Table of contents for April 2017 in Wheels

PORSCHE has caved into widespread criticism and re-introduced the manual gearbox to its race-bred 911 GT3. As part of the 991.2 overhaul, the high-performance two-seater also scores an all-new, naturally aspirated 368kW 4.0-litre flat-six engine. Replacing the old 350kW/400Nm 3.8-litre unit, it can rev out to a stratospheric 9000rpm. This makes it “virtually unchanged from the thoroughbred 911 GT3 Cup racecar competing in the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship”, according to Porsche. The new powerplant includes a stiffer crank, lower-friction cylinder liners, and upgrades to the valvetrain. Since the no-cost-option six-speed manual version tips the scales at just 1430kg, the ensuing power-to-weight ratio is a keen 257kW per tonne. Result? At 3.9 seconds, the manual is half a second slower to 100km/h compared to the standard seven-speed dual-clutch PDK’s…

IF THERE’S one sure way to lose your grip on a leadership position, it’s by sitting around on your backside, doing little, whistling whatever ‘Dixie’ is in German, while rivals steadily, quietly, raise their game. Clearly VW has had this thought front of mind, as this is the first time in the history of the Golf that the company has seen fit to update a model comprehensively enough to declare it a ‘point-five’; that is, a specific mid-point in the model cycle, rather than a full model change. But while the updates are mostly worthwhile and welcome, the question can’t be avoided: are they enough? Let’s start where it matters least: the exterior styling. There was nothing wrong with the Mk7’s taut, pert proportions, and the updates don’t mess with…

THEY say that nothing succeeds like excess, but even the great W.O. Bentley, founder of the storied British luxury marque and a man not known for his willingness to die wondering, would be proud of what the crew from Crewe have conjured this time around. Building on the potent platform laid down by the original 2009 Continental Supersports and more recently with the GT Speed, Bentley has turned the dial up to 11 in reviving the Supersports moniker in a car it’s heralding as “the fastest and most powerful luxury four-seater in the world”. That’s courtesy of the latest iteration of Bentley’s venerable twin-turbo W12 engine and its outputs of 522kW and 1017Nm. Those numbers are enough to overcome the coupe’s hefty 2280kg kerb weight to rocket it from 0-100km/h…

THE C-HR is a most un-Toyotalike thing. It boldly goes against the grain, and when parked next to the largely soulless and conservative metal that presently decorates Toyota showrooms across the country it appears foreign. Actually scratch that: it’s thoroughly alien. Just look at it. There are curves and creases everywhere, yet there’s not really a bad angle to the C-HR. It’s an eye-catching and eye-pleasing design, and it’s been quite a while since we’ve been able to say that about a mainstream Toyota. Then there’s the engine – a downsized, turbocharged 1.2-litre four that makes 85kW/185Nm. Low outputs, sure, but Toyota hasn’t thrown turbo tech like this into a mainstream crossover before. There’s also a double-wishbone rear end and a fairly clever all-paw drivetrain option. This car is such…

SO, THAT thud you just heard was the Earth shifting off its axis, as an Italian upstart edged aside the German rulers of the compact sports sedan segment. Well, let’s try to restore some equilibrium, because here’s a thought – maybe you don’t really need 500 horses stampeding from the rear wheels to achieve driver satisfaction from the broader category. Which brings us here with the question: just how much do you really lose by stepping down to the circa-$100K zone? Do the fireworks from the Alfa utterly snuff out what’s on offer from Audi’s S4 quattro or the Mercedes-AMG C43 4matic? Or are they plenty of car for most people, most of the time? It’s handy that the S4 and C43 have ample design distinctions both inside and out,…

In 1965, just a year after it had gone on sale, Porsche entered a barely modified 911 in the Monte Carlo Rally. It was the first works motorsport outing for the 911 and almost its first competitive outing of any sort: a few privateers had raced their 911s the previous season. Output was increased from 95kW to a massive 110kW, and a bar was welded across the back for the co-driver to stand on to give more traction in the snow. It still managed an impressive fifth. In ’68 (above), Vic Elford delivered the 911’s first Monte win, part of an extraordinary season in which he would also win Daytona (just a week later) and the Targa Florio for Porsche, and finish fourth in his first F1 race. Bjorn Waldegard…

1989 EXTRA PIT-STOPS FOR WINNERS When McLaren romped to victory in all but one of 1988’s races, Ecclestone, then president of the Formula One Constructors’ Association, wanted to level the playing field by introducing mandatory pit-stops for winners. Race victors would face an obligatory stop in the following race, up to a maximum of three stops if they were to win three successive GPs. Luckily, the idea never took to the track. 2003 LOTTERY QUALIFYING Ecclestone detested 2003’s single-lap-flyer system for qualifying and proposed that the 10 fastest drivers receive some championship points before going into a draw to determine grid positions ... including pole. To be fair, the idea came during Ferrari’s still-unsurpassed period of dominance that was not helped by Michael Schumacher’s insistence on a subservient team-mate. 2008…

1 Horizontal dash design theme emphasises new i30’s width. It looks classier (and more European) than the previous i30’s vertical arrangement. 2 This is a Korean-market car, but Aussie SR will look the same, we’re told, including the red stitching and accents, and shapely sports seats. 3 Floor of lidded storage below HVAC controls features inductive smartphone charger. In Korea they sell cheap plug-in accessories for phones that don’t have inductive charging capability built in. There will soon be demand for similar stuff in Australia.…

IT’S A cliche as an automotive enthusiast and writer to bemoan the downfall of the manual gearbox, and cliches are lazy. But screw that, because I have an axe to grind, and it requires a third pedal. The Suzuki Baleno GLX Turbo has a great, rorty engine and is nicely balanced, but the lack of a manual gearbox leaves me severely disappointed. The arduously slow steering ratio and mandatory automatic transmission for this model left me wanting more from what I knew could be a tidy sporty package. Don’t get me wrong, the automatic shifter mostly performed admirably. But with each drive I was left wondering if I would not be having more fun with an extra pedal. The Baleno isn’t an involving car to drive unless you are on…

Holden has freshened its Trax small SUV with a more aggressive nose, meaning it’ll no longer be mistaken for a startled koala. The thrashy 1.8 is now reserved for the base LS with a five-speed manual, leaving the 95RONfuelled 1.4-litre direct-injection turbo the only choice for those wanting an automatic. Gone are the rear drums, replaced with discs that provide extra stopping confidence and consistency. LED DRLs, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and a new 7.0-inch touchscreen also debut, as well as a new centre console design. Trax LT and LTZ get digital radio, while the top spec also has blind-spot monitoring, but no reprieve for its clammy ‘Sportec’ vinyl trim.…

1 NISSAN GT-R NISMO 441kW Torquey and powerful 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 defines Nissan’s explosive GT-R, made even better with the recent arrival of flagship Nismo model, which ups power from 419kW in regular models. 2 PORSCHE 911 TURBO S 427kW One of the few petrol engines with variable-geometry turbochargers, the 911 Turbo muscles up early with prodigious torque before unleashing its ferocious power peak high in the rev range. 3 ALFA GIULIA QV 375kW ‘Ferrari inspired’ 2.9-litre lump ramps up its torque delivery as you ascend through the gears to deliver potent performance. Can also shut down a bank under part load to save fuel. 4 BMW M4 GTS 368kW More highly strung GTS wrings a heady 368kW out of BMW’s smooth inline six. Even the 331kW from the Competition…

IT’S DESTINED to remain as the greatest ‘one that got away’ story from Australia’s 70 years of clever and courageous car manufacturing. The Torana GTR-X of 1970 tops an honour roll of concepts cooked up by Australian design teams, often fuelled by little more than inspiration, hours and eye-drops. Vietnam War and conscription aside, 1970 was a great time to be a young Aussie male. The still-recent invention of The Pill opened one avenue for self-expression; a growing feast of local, affordable performance cars provided another. Holden’s Monaro had been joined by the LC-series Torana, which in 1970 spawned the first Bathurst-bound GTR XU-1. But Torana design studio leader Phil Zmood was among those more starstruck by a far more exotic ‘Holden’, the Hurricane concept car. In response, in mid-1969…

PETER Burrows AO has made his mark across several areas of Australian society. His financial acumen and hard work have brought huge benefit to universities, charities, hospitals and the arts, as much as to the individuals and institutions whose portfolios he skilfully manages. What’s this got to do with Wheelstories? Well, we’ve also pretty much got Burrows to thank for introducing track days to Australia. Burrows, 70, has been smitten with Ferraris since 1975. “My uncle, Bill Burrows had driven at Bathurst as a young man and he finally got enough money to buy himself a brand-new Dino in 1975. It arrived in a pine box on the wharf; Bill kept the box as well! “At that stage I was probably driving a Honda Civic, but fortune smiled and I…

A FEW minutes before McLaren’s 650S successor is unveiled, product development boss Mark Vinnels still won’t tell Wheels how much power it’s packing. The old 3.8-litre V8 has made way for a 4.0-litre with new pistons and crank, new cylinder heads and new turbos with quick-to-spool titanium-aluminide turbines. But Vinnels won’t let up on the suspense. “How much do you think?” he teases. I guess 500-515kW, a chunk more than the 650S and Ferrari 488 GTB; a small stretch beyond the 675LT. Then the new Super Series bursts into the hangar we’re freezing in, driven by test driver Chris Goodwin. You notice that it’s dramatically low-slung, even for a supercar, that someone appears to have forgotten the side intakes, and that the numberplate reads 720S. In McLaren logic, that means…

The silver bullet This section beneath the crankshaft is where Infiniti’s brilliance lies. That, and in its engine control software, which has to be far more complex than normal to deal with variable compression. What is it? It’s the most radical rethink of the four-stroke engine since its advent. Infiniti’s variable compression turbo (VCT) removes the power vs efficiency compromise with its revolutionary ability to offer any compression ratio between a low of 8:1 (for higher output) and a high of 14:1 (for greater efficiency). More than 100 prototypes were built over 20 years. It may look ostensibly like a regular four-cylinder, but it isn’t. Why does it matter? Conventional engines squash fuel and air at a fixed volume and have relatively limited flexibility. This system can favour performance or…

APRIL-MAY ABARTH 500 Series 4; HONDA Civic hatch; HYUNDAI i30; KIA Picanto; LEXUS LC; MAZDA CX-5; MERCEDESBENZ E-Class All Terrain, E-Class Coupe and GLA facelift; NISSAN X-Trail update; PORSCHE 911 Carrera 2/4 GTS coupe and cabriolet and Macan four-cylinder; PEUGEOT 3008; RENAULT Megane sedan and wagon JUNE-JULY AUDI TT RS; FORD Everest five-seat/ rear-drive; HONDA CR-V; HSV GTS-R; HYUNDAI Sonata; MERCEDES-AMG E63 S and GT-R; MINI Countryman JCW; PEUGEOT 5008; SKODA Kodiaq and Octavia facelift; SUBARU XV Skoda Kodiaq The Czech brand’s first large SUV lands in July, sporting all-wheel drive and seven seats as standard. Closely related to the Volkswagen Tiguan but riding on a longer wheelbase (by over 100mm) to fit its third-row seats, the Kodiaq will launch with just one engine – a 132kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four…

IT’S BECOMING a bit of a lottery trying to find a (non-M) BMW that doesn’t boggle the mind with its minefield of dynamic options. And, sadly, the new G30 5 Series falls straight into the trap that has already caught out the F30 3 Series and second-generation X1 before it. Even BMW’s own employees are confused by the proliferation of choice, yet the irony is the new-gen 5 Series requires a very specific set-up to truly capitalise on its underlying excellence. At its international launch last December, the G30s that John Carey drove weren’t representative of Australian spec. A 530d xDrive on Luxury suspension and a 540i (wearing smaller 19s), both with ‘Integral Active Steer’ four-wheel steering, proved far more persuasive on smooth Portuguese roads than our two-wheel-steer test cars…

IT SEEMS Holden has finally learnt from its mistakes of the past. In any other market, this stickered-up sedan would be wearing a Chevrolet bow tie and a Cruze bootlid badge, but when it launches here next month, this Korean-built four-door will become the Holden Astra sedan, bringing it into line with other D2-platformed Astra variants and creating Holden’s most cohesive small-car line-up in over a decade. This US-styled sedan will feature a unique Holden front bumper and grille, but shares the hatch’s mechanical layout, its dynamic DNA and many interior details. It looks different to its Euro hatch relation, but to a smaller degree than Hyundai’s similarly related i30 and Elantra. The Astra four-door isn’t so obviously the budget-conscious, conservative-voting, God-fearing alternative. GM’s Aussie outpost is keen to play…

YOU have to feel a bit sorry for the old Ford Kuga. Never embraced like its Blue Oval forebears and completely dwarfed in sales volume by just about every mid-sized SUV rival, it was one of the most overlooked cars on the Australian market. The Kuga also missed the memo that confirmed buyers would swarm to front-drive SUVs in the $33-38K bracket like seagulls to a dropped hot chip. But as is so often the case, timing is everything. Kuga was due for a major stylistic redesign, as well as a refreshed interior, and Ford Oz reckoned it looked different enough to carry off a name change. The rest, as they say, is history. Underneath, the Escape is still all Kuga, including the superb European suspension tune that made Kuga…

THE INFLUENCE OF MAZDA’S COTY-WINNING CX-9 IS ALSO EVIDENT PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE INSIDE “WILL THIS damned drought ever break?” That was the water cooler topic de jour as we milled about the second-gen CX-5 at its North American media preview in pretty if parched San Diego. And such talk wasn’t only about the prevailing conditions. Parallels exist between the lack of rain falling on the Southern Californian plains for much of this decade and the Japanese medium-sized SUV’s intermittent North American fortunes, thus making this part of the US the launch venue an interesting coincidence. Or is it? Sales have been flooding in internationally for the CX-5 since launching in late 2011, almost singlehandedly saving Mazda’s bacon. But not in the US. While North America is still the model’s biggest…

SLOT HEAD Ian Rice, 55, Sydney IT CAN be hard to spot an obsessive in the wild. If they’re not cradling their chosen lust item or yammering on about it, only an ever-so-slightly unhinged glint in their eyes gives them away. That, or a forefinger that’s double its normal size and radiating pain from two layers of blisters. That’s what slot-car fanatic Ian Rice, 55, shows us on his “trigger finger”, the result of competing in an eight-hour race. Yes, eight hours of blokes standing around playing with toy cars. How did some OH&S person not see the dangers? “It was a team event so we got breaks, but by the time I came in for the eighth bracket it was very painful; it’s actually a blood blister on top…

This revised 911 Turbo S isn’t the most powerful road-going Porsche ever with its 427kW, but it isn’t far off. The 918 Spyder had a system total of 652kW, but a mere 447kW came from its petrol engine and the balance from the electric motors on each axle. The Turbo S is about as quick to 100km/h though – depending on whose test you trust – and a lot cheaper. The Carrera GT made 450kW and the crazy-horse 997 GT2 RS from 2010 made 456kW, so both had more poke, but with rear-drive, neither gets close to our car’s standing-start times. The Turbo S does eclipse the nut-job 911 GT1 ‘Strassenversion’ from 1996-97 on both power and acceleration, though. It was a road-going Le Mans car which, despite its name,…

TYRES The change which has F1 fans most excited for the 2017 sseason is the return of big, fat, rubber (305mm front , 405mm rear). The new slicks mean the cars have more mechanical grip, raising cornering speeds. AERO Wider, lower, and more aggresive aerodynamics a are introduced ffor 2017. Testing saw the rreturn of the divisive ‘shark fins’, a along with larger rear wings, delta front spoilers, a and trick side pod designs. ENGINE While tyres and a aero get more extreme this year, the engine regs remain unchanged. The 1.6-litre turbo V6 engines and energy recovery hybrid systems are estimated to produce more than 745kW in quali mode. SPEED Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen topped preseason testing in Barcelona with a 1:18:63 – a significant 3.4 seconds faster than Hamilton’s…

We’re using what feels like every millimetre of the winding roads that lead through the spectacular Gorges de la Nesque I’ve INSULTED Ari Vatanen. Less than 15 minutes into our day together and his familiar face is wearing a peevish expression. “What’s wrong, Mike?” he demands, a slighted tone overlaying his careful Finnish diction. We’re sitting at the kitchen table of his house in Provence, France, and I glance around to try and work out how I’ve caused offence. It takes a few seconds to realise that the former World Rally Champion is staring at my plate. “You must try some of the jam; you must,” Vatanen says. “Rita made it. I insist.” The problem being I’ve already pigged out on a plump croissant and a weighty pastry, washed down…

AN EERIE silence enveloped the cabin. To my left, in the passenger seat, the wife dozed peacefully behind dark shades. Through the windscreen, the dotted lines of the Hume Highway were hauled in and spat back out in the Q7’s imperious wake. The faint growl of the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and the muted whoosh of 20-inch tyres on pavement provided a gently cosseting background track. But something seemed wrong. Honed parental instincts told me that kids this quiet generally means one of two things: trouble, or an exhaust gas leak has rendered the little mites unconscious. Adjusting the rear-view mirror I glanced back to see which it was, only to be confronted by the sight of the two wide-eyed angels, bedecked in headphones and utterly engrossed in the wonders of…

HAVE you heard the one about the hybrid that was fun to drive? Aside from the now sadly discontinued Honda CR-Z, the words ‘fun’ and ‘hybrid’ are about as synonymous with each other as ‘Adele’ and ‘reggae’. But, with a combination of newly adopted double-wishbone independent rear suspension and an electric motor set-up forcing an additional layer of instantaneous torque as required, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid shows promise … and one that it could keep. In just over eight weeks of hot summertime inner city and urban commuting, we’re already chuffed with our circa-6.0L/100km parsimony, and with absolutely no effort to be economical at all. Show the Hybrid a winding, tightly twisting ribbon of ragged road, however, and another side to this car appears, its mood switching from green to…

Honda has tweaked its Odyssey VTi-L people mover with a dark chrome upper grille, darkened three-bar lower section and new LED lights. It’s a minor change but definitely less chintzy look. New split-level pockets on the backs of the front seats improve storage, while the leather-clad VTi-L gets rear privacy glass. And there’s a new colour – purple. Most importantly, the seven-seat VTi-L’s mid-row ‘captain’s chairs’ now feature proper Isofix mounting points for child seats. But not the eight-seat VTi, which continues with flawed roof-mounted seat brackets, making the third row near-useless when using child seats.…

 HOLDEN is gearing up to embark on a global search to secure the long-term future of the Commodore following the shock A$3.1 billion sale of Opel to PSA, parent company of Peugeot and Citroen. Buick Regal, Chevrolet Malibu or Chevrolet Impala could replace the 2018 Commodore The US, China or South Korea are obvious targets to take over supply of Holden’s iconic large car once the current German-sourced Commodore, to be produced by Opel from early next year, has run its model cycle, expected by about 2024. Potentially Holden could continue to take future Commodores from Opel under PSA ownership. Yet this scenario is unlikely, especially as the focus for that car and its future architecture is likely to be Europe (a post-2024 car would by then almost certainly share…

IT READS like a Bond script: CIA spooks hacking vehicles, turning them into deadly weapons, and spearing occupants off cliffs in ‘undetectable’ assassinations. But it’s not fiction. A Wikileaks exposé revealed the Agency’s plans to take remote control of targeted vehicles, adding fuel to a fiery discussion about connected car vulnerability, and vindicating a multi-billion-dollar investment into cyber security by Mercedes-Benz. “I would only be exaggerating a little bit when I say that 90 percent of our development is dedicated to this aspect. It is key,” head of Mercedes-Benz cars Dr Dieter Zetsche told Wheels . “When you’re mentioning autonomous cars as being the safest place possible, this is a nightmare.” To put Daimler’s investment into perspective, the company upped its R&D budget by 15 percent in…

“Strangely, the motorways of Europe are not littered with bodies” HISTORY REPEATS Remember the ‘Supercar Scare’ of the early ’70s? You know, when Harvey Grennan (press secretary to then-transport minister Milton Morris) initiated the ‘bullets on wheels’ 160mph car media storm, with journalist Evan Green as co-conspirator, resulting in the subsequent axing of the Bathurst Special cars from the Big Three? Well, one of the arguments was that these cars were too powerful for the sub-standard roads of the day, plus they had (relatively) poor suspension and brakes, and zero safety aids beyond seat belts (another Morris initiative, apparently). The uproar from the ‘Scrubyesque’ element of society was real and loud and succeeded. Fast-forward to 2017. We have a veritable feast of 250-400kW cars on sale, many of which are…

WE’RE NOT certain whether it’s the work of fashion or unbridled population growth, but it seems many of today’s buyers feel the desire to have seven seats in their family wagon. Car makers, of course, are only too happy to feed the masses with increasingly larger, heavier and more comprehensively equipped SUVs, a style of vehicle that’s long left the station wagon in its dust. Land Rover was ahead of the curve when it introduced its first seven-seat Discovery back in 1989, and the Disco has since grown through four generations. A seven-seater option contines in the fifth-generation Disco, but the new model marks a shift in priorities, from a family-friendly off-roader to an (optionally) off-road capable high-rise wagon for the suburbs. Creating a slick-looking vehicle with such capacity and…

THE ONSLAUGHT of new SUVs from Ingolstadt has just reached fever pitch as the brand’s coolest, edgiest Q model yet – the baby Q2 – debuts ahead of an all-new Q5 due later in the year. The Q2 introduces a fresh, customisable look and a more youthful personality, built upon yet another derivation of the VW Group’s ubiquitous MQB platform. Crisp, forward-looking design stocked with driver-assistance and convenience technology comes in a conscious play by Audi to attract a younger generation of buyers to its showrooms. Logically, the Q2 slots beneath the ageing, more conservative Q3. The two models have wheelbases just 5mm apart, the Q2’s wheels pushed further towards the corners of a taut, 200mm-shorter body, leaving enough legroom in the back for two adults to travel comfortably. Boot…

SECOND time lucky. It could almost be a Porsche motto. With the exception of the Macan, the first generation of many modern-era Porsches – think Boxster, Cayenne or Panamera – have in parts been underdone or, at least, underwhelming. Enter the second-generation Panamera. Like the original it’s a big hatchback rather than a traditional sedan, bringing a generous 495 litres of boot space. Faster than ever, too, courtesy of new-generation V6 and V8 engines, each of which will soon spawn a hybrid. An extra ratio in the latest PDK transmission also helps performance and efficiency. Even in twin-turbo V6 guise there’s a fiery 324kW and 550Nm to play with. Unleash it with the optional Sport Chrono pack that includes launch control and it’ll scrabble all four wheels to hit 100km/h…

SEQUELS. Most pale against their original, but as with the Morris Minor 1000 and Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan, sometimes subsequent attempts work a charm. Enter the Peugeot 2008 facelift. Not an epic generational change, granted, since the visual makeover is limited to a more butch nose treatment, beefier cladding, lion’s claw-like LED tail-lights, chunkier alloys, and the obligatory touchscreen multimedia update. However, what has been upgraded has turned a flawed if sweet handling, comfy riding, and classily packaged small SUV into an unexpectedly complete mid-spec Mazda CX-3 agitator. The first move involved ousting two completely unsuitable atmo petrol powertrain choices. We’re talking about the 60kW/118Nm 1.2-litre triple/manual (willing but weedy) and 88kW/160Nm 1.6 four-pot/four-speed auto (gutsier but woefully dated). Both give way to a sparkling 81kW/205Nm…

The Mercedes-AMG C63 S doesn’t keep up. It can’t. Nor can the BMW M3 receding in my mirror “YOU’RE SUPPOSED to make it look hard? I thought you were supposed to make it look easy,” said extreme skiing world champ Doug Coombs as he watched a fellow competitor huff and puff his way in a series of staccato hops down a competition face. Coombs flowed down the steeps like a water droplet, effortlessly finding the path of least resistance, smearing and melding turns into the contours of the mountain. I’m minded of that quote right now as I attempt to hold station with a well-driven Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Italian car is all sinew and suppleness, as if gently pressed to the road’s ruts, compressions and decreasing radius corners…

I’M LEAVING one of the world’s great motor racing circuits behind and heading somewhere better to drive. Downtown Monaco early on a winter weekday morning isn’t as much fun as the Grand Prix circuit it becomes for one weekend every summer. Its corners keep their deep red-and-white apexes year-round, but today they’re cut across by pushy, surly van drivers with delivery schedules to keep, swarmed over by mopeds with chic riders and gingerly ventured onto by elderly Monegasque ladies with tiny dogs on leashes and baguettes under their arms, trying to find a safe way home from the boulangerie through this madness. Monaco is occasionally the place to exercise a very powerful car, but now is not the time. If you happen to be passing in…

THE ringmaster is gone. After four decades as the seemingly immovable, omnipresent overlord of the Formula 1 circus, Bernie Ecclestone’s ruthless rulership has finally been ended in the kind of bloodless coup he was renowned for orchestrating. Overtaking the octogenarian at the front of F1’s executive grid is an Anglo-American management triumvirate – hired by new owners Liberty Media to maximise its latest, $8 billion acquisition by reinvigorating the sport and reversing waning audience numbers . In plain English that means the trio’s real task is to drag Formula 1 kicking and screaming into the 21st century. One of them , Ross Brawn, is well-known to motorsport fans. The others? Well, the others are American businessmen. But don’t fret that Formula 1 is headed for a diet of Big Macs…

IT’S SIMPLY A RATHER ATTRACTIVE SMALL HATCH THAT WON’T BE MISTAKEN FOR SOMETHING MADE BY SOMEONE ELSE GANGNAM-STYLE Golf? Or just another Korean Corolla? This is the question hanging in the chilly air as the new Hyundai i30 noses into the heavy traffic of the style-conscious district of Seoul immortalised by Psy in his 2012 K-pop megahit. It’s a busy winter weekday afternoon in Gangnam as we leave the hotel. South Korea’s capital is a bona-fide megacity, packing more than Australia’s entire population – 25 million – into its metropolitan area. So it takes some time to escape the sprawl. But Seoul traffic isn’t the natural environment of the new i30. This third generation of the popular five-door hatch was deliberately designed to seduce buyers in Germany, France, Italy…

DESPITE feeling like an Australia Post employee for much of the last five months, hammering about town at delivery-boy speeds in my hubcap-free Spark LS, it’s been something of a revelation learning to live with one of the cheapest cars on sale in Australia. And that’s because it doesn’t feel cheap. There’s a grown-up maturity to the Spark that defies its diminutive size, though admittedly it’s no Volkswagen Up. From the expansive feel seated behind its perfectly sized plastic steering wheel to its surprisingly comfortable seats and well-sorted ergonomics, the Spark has been welcomed into our family like a fluffy new puppy. I even like the way it looks, and get defensive if anyone starts to take the mickey, as any doting parent should. But it’s time to move on,…

BLOODY Bulmer. Looking back, I really should have known, but it’s only now, as I sit in the Skoda’s capacious cabin and try to drown out the insistent bonging of its warning chime, that I realise I’ve been duped. With an interstate trip looming and the need to lug a bunch of gear, and the family dog, from Melbourne to Mudgee, I’d asked to borrow Bulmer’s long-term Superb. This will be the Skoda’s final adventure in our care before it disappears back to company HQ, and it suits my needs perfectly. Big enough to swallow our load with ease and luxurious enough to ride in comfortably for 13 hours, it’s also exciting enough to keep a keen driver interested, thanks to its 206kW/350Nm turbo four and Haldex all-wheel-drive system –…

Alfa Romeo has confirmed pricing for the mainstream models in its Giulia range. The base car, known simply as Giulia, is priced from $59,895, making it more expensive than entry-level versions of the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, but $1500 under a base Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The saving grace is the Giulia’s 147kW/330Nm 2.0-litre turbo offers more punch for the money than its German rivals. Those chasing more sparkle can go for the Super (the only model available with a turbo-diesel, a 2143cc unit with 132kW/450Nm) or Veloce, which picks up a 206kW version of the 2.0 turbo-petrol. All Giulias get leather, sat-nav, keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate and rain-sensing wipers.…

Mini has added the JCW flagship model to its Clubman. As with all John Cooper Works models it’s all about performance, something that comes courtesy of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder. That fiery four-pot now drives all-four wheels, helping lower the claimed 0-100km/h time to 6.3 seconds. The standard transmission is an eight-speed auto or you can pick up the six-speed manual for the same $53,900 ask. And the JCW’s party trick? Its 350Nm torque peak is higher than any other in a petrol-engined Mini.…