Table of contents for May 2019 in Wheels

IF HOLLYWOOD has taught us anything, aside from how important it is to be attractive, it is that cars are highly likely to explode into fireballs with little provocation. And that’s just traditional, internal-combustion-engine cars; what about when someone does an eerily silent-movie car chase in a Tesla? Will battery acid wash across the road and melt pedestrians’ feet? Or, to put the question more seriously, just how safe are electric cars, with their packs of batteries, in the event of a crash? Are they inherently less safe than ICE vehicles, or, conversely, less dangerous? Nissan, maker of the Leaf, Europe’s top-selling EV, is unequivocal, with Wayne Harris, manager of electrification for Nissan Australia, telling Wheels: “EVs provide the same level of occupant safety (both during and post-crash) as the…

DUE OCT HYUNDAI VELOSTER Second-generation Veloster brings more visual aggression and the latest take on the unique asymmetric door design. Aussie arrival has been delayed, but it will lob later this year with a 110kW atmo 2.0-litre or a 150kW 1.6-litre turbo. The front-drive hatch-cum-coupe promises sharper dynamics and better infotainment; just don’t expect an N version. DUE JUNE TESLA MODEL 3 Better late than never, and let’s hope the Model 3’s quality issues have been resolved by the time the first ones arrive around June. No word yet on pricing, nor what variants will be offered first. As with other markets, though, it’s likely those paying for more expensive models of the most affordable Tesla will be at the head of the queue. DUE MAY BMW Z4 There’s…

’96-’99 MAKINEN’S 4 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 3399 PRODUCTION RUN OF A PROPOSED 2500 CARS 212 ‘SPECIAL COLOUR PACKAGE’ GSR CARS LAST 3YR PRICE SHIFT +40% four LAPS OF THE RING PER TANK @ 46.3L/100KM THE GOOD Tough and practical, the Tommi Mäkinen Edition still stands up dynamically. Its issues are well documented and spares are relatively plentiful. Genuine low-km cars make a solid investment. THE BAD Soaring values have made genuine cars targets for theft and created a temptation to fabricate fake TMEs. Needs frequent servicing and has a heck of a thirst when you’re at flat chat. The cabin also dates the Evo VI.…

IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE, but injecting water into a turbocharged engine can actually liberate extra power. A simple way to increase a turbo engine’s power is to turn up the boost. But as the pressure rises, so does the temperature, while the charge density goes south, which actually starts to diminish peak power. Higher boost pressures and temperatures also increase the chances of potentially catastrophic ‘knocking’ or uncontrolled combustion. Retarding ignition timing helps, as does intercooling and charge cooling, which lowers the induction-charge temperature and mitigates some of the associated problems, but their effectiveness is limited by the efficiency of the heat exchangers and the temperature of the liquid or air they are dissipating heat to. This is where water comes in – literally. Just like sweating, turning water into vapour…

A FORMULA ONE circuit is ideal for many things, except, you might think, for launching a new SUV. And of all the tracks on the F1 calendar, Melbourne’s Albert Park seems a particularly foolhardy choice. Wide, fast and flowing, its cocktail of high-speed turns and big, hard stops followed by fiddly chicanes is the kind of place to destroy an SUV; a cauldron of speed seemingly designed to expose the inherent dynamic flaws that come with a higher ride height and more weight. But then again, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q (short for Quadrifoglio) is no ordinary SUV. It was a Nurburgring lap record holder (until its pesky rival from Mercedes-AMG stole it), and is actually quicker around the infamous German circuit than a Lamborghini Gallardo. This shouldn’t be a…

LAST TIME Mini turned its three-door hatch fully electric, the rear seats vanished, boot space shrank and weight increased 300kg. That was back in 2008, just 600 were leased, but the Mini E did inform development of the BMW i3. Now the i3’s repaying the favour by donating its EV technology to a proper series-production electric Mini, the packaging compromises all but eliminated. Promisingly, ‘Cooper S’ has been inserted between ‘Mini’ and ‘E’. We’re driving a prototype of the Mini Cooper SE on a coned airfield course. It doesn’t take long for a grin to spread across your mug – eager acceleration, pacey steering and nimble footwork ensure the Cooper S character is intact. Improved packaging is key. Power electronics and the 135kW electric motor normally found at the rear…

one BATTERY First-generation Leaf was fitted with a 24kWh battery; this second-gen car runs a 40kWh pack. Part of the gain is due to improved chemistry of the lithium-ion cells, which Nissan claims are also more durable. The new battery is no larger or heavier than the original, highlighting the improvement achieved in eight years. two MOTOR & RANGE New AC synchronous motor is more powerful than that fitted to the original Leaf. Th new car’s power output of 110kW is a hefy 38 percent gain, while torque of 320Nm is 14 percent greater. First-gen car had an NEDC range of 170km; this figure is now 270km on the WLTP test. three CHARGING Three options are available for charging. Using a conventional 240v outlet, Nissan claims 24 hours for a…

PATIENCE IS a virtue – a phrase someone far wiser than me once stated, and it’s one I try to follow. Such has been my experience this first month with the Jimny, biding my time as it does the rounds fulfilling everyone’s curiosity and starring in segments for WhichCar TV. The attention it garners is ridiculous! Now, with all the limelight subsiding, I’ve finally been able to spend some quality time in the tiny Suzuki. As a daily, the Jimny would certainly not be my first choice. Far from it, actually. While being able to accommodate two adults in the front, the rear is pretty much useless for full-sized humans. Lucky for me, then, that the only two passengers I have to chauffeur on a regular basis are both under…

IN STEPHEN KING’S classic 1983 novel Christine, Arnie Cunningham’s malevolent 1958 Plymouth Fury puts the “fear into four wheels” as it goes about autonomously dispatching Arnie’s rivals in grisly ways, while driving a Cadillac-sized wedge between him and his new girlfriend. Lately I’ve been wondering if our Santa Fe might have a touch of the Christines about it, too, in so far as there’s something suspicious about the way the heated seats and steering wheel activate with a mind of their own. Admittedly, having your buns and palms gently roasted pales when compared to being monstered by a ton-and-a-half of angry Detroit iron, but on a hot summer day with the excellent air-con cranked to cryogenic, it’s at the very least mildly inconvenient. The wife, too, thinks there’s something mischievous…

AT WHAT point do compulsory vehicle ‘safety inclusions’ veer into a breach of privacy and freedom of choice? That’s the question that will be inescapable when, in 2022, cars sold in the European Union will be required to be fitted with an array of new safety systems as standard, including intelligent speed limiters (ISL), an alcohol interlock system to prevent intoxicated driving, and data monitors that record every detail – including speed, speed zones, and locations – of each journey. These are just some of the mandates woven into legislation approved by the European Commission. It’s due to come into effect from May 2022 for new models yet to be designed, and May 2024 for updates of models currently on the market. (The measures are subject to the formal approval…

UPHILL HERO SPECIALIZED S-WORKS TURBO LEVO Going further on the trail used to be about training harder and putting down that cheeseburger, but Specialized has another solution. The S-Works Turbo Levo takes the company’s leading carbonfibre frame construction, SRAM groupset and 150mm of suspension travel, and pairs it with a 700Wh battery and 250w motor. Each pedal stroke is seamlessly boosted by the e-drivetrain allowing you to punish the dirt faster and for longer. specialized.com $15,000 WATCHES BAUME & MERCIER CLIFTON CLUB RANGE The Clifton Club range pays tribute to unexpected motorsport heroes. This Indian model is a homage to Kiwi legend Burt Munro, who smashed the motorcycle land speed record on a 1920 Indian Scout. Production is scheduled for 1967 units, a nod to the year he set the record.…

1 TOYOTA RAV4 Buyers will be spoilt for choice with the new RAV4, which launches locally next month, with three engines (including hybrids for the first time) across 11 variants. It’s built on Toyota’s TNGA platform, which has proven a winner for the likes of the Corolla and C-HR. Wheels will have one of the first Australian comparison tests next month, as the Toyota battles four of its toughest competitors. 2 CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 It’s unclear when a converted car will actually roll off Clayton’s production line, but we’re so keen to drive it, we had to include it here regardless. The Chev hero is powered by a 6.2-litre supercharged LT4 V8, producing “around” 480kW and 860Nm, pending local certification. You’ll need at least $160,000 to own one, and only…

1. FORD FOCUS TITANIUM Hardy, workmanlike dash miles away from ‘luxury’ despite gimmicky Jaguar-esque rotary selector, brushed aluminium trim and classy night-time lighting. Messy dials seem especially cheap. Still, there’s heaps of room, practicality and functionality, while all the tech is present. Seats provide basic comfort and support front and rear, and there are decent levels of space too. No rear air vents (again) is an annoying omission. A scrappy effort for ‘Titanium’ flagship. Cargo capacity is a useful 375L. Spare is a space saver. 2. HOLDEN ASTRA RS-V Getting on now, the Astra’s interior is at least cohesive, and actually rarely puts a foot wrong in terms of functionality and practicality, but it won’t raise your pulse. Seating is adequate front and rear, but the leather is slippery and…

01 Depreciation The biggest cost of ownership for most new cars. Of the 2000-plus cars number-crunched, Glass’s three-year retained value figures ran as low as 33 percent for the worst depreciators, to as high as 69 percent for something like Toyota’s LandCruiser GXL. 02 Insurance We used comprehensive insurance quotes obtained online from Budget Direct for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW, Rating One for life, no finance, with the vehicle declared for private use. 03 Fuel Annual fuel cost has been calculated on ADR combined-cycle consumption figures – not real-world, but a good base for comparison. Annual distance travelled is taken as the ABS Australian average of 14,000km, and fuel prices on the day were used. 04 Purchase price Most new-car buyers set out with a budget in…

PERHAPS IT’S a little premature, but an apology is required for the conclusion of this comparison. It’s deeply unsatisfactory given that here are two of the very finest sports coupes that halfway sensible money can buy. The Alpine A110 and the BMW M2 Competition represent wildly divergent means to a common end and their differences are so profound that pronouncing a winner seems invidious. At the moment it also seems unnecessary because we’re about to drive both cars off a cliff. It’s a fair old way down. There’s a moment to speculate just how far as the car skates towards the visible horizon, about 20 metres distant. Beyond that are treetops and then blue. In the foreground, the Alpine A110 is understeering towards the unprotected precipice. The BMW M2 Competition…

I’LL CONCEDE it’s entirely possible the new fifth-gen Subaru Forester is no great fan of my exterior styling. So yes, our feelings toward each other may be completely mutual. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Forester’s Eyesight camera recognition system scanned my face for the first time, and the software basically translated this to: “You’re kidding! I’ve got to look at this every day for the next six months?” Sorry, pal, but arranged marriages often don’t ignite with a passionate flame. It’s said that women fall in love via their ears and men fall in love via their eyes. So maybe it’s not pathetically shallow of me to admit that the biggest hurdle from the outset for me bonding with the Forester is the look of…

THAS BEEN a month of anxiety, unbridled joy and change in the Kirby household, and along for the ride as an all-important family member was my Corolla long-termer. After much discussion, my partner and I decided it was time to expand the Kirby clan with a new addition. So it was that I found myself driving down the Hume with my partner in the passenger seat, making soft cooing noises at Noah the one-eyed greyhound puppy sat in her lap. During the first weeks of pet ownership the Corolla was invaluable, with the low ride height perfect for training Noah how to enter and exit a vehicle, and the little fella taking to napping on the cloth-trim seats on trips to the vet. While Noah is no larger than my…

WHILE AUTOMOTIVE BRANDS usually like to carry on about weight-saving technologies and new materials – while adding kilos at each model change – Bentley has always made a virtue of being big and powerful. Not for nothing did Ettore Bugatti (who wouldn’t recognise ‘his’ two-tonne sports cars these days) once describe a Bentley as le camion plus vite du monde (“the fastest truck in the world”). If Bugatti didn’t like French honour being insulted by Bentley’s first three Le Mans wins in 1924, ’27 and ’28, there was worse to come. Those were achieved with four-cylinder models of 3.0 and 4.5 litres. Meanwhile, Walter Owen Bentley was already preparing for his next cargo of Le Mans silverware by introducing, in 1926, his first six-cylinder engine, the ‘6½ Litre’. The first…

ARE YOU the type to look at the Adrian Neweydesigned Aston Martin Valkyrie and think, “Meh, needs more power and downforce”? Yeah, us neither, but should such thoughts occur, Wheels can exclusively reveal that an all-new hypercar is currently under development, in New Zealand of all places, that aims to make the Valkyrie seem a little limp-wristed. It’s called the Rodin FZero and it looks, I’m sure you’ll agree, quite unlike anything else. Swoopy, bewinged and with a hydraulically controlled canopy that encases a single-seat cockpit, it’s as though a fighter jet has collided heavily with the rear of the Batmobile. The brainchild of an Aussie, Rodin Cars founder David Dicker, the FZero’s spec sheet reads like a Formula One car’s on steroids: 1193kW from a bespoke, twin-turbo 4.0-litre V10,…

LETTER OF THE MONTH “MAZDA AND TOYOTA “ SEEM TO BE ALL HOT AIR AND NO ACTION” SEDATELY ORIENTED BOTH MAZDA AND Toyota have been hinting for years about the introduction of performance versions to their Mazda 3 and Corolla ranges, but this pair seem to be all hot air and no action. Perhaps Mazda and Toyota should look at the sales success of the Golf GTI and R models which account for around 30 percent of all Golf sales in Australia. This clearly shows that there is a sizeable market for high-spec performance models in Australia. If Mazda is looking to push the new 3 further upmarket, then the 3 needs an equivalent GTI or R model to do this. Unless the new Skyactiv-X engine offers comparable performance to…

MAURIZIO REGGIANI, Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, is choosing which bottle of water to pour. “Sparkling every time,” he decides, notwithstanding the fact that the stuff tastes like TV static. “Costs the same and has gas inside,” he adds, before making possibly the most Lamborghini comment possible about carbonated water. “CO2 is marvellous,” he beams. “No-one is able to prove that CO2 is a pollution, eh? Remember this.” We’re tucked away upstairs in Lamborghini’s suite at the Geneva International Motor Show and there to temper Reggiani’s natural bombast is Federico Foschini, the company’s chief commercial officer, keen to stress how well the Urus SUV is doing for Lamborghini. “Seventy percent of Urus customers are new to the brand. We are seeing more women buying,” he says, but admits that the rise…

MARK WEBBER looks bored. He’s hunting around for an apple core in the footwell of Porsche’s new 992 generation 911 but his foot hasn’t lifted a millimetre from the throttle. We’re approaching 250km/h and he’s looking at the floor. After Formula One and Le Mans, punting a 331kW Carrera 4S road car around The Bend must feel like driving through the aftermath of the Boston Molasses Disaster. It might feel slow to Webber but he’s really not like us. It’s a welcome introduction to the limits of what this car is capable of. The Carrera S is blisteringly rapid. The 4S is as quick around the Nurburgring (7m25s) as a 2016 model 991 GT3. Or, if you prefer, a Carrera 4S with the optional Sport Chrono pack is quicker to…

The contenders Skoda’s Karoq has been a bit of an unsung hero since its arrival in mid-2018, selling slowly against predominantly Asian rivals despite boasting a quality build, commendable size and a superb driving experience. However, while it launched with an attractive sub-$30K price tag, that value-oriented FWD manual offering has since been deleted to make the $32,290 dual-clutch auto the entry point. Does that diminish the Czech’s showroom pull? On the other side of the ring, Renault’s Captur is another small SUV that suffers from a lack of attention – but for different reasons. It doesn’t quite align perfectly with the Karoq, given it’s actually a size class below (the Renault Kadjar that’ll arrive in late 2019 will be the true rival), but a recent update now sees power,…

THE 3’S CABIN IS MORE AKIN TO THE GOLF’S AUDI A3 COUSIN, SINCE IT FORFEITS REAR-SEAT ACCESS AND HEADROOM AT THE ALTAR OF STYLE IN MUCH THE same way we sometimes adopt extraordinary Kiwis as our own (but sadly never some of their politicians), ‘Australia’s Own’ car is now the Mazda 3 – and has been so for some time. A regular podium seller since bursting onto the scene in 2004, the series from Japan is today deeply ensconced in our national streetscape. Toyota’s Corolla might pip it for sheer sales, but more private buyers choose the diminutive Mazda, and – as a show of pride in their purchases – in higher model grades too. But the road has been long and not always easy, with six decades of continuous…

Peugeot’s 308, the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla also deserve to be here, but the French hatch is undergoing a revamp with more power and an eight-speed auto coming later in the year, so that was unavailable, while both the Impreza and Corolla don’t quite have the required sporty performance at this stage to take on our premium quartet. We eagerly await a turbo Impreza variant in the future while the Toyota sorely needs the larger 2.0-litre petrol/electric hybrid powertrain as found in the related Lexus UX. Fingers crossed……

THIS MIGHT UPSET some people and could, quite rightly perhaps, see my ‘Aussie card’ revoked, yet I have reached the unshakable conclusion that in the bitter rivalry of Australia vs New Zealand, the land of the long flat vowel currently has us beat. Rugby union fans will need no reminding of this soul-crushing power shift, yet even accounting for the fact that Kiwis are nicer, more relaxed, are the true creators of pavlova, the egg beater, Russell Crowe, and can, apparently, lay claim to inventing the humble pair of thongs (who knew we should have been calling them Jandals all along?), they also seem to have us licked in another area: automotive ingenuity. Motorcycle fans will already be familiar with the likes of Burt Munro and John Britten (if you…

STATISTICALLY, in Australia, you are more likely to live next door to a redhead than you are to the owner of an electric vehicle. Actually, let me crunch those numbers a bit harder: you’re more likely to live next door to a redheaded bloke named Mike who hates cats than you are an EV owner. For all the airtime EVs generate; for all the discussion about charging infrastructure, environmental benefits, and whether or not they should make bleeping sci-fi noises to avoid skittling distracted pedestrians, the reality is that the take-up of EVs in this country has been minuscule. Part of that, of course, has been lack of affordability. Our COTY winner of 2014, BMW’s i3, while excellent in many ways, is really an urban runabout. And a premium one…

THIS IS going to sound ridiculous given this 419kW/600Nm weapon from Woking is the fastest long-termer Wheels has ever run, and yet, here, right now, on the first couple of kilometres of our Car of the Year test route, it feels … slow. Actually, that is ridiculous. Slow isn’t the right word. Gentle? Measured? Unhurried? It’s none of these things, of course. Even allowing for the fact that the 570GT is the ‘soft one’ in McLaren’s entry-level Sports Series range and has the greatest focus on real-world usability (courtesy of softer suspension, slower steering and a useful luggage compartment behind the seats), it is an absolute rocketship. 0-100km/h takes 3.4sec and if you keep it pinned, the quarter mile is dispatched in 11.1sec – a time equal to the mighty…

CAN WE TALK about sport modes? Broadly speaking, these fall into two types: those that affect the suspension settings and those that don’t. These overlap almost perfectly with the respective Venn diagram of those sport modes that are worth having and those that are complete junk. The XC40 T5 R-Design on our fleet doesn’t have adaptive suspension and therefore I hadn’t really bothered with the sport mode, figuring that it would just ruin the throttle mapping, change the gearshift strategy to ‘perforated eardrum’ and make the steering feel as if the rack was running in Perkins Paste. Besides, I was largely satisfied with the way the XC40 would tackle a twisty road in its Comfort mode. Body control was well contained and the steering, gearshift and throttle never felt noticeably…

TOP THREE AMG GT We must not forget that driving is fun. I love driving my GT, and it makes my day. I love the sound of a V8 more than anything else. The car to me is like a beautiful woman. It has that sexiness the Jaguar E-Type had in the 1960s, the lightness, the long hood when you sit inside. The car is just 100 percent pure emotion, pure beauty. MERCEDES 300SL The attraction of the Gullwing is, of course, the timeless shape, but also when you drive events like Mille Miglia, it shows just how superior that car is. And back in those days, it was like a UFO. That car cost around $8000 and the most expensive Cadillac at the time was around $4000. That was…