Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i Wheels

JANUARY-MARCH 2016 Audi A4, A4 Avant and R8 V10 Plus; Bentley Bentayga; Citroen C4 Cactus; Ford Focus RS; Holden Spark; Hyundai Elantra; Infinit Q70 facelift; Jaguar XF; Kia Picanto and Cerato facelift; Mitsubishi Lancer facelift; Peugeot 308 GTi; Toyota Fortuner and Prius Audi R8 V10 AN ALL-NEW second generation of Audi’s Lambo-infused supercar changes much without straying too far from the proven formula of its nine-year-old predecessor. Featuring lasers in its headlights and a screaming 449kW 5.2-litre atmo V10, the Audi is faster from a standing start to 100km/h than the slightly more powerful, closely related Lamborghini Huracan. Expect an open-top Roadster to follow. APRIL-JUNE 2016 BMW 330e and X5 xDrive40e; Ferrari F12 Berlinetta M; Honda Civic sedan; Hyundai Elantra Sport; Infiniti Q30; Lamborghini Urus; Maserati Alfieri; Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe…

Model Lexus GS-F Engine 4969cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v Max power 351kW @ 7100rpm Max torque 530Nm @ 4800-5600rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Weight 1865kg 0-100km/h 4.6sec (claimed) Economy 11.3L/100km Price $155,000 (estimated) On sale February 2016 FORGET power. Grip is the new god. Well, you’d expect Lexus to say that, wouldn’t you? After all, the company’s new GS-F large performance sedan - launching in Australia in February with a circa-$155K price tag - has ‘only’ 351kW and 530Nm with which to tackle the might of BMW’s 423kW M5 and Mercedes-AMG’s 430kW E63 S, both of which use twin-turbocharging to bolster their bullish V8s. So, in a bar-room numbers war between owners, the Lexus can only lose (unless you’re talking price, because the GS-F’s tag is closer to the $155K C63…

Model Peugeot 308 GTi Engine 1598cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 200kW @ 6000rpm Max torque 330Nm @ 1900-5500rpm Transmission 6-speed manual Weight 1205kg 0-100km/h 6.0sec (claimed) Economy 6.0L/100km (EU) Price $52,500 (estimated) On sale Q1, 2016 WITH the tachometer swinging into the zone between the 6000rpm redline and 6500rpm cut-out, it’s time to hit the brakes. Hard. Four-piston calipers chomp on the new 308 GTi’s big ventilated front discs, dragging the speedometer needle swiftly down from 170km/h or so. Slap the manual six-speeder back to third, thread through the slow, tightening right at the end of the straight, and aim at the first of the following left-hander’s two apexes. Now begin to feed the 1.6-litre turbo some throttle. The Peugeot’s Torsen differential and beautifully smooth chassis-stability electronics convert…

Model Toyota Hilux SR5 Double Cab Engine 2755cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, TD Max power 130kW @ 3400rpm Max torque 450Nm @ 1600-2400rpm Transmission 6-speed automatic Weight 2080kg 0-100km/h 11.5sec (estimated) Economy 8.5L/100km Price $55,990 On sale Now IT’S BEEN a tough year for what’s billed as Australia’s toughest ute. Toyota’s Hilux has taken a rare pummelling in the sales race against fresher – and better – competition. Put it down to age; the outgoing Hilux first arrived in 2005. And while it was given the usual freshen-ups over the decade it was on sale, the shift upmarket in the formerly workhorse-oriented utility segment – headed by the Volkswagen Amarok and new-gen Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 – meant its more truck-like manners let it down when it came to everyday…

Model Peugeot 208 Access Engine 1199cc 3cyl, dohc, 12v, turbo Max power 81kW @ 5500rpm Max torque 205Nm @ 1500rpm Transmission 6-speed automatic Kerb weight 1070kg 0-100km/h 10.9sec (claimed) Economy 4.5L/100km Price $18,990 On sale Now HOLDEN Kingswood HX to HZ. Porsche 924 to 944. Federal LNP ’13 to today. All copped changed internals to significantly improve the breed. After the second-gen 308’s supernova regeneration in 2014, its older 208 stablemate has now undergone a facelift (that it didn’t need) and a heart transplant (that it was crying out for) to dramatically boost the Mazda 2-sized baby’s potential. Slightly curbed output-wise from its bigger bro, the French five-door’s 1.2-litre three-cylinder ‘Pure Tech’ scores an 81kW/205Nm turbo with idle-stop. Gone are all 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre atmofour petrols, while the old-school four-speed automatic…

Model Mercedes-AMG A45 Engine 1991cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 280kW @ 6000rpm Max torque 475Nm @ 2250-5000rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Kerb weight 1480kg 0-100km/h 4.2sec (claimed) Economy 6.9L/100km (EU) Price $78,000 (estimated) On sale January 2016 MERCEDES-AMG product planners knew they had such a good thing with the A45 AMG, they told engineers not to worry about more power for the facelifted model that’s just gone on sale in Europe. Its 265kW/450Nm was plenty, they decided, and worked well in a car that’s been hot-hatch hot property since it went on sale in late 2013. But the boffins couldn’t help themselves and have found an extra 15kW and 25Nm. Engage the A45’s launch control and it scrambles to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds. That’s Porsche 911 territory – in…

READ ALL THE LATEST REVIEWS WHEELSMAG.COM.AU Mercedes-Benz G500 It’s as authentic as ever, but the latest update to the 36-year-old G-Wagen brings dynamic tweaks and the AMG GT’s (detuned) twin-turbo V8. WheelsMag.com.au/mercedesG500 DS 5 Blue HDi PSA Peugeot-Citroen wants to show the world that the French still know a thing or two about automotive luxury. But beyond its quirky style and lovely trim, is the DS 5 enough? WheelsMag.com.au/DS5blue Honda Civic hatch Honda’s refreshed, UK-built Civic hatch slipped quietly onto market in May, and we’re surprised by its substantial improvement. It’s much better to drive, and not quite as homely. WheelsMag.com.au/hondacivic Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell Hyundai’s ix35 Fuel Cell is the world’s first mass-production hydrogen FVC and signals the Korean brand’s focus on hydrogen as a key part of our…

Model McLaren 570S Coupe Engine 3799cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, twin turbos Max power 419kW @ 7400rpm Max torque 600Nm @ 5000-6500rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Kerb weight 1313kg 0-100km/h 3.2sec Economy 10.7L/100km Price $379,000 On sale January 2016 ACCESSIBILITY is an ugly word when applied to supercars. It speaks of dumbing down, of expediency, of mealy mouthed compromise. Yet the McLaren 570S is spawned from this single criterion. Hailing from a company that lives for measurables, to be objectively superior to its rivals, the 570S initially comes across as a bit of an oddity. But change is in the air at Woking. Much of the credit for this can be laid at the door of Jamie Corstorphine, a former auto journalist who was employed by McLaren, in effect to inject…

GOOD questions lead to great cars, Frederic Duvernier believes. Some Q&A ahead of R&D has worked before, the 38-year-old Frenchman insists. “If we look back at Citroen’s history, there was always this out-of-the-box thinking. There was a good question, and a nice answer, I think.” Duvernier is someone worth listening to. This lanky, thoughtful and soft-spoken designer has been at the epicentre of Citroen’s recent burst of creativity. He’s the man responsible for the exterior of the brilliant C4 Cactus. Before that, he helped shape the C3 Picasso, the car that smashed the egg as a model for MPVs at Citroen. Duvernier also came up with the idea for Airbumps, the patented plastic protection pads that are the visual signature of the C4 Cactus. This isn’t what he dreamed of…

SCIENTISTS first coined the term ‘The Goldilocks Zone’ to describe the narrow distance band from a sun that can support life. Not too hot, not too cold, all that stuff. In our solar system, Earth is pretty much it. Let’s care more for her. Similarly, the Golf class, as the C-segment is often described, has long been the car industry’s sustainable sweet spot, with the Volkswagen, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla regularly duking it out for global bestselling honours. Australia, of course, is no exception, though it’s the Corolla and Mazda 3 that battle for number-one status. Small cars rule, while their similarly sized SUV offshoots (the RAV4 and CX-5 respectively) back them up for outright popularity. Coincidentally, the Corolla, Golf and Focus have all undergone change during 2015, prompting…

IN MOST minds, the definition of a Grand Tourer is a car that reels in the miles with effortless ease. With me abroad on assignment for much of the month, it was a relentless roster of country runs in the hands of my partner for the hard-working 308 Active, sometimes with three others on board, and always carrying geological paraphernalia. And, just like a Japanese car, the lack of shake, rattle or roll continued to surprise and delight. The arrival of a Nissan GT-R test car on my return, to coincide with annual leave, did threaten to stir up the peace and tranquillity, with its 404kW 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6. The AWD supercar could have been expected to relegate France’s finest C-segment hatch to the sidelines, but the Tochigi tearaway complemented,…

GLYNN Helgeson is an Australian automotive designer you’ve probably never heard of, perhaps because he’s never designed a car. Adelaide-based Helgeson, 38, designs alloy wheels for venerable Australian company ROH. The British-pedigreed engineering company began making wheels in its Woodville North plant in 1946. At times in its long history, ROH supplied original-equipment (OE) steel and alloy wheels to all of Australia’s carmakers, while also marketing a large range of aftermarket styles. The aftermarket industry began to change in the 1980s as more new cars arrived with OE alloys. Ford and Holden, however, began sourcing wheels from China a decade ago. But ROH has continued to design and manufacture here in Australia, sustained by its OE contract with Toyota. Helgeson studied industrial design for four years in SA before joining…

WHAT’S THE CHARGE? THE global Volkswagen Group – its brands include the premium VW, cut-price Skoda and luxury arm Audi – is accused of building ‘defeat’ software into cars built between 2008-15 that can sense if they are being emissions-tested, and switch into an ultra-low pollution mode that meets strict environmental standards on toxic pollutants such as nitrogen oxides. VW hasn’t yet confirmed the cheat helped its cars meet Australian emissions standards, but it has issued a recall because its vehicles “may not comply with emissions standards when driven under normal conditions”. You can check if your car is affected by visiting the Australian websites of the various brands and entering your vehicle’s unique identification number. ARE YOU AFFECTED?  IT’S no longer a question of whether any Australian cars will…

THE demise of the similarly named Ford Performance Vehicles in Australia would have happened regardless of the state of local production; it was another victim of ‘One Ford’ as the company rationalises almost every aspect of its operations. Hameedi said choosing a single brand name that works globally was tough: “This was an extremely emotional debate because you have these hallowed brands that have been making fantastic products, and there were a lot of different opinions on it.” He said a study was completed to come up with a name that had global appeal. “That was the only way that we got everyone to buy into it, because everyone’s hallowed brand was thrown into the hat.” And what came out was Ford Performance.…

DAYDREAM DECEIVER THIS morning an oncoming driver flashed his lights and I immediately glanced at the speedo, as you do. The problem I had at that precise moment was that I had no idea of what speed zone I was in. As I replayed the last minute or so of my drive trying in vain to recall the last sign, sure enough a speed camera van was set up to photograph the unwary. All I can say in my defence is that I had been daydreaming, and driven blindly past whatever speed zone sign was posted. On my way home I decided to count how many zones I drove through. Excluding the M1 motorway, I counted a bewildering 17 speed zone changes in 27km! That equates to a change every…

Model BMW 330i M Sport Engine 1998cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 185kW @ 5200-6500rpm Max torque 350Nm @ 1450-4800rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Kerb weight 1470kg 0-100km/h 5.8sec (claimed) Economy 5.8L/100km Price $72,500 On sale Now FOR fashionistas, the greatest thing about the updated ‘LCI’ (Life Cycle Impulse) F30 3 Series will be its more glamorous appearance. For others, it’ll be the more generous spec levels – in the new 340i’s case, offering $25K greater value than its 335i predecessor of a year ago – while for anyone aspiring to own a propeller-badged product, news that the 318i will start at $54,900 must be like Christmas. For us, however, it’s all down to the re-engineered suspension and two words – adaptive dampers. Any modern Three’s chassis is beautifully balanced,…

Model Audi RS3 Sportback Engine 2480cc 5cyl, dohc, 20v, turbo Max power 270kW @ 5550rpm Max torque 465Nm @ 1625-5550rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Kerb weight 1520kg 0-100km/h 4.3sec (claimed) Economy 8.1L/100km Price $78,900 On sale Now THERE’S no easy way to say this, so I’m going to blurt it out: this Audi RS3 costs $78,900. Actually, that’s a lie. This specific RS3, with its metallic paint, matt aluminium styling package and expensive, but necessary, Performance Package, is worth $91,215 of your hard-earned dollars. For an A3 hatchback! It’s enough to have you reaching for the straight jacket, until you consider what the RS3 can do. It can bolt to 100km/h in a claimed 4.3sec, and its quattro all-wheel-drive system can send 100 percent of available grunt to the rear axle.…

Model Jeep Renegade Sport Engine 1368cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 103kW @ 5500rpm Max torque 230Nm @ 1750rpm Transmission 6-speed dual-clutch Kerb weight 1295kg 0-100km/h 10.0sec (estimated) Economy 5.9L/100km Price $32,500 On sale Now IF YOU marketed a watch as being able to keep perfect time on Mars, or inside a volcano, there are some credulous fools who would buy it, just as there are people who will snap up the Trailhawk version of Jeep’s new, Dinky-toy variant, the Fiat-built Renegade. The idea of a shopping-cart-sized SUV that can tackle any trail (although not the famous Jeep-testing Rubicon, apparently) seems patently absurd, like sending a toddler to climb Everest, but there are people who will buy this rugged Renegade variant, just so they can point out to friends…

Model Porsche Cayman GT4 Engine 3800cc flat 6, dohc, 24v Max power 283kW @ 7400rpm Max torque 420Nm @ 4750rpm Transmission 6-speed manual Kerb weight 1340kg 0-100km/h 4.4sec (claimed) Economy 10.3L/100km Price $189,900 On sale Now IT TAKES a full lap in the Cayman GT4 before I remember to do the most basic of human functions: breathe. The preceding 4.4km at Phillip Island has been such a manic orgy of eye-popping speed, astonishing mid-corner grip and razor-edged flat-six noise that my brain is starved of oxygen. First observation then – this is not an upgraded Cayman fitted with some go-fast bits and a steeper $189,900 price tag. It’s a different animal altogether; a track-honed Frankenstein crafted by the boffins inside Porsche’s iconic motorsport division. It’s also Porsche’s entry-level track toy,…

Model Audi TTS Engine 1984cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v turbo Max power 210kW @ 5300-6200rpm Max torque 380Nm @ 1800-5200rpm Transmission 6-speed dual-clutch Kerb weight 1385kg 0-100km/h 4.7sec (claimed) Economy 6.8L/100km Price $99,000 On sale Now I CAN’T make up my mind how I feel about these Hankook Ventus tyres. My first reaction is the new-generation Audi TTS coupe deserves better. The TTS, as Wheels readers would know, is a sportier version of the TT. This is the third-gen model, but only the second to get the ‘S’ treatment, which costs an extra $15K over the TT quattro S-Line. TTS scores a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo four (up 41kW and 10Nm), a 10mm-lower ride height, more sporting adaptive suspension tune, a sharper steering rack from the Audi S3, and some sporty…

MOTORSPORT is an addictive and often scarily costly beast. Not everyone can be a member of the lucky sperm club. The wannabes have gotta think smart; seek out the dollar-effective paths to places where the budding racer can holler: “Look at me, I’m bloody good.” One of the best ways to make an impression is in a tightly controlled single-make series, where costs are partly subsidised by the involved car brand. The emphasis is very much on the talent of the driver who can stand tall on a track battlefield where money almost certainly can’t buy greater speed. There have been excellent one-make race series, and some shockers. We’re at Wakefield Park Raceway, where the engineering team led by champion driver Neal Bates is finalising the control specification for the…

Flaminio Bertoni BORN near Varese in Italy’s industrial north in 1903, and first hired by Citroen in 1932, Bertoni had a busy life. He ran off to Paris as a young man to secretly marry the Italian woman he loved, won prizes for his sculpture, was arrested and released by both French and German authorities during WWII, almost lost a leg in a wartime motorcycle accident, married a second time to a famed ballerina… and shaped at least three automotive classics. 1934 Traction Avant BEFORE the Traction Avant, no carmaker had combined unitary body construction and front-wheel drive. Today it’s the way (almost) everyone does it. Legend has it Bertoni sculpted the shape of this hugely innovative Citroen in a single night, using plasticine and working without any preliminary sketches.…

YOU might think we speak the same language as the English, but to assume so is to court disaster. To us, “fancy dress” means Storm Trooper or Scooby Doo, but to them, apparently, it means to dress fancy. When our invite to attend the legendary Goodwood Revival in the UK mentioned the fancy dress code, I decided to go as Shirty The Slightly Aggressive Bear, of the ABC’s early ’90s Late Show fame. That would have been a right royal mistake of Paul Keating-touching-the-Queen proportions. Fortunately, my hosts, the immaculately dressed folk at Rolls-Royce, were kind enough to suggest it would be better if they arranged my ‘costume’. So it was with some trepidation that I arrived in England, and not just because of the fancy pants. In my mind,…

I CAME close to losing the Genesis this month. Took some time off and left the car with publisher Bulmer. He took an immediate liking to the big Korean, his attachment growing stronger as the days went on. He liked the refinement – who doesn’t – and was equally appreciative of its ability to move the brood in comfort. Plenty of bootspace for all their luggage for a week away, and enough backseat legroom so that the Bulmer-ettes couldn’t kick mum and dad’s seats. So when I returned he said the Genesis’s quality and refinement was wasted on me. He should take over the long-term test. I was torn. I like my job, so best not get the boss offside, right? But I was really enjoying my time in the…

AUSTRALIA’S motoring landscape was changing rapidly in the mid-1960s. Holden was barely troubled by new local rivals Ford and Chrysler, but buyers began looking to a new breed of Japanese four-cylinder cars. Holden was quick to react, beginning local production of the British HA-series Vauxhall Viva in 1964, featuring steering and suspension technology well ahead of the full-size Holdens of the time. Local design and content increased with the new-generation HB in 1967, and a new name was introduced: Torana. In late ’69, the HB’s platform underpinned the substantially new LC-series Torana. Holden developed two- and four-door versions of the Australian-designed body, and with two wheelbases allowing four- and six-cylinder versions, the latter with more aggressive front bodywork. It didn’t take punters long to realise that a six-cylinder, two-door Torana…

THE RX-7 is back! Or at least all the elements necessary for a rotary-engined sports car revival, perhaps targeted for 2017 (the 50th anniversary of Mazda’s first rotary) or 2020 (the centenary of the company). The embodiment of this promise is the RX-Vision concept, revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show by Mazda president Masamichi Kogai, who proudly proclaimed: “One day, the rotary will make a comeback.” Design chief Ikuo Maeda’s gleaming GT-proportioned Vision was merely a fibreglass showpiece, lacking engine or running gear, but in meeting rooms behind the glitzy stand there was the palpable sense among design and engineering staff that Mazda’s rotary-powered RX sports car series had merely taken a step back with the end of the RX-8 so as to now leap farther. Research and Development boss…

HIGHLIGHTS In a month that grew 2.9% over the same period last year, a repeat drive-away deal boosted Hyundai’s facelifted i30 hatch to the top of the best-seller list for the second time this year. Of note is the rise of sports car brand Porsche; it moved 487 units in September, placing it just outside the top 20 manufacturers’ list behind Lexus, and outselling more affordable brands such as Skoda, Volvo, Peugeot and Citroen. Renault also pushed above 1000 sales for the month. LOWLIGHTS It was bad enough when Ford dropped to number six in the sales race in August, losing to Mitsubishi by 220 sales. In September, though, the margin grew to 1114 units, with Ford-badged passenger cars suffering the most. In fact, take away the Ranger utility’s 2471…

Model HSV Clubsport R8 LSA Engine 6162cc V8 (90°), ohv, 16v, supercharger Max power 400kW @ 6150rpm Max torque 671Nm @ 4200rpm Transmission 6-speed automatic Weight 1907kg 0-100km/h 4.7sec (tested) Economy 15.0L/100km Price $83,490 On sale Now STATS tell us that in the short term, you’ll remember up to seven facts from this review. Over the longer term, one, maybe two at best. So if there’s just one thing you take away from the latest supercharged HSV Clubsport R8 LSA, stamp this into your creaking brain: 4200rpm. When you dial in that many revs, the 6.2-litre LSA V8 performs a remarkable transformation. And you won’t miss the transition because there’s nothing subtle about it: The engine’s timbre stiffens instantly from a breathy rush to a barrel-chested roar and the scenery…

Model BMW X1 xDrive 25i Engine 1998cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 170kW @ 5000-6000rpm Max torque 350Nm @ 1250-4500rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Kerb weight 1540kg 0-100km/h 6.5sec (claimed) Economy 6.6L/100km Price $59,990 On sale Now BMW reckons that it had it right with the first X1, but marked itself an honest ‘could do better’. So this all-new second-gen brings far more handsome shrunken-down-X5 styling and a raft of new features, underpinned by the same front-drive architecture as the 2 Series Active Tourer and latest F56 Mini. The front-drive platform and transverse engine location freed up Aussie-born designer Calvin Luk to alter the proportions drastically. That formerly ‘wasted’ space up front has been shifted to the rear of the X1, with a shorter bonnet and a better balanced, more…

Model Maserati Quattroporte Engine 2979cc V6 (60°), dohc, 24v, twin-turbo Max power 243kW @ 4750rpm Max torque 500Nm @ 1750rpm-4500rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Kerb weight 1900kg 0-100km/h 5.6sec (claimed) Economy 9.1L/100km Price $215,000 On sale Now SOMETIMES a single drive can change your mind. I’m not alone in thinking of Maserati as the plainer, quieter and less clever sister of sex-bomb Ferrari. In the past, I’ve found Masers to be more about sound than fury, with a kind of inherent softness that seemed out of kilter with the thumping heart they share with the Prancing Horse. Having not driven the new, twin-turbo V6 Quattroporte until the launch of this, its cheapest, lowest powered and most frugal variant, I was shocked at what a great driver’s car it now is. This…

Model Volkswagen Passat 132TSI Comfortline Engine 1798cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 132kW @ 5100-6200rpm Max torque 250Nm @ 1250-5000rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Kerb weight 1450kg 0-100km/h 7.9sec (claimed) Economy 6.0L/100km Price $39,990 On sale Now LIKE a classic, beautifully made suit, Volkswagen’s new-gen Passat is on a mission to out-class the rest of the room. Thing is, that doesn’t just include obvious rivals like the Mazda 6, but premium Euro fodder like 3 Series and C-Class too. The B8 Passat is begging for blood, much like a grown-up Golf on a fox hunt. Given the Golf’s overwhelming popularity in Australia, it’s easy to forget the Passat’s importance to Volkswagen globally. More than a million are sold each year, making Passat Wolfsburg’s number-one seller, as well as its oldest…

Model Toyota Fortuner Crusade Engine 2755cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, TD Max power 130kW @ 3400rpm Max torque 420Nm @ 1400-2600rpm Transmission 6-speed manual Weight 2135kg 0-100km/h 12.0sec (estimated) Economy 7.8L/100km Price $59,990 On sale Now IF EVER a recipe stunk of success, this is it. Take one of Australia’s most popular vehicles, the Toyota Hilux, bolt on a more comfortable and refined seven-seat SUV body that’s dripping with a huge dose of Aussie engineering know-how and watch it sell like hot cakes. And so it is with the Fortuner. Toyota Australia predicts it will sell every one of the 6000 examples it can get its hands on next year. Pitched as a long-awaited diesel alternative to the petrol-only Kluger, the Fortuner shares most of its underpinnings with the all-new eighth-generation…

Model Citroen DS3 Racing Engine 1598cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 149kW @ 6000rpm Max torque 275Nm @ 4500rpm Transmission 6-speed manual Kerb weight 1165kg 0-100km/h 6.5sec (claimed) Economy 6.4L/100km (EU) Price $43,000 (estimated) On sale Not confirmed for Oz TO THE long list of great road cars developed from World Rally Championship winners – Subaru Impreza WRX, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, Lancia Delta Integrale, Audi Quattro, et al – please add Citroen’s DS3 Racing. Drive the regular 121kW DS3 DSport and the potential is immediately obvious; nothing that a serious power boost wouldn’t enhance. Citroen Racing fixes that by taking the standard DS3 from the assembly line and adding a 149kW/275Nm version of the 1.6-litre direct-injection turbo common to the Peugeot 208 GTi. Other tweaks include a stiffened and…

BRAKES Pedal feel and stopping performance noticeably enhanced by AP Racing Pro 5000 package with four-pot front calipers and two-pot rears, with bigger rotors. EXHAUST Sounds brash and growly like a track weapon should. More importantly, bespoke extractors and exhaust contribute to handy 22 percent power and 20 percent torque boost. TYRES 18-inch 40-series Dunlop Direzza Sport Z2 is road-and-track rubber with improved lateral and braking grip but still with excellent wear qualities. Not bad in the wet, too. SAFETY Carpet, air-con and cabin trim removed; CAMS-approved roll cage, five-point harness, fire extinguisher added. DATA LOGGING Optional $3388 Motec C125 race-logging kit/display with programmable shift lights, GPS for track map/lap times, engine warning lights (oil pressure, temperature) or other driver alerts. HANDLING MCA front and rear damper/spring package with broad…

SCOTT Pye is in the wall! He’s hard into the wall at the top of The Mountain! Pieces of DJR Team Penske’s green and black #17 Falcon shatter into the air before the wreckage of torn and steaming metal grinds to a jerky halt in the middle of the track. Pye’s face, though, isn’t the mask of pain and torment that you’d expect. In fact, the 25-year-old Queenslander is laughing. I’m sitting alongside Pye inside his personal motorhome in pit lane and we’re playing Xbox. The game is set to Mount Panorama and Pye’s digital V8 Supercar replicates his real racer, which is parked in his pit box 50 metres away. Outside, rain is hammering on the Winnebago’s roof, while distant claps of thunder bounce off…

EACH day of the Goodwood Revival this year they held a parade to remember the life, and untimely death, of a Kiwi. The legendary Bruce McLaren, one of the giants of racing history and father of both the modern McLaren F1 team and, effectively, its supercars, was killed here at Goodwood in 1970 at the age of 32. The Can-Am car he was testing crashed on the high-speed Lavant Straight after his rear bodywork worked loose, causing him to spin into a concrete marshaling post. A few years earlier, McLaren was on the same track in an F1 race against Stirling Moss when the British legend had the massive off that ended his career, and could have ended his life. Moss was catching eventual winner Graham Hill going through the…

AS THE sideways-bidet/angry-fat-man-whistling warning light leapt back into life on the Forester last week, I did start to wonder whether diesel ownership was worth it. I had already been wondering about this after writing a story about real-world tests of diesel emissions conducted in the UK that suggested some car companies might just be gaming the system, and allowing their cars to spew forth dangerous poisons and lung-cutting crap. And then, almost freakishly, the Volkswagen thing happened, and staff in the Wheels office were calling to ask if I could give them next week’s Lotto numbers. I’m not for a minute suggesting that Subaru has done anything dirty with its diesel engines – to be honest, theirs don’t seem technologically advanced enough to be fitted with ‘defeat devices’ – but…

1 MAZDA CX-5 19,013 The only SUV to regularly make it into the list of top 10 sellers, and with good reason. Great dynamics and grunty diesel option add to CX-5's all-round value. 2 HYUNDAI iX35/ TUCSON 14,947 The ix35 was a sales winner, which makes you wonder why Hyundai changed the name for its far more impressive replacement. 3 TOYOTA RAV4 13,782 One of the first and still one of the most popular, the RAV4 doesn't excel in any area besides sales, but it makes for sensible buying. 4 NISSAN X-TRAIL 12,900 Sharp deals and a seven-seat option make the smooth, refined X-Trail a popular choice. New-generation CVT transmission works well, too. 5 TOYOTA PRADO 11,446 The most popular of all the serious offroaders, the Toyota Prado continues to…