque 320Nm @ 1500-3940rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Weight 1669kg 0-100km/h 7.7sec (claimed) Economy 7.4L/100km (EU) Price $40,000 (estimated) On sale September FORGET everything you know about the Volkswagen Tiguan. The Golf-on-stilts going by that name is dead after eight years on the market. Only the badge carries over to the second-generation Tiguan, the first all-new VW to launch since the ongoing Dieselgate fiasco. Tiguan version 2.0 is due here in September with a range of five engines. Petrols include a 110kW 1.4 turbo, a 132kW 2.0-litre turbo and a top-spec 162TSI running the same 162kW/350Nm tune as a base Golf GTI. Both diesel models – 110TDI and 140TDI – use VW’s new-generation EA288 2.0-litre…

Model Mercedes-AMG SLC43 Engine 2996cc V6 (60°), 24v, dohc, twin-turbo Max power 270kW @ 5500-6000rpm Max torque 520Nm @ 2000-4200rpm Transmission 9-speed automatic Weight 1520kg 0-100km/h 4.7sec (claimed) Economy 7.8L/100km Price $135,000 (estimated) On sale September THE SLK55 V8 has gone and with it the last fast Mercedes-Benz whose name corresponds to the size of the engine beneath the bonnet. The replacement AMG SLC43 is a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 whose 270kW and 520Nm don’t compare favourably with the SLK55’s 310kW and 540Nm. However, because the V6 allows fitment of Mercedes’ nine-speed auto (two ratios up on the old 55), with closely stacked lower ratios and maximum torque from only 2000rpm (you had to wait until 4500rpm before the V8’s peak), its 4.7sec sprint to 100km/h is just 0.1sec slower, while…

Model Ferrari California T Handling Speciale Engine 3855cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, turbo Max power 412kW @ 7500rpm Max torque 755Nm @ 4750rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Weight 1625kg 0-100km/h 3.6sec (claimed) Economy 10.5L/100km (EU) Price $425,638 On sale Q3 2016 THIS is the car that perfectly illustrates the fundamental divide that splits Ferrari owners into two categories: drivers and poseurs. There’s always been an overlap, of course – nobody invests in a startled donkey without at least some consideration of how they will look behind the wheel – but the company admits that buyers of the standard Cali T are likely drawn to its design and the appeal of its magical foldaway roof rather than performance. Not so with the new Handling Speciale, an option pack first introduced in 2012…

Model Audi RS7 Sportback Performance Engine 3993cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, twin-turbo Max power 445kW @ 6800rpm Max torque 750Nm @ 1750-6000rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Weight 1923kg 0-100km/h 3.7sec (claimed) Economy 9.6L/100km Price $258,000 On sale Now I’VE just blown the froth off every cappuccino at the corner cafe. The RS7’s raw, burbling twin-turbo V8 pierces the air with a pop and crackle from Satan himself, unapologetically interrupting discussions on real estate, Paleo diets and gender-neutral baby names. This is no ‘regular’ RS7, but the Performance version, a harder-edged, 300km/h flying hatch that replaces it. Building a Performance version of the RS7 is like giving Bill Gates more money. There’s extra power from higher turbo boost – up 33kW to 445kW – but, more importantly, torque leaps 50Nm to 750Nm,…

Model Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro Engine 2967cc V6 (90°), dohc, 24v, TD Max power 160kW @ 3250-4750rpm Max torque 500Nm @ 1250-3000rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Kerb weight 2060kg 0-100km/h 7.3sec (claimed) Economy 5.8L/100km Price $96,300 On sale Now MOST big seven-seater SUVs – even the posh ones – are almost universally flawed. Overpriced, overweight and all-too-often dynamically underdone, they epitomise the more-is-less philosophy. We’ve harped on about the virtues of choosing a wagon instead, but the burgeoning popularity of SUVs means the market has spoken rather than listened. Until recently, only the homegrown Ford Territory managed to truly hit the mark. That all changed with the second-gen Audi Q7 in 2015, bringing with it thoughtful packaging (smaller on the outside, larger on the inside), refinement (sumptuous interior design and…

Jaguar’s F-Pace knows how to devour a challenging road Model Jaguar F-Pace S AWD First Edition Engine 2995cc V6 (90°), dohc, 24v, S/C Max power 280kW @ 6500rpm Max torque 450Nm @ 4500rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic L/W/H/WB 4731/1936/1667/2874mm Weight 1861kg 0-100km/h 5.5sec (claimed) Economy 8.9L/100km (EU) Price $120,700 On sale July NEW month, new luxury SUV. And from the least likely of suspects. So far this year we’ve seen Bentley Bentayga and Maserati Levante – each leveraging the upper-crust image of a sporting marque to infuse a family focused ‘4WD’ – and still in the pipeline is Lamborghini’s Urus. But we’ve just driven arguably the most relevant, and certainly the most affordable, of 2016’s rock-ready SUV crew – the Jaguar F-Pace. With prices starting at just $74,340, expect it to…

Model Land Rover Discovery Sport SD4 SE Engine 2179cc 4-cyl, dohc, 16v, TD Max power 140kW @ 4000rpm Max torque 420Nm @ 1750rpm Transmission 9-speed automatic Weight 1775kg 0-100km/h 8.9sec (claimed) Economy 7.1L/100km (on test) Price $59,595 On sale Now HELL is in remote western South Australia. And we’re driving through it. From behind glass in our Land Rover Discovery Sport, air-con set to 19 degrees, suspension soothing the potholes and dust sealed out, this could be any outback scene for millions of square-kilometres around. But stop, kill the turbo-diesel engine and step out and there is something different here, something missing. Life. On these rolling hills, stunted saltbushes are the only sign of vegetation, their faded colour matching the grey clouds. There are no birds of prey wheeling through…

YES, that is a brewery in the photo. No, Wheels is not advocating drinking and driving; we’re all mature enough to know right from wrong, right? That’s the Red Hill Brewery on the Mornington Peninsula, which also happens to have fantastic roads ideally suited to the MX-5. So when the time came for one last fang in the 1.5 before swapping into the 2.0, I gravitated to my favourite set of roads. My first half dozen COTYs etched these roads into my memory, sharing laps with Carey, Ponchard, Bulmer, Robbo and other judges evaluating that year’s contenders on the lumpen curves of Arthurs Seat and long undulations out to Flinders. Custom decreed that each judge drive the loop in every car. With weekend visits in other test cars, or my…

EASTER brought the opportunity to use the Optima in the way that its GT badge and spacious rear seat suggest it is intended – as a family tourer. The decision to take the Kia to Nan’s in Katoomba instead of our family wagon, a 2004 Subaru Liberty GT, was pretty easy. The Subaru is none too economical, even on the highway, and with 165,000km on the clock it doesn’t ride brilliantly – even, annoyingly, after I had four new dampers fitted last year. I had little doubt the Kia would be more economical and comfortable. Being a wagon, the Subaru has more cargo space, and it’s more easily accessible, but this trip would provide a good test for the Kia’s boot. I think the Liberty is marginally more fun, but…

SEVENTEEN weeks, seven thousand clicks, and across three states in record Aussie summer heat… Is that any way to treat an 830kg four-seat urban runabout? We did so anyway, and it’s with a heavy heart we bid bye-bye to our $13K-driveaway Celerio. For few cars this cheap would still feel cheerful after so much time. From the post-COTY judging curiosity that sparked us to include the Thai-built sub-B supermini in Garage, through the holiday season, then into the first few months of the year, 1FU-3RE never erred. Unlike the pretty but flawed Alto, few corners have been cut to keep the price low. The Celerio certainly works well in its intended environment. For starters, thanks to some very utilitarian boxiness combined with a substantial 1.5m-high roof, entry and egress is…

IT WAS never going to be easy responding to Ford’s mighty Mustang, but Chevrolet’s Camaro of 1967 had done a good job. By 1969, helped by its SCCA Trans-Am racing successes, Camaro was getting a lasso around the runaway Ford, selling 243,000 to Mustang’s 300,000. Chevrolet had a dramatically styled successor waiting in the wings. The new-for-1970, second-generation Camaro carried over the same F-body platform, but the stylists had taken cues from Ferrari (and perhaps Jaguar’s XJ) and penned a front end with raised pontoons and a gaping, egg-crate grille. A fastback coupe body – there was no convertible – with circular tail-lights helped the Maranello mirage. But the panels proved to be a nightmare for the toolmakers at GM’s Fisher Body division, splitting and wrinkling in the draw dies.…

HISTORY REPEATS This won’t be the first Commodore hatch. Holden first showed an all-paw hatchback in 2002 – the SSX concept, a VY Commodore-based liftback with a wider track, pumped guards and a clever rear sliding drawer. It again explored the hatch concept in 2004 with the TT36 (pictured), a mid-size five-door considered at the time a spiritual successor to the Torana, but which actually previewed the VE Commodore. The imported Commodore will be the longest ever COMMODORE SPORTS TOURER One thing that will remain a constant in Holden dealerships is the wagon. Opel is readying a Sports Tourer version of the Insignia, giving Holden an entrant into the dwindling – but still strong – wagon segment. To be unveiled in 2017, the new Commodore wagon will also spawn a…

BMW is putting on a brave face after the defection of four senior executives instrumental in the company’s electric-focused ‘i’ sub-brand. First to depart was program development supremo Carsten Brietfeld, a BMW veteran of 20 years who was one of the fathers of the BMW i8. News followed shortly that i’s design boss Benoit Jacob, product chief Henrik Wenders and senior powertrain engineer Dirk Abendroth would follow him out the door. Senior executives often move between companies and it’s not unknown for an entire team to defect together. What is unusual with the departure of four senior managers from the i Division is their choice of destination: Chinese electric and ‘smart’ car start-up Future Mobility. The fact the four of them have chosen to leave one of the world’s leading…

I found the interior of the Genesis to be a tight fit WEIGHT A MINUTE Without being judgmental, 60 percent of Australians are overweight and yet you give no advice on prospective comfort for the majority of Australians apart from the occasional advice for tall people. For example, there are mostly glowing reports on the size of the Genesis interior and yet I found it to be a tight fit; my young children even complained of a lack of legroom when I tested the car. I realised that much of the 3010mm wheelbase is squandered on the long-bonnet look. The car is otherwise brilliant. Please employ some ‘normal’ people as testers and not just under-normal-sized people. Ross Finocchiaro, via email We’ll see what we can do about extending the editorial…

Model Suzuki Vitara S Turbo 2WD Engine 1373cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 103kW @ 5000rpm Max torque 220Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission 6-speed automatic Weight 1160kg 0-100km/h 10.2sec (claimed) Fuel economy 5.9L/100km Price $28,990 On sale Now WHILE the bottom-end RT-S models of Suzuki’s 2015 Vitara made sense with their highly competitive pricing and generous spec, the better-equipped RT-X suffered because it only offered more equipment, not performance, especially given its heavier AWD underpinnings. Now Suzuki has launched the S Turbo in both FWD and AWD, adding a sweet automatic to really help justify the extra outlay. Launched last August, the latest Vitara – the first with a monocoque body – charmed with its sweet 1.6-litre atmo four, chunky looks, spacious cabin, comfy seating, low entry price and neat…

Model Toyota Prius i-Tech Engine 1798cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v + electric Max power 90kW @ 5200rpm(combined) Max torque 142Nm @ 3600rpm (+163Nm elec) Transmission CVT automatic Kerb weight 1375kg 0-100km/h 10.5sec (estimated) Economy 3.4L/100km Price $42,990 On sale Now THIS is the Prius Toyota wants you to love – and not just for its ability to halve fuel bills. It is so confident the fourth generation of its petrol-electric pioneer will tickle our driving toes that it guided us to a private test track to experience it under more extreme conditions – tyre squealing and all. The verdict? It’s a huge step up for a Prius … but it’s no hot hatch. There’s a newfound maturity to the way the Prius tackles bends. Steering is satisfyingly accurate and the flagship…

Model Rolls-Royce Dawn Engine 6592cc V12, dohc, 48v, twin-turbo Max power 420kW @ 5250rpm Max torque 780Nm @ 1500rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Kerb weight 2560kg 0-100km/h 4.9sec (claimed) Economy 14.2L/100km Price $749,000 On sale Now “IN THE case of the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, 2+2 does not equal 4,” quips Rolls-Royce design director Giles Taylor of the convertible that shares many of its underpinnings with the brand-bending Wraith coupe. He means that ‘four-seater’ convertibles usually aren’t. Having driven the car at its launch in South Africa, we tend to agree it’s one of only two cars deserving of the description, the other being the departing Phantom Drophead Coupe that Dawn effectively replaces. So it seems 5.3 metres plus 2.6 tonnes plus $749,000 does equal four. To those who can afford it,…

Model BMW X5 xDrive40e Engine 1998cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo + electric motor Max system power 230kW Max system torque 450Nm Transmission 8-speed automatic Weight 2230kg 0-100km/h 6.8sec (claimed) Economy 3.3L/100km Price $118,900 On sale Now THE main issue with cutting-edge technology, as best as I can tell, is how quickly its once-gleaming edge can become dulled. What was yesterday’s brilliant Bright Shiny Thing is today’s discontinued obsolescence, and tomorrow’s landfill. So where does that leave BMW with its relatively late-to-the-party X5 xDrive40e, the plug-in hybrid variant of what was last year’s top-selling premium SUV? The tech fundamentals are familiar. The xDrive40e takes BMW’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four and integrates an electric motor between it and an eight-speed automatic. The underfloor area in the boot rises 40mm to accommodate a 96-cell,…

Luxurious on the inside, brash on the outside, politeness left at the door IT WOULD be easy to assume that people don’t understand subtlety anymore. Instagram selfies, bigger muscles, fuller lips, more Facebook likes, more hype. And often inversely proportional to the size of someone’s intellect. Long gone are the days of the intelligentsia receiving rock-star reverence, and ditto the likelihood of slipping under the radar in an AMG. Remember the W202 C36, its C43 V8 brother, and the supercharged W203 C32? Pleasant things all, particularly the sweet-as-honey C43, but about as in-your-face as a Home & Away lovemaking scene. And that doesn’t really cut the sports-sedan mustard in 2016. Not when BMW has been setting the bar for puffed-up yet practical high-performance machinery since the epically hirsute E30 M3…

REGULAR readers of these ripping yarns may recall how I vowed to never again ignore the XC90’s warning lights. On that occasion, an electronic glitch took out the low-fuel warning lamp, which led to the Volvo running dry, leaving Mrs Bulmer and brood stranded. Marriage counselling may or may not have followed. So you might reasonably expect that the next time Black Betty exhibited any sort of electronic alarm, I’d shut her down quicker than Donald Trump does a dissenting voice. Sadly, it seems, I haven’t learned my lesson. When a new warning light read “Engine coolant level low, turn off engine”, the recommended course of action couldn’t have been clearer. Trouble is, the warning lamp was intermittent, the temp gauge was settled comfortably on the right side of the…

I’VE been told that I’m sensitive, which is why I don’t read the comments beneath any online story that I’ve written. And perhaps that may be where my Ford Focus Sport and I have a bond and fondness for each other. The realisation came after I’d been away on several comparison tests (and if you’re reading this as a Blue Oval fan, that included the Mustang GT outmuscling the beloved Holden Commodore SS-V Redline). I’d left the car at The Brunswick Office (otherwise known as Byron’s house), where it had hardly been driven. And, Your Honour, I had not checked the tyre pressures for weeks before that… So after enjoying the Mustang’s torque on brilliant country roads, as well as driving five seriously capable luxury saloons for this month’s comparo,…

IF LEGENDARY drivers of the 1970s were any guide, the secret to motorsport success would lie in 40 ciggies a day, steak and frites at the Tip Top Club, then a horizontal workout at the hotel. Today’s race drivers, however, are among the most disciplined and dedicated athletes. “With the amount of work they do, I’m sure they would be competitive in whatever type of sport they went into,” says Kerry Leech, a dietician at Brisbane’s Eat Smart Nutrition Consultants. Leech has worked with V8 Supercar drivers Michael Caruso and James Moffat to study how racing affected their bodies and helped formulate an appropriate diet. “My dad worked in the car industry, so I grew up watching Bathurst,” Leech says. “I had a bit of a motorhead background. I knew…