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M POWER. PERFORMANCE. PASSION.

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WE CRASH ITALY’S MOTOR VALLEY FESTIVAL IN STYLE

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Retro Revival!

RUF’S WILD SCR

THE WORLD’S COOLEST RESTOMODS Where do we start? Functional air conditioning, that’s where

08 PACE NOTES

New Z-car? Yes please. Plus the latest att the Fox Car Collection and hotter Ford GTs

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THE VENT

t ring journalism MOTOR readers tee off. We even get a letter from a legend of motoring

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FIRST DRIVES

Hyundai’s ballistic Kona N, Alpina B3, updated Jag I-Pace and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q

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SWEET DREAM What if BMW was to reinvent the Z3 M Coupe for a modern audience?

118 ICON BUYER

You know you shouldn’t, but how can you resist a V10 M car? M5 and M6, represent!

122 TECH

Audi aims to blitz Dakar with an EV that uses a DTM car’s engine as a range extender

126 GARAGE

We’ve packed MOTOR’s garage with quality metal. Might need to rectify that

139 OPINIONS

Kirby discusses driving standards and finds the most inept motor race ever

146 LOST IN TIME

Enright continues his one-man crusade against open-topped cars

features 44 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 8 GTI

he car either Scott Newman hits Aussie roads in the new GTI. No spoilers here. Not that many on the

64 LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH LPI 800-4 ry badge was We talk to the movers and shakers at Sant’Agata on whether bringing back a legendary only ever going to put Lamborghini onto a hiding to nothing

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THE ROAD SERIES: FERRARI PORTOFINO M Not a real Ferrari? You might need to update your opinion on that one

86 LIFE F1: THE WORST FORMULA 1 TEAM OF ALL TIME Kirby gets the incredible inside story of F1’s most unsuccessful team

96 MERCEDES-AMG GLA 35 VS AUDI SQ2 So you want a Mustang-mauling micro SUV? Here are two that aren’t a Hyundai Kona N

106 TOP 10 RESTOMODS There truly is nothing new under the sun. That may be a smidge of hyperbole

BO KNOWS ALPINA Andreas Bovensiepen on how Alpina coexists in BMW’s orbit

GE Q SH U T A O A N N N T O E^ E N L S. CO TO IG M .A E IB U/ N LE TR T A E N SA R M

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M FRONT END. ED’S NOTE

I’D LIKE TO SEE A SIMPLE $45K ELECTRIC HOT HATCH OR COUPE THAT’S DECENTLY BUILT AND DELIVERS THE GOODS FOR A KEEN DRIVER. THAT CAR DOES NOT EXIST. NOT EVEN CLOSE

Andy Enright IN NOVEMBER OF 2018, I wrote a column for Wheels magazine stating that I’d already bought my last new car with an internal combustion engine. I made the case that a freeze on ICE development, combined with the declining cost per kWh of batteries and a ramp up in battery energy density meant that there was the very real risk that buying an ICE performance car could be like leaving the shop with the last Betamax VCR. That column never made the mag, largely because I was completely and hopelessly wrong. Three years later, we haven’t hit the energy density predictions that industry analysts cited, batteries still haven’t crossed that magic USD$100 per kWh threshold yet and the hugely influential Chinese EV market share is still lagging behind what was foreseen.

While I probably should have learnt from my first temptation to put a prediction into print, I’m going to make one anyway. My next new car is going to be equipped with pistons. If you’d have told the 2018 version of me this, I’d have been bitterly disappointed at my future Luddite self. I’d have probably tutted at my regressive attitude and shaken my head at my pathetically concrete inability to adapt.

What I couldn’t have foreseen is one simple fact. There just isn’t an EV that meets my needs right now. And, given that EVs currently occupy a one per cent market share here in Australia, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb in

saying that you might well be in the same position. While BMW’s i4 looks promising, the cheapest EV that I really want is $191k worth of Taycan 4S. Ouch. Yet I could reel off plenty of ICE cars for under $100k that I’d gladly reach into my own pocket for. Hybrids, too, come to that.

I’d like to see a c.$45k electric hot hatch or Toyota 86-style coupe that’s decently built and which delivers the goods for a keen driver. Unfortunately, that car does not exist and, extrapolating the trend line in vehicle development, it might not exist for quite some time. If parity in the cost of building EVs and ICE platforms is indeed approaching, then it doesn’t seem an unreasonable ask. But we’re not even close.

You could pay $60k for a Mini Electric that offers the range and pricing shortcomings of EVs coupled with none of the accelerative benefits. Not picking on Mini per se, that’s just a typical exemplar of the attainable end of the market. Depressingly, most branches of this decision tree seem to end up at the ubiquitous Tesla Model 3.

So while I really want to believe in EVs, there’s not a product out there that appeals to my particular set of circumstances. That will change. The trouble is, I can’t see much in the EV pipeline that delivers a convincing value proposition for enthusiasts on the near horizon.

Were I to place bets, I’d back Hyundai, Kia or MG to be the first to answer that call. But until then, I guess I’ll catch you at the servo, eh?

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M FRONT END. PACE NOTES NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT

Pace Notes IF IT HAPPENED THIS MONTH, IT’S IN HERE

HANDLE WITH CARE The new Z’s flush door handles are a world away from the 350Z’s fridge-door items and the 370’s rather more apologetic units. Not only do they cut drag and reduce wind noise in the cabin, but they look the goods, too DO ME A SOLID If you’re not altogether sold on the two-tone effect of paintwork contrasted with black roof, you can choose the Z in an all-over Black Diamond Metallic, Gun Metallic or Rosewood Metallic. Or at least US buyers can right now

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THEM’S THE BRAKES All Zs get ventilated disc brakes all round. The Performance receives bigger brakes with red calipers

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SAFE AS Expect AEB with cyclist and pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, high-beam assist, and forward-collision warning. Nice

ZED’S NOT DEAD! INCOMING! Nissan’s 298kW über-coupe revealed NISSAN CERTAINLY WASN’T kidding when it stated that the production 2023 Z would stay faithful the design of the Z Proto design study. It’s almost indistinguishable, and that is a very good thing.

Rather predictably, big-cube natural aspiration has been replaced by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo setup, good for 298kW at 6400rpm, with a hefty torque bump to 475Nm between 1600 and 5600rpm. By way of comparison, the outgoing 370Z Nismo, with its 3.7-litre atmo V6 powerplant, generates 253kW and 371Nm. Still want that GR 86?

Nissan hasn’t released performance figures yet for its reardrive coupe, estimating a 15 per cent acceleration boost, but we’d conservatively expect mid-fours to 100km/h. The engine features two small-diameter turbochargers to reduce lag, while an electronic variable intake valve timing (e-VVT) system also helps throttle response and fuel efficiency. The 2997cc VR30DDTT powerplant is much the same as that used in the Infiniti Q50/ Q60 twins, appearing on Wards’ 10 Best Engines list in 2017 and 2018.

“Simply put, our goal is to make this the best Z yet, period. With each generation, we raise the bar, pushing the limits of Z and continuing to tap into the human instinct for that next thrilling journey,” said Hiroshi Tamura, chief product specialist of the new Z. Buyers get a choice between a six-speed manual and a ninespeed automatic transmission.

The six-speed close-ratio manual ’box is mated to an Exedy highperformance clutch, a carbon-fibre propshaft and features launch assist.

Go for the auto and launch control

is also featured with the option of aluminium paddle shifters of the same design found on the GT-R. The auto ’box also features standard and Sport drive modes.

Nissan has beefed up body rigidity, fitted an electronically assisted power steering setup and widened the tyres on both the Sport and Performance trims levels announced for the US market. It’s likely that when the car comes to Australia, these trims will be rationalised to a single model, and looks set to be based on the Performance variant.

Larger passive dampers are fitted to the front double wishbone suspension, which features an increased caster angle for better stability. The rear is a multilink setup, and the Performance trim gets a mechanical clutch LSD. Another feature unique to the Performance trim is a larger rear spoiler, increasing

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ABOVE Yes, it’s heritage oriented, but who doesn’t like the ‘danger to manifold’ vibe of auxiliary gauges?

BELOW Nissan calls this colour Seiran Blue.

Should you want the Z Proto’s paint, tick the box for Ikazuchi Yellow

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M FRONT END. PACE NOTES NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT

ABOVE We’ll reserve final judgment until we see one fitted with a number plate, but damn...

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BELOW Australia will finally get the 3.0-litre twin-turbo Z that we were denied with the lovely Z32

downforce over the rear axle.

The Sport variant is fitted with dark-finished 18-inch aluminiumalloy wheels with Yokohama ADVAN Sport rubber, while the Performance sits on 19-inch RAYS forged aluminium-alloy rims with Bridgestone Potenza S007 hoops.

The new Z rides on a 2550mm wheelbase, exactly the same as the outgoing 370Z which suggests that the underpinnings are a straight carryover of the FM platform, the roots of which can be traced back to the 2001 V35-series Skyline.

For many, the styling will be enough to sell them on the idea of the Z. The cab-back silhouette is faithful to its Z-car heritage, with a long bonnet, teardrop glasshouse and a squat rear stance.

The design team was headed up by the irrepressible Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s global head of design and a Z-car fanatic. “We found ourselves gravitating towards the sketches that touched the high points of certain decades while remaining true to our vision of the future,” said Albaisa.

“Ultimately, we created a Z that travels between the decades while being completely modern.”

While not all of the car is what we’d describe as completely modern, maybe that’s not such a bad thing where the Z-car’s niche is concerned.

The bluff front end of the car retains the twin semi-circle LED lighting from the show car, which gives it a distinctive rear-view-mirror presence, that particular design cue coming from the Japanese market-only 240ZG longnose, while at the rear, the capsule graphic of the later Z32 300Z is reprised in 3D-effect LEDs, a shape also featured in the front grille.

Perhaps the most striking connection to the 240Z is in profile, where the roofline descends from the top of the windscreen, eventually y meeting at the trailing edge of a belt line that’s lower than the front wheelarches. The clever use of a chrome detail strip also gives the visual effect that the Z’s rear pillars are a good deal more delicate than they actually are.

Inside, the cabin has come on a long way from the 370Z with a clean centre stack, three analogue pod gauges on the dash, an 8.0-inch touchscreen audio display in the centre and climate control switches behind the shifter.

Nissan Super GT500 driver Tsugio Matsuda was employed

to offer feedback on driver information settings for the 12.3inch customisable digital meter. This can be shuttled through Normal, Enhanced and Sport settings, the latter prioritising the tacho and shift light, while also offering a boost gauge or G meter.

Nissan aimed for a ‘vintage aesthetic’ with the deeply dished steering wheel, while suede in the backs of the bolstered sports seats will help keep the driver in position while exploiting cornering forces, which are claimed to be 13 per cent higher than the 370Z. Nissan hasn’t overlooked convenience features in its quest for dynamics. The Z offers refinements

ABOVE When Scott Newman tested the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport at 2018’s BFYB he stated of the VR30DDTT lump, “An impressive engine that needs something else to propel.” Bingo

SO HOW DID WE DO? Exactly a year ago, regular readers of MOTOR will remember the stunning Z Proto featuring on the cover of the magazine. We made a number of predictions then on the eventual production car and speculated on a 298kW power output with torque of 475Nm from what would likely be

such as a push-button start, adaptive cruise, rear-view monitor, Type A and Type C USBs, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and front and rear parking sensors. The Performance model adds a 9.0-inch touchscreen with navigation and – in some markets – a Wi-Fi hotspot. It also receives an eight-speaker Bose stereo with active noise cancellation.

The US market is being treated to a 240-car (get it?) run of the One special edition, celebrating the distinctive Z Proto. Here in Australia we’ll get our first look of the Z next year. While exact trim levels and pricing have yet to be finalised, it looks certain to give the sub-$100k coupe market a good shake.

the VR30DDTT powerplant from the Infiniti. We’d have to give ourselves a gold star for that bit of tipping. We also reckoned the car would be with us in the second half of 2022, and we still think we’re on the money with that one, COVID notwithstanding.

A year on and post BMW M3/M4,

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the Z’s large rectangular grille orifice doesn’t look anything like as controversial as it did back then, so Nissan were ahead of the game there. One area where we did get it wrong? We nailed our colours to the fact that the car would be badged 400Z. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

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M FRONT END. PACE NOTES NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT

SAPPHIRE 02 BLUE AT FOX Melbourne hosts a Porsche collection like no other

YOU MAY NOT know Gregor Piech.

Born in 1994, he’s the youngest of Ferdinand Piech’s eight children.

Yes, that is the late Ferdinand Piech who used to run Volkswagen.

Gregor’s great grandfather was Ferdinand Porsche so he’s a proper Porsche blue-blood.

Blue is a bit of a theme within Porsche. Ferdinand Piech’s 1967 development version of the 911 R was finished in Scarab Blue and he professed that blue was his favourite colour for cars. For Gregor’s 19th birthday, his father bought him a Breitling wristwatch, with a silver-blue dial and a blue leather strap.

The next birthday gift was even

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more special. Realising that it was 50 years since Ferdinand Piech had worked on the original 911 R, Gregor’s mother Ursula decided that her son’s Skoda Citigo wasn’t really up to snuff and bought him a Porsche 911 R. That’s right, the 991 version that’s worth more than the GDP of some African nations. Gregor’s specification for it was exacting.

Finished in metallic Sapphire Blue, the car was decorated with British Racing Green stripe details, a subtle hat tip to Ferdinand’s acquisition of Bentley for the Volkswagen Group.

The interior was finished in a special Black Watch Tartan, framed with royal blue leather and Noto green

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accents, continued across the dash and door panels. It was also fitted with custom ‘One of One’ illuminated sill finishers to greet you when you opened the door.

There’s no doubt the car is utterly beautiful. Young Gregor must have been beguiled by the effect because he then did something slightly berserk, but in a good way.

He decided he wanted every one of the most desirable versions of the 991-generation 911 finished in exactly this specification.

So, aside from the 2017 911 R that got the whole thing started, Gregor also took delivery of a 2018 911 GT3 Touring, a 2018 911 GT3 RS, a 2018 911 GT2 RS, a 2018 911 Targa 4 GTS, a 2019 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series, a 2019 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series Cabriolet and a 2020 911 Speedster.

This would have made one heck of a garage, if a little lacking in bandwidth. To rectify that, Gregor added a couple more Sapphire Blues to the mix.

First up was a 2020 935 Flatnose.

These are rare at the best of times, with only 77 being built. Four have

come to Australia, with three of them housed at Fox HQ. The naked carbon car is quite something, but the highlight is the Sapphire Blue one-of-one. That was followed by a 918 Spyder.

Despite wearing issue number 135 of 918 vehicles, the Spyder was the last vehicle to be delivered, leaving the factory in 2020. We’re not quite sure how this happened, but if you’re a Piech, it’s reasonable to assume you can pull some strings. This car features Sapphire Blue laser cut rims spokes and matching brake calipers.

All of these cars now live in Melbourne. Lindsay Fox has acquired the collection, lock, stock and barrel from the Porsche family and they’re the highlight of the newly-renovated Fox Classic Car Collection.

We’re not sure why Gregor divested himself of these cars, but his loss is your gain. The recently reopened Fox Classic Car Collection features an entire upper floor devoted to Porsche, with pride of place going to the jaw-dropping

ABOVE Aside from the Sapphire Blues, there’s a room devoted to some very special supercars. Scan the QR and watch the video to discover the significance of that ‘A’ badge above

Sapphire Blue collection.

If you’d previously tried to visit the Fox collection and found the opening hours to be a bit idiosyncratic, you’ll be pleased to learn that the hours are being extended, the building open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Because exhibits are rotated in and out to keep the museum display fresh, it’s fair to assume the Sapphire Blue collection won’t be on display forever. It’s worth getting along to, if only to marvel at one man’s temporary bout of monomania.

Just try picking a favourite. It’s surprisingly hard. - AE

SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE THE VIDEO Join Andy Enright on a walk through the Fox Classic Car Collection and the astonishing Sapphire Blue stable of Porsches

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M FRONT END. PACE NOTES NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT

MEGAZILLA!

Ford GT could finally be getting the engine e it deserves

FORD’S GT supercar continues to live on, with a new limited-run special edition that pays homage to its ancestors from the ’60s.

Called the GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition, the MY22 variant (pictured) features the same 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 ‘EcoBoost’ engine as other GTs, but gains special exterior styling matching the only remaining GT prototype from 1964. Ford says the special edition’s production will begin in January, with the entire GT program coming to an end at the end of 2022. However, GT production has been extended twice already, and another delay is likely.

Enthusiasts were initially disappointed when the reborn GT was launched without a V8 engine.

Now their hopes may finally become a reality with a new test mule indicating a final GT model is being built with an eight-cylinder engine.

A Ford GT with a modified engine bay and exhaust was spotted testing

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in Detroit recently, undergoing EPA certification. This is important, as there is no requirement to re-certify the current EcoBoost engine – indicating an all-new powerplant is being planned for production.

The oil filler cap has also been relocated on the prototype cars, indicating a longer engine with more cylinders. This is thought to be based on the 7.3-litre ‘Godzilla’ V8

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MAIN Wimbledon White paint and Antimatter Blue graphics are the defining feature of the new GT special edition

used in Ford’s Super Duty pick-ups.

The big atmo V8 first appeared in 2020, making 320kW @ 5500rpm, and 644Nm @ 4000rpm. Those outputs don’t quite match the EcoBoost’s 492kW/745Nm, so Ford is believed to be attaching a pair of turbochargers to create a ‘Megazilla’ version, with outputs of roughly 520-600kW. Photographs of the test car give a clear look at the exhaust system which includes a pair of wide objects wrapped in heat shielding on either side.

The Godzilla engine design is impressively compact, taking up less space than a 5.0-litre Coyote V8 thanks to its cam-in-block design. The GT features a small rear trunk behind the EcoBoost engine, which could be rationalised to accommodate two extra cylinders.

The GT legend is built off the back of a 7.0-litre V8, so it’s fitting Ford is preparing an eight-chamber salute to farewell the reborn icon. - CK

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WIN THIS NEXT MONTH! MOTOR MAGAZINE PRIZE PACK Want to snag a year’s subscription to MOTOR for the sum of absolutely zero? Yep, gratis. All you need to do is hit us up at the email address up there with a story of your most shameful ‘Now watch this!’ moment behind the wheel.

We’ve all had them, but if you think yours can’t be topped, you need to spin us a wonderful yarn.

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CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE IN THE MID-1990s, while interviewing Giugiaro on the Fiat Panda, we got talking about the Miura. After a short conversation in which Gandini’s name was mentioned, George suddenly got up and said, “follow me”.

We went into the next door office, which turned out to be his drawing room, one I’d never seen before. From a series of drafting cabinets he pulled out one of the wide drawers to reveal his original drawings for the Miura. All dated and signed by Giugiaro.

He explained that the design was virtually finished when he left Bertone. All Gandini did was to add bits like the eyebrows

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above and below the headlights.

A year or so later he agreed to let me photograph the drawings to illustrate the story I proposed on the design origins of the Miura. The day before I was expected at Italdesign his PR person rang to say he decided not to go ahead because he didn’t want to upset Nuccio Bertone.

If you look at Giugiaro’s Fiat 850 Spider you can see the beginnings of the Miura profile.

Peter Robinson, via Email Thanks for that fascinating insight, Peter. There’s usually a very good reason behind things seeming too good to be true. – Ed

SOUND LOGIC I’m a 14-year-old car enthusiast and have loved cars since before I could speak. I hope to one day get a job in the car industry and even own something worthy of the pages of your magazine!

I am so excited about the future of cars. In the next few years alongside petrol engines, we could have hybrid, fully electric, hydrogen and even biofuel powered supercars.

When electric cars first came out the noise was so boring and quiet that no one thought it could replace the roar of a naturally aspirated engine but hearing the manic whooshes, whirrs and screams of some of the latest electric hypercars and race cars makes me so excited.

Could this be the sound for the next generation of car enthusiasts?

I think it’s amazing how a brand like Rimac, which has been founded in my life time, has gone from installing electric motors in old BMWs to now owning one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious supercar brands and producing electric drivetrains and motors for practically every new electric car out there!

Keep up the great mag, I’m loving the new cleaner cover designs, new features and awesome reviews!!!

Ben, via Email Cheers, Ben. Can I confide in you a recurring nightmare I have? It’s of playing our grandchildren the sounds of a Lambo V12, a Lexus V10 or a Ferrari V8 whereupon they recoil and say, “You thought that was a nice noise, granddad? It’s a bloody awful racket. Make it stop.”

– Ed

A QUESTION OF SOME IMPORT Can someone please explain the current regulations around importing sports cars from overseas to me? It used to be fairly easy to figure out when we had the old SEVS list of cars that were valid for import and those that weren’t.

However, now that that’s been ditched, I can’t even begin to understand whether I can legally import and road register certain cars. It’d be a costly exercise to get wrong, that’s for sure.

Alan Miller, via Email Have you been reading our minds, Alan? An explainer is in the works for us that hopefully makes very clear what hoops you’ll need to jump through in order to ship something

YOUR MONTH IN SOCIAL MEDIA

On The Wires

Use #motormag so we can find your dodgy pics

1. 850_visuals_aus on ig – Build number 108 out of 500

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2. thrm2c on ig – Excellence always stands tall and shines bright. @not.ur.n8

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3. Adrianfallace_photography on ig – Slow shutter speeds and fast cars #honda #nsx 4. Mattorrz on ig – Mark Williamson and his Audi R8 LMS GT3 at the Adelaide 500 2018

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5. Oh_lookacar on ig – This fiery red head was a poster car for many kids growing up in the 80s/90s

05 GET INVOLVED Pick your channel, enjoy daily content

ON FACEBOOK @motorofficial The tribe: 59,255

ON TWITTER @motor_mag The mob: 3335

ALL GANDINI DID WAS TO ADD BITS LIKE THE EYEBROWS... into Australia. – Ed

CARDI BEGONE? It seems as if the proposed Cardinia Motorsport Complex has hit the skids already. It’s a bit of a common theme that there’s a bad news story concerning Aussie race tracks almost every month, but as a resident of Pakenham, this one really hits home. The prospect of a world-class venue right on my doorstep was something that has had me beyond stoked this last year but to hear that the developers of the circuit have decided to withdraw their services is so frustrating.

Usually it’s legislative red tape that holds things like this up, but maybe in this case it’s something as simple as coming up with the dollars and

ON INSTAGRAM @motorofficial The voyeurs: 10.8k

cents to get the project over the line. Perhaps it’s an opportunity for someone like Lindsay Fox to lend his weight to the project and create Melbourne metro’s finest motorsport campus? It has to go ahead.

Manish Kahleel, Pakenham VIC It’s not ideal, Manish, but more often than not, the red tape is a far bigger impediment to projects like these getting up than securing funding. Cardinia Council is fully behind the plans for the circuit, so we remain optimistic. Whether or not it’s in the right place is a whole different matter. – Ed

TORQUE TO THE HAND I’ve been told that horsepower and torque cross at 5252rpm when plotted on a chart, but when I looked at a dyno chart for my car, a Porsche Cayman GT4, they cross at over 6000rpm. Why is that? Is Porsche bending the laws of physics?

Brian Teale, via Email Easy answer to that one, Brian.

It’s because that rule only applies when the torque and the power

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M FRONT END. LETTERS figures on the graph’s y-axis are equal and aligned. The figures would indeed cross at 5252rpm if the units were aligned and imperial units like horsepower and lb/ft were used. Switch to metric units and the crossing point would be at 9549rpm, given that kilowatts are Newton metres multiplied by rpm divided by 9549. Even in a Cayman GT4, revving north of nine grand isn’t happening. – Ed

I DON’T WANT SOMETHING THAT’S UNPOPULAR FOR A GOOD REASON

THE PUG LIFE CHOSE ME I’m looking to buy a coupe but I wonder whether I’m looking for the impossible. I don’t want something that you see every day like an Audi TT or a BMW 2 Series. However, I don’t want something that’s unpopular for a good reason.

The car that has me intrigued is the Peugeot RCZ-R. I’ve never driven one before but I love the look of it and with 199kW and a kerb weight of 1355kg it’s surely going to be pretty lively. I also really love the styling and think the lines are going to age quite well.

Back in the day they were very

expensive but I’ve seen low kilometre used ones going for $40,000. Would you be tempted?

Jonathan Luckens, Port Kembla The RCZ-R charged to a surprise fourth place at 2014 PCOTY, so it’s no duffer. You have to put up with a few impracticalities, but if you’re after a coupe that usually comes with the territory. If you’re after a hot French coupe in this sector, it’s hard to look past the Megane RS 265 Cup, which can be had for little over half the price of the Pug, are easier to live with and offer a far wider selection from which to choose. Given that you’re looking for a degree of exclusivity though, paying for the Peugeot may well

be worthwhile, especially as they’ll only get rarer and may well attain a collectible cachet - Ed.

SPECS ‘N EFFECTS I was interested to read Scott Newman’s column on how motorsport is all the better when there is a degree of randomness or unpredictability brought about by the regulations and can’t help but think F1 is moving in the opposite direction. This year’s regulations attempted to iron out the point of difference between high and low rake designs.

From what I hear, the 2022 regs are more stringent than ever before, with a highly prescriptive front and rear wings and strict regulations around brake cooling, wheel covers and so on.

Is F1 in danger of becoming just another spec formula?

Tom Noonan, via Email If we’ve learned anything from F1 this season it’s that trying to predict anything about the racing is pretty damn tricky. If that continues next year, we’re set for even more great racing. – Ed

Stunning PHOTO OF THE MONTH

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The Tiebreaker You send in the cars you’re stuck on, we pick the one you should get

I WANT A PERFORMANCE CAR AS AN INVESTMENT. MY MONEY’S DOING NOTHING IN THE BANK SO I FIGURE WHY NOT PLAY THE MARKET? MY LOGIC IS THAT ITALIAN V12 EXOTICS WILL ALWAYS COME GOOD IN THE LONGER TERM, SO IF YOU HAD $250K TO SPEND, WOULD YOU CHOOSE A 2012 FERRARI FF OR A 2004 LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO? ALAN K

FERRARI FF

LAMBO MURCIELAGO

6262cc V12, DOHC, 48v

ENGINE

6192cc V12, DOHC, 48v

485kW @ 8000rpm

POWER

427kW @ 7500rpm

683Nm @ 6000rpm 1880kg

TORQUE WEIGHT

650Nm @ 5400rpm 1841kg

3.5sec c.$250k (2012 example)

0-100KM/H PRICE

PROCEED WITH CAUTION, Alan. I’m sure that the previous keepers of both the Ferrari and Lamborghini may have been working on exactly that logic. It all depends how long you’re prepared to wait. Judged purely in terms of investment potential, I’d probably lean towards the Murcielago over the FF. It’s an easier thing to comprehend, whereas the FF reminds me of the 2+2 365 GTC/4, a great and misunderstood car whose values spent a few years in the doldrums before finally ramping up. But where only

3.9sec c. $250k (2004 example)

505 GTC/4s were ever built, Ferrari built more than four times the number of FFs, and many consider its successor, the GTC4Lusso, to be a continuation rather than a replacement. Meanwhile, some 4099 Murcielagos exited the plant at Sant’Agata. Aside from specials like the SV and 40th Anniversary version, the LP640 is worth saving for, and given that the Murci was the last of the manual Lambo V12s, we’d be tempted to spend a little more and source a car with three pedals. - AE

THE TALENT BEHIND YOUR SEPTEMBER EDITION OF MOTOR EDITOR Andy Enright ART DIRECTOR Damien Pelletier DEPUTY EDITOR Cameron Kirby JOURNALIST TEAM Alex Affat, Trent Giunco, Dan Gardner, Louis Cordony, David Bonnici GROUP ROAD TEST EDITOR Scott Newman STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Ellen Dewar, Alastair Brook DIGITAL RETOUCHER Paul Breen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jethro Bovingdon, Angus McKenzie CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Malcolm Griffiths DIGITAL RENDERING ARTIST: Theophilus Chin QUEENSLAND SALES Todd Anderson 0409 630 733 WEST AUSTRALIA SALES Emily Thompson 0408 516 176 NSW AGENCY SALES Max Kolomiiets (02) 8275 6486 VIC AGENCY SALES Adrian Christian (03) 9567 4178 CUSTOMER CARE Regina Fellner 1300 362 355 CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Vin Nguyen CLIENT PARTNERSHIPS Paul McCaig MARKETING SPECIALIST Katie Bastion CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Scott Davison PRINTED BY Ovato Warwick Farm, 8 Priddle Street, Warwick Farm, NSW 2170 PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Di McLarty GENERAL MANAGER TECHNOLOGY Tim Kenington ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Kali Cooke CIRCULATION MANAGER Stuart Jones GROUP FINANCE MANAGER Cain Murphy PUBLISHING DIRECTOR (DIGITAL) Mike Stevens CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Christian Clark COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Dave Harding CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AUTOMOTIVE Andrew Beecher Published by Are Media Pty Ltd, ABN 18 053 273 546, 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.

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FRONT END. JUST LAUNCHED

09 . 2021

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26 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO Q Has higher performance credentials than key rivals, but it might take time to gel with its character 30 ALPINA B3 Gains most of the go-fast goodness found in the BMW M3, but without ‘that’ grille. Also available as a wagon 34 JAGUAR I-PACE Often forgotten EV makes a valid case for your dollars over the Tesla Model X

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RIGHT Stands for N Grin Shift. Odd name, but it does offer 20-second stints with the full fat 213kW... now you’re interested BELOW Hyundai’s fiveyear/unlimited kilometre warranty also covers noncompetitive track driving. We’re keen to utilise this soon!

HYUNDAI KONA N

Has the Korean giant’s performance arm delivered another gem?

Rating

4.0

ENGINE 1998cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v, turbo POWER 206kW @ 6000rpm TORQUE 392Nm @ 1450-4700rpm 0-100KM/H 5.5sec (claimed) WEIGHT 1510kg • PRICE $47,500

LIKE: All the performance of the i30 N in an SUV; affordability; dynamics DISLIKE: Ride quality is unquestionably stiff; can’t quite escape physics

BY • ANGUS MACKENZIE

THOUGH MANY OF us never venture much further off-road than the Woolies carpark, we’re obsessed with SUVs. Then there are those who want these bulky, high-riding load luggers to also perform and handle like sports cars. To please them, engineers at Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover and Jaguar, among others, have spent countless hours on this Mission Impossible. The Kona N is Hyundai’s attempt at rewriting the laws of physics, its first performance SUV. The Kona N will be available in two trim levels with entry starting at $47,500, while the Kona N Premium is $50,500. It marries Hyundai’s popular small SUV with go-fast hardware from the i30 N, including the new 206kW and 392Nm iteration of the 2.0-litre turbocharged four and the N-spec version of the new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The suspension features heavy-duty components such as redesigned steering knuckles, plus new springs and electronically controlled shocks. The front-wheel drive Kona N also gets the N-spec electronically controlled limited

slip differential, a revised power steering system with an e-motor mounted on the rack rather than the steering column to improve response and sensitivity, 19-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero 235/40 tyres and bigger brakes (360mm vented front, 314mm vented rear).

Outside, the front splitter has been extended 10mm and exhaust outlets the size of bazookas now frame the faux diffuser. Other visual cues include a large, doublewing roof spoiler extending from the roof and splashes of red on the lower edges of the bodywork and on the brake calipers. Inside are the N-spec steering wheel, shifter and heavily bolstered seats.

Alexander Eichler, a former Bosch engineer now working at the Hyundai-Kia tech centre in Rüsselsheim to hone the dynamics of all the company’s cars and SUVs, sums up the Kona N’s mission: “The target was to make it drive like the i30 N.” Job done, at least in a straight line. By Hyundai’s own numbers the Kona N is only a tenth slower than the i30 N to 100km/h, taking 5.5 seconds with launch control, and 6.4sec without.

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But Eichler readily concedes you can’t argue with Isaac Newton in the twisty bits. Boasting the same 173mm ground clearance as the regular Kona, the Kona N is 120mm taller than the i30 N. It also weighs about 30kg more “The biggest challenge with the Kona N was its higher centre of gravity and higher seating position,” he says, “so we had to make it quite stiff to be as sporty as the i30 N.” With the dampers set in anything other than Normal mode the Kona N’s ride is brutal, heaves and humps instantly transformed into violent vertical body motions that can unsettle both car and driver.

Eichler admits Hyundai’s own hotshoes put the suspension in Sport mode rather than full commando N mode to nail a quick lap at the Nürburgring. “Generally, the philosophy of the N mode is to be optimised for a really flat race track,” he says. “We do not expect our vehicle to perform well in N mode on public roads.”

Leaving aside any discussion as to why anyone would want to take an SUV to a race track in the first place, we’ll give Eichler points for honesty. But, as we found on back roads, the Kona N is not as onedimensional as you might think.

Despite 39Nm more torque and a flatter torque curve – all 392Nm is available from 2100rpm through to 4700rpm – the Kona N’s engine still feels a little dozy below 2500rpm.

It’ll mooch around happily enough

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FRONT END. JUST LAUNCHED

RIGHT Lightweight, forged 19-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tyres specifically made for Hyundai

at low revs in Normal mode with the dual-clutch tranny shifting itself, but if you’re having a lash, using the paddles to shift manually, it’s happiest kept spinning between 3000rpm and 6000rpm. It’s not a high-revving powerplant – everything’s pretty much done and dusted by 6200rpm – but it doesn’t need to be.

The new eight-speed dualclutch transmission is quick and smooth and allows you to make

The NEMESIS 24

the most of that broad swathe of mid-range grunt. Designed and built in-house by Hyundai, the DCT is a wet-clutch design. With the powertrain switched to N mode the sophisticated control software allows for near seamless upshifts when it detects more than 90 per cent throttle being used.

The transmission’s neatest trick, though, is what Hyundai calls Track Sense Shift. In N mode the Kona N can sense when it is being

TIGUAN 162TSI TIG 2.0-litre inline-4cyl, AWD, 162kW/350Nm, AW 0-100km/h 6.8sec, 1785kg, $53,790

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ABOVE Apart from heavily bolstered bucket seats and a chunky steering wheel with N-focused controls, not a lot changes inside the Kona N

FINDING A direct rival for the Kona N is very difficult. However, Volkswagen’s Tiguan 162TSI competes on price, offers AWD traction, more space and decent grunt from the EA888 lump.

driven on a track and activates an adaptive shift protocol designed to automatically deliver both upshifts and downshifts at precisely the right moment. We’ll wait until we get the car on a circuit we know before making a definitive call, but on the poky little test track Hyundai included in the drive program it felt as brilliantly intuitive as Porsche’s PDK in Sport Plus, shuffling the ratios quicker, more authoritatively than could be managed by fanning the paddles on the steering wheel.

As with other N models, the Kona N comes standard with not only launch control, but also rev matching and the ability to completely switch off the stability

THE KONA N IS LESS COMPROMISED AND MORE ACCOMPLISHED THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT control nannies. N Grin Shift is a cartoonish moniker for a button on the steering wheel that switches the engine and transmission to their highest response modes for 20 seconds, no matter what mode you’re driving in.

To get the best out of the Kona N on a good driving road, you’ll want to make sure you’ve preset the Custom tab in the N settings menu to allow the powertrain to stay maximum attack mode while having the suspension and steering in their softer Normal settings.

Configured this way, the Kona N does drive like an i30 N. On stilts.

Even with the suspension in its softest setting, the ride is still very firm, but the more compliant

TOP LEFT The eight-speed wet-clutch DCT pumps oil on to the clutches to keep them cool, allowing them to handle more torque ABOVE N exterior treatment builds on the Kona’s good looks, just don’t expect to go off-road in it

damping allows the chassis to breathe over lumps and bumps, keeping the tyres in contact with the tarmac. You’ll notice a slight latency on changes of direction compared with the i30 N, not the least because your bum and inner ear are further away from the tarmac. But once it’s worked through the transients the Kona N grips with the same tenacity as its low-slung sibling.

As in the i30 N, the front end is astonishingly consistent, especially under load. That trick e-diff means you can get on the power almost as soon as you’ve rotated the Kona N towards the apex and stay on the power all the way through the corner. You’ll notice some torque

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steer under full power in N mode, especially on uneven roads, as the e-diff vectors optimum torque to each front wheel, but the traction is deeply impressive. The front end will go exactly where you point it, the rear axle tracking it faithfully all the way.

The laws of physics are immutable, however: No SUV can ever accelerate, stop, or steer as well as a lighter and lower car fitted with the same performance hardware. If you need a small SUV and want something that is genuinely quick and entertaining to drive, though, the Kona N is not only less compromised and more accomplished than you might expect but also good value.

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ALFA ROMEO STELVIO Q Fresh and revitalised or too little, too late?

Rating

4.0

ENGINE 2891cc V6, DOHC, 24v twin-turbo POWER 375kW @ 6500rpm TORQUE 600Nm @ 2500-5000rpm 0-100KM/H 3.8sec WEIGHT 1830kg • PRICE $146,900

LIKE: Howling V6; sleek aesthetics; improved infotainment and materials DISLIKE: Neurotic controls; unresolved driver aids; lurching auto handbrake

BY • AN DY EN RIG HT

IT SHOULDN’T MATTER, but it does. Like people, cars only get one chance to create a favourable first impression and, if you’re asking the thick end of $150K for one, they’ve got a high bar to clear.

Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio Q was a car with many admirable qualities, but sit inside for a couple of minutes and your instant take away from it was that the engine and underpinnings must be costing you a pretty penny because the budget certainly never went on the interior.

That first handshake with the Stelvio Q was always tinged with disappointment. It left you with the nagging suspicion that here was a $60K vehicle wearing a lot of dress up but never avoiding some fairly proletarian roots. Cheap interior plastics, an infotainment system

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that might have had a $20K Kia preparing its excuses and a fairly rudimentary skim of electronic safety systems again left you figuring that the Stelvio needed to drive really well in order to muscle its way into contention.

And it never did. We brought it to Performance Car of the Year in 2020 and it finished flat last. Yes, it was the only SUV there and was up against some tough competition but no judge voted it higher than ninth out of the 10 cars invited.

Against the clock it logged some impressive numbers, getting to 100km/h in 3.79sec, just a quarter of a second off the pace of a 992 Carrera S while its lap time at The Bend was better than that of the unashamedly track-focused Megane Trophy-R. “The common

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ABOVE We’ll hear no complaints about the sheer effectiveness of the Stelvio’s six-pot.

It’s a gem BELOW The entire Stelvio range has enjoyed a modest rejig to offer better value and a simpler proposition

consensus was the Stelvio was an engine looking for a better home (say, a four-door sedan?)” said Scott Newman in his withering final assessment.

Combine that with the 5bn euro investment into the nonelectrifiable Giorgio platform that underpins the Giulia, Stelvio and absolutely nothing else, and it’s clear that no matter how successful the 2021 update of Alfa’s mid-size SUV proves, it’ll never be able to repay its debts.

Sergio Marchionne’s breathtaking gamble fell on its face, new owners Stellantis looking instead to its STLA large vehicle architecture for future models. So what we have here is an evolutionary dead end and one that, on the face of it, ought to struggle to attract your patronage. So far, so bleak.

You’d expect this 2021 version to be significantly different in order to change that script, but Alfa Romeo has instead decided not to throw a huge sack of good money after bad and, as such, the changes are relatively modest.

The cabin’s come in for a refresh, there are some additional safety systems and the drive modes have been tweaked. Unfortunately, it no longer remembers what mode you were previously in before the car was keyed off.

The price has also been given a haircut, coming down to $146,900, almost on a par with the comparatively limp-wristed 324kW Porsche Macan Turbo at $145,000 and a long way south of the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S at $175,900. I reckon it’s better fun than both of them. The Stelvio Q always seems to have a mischievous glint about it; it eggs you on to enjoy that zone above 5000rpm where the bi-modal quad exhaust parps fruitily and races to the 7400rpm redline.

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THE STELVIO Q ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAVE A MISCHIEVOUS GLINT ABOUT IT

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Switch the ‘dna’ drive mode selector into Dynamic, take control of the elegant fixed paddle shifters, find the right road and you’ll have a great time, challenging yourself to get on the power earlier and earlier through corners. It’s a very specific challenge though and I’ve come to a conclusion about the Stelvio. There are those drivers who love a car that’s beautifully set up and which either is or has been moulded to suit their driving style. Then there are those drivers who see it as a challenge to mould their driving style to the quirks or shortcomings of the vehicle they’re driving. The former might struggle with the Stelvio. It has a lot of ‘characteristics’.

Whether it’s the sharp brake pedal, the uncouth parking brake release, the livewire steering or the cornering attitude that encourages you to jink it into a corner and then rectify what happens thereafter, it’s not a vehicle that feels natural to drive quickly and smoothly. A major plus is the ability to adjust the damping independently of drive mode but one trend I’d like to see junked is a Race mode which switches the ESC safety net off.

That should be a driver’s decision based on the prevalent conditions, not Alfa’s, especially with such a rear-biased powertrain.

You expect the Stelvio Q to feel like a Giulia on stilts that has been gifted the occasional benefit of allwheel drive, but something is lost in the process, despite engineer Roberto Fedeli’s ambitious aim to make the Stelvio feel exactly like the Giulia. Call it cohesion, flow, whatever you like, the fact remains that the Stelvio’s dynamics never feel as polished or as exploitable as the Giulia. That’s physics for you.

Perhaps it’s an unreasonable expectation. We wouldn’t expect a GLC 63 to feel like a C63 but with no Giulia wagon available, Alfa has, in effect, created that expectation itself. On a challenging road and judged in pure dynamic effectiveness, the Stelvio is one of the very best sporting SUVs at any price. I’d probably put it almost on par with the latest BMW X3M/X4M, but given that it retails for $11K less than the X3M and comes with a five rather than a three-year warranty, it does enough to eke a niche.

Thing is, most don’t buy sports SUVs purely on the way they can dissect a hill route. Alfa Romeo has

somewhat belatedly recognised this fact and the latest Stelvio does a better job than before of staving off buyer’s remorse. The cabin now feels worthy of the price point, with better quality materials used in key areas and a Marelli-designed tile-based infotainment screen that is easy to use and offers fuss-free smartphone mirroring. Alfa has also built in Level Two driver aids such as traffic-sign recognition with intelligent speed control, traffic jam assist (where the Stelvio holds station by monitoring both lanes and surrounding vehicles) active blind-spot assist and driver attention assist.

Some of the more recent safety features still require a bit of finessing, with the active cruise control a little finicky to set speeds.

Indicate out after an overtaking car on a freeway and the system will accelerate the car fiercely as soon as you operate the indicators and then snatch at the brakes sharply once you’re into the adjacent lane and the radar has acquired the car receding in front of you. Like many of the Stelvio’s odd calibrations, you learn to drive around it.

It’s a shame that these peccadilloes exist because the Stelvio does what all good Alfa Romeos do: they make you want to like them. The beautiful alloy wheel design, the evocative cloverleaf wing crests, the elegant, cooltouch shift paddles, the fact that knocking the shift lever forwards plucks a lower gear in the 8HP75 transmission, the beautifully bolstered seats, the huge P Zero tyres, and the fact that there’s a Race mode are all things that point you in the direction of giving the Stelvio the benefit of the doubt every time that doubts arise.

And they will, despite Alfa’s belated efforts to tamp down buyer’s remorse. It would be the easiest thing for me, as editor of MOTOR, to give the Stelvio a solid recommendation based purely on the way that it drives, but there are caveats to consider. The way the interior squeaks and creaks will be enough to deter some. The supervision screen that produces conflicting nav instructions to the main screen is infuriating, blotting out the digital speedo in the process. The fact that it misses out on gear like a head-up display or wireless smartphone mirroring may have some thinking that the latest

TOP Brakes are well up to the task. Pedal feel will require a little acclimatisation for most buyers ABOVE The interior touch points now need nothing in the way of excuses, as you have every right to expect at this price point

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round of updates don’t really go far enough. Read the runes and it’s clear that Alfa Romeo knows that appealing to drivers alone isn’t a strategy that will keep the company hale and hearty. Its cars need to deliver broader appeal in order to make conquest sales.

The 2021 changes do make the Stelvio Q a better vehicle than before but it still lacks a certain sheen of cohesion in its execution.

Its highs are extremely high indeed and its lows are no longer anything like as egregious. That will be enough for some, who are drawn to the most charismatic sports SUV money can buy but have previously been deterred by its rough edges.

If you subscribe to the philosophy that life’s too short to be boring, you know what to do.

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ALPINA B3

M3 too loud for you? There is another way Rating

4.5

ENGINE 2993cc l6, DOHC, 24v, twin turbo POWER 340kW @ 5500-7000rpm TORQUE 700Nm @ 2500-4500rpm 0-100KM/H 3.8sec (claimed) WEIGHT 1785kg • PRICE $142,900

LIKE: Wicked performance; plush ride quality; entertaining dynamics DISLIKE: Interior isn’t special for an Alpina; subdued soundtrack

BY • TRENT GIUNCO

JUST A TINY bugbear, a small annoyance – sometimes that’s all it takes to frustrate. In a world where many are blessed with an abundance of choice, every factor counts. In a market proliferated with luxury performance cars, crossing I’s and dotting T’s becomes critical.

Therefore I couldn’t help but exhale a sigh of relief when first sitting behind the leather-bound 30

steering wheel of the Alpina B3.

The aluminium shift paddles are not only lovely to operate, but it also means that the dreaded shift buttons are gone. Yes, the beautifully CNC-milled items are a $502 option, but on a car with a base price of $142,900 it seems a small price to pay. For the first time, a seemingly small Alpina detail that used to be a B3 sore point can now be deleted.

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ABOVE Some won’t see the subtle Alpina details, but the pinstriping and front splitter-mounted badge come in three different colours ABOVE RIGHT B3 sidesteps the B58 engine for the top-dog S58

It might come across as an overreaction. However, with so much performance on tap, the added interaction the paddles provide is key. While Alpina might project a USP pertaining to luxury and comfort, both of which are attributes the B3 retains, there’s now more reason than ever to find enticing roads off the highway.

Big power, colossal torque and all-wheel-drive traction are now all part of the remit. Therefore, getting the finer details right that enhance driver involvement can only be a bonus.

Rest assured, while dynamics have taken a front seat, aesthetics haven’t been forgotten. And that’s good news for those still unable to stomach one of the most controversial grilles in BMW’s history. Given Alpina’s strong ties to the Bavarian giant, the B3 starts life as an M340i and not an M3,

laws (environmental benefits notwithstanding). However, in terms of the B3, we can. And that’s because ever tightening limitations on the CO2 expelled from the quad exhaust pipes has rendered the N-designated powerplant defunct. Instead, Alpina is using the motorsport-derived S58 powertrain. Or, more to the point, the new M3 engine. Never before has a B3 been granted permission to use the same hardware.

BIG POWER, COLOSSAL TORQUE AND AWD TRACTION ARE NOW ALL PART OF THE REMIT

ABOVE LEFT Yes, it’s a small detail to make a big fuss over, but the paddles make a lot of difference LEFT You can opt for a black grille instead of chrome, while BMW LED lights feature up front

so it sidesteps the polarising face and gains an aggressive front bar which also aids cooling. Tradition is important at Buchloe, meaning an Alpina badge within the front splitter and pinstripe detailing is offered. The iconic ‘Alpina Classic’ 20-inch forged alloys will set you back an extra $4091. They’re worth it. The rolling stock, low front apron and a rear lip spoiler create luxe, sleeper vibes. Yet it’s still one for the keen-eyed aficionados.

While the chassis and cabin starts life as a humble M Performance product, the oily bits are basically full-fat M. It’s not often we find reasons to thank more stringent emissions

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Yet, with Alpina being Alpina, it had to have a tinker. The B3 gets a revised intake and smaller turbos attach to the 3.0-litre straight six, with the aim of increased torque and a more muscular mid-range.

So, while the S58’s power figure is down 35kW to 340kW compared to the M3 Competition, an extra 50Nm of brawn has been added for a total of 700 Newtons. That’s not mucking about. And either is the launch-control-assisted 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds.

On road, the in-gear acceleration underfoot is as mesmerising as it is alarming. This isn’t a poser.

The work carried out by the R&D team pays dividends in

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FRONT END. JUST LAUNCHED reality. That peak torque figure comes in at a lowly 2500rpm and continues to 4500rpm, creating a well of mid-range pull. Holding a higher gear through a tighter bend poses no issue. There’s still reason to go searching for the redline with power being developed to 7000rpm. It’s a flexible and linear unit, which pairs brilliantly with the eight-speed torque-converter automatic. Work the paddles and the changes are decisively adhered to, while left to its own devices, the ZF ’box is intuitive.

With the addition of all-wheel drive, the B3 stops, turns and exits a corner in a way its forebear simply couldn’t. Finding a rhythm is easy and the Alpina sedan rotates through a tight apex vehemently.

M Dynamic Mode, accessed by pressing the traction control once, makes the chassis feel alive and the rear-biased xDrive system allows you to punch the throttle hard on corner exit without fear of retribution. There’s an electronically controlled limitedslip differential on the back axle, which means over-rotating the tail end is possible under heavy load.

It doesn’t take too much provocation or wild inputs either and it gets the heart racing. Forget any preconceived ideas that this Alpina is a staid and conservative four-door. It’s a shame the B3’s somewhat taciturn new exhaust system doesn’t quite match the heights of its dynamics. Put it down to the requirement of a particulate filter and the need for more subdued tones in keeping with the upmarket persona.

The M340i underpinnings result in a narrower front and rear track than the M3, and the Alpina also does without the M-car’s industrial bracing up front. This, coupled with the Pirelli P Zero tyres, means the front end isn’t quite as resolute at the extreme. Open-radius corners induce slight push from the front axle and the Alpina-specific (hence the ALP nomenclature) hoops can get hot quickly. With 395mm front ventilated discs up front clasped by four-pot calipers, the B3 stops well.

There’s an option of an uprated brake pack with drilled discs and beefier pads of which Alpina notes “may cause noise disomfort”.

BMW’s variable steering gains attention, too. A more natural weight and feel has, according to Alpina, been worked into the

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system for more linear responses.

It works, but there’s a caveat. It depends which mode you’re in as Sport Plus returns a far too synthetic weight. Tick Comfort within the Individual setup and the rack frees up and generates a far more organic and progressive nature as you wind on lock.

For a car rolling on 20-inch wheels with 30-profile tyres (255-section front, 265 rear), the

ride quality is deeply impressive.

The B3 uses custom Eibach springs, stiffer anti-roll bars and retuned adaptive dampers with proprietary software. The result is an absolute triumph, with the Comfort Plus mode delivering genuine suppleness. Okay, you lose some agility as the B3 tends to use all of its travel in this mode. However, Sport Plus offers enough compliance and damper sophistication that you can often get away with using it on some pretty poor surfaces. The B3 has ample dynamic bandwidth.

With such dexterity on-road, it’s difficult not to be somewhat let down by the interior. No, it isn’t the quality of the materials used or the fit and finish. That all checks out.

It’s an ambience thing, something that’s not quite tangible but also hard to miss. Several passengers mistook the B3 for a c.$77K 330i.

While tradition has been eschewed with the addition of the shift paddles, history is upheld via the blue and green stitching found on the thick-rimmed steering wheel. A model-designating plaque

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BELOW If you press the I in the Alpina badge, the centre cap pivots to reveal a key to remove it and access the wheel nuts. Which is clever

ABOVE Each Alpina is branded for proof of exclusivity, while the iDrive controller is another positive link to BMW origins RIGHT Servicing isn’t a hassle despite being a bespoke brand as it can all be done through BMW

also keeps the Alpina vibes everpresent, as do the badges dotted around the cabin – including those embossed in the seats. It’s also quiet on the open road, with NVH levels well suppressed.

Alpina utilises BMW’s 10.25-inch infotainment screen as well as the latest iDrive operating system, which is now a doddle to use and an ergonomic win. Wireless phone charging and smartphone

mirroring are enhanced via an $807 pack that is well worth optioning. Apple CarPlay performs faultlessly (wireless Android Auto is also available).

The B3 benefits from being more than a sum of its BMW and Alpina parts. And thanks to a new optional extra, it’s even harder to fault. Nit-picking is a last resort.

Alpina now offers a wickedly fast, dynamically engaging and premium product that makes it an inspired choice against the norm.

While it trades on subtlety, it’s too good to reside as an option solely for those in the know.

THE B3 STOPS, TURNS AND EXITS A CORNER IN A WAY ITS FOREBEAR SIMPLY COULDN’T

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O4

THE I-PACE STEPS OFF THE LINE WITH A SOLID WHOOMPH RATHER THAN A VICIOUS WHACK

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JAGUAR I-PACE EV400 S Now charges even quicker, but at a price Rating

4.0

DRIVE 90kWh battery, 2 electric motors POWER 294kW TORQUE 696Nm 0-100KM/H 4.8sec (claimed) WEIGHT 2133kg • PRICE $127,620

LIKE: Dynamics; updated charging system is a game changer; legroom; utility DISLIKE: Friction brakes underdone; price hike; typical JLR option silliness

BY • CAMERON KIRBY

IF YOU ASSESS the Jaguar I-Pace on paper, depending on your worldview, you get two different answers to what it is. From the badge alone it can understandably be pigeonholed as a luxury SUV with a strong focus on efficiency and comfort above all else.

Peer over the specs sheet and you get the idea that things aren’t so simple. Near enough 300kW and 700Nm, all-wheel drive, and a 0-100km/h sprint of four point something seconds. That’s real performance car stuff.

But what works in theory doesn’t always translate to the real world.

Could the I-Pace be the most overlooked performance car on sale in Australia?

Updated for 2021, the electric Jag has received some tweaks, mainly to do with infotainment, homecharging solutions, and additional exterior styling options. We have the cheapest of the identicallypowered three-variant range, the S, on test, which starts at $127,620

– a chunky $4760 increase for this model year.

That means when you compare the I-Pace against traditional ICE rivals like the Audi SQ5 TFSI ($101,136), BMW X3 M40i ($113,900), and Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 ($120,600) it’s already at a bit of a price disadvantage.

However, none of those listed can match the Brit in terms of power.

It’s a well-sung hymnbook now, but the big benefit of the electric powertrain is the immediacy of its response. With a 90kWh battery, and an electric motor on each axle, the I-Pace uses its 294kW and 696Nm outputs to great effect.

Some of the greatest atmo engines available today can only dream of responding to throttle inputs with this kind of urgency.

For an EV, the straight line acceleration is nothing extreme.

A claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.8 seconds is half a second slower than its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 sibling, the F-Pace SVR, and the

ABOVE Digital dash contains all the information you need, presented in an easy to digest style. Kudos LEFT Wet weather and low-grip conditions are where the I-Pace excels in particular

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I-Pace steps off the line with a solid whoomph rather than a vicious whack. Top speed is limited to 200km/h, and the I-Pace is running out of puff north of 130km/h, but it focuses more on deploying power effectively at speeds that will keep your local constabulary happy.

Unlike others in the electric realm, the I-Pace will relish being driven enthusiastically in a manner that isn’t just straight-line acceleration.

By taking an ‘if it ain’t broke’ mentality to the mechanicals, Jaguar’s engineers have preserved the I-Pace’s dynamic personality and we’re all the better for it.

Pirelli P-Zero rubber on all four corners, measuring 255/40/R22, should be an indicator that JLR’s engineers spent plenty of time finessing the I-Pace on Gaydon’s ride and handling course – penned

by Apex Circuit Design no less.

The high-speed stability is fantastic, with the I-Pace staying planted and confident through fast sweeping bends as the speedo climbs unrelentingly toward corner exit. Grab it by the scruff of the neck in slower bends and the I-Pace doesn’t shrink away, instead rewarding you with an engaging front end that dives into the corner.

The ESC system has been nicely calibrated, allowing you to get aggressive on corner entry, with some extra slip helping rotate the car without constant nannying or interventions. With all the systems on you won’t be getting any power oversteer, but at the same time it takes serious effort on the behalf of the driver to force the I-Pace into understeer. As a twin-motor set-up, the I-Pace deploys torque vectoring via the braking system, slowing wheels as needed to help pull you into bends.

Despite there being no physical

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connection between the front wheels and what you hold in your hand, the steering is well weighted.

It’s direct, accurate, and with 2.5turns lock-to-lock hits the sweet spot in terms of its ratio.

The most disconcerting part of the driving experience is the lack of sound, which leaves you underestimating exactly how fast you are travelling as the I-Pace leaps from one bend to the other.

Thankfully, the optional head-up display lets you keep track without taking your eyes too far off the road. You’ll want to keep tabs on the speeds as well, as probably the biggest shortcoming in the I-Pace’s surprising performance CV are the standard friction brakes which could do with extra bite – particularly for a vehicle with a two-tonne plus kerb weight. Handy then, that you can ratchet up the regenerative braking to assist. At its maximum regen setting, the

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I-Pace can be driven hard almost exclusively using a single pedal.

Given our car was riding on optional 22-inch wheels, the I-Pace’s ride is surprisingly supple.

The air-suspension avoids low frequency heaving even in its comfort setting, retaining decent compliance with confident rebound damping. Body control is taut but unperturbed by nasty mid-corner bumps. Overall the I-Pace nestles into a comfortable middle ground between everyday refinement and dynamic poise and ability.

With its low centre of gravity, it doesn’t suffer that oversprung hard edge sometimes engineered into performance SUVs for body control purposes, its comportment being more akin to that of a fast wagon.

It makes for a great daily driver with an interior that is trimmed generously with leather, aluminium and other high-end materials.

Updated for 2021 is the dual 10-

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ABOVE The 22-inch wheels look great, and ride remarkably well, but are they a $3600 improvement over standard 19s?

and five-inch upper and lower touchscreens for infotainment and climate controls. A 12-inch fully digital instrument cluster is clean, simple, and well-executed. The entire infotainment system has been refreshed to more closely mimic the design found on modern smartphones, while two phones can be connected via Bluetooth at the same time. Wireless charging can be added as an optional extra, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard fit. The I-Pace’s charging, battery management, and infotainment systems can all now also be updated over-the-air.

The front seats have a bucket design with good lateral support for both the upper and lower body. Despite the remarkably thin back, which aids the already ample rear legroom, the front pews don’t sacrifice much in the way of noticeable comfort in the process. The inside of the I-Pace is

THE HIGH-SPEED STABILITY IS FANTASTIC, STAYING PLANTED AND CONFIDENT THROUGH FAST BENDS

a great place to spend time, with the huge optional fixed panoramic roof giving the entire interior a light and airy feel. The standard Meridian sound system is also a quality item, with surprisingly clean reproduction even on lossy music file formats.

A surprising benefit of the electric powertrain is that it allowed JLR’s designers and engineers to push the I-Pace’s wheels as far to the

ABOVE Public charging cable is a $425 optional extra. JLR taking notes from Apple, clearly

fore and aft of the car as possible, resulting in a huge wheelbase of almost three metres (2990mm, or just 45mm less than a 2020 Mercedes S-Class). This not only means rear occupants are catered for with ample legroom, but it pushes the driver forward in the car, giving you impressive vision and visual engagement, and helping you to better position this large car on the way into a corner.

In a boon for those charging at home (which will be nigh-on 100% of owners), the onboard three-phase AC system has been upgraded to 11kWh from 7kWh, cutting complete charging time from 13 hours to 8.6, and now adds 53km of range per hour.

There are plenty of compelling reasons to want to add an I-Pace to your shortlist of new car options, but something to remember is that options (and there are many) will quickly transform an already

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premium price tag into something altogether more expensive. Our loan vehicle was optioned to $164,142 as-tested, with much of its nicer features hidden in the options list. Those wonderful front seats, $8450. The panoramic roof will set you back $3580, and the head up display is $1040 on its own.

However, those are relative ‘nice to haves’. I’d strongly encourage potential I-Pace buyers to tick the boxes for Adaptive Dynamics ($2405) and Electronic Air Suspension ($2002) at a minimum.

The I-Pace is unlike traditional performance benchmarks in some ways, but there’s a reassuring familiarity to its willingness, nay eagerness, to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and be driven hard. It may go unnoticed by many for its subdued looks and electric drivetrain but if it’s an indicator of our performance car future, things aren’t all too bad after all.

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THE INTERVIEW. ANDREAS BOVENSIEPEN

ALPINA’S

WE SIT DOWN WITH ANDREAS BOVENSIEPEN TO FIND OUT HIS TAKE ON THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY AND ALPINA

BY SCOT T N E WMAN

ONSIDER FOR A MOMENT the red-billed oxpecker. A tiny bird native to the African savannah, it spends the vast majority of its time hanging out with the rhinoceros, a creature many, many times its size. At face value it seems as though the minuscule oxpecker is nothing but an annoyance to the giant rhino, but closer investigation reveals a wonderful symbiotic relationship.

The oxpecker feeds on parasitic ticks that would otherwise infect the rhino’s skin, while also using its far superior eyesight to warn of approaching danger. In return, the oxpecker gets a free, reliable food source.

No, you haven’t suddenly tuned into a David Attenborough documentary, there is an automotive connection. The oxpeckerrhino relationship is a perfect metaphor for that which exists between Alpina and BMW. On the surface the partnership appears to make no sense: why would BMW supply its cars to another manufacturer to then sell in direct competition? Dig deeper and it becomes clear that the relationship between the two brands is similarly symbiotic – it must be, for it has lasted for more than 55 years and counting.

Alpina was founded by Burkard Bovensiepen and his sons Andreas and Florian continue the family legacy today as Co-Managing Directors. But today is not about the past; CEO Andreas has generously donated his time to discuss the present and the future of the small manufacturer. Nevertheless, clarifying the relationship between Alpina and BMW seems a logical place to begin and, specifically, what’s in it for BMW? “We are first of all an exclusive brand for people who like something which you will not find on every corner,” explains Bovensiepen. “On the other hand this kind of refinement you will not find very often in the car industry. Alpina clients are BMW clients who have driven several different BMWs and now they are thinking of maybe changing the brand to Bentley, Aston Martin, Maserati; with the Alpina offering the dealers can hold the customers with the brand, excite them with some different kind of BMW which has all the advantages of the navigation system, servicing, warranty, but you still have a very exclusive car.”

The catalyst for our conversation, the introduction of the Alpina B8 Gran Coupe to the Australian market, is the perfect example. At $322,900 it fits snugly between BMW’s swoopy flagship offerings, the M850i and M8 Gran Coupes. It virtually matches the latter with 457kW/800Nm and a 0-100km/h claim of 3.4sec but is a very different proposition. “We like to distinguish from the BMW M brand,” says Bovensiepen. “We are not the racing car for the road, we are much more philosophywise – the British press often say an Alpina is like a Bentley. The customer is a little bit more mature; I know I have a lot of power, sometimes I like to accelerate hard [and] go fast but I don’t need to show it every day.”

Bovensiepen uses the likewise fresh-to-Oz B3 as another example, a car that appears to blur the lines between Alpina and M by utilising the M-developed

S58 engine. Traditionally, Alpina has tuned the conventional BMW engines (usually an ’N’ prefix’) rather than the motorsport-spec ’S’ engines – why the switch? “It’s not our target to make a better M3 or M4. I think both companies have their niches; we are more on the luxury side of the business, BMW M on the sporty side, but of course all our customers like to get more horsepower and torque than the previous model.

“For Alpina it would be too difficult to get more horsepower out of the B58 so finally we asked BMW whether we can get the S58, but we like to make sure the B3 can immediately be distinguished from an M3 or an M4. We use different turbochargers for very high torque in the mid range and low range [and] the exhaust system is different. The engine feels completely different, the sound is different.”

BELOW With smaller valves and the bore reduced by 2mm, the B58 became unworkable due to CO2 reasons, hence the B3 gains the S58... oh, and a cool wagon version!

“WE ARE [ALPINA] FIRST OF ALL AN EXCLUSIVE BRAND FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WILL NOT FIND ON EVERY CORNER”

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ABOVE Alpina isn’t only about high-end luxury products, with the company enjoying a rich history in racing - even Andreas himself racing in Germany’s DTM RIGHT MAIN The XB7 is here to give the Merc-AMG GLS63 a run for its money in the aggro SUV category

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Unusually for a premium brand, Bovensiepen says Alpinas – in Europe at least – are often the main and only car for customers: “I’m not completely familiar with the Australian market, but especially in Europe Alpina is usually the first car and the everyday driver.

Whereas if you look at specific M models it can be that an M4 is a nice car for the weekend, to have fun for several hours, or to go to the race track if you look at the CS or CSL models. We have our own philosophy and most of the time it’s the first car of the household, let’s say a dream car for everyday, and therefore we are focused on niches like Touring (wagon) models to compete against the Audi RS models or AMG T Models. Our aim is always to make the BMW portfolio bigger and wider.”

This everyday philosophy carries over into the setup of the cars. “We make a completely new setup,” says Bovensiepen. “For example we have completely different hardware in the dampers, different springs, different anti-roll bars, Comfort Plus mode, which is often only available in Alpina cars, and of course we have tailored tyres. Most of our cars have Pirelli tyres and these are especially developed with Pirelli Germany. It’s a combination of tyre development, springs, dampers and new calibration of the ESP; we go to Sweden in the

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winter, it’s a big portfolio of testing we do at test facilities in Southern France and we do high-speed testing where we go to Nardo to get a look at the reliability of the cars and the cooling systems and the tyres.”

It’s the combination of the Alpina customer’s love of speed and its relatively low build volumes that is making the transition to electrification a particularly difficult one. The updated X3-based XD3 SUV hit Australian shores last year with a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup, but the steps beyond this are not yet clear. “Alpina customers, especially in Europe, like to accelerate hard,” reveals Bovensiepen. “They like to go fast on the motorway and this is quite difficult to achieve in a completely electric vehicle. You see here in Germany sometimes Tesla buyers have their car the first four weeks, let’s say [they drive] 160km/h, then they realise the battery goes down quite quickly and suddenly go between 95-120km/h.

They don’t go faster because they know otherwise they have to recharge so often and that is not so much fun.

“Currently I cannot see an Alpina customer restricted to, let’s say, 120km/h on a German autobahn – they like to go faster. In countries with very strict speed limits it’s a different story and maybe you can be successful as a battery-electric vehicle, but still we know these kinds of cars are often 2.5 tonnes. With electrification cars

“WITH ELECTRIFICATION CARS GET VERY, VERY HEAVY AND IT COMPROMISES THE HANDLING NOT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION”

get very, very heavy and it compromises the handling not in the right direction. Every high performance car company or niche producer is waiting for second- or third- or fourth-generation of these kinds of products; batteries have to get better and lighter, drivetrains have to get lighter, black boxes have to get smaller. I think it doesn’t make sense to be a leader in this field because then you have a lot of hurdles to overcome. I prefer these kinds of cars more as urban vehicles. Suddenly you can go on smaller batteries, let’s say 40-50kWh, and you have a nice second car for your family, but not as a car having fun to drive or going fast.”

The obvious interim solution is hybrid, but it isn’t quite that easy when you’re tied to BMW’s existing product portfolio. “BMW in the first generation had V8 hybrid, then they had six-cylinder hybrids in the 3 Series and 5 Series then they changed philosophy to only four-cylinder hybrids because demand was so low. Now again they have a six-cylinder hybrid which I think is very good because an Alpina customer is typically six-cylinder or V8 customer. For example, as a replacement for the (diesel) D3 we have thought about a hybrid and we asked our customer and they said ‘hybrid, yes, why not?’ but it at least has to be six cylinders, so if we had to do a four-cylinder hybrid

ALPINA CLASSICS PROGRAM While the new car environment is a difficult one to navigate, the growing appreciation for classics globally provides an opportunity for Alpina with its large back catalogue. “We are mainly focused on develop[ing] new Alpina models but with this switch now into electric mobility the tradition gets more and more important. We will make a greater effort to rebuild all parts like wheels, suspension, interior stuff, to give the community of Alpina lovers the possibility to get their collector items in good shape, to get the spare parts. Today we are very

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much focused on engine rebuilds, which we do a lot, several hundred engines a year, but this business will be enlarged. For example, currently we have an E24 B7 S Bi-Turbo Coupe, which we restored for a Japanese customer.

This will be much more important in the next years.”

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“IT’S GOOD PORSCHE IS GOING INTO A LEADING POSITION ...

SYNTHETIC FUELS WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL”

ABOVE Not only does Alpina carry out extensive retooling, it performs high-speed testing at Nardo to check reliability, cooling systems and tyres FAR RIGHT The XD3 was an important step and with the arrival of the B8 Gran Coupe (pictured), XB7 and B3, Alpina is now flush with product

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that would not be preferable for our customers. We continued with the D3 because a lot of customers do high mileages, 30-50,000km annually, so the D3 is still the perfect solution.”

Historically, Alpina has had a lot of success with increasing performance through engine transplants, such as with the E30 B6 3.5 S or E36 B8 4.6, but it’s the business case rather than the engineering that is now the limiting factor. “We have a lot of experience with system integration and quite often we have transferred bigger engines from bigger BMWs into the 3 Series or from the 7 Series into the 5 Series so this knowledge we have; it’s more nowadays the price possibility because if we would have done a six-cylinder hybrid in the current 3 Series, we would have taken the 5 Series or X5 drivetrain and integrated it, it would be quite a costly

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car. It would suit the car lovers but we were thinking maybe the time was not right.”

Whatever the solution, one must be found due to tightening emissions regulations. “Right now we have negotiated our own CO2 corridor with the European Commission,” explains Bovensiepen, “and therefore we do not have these kind of strict limits that these big manufacturers have (fleet average of 95g/km), but of course you have to have a roadmap to go down every year. Therefore we need in the future at least hybrid vehicles. There is currently some Swiss discussion, and it’s going into parliament, whether small car manufacturers should get higher CO2 limits or whether they have to fulfil the same limits, which could end up that you have to pay $30,000 to register a petrol car in Switzerland. Maybe it’s not a problem for a Ferrari or Lamborghini customer [but] for an Alpina customer?”

There is, possibly, a third way. Synthetic fuels have been in the news thanks to Porsche investing in the technology, though a number of companies are working on CO2-neutral petrol, with potential for it to support low-volume internal combustion production. “I think synthetic fuels have been completely underestimated,” enthuses Bovensiepen, “It’s very good that Porsche is going into a leading position, because the worldwide effect of synthetic fuels would be absolutely phenomenal. Still in every country you have big fleets of the traditional petrol and diesel engines and therefore in the shortest time you would create the biggest effect on environmental issues.

“I think it has to be pushed much more widely, but certain countries have an agenda of going 100 per cent electric, not looking on the manufacturing of the cars, the driving the cars and afterwards, the battery has to be recycled. I can’t imagine in Europe and America and Australia within the next 10 years that 50 per cent of the whole car production will be fully electric; it’s no problem for the manufacturers to do so, but to create the infrastructure for every customer to be happy to buy an electric car because it’s so easy to recharge, I think this will be a big topic in the future.”

But what of the present? Alpina has had a slow start in Australia, handicapped early on by fluctuating prices and a limited product portfolio, but the release of the XD3 was an important step and with the arrival of the B8 Gran Coupe, monster XB7 and all-new B3, Alpina now has a range of vehicles across multiple segments.

“We have a very close relationship with BMW Australia,” says Bovensiepen. “It will help us with their prestige department, [but] for us as a small manufacturer selling 1500 or maybe this year 1900 cars annually, we [don’t] have the big budgets to spend on advertising. It’s important to get the press driving the cars, being excited hopefully and you have a small community which is growing every year. This year I think our target is nearly 40 cars to sell in Australia. It’s a very small number, of course, but if we can make 40 people happy, next year maybe it’s 45 cars and it’s growing. We can only convince people with convincing products.” And so the oxpecker adapts and thrives.

FEATURE. MK8 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI

R A I N B Y S C OT T N E W M A N + P I C S A L A S TA I R B R O O K

VOLKSWAGEN ISN’T CONTENT WITH RESTING ON ITS LAURELS WITH THE MK8 GOLF GTI. BUT HAS IT MESSED WITH A PERENNIALLY WINNING FORMULA?

S U P R E M E

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OU ENTER THE pub, sit down at the table and grab a menu, making a show of perusing the available options.

It’s all a charade; you know exactly what you’re going to order, you’ve known for hours. You’re going to choose the chicken parmigiana – chances are everyone is.

The reason the chicken parmi (or parma) is the default pub choice is the same reason the Volkswagen Golf GTI is the default hot hatch choice – you know what you’re going to get. In both cases the recipe hasn’t changed much in decades and nor has it had to because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

This only makes it all the more remarkable that for the eighth generation of its iconic fast five-door Volkswagen is fiddling with the recipe, if only slightly.

If we return to the chicken parmigiana metaphor, the VW has stuffed a few spicy jalapeños between the ham and the cheese.

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serious. Its mechanical specification effectively mirrors that of the previous generation Golf GTI Performance, including the fourth evolution of the long-serving EA888 engine, which produces 180kW from 5000-6200rpm and 370Nm from 1600-4300rpm.

For the first time a proper limited-slip front differential is standard on a ‘normal’ GTI, the multi-plate unit is electronically rather than mechanically controlled in order to minimise steering corruption. A six-speed manual is available overseas, but locally only the new seven-speed ‘shift by wire’ dual-clutch gearbox will be offered, meaning there’s no longer any physical connection between the gear lever and the ’box itself.

Under the skin it seems as before, with a strut/A-arm front end and multi-link rear controlling 18.0 x 7.5-inch wheels wrapped in 225/40 tyres – in this case, Goodyears.

However, the devil is in the detail. Spring rates have increased 5 per cent front and 15 per cent rear, bushings and bearings have gone under the microscope, adaptive dampers are standard and an aluminium subframe stiffens the front end and sheds three kilograms.

ABOVE The GTI might now come with a higher price tag, but so does its competition. Mk8 gains more kit to enter the ring RIGHT Materials used, as well as the fit and finish, remain high quality but the overall aesthetic isn’t exactly enticing

THIS IS THE MOST COHESIVE GOLF GTI YET What’s more, the suspension and differential are both under the command of the new Vehicle Dynamics Manager, a “higher level control system [that] centrally coordinates all electro-mechanical running gear functions,” according to Karsten Schebsdat, VW’s head of drive dynamics, steering and control systems.

Let’s not leave you hanging any longer – it works. This is easily the sharpest, most capable and cohesive Golf GTI yet. As you can see from the imagery, the conditions weren’t exactly conducive to performance driving, yet the Mk8 was rarely flustered, extracting remarkable levels of lateral grip from the sodden surface.

The steering is worthy of note. It remains a variablerate rack that allows a degree of high-speed sneeze factor yet quickens as lock is applied with a maximum of 2.1 turns, but whereas these systems can sometimes feel unnatural in their progression when responding to large inputs, the latest GTI has somehow made the variable feel linear. It does feel as though the wheel has increased in diameter, however.

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THE GTI’S FRONT END REFUSES TO RELINQUISH ITS PURCHASE 48

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effect entirely eliminated understeer,” a bold statement but one that appears to be accurate, on-road at least.

The front end refuses to relinquish its purchase even as cornering speeds edge up to twice that written on the yellow warning sign – in the wet don’t forget – and the rear is equally unflustered, though can be convinced to shuffle slightly on a trailed brake.

Traction has traditionally been a GTI bugbear but while it still leans on the electronics heavily in these conditions, once third gear has been clicked more often that not the light ceases to flash. The one disadvantage of a front limited-slip diff is that once traction is lost both wheels slide across the road, but it’s an easy issue to drive around with a little throttle control.

ESP Sport is deftly tuned and unintrusive. The stability control can also be deactivated completely for the first time in a base GTI, but we’ll leave that until we get on track. An Individual mode is still offered in order to mix and match drivetrain, steering and suspension settings – the latter now adjustable through 15 different damper rates – but to be honest Sport is beautifully judged for fast driving. The steering adds a little extra resistance and the suspension retains its compliance but with fantastic body control.

The engine is familiar but has now also been developed and refined to an incredibly high standard. It pulls from virtually no rpm – thank peak torque from 1600rpm for that – and remains perched on this power plateau for the next 4500rpm, at which point the next gear will be selected whether you like it or not. Happily, the new gearbox is more obedient in the other direction, firing in downshifts that whip the digital tachometer around to north of 6000rpm.

It even makes a good noise; a little muted, but less obviously synthesised than the same engine in the Skoda Octavia RS. It’s quick, too. The standard launch control system provokes time-sapping wheelspin, but with a bit of patience off the line the front tyres hook up and rocket it to 100km/h in just 6.2sec – besting the official claim by 0.2sec – and on to a 14.3sec quarter mile at 163.7km/h.

The Strip VW GOLF GTI 0-10km/h

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1.7

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0-120km/h 8.1 0-130km/h 9.3 0-140km/h 10.7 0-150km/h 12.1 0-160km/h 13.7 0-170km/h 15.6 0-180km/h 17.9 0-190km/h 20.8 0-400m 14.3sec @ 163.7km/h Heathcote Park Raceway. Driver Alex Inwood Official timing by Vbox Australia

ABOVE LEFT Screens and controls use haptic feedback, while the central infotainment display supports Apple CarPlay/Android Auto ABOVE Newman draws on his rally background in the wet conditions

Crucially, this added dynamic ability hasn’t come at the expense of the GTI’s everyday useability. There is now a slight edge to the ride, however, the increase in firmness compared to its predecessor is probably roughly equal to the increase in front spring rate – about five per cent. For the expansion of its dynamic prowess to come with so little compromise feels like a masterstroke.

A couple of colleagues discovered an unpleasant exhaust resonance at certain speeds and throttle openings, but by and large the Mk8 GTI pulls off the same trick as its seven predecessors, as there is virtually no environment in which it doesn’t excel.

One ace it does have up its sleeve over previous GTIs is the ability to virtually drive itself. As part of its IQ Drive suite of active safety systems, the Golf’s adaptive cruise with stop & go functions takes care of the throttle and brake and the lane keep deals with the steering, allowing large distances to be covered with minimal driver input.

It’s both clever and impressive, though certainly not foolproof, and I suspect most people reading this are happy to provide those inputs themselves.

Regardless, it’s another string to the GTI’s bow, albeit one that comes at a cost. When the Mk7 GTI launched it began at $41,490 for the manual and $43,990 for the DSG, which means the MK8’s $53,100RRP requires a second take. And then a third.

VW would rightly point to the car’s incredibly high specification, with Performance Pack mechanicals, adaptive dampers, all the active safety kit and its increased technology as justification, but the fact remains that a mere three years ago you could get yourself behind the wheel of a fast Golf for $37,490 – albeit for the back-tobasics, three-door GTI Original – while even the limitededition, bells-and-whistles GTI 40 Years was $48,990.

There are only three options and our test car has the works: the $1500 Sound and Vision Package, which includes a head-up display and eight-speaker, 480W Harman Kardon stereo; the $3800 Luxury Package, with leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, electrically operated driver’s seat, heated steering wheel d

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TOP LEFT Traditional styling cues continue, so it’s more of an evolutionary design for MK8. Daytime running lights have a chequeredflag theme, but overall it remains rather subtle

RIGHT MAIN While there’s no fakery with the twin exhaust pipes, the sound is polarising. The wheels are now 18-inch alloys only, with the option to go bigger not available

and sunroof and $300 for the ‘Kings Red’ paint. White, two greys, blue and black are also available for no cost.

Add it all up and you’re looking at what feels like an eye-watering $58,700 before on-road costs, but it’s in step with the competition. A Megane RS Trophy DCT is $56,990, a top-spec WRX STI $59,440 and the new i30 N Premium $52,000, though it does make the Focus ST-3 look a bit of a bargain at $47,990. VW now offers a fiveyear warranty and a pair of servicing packages, $1450 for three years or $2300 for five.

Nevertheless, the higher price raises expectations. The interior has plenty of gear, including triple-zone climate control, a pair of USB-C inputs front and rear, wireless charging and smartphone mirroring, voice control, digital instrument display and 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, but it’s also quite a sparse environment.

Volkswagen has intentionally gone for a minimalist aesthetic and there will be those to whom that appeals to. However, personally it feels like function has taken too much of a precedence over form. Our test car’s interior was an unrelenting sea of grey, enlivened only by some red piping and a start-stop button that flashes red like a heartbeat.

The standard tartan seats would help matters, I suspect, but in removing all the switchgear the interior is now largely featureless. The gear lever has been replaced by an apologetic stub (looks rather like one found in the 992 911) and there’s plenty of hard plastic in evidence.

As mentioned earlier, the steering wheel feels a little large and also a little chunky, while the number of controls on the spokes is initially daunting. In practice it’s actually very intuitive, allowing easy navigation of the widely customisable digital instrument display, that has a number of different themes and can display basically any information you’d want to know.

The centre infotainment screen has come in for some criticism. However, after slight initial frustration – consulting the handbook revealed the nondescript square was the ‘home’ button, obvious to all but me it seems, which solved all manner of problems – it proved to be reasonably slick.

Shortcut keys on the dash and sliders for the commonly used volume and temperature controls allow most functions to be easily accessed, especially with an owner’s familiarity. The exception is various vehicle functions such as stop-start or ESP Sport; what used to be a simple button tap is now a process requiring various taps and swipes, the latter often being unresponsive – it feels a step too far.

The eighth-generation Golf GTI is a very impressive machine. In many ways it’s the quintessential GTI; a better performance car than ever before yet with the latest semi-autonomous systems that allow it to shoulder the burden of the daily grind if you’re not in the mood.

Volkswagen is confident buyers won’t be deterred by the new car’s tech-heavy focus, austere interior and higher price tag. Only time will tell if this spicier parmigiana remains the pub favourite.

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THE MK8 GTI IS IMPRESSIVE. IN MANY WAYS IT’S THE QUINTESSENTIAL GTI

The Specs Figures of Eight VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI BODY DRIVE ENGINE BORE X STROKE COMPRESSION POWER TORQUE POWER/WEIGHT TRANSMISSION WEIGHT

5-door, 5-seat hatchback front-wheel 1984cc inline-4cyl, DOHC, 16v, turbo 82.5 x 92.8mm 9.6:1 180kW @ 5000-6200rpm 370Nm @ 1600-4300rpm 128kW/tonne 7-speed dual-clutch

1409kg struts, A-arms, adaptive dampers, coil springs, SUSPENSION anti-roll bar (f); multi-links, adaptive dampers, coil springs, anti-roll bar (r) L/W/H 4287/1789/1463mm

WHEELBASE 2631mm TRACKS 1535/1513mm (f/r) STEERING electrically assisted rack-and-pinion ventilated discs, single-piston calipers (f); BRAKES 340mm 310mm ventilated discs, single-piston calipers (r)

WHEELS TYRES PRICE PROS CONS STAR RATING

18.0 x 7.5-inch (f/r) 225/40 R18 (f/r) Goodyear Eagle F1 $53,100 ($58,700 as tested) Great chassis; wide bandwidth; loaded spec High price; interior lacks character; laggy screen

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ROAD TRIP. PAGANI ZONDA F

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BY JETHRO BOVINGDON + PIC S MALCOLM G RIFFITHS

PAST TENSE MOTOR HEADS TO MODENA’S MOTOR VALLEY FESTIVAL IN THE CAR PAGANI COULD NEVER KILL

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CONFESS THAT I write this as a Brit. Or pom. Whatever you prefer. I like to think of us as the idiots who stayed on the cold, sodden island just to annoy the French.

Anyway, where am I going with this? Oh yes. The bloody E-type Jag. As a Brit/pom/ idiot I’ve had the E-type Jag rammed down my throat by classic car magazines for about 1000 years. Every other month it’s another story on the E-type. It did 240km/h, y’know? Well, it didn’t. But the, ahem, ‘optimised’ press car did in the hands of The Autocar magazine on the Jabekke highwayzzzzzzzz...

I don’t care about the E-type. Never have. It’s a vintage car for me, not a classic.

My classic cars are from the very late ’80s, the ’90s and the first decade of the 21st century. They have names like Skyline (apologies, I know that one still hurts), Makinen, GT3, Gallardo, Clio V6 or M3, F355, Integrale, Shamal. So when I heard about the new G-OLD tour around Modena, part of the annual Motor Valley Fest that celebrates the incredible engineering and craftsmanship in this region of Italy, my ears pricked up.

A celebration of modern classics on some of the greatest roads in Europe, plus a chance to finish up in the beautiful Piazza Grande, eat great food and wander the square and the surrounding area taking in displays from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and a host of other suppliers and specialists. I just need something from the turn of the millennium to turn up in. Italian, obviously.

Manual gearbox, naturally aspirated engine. It’d be cool if it was rare and exotic. Pagani Zonda F coupe? That should do it.

We’ll join G-OLD later. First, we need to pick up a Zonda F from the Pagani Automobili S.P.A factory in San Cesario sul Panaro. No, I can’t quite believe I’m saying that, either. It’s not just any Zonda F. I guess there isn’t ‘just any’ F as just 25 coupes were built, but this one is the personal car of Horacio Pagani himself. Chassis 91, handmade in 2007 and finished in Arancione St. Tropez and bare carbon fibre. The car has covered just 2500 kilometres and in 2019 underwent Pagani’s full Rinascimento (Renaissance) program to bring it up to as-new condition. I suspect it didn’t really need it, but the meticulous work acted as a good motivation to owners thinking of lavishing some money on their own Zonda. It is, simply, perfect.

The Zonda was a meteor strike to the old supercar world when it debuted at the Geneva Auto Salon in 1999, but nobody could have guessed quite the change it would effect in the market generally. Nor that this period would come to represent such a significant moment in the evolution of the sports and performance car generally.

Holding on to the evocative, immersive ingredients of the old – naturally aspirated engine, manual gearbox, hydraulic power assistance for steering and a real sense of organic connection – whilst embracing technology that would enhance dynamic performance and reduce mass, the Zonda could scarcely be more desirable or more relevant in 2021. If you trace the story of the supercar, which was written here in Italy’s ‘Motor Valley’, there’s a very strong case that it reaches its zenith with the Pagani Zonda.

You don’t need to know the history of the supercar, 54

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THE ZONDA WAS A METEOR STRIKE TO THE OLD SUPERCAR WORLD WHEN IT DEBUTED AT THE GENEVA AUTO SALON

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IT PULSATES WITH A MYSTICAL CHARISMA AND MAKES YOUR STOMACH FLIP JUST STANDING STILL nor the extraordinary Horacio Pagani story for the Zonda F to hit you right in the guts. It literally pulsates with a kind of mystical charisma and makes your stomach flip just standing still and silent. If you asked a kid to draw you a supercar they wouldn’t come up with the Zonda. It requires too much imagination, too much skill to capture something of the essence of the great Group C machines and mix it with the drama, humour and pure joy of the supercar tradition. They’d sure as hell recognise it as a supercar, though. On a simmering Italian summer’s day and painted that vivid shade of orange it could hardly look more spectacular.

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ABOVE All the benefits of open-air cruising, without the wind buffeting... it helps you to arrive without a hair out of place RIGHT Is it fast? You bet.

0-100km/h in 3.6sec, 0-200km/h in 9.8sec and a top speed of 345km/h

suspension at each corner and the rear sub-frame cradles a 443kW 7.3-litre V12 engine from AMG. Remember, the Zonda came into the world when Lamborghini’s big, bad supercar had a chassis that looked like it had been put together by drunk scaffolders in preparation for the Red Bull soapbox challenge. The Zonda was more an Italian McLaren F1 than a sexier, more esoteric Diablo.

In fact, the very birth of this car is rooted in Lamborghini’s reluctance to adopt new technologies. Horacio, born in Argentina but with dreams that could probably only come to life in the Emilia-Romagna region, had found his way to Sant‘Agata in 1982 and in ’87 headed up the development of the experimental Countach Evoluzione.

Featuring a new composite chassis, carbon-Kevlar panels

and a host of other trick components it was nearly 400kg lighter than the Quattrovalvole and performed on an entirely new plane. Horacio saw the, um, light.

Lamborghini didn’t. So he left, founded Modena Design and, very soon after, Pagani Automobili.

Swing open the door and the Zonda truly seems to embrace the benefits of Horacio’s favourite material. It’s feather light, a handshake to remind you that this full-size supercar weighs just 1230kg (dry), and reveals a cabin that’s a feast of shapes and jewel-like details but, most of all, perfectly matched, machined and lacquered carbon fibre. In a mid-range BMW a few strips of carbon-fibre trim seems vaguely absurd and isn’t even that pretty.

In the Zonda F it’s structural, dazzling, sculptural and, honestly, rather gorgeous. For some the intricate, busy interior will be too much but what it lacks in understated elegance it makes up for in carnival-like flamboyance.

It gets the details right. The flat-bottomed Nardi steering wheel is fabulous to hold, the circular floor-hinged pedals d

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THE ZONDA ISN’T SO MUCH A CLASSIC CAR AS A TIMELESS STATEMENT OF SUPERCAR DRAMA AND EXCITEMENT

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are a little unusual but take just seconds to master and the driving position and glass teardrop canopy provide a gorgeous view and a real sense of airiness. The front wings fall away abruptly and frame the view ahead and the elegant side mirrors mounted on those deliciously slender carbon-fibre stems give a great view of the road behind. That’s if you’re able to stop gawping at the taut rear wings and the edges of the carbon-fibre wing.

Twist the key, depress the red button mounted atop the gearlever and the M120-series AMG V12 wakes with a deep, mellow roar. It’s not brash like, say, a C63 S on start-up, but such is the depth and resonance that you can sense the scale of the engine. The steering requires some heft, which seems only right and proper, and the clutch needs a bit of muscle, too. The six-speed Cima ’box is slightly less satisfying in its action. Light, hollow-feeling and just a little bit awkward to use, it’s perhaps the only thing you could describe as a ‘disappointment’. However, it’s a six-speed manual and for that I will give praise. The connection it brings is priceless. Subsequent Zondas introduced a padde-shift version of this ’box and it feels very outdated compared to modern dual-clutch systems.

The F really is the sweet spot.

I haven’t explained the ‘F’, have I? Well, way back when Pagani was dreaming up his perfect supercar he needed an engine partner. A friend of his named Juan Manuel Fangio went about introducing his countryman and friend, Horacio, to the team he used to race for, Mercedes.

The rest is history. So it’s F for Fangio. Which means it had better be bloody good to drive...

Oh, it’s good. The engine has all the torque you’d expect of that cubic capacity and in combination with the

TOP LEFT Opting for the Clubsport pack affords aero, with 600kg of rear downforce generated at 300km/h LEFT While the Zonda F is no doubt a supercar, it’s not without creature comforts - the floor is even covered in leather BELOW LEFT Being rear-wheel drive only, the Zonda F needs wide tyres for purchase... make that 335/30-series Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s then BELOW We wouldn’t be able to get away with that amount of angle here... it seems the Carabinieri are a little more tolerant

lightweight construction makes for effortless progress at low and medium speeds but there’s real bite, too. Extend the engine beyond 4500rpm and it howls the purest, sonic almost sci-fi howl. It’s like the noise you’d expect to come out of a plasma blaster or something and it doesn’t so much cut the air into sharp fragments as charge it with energy and blast it into space. If you had any fear a German engine couldn’t work in an Italian supercar it seems laughable after one run to the rev limiter. Of course, being naturally aspirated, it’s also laser precise and has fantastic throttle response.

It’s the sense of precision and delicacy that really characterises the way the Zonda F goes about picking apart a road. The chassis structure feels as stiff as any new hypercar and that allows the suspension to be supple enough to suck-up the worst that even earthquake-damaged roads can throw at it but also pull the body tight, so that you feel you’re tracing the surface rather than floating above it. With lovely, textural feedback through the steering, minute control of the engine and excellent feel and power from the carbonceramic brakes, the Zonda F remains a pretty devastating car even by today’s standards.

It doesn’t have the rock-solid body control of, say, a McLaren 765LT, nor the crazy, dizzying performance of an SF90, but it’s more than fast enough to live with all but the most committed lunatic in either.

Just how fast is made clear the next day when we finally join up with the G-OLD convoy. There are two groups – Youngtimers and Modern Supercars – and we seem to be floating between the two. Even in a group including F355, 550 Maranello, a perfect E46 M3 and Z3 M Coupe, plus

IT’S THE PRECISION AND DELICACY THAT REALLY CHARACTERISES THE WAY THE ZONDA F DRIVES

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THE ORANGE CARBON FIBRE SPACESHIP IS, ONCE AGAIN, ALL ANYONE CARES ABOUT s e p te m b e r 2 0 2 1 w h i c h c a r. c o m . a u /m o t o r

The Specs Legend status PAGANI ZONDA F BODY 2-door, 2-seat coupe DRIVE rear-wheel ENGINE 7291cc V12, DOHC, 48v POWER 443kW @ 6150rpm TORQUE 760Nm @ 4000rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual WEIGHT 1230kg (dry) SUSPENSION double A-arms, pull rod helical springs, adjustable dampers anti-roll bar (f/r)

WHEELS 19.0-inch (f); 20.0-inch (r) TYRES 255/35 ZR19 (f); 335/30 ZR20 (r) Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 PRICE $7m PROS Amazing engine; incredible soundtrack; presence to burn CONS Realising that the likelihood of owning one is minuscule at best STAR RATING 11111

some real rarities like a Mercedes 500E and an E34 M5 with a turbocharger the size of Rome, it’s clear the Zonda is The Main Event. How could it not be?

A young guy sidles over to pore over the Zonda. He’s here with his Dad, in the Modern Supercar group and a Ferrari 488GTB. Or is it an F8 Tributo? Who cares. Anyway, he asks the power output and it strikes me I don’t actually know. It seems so irrelevant when all these cars are so unbelievably potent. “I think 600bhp,” I reply. He’s Italian so kilowatts wouldn’t cut it. “Less than yours, anyway,” I continue. He chuckles. “Yeah... just 150bhp or so less!

It’s beautiful, though.” I feel patronised. Later, when his Dad is right up my chuff as we emerge from another idyllic Italian village and a ribbon of tarmac clinging to the side of the Apennines opens out ahead, I decide to demonstrate that the old girl can still cut it.

To be fair the Ferrari stays in my mirrors for two or three corners, but the Zonda F is in full flight and eases away. It’s so confidence inspiring. Yes, it feels a little wide and over big undulations I’d want a touch more control (of course, this being a Pagani you can have the set-up finalised in any direction you so desire), but there’s such

ABOVE Iconic circular quad exhaust emits a tantalising soundtrack... hunting for tunnels is definitely required LEFT MAIN Even in a sea of supercars, the Zonda F stands out. Round driving lights and an extended front airdam signify the F

inherent agility that it feels perfectly at home even on roads that logic suggests are a size too small. Grip runs out at the front first but the understeer is measured rather than messy, plus you have 7.3-litres of AMG goodness to balance that out.

Terrifyingly, to get the Zonda really flowing requires disabling the ASR traction control as it’s severe and intervenes too early. Yet after the initial panic of prodding the button you soon relax into the intuitive dynamics. You can spin-up those rear wheels but it takes determination and the oversteer that follows is progressive and predictable. The Ferrari doesn’t stand a chance.

Our final miles with the Zonda F are literally in the wheel tracks of Horacio Pagani. The G-OLD guys and girls join up with him after a factory tour and we all trundle into the centre of Modena together. The Motor Valley Fest is in full swing and the orange carbon fibre spaceship is, once again, all anyone cares about. The Zonda really is a remarkable car. The ‘last’ versions were meant to be the Cinque and Cinque roadster, all the way back in 2009 and 2010. But it won’t die. People clamour to own them, or to upgrade existing cars to ‘760’ specification – the final development of the AMG engine producing 559kW. This Zonda F, which would have cost 550,000 plus taxes in 2007, is now worth $7m. The absolutely, definitely, probably-not-really final ‘final’ cars will be two further Zonda HP Barchettas, similar to a car shown at Pebble Beach in 2017. They are priced at $15m each.

The values are completely nuts. But I see the appeal.

The cars are stunning to behold, the personal story of Horacio is pure fairy-tale and the Zonda really does sit at the most amazing point in motoring history. Blessed with performance, materials technology, reliability and safety that would hitherto be unthinkable but not saddled with endless electronics or bloated by spiralling power outputs and hybrid or EV powertrains, the Zonda isn’t so much a classic car as a timeless statement of supercar drama and excitement. I would wrap this all up neatly with some derogatory comment about the E-type Jag. But as we inch our way to the Piazza Grande in convoy, Horacio is just ahead in his beloved bright red E-type Roadster looking very happy indeed. Oh well, nobody’s perfect. d

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FEATURE. LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH

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OUNTACH! SOME FIFTY years after the iconic Lamborghini supercar was revealed at the 1971 Geneva Show, Sant’Agata has revived the nameplate for a limited run of 112 homage models based on the underpinnings of the Sián FKP37 hybrid hypercar.

Revealed at The Quail motorsport gathering at Pebble Beach this year, credit for the styling of the Countach LPI 800-4 goes not to Marcello Gandini, but to Mitja Borkert’s team at Lamborghini Centro Stile.

“The first Countach has been present in our Centro Stile as a model for some years now”, explains Borkert.

“Whenever I look at it, it gives me goose bumps and it serves as the perfect reminder for me and the entire design team to design every future Lamborghini in a visionary and futuristic way. This is an unnegotiable part of our DNA, the essence if you so will. The first Countach shaped the Lamborghini design DNA like no other car; the new Countach translates that unconventional and edgy character into the future.”

Given that the hard points are shared with the Sián, it’s unsurprising that some of the proportioning looks similar. The Sián already carried over a number of design cues redolent of the Countach such as the trapezoidal bonnet feature line, the scissor doors, the sculpting of the roof that paid tribute to the original persicopio and three-point rear light graphic. The nuovo Countach extends that theme still further.

Retaining the distinctive silhouette with the instantly recognisable ‘Countach line’ that has shaped all modern mid-engined Lamborghinis, the car’s front end hints at a secondary set of pop-up lamps with an indented detail line, while the LPI 800-4 also features slatted box intakes on the rear haunches, vast side intakes (we won’t call them NACA ducts because they aren’t) and quad exhaust tips. The wheels are interesting, their five-hole theme tipping a hat to the original’s Campagnolo alloys without being an overly literal recreation. It would have been easy to source a set of lookalike Vossen LC-103 forged alloys but Lamborghini clearly didn’t want to step too far down the retro path.

“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” says Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann.

“The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to this Lamborghini legacy but it is not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach of the 70s and 80s might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade.

It upholds the Lamborghini tradition of looking forward, of exploring new design and technology avenues while celebrating the DNA of our brand.”

It’s fairly understandable that Winkelmann would take that tack, having painted himself into something of a corner after the unveiling of the 2006 Miura concept by saying, “The Miura was a celebration of our history, but

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Lamborghini is about the future. Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won’t do the Miura.”

When MOTOR asked chief technology officer Maurizio Reggiani whether, as a result of that stance, there was some resistance to reviving the Countach name and ethos, he claims that the decision was straightforward.

“It was a big discussion in our board because our CEO, Mr Winkelmann, is not in favour of a retro car, but Countach is something so different because it was not only a car in ‘71 but also a completely different partition of a supersports car. Countach is an exclamation in Italian dialect that tries to scream surprise, so only a name like Countach can represent what was in the ‘70s and what we want to do today in terms of surprising our customers. And for this there was no discussion to use again the name Countach for this car.”

THE WHEELS TIP THEIR HAT TO THE OLD CAMPAGNOLO ALLOYS WITHOUT BEING AN OVERLY LITERAL RECREATION

➜ RIGHT The shark-like intake gills of the original carry over into the LPI 800-4 as does the periscopio roof graphic

LEFT Original looks almost elfin next to its 21st Century successor.

Weight increases by 41%, power jumps a massive 83%

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HEAD OF DESIGN MITJA BORKERT POINTEDLY CALLS THE COUNTACH LPI 800-4 “NOT RETRO”

➜ BELOW Three-spot rear light clusters are an underappreciated ingredient of the orignal Countach’s design story

LEFT The cabin features a photochromatic glass roof and 3D-printed moveable air vents

➜

Was there ever a temptation to plant a big arrowshaped wing on the back? Mitja Borkert jumps in to answer that one. “The purism of the Countach is so important, so we took inspiration from the first concept car, the LP500, but then also from the first production car, the LP400. Then also one version was the Quattrovalvole version from the ‘80s. The most significant for me was they are without the wing, because the original design of Bertone was without it. We have said with the technology we have today we will create a car as puristic and simple and clean as possible. Being the Countach of the 21st century and not using a wing was very important.”

“When standing, the car had to be clean and beautiful,” adds Reggiani, drawing parallels back to that 1971 Geneva show concept.

So here we are, with a car with at least one toe in the past, skirting fine lines of definition between tribute, homage and retro. Borkert pointedly calls it “not retro”. Reggiani assures us that this badge revival isn’t about to open the floodgates on past models being revived. “Mr. Winkelmann was really clear. We don’t

want to use all the names,” he explains. “Countach is something different. Countach redefined completely, not only for Lamborghini but also for the entire world, the supersports car in terms of approach, in terms of design and in terms of technology. In the future we will not ever homage to the Miura, to the Diablo or of other cars of Lamborghini.”

Peer under the skin and there’s a firm foot in the future.

Where the last of the Countach Anniversary models generated a peak power figure of 335kW and torque of 500Nm, the new car can do a bit better than that. It’s good for 599kW as a combined system output, with

574kW coming from its 6498cc V12 normally aspirated powerplant and another 25kW from its supercapacitorpowered 48V electric motor mounted directly on the seven-speed single-clutch gearbox. Peak power arrives at 8500rpm, while the peak torque figure of 720Nm is available at 6750rpm. So it’ll need some revs.

Lamborghini quotes performance figures of 2.8 seconds to 0-100 km/h, with 200km/h arriving in 8.6 seconds en route to a top speed of 355 km/h. By contrast a Countach QV could achieve 200km/h from standstill in 17.0 seconds, which means the new Countach’s 0-200 time is to the QV what the QV’s is to a Fiesta ST’s. That’s progress for you.

Dry weight has been kept to 1595kg thanks to a monocoque chassis and all body panels finished in carbon fibre. Exterior carbon details are evident in the front splitter, the door mirrors, the windscreen surround, the massive rear diffuser, the engine cover air intakes and rocker panel.

The Sián’s beautiful pushrod suspension units carry over, working magnetorheological adaptive dampers.

Carbon ceramic brake discs measuring 400mm up front and 380mm at the rear are clamped by six- and fourd

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WINKELMANN HAS TRANSFERRED A STRATEGY HE SHARPENED AT BUGATTI BACK TO SANT’AGATA piston calipers respectively. The wheelbase of 2700mm is a massive 250mm longer than the original Countach, but four-wheel steering helps the new LPI 800-4 to a turning circle of just 11.4 metres, making it significantly wielder in town than the original, which featured a 13m turning circle.

The cabin is a good deal more sophisticated than its slightly crude forebear and, at first glance, the dash layout is almost indistinguishable in layout from that of the Sián. Look a little closer at some of the detailing and there’s a nod to the past. The old Countach’s box section binnacle is homaged in the seat design, with bold box sections stitched into the comfort seats, with that square stitching theme extending onto the dashboard. Press the ‘Stile’ button on the 8.4-inch centre touchscreen and the system explains the Countach design philosophy.

Lamborghini is offering a wide range of heritage paint options, mostly in solid colours, such as the iconic Impact White, Giallo Countach yellow and Verde Medio green. Should you prefer a more contemporary paint finish there are hues such as metallic Viola Pasifae or Blu Uranus. The show car at The Quail, and which is pictured here, is painted in an ultra-subtle shade of pearlescent blue called Bianco Siderale. The factory claims that this in itself is a hat-tip to Ferruccio Lamborghini’s own Countach LP 400 S, complete with red and black leather heritage interior. Given that Ferruccio’s car was a white 1980 low-body vehicle with a solid black interior, that’s perhaps a bit of a stretch, but Lamborghini always fond

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of a tall tale or two.

The 112-car production run, which is currently under way for 2022 deliveries, is another nod to the heritage of the Countach, the number a tribute to the ‘LP 112’ internal project name used during the Countach’s development. The fortunate few buyers will take delivery from quarter one of next year. Pricing? Nothing has been officially revealed just yet, but given that the Sián commanded $3.9m, it’s fair to assume the LPI 800-4 isn’t going to be too far off the mark. Right-hand drive production is assured, so it’s likely that we will see a handful of cars in Australia.

Winkelmann has in many ways transferred a strategy he sharpened at Bugatti back to Sant’Agata. Bugatti developed limited-run specials like the Divo, Centodieci, and La Voiture Noire while utilising an existing platform, taking advantage of sunk costs and aggressive mark-ups.

Much of the hard work with homologation and type approvals has already been taken care of, boosting perunit profitability still further.

While celebrating half a century of Countach is a worthy endeavour, it’s hard to reprise a legend. There will be some who feel that Lamborghini should have left well alone, that delving back into the archives to revive the Countach badge can only ever result in a pale shadow of the original’s impact and legacy. But while the Countach LPI 800-4 now plays in a pool of many rather than one, there’s no doubt that if you’re ever lucky enough to chance upon one of the 112 cars, it’ll be memorable.

➜ MAIN RIGHT There’s a very particular set of mathematics and shaping required to form a submerged - or NACA - duct. Those on the side of the LPI 800-4 do not conform. Not that we’re complaining

The Specs LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH LPI 800-4 ENGINE 6498cc V12, DOHC, 48v E-MOTOR 48V, 600A, supercapacitor powered POWER 599kW @ 8500rpm TORQUE 720Nm @ 6750rpm 0-100KM/H 2.8sec WEIGHT 1595kg (dry) PRICE $3.5m (est)

Quad exhausts frame a carbon fibre rear diffuser. The periscopio lines lead back to hexagonita lamp clusters. Of course it had to have Pirellis and scissor doors

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FEATURE. FERRARI PORTOFINO M

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HAS FERRARI’S POSER BECOME A PROPER PRANCING HORSE? WE

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HE SUN IS PERFORMING its daily party piece as it makes its final approach to the horizon. Tinges of orange and yellow fill a sky dotted with the odd wisp of altostratus. The coastal Victorian town of San Remo is doing a poor impression of the Italian Riviera but in a pandemic world where overseas travel has been made virtually impossible, this is as close as I’m getting to a beach in Sanremo anytime soon. For a fleeting moment, in the former fishing town that gains its name via Ligurian influence, I can dream of an alternate life of wanderlust. The weather is playing the ultimate game of smoke and mirrors because, despite the gin-clear visibility and lowering sun, it’s bitterly cold. The in-car read out displays 12 degrees, but the wind-chill factor is making me question its legitimacy.

It’s this kind of deception that’s almost unwittingly bestowed upon the Ferrari Portofino. Ironically, the cheapest, ‘entry-level’ Ferrari requires the most work to 74

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sell. Its ethos and design brief comes across as contrived to purists; a model born purely out of necessity to lure new money to the brand. A cynic could claim it’s a lifestyle GT for posing instead of a driving tool that burnishes the badge rather than only borrowing from it. Even the marketing bumf seems to work that little bit too hard to convey its legitimacy. Yet, now with an M designation, or Modificata in Ferrari-speak, there is a new narrative. The story now turns to its dynamic ability as the plot moves away from mere aesthetics and badge hierarchy.

It’s why I find myself, many hours earlier when this road trip starts, trundling along the Bass Highway in singledigit temperatures. I’m in search of the more challenging ribbons of tarmac nestled within west Gippsland. Cruising at 100km/h, folding hard top in place, I’m staggered by the ride quality. The manettino dial gains two new modes, being Wet and Race, but for now it’s firmly in Comfort. And it’s hard not to question how some luxury

THE REVISED ENGINE NOW COMES IN AT A HEADY 456KW AND 760NM ... YES, YOU’RE READING THAT RIGHT; MORE THAN 600 HORSES FOR A ‘BASE’ CAR manufacturers can’t master the level of bump absorption Ferrari has with its magnetorheological damping.

The addition of Race mode shouldn’t be glossed over.

It’s the first time Ferrari has endowed a GT convertible with such focused parameters. The mode allows greater liberties and a newfound aggression from the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8. The revised F154BE unit now comes in at a heady 456kW and 760Nm thanks to new cam profiles and revised turbochargers. Yes, you’re reading that right; more than 600 horses for a ‘base’ car. Not that I’m massaging its 7500rpm cut-out, trundling along at 1550rpm. At least

ABOVE New air outlet in the front wheelarch cools the brakes and reduces wheelarch pressure, while the rear gains a revised diffuser that increases downforce

I’ve braved the six-degree temperature to drop the roof in. It’s made easier by the optional neck heater that gently wafts hot air through the heated leather seat.

Fuelled and parked at a servo outside Lang Lang, the Rosso Portofino hue – a $22,000 option that’s a shade less overt than Rosso Corsa – suits the car. With the fog lifting faster than the thermometer, the soon-to-be-warming rays bring out the vibrancy in the red, which matches well with the tan-coloured leather innards. Photographer Ellen Dewar, arrives and promptly states, “I thought it was a convertible” such is the coupe-mimicking cohesiveness d

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RIGHT MAIN The route includes a variety of roads from tight and technical to long, open corners with clear sight lines

RIGHT BOTTOM Sadly, a lot of businesses are doing it tough with little tourism due to lockdowns, so support the locals where possible

when the roof is in place. With a sunset deadline looming and fading winter light a concern, it’s finally time to head off on the 87km route encompassing some of Gippsland’s best, and most challenging, driving roads.

I gallantly agree to keep the roof down. Ellen wants to take advantage of the drop-top’s handsome silhouette.

This isn’t a Roma with more headroom and according to Ferrari, it only shares 30 per cent of its structure with the two-door, two-plus-two coupe. McDonalds Track takes us to Nyora which, somewhat fittingly, is where ABC TV show Something in the Air used to be filmed. “Turn around, I’ve seen something” radios Ellen. It’s a Pony Club sign. Nice one.

Raw figures are often hard to fathom, yet underfoot, the Portofino M feels every bit as quick as its numbers suggest. Zero to 100km/h takes 3.45 seconds. And for those sticklers for details, you’ll know that’s 0.05sec faster than the usurped model. Attaining 200km/h from rest requires 9.8sec and it’ll go on to more than 320km/h.

Quick doesn’t really cover it. The ‘baby’ Fezza has entered a different performance realm.

Tied to a new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which differs from SF90 by having longer ratios and a mechanical reverse gear, it’s rapid-fire. Top gear is for economy, but due to the Variable Boost Management system that feeds in torque through higher gears, traction is a feasible construct. The relentless way in which the Portofino M eviscerates the road ahead is utterly intoxicating.

Yet, it’s not just in a straight line. A short and sweet section of Lang Lang-Poowong Road becomes a winding test bed for the Portofino M’s dynamic wares. It’s filled with twists and turns as well as elevation changes and differing cambers in the road. A third-gear left-hander rises on approach, then plunges at the apex before climbing steeply on exit. It’s rewarding to get right.

That’s something I don’t accomplish at the first attempt as the super quick steering has me placing the car on a tighter trajectory than the actual apex. That’s rectified with a rapid release of lock, allowing the front 245-section Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres to dig in and the chassis to compose itself. My driver error reveals the forgiveness in the platform, one that is long devoid of the scuttle-shake and chassis-flex ills that maligned the California.

Take two. And this time I get it right. The rise is enough to unsettle the Portofino M, yet it naturally uses its travel and with the right amount of lock, the front axle keys into the apex. Fully compressed with downward vertical and lateral forces, the car is being asked a lot of questions.

Because of the reactive and light steering, there’s a delicacy required to attain a natural flow through mid corner. From there the rear axle accepts an early throttle application, finding plenty of purchase. The 90-degree, 3855cc boosted V8 blasts the Portofino M up the incline, disdainful of the sweeper it has just conquered.

I think Ellen senses my enjoyment and asks for a few more run-throughs – for photography purposes, of course.

Accessing the redline on the centrally mounted tacho seems incongruous with the serenely quiet countryside.

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THE RELENTLESS WAY IN WHICH THE TWIN-TURBO V8 PORTOFINO M EVISCERATES THE ROAD AHEAD IS UTTERLY INTOXICATING

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the peace. Due to stricter emissions laws the Portofino M now runs a particulate filter. However, Ferrari removed the rear silencers to reduce back pressure and changed the geometry of the entire exhaust (with bypass valves) so that the flat-plane crank V8 retains its voice. When you’re on it, there’s no cause for aural concern.

The fact that Poowong recorded 360 residents in the 2016 census isn’t lost on me as I scoff down my peanut butter Vita Wheats – Covid means a packed lunch. I can only imagine the thoughts running through the tradie’s mind parked across the road. His perplexed facial expressions reminded me that I’m not really the target market for a $438,500 super GT – especially one with an extra $125k in options. But then, with this much performance that can be harnessed, who now really is?

Does its bigger brother make it redundant? Or in this fiscal league, do you go the whole hog and buy the $536,888 F8 Tributo Spider? Maybe wait for its 296 successor?

Money is something acutely lacking in country towns.

In a time-poor world, highways that now bypass them in the name of traffic efficiency have rendered communities like Bena forgotten pit stops. Blink and you’ll miss it, especially since the South Gippsland Highway bypass rendered it non-essential in 2008. Which is a shame because Bena is quaint. South Road offers up true country scenery and another chance to fully test Ferrari’s Bumpy Road mode – it passes.

Rolling countryside with loads of clear vision is a highlight of this part of Victoria. Fresh air and farm life aplenty, too. The weather is really turning it on now as the temperature almost cracks 20 degrees – which is rare for a Victorian winter. I should be trundling along and leaning into the GT side of the Portofino M. However, Ellen wants BELOW Being of Italian heritage, Trent tries to avoid flamboyant hand gestures at all costs

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BOTTOM RIGHT There’s little dynamic deficit to having the roof down, while wind buffeting is minimal

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RIGHT Folding roof completes its origami act into the boot in 14 seconds... it’s handsome topless

RIGHT MAIN At $9501 the price of the passenger’s display might scare more than the speed

‘spirited movement’ through a 90-degree right-hander for the camera. Okay, if I must...

Arrowing down a straight stretch of Bena-Kongwak Road, I hit the anchors, slapping the left columnmounted paddle as the ’box changes down the ratios with heavy throttle blips. The brake pedal is progressive and offers feel as the calipers clamp down on the standard-fit carbon-ceramic discs. With all the weight transferring forward, the rear squirms and the car feels alive. Given the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the Portofino M rotates naturally, and the rear 285-section Michelins allow for plenty of throttle percentage on the way out.

By now I’ve built up a working rapport with the M and the manettino dial resolutely remains out of Sport mode.

In that mode, it feels too hamstrung by the electronic nannies. A tale that maligned the original Portofino.

It’s not that Race mode needs a warning label yet, as a driver, you do need to be engaged. And it might sound stupid, but for a rear-drive car the Portofino M feels very rear-driven. Under heavy throttle in Race mode, some remedial input is required to stay in a straight line. In corners, this translates to frequent jabs of yaw.

Something I found on Kongwak Road; that moment where an unintentional part-throttle slip requires immediate assessment. With confidence in the car, I decide not to lift as it transitions into a drift. It isn’t a lurid slide, the onlooking cows would have seen better, but it feels almost poetic from behind the wheel.

It’s as if Ferrari now believes the Portofino M isn’t writing dynamic cheques its chassis can’t cash. Proof is found in not only Race mode, but the fact it gains Ferrari’s E-Diff3, Side Slip Control 6.0 (SSC), F1-TCS, SCM-E Frs and the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE). This is

IT ISN’T A LURID SLIDE, BUT IT FEELS ALMOST POETIC FROM BEHIND THE WHEEL

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THE BOOSTED FLAT-PLANE CRANK V8 RETAINS ITS VOICE. WHEN YOU’RE ON IT, THERE’S NO CAUSE FOR AURAL CONCERN

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where the drop-top is at its rawest. The electronics allow freedom to explore the limits of adhesion without totally unshackling the leash. It’s fun with a reassuring safety net.

The road into Kongwak signifies the last of the meaningful corners. And it’d be rude not to enjoy them.

Ellen has told me to pull over at a charming old petrol station with the instructions “you can’t miss it”. And I don’t. I’m greeted by the owner who’s popped his head over the fence to see what he’d heard in the distance.

I doubt anything so technologically advanced has ever passed through the garage. His reaction is one of inquisition, moderated by disbelief that a Ferrari is in his forecourt. Taking off he suggests I “have fun”. I chuckle to myself because with daylight running out, I don’t have time to explain how much I already have. Mother Nature’s clock waits for no one.

From there it’s an undulating straight road bombing

TOP MIDDLE Before everyone writes a letter to the editor, it’s a touch-free clean. Not a single brush came near the car!

LEFT MAIN Infotainment features Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, while the electric/ventilated seats are $12,488 and the neck heating is $5431... ouch

south to the ocean. The tempo drops and it’s here that my main gripe with the Portofino M is proving hard to shake. At cruising speeds with the roof in place and the dual-clutch box schlepping in eighth gear at 1550rpm, the exhaust drone grates. Badly. It’s not a nice sound and you’ll need to crank up the JBL stereo to drown it out.

Acoustics aside, the straight stretch also gives me an opportunity to fathom the comfort the Portofino provides. The new slim-backed seats are supportive and relaxing, while the material quality has improved throughout the cabin. Okay, it might not feel as vault-like as a Bentley Continental GT Convertible, but the Ferrari also weighs ‘only’ 1664kg.

In an age where minimalist, touchscreen-heavy interiors have become the norm, the Portofino is largely old-school and is festooned with buttons. And you can’t forget the steering wheel, which is wonderfully tactile in d

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The Specs The real deal FERRARI PORTOFINO M BODY 2-door, 2+2-seat convertible DRIVE rear-wheel ENGINE 3855cc V8, DOHC, 32v, twin-turbo BORE X STROKE 86.5 x 82.0mm COMPRESSION 9.45:1 POWER 456kW @ 5750-7500rpm TORQUE 760Nm @ 3000-5750rpm POWER/WEIGHT 274kW/tonne TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch WEIGHT 1664kg SUSPENSION independent double wishbone, coil springs, anti-roll bar, adaptive dampers (f); multi-links, coil springs, adaptive dampers, anti-roll bar (r)

L/W/H 4594/1938/1318mm WHEELBASE 2670mm TRACKS 1633/1635mm (f/r) STEERING electrically assisted rack-and-pinion BRAKES 390mm carbon-ceramic discs, 6-piston calipers (f); 360mm carbon-ceramic discs, 4-piston calipers (r)

WHEELS 20.0 x 8.0-inch (f); 20.0 x 10.0-inch (r) TYRES 245/35 ZR20 (f); 285/35 ZR20 (r) Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S PRICE $438,500 ($563,489 as tested) PROS A ‘proper’ Ferrari; engine performance; sorted dynamics CONS Exhaust drone at cruising speeds; expensive options STAR RATING 11112

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MAIN What does the M mean? It stands for Modificata, referring to the fact that the Portofino has received a significant performance boost. While an extra 14kW doesn’t sound much, it features aero and mechanical gains. M has been used on the 456 and 575 before

THE PORTOFINO M STANDS IN ITS OWN SHOES, NOT ASKING FOR ACCEPTANCE hand yet it does away with column-mounted stalks for the turn signals, wipers, and headlights. However, what initially seems an ergonomic nightmare becomes fairly intuitive with familiarity.

The 10.25-inch colour display juggles part of the climate controls as well as the infotainment and smartphone mirroring. An optional 7.0-inch touchscreen also sits before the passenger – so choose them wisely. The back seats are only really there for additional luggage space over the 292-litre boot when the roof is stowed, joyriding young kids being the exception. Sauntering through picturesque Kilcunda it’s hard to imagine ever travelling with more than one person anyway.

Arriving at San Remo causes a stir, as any Ferrari should. Snapper Ellen and I have returned to civilisation and don’t we know it. After a quick clean in what can only be described as a cyclonic car wash it’s straight onto the boardwalk. With some convincing, Ellen allows me to edge the almost $565k cabrio onto the wooden pier.

Idyllically, the San Remo Bridge sits in the background.

Built in 1971, it used to be a shoddy, dangerous wooden structure. Now it’s physically sound concrete and forms the gateway to Phillip Island. Or, more importantly, the home of one of Australia’s most picturesque and challenging race tracks. I smile and recognise that some 10 hours ago I’d not have even remotely considered what lap time the Portofino M would achieve. And yet, with the knowledge attained via Gippsland’s tarmac, it now seems a more than reasonable contemplation.

The ‘base’ Ferrari is confident in its identity. The iconic Italian brand wouldn’t endow it with a Race mode and M nomenclature if it didn’t think it has the prowess to back it up. The Portofino M has matured into a proper Prancing Horse with performance credibility and a true duality of talent. It stands in its own shoes with conviction rather than pleading for acceptance. The smoke-and-mirrors factor is now intertwined in an unjust public perception, rather than its DNA. Contrived? Not a chance.

Children don’t care for philosophical musings. And the way in which their eyes open and their smiles widen is proof that the cavallino rampante still has a magic that captivated us when we were their age.

Golden hour in San Remo is fading fast. Ellen is capturing angles like a crazed Italian motorist. And the kids are ignoring the preening pelicans on the beach and snapping pictures of the Ferrari. It’s flamboyant, yet organised chaos. Dad nods approval over his flake and minimum chips. The fact we aren’t on the Italian Riviera couldn’t be starker, but the fanfare is valid. With the Portofino M, the entry-level Ferrari finally deserves its place in the sun. d

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FEATURE. THE STORY OF LIFE F1

SUCH IS LIFE A MYSTERIOUS BUSINESSMAN, A BRIEFCASE FILLED WITH CASH, SOVIET INDUSTRIALISTS, AND THE LITTLE TEAM THAT COULDN’T. THIS IS THE UNBELIEVABLE TALE OF FORMULA 1’S MOST BIZARRE TEAM.

BY CAMERON KIRBY

JUST WANTED TO write a thesis, how the hell did I end up here?!”

Maurizio Ferrari had started the year as a freshfaced university undergraduate, and now he was in the middle of tense negotiations, with all eyes in the room focused on a single black briefcase which sat in waiting atop a table.

Click! The gold clasps of the briefcase flick open in sync, the black leather lid lifting to reveal the contents – thick wads of cash. All of a sudden, despite being a typically hot and dry September day in Monza, it wasn’t the rising mercury that was causing Maurizio to sweat.

Having to abscond to a motor home in the

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heart of the Formula 1 paddock to escape the oppressive heat descending upon the Temple of Speed, the 28-year-old was now entirely out of his depth. Trained as an electrical engineer, he was instead acting as a de facto middle man and translator in a secretive back-room deal.

To one side of him sat his boss Ernesto Vita, an impossibly charismatic salesman with an enigmatic past. To the other, representatives from the newly formed Leyton House F1 team.

And there, now sitting open directly in front of Maurizio was the briefcase, filled with more money than he had seen in his life.

Time to start counting.

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This was but one chapter of a relentlessly absurd saga that is equal parts tragedy and comedy. A tale that begun in 1988 when a purple Rolls-Royce arrived at a nondescript Italian villa. Welcome, to the unbelievable but true tale of Life F1 – Formula 1’s worst, and most misunderstood, team.

Franco Rocchi had enjoyed an illustrious career building racing engines during Ferrari’s golden years, but by 1988 he was happily retired and spending his days painting. Entering the later stages of his life, Rocchi had fallen in love with his watercolours and not even a personal petition from Enzo Ferrari could lure him away.

Which makes it all the more impressive that when Ernesto Vita stepped out of a royal-hued Silver Spirit unannounced, he would be successful in convincing Rocchi to rejoin the world of building and designing engines for Formula 1. You see, Vita had a plan, and it was going to make him – and anyone who joined his endeavour – rich. Key to everything was Rocchi, and an engine design the ex-Ferrari man had worked on over two decades ago.

Back in the late ’60s Rocchi had toyed with designing a W18 engine for Ferrari, going as far as building a 500cc W3 as a proof of concept, with positive results. Ultimately though, Ferrari opted to go with the flat-12 design instead, and the unique plan was put on ice. That was until Vita walked through the door, commissioning Rocchi to design him a W12 to race in F1. Some context: by the mid-1980s Formula 1 was on a runaway train when it came to turbocharging. While teams were turning the boost up on the new technology, the FIA was fighting a losing battle trying to keep speeds in check. The surprisingly un-French solution was a total ban on snails, with F1 moving to a 3.5-litre naturally aspirated formula. Down came the edict that teams could use as many cylinders as they saw fit (up to 12); let them breathe freely and go wild.

It was in the tech vacuum between turbocharging and natural aspiration that Vita saw opportunity and, importantly, profits. He recognised there would be multiple teams up and down the Formula 1 grid looking to replace their now outlawed turbocharged engines, and he planned to sell them Rocchi’s W12. Being incredibly self-absorbed, Vita dubbed the venture Life Racing Engines (or Life F1 for short) after the English translation of his name. Having convinced Rocchi to join him, all that was needed were firm orders.

While Vita was a compelling salesman by all accounts, his silver tongue wasn’t enough to convince a single team to use the engine for 1989. Looking at it now, it’s unsurprising that the traditionally conservative Formula 1 cabal decided against throwing large wads of cash at a businessman with no racing experience and an unproven engine design. This left Vita in a hole of debt. Wedged into a corner, there were two options. He could eat his losses and walk away, or go all-in on the biggest gamble of his life. He chose option two.

If those in pit lane weren’t going to buy into his sales pitch, Vita backed himself to start his own F1 team using the W12, and when inevitable on-track glory materialised, teams would realise the errors of their ways and line up in droves, cap in hand, begging for the chance to use his design. Easy.

FAR LEFT Giacomelli and Vita with the L190. Note Bruno’s Leyton House race suit - he had to supply his own - and the USSR flag on the nose of the car LEFT By virtue of its extra intakes and exhaust the W12 was a packaging nightmare.

A cramped airbox often starved the engine of air

Spoiler alert: it was not easy.

To get his team started, Vita purchased a warehouse in Formiginie, only a few kilometres from Ferrari’s home base in Maranello. His engine also needed a body to call home, so Vita purchased the F189 chassis built by an Italian Formula 3000 team, FIRST Racing, that had intended to compete in F1 in 1989 but never got off the ground. Gianni Marelli (a former Ferrari engineer) was enlisted and tasked with making the chassis crashworthy as it had failed mandatory pre-season crash testing 12 months prior, and also with modifying it to accept the W12 instead of the smaller V8 it was initially designed for.

The first race was to be held in Phoenix in early March.

By February, Life was yet to conduct a full test of the now renamed L190 and their driver Franco Scapini had just been denied the required super licence to take part in F1 events. Unsurprising, given in his 19-race F3000 career (then the feeder series for F1) he finished only four races, with a best result of 10th, and he failed to qualify 12 times. Australian Gary Brabham was brought in at the last minute as a replacement.

Formula 1 had reintroduced pre-qualifying for 1990, with the bottom two teams from the ’89 championship, and new teams like Life, having to compete in a one hour session from 8:00-9:00am on Friday each grand prix weekend. The four quickest cars then earned the right to take part in a 30-car qualifying session on Saturday, with only the fastest 26 cars in qualifying being allowed to start the race come Sunday.

However, with no 107 per cent rule, this meant that theoretically a team could find themselves starting a grand prix, despite being horrifically off the pace. Many did just that, but not Life.

In Phoenix, Aguri Suzuki set the benchmark time to escape pre-qualifying in his Larrousse – a 1:33.331. For context, Gerhard Berger set the eventual pole time at 1:28.664. Brabham’s best in the Life?

2:07.147. The Italian privateers were nearly 35 seconds off the pace. A TCR car is closer to Max Verstappen’s 2021 pole time around the Red Bull Ring than Brabham could get to the slowest car allowed to even attempt to qualify in 1990. Life weren’t so much in a different ballpark, they may as well have been playing a different sport.

The reason for the colossal gap in speed was that in race specification Rocchi’s W12 had around 375hp/280kW at its absolute best. Honda’s RA109E V10 engine was capable of 710hp/530kW. The W12’s outputs were still several hundred horsepower down on even its nearest competitors – and we use that term very lightly. Hell, the Lotus 49 was more powerful back in 1967.

At the next round in Brazil, Brabham couldn’t even complete an out lap before the engine suffered a catastrophic failure and the car ground to a halt. It would be the last time the Australian would drive for the team.

At the same time, the chassis’ co-designer Gianni Marelli departed after a disagreement with Vita, leaving Rocchi as the sole member of Life’s technical department.

Rumours that the team failed to fill the car with oil, prompting the failure in Brazil, are false. However, even with the right amount of lubrication, mechanics discovered several decades later that a critical flaw in the engine design meant the W12 was cursed to a life of

LIFE DIDN’T SO MUCH MISS THE BALLPARK, IT WAS PLAYING A DIFFERENT SPORT

LEFT Seeing the L190 at speed was such a rare sight that pundits remarked it often returned to the pits without any wear visible on the tyres

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LEFT In Phoenix, Brabham had to borrow tyre pressure gauges from a rival team as the Life mechanics hadn’t brought any.

Oh, and the tacho didn’t work...

destruction and rebirth in an endless, cruel cycle.

Bruno Giacomelli was enlisted to replace Brabham after Vita’s requests to other young drivers were either laughed at or outright ignored (see sidebar). Life was beginning to earn a reputation no one wanted to partner with. Having last raced in Formula 1 in 1983, pundits were confounded at the time as to why Giacomelli – who had an impressive track record up until that point – would return to the sport with such a comically under-performing team. So, we asked him exactly why he did sign up.

“I never thought that I could do something special,” Giacomelli tells MOTOR. “But I was quite interested in the fact that Mr. Rocchi designed the engine, and I just wanted to help the team to get better. To get better, to perform better. I never thought that I could do something special. Of course, I’m not that stupid.”

During his first lap in the car at Imola a drive belt for the water and oil pump snapped, the W12 expelled all of its coolant onto the main straight, and the team’s weekend was over by 8:08am on Friday. Bruno never got as far as engaging fourth gear.

For the rest of the season, the pattern of ineptitude continued. Monaco, 14 seconds off pre-qualification pace.

Canada, 21 seconds. Mexico, 2 minutes and 42 seconds.

Silverstone, 15 seconds. Hockenheim, 25 seconds. Hungaroring, 25 seconds. SpaFrancorchamps, 21 seconds. Monza, 28 seconds. This was the last time Life used the W12 engine, and it went out in typical style managing to complete just two laps.

“And only one of them is timed!” laughed Giacomelli. “Then we broke the engine, and this time it was a good bang!”

Having been a mechanical draughtsman by trade, Giacomelli’s affinity for the technical side of the sport meant pairing with Rocchi was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. Oh, and Vita promised him $30,000 a race. Being aware the team’s chances of progressing beyond pre-qualifying were approximately zero, Giacomelli was more than happy to sign on for what seemed like an easy pay-day. Vita promised full payment at season’s end. You know where this is going. Media reports at the time recall Giacomelli having an upbeat demeanour during the 1990 season, despite the cataclysmically bad performances.

Today, however, Giacomelli tells MOTOR that he “doesn’t like talking about that time.” This probably has something to do with the fact he never saw a single cent out of Vita.

“Maybe I should have taken an engine or perhaps the entire car with me when the team went bankrupt,” he said when Life’s inevitable demise was announced.

With the end of the season fast approaching, the team realised something needed to change, and a plan was made for the W12 to be replaced with a Judd V8 for the 13th round at Estoril in Portugal. The change was meant to occur much earlier in the season, but by round nine at Silverstone team manager Sergio Barbasio said the switch had been called off – claiming the cramped schedule between races prevented Life’s mechanics from making the necessary changes to the chassis. The truth was that when Vita started the team, he had the equivalent of EUR50,000 in the bank, which disappeared quicker than the W12 could self immolate. It was a pitiful amount to run a F3000 team, let alone F1. That same year McLaren operated on a budget equivalent to EUR25 million. The

VITA HAD PROMISED GIACOMELLI $30,000 A RACE TO JOIN THE LIFE TEAM

LEFT During an untimed practice session in Brazil the L190 showed some promise, being the sixth-quickest car in a straight line

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lack of funds was becoming a common theme for Life. It was the tar that stuck to the mechanics’ legs, preventing them from escaping the black hole of indignation in which they were consumed. As always, Vita had a plan that was going to solve all their problems.

In 1990 the Soviet Union was in the final stages of collapse. While the empire was falling and political unrest swept across the Soviet states there was still plenty of cash to be found in the Great White East. One thriving business was the Petersburg Industrial Company, or PiC, which had close ties to the military. Its chairman was amateur rally driver, Michail Pichkovsky, who was cajoled by Vita into funding Life Racing Engines to the tune of $20 million.

Not only would the partnership fix the team’s money woes, but it would bring technological assistance from the might of the Soviet defence industry. In celebration of the new partnership, the team was renamed Life-Pic, and the flag of the Soviet Union was placed on the nose of the L190 alongside the Italian tricolore.

But as with most things organised by Vita, reality turned out to be a little different to the original plan.

“It turned out that no money ever arrived, and although they thought that they could help us with their technologies, even their promised technology was not as advanced as the Formula 1 technology of that era,” Life’s chief mechanic Oliver Piazzi tells MOTOR. The promised millions never transpired, but Vita still managed to get enough money out of PiC to buy a single Judd V8, which he paid for with the briefcase full of cash in Monza being counted by Maurizio. By virtue of having the best English in the team, the 28-year-old graduate was inadvertently promoted to team translator. “At the end of the season, I was pretty much taking care of all the relations with other teams and things like that,” Maurizio tells MOTOR from Italy, with a chuckle.

Leyton House assured Vita and his team that the Judd V8 would be worth every penny, being as good as new having done 0km since a complete rebuild. But when the Life squad returned to Formiginie they discovered that the crankshaft was seized solid. Turns out the engine had been over revved to more than 14,000rpm during testing at Zandvoort. At this point, after relentless failures all season long, you would have forgiven the Life mechanics for throwing their spanners into the ocean and going home, wanting never to return to the wretched cut-throat world of Formula 1. But no, Life found a way.

Vita threatened Leyton House with legal action and a concerted press campaign if they didn’t rectify the transgression, which was enough to convince the fellow backmarkers to swap the dud Judd for a fresh unit. Leyton House mechanics arrived late on the Thursday before the grand prix to retrieve the broken engine, leaving the Life mechanics to work through the inky dark of night to reassemble a car that had become the butt of a year’s worth of jokes.

“I think we were more resilient than they thought, as we were able to do one lap in Portugal when they eventually gave us a proper Judd engine,” Maurizio says with a beaming grin. “Imagine that in two weeks we had rebuilt the car, changing from the W12 to the Judd engine, managed to survive the motor swindle, and eventually pull one single qualifying lap. The chief mechanic of the team who sold us the motor came and shook our hands as, his words, we had accomplished an impossible mission. That day we earned the respect of a few other teams that were obviously in much better condition.”

A RECIPE FOR DISASTER

How to make your very own L190 TO BUILD an accurate Life L190 start with a trio of four-pot cylinder banks, arranged 60 degrees apart with a bore of 81mm and a stroke of 56.5mm, for a total capacity of 3493cc. Set the redline to 12,500rpm and the compression ratio at 13:1. Fuel injection and ignition is to be sourced from TDD with spark plugs from Champion.

Lubricating the engine is oil from Agip. The chassis uses double-wishbone suspension at each corner, with pushrods activating Koni dampers. A wheelbase of 2780mm makes the L190 one of the shorter cars on the grid, while 1810mm/1657mm tracks

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front/rear are on-par for the style of the time. The W12 transfers power through a home-built six-speed manual gearbox with Hewland internals and an AP clutch, to Goodyear slick rubber.

Stopping everything are Carbone Industries brakes and Brembo pads, while a 200-litre fuel tank is supplied

by Pirelli. Secan radiators help maintain temperatures, Stack instruments inform the driver of vital information, while Pignone e Cremagliera is responsible for the steering. Put it together and the engine should weigh 154kg, with the total car tipping the scales at 530kg.

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Reflecting on his time with Life, Maurizio wears entirely rose-tinted glasses.

“We were certainly an oddball,” Maurizio recalls.

“When we left for Portugal we had just finished parts for the Judd-powered car. We were on the same charter plane with Ferrari, Minardi, and Lamborghini. Our carry-on luggage were radiators and parts of the car, parts of the piping radiators. The night before the pre-qualifying in Portugal, our car in our pit box looked like a Tamiya kit.

“It was a fantastic human experience. I mean completely crazy. The whole thing was completely, totally, crazy,” he says. “We were like the Blues Brothers when they’re chased by the police. We were on a mission, that every two weeks, we had to put together the car, and try to make our best. We knew that we were nowhere near pre-qualifying, and that almost inevitably, the car would end up, before the end of the pre-qualifying time, broken.

“By Friday at 10:00am we were free, because our job was done. And the plane would have been probably Monday or Sunday anyways. So in Mexico, for example, after we finished with the pre-qualifying, we went to Teotihuacán. Earlier in the season we rented a BMW in Italy and slept in it on our way to Spa. I mean if you’re 92

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TOP Maurizio Ferrari was reunited with L190 when he joined it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2009. The name was a bit of a loose term that year...

ABOVE Giacomelli had started the year testing for Leyton House, before being hired by Vita

20-something and working with a Formula One team, then why not?”

This, more than anything else, is the spirit of Life F1. A ragtag privateer team of mechanics working anywhere, anyhow, and indulging in their own vices away from the track, attempting to live the romance of ’60s grand prix racing three decades too late. Not even F1 veteran Giacomelli was immune to rolling his sleeves up and joining the team spirit.

“We were in Monte Carlo for the grand prix, and we were setting up the car on the dock of the marina,” Maurizio explains. “The factory had forgotten to properly assemble the trumpets on the engine, and so we had a rented scooter, and Bruno took me to a place he knew and he personally worked on the lathe machine to create the missing washers. Can you imagine anyone today driving in Formula 1 who is operating a lathe and cutting pieces to finish the engine? Bruno was always happy despite the fact that we were becoming sort of a joke in the paddock. But he’s always been with us, supporting us, and helping us in any way that he could.”

Not everyone was willing to play their part, particularly the team’s first driver Gary Brabham – arguably the least

DESPITE THE FACT HE HAD NO FUNDS, VITA SAID NO TO BERNIE ECCLESTONE

gifted of the three sons of Australian racing royalty, triple World Champion Sir Jack Brabham. His two brothers Geoff and David were also making their way up the racing ladder in ’90, and Gary was hoping to be the first of his siblings to follow in the footsteps of their legendary father and race in Formula 1, accepting the Life gig on the guidance of 1980 world champ, Alan Jones. While he would race elsewhere following his stint with Life, Brabham claims those two races were enough to essentially kill his life as a professional racing driver.

“It was a bit of a disaster to put it that way. It basically stuffed my career if you really look at it,” he tells MOTOR. “I made an emotional decision because I wanted to get to Formula 1, rather than a business decision.”

Brabham quickly realised that being an F1 driver at Life wasn’t going to be anything like his lofty expectations.

“I was staying with my brother, Geoff, in Florida, and got a phone call,” Brabham says. “I got word through that they doubted very much that the team was going to arrive. The car might be there [in Brazil], but maybe nobody else. I had no money, absolutely no money and I shared a taxi with Alain Prost to get to the airport, which

ABOVE Somehow, despite the chassis being a hand-me-down with serious flaws, the L190 never suffered a crash. Mostly because it was never going fast enough

he paid for, luckily. And then I was eating from the Benetton hospitality suite as that was the only way I could eat.”

It’s hard to feel too sorry for Brabham. In later years he was convicted of a number of serious sexual offences against children, for which he was incarcerated. His part in this story is just another example of how when you begin to inspect the legend of Life F1 beyond the surface level observation that it was a comedy of errors, it twists itself into stranger knots than you could have ever expected.

Then there is the enigma of the man behind the entire project, Ernesto Vita. During the 1990 season Life had become such a joke within the F1 paddock that Bernie Ecclestone tried to intervene. The iron-fisted leader of F1 – who had led a coup by the teams to earn his position as commercial rights holder – held a private meeting with Vita and Rocchi, attempting to convince them to give up on the rest of the season. Vita declined. Despite having no funds, questionable levels of equipment, and his car being a constant rolling roadblock, Vita said no to Ecclestone, the hardest bastard in global motorsport.

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“Vita was completely mad,” explains Maurizio. “The best salesman that you could ever think of. But if you read his interviews now that he gives from time to time, he takes 20 per cent of reality, mixes it with 80 per cent made-up stories and makes you believe this is the truth.

“There are no grey shades with Vita. It’s white, black, white. He was completely mad. The amazing thing about Vita was that he could literally sell ice to the Inuit, it was unbelievable. But for the rest, it was definitely not the best manager ever for a project like that. But he was able to start it, and that goes to his credit.”

There’s remarkably little on Vita available on the public record. He seemingly appears out of the ether in 1988, before disappearing again once the Life project imploded.

“Ernesto Vita, most of anything else, was a dreamer,” Giacomelli reflects. “In a way he had some good ideas, but mostly he was a dreamer.”

While Vita’s compatriots skirt around his more chaotic personality traits, Brabham clearly has an axe to grind.

“He was very volatile. He had a temper on him,” the Australian recalls. “When the team sat down with him to tell him I don’t have any sponsorship, I was waiting outside and he cracked the shits and tipped a table over.”

A profile in French sporting magazine L’Equipe exposed Vita’s fickle personality when he was asked by a journalist how the team could benefit from post-race debriefs. “Briefings, why? We have nothing to discuss,” he is quoted as saying.

Adding: “It’s better not to pre-qualify, we haven’t got any spare parts left”.

While the merry band of misfits were those enjoying themselves on the road, and it was Vita who willed the team into existence in a misguided attempt to make a quick buck, it was Rocchi whose vision and engineering intellect became the foundations that the entire project was built upon.

Foundations, it turns out, that were about as stable as sand. By reputation, Rocchi was a master engine designer, and the lure of working alongside a living legend was what drew many to the Life project. But in his old age he had also become careless. While his W12 design was impressive in theory at least, the Italian maestro had made one fatal flaw in his development of the real thing.

During bench testing he encountered an issue with lubrication of the daughter rod bearing for the middle cylinder bank. “In order to solve that problem, Franco drilled a small hole in the area where the main rod had contact with a daughter rod in order to bring some extra oil to the daughter rod,” Maurizio recollects. This ‘solution’ became the source of nearly all of the team’s many, many mechanical woes during the 1990 season. Since then, Maurizio and Piazzi have taken upon themselves to carry on Rocchi’s work – tinkering away in home workshops to find a solution.

“We focused on a single cylinder bank and found 30 horsepower, which extrapolated across the two other banks would have resulted in a total of around 560, 570 horsepower rather easily,” Maurizio explains. “Consider that the Judd engine had around 600 horsepower, but this was a very basic development that we had. This is our big question mark. What if? What if we had the money?

What if we had the knowledge of today, that we have gained through years of experience? A lifetime of experience. What if?”

RIGHT When Giacomelli first drove the car at Imola he said he was “scared” of being hit from behind because the car was “so slow”

“Believe me, with more time and more money, I cannot say that the engine would have been able to rev to 13,000rpm, and make 700 horsepower. Nobody can say that. But I’m quite convinced that with the time and the money, the engine would have been reliable, and decently powerful.”

The reputation of Rocchi’s design is a topic that prompts an impassioned response from Piazzi, who to this day remains dedicated to the Life project.

“It was not a joke of an engine, it was not the idea of a lunatic,” he says emphatically. “It was just at the wrong time, probably late for its age.”

Both Maurizio and Piazzi hold onto the fact that with enough funding they would have been able to change history just enough for someone else to be left holding the unenviable label of Worst F1 Team In History.

Though, that view of things conveniently omits the fact that Rocchi’s W12 wasn’t Life’s only burden. All the romanticism in the world can’t cover for the fact that even with the Judd V8 the team languished behind the rest of the field. Despite the new engine, Life were still dreadfully slow in Jerez, with Giacomelli falling 18 seconds short of the pre-qualifying cut-off time. This was in no small part because the chassis was the heaviest on the grid, weighing 30kg more than the minimum requirements when fully assembled.

Following that on-brand performance the inevitable finally happened, and the Life Racing Engines team disbanded. Vita had no more money, no more tricks, nowhere to go but into the arms of a failure that had haunted him for 18 months. There was no sombre team meeting. No last hurrah. One day Piazzi, Maurizio, Giacomelli, and the entire Life family just... stopped.

When the 1990 season was over, Ferrari let the team conduct a test at Fiorano – a remarkable change of heart following a silent grudge earlier in the year when Vita had claimed in the press his new team would put Maranello’s fame in the shadows. It seems preposterius now, but his prophecy did come true in a way, with Life’s woes remaining an unbeatable highwater mark (or is that low?) for poor performance by a red Italian car in F1.

Life Racing Engines lives on in infamy. History has not been kind, and more than three decades since its sole season in Formula 1, the internet is littered with blog posts and comments about ‘the worst team in racing history’. Most of them are wrong. Not because Life was actually good – it patently wasn’t – but because they entirely miss the almost surreal back story to one of Formula 1’s last truly privateer efforts.

The final twist in the Life story happened after the turn of the century when Lorenzo Prandina took ownership of the car and engine. The French collector has an affinity for unloved and unsuccessful machinery from racing history and commissioned a full restoration of the car by Piazzi.

This culminated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2009, when both the Life L190 and Ayrton Senna’s 1990 championship-winning MP4/5B (which won six grands prix that year in the Brazilian’s hands) were present.

During the event, the McLaren was towed back to the pits with a broken diff, while the Life completed a pair of successful runs up the hill – using the same camshaft that was fitted when it raced in Monaco. Such is Life.

WHILE THE W12 DESIGN WORKED IN THEORY, ROCCHI HAD MADE A FATAL MISTAKE

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RIGHT Claims the L190’s best run was a meagre eight laps in a row are false. Life managed 22 laps in Silverstone and 12 Monaco FAR RIGHT Giacomelli and Piazzi discuss where they will eat lunch once the pre-qualifying session was over

THOSE WHO DODGED A BULLET

Life’s tornado of disaster nearly claimed the scalp of a double world champion GIACOMELLI wasn’t Vita’s first option to replace Brabham. He claimed at the start of the season to have an option on Bertrand Gachot’s services, before trying to get Bernd Schneider to join the team. The German touring car ace drove for Footwork at the opening

round, but had no intention of taking Vita up on his offer.

“I will not be driving for the team. I have received a fax here in Suzuka inviting me to go and visit the factory, but I definitely don’t want to drive for them,” Schneider told media at the time.

Rob Wilson was then sounded out for the role. He declined, and instead went on to become the most influential driver coach in the world, with pupils such as Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Räikkönen, David Coulthard, Marco Andretti, and Valtteri Bottas.

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Vita’s biggest whaling attempt would come later in the year when he tried to convince Mika Häkkinen to test the car. Unsurprisingly, the Finnish youngster declined.

“I don’t know why. It was such a good opportunity for his career,” Maurizio laughs.

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THE COMPARISON AUDI SQ2 VS MERCEDES-AMG GLA 35

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B Y LO U I S C O R D O N Y + P I C S A L A S TA I R B R O O K

MERCEDES-AMG AND AUDI TURN DOWN THE FIREPOWER AS THEIR PERFORMANCE CROSSOVERS ENGAGE IN COVERT COMBAT

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MIDDLE AMG wheels measuring 20-inches in diameter are optional on the GLA 35, up from the standard 19s FAR RIGHT Vertical slat grille takes inspiration from the AMG GT’s Panamericana piece

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OOK CLOSELY. THESE grey hunks of wrought German metal are more than you think. See those four exhaust pipes on that Audi Q2? Only S models get that. And what about those brake calipers behind the wheel spokes of that Mercedes-Benz GLA 35? Yep, the letters spell out A-M-G. The devil is in the details.

While we’ve been drunk on headlines about hot hatches with Nürburgring lap records and drift modes spawning an SUV-inspired version, luxury brands have been quietly working on crossovers with a little less mongrel than the RS or 45-badged flag bearers.

Mercedes-AMG arrived late to this party. Not the crossover thing, it has been building an A-Class on stilts in the form of the GLA since 2013. We’re talking about that 35 badge and its performance package.

Historically the good men and women at Affalterbach have upgraded Mercedes-Benzes only to the highest level, taking them to the edge of what their engines and frames were capable.

More recently, it has dialled things back on cars with 35 badges, aiming to strike a balance between civility and driver focus. For the GLA, this means a helping of extra horsepower, considered handling upgrades and subtle design tweaks all-round.

To do this, most of the GLA 35’s performance bits are pinched from the A35 hatch. It has an uprated 2.0litre turbo four-cylinder and Haldex-type all-wheeldrive system, extra bracing underneath, special steering/ suspension links and adaptive suspension.

A new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that replaces the seven-speed unit is the only significant mechanical change to its hatchback sibling.

Otherwise, on the outside, AMG styles the GLA for stealth. This begins with a fancy vertical-slat grille, larger 19-inch wheels and a rear bumper with dual exhaust exits. We’ll get to the interior later.

When it comes to understated performance, however, Audi has been mastering the practice for years. And now that its Q2 has comfortably reached middle-age, it’s ready for the S-badged makeover.

The SQ2 follows a tried-and-true formula, with the Volkswagen Group’s venerated 2.0-litre EA888 turbo four-banger in its nose with hot hatch rivalling punch.

Downstream, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handles gear shifts, while a Haldex-based all-wheel-drive system merits the quattro badge.

The SQ2 misses out on adaptive dampers, instead opting for fixed-rate S suspension to complement its wider tyres and variable-rate steering. And while these parts are the same vital organs found in an S3, the Q2’s compressed MQB platform means they are packaged in a smaller, higher-riding frame.

This should count for more at the drag strip because while the Audi makes do with fewer kilowatts, using 221kW/400Nm and slightly narrower footprint against the GLA’s 225kW/400Nm, it is the lighter pick.

Setting up each car for a sprint is equally as easy. To activate launch control in the Audi, set the drive mode to Dynamic and the ESC and transmission to Sport. The GLA, meanwhile, only requires changing the drive mode and ESC, not the transmission.

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BELOW Audi facelifted the SQ2 in late 2020, sporting what Audi calls a polygonal motif in the grille

THE SQ2 FOLLOWS A TESTED FORMULA, WITH VW’S EA888 IN ITS NOSE WITH HOT HATCH RIVALLING PUNCH

LEFT The SQ2 gets Virtual Cockpit as standard.

0-100km/h time was within .03sec of the Porsche Cayman 4.0 GTS we logged at PCOTY. It punches hard

RIGHT It’s the smallest S model in recent times after the memorable S1, except the SQ2 isn’t offered with a manual

As we unleash our contenders off the line in wetbut-drying conditions, their ESC systems struggle to reconcile micro doses of wheel spin. While this means neither reveal their true performance on the first run, the Audi is already beginning to realise an advantage.

It launches more effortlessly, turning its mid-range into proper forward momentum, while the GLA needs more revs to hit the same sort of stride.

For the second run, ESC is switched off with the hope each car’s traction control just lets all-wheel drive sort things out. And we’re proved right. The GLA reaches 100km/h from rest in 5.15sec, much quicker than before and just sneaking below AMG’s claimed time of 5.20sec.

The Audi’s stability software is more relaxed about wheelspin when launching from a dig. The upside of this is the Audi can launch on a lower grip surface to avoid bogging, so it bolts from the line, hitting 100km/h from rest in 4.79sec and beating its factory claimed time of 4.9sec by a full tenth.

This early lead seals the 400m race in the Audi’s favour, as it crosses the finish line after 13.10sec at 167.12km/h, comfortably in the lead ahead of the GLA, which arrives in 13.47sec at 166.41km/h.

That gap over the finish line suggests there is a dramatic difference in straight-line performance between the two but the small discrepancy in terminal speed hints at how evenly matched they are when you remove a standing launch from the equation.

Given their power-to-weight ratios are almost lineball,

it’s the GLA’s quicker shifting dual-clutch transmission, stacked with more ratios, that accelerates the 35 more convincingly throughout the entire speed range of a rolling drag race. The GLA only loses out from 80-120km/h because the upshift to third happens at 107km/h, instead of 130km/h in the Audi.

But the GLA 35 cannot hide from its weight when it’s hard on the brakes, even if it’s fitted with more impressive hardware than the SQ2. Its four-piston fixed front calipers and wide Continental SportContact 6 rubber just have more physics to deal with.

The Audi, meanwhile, has single-piston sliding calipers all around. Its Bridgestone Turanza T005 rubber is also less focused, so it’s surprising to see it stop from 100km/h in a shorter distance than the GLA, taking 36.68m versus 38.94m. That’s 2.26m shorter.

However, as we’ll see, the Audi’s brakes begin to suffer when you swap straight roads for twisty ones. We leave the drag strip behind and head for a mountain pass, with corners that make up in commitment what they lack in sheer quantity.

Smoke. That’s what we get when pulling up after a couple runs in the SQ2. The Audi only uses brake torque vectoring to help traction on corner exit – and clearly, the brakes are struggling with the responsibility of providing both grip and retardation.

Ultimately, this is a symptom of the harder 235mm Bridgestone tyre and slower all-wheel-drive reaction times. Despite the front brakes dragging in corners to move power to the loaded wheel as you power out, the nose pushes wide, with the outside front tyre failing to ground torque to the contact patch which then needs to be sent to the rear.

Meanwhile, the GLA accelerates much cleaner off the corner, using grippier 245mm tyres and a quickerthinking all-wheel-drive system to keep wheelspin in check. And while you’re inevitably on the picks sooner in the GLA because of its heftier weight, there’s no sign of fade or billowing smoke.

Clear differences in handling also emerge at corner entry. With the GLA, the front-end responds to steering inputs incisively. Even when the adaptive dampers are

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The Strip All-paw four-pot battle AUDI SQ2

MERCEDES-AMG GLA 35

0-10km/h

0.36

0-10km/h

0.32

0-20km/h

0.67

0-20km/h

0.7

0-30km/h

0.97

0-30km/h

1.1

0-40km/h

1.37

0-40km/h

1.54

0-50km/h

1.84

0-50km/h

2.02

0-60km/h

2.23

0-60km/h

2.5

0-70km/h

2.76

0-70km/h

3.06

0-80km/h

3.37

0-80km/h

3.72

0-90km/h

4.02

0-90km/h

4.41

0-100km/h

4.79

0-100km/h

5.15

0-110km/h

5.62

0-110km/h

6.09

0-120km/h

6.53

0-120km/h

7.12

0-130km/h

7.52

0-130km/h

8.16

0-140km/h

8.74

0-140km/h

9.32

0-150km/h

10.02

0-150km/h

10.67

0-160km/h

11.48

0-160km/h

12.34

0-400m 13.10sec @ 167.12km/h

0-400m 13.47sec @166.41km/h

80-120km/h 3.07sec

80-120km/h 3.30sec

100-0km/h 36.68m

100-0km/h 38.94m

SPEED IN GEARS

SPEED IN GEARS

1st 52km/h @ 6750rpm

1st 49km/h @ 6500rpm

2nd 85km/h @ 6750rpm

2nd 70km/h @ 6500rpm

3rd 132km/h @ 6750rpm

3rd 107km/h @ 6500rpm

4th 192km/h @ 6750rpm

4th 152km/h @ 6500rpm

5th 250km/h @ 6700rpm

5th 209km/h @ 6500rpm*

6th 250km/h @ 5475rpm*

6th 250km/h @ 6075rpm*

7th 250km/h @ 4605rpm*

7th 250km/h @ 4750rpm*

N/A

8th 250km/h @ 3410rpm*

Heathcote Park Raceway, damp. Driver: Louis Cordony *Manufacturer’s claim.

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at their stiffest, the GLA needs time to control its body mass, thanks to a higher centre of gravity.

Contrastingly, you can bully the Audi with an assertiveness that comes from its superior body control.

The flipside of its fixed-rate suspension placing more grip on the rear axle is you need to work harder on the steering, brake or off-throttle transition to get the Audi rotating for a bit of fun.

Slackening off the steering weight in the Audi helps with tipping the front-end in, but it also makes it harder to judge where the steering is in the range of its variable ratios. So, really, the Audi offers grip and stability at the cost of precision.

Acceleration-wise, the GLA’s engine packs quite a sting.

And despite AMG fitting the M260-spec four-cylinder with tricks like short-path water-to-air intercooling, it delivers outputs late in the revs, generating peak torque at 3000-4000rpm and hitting peak power at 5800rpm.

Meanwhile, the Audi’s EA888 spreads its grunt over a broader area. A variable profile exhaust cam helps it achieve peak thrust sooner, between 2000-5200rpm.

Power is also spread across 5300-6500rpm.

As a result, the GLA gobbles up gears as it charges through a short and concentrated power band, upshifting well before its 6500rpm redline to avoid clipping a soft limiter. The Audi prefers to stay in gear, pulling hard from down low and spinning freely to its 6750rpm redline.

Hence both have differing characters.

However, that buttery smooth nature of the Audi does not equal X-factor. And the GLA is more theatrical. Its transmission reacts a fraction quicker with a crisper

FAR RIGHT The GLA sits 57mm higher than the SQ2, a difference exaggerated by a seat position lifted further off the floor

TOP RIGHT The GLA lags behind the Audi for fit, finish and sophistication, but leads in tech

YOU CAN BULLY THE AUDI THROUGH CORNERS WITH AN ASSERTIVENESS THAT COMES FROM ITS SUPERIOR BODY CONTROL

BELOW AMG mounts the 35’s turbo up front, while the Audi tucks it in between the engine and firewall

The Specs Hot hatches on stilts AUDI SQ2

AMG GLA 35

BODY Five-seat, five-door SUV

Five-seat, five-door SUV

DRIVE all-wheel ENGINE 1984cc inline four-cylinder, 16v, turbo

all-wheel 1991cc inline four-cylinder, 16v, turbo

BORE X STROKE 82.5mm x 92.8mm

83mm x 92mm

COMPRESSION 9.3:1

10.0:1

POWER 221kW @ 5300-6500rpm

225kW @ 5800rpm

TORQUE 400Nm @ 2000-5200rpm

400Nm @ 3000-4000rpm

POWER/WEIGHT 144kW/tonne

140kW/tonne

TRANSMISSION seven-speed dual-clutch transmission

eight-speed automatic transmission

WEIGHT 1535kg

1605kg

SUSPENSION struts, dampers, coil springs, roll bars (f); trailing arms, anti-roll bar, dampers, coil springs (r)

L/W/H 4216mm/1802mm/1524mm

struts, adaptive dampers, coil springs, anti-roll bars (f); multi-links, anti-roll bars, adaptive dampers, coil springs (r) 4436mm/1834mm/1581mm

WHEELBASE 2594mm

2729mm

TRACKS (F/R) 1547mm/1551mm

1612mm/1591mm

STEERING electrically assisted rack and pinion

electrically assisted rack-and-pinion

BRAKES 340mm ventilated discs, single-piston sliding calipers (f);

350mm ventilated discs, four-piston calipers (f); 330mm ventilated discs, single-piston sliding calipers (r)

WHEELS 19.0 x 8.0-inch (f/r)

20.0 x 8.5-inch (f/r)

310mm ventilated discs, single-piston sliding calipers (r)

TYRES 235/40 R19 96Y (f/r); Bridgestone Turanza T005

255/40 R20 XL (f/r); Continental SportContact 6

PRICE $64,400 ($65,970 as tested)

$83,576 ($89,036 as tested)

PROS Punchy powertrain; planted handling; strong price CONS Firm ride; dated interior

Grippy drivetrain; sharp steering; high-end cabin tech

STAR RATING 11113

shift, while the engine note, which can sound a bit artificial, is rorty and envelops you more convincingly.

The Audi is far from boring, though, and its subdued engine noise plays into its cloak-and-dagger personality.

Disregard it at your own peril. But a sprinkling of aggression in Dynamic mode on upshifts or full-throttle intake noise would liven up things.

And as for the drive home? The GLA makes a strong case as a grand tourer. Comfort mode relaxes damper stiffness, and on a relatively long 2729mm wheelbase, the car breathes easier over undulating Aussie roads.

Meanwhile, we appreciate the Audi is more confidenceinspiring because of its firm suspension, but the constant flow of information from the chassis can prove taxing.

You almost bounce in the seat as it rebounds over bumps, making two-hour drives feel twice as long.

The Audi’s saving grace on long drives are excellent sports seats stitched with Nappa leather. Larger seat pads equal more comfort, and the seating position sinks much lower into the chassis than the GLA’s raised items – so there’s more headroom. It’s also easier to see out of its

Expensive; body roll

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cabin, thanks to slimmer front A-pillars.

Standard Bang and Olufsen speakers in the Audi also go a long way to making up for an interior design that is obviously based on the previous A3’s, but it’s in danger of looking stale, even with fancy new red and illuminated decorative inlays. The 705-watt system kicks with powerful bass, strong midrange and offers fine tuning of individual characteristics like the subwoofer and surround sound.

But while the main infotainment screen is controlled entirely through a central rotary dial, which seems dated in an age of touchscreens, it’s a decent way to navigate menus on the move with your eyes on the road.

Meanwhile, the GLA’s sound system lacks the same depth of sound, but the dual-pane infotainment is currently the last word on resolution, and the software responds fast with haptic feedback through the central touchpad. There’s just an overload of ways to complete one thing. For example, you can access drive mode preferences through the centre screen, steering wheel dials or console buttons.

Ultimately, the Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 offers more seating space, a bigger boot, higher-end cabin technologies, quicker all-wheel drive reactions and more grand touring appeal, but you’ll pay for the privilege.

Thanks to a driving assistance and vision package ($1990 and $1190), optional metallic paint ($1490) and 20-inchers ($790), it comes in at $89,036 as-tested RRP. That’s almost $23K more expensive than our SQ2, which costs $65,970 before on-roads with only a Titanium Grey C-pillar blade ($1200) and 19-inchers ($370) adding to the price. And it’s that gap, no doubt exaggerated by the federal Luxury Car Tax threshold, which tips the balance in the Audi SQ2’s favour. It trails the GLA in size and luxury appeal, but it’s healthily equipped, convincingly quicker, and a genuine bargain. It’s well worth a closer look. d

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M FEATURE. GREATEST RESTOMODS

We round up some of the finest cars that have been revitalised with a second shot at life

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LEGENDE AUTOMOBILE RENAULT TURBO 3 PRICE: TBA OUTPUT: 294kW (claimed) ENGINE: TBA

LEGENDE AUTOMOBILE IS a newcomer to the restomod scene, bursting into view with its radical re-imagining of the iconic Renault 5 Turbo. Behind the LA-based firm sit four Frenchmen, comprising car designer Alan Dorosier, ex-stuntman Charly ‘SoCal’ Bompas, mechanical engineer Alexander Decleves and racecar builder Pierre Chaveyriat.

Many of the Turbo 3’s technical details remain under wraps, but the cliff notes so far sound like a recipe for success.

A hand-formed carbon fibre body is wider and the overall footprint is larger than an original Turbo 2, and sits on mammoth 16.0 x 8.0-inch and 17.0 x 11.0-inch wheels.

Double-wishbone suspension, front and rear, modelled off the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo rally car, suspends the lightweight body and keeps a reported 294kW (400hp) in check. Though, from which powerplant specifically, remains unclear. Aside from modern LED lights, it’s the interior that gives the biggest

hint to the Turbo 3’s modern construction, with a re-profiled dash dipped in what looks to be Alcantara or flock, with a digital cluster, modern HVAC, fixed-back bucket seats, five-point harness and a full roll cage.

Legende Automobile claim to have “ignored all financial advice and spared no expense” in the Turbo 3’s development.

With no price announced yet, you’ll likely need to do the same to park one of these pocket rockets in your garage.

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MANIFATTURA AUTOMOBILI TORINO NEW STRATOS GREATEST RESTOMODS

NOT ALL RESTOMODS are created the same. From RUF’s bespoke platform creation to Singer’s near-Theseus levels of 964 surgery; Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT) treads a different path by dropping a radical re-envisioning of an iconic design on top of a resoundingly capable modern classic sports coupe.

The gestation of the New Stratos actually stretches back to the 1990s, when Italian teenager Chris Hrabalek

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PRICE: $1 million+ (BYO F430) OUTPUT: 397kW/520Nm ENGINE: 4.3-litre V8

registered the Stratos trademark after Lancia let it lapse. Hrabalek would later study at the Royal College of Art where the modern Stratos would act as his capstone project. Not only that, but he gained funding from 10 original Stratos owners to see his project through, and built a concept car for the Geneva Motor Show of 2005.

Hrabalek’s project would never come to fruition, but one of those original investors never

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let go. Refined by Pininfarina, and based on the underpinnings of a Ferrari F430, the new Stratos would be re-revealed in its final form in 2010.

The F430’s wheelbase had 200mm chopped from it to match the Stratos’ petite dimensions, with the 4.3-litre V8 subtly tweaked with a Larini titanium exhaust for an improved 397kW output. Simple but striking in its execution, it’s a seductive reinvention of a classic motorsports icon.

RUF SCR PRICE: $1 million OUTPUT: 375kW ENGINE: 4.0-litre flat-6

KIMERA AUTOMOBILI EVO37 PRICE: $770,000 OUTPUT: 377kW ENGINE: 2.1-litre inline-4

WHAT LOOKS LIKE a classic 964 that’s been given a contemporary nip-and-tuck masks 83-years of RUF expertise and experience, carefully distilled into their landmark SCR. Beneath the sculpted carbon fibre body shell sits RUF’s bespoke in-house carbon monocoque with an integrated roll cage, high-strength

HAILING FROM CUNEO, just a little over an hour’s drive from Lancia’s home of Turin, Kimera Automobili shocked the world when it unveiled the renders of its gorgeous EVO37 project.

Conceived as the ultimate evolution and a modern tribute to the iconic Lancia 037, Kimera’s build begins with the central monocoque of a Beta Montecarlo – just like the period race cars.

lightweight steel subframes and double-wishbone suspension front and rear. RUF began with the 993’s 2272mm wheelbase but lengthened it by 70mm for high-speed stability. The car weighs just 1250kgs.

A 4.0-litre Metzger flat-six develops a stout 375kW at a dizzying 8270rpm with no forced induction. A dedication to lightweight materials allows

The exterior’s traditional construction of fibreglass has been ditched for carbon fibre panels, carefully reflecting the original’s iconic proportions.

Ohlins adjustable suspension mounts to tubular front and rear subframes. Total kerb weight is targeted at 1000kg.

The engine is based on an original 037 2.0-litre block, however, it’s been thoroughly re-engineered. Displacement

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for a ballistic 320km/h top speed and yields a brutal 300kW/tonne. With drive sent through the rear wheels via a manual gearbox and mechanical LSD, RUF’s SCR sits at the nexus between classic vibes and modern engineering.

Speculation suggests that about half a million pounds sterling will get you through the door. Or $1 million converted.

has increased to 2.1-litres and the old Abarth Volumex supercharger has been binned for a twincharging system: supercharger and turbocharger working in unison to deliver a whopping 377kW. What’s more, lead engineer for EVO37 is none other than Claudio Lombardi, the man who oversaw the engine of every vintage Martini-liveried Lancia racer you’ve ever drooled over.

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CALLUM 25 PRICE: $980,000 OUTPUT: 381kW ENGINE: 5.9-litre V12

ASTON MARTIN’S CELEBRATED designer dips into the back-catalogue to remaster one of his greatest hits. Ian Callum will tell you that the Aston Martin Vanquish was perfect for its time. But 20 years on, the design industry veteran revisits his creation to perfect it for today. He’s not

doing it alone either. His Callum 25 project is officially endorsed

by Aston Martin, and various aspects of development are shared with R-Reforged, a Swiss company with ties to Aston Martin’s GT3 program.

Callum’s thoughtful revisions range from sympathetic updates like the now-one-piece

window surrounds, to more thorough revisions. New dampers, larger anti-roll bars and stronger racing bearings address the Vanquish’s historical weak spot – its steering. The 5.9-litre V12 now pumps out 381kW, 45kW more than the original. It remains familiar, now features subtly

widened tracks, a pumped and modernised body kit, a lowered seating position and a thinner steering wheel inside. Plus there’s a striking upholstery job throughout, with an 8.0-inch touchscreen. We’re still not sure about the tyres though! It might not be for everyone, but you can’t help but admire it.

EAGLE LIGHTWEIGHT GT PRICE: $1.4 million OUTPUT: 283kW ENGINE: 4.7-litre inline-6

AT ALMOST ONE and a half million dollars, you’d hardly call Eagle’s gorgeous lightweight E-type GT a bargain, but allow us to try. Jaguar meant to build 18 cars in period, but managed to bolt together just 12 genuine E-type Lightweights between 1963 and 1964, one of which Bob Jane drove to the top of the Australian GT Championship in 1963. The Aussie tyre mogul’s car sold at Bonham’s 2017 Scottsdale sale for $10 million.

In 2014, Jaguar announced that they would eventually build

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the remaining six cars using existing and continuing serial numbers, and exacting period construction methods – your brand new 1963 Jag, for a whopping $2.1 million dollars.

Although the Eagle is cheaper, you’re not exactly getting short-changed. It’s an 8000hour process to create an Eagle Lightweight GT, beginning with an original Series 1 E-type. The original steel body is removed, with a hand-formed aluminium fixed-head body fitted in its place. The body’s creation alone

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requires almost 2500 hours.

The engine is a 4.7-litre alloy block design inspired by the original ‘XK’ mill. A big valve head, and uprated crankshaft, pistons and connecting rods produce a stout 283kW – about 50kW more than a genuine Jaguar Lightweight.

The depth of engineering is stunning, down to magnesiumcast gearbox and diff casings, hub carriers and sump. Not only is the Eagle Lightweight GT cheaper than the genuine article, it’s probably even better, too.

CYAN RACING P1800 PRICE: $750,000 OUTPUT: 308kW ENGINE: 2.0-litre inline-4

CYAN RACING, formerly known as Polestar, Volvo’s factory racing team, has created something brilliant.

The three-time winners of the World Touring Car Championship have turned Volvo’s coupe classic, the P1800, into a re-engineered WTCC-powered weapon.

The friendly face of Volvo’s 1960s sports car was designed

by Pelle Petterson, then just a design student for Pietro Frua.

Coincidentally, Pelle’s father, Helmer Petterson, was an engineering consultant for Volvo and the lead man behind the car his son would style. The P1800’s ‘Italian design’

messaging meant Frua was commonly credited as the designer until Volvo rewrote its history, officially recognising Pelle’s authorship in 2009.

We bet young Pelle never envisioned a fire-breathing 308kW turbo-four from Volvo’s title-winning S60 TC1 car to be fitted beneath a 990kg carbon

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fibre creation penned by him.

The ’60s-era live axle has been binned in exchange for a bespoke front and rear double-wishbone setup, with aluminium uprights, anti-roll bars and Cyan-tuned dampers.

Five-speed Holinger ’box with unboosted brakes and no ABS make this one mean Swede!

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ALFAHOLICS GTA-R PRICE: : $500,000+ OUTPUT: 96-179kW ENGINE: : 1.6-2.3-litre inline-4

MECHATRONIK MERCEDES COUPE & SL PRICE: $POA OUTPUT: 228-268kW ENGINE: 4.3-5.5-litre V8

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ALFAHOLICS IS A VETERAN of the restomod scene, a family-run 44-year old business from the English seaside town of Clevedon, which essentially grew to offer the ‘Singer 911’ of 105-series Alfas with its epic GTA-R restoration.

The visually restrained looks belie upwards of 3000 loving man-hours of labour. As such, there’s an even more underthe-radar panache to an

MECHATRONIK IS A vintage Mercedes-Benz specialist of more than 20-years, based near Stuttgart. It’s not your usual fastidiously original restoration outfit either, instead dedicating its expertise to synthesising new technology with old, enhancing the everyday useability of beloved W111 and W113-series Mercedes-Benzes.

Whether you’re the owner of the Bracq-designed ‘pagoda-

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Alfaholics coupe compared to, say, a Singer. You’re privy to tripping over a Singer 911 in an executive car park of any Silicon Valley megacorp, but it’s a rare Junior coupe built to GTA-R specifications by Alfaholics that you’ll find in the garage of Gordon Murray.

Powered by the venerable Alfa TwinSpark inline-four, it’s the 830kg kerb weight figure that we find most titillating.

roof’ icon, or the larger Geiger ‘fintail’, the heart of your Mechatronik Mercedes will be the long-serving M113 V8 used in 34 different Daimler models from 1997 to 2007.

The petite pagoda roof M113 SL is bestowed with a 4.3-litre unit, while the larger W113 coupes and cabriolets gain 5.0 or 5.5-litre units. All carefully selected engines are meticulously rebuilt by hand.

There are decades of historic racing experience as well as countless national-level concours awards under the classic Alfisti workshop’s belt.

Given that pedigree, your dream Alfa coupe can range from a finely upholstered tourer with modern air-conditioning and audio, to a carbon-bodied track-day weapon with rose-jointed tubular titanium wishbone suspension.

The chassis is given a similar treatment, with modern brakes, suspension and retrofitted ABS. There is a wide palette of original and bespoke paint colours to choose from, however, even more impressive is the range of interior leather, carpet and woodgrain options.

We’ll take a W111 5.5 coupe in 834 Mossgreen metallic, over Cognac leather, with a Makassar wood veneer, please…

SINGER 911 (CLASSIC) PRICE: $800,000+ (BYO 964) OUTPUT: 223kW-290kW ENGINE: 3.8/4.0-litre flat-six

THE ONE THAT needs no introduction. Arguably the ostensible catalyst for the whole restomod genre: Singer’s sublime classic 911.

Quite simple really, you give the Californian dream factory a complete ’89-’94 964 911, along with an rather large cheque, and Singer creates for you its most perfect vision of a classic 911 - and to your exacting specifications. Say no more!

Once stripped to bare metal, the monocoque is braced and

strengthened before being adorned with a host of carbon fibre exterior panels.

No stone is left untouched with Singer’s wizards carefully blending newly developed and upgraded parts, with carefully curated components from throughout the 911’s lineage, such as the 993’s delightful rack-and-pinion steering.

There are three engine available as standard: a 223kW 3.8-litre flat-six, a 260kW Cosworth-fettled 3.8-litre,

topped by a bored and built 290kW 4.0-litre unit.

There are more options than you can fathom, with the scope of your build limited only by your imagination and bank balance. It was a tough decision not to include Singer’s droolworthy DLS, and its Williamshoned 372kW air-cooled 4.0-litre. However, there’s just something so right about Rob Dickinson’s tastefully updated entry level Singer models. Less can indeed be more.

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M BACK SECTION. SWEET DREAM BMW Z4 M COUPE

Sweet Dream CARS THAT DON’T EXIST, BUT SHOULD

BY CAMERON KIRBY I L L U S T R AT I O N T H E O P H I L U S C H I N

A ‘clown shoe’ for the modern age that would elevate BMW’s M division beyond its current styling circus MORE THAN TWO decades ago a team of BMW engineers began an after-hours project to transform its handsome but dynamically shaky Z3 roadster into a serious performance coupe – looks be damned!

What they created was the Z3 M Coupe, a car with the performance credentials to remain a cult classic to this day despite its controversial styling and unfortunate ‘clown shoe’ nickname.

First released in 2019, the current Z4 finds itself in a surprisingly similar position as the E37 Z3. It’s handsome, and well-liked by those wanting a pleasant 114

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roofless driving experience. But public perception deems it dynamically inferior to its non-identical twin from Japan, the Toyota Supra. That judgement is somewhat short sighted, but the solution that was found in 1998 could work again today.

Enter the BMW Z4 M Coupe – a shooting brake performance halo that could help elevate the entire roadster family and bring BMW’s M Division to its unhinged and brilliant best. We know from the execution of the current M3 and M4 that BMW’s designers are willing to take bold risks, so our stylistic

BMW Z4 M COUPE vision shouldn’t be too far out of their comfort zone.

With the Toyota Supra filling the swoopy coupe styling position already, BMW would need a divergent visual path to give the Z4 M its own unique positioning.

Instead of a swooping roofline, Australian Calvin Luk’s design would be updated with a squared-off wagon rear end. Along with the ‘bread van’ looks, BMW’s M division will give the Z4 a suitable nip’n’tuck with carbon fibre front lip, side skirts and rear diffuser. Quad exhaust tips anchor the rear bumper styling to drive home the point that the Z4 M should not be underestimated.

M boss Markus Flasch says that the Z4 M40i already offers M-car levels of performance, and a track test by German outlet Sport Auto confirmed that the roadster is

two seconds a lap quicker around the Nordschleife than even the esteemed M2.

But there’s no reason to be content with that – time to aim higher Mr Flasch! To earn its full-fat M badge, the Z4 could gain the S58 drivetrain from the current M3/M4, lifting outputs by 90kW/150Nm to 375kW and 650Nm. With a kerb weight around the 1500kg mark, the Z4 will appeal to those wanting a finer scalpel than that offered by the M3, but with more firepower than the M2 CS. In order to make the twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight six fit, an all-wheel xDrive layout is off the cards – but we doubt enthusiasts will be too displeased.

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M BACK SECTION. SWEET DREAM

TO EARN ITS FULL-FAT M BADGE, THE COUPE COULD LIFT THE S58 DRIVETRAIN FROM THE CURRENT M3, LIFTING OUTPUT TO 375KW/650NM 02

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HOW WE’D

Build it

01. FOR THE NUTTERS

Being an altogether smaller, lighter, and nimbler package compared to the M3, and having more interior space than the M2, a Z4 M would be perfect for track day fans. Much like Porsche’s iconic Weissach package, BMW could offer a track-focused option that includes Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, carbon-ceramic brakes, bucket seats, fire extinguisher, five-point racing harness and half cage straight from the factory.

02. LIFESTYLE OPTIONS

Track days not really your thing? No worries. Additional options would include roof racks for ski and bike gear. Due to the shooting brake styling the Z4 M will offer a skerrick of practicality. Paint it red and become the world’s fastest postie.

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03. THE JAPANESE TWIN

A Z4 M would immediately open the door for a more focused GR version of the Toyota Supra. As with the original product planning, a joint endeavour will reduce costs and help give enthusiasts two compelling options in one go.

04. THAT TRACKS

With extra power comes greater responsibility. Z4 M will have a wider track front and rear, along with extra tyre width, compared to M40i versions.

Extra torsional rigidity of the hard roof should make the Z4 M a potent corner carving weapon.

05. ONE LAST DANCE

Since the start of 2019 only two manual Z4s have been sold in Australia. However, the Venn diagram of buyers wanting a two-door M coupe and those desiring roadster chic styling are two different circles. As a result, three pedals could be back on the menu, alongside the conventional eight-speed auto.

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THERE’S A LOT to like about BMW’s mid-’00s mechanical twins: the E60 M5 and E63 M6. The 5.0litre V10-powered pair boasted 373kW/520Nm, could clock 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.7 seconds (various independent tests have bested this figure) and, with the speed limiter removed, could reach 322km/h, some 200mph in old money. Most tantalising of all, however, is the fact that you can pick one up today for less than the price of a new three-cylinder 103kW BMW 118i.

Before you rush off to the bank however, be warned that problematic examples can be disastrously costly to fix and maintain. But we’ll get into that later.

The E60 M5 landed on Australian shores in 2005, with its two-door M6 sibling following one year after, and marked a significant departure from all that came before it. The M5, in particular, represented the world’s first production saloon ever fitted with a V10, and shared the crown with the M6 as M-division’s most powerful series production cars at the time.

The S85 V10 will remain a unique footnote in M-division history, with this generation’s M5 and M6 representing the only V10 production models ever produced by BMW. In line with industry and emissions trends, they’re likely the last of their kind we’ll ever see from Munich again.

Upon launch, much fuss was made of the M5’s Formula

’04 ’10 TO

WHERE IS HE NOW? After leaving BMW in 2009, Chris Bangle set up his own design firm in Italy

1 links, with the road-car’s V10 and seven-speed semiautomatic powertrain layout echoing the configuration used in F1 in the noughties.

There was also a degree of controversy over the M5 and M6’s styling. They looked nothing like their sleek predecessors, and both were mired by controversy and critique. The more mainstream 5 Series copped much of the flak, so too did Chris Bangle – BMW’s American Head of Design between 1997 and 2009.

In reality, Bangle merely signed-off on the E60 5 Series, whose lines were laid by one of his underlings, a young Italian designer named Davide Arcangeli. Arcangeli’s design breezed through board approval though, in a sad turn of events, he passed away from leukaemia just days after his design was green-lit.

Bangle spoke highly of Arcangeli’s unconventional styling, and later stated that the beloved young Italian’s passing galvanised the design team to push through his proposal unchanged.

Ironic, then, that one of BMW’s most divisive designs may also be one of modern motoring’s most pure and true to one man’s vision. Look beyond the styling, and these two technically interesting cars could, for all their flaws, make for intriguing weekenders powered by one of the most charismatic engines ever built by BMW.

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M BUYING A MODERN CLASSIC BMW E60 M5 BODY ENGINE POWER TORQUE TRANSMISSION WEIGHT USED RANGE

4-door, 5-seat saloon 4999cc DOHC 40v V10 378kW @ 7750rpm 520Nm @ 6100rpm 7-speed semi-automatic 1755kgs $45,000-$80,000

THIS GENERATION’S M5 AND M6 REPRESENT THE ONLY V10 PRODUCTION CARS EVER BUILT BY BMW

1. THE OBVIOUS: AUDI S8 V10 Another luxury saloon with 10 cylinders in its snout, the S8 V10 followed the M5 to market by a year with a more relaxed mien, making 530Nm at a lazy 3000rpm. RS6 offers same engine in smaller package... for more money.

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2. THE UNEXPECTED: MERCEDES-AMG E63/CLK 63 Daimler’s M5 rival of the time didn’t boast an exotic V10, but was instead armed with AMG’s lauded M156 6.2-litre V8. The CLK 63 offers much of the same appeal, but with slick coupe styling compared to the E63’s sedan status.

3. THE ODDBALL: DODGE VIPER RT/10 The upper ranges of the V10 Bimmer market will also see you within reach of an imported example of the original SR1 Viper. It won’t be anywhere near as luxurious or comfy, but it’s got a V10 and just 5988 were built from ’92-’95.

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THE E60 M5 is the most successful M-badged 5 Series ESSENTIAL yet – shifting 19,523 units CHECKS across five years of production.

The M5’s only official Touring M5/M6 variant also appeared here, with 1025 vehicles produced for European markets only. Of that run, 223 Tourings (denoted by chassis code E61) were produced in righthand drive for the UK market.

Most M5s were sold to North America (8800), which explains why they were the only lucky ones to gain a six-speed manual option alongside the maligned SMG gearbox. Few buyers ended up ticking the manual option box, with just 1366 manual M5s produced.

The E63 M6 coupe and E64 M6 cabriolet were produced in far smaller numbers, with production totalling just 9087 coupes and 5065 drop-tops by mid-2010. Just 323 coupes and 378 convertibles opted for the no-cost manual option. On the local market, it’s the M5 saloon that’s the most in demand. Only a few examples were observed on the market ranging between $45-$80k. M6s are lineball on value, however, there are significantly more on the market with, generally, far lower mileage.

BODY & CHASSIS Styling is subjective so it’s up to you whether you like the look of the M5 and M6. Regardless, the E60 5 Series in particular was a revolutionary design that played with negative surfaces and its ‘flame surfaced’ concave panels. Such carefully curved panels, especially those made of aluminium, can be costly

ONE Early DVD-based iDrive with its ‘flying saucer’ interface wasn’t the best, but updated CIC iDrive systems can be retrofitted TWO The M6 has aged quite well in our eyes, and seemed more resistant to criticism than the mainstream 5er THREE S85 sounded a little gruff at idle, but is simply glorious at full speed FOUR M5/M6 dials were the benchmark back then but we’re not so sure about BMW’s screens of today

to repair – so inspect closely for dents and damage.

Condensation is known to collect in headlights, and panoramic glass sunroofs can grow leaky due to perished rubber seals.

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION BMW’s SMG automated manual gearbox can be the cause of sleepless nights.

The gearbox hydraulic pump motor is the frequent offender, with issues generally arising after 100,000kms.

Clutch sensors and pressure accumulators can also fail, however, the pump motor is generally the first to go.

Symptoms include slow or hesitating shifts, fault codes or the dreaded red cog of death warning light. It pays to account for a healthy contingency budget.

The S85 engine boasts 10 individual throttle bodies, with each bank controlled by a throttle actuator. These actuators are a common fault, often pertaining to the worn gears from age. In worst cases, rod bearings prone to wear can lead to terminal engine failure if not addressed. OEM replacements or aftermarket bearing upgrades will do much for future-proofing and mechanical confidence.

SUSPENSION & BRAKES Check for leaks and test each variable electronic damper mode for full functionality.

OEM tyres measure 275/35/19 up front and 285/35/19 out back, and can cost in excess of $2K to replace.

INTERIOR & ELECTRICS Boot floors should be inspected for signs of water, which can infiltrate the boot due to blocked rain channels. An LCI update brought redesigned doorcards, and a vastly improved hard drive-based CIC iDrive system. Test all electric functions and watch for warning lights on start-up. d

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09 . 2021 M BACK SECTION. TECH TALK AUDI RS Q E-TRON

BY CAMERON KIRBY

The beast with two hearts How Audi used two tarmac racers to build an electric off-road monster WHEN AUDI DECIDED TO cease its factory Formula E and DTM racing programs it also became the custodian of two seemingly redundant powertrains overnight.

In 2019 it had built one of the greatest four-cylinder combustion engines in motorsport history which it used to claim back-to-back DTM titles, while its Formula E powertrain which debuted earlier this year is claimed to be a staggering 97 per cent efficient.

However, with no factory racing in either category, both the combustion and electric powertrains were set to be packed away to collect dust. That is, until a team of engineers realised they could combine the pair to take on the toughest race in the world – the Dakar Rally. The longest and most difficult off-road motorsport event in the world is hard enough in a combustion powered vehicle, but Audi intends to complete without using an ICE engine to power the wheels. Bold, considering the longest stage of this year’s Dakar rally ran for 813km (337km of which were competitive), while the penultimate day included 511km of timed course.

The vehicle Audi has built to take on the challenge is the RS Q e-tron, which will use a trio of electric generators, a 50kWh battery and range extender to take on global motorsport’s most gruelling event. We’ll forgive you for being underwhelmed when you first hear the phrase ‘range extender EV’. However, the term feels like a bit of a misnomer when you consider that the range extender in question is that same 477kW-capable 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot that until this year was powering Audi’s championship-winning RS5 DTM racers.

While in DTM trim, the ICE unit screams its way to 9500rpm, but it will be working within a different performance window in the Saudi desert. Operating as a range extender, Audi says the four-pot will spin between 4500 and 6000 revolutions a minute, with power dropped to 200kW. With efficiency instead of

BELOW The MGU is one of the few areas where Audi had freedom to innovate in Formula E, resulting in a class-leading design

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power the name of the game, Audi changed the pistons, injectors and turbo to better suit the new purpose. Audi claims the final specific consumption of the engine is under 200 grams of fuel per kWh produced - roughly twice as efficient as a standard diesel generator. Given the RS Q e-tron is fitted with a 300-litre fuel tank, and with each litre weighing roughly 740g (depending on temperature), that means the Dakar challenger can generate more than a megawatt hour of power to get it through each stage.

At each axle will sit a motor generator and inverter lifted from the FE07 Formula E racer, while a third will be paired with the combustion engine. Audi claims the MGU units weigh just 35kg each (while the range extender tips the scales at 85kg). Stepping away from Formula E provides Audi with extra engineering freedoms when it comes to the battery, of which the RS Q e-tron utilises a clean-sheet 50kWh capacity design. Weighing roughly 370kg, Audi says the battery is around the same size as that used in its FE car, and is charged while the RS Q e-tron is being driven.

Combined the total system output is 500kW, but this figure will likely change as the final regulations the RS Q e-tron will compete under are still being finalised. Being electric, the front and rear axles of the RS Q e-tron have no physical connection. Instead, software will play the part of a central differential, helping shuffle power fore and aft as needed. This helps save weight, while lowering mechanical complexity.

There are other benefits, as explained by Stefan Dreyer, Head of Development at Audi Sport racing. “The drivetrain is extremely efficient,” he says. “There is hardly any power loss. You don’t have to expect temperature problems while you’re driving slowly in the sand.

“But, above all, the electric drivetrain is much easier to control in all of the given situations. The maximum torque is available from zero revolutions. You can regulate the drivetrain very precisely, whether the car is going over jumps or driving in the desert.

“The electric drivetrain does not react to external influences such as air pressure, temperature and humidity. And you can use it at full power throughout the rally. It’s all much more consistent.”

Audi will be hoping its best of both worlds strategy will allow it to become the first non-ICE driven car to claim victory in the Dakar rally.

STRESS TEST Where DTM and Formula E cars keep their wheels firmly planted on the ground, a Dakar racer needs to be able to clear dunes and other jumps in the round.

To compensate for these extra stresses engineers have strengthened several parts of the drivetrain with new casings and shockabsorbent mountings.

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➜

ENERGY MANAGEMENT Unlike a traditional race track, Audi’s engineers cannot plan every metre of the RS Q e-tron’s route in the Dakar rally, making engine management a challenge.

As a result the team is having to develop new software that can adjust on the fly to ensure there is enough power generated to complete each stage

➜ ➜

ALTERNATE FUELS Audi has already been playing with using alternative fuel sources for its DTM-sourced range extender. In 2019 it used a “more climate friendly high performance fuel developed by Aral” in a ride car, claiming that the fresh mix reduced C02 emissions by 30 per cent without any modifications to the engine.

HEAVYWEIGHT SPRINTER While final race-spec homologation is yet to be finalised, the RS Q e-tron is expected to weigh in at roughly 2000kg sans drivers – making it one of Audi’s heaviest race cars.

Understandable considering it is 4.5 metres long, 2.3 metres wide, and 1.9 metres tall. Mind you, it’ll still crack 100km/h in a claimed 4.5 seconds, even on loose surfaces.

09.2021

M PRODUCTS

GEAR YOU NEED, NOW

Cool Kit

BY ALEX AFFAT

1

frontlinehobbies.com.au If you don’t own a clean 964 to 1 be cut up by cult Japanese Porsche builder Nakai-San of RWB, you can grab this incredibly detailed resin model American outfit GarageWelt has dropped a range of skateboard 2 decks inspired by some hotgaragewelt.com ’90s metal. This one taps BMW’s 1989 E30 art car by Australian artist Ken Done periodcorrect.com Period Correct’s latest capsule is dedicated to the BMW M1 3 Procar, BMW’s glorious one-make support category of ‘79-’80. Everything from tees to trackies, to trucker hats store.audi.com.au Audi enthusiasts can stay on-brand 4 at the beach or park with this 3W Audi Sport speaker.

Splash resistant and shockproof, measuring 9.0 x 7.5cm GT SPIRIT 1:18 RWB ‘ATLANTA’ 911 $280

‘DONE’ M3 DECK $95

PROCAR T-SHIRT $55

AUDI SPORT BLUETOOTH SPEAKER $69

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Ed’s pick STRAIGHT TO THE POOL ROOM

5 lego.com

LEGO SPEED CHAMPIONS TOYOTA GR SUPRA

$35

Get your minifigs sideways in one of the sweetest rear-drive coupes around, with Lego’s 299-piece GR Supra Speed Champions kit. In true tuner fashion, it even comes with different wheel options

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BACK SECTION. THE GARAGE

SLIDE HAMMER

Or how a Yamaha V8 gets to live its best life

AS A MOTORING journalist, you’re just expected to be good at this sort of thing. Sliding a car around as if you’re born to it, I mean. A few journos are extremely handy at this type of driving, while most are not. I enjoy it when I get the opportunity, which, these days, is not that often.

So it was with a certain degree of trepidation that I took the Lexus LC500 out on the wet circle at

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Lang Lang in front of not only my colleagues, but also the ex-Holden chassis development team. I felt rusty and, as a result, fear of failure manifested as a rising prickly heat.

Seat coolers on.

Turns out I needn’t have worried, If there’s a friendlier car than the LC500 to drift in big, lazy circles, I haven’t driven it. A combination of a long 2870mm wheelbase,

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BELOW Could spiralling LFA values lift the LC in time? Build run for the latter is higher but there are a lot of shared qualities

stability control that goes all the way off, an utterly predictable atmo V8, accurate steering and benign geometry proved entirely flattering and saved my blushes. You’ll need to limit your time with the tail hung out as any car that weighs nearly two tonnes will do a number on its rear boots, but for a few sideways circuits for the camera, the Lexus was an absolute honey, feeling like a supersized 350Z in its malleability.

Implanting that knowledge of how the car feels when it starts sliding into your muscle memory certainly helps when driving the

LEFT/RIGHT Bootlid release on left, hidden HUD settings on right. Do we get to fight an end-level boss now?

BELOW Sidling in next to the crew’s cars at Highball Cars & Coffee 7. This was one of four LCs present

LC on Lang Lang’s hill route. There are a couple of corners there designed deliberately to upset a car’s balance mid-corner and having the confidence in knowing what the Lexus would do when tipped into yaw certainly helped there.

I made two additional discoveries this month, too. Firstly, the adjustment for the head-up display height is accessed via what looks like a nondescript back button on the steering wheel. Press this and the dial pack motors to the right to reveal a subsidiary menu. Of course it does. Why have an entire infotainment system for menus when you can have a dial pack that’s been designed by Ernst Stavro Blofeld?

Sometimes Lexus does baffle me.

Likewise, I have videographer Josh Robinson to thank for locating the external boot release, a tiny nub on the right hand side of the rear number plate. Prior to this I’d been using the key fob and found it a bit

A COLLEAGUE DESCRIBED THE LC AS THE GRAND SEIKO OF CARS. IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW... of a pain to start fishing around in my pocket when I just wanted to throw a bag into the boot. As you might have guessed, I wanted to operate the LC without constant recourse to the owner’s manual. It’s my belief that if you need to resort to the manual to operate a simple part of the car’s anatomy, it’s a fairly fundamental ergonomic fail on the manufacturer’s part.

Sure, the LC has its quirks, but the basics are just brilliant. What’s more, it might just be the very last of its type. The fantastic 2UR-GSE

PROS and CONS d

5.0-litre V8 isn’t going to be around forever although Lexus isn’t one of those companies that has put a hard and fast date on ditching internal combustion. Yet. The LC500 emerges as one of the best looking, best sounding and best built cars listed for sale at any price. A colleague described it as the Grand Seiko of cars – an ‘if you know, you know’ sort of deal that’s imbued with incredible quality. If that’s not reason enough to pique your interest, consider this. You’ve got the rest of your life to whirr around in an EV. If the days of internal combustion are numbered, I think you owe it to yourself to see them out on a high. - AE

THINGS WE LOVE 1. Turns heads 2. Rorty Yamaha V8 3. Chassis balance

THINGS WE RUE 1. Chunky pricing 2. Odd ergonomics 3. Kerb weight

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STA RT O F T E R M

Hello!

STEP BROTHER

Newman gets behind the wheel of the classy sibling

BROTHERS FROM DIFFERENT mothers. This is the most accurate description of the relationship between the Kia Stinger GT and Genesis G70. The former has obviously just departed the MOTOR garage so it seemed only fair to compare and contrast its recently facelifted sibling by having it stay for a few months.

It takes only a cursory glance at the technical data to see the close relationship between the two cars. Both use the same 3342cc twin-turbo V6 producing 274kW at 6000rpm and 510Nm from 1300-4500rpm, tied to an eightspeed automatic with exactly the same ratios (gearbox and diff) and 128

a limited-slip diff. The similarities continue with the chassis, with the wheel sizes (19 x 8.0-inch front; 19 x 8.5-inch rear), tyres sizes (225/40 front; 255/35 rear) and tyre type (Michelin Pilot Sport 4) all identical.

However, the two begin to diverge dimensionally. The Genesis is 145mm shorter in length and 20mm narrower with a 70mm shorter wheelbase, its slightly smaller size presumably responsible for its 28-74kg weight advantage, depending on the specification. This particular car is the range-topping 3.3T Sport with the optional Luxury Package so we’ll assume it’s towards the heavier side of the ledger, but a trip to the weighbridge could be

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ABOVE Is the Genesis G70 really worth $22,116 more than the Stinger GT? it’s time to find out

in order to confirm. Either way, that shrunken wheelbase does result in rear seats that are on the tight side, with marginal leg room and nowhere really to put your feet.

At this point you might be thinking “yeh, yeh, if these cars are so similar, why are you bothering?”

Well, whereas the Stinger GT was $63,760RRP/$66,690 driveaway, this flagship G70 asks for $85,876RRP, the Luxury Package accounting for $10,000 of that.

The extra spend includes the Forward Attention Warning safety system, 12.3-inch 3D instrument cluster, head-up display (HUD), 16-way adjustable driver’s seat, heated steering wheel and rear seats, power-operated boot, 15-speaker Lexicon audio system, intelligent front lighting system, acoustic laminated windscreen and front windows, Nappa leather interior, driver’s memory seating,

GENESIS HASN’T SO MUCH BENCHMARKED BMW AND MERCEDES AND LEXUS AS BENTLEY

suede headlining and electronic wheel adjustment.

That’s a fair whack of kit, though it’s interesting that quite a bit of it (HUD, heated wheel and wheel adjustment) is standard in the Stinger. The standard equipment list is incredibly lengthy, so let’s just concentrate on what’s new for the 2021 facelift.

An active variable exhaust extracts an extra 2kW, there’s a new Sport+ mode, the airbag count is now 10, there are heated and ventilated front seats, a 10.25-inch central infotainment touchscreen, panoramic sunroof and a whole bunch of active safety gizmos like blind-spot collision avoidance, junction turning assist, safe exit warning, multi-collision braking, lane following assist, rear cross traffic alert and surround view monitor.

In terms of after sales, Genesis is attempting to cover every base, with

five years complimentary scheduled servicing (though it’s only valid for 50,000km), as well as a five years/unlimited kilometre warranty, ‘Genesis-To-You’ courtesy vehicle concierge service if you live within 70km of a Genesis dealer and 24/7 roadside assistance.

We’ll get to how the G70 drives in future updates but for now I’ll cover arguably the most important aspect of the car, its interior. It’s really swish. Genesis hasn’t so much benchmarked BMW and Mercedes and Lexus as Bentley. That might sound ridiculous but there is clear evidence of British inspiration.

Aside from the badge, which must

PROS and CONS

03

THINGS WE LOVE

1. Grunty engine 2. Plush interior 3. Head-turner

TOP Twin-turbo V6 offers plenty of grunt which, unlike other markets, is sent to the rear axle alone ABOVE Split head and taillights are part of the distinctive exterior design for the revised G70 range

03

THINGS WE RUE

1. Getting expensive 2. No AWD for Oz 3. Brand awareness d

be one per cent away from having Bentley’s lawyers on the phone, there’s leather-covered everything, diamond-quilted patterns on the seats and doors, and externally there’s even that little vent behind the front wheels. Is the Genesis like a Bentley? No, but by taking inspiration from it the resultant interior feels special for the money.

There are a few bits shared with the Stinger, notably the infotainment screen, dash top and centre row of buttons, and its regular vents don’t look as fancy as Kia’s circular ones, but it’s definitely a more special cabin. Of note are the new 3D dials, too, which I absolutely love. Others might be more ambivalent, and of the three styles the funky, Tron-like pale blue/green one is permanently active. So it’s a good start for the dark green Genesis, but can it continue to impress when it hits the road? Find out next month. – SN

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RELATIONSHIP GRAPH

CABIN FEVER

Big Lexus offers luxurious lockdown respite

GROWING UP I gained an early exposure to how people treat their cars. The good, the bad and the ugly. Up until recently, my father was in the smash repair business, and in my younger years I’d often walk there after school to wait around for a few hours before going home. Occasionally I’d help out, but I was always better at pulling things apart rather than putting them back together. So instead, I turned my hand to detailing.

What I always found interesting is that the cleanliness of a car’s interior didn’t always correlate to its list price. Being in a rural area, it wasn’t uncommon to see an expensive fourwheel drive with hay in the boot, mud stains engrained into carpets and myriad food scraps and stains.

I’m assuming that, partly because of 130

this, our family EF Falcon was largely a no-food zone.

It’s something that as an adult I’ve tried, and often failed, to adhere to.

However, given I currently have a $195K Lexus limo in my possession, I’ve taken to reinstating the rule.

But Covid lockdowns have made it hard given that the LS500’s palatial cabin renders it the perfect alternate takeaway dinner setting when my own four walls become too familiar.

For those gasping, napkins, towels and air fresheners abound – I even tour with the windows open to alleviate lingering smells.

Thing is, with shagpile-style carpets, soft leather and top-quality sound deadening (with Active Noise Control), the LS is far more luxurious than my actual living room. Granted, a couch from the Salvos is a low

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ABOVE If you want to use phone mirroring (in the case, Apple CarPlay), you’re going to have to live with annoying cable clutter. Luckily the centre console is sizeable and opens both sides

benchmark, however, everything has a solid, over-engineered feel to it.

This is typified by the volume control knob. It’s so overtly tactile you can’t help but want to fondle it.

This particular detail, like the rest of the interior, is just exquisite and it’s utterly pleasing to use. When we’ve been allowed passengers, I can’t help but ask them what they think of it. Most aren’t as beguiled by it as I am, and some appear downright puzzled, but the occasional oohs and aahs prove I’m not the only weird soul finding fascination with a volume control...

As a piece of design that doesn’t lose out on function, it’s a winner.

The sound system its controlling is also one of very high quality. The 23-speaker Mark Levinson package packs a punch with bass where you want it and clarity everywhere else. It’s also interesting that the LS still offers a provision for CDs when smartphones and services like Spotify are the new norm. Maybe it’s a sign of the clientele who are in

the market for a premium Lexus that it is still there; especially given the SC430 was one of the last cars to be sold with an old-school tape deck.

While Lexus is at pains to quash any Toyota links, there are some controls within the cabin that you’ll find in its parent company’s products. Once you see them, you can’t un-see them. The lock/unlock buttons on the door cards and the trip-computer controls are straight from the big T’s part bin. It even says “Toyota Motor Corporation” on the build plate as you open the door. At least there isn’t an infamous Toyota digital clock, instead it’s a beautiful analogue timepiece.

However, I don’t see that connection as being a gripe. What does let the LS down is its age and lack of modern tech like wireless smartphone mirroring (although there is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) or wireless phone charging. It’s also frustrating that carrying out simple tasks, like turning off/on the seat/steering-wheel heating, requires multiple button presses or screen swipes.

At least the maligned trackpad can now be averted given that the gargantuan 12.3-inch screen has become touch-enabled. It makes a big difference to how you use the infotainment and HVAC. I’m keeping count and so far I’ve only had to use the trackpad twice. The 8.0-inch digital instrument clusters also uses an LFA-style moving central tacho – which is cool.

Yes, it might be missing some of the up-to-date gizmos, but it has soothing comfort and endearing charm in reserve. Everything is either felt or leather-clad (even the door bins) and the ‘Takumi craftmanship’ shines through - it’s a visual feast with a full-flavoured design.

However, opting for the $200K Sports Luxury does afford more show-stopping kit like massaging front seats and reclining rear pews.

And given that being soothed rather than excited is the LS’s modus operandi, I can’t help but think it might just be the better choice.

Still, spending so much time within the cow-hide clad innards of the LS500 F Sport hasn’t made it any less special on each occasion. – TG

PROS and CONS

03

THINGS WE LOVE

TOP RIGHT The infotainment power control is one of the best knobs in the business - and an example of the attention to detail RIGHT F Sport misses out on the Sport Luxury’s extra toys in the back like dual screens and reclining chairs...

Trent’s attempts at hand modelling are going well...

IT MIGHT BE MISSING SOME UP-TO-DATE GIZMOS, BUT IT HAS SOOTHING COMFORT AND ENDEARING CHARM IN RESERVE

BOTTOM RIGHT Sadly, lockdown restrictions put a stop to dynamic assessment this month, but keep an eye out next issue

03

THINGS WE RUE

1. Feel-good factor 1. Missing tech 2. The details delight 2. Few toys in back 3. Quality materials 3.Lockdown blues d

m o t o r o f f i c i a l f m o t o r_ m a g

131

09 . 2021

M HOT SOURCE. FAST CAR GUIDE

POWERED BY

Hot Source THE FAST GUIDE TO QUICK CARS CRACKING THE CODE

COMMENT

RATING

FUEL CONS

0-400M

0-100 KM/H

KW/TONNE

• All performance figures are manufacturer claims, those in italics are as-tested by MOTOR. • Figures for an automatic variant have an asterisk.

• Prices listed are manufacturer RRP, exclusive of on-roads. “DA” denotes driveaway price.

• Italicised fuel consumption figures are those collected on test. Italicised weight figures indicate dry weight.

• Engines are listed by configuration, capacity and means of induction. For example, I4/1.6T= turbocharged 1.6-litre inline four. Torque figures made by an engine’s over-boost function are contained in parentheses.

• Red denotes a new addition. Green denotes a model update.

KERB KG

KW/NM

PRICE

TESTED

1 TERRIBLE 11 TOLERABLE 111 NOT BAD 1111 BRILLIANT 11111 BLIMEY

DRIVE

Rated

ENGINE

400 CARS

Abarth www.fiat.com.au/abarth 595

$26,990 (5m) $28,990 (5s)

I4/1.4T

107/206

front 1054 103

7.8

–

6.0

2.5 Abarth entry point comes with a rorty engine note, but barely qualifies as a performance car

595C

$29,990 (5m) $31,990 (5s)

I4/1.4T

107/206

front 1097 100

7.8

–

6.0

2.0 Stylish and torquey urban runabout struggles for fast-car cred

(▲$940) 595 Competizione May 18 $32,950 (5m) $34,950 (5s)

I4/1.4T

132/250 front 1045 126

6.7

–

6.0

3.0 Last year’s power hike and price cut welcome, though serious ride/handling issues remain

I4/1.4T

132/250 front 1085 122

6.7

–

6.0

2.5 Monza exhaust is fantastic with the roof down, just avoid the MTA gearbox like the plague

(▲$940) 595C Competizione

$36,950 (5m) $38,950 (5s)

Alfa Romeo www.alfaromeo.com.au 3.5 Involving handling and impressive pace blighted by poor ride, intrusive ESP and flawed driving position

$42,995 (6dc)

I4/1.7T

177/340

front 1299 133

6.02* 14.29* 6.8

4C May 15 $89,000 (6dc)

I4/1.7T

177/350

rear 1025 173

4.5

–

6.8

3.5 Clever construction and a proper driving event, but we’re suspicious about its ride on Aussie roads

4C Spider Jun 19 $99,000 (6dc)

I4/1.7T

177/350

rear 1035 171

4.5

–

6.9

3.5 Carbon monocoque means there’s almost no dynamic penalty – or room to put the roof

I4/2.0T

206/400 rear 1429 144

5.71

13.92 6.1

Giulia Quadrifoglio Jun 21 $138,950 (8a)

V6/2.9TT

375/600 rear 1585 246

4.21 12.11 8.2

4.5 Alfa returns to form in style with great engine and brilliant chassis. Just lacks that final few percent

Stelvio Quadrifoglio Sep 21 $149,900 (8a)

V6/2.9TT

375/600 all

3.79 11.95 17.2

4.0 Like a Giulia SUV, but compromised by extra 245kg unless you must have all-wheel drive

Giulietta Veloce

Giulia Veloce Sep 17 $71,450 (8a)

1830 205

3.5 Impressive road car, but QV looks and fine handling undermined by light steering and unkillable ESP

Alpina www.alpinaautomobiles.com.au XD3

$114,900 (8a)

B3 Sep 21 $142,900 (8a)

all

2115 123

4.9

–

6.8

4.0 If you’re looking at a BMW X3 M40i but want more comfort and frugality, look this way. Surprisingly good

L6/3.0TT

340/700 all

1860 183

3.8

–

9.9

4.5 Essentially an M3, for M3 money, with added luxury and comfort with a bespoke design

L6/3.0TTD 261/730

B3 Touring

$145,900 (8a)

L6/3.0TT

340/700 all

1940 175

3.9

–

9.9

TBC This is Alpina beating BMW to the Touring punch. Watch out Audi, the B3 is gunning for the RS4’s niche

B8 Gran Coupe

$322,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

457/800 all

2100 218

3.4

–

11.9

TBC Sits neatly between the M850i and M8 Gran Coupes from BMW with an big dose of Alpina flair

XB7

$264,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

457/900 all

2655 172

4.2

–

12.0

TBC Big, brash and outrageously powerful. Enough torque to tow a house – and it’s almost as expensive

Alpine www.alpinecars.com.au Pure Legende

$97,000 (7dc)

I4/1.8T

185/320 rear 1103 168

4.5

12.7

6.2

4.5 Stripped back, driver-focused version to go up against the S55-powered BMW M2 Competition

$103,500 (7dc)

I4/1.8T

185/320 rear 1103 168

4.5

12.7

6.2

4.5 Pays homage to the 1960s-era A110 Berlinette 1600S with two-tone wheels and adds more luxury

Aston Martin www.astonmartin.com Vantage V8 Sep 18 $299,950 (8a) $278,900 (7m) V8/4.0TT

3.6

–

10.5

4.5 Looks fantastic and pairs beastly AMG V8 with a playful rear-drive chassis

$369,950 (7m)

V8/4.0TT

375/625 rear 1499 250

4.0

–

10.5

4.5 Flat-shifting, manual-only track weapon destined to delight on Aussie roads

Vantage Roadster

$314,635 (8a)

V8/4.0TT

375/685 rear 1628 230

3.8

–

11.7

4.0 An even prettier take on the V8 rear-drive British open top sportscar Jaguar no longer makes

DB11 V8

$382,495 (8a)

V8/4.0TT

375/675 rear 1760 213

4.0

–

9.9

4.0 Sportiest DB11 benefits from AMG twin-turbo V8 and revised suspension for a sharper drive

DB11 V8 Volante

$398,495 (8a)

V8/4.0TT

375/675 rear 1870 201

4.1

–

10.0

4.0 V8 only, with the ability to whip the soft-top off in 14 seconds via remote

3.7

–

11.4

4.5 AM Racing version replaces Launch Edition with more power, faster performance, same price

V12/5.2TT 533/900 rear 1693 315

3.5

–

–

4.0 Drop-dead gorgeous, stunning acceleration, very comfortable, but no 812 Superfast in the corners

V12/5.2TT 533/900 rear 1863 286

3.6

–

14.0

4.0 Even better looking without a roof and arguably the best way to express the Superlegerra recipe

V8/4.0TT

4.5

13.1

4.5 Shifts its monumental weight with ease, but its stunning interior is let down by old infotainment tech

Vantage AMR

DB11 AMR Jun 19 $435,035 (8a) DBS Superleggera Aug 19 $536,900 (8a) DBS Superleggera Vol.

$559,000 (8a)

DBX Oct 20 $357,000 (9a)

132

375/685 rear 1530 245

V12/5.2TT 470/700 rear –

–

405/700 rear 2245 180

s e p te m b e r 2 0 2 1 w h i c h c a r. c o m . a u /m o t o r

Research your next new car at whichcar.com.au

COMMENT

RATING

FUEL CONS

0-400M

0-100 KM/H

KW/TONNE

KERB KG

DRIVE

KW/NM

ENGINE

PRICE

TESTED

ABARTH – BENTLEY

Audi www.audi.com.au 6.5

–

6.0

3.5 A fancier, better-looking alternative to the Polo GTI, only way more expensive

1380 101

6.8

–

6.6

3.0 Quicker than you’d expect, but quattro unnecessary at this power level

213/380 all

1530 139

4.8

–

6.6

4.0 Under-rated and really quite fun, but give us the Euro-spec 221kW!

I4/2.0T

213/380 all

1530 139

4.8

–

6.5

4.0 Sleek looks, compact size, pokey performance and good value. We’d opt for the hatch, though

$73,400 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

213/380 all

1670 128

5.2

–

6.8

3.5 Finally, a good-looking small convertible, but can’t escape the inherent compromises

$83,800 (7dc)

I5/2.5T

294/480 all

1510 195

4.01 12.18 8.4

4.0 Screaming five-pot RS now back with a particulate filter – and a slightly quiter tone

RS3 Sedan May 17 $86,136 (7dc)

I5/2.5T

294/480 all

1515 194

4.1

–

8.4

4.0 The perfect car if you need pace more than space

A1 40 TFSI

$46,450 (6dc)

I4/2.0T

147/320

A3 40 TFSI quattro

$52,900 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

140/320 all

$64,200 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

S3 Sedan Jan 17 $65,800 (7dc)

S3 Sportback Apr 17

S3 Cabriolet RS3 Sportback Jul 18

front 1260 117

A4 45 TFSI quattro

$68,900 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

185/370

all

1510 122

5.8

–

6.3

3.5 Beautiful inside and surprisingly capable, but not a car to raise the heart rate

A4 Avant 45 TFSI quattro

$70,877 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

185/370

all

1540 120

6.0

–

6.6

3.5 Possibly the most sensible car in this whole section, but who wants to be sensible?

S4 Sep 17 $99,377 (8a)

V6/3.0T

260/500 all

1630 159

4.95 13.12 11.02 4.0 A surprise package – subtle looks, cracking engine and (with the sports diff) engaging handling

V6/3.0T

260/500 all

1675 155

4.9

V6/2.9TT

331/600 all

1790 185

3.87 12.02 8.9

4.0 Buff yet practical body, sledgehammer pace, with a ride subtlety missing from the C63 S Estate

S4 Avant Apr 17

$101,877 (8a)

RS4 Avant Feb 19 $147,777 (8a)

–

7.8

4.0 Arguably even more appealing than the sedan and makes a mockery of the fast-SUV craze

A5 45 TFSI Coupe

$79,377 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

185/370

all

1500 123

5.8

–

6.5

3.5 Crisp looks and deceptively quick, but expensive when the A4 does the same thing (with less style)

A5 45 TFSI Sportback

$79,900 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

185/370

all

1535 121

6.0

–

6.5

3.5 More versatile and better looking than A4 sedan – more expensive and cramped than A4 Avant

A5 45 TFSI Cabriolet

$93,400 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

185/370

all

1710 108

6.3

–

6.7

3.5 Big price and weight hike over the coupe but cures most of the previous car’s ills

S5 Coupe May 17 $106,377 (8a)

V6/3.0T

260/500 all

1615 161

4.7

–

7.5

4.0 Creamy turbo V6 blends luxury and dynamics. Optional Sport diff a must-have

S5 Sportback July 17 $106,377 (8a)

V6/3.0T

260/500 all

1660 157

4.7

–

7.5

4.0 Coupe with back doors and space for three in the rear ... or you could just buy the roomier S4 Avant

S5 Cabriolet Dec 17 $119,877 (8a)

V6/3.0T

260/500 all

1840 141

5.1

–

7.9

3.5 Stronger, swifter than old S5 Cabriolet with not much to moan about apart from weight increase

RS5 Oct 18 $150,777 (8a)

V6/2.9TT

331/600 all

1730 191

3.96 12.04 8.8

4.0 If you can get over the lack of an atmo V8 (which is tough to do), you’ll find a more rounded, capable car

RS5 Sportback May 19 $150,777 (8a)

V6/2.9TT

331/600 all

1840 180

3.70 11.90 –

4.0 Same cost as coupe, but with extra (pillarless) doors. We’d still have an RS4 Avant

V6/3.0T

250/500 all

1835 136

5.2

–

7.0

4.0 The cheapest ticket into Audi’s vastly improved MLB-based handling package. Looks good too

all

1910 173

4.38 –

8.4

3.5 Easily carries four in plush comfort but fails to feel truly sporting when it counts

V8/4.0TT

446/800 all

2075 212

3.6

–

12.0

4.5 Don’t let the ‘mild-hybrid’ talk fool you, this is still a gloriously turbocharged supercar-eating wagon

V6/3.0T

250/500 all

1890 132

5.2

–

7.1

4.0 Superb engine and technology poached from new-gen A8 ... for $63K less

all

1910 173

4.6 TBC –

8.4

3.5 Injects welcome visual aggro into the S6’s mix rather than a new personality

V8/4.0TT

446/800 all

2075 212

3.6

–

12.0

TBC The swooping version of the RS6 is set to be just as exhilarating

V6/3.0T

250/500 all

1995 125

5.6

–

8.2

4.0 Faster and almost as efficient as old-gen diesel V8. New chassis sparkles, only slightly remote

A6 55 TFSI

$115,877 (7dc)

S6 Jul 20 $149,777 (8a) RS6 Avant Feb 21 $215,877 (8a) A7 Sportback 55 TFSI

$133,477 (7dc)

S7 Oct 20 $159,377 (8a) RS7 Sportback

$223,877 (8a)

A8 55 TFSI Apr 19 $193,872 (8a)

V6/2.9TTS 331/750

V6/2.9TTS 331/750

A8 L 55 TFSI

$208,472 (8a)

V6/3.0T

250/500 all

2315 108

5.7

–

8.2

4.0 An A8 with even more legroom and (optional) rear-seat foot massage. We’re serious...

S8

$259,877 (8a)

V8/4.0TT

420/800 all

2230 188

3.8

–

11.4

TBC Audi’s executive express bulks up with RS-worthy grunt from its twin turbo V8

TT 45 TFSI quattro

$80,272 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

169/370

all

1365 124

5.2

–

6.6

3.5 New, simplified TT range kicks off with a seven-speed all-wheel drive variant

TT S Ann 19 $98,672 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

210/380 all

1385 152

4.7

–

7.0

3.5 Extremely quick, great interior and involving handling ruined by spine-crushing ride

TT RS

$134,777 (7dc)

I5/2.5T

294/480 all

1450 203

3.7

–

8.0

4.0 Its recent refresh may be light on changes but it thankfully leaves its enchanting straight-five alone

SQ2

$64,400 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

221/400 all

1585 139

4.9

–

7.0

TBC Essentially an S3 on stilts, it will be up against stiff competition from its German rivals BMW and Merc

RS Q3 Apr 21 $90,977 (7dc)

I5/2.5T

294/480 all

1790 171

4.5

–

8.8

4.0 Drives much like an RS3 on stilts, but we’ll reserve judgement for when we drive it on-road

RS Q3 Sportback

$94,100 (7dc)

I5/2.5T

294/480 all

1775 171

4.5

–

8.8

4.0 Sounds like half an R8 V10 and looks like a baby Lamborghini Urus, but is a bit too heavy and high

SQ5 TFSI

$101,136 (8a)

V6/3.0T

260/500 all

1870 139

5.4

–

8.7

4.0 Polished family hauler that’s surprisingly adept, though lacks the old diesel’s character

SQ5 TDI

$104,272 (8a)

V6/3.0TD

251/700

1980 129

5.1

–

6.8

4.0 Diesel grunt takes the SQ5 back to its roots before an all-new generation arrives

Q8 55 TFSI

$130,077 (8a)

V6/3.0T

250/500 all

2265 111

5.9

–

9.2

4.0 Not as quick as SQ7, but petrol-turbo V6 is sweeter. Five-seat cabin is as slick as exterior design

V8/4.0TTD 320/900 all

2320 137

4.8

–

7.6

4.0 High-tech seven-seater every bit as good as the Bentayga for half the price

V8/4.0TTD 320/900 all

2365 135

4.8

–

7.8

4.0 The SQ7’s package wrapped in a sexier dress; we can’t wait to drive one

V8/4.0TT

441/800 all

2315 191

3.8

–

12.1

TBC Promising specs on Audi’s Nurburgring record-lap holder target AMG’s new GLE 63 S Coupe

$294,877 (7dc)

V10/5.2

397/540 rear 1595 249

3.7

–

12.9

TBC The bargain choice among the new R8 range still offers plenty of pukka supercar for the money

R8 V10 Performance Feb 21 $394,877 (7dc)

V10/5.2

449/560 rear 1595 282

3.2

–

13.4

TBC Offers organ squeezing acceleration but you’ll miss the front-end (and rear-end!) of the RWD

R8 Spyder V10 RWD

$316,377 (7dc)

V10/5.2

397/540 r ear 1695 234

3.8

–

13.1

TBC A bit soggier than the coupe but a minimal cost against the added V10 volume

R8 Spyder V10 Performance

$416,377 (7dc)

V10/5.2

449/560 rear 1695 265

3.3

–

13.4

TBC For the ulimate flex on Hollywood Boulevard; it’s bleeping fast

SQ7 TDI Feb 17 $162,377 (8a) SQ8

$166,377 (8a)

RS Q8 May 21 $208,377 (8a) R8 V10 RWD

all

Bentley www.bentleymotors.com V8/4.0TT

404/770 all

2165 187

4.0

–

11.2

4.0 Fresh Panamera-based V8 Continental handles crisply and still bellows nicely

$441,300 (8dc)

V8/4.0TT

404/770 all

2335 173

4.1

–

11.4

3.5 Tanning-booth opulence makes the drop-top the better cruiser, but cops a 170kg (!) weight penalty

Continental GT Feb 18 $422,600 (8dc)

W12/6.0TT

467/900 all

2244 208

3.7

–

12.2

4.0 It took 15 years to get an all-new coupe, with proper pace and physics-defying dynamics

$473,900 (8dc)

W12/6.0TT

467/900 all

2414 193

3.8

–

12.4

4.0 Brutal W12 makes a lot more sense in this open-air cinema on wheels

$378,197 (8a)

V8/4.0TT

373/660 all

2342 159

5.2

–

10.9

3.5 British alternative to an S63 AMG feeling its age and not long for this world

$469,000 (8dc)

W12/6.0TT 467/900 all

2437 191

4.6

–

14.8

TBC Still a wafting beast but invites a front seat drive more than ever before

Mulsanne

$662,858 (8a)

V8/6.75TT 377/1020 rear 2610 150

5.3

–

16.9

3.0 Opulent old-school Bentley is surprisingly dynamic, yet fearsomely expensive and thirsty

Mulsanne Speed

$733,387 (8a)

V8/6.75TT 395/1100 rear 2610 151

4.8

–

14.6

3.0 The torquiest car on sale in Oz. For those to whom money is no object

V8/4.0TT

4.5

–

11.4

4.0 Sweet V8 soundtrack makes the ‘entry-level’ Bentayga arguably the most appealing

Continental GT V8 Apr 21 $400,900 (8dc) Continental GT V8 Convertible

Continental GT Conv.

Flying Spur V8 Flying Spur W12

Bentayga V8 Jun 21 $364,800 (8a)

404/770 all

2395 169

d

m o t o r o f f i c i a l f m o t o r_ m a g

133

COMMENT

RATING

FUEL CONS

0-400M

0-100 KM/H

KW/TONNE

KERB KG

DRIVE

KW/NM

ENGINE

PRICE

TESTED

POWERED BY

$335,000 (8a)

V8/4.0TTD 320/900 all

2499 128

4.8

–

8.0

4.0 Bentley buyers don’t shop in Audi showrooms, but the SQ7 is the better choice

Bentayga W12 Nov 16 $427,300 (8a)

W12/6.0TT 447/900 all

2440 183

4.1

–

13.1

4.0 For those who have to have the ultimate SUV, there’s now the Rolls-Royce Cullinan to consider

I4/2.0T

180/380 front 1445 125

6.3

–

6.1

4.0 A direct rival to the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Cutting drive to the rear solves some of the M135i’s ills

$65,990 (8a)

I4/2.0T

225/450 all

1525 148

4.8

–

7.1

3.5 Pure option bids farewell to high-spec items like LED lights as well as $5K from its price

M135i xDrive Dec 19 $70,990 (8a)

I4/2.0T

225/450 all

1525 148

4.8

–

7.1

3.5 Fine up to seven tenths but can unravel beyond; practical and effective; RIP M140i

Bentayga V8 Diesel

BMW www.bmw.com.au 128ti Ann 20 $56,900 (8a) M135i xDrive Pure

M235i GC xDrive Pure

$70,990 (8a)

I4/2.0T

225/450 all

1570 148

4.8

–

7.1

3.5 New Pure version offers the M235i xDrive’s four-door coupe looks for the M135i hatch’s money

M235i GC xDrive

$75,990 (8a)

I4/2.0T

225/450 all

1570 148

4.8

–

7.1

3.5 All-wheel drive 2 Series offers a grippier, roomier alternative to the M240i that we didn’t really ask for

$89,900(8a)

I6/3.0T

275/500 all

1690 163

4.3

–

8.1

TBC Rear-drive makes way for all-wheel drive – promises to be seriously quick

331/550 rear 1575 210

4.0

–

–

4.5 Sharper, sweeter and now even more comfortable with adaptive dampers, but $32K over an M2 is a lot

I4/2.0T

190/400 rear 1470 126

5.9

–

5.7

4.0 If you had to recommend a car to suit absolutely everyone, this would be high on the list

I4/2.0T

185/350 rear 1540 120

6.0

–

6.1

4.0 The above with added practicality and style (and weight)

I6/3.0T

285/500 all

4.07 12.26 7.5

4.0 BMW plugs the gap between 3 Series and M3 with a capable, fast, semi high-performance sedan

$144,900 (6m)

I6/3.0TT

353/550 rear 1705 207

4.2

–

–

TBC We thought only the M4 was getting ‘that’ grille. We were wrong. Rear-drive-only at launch

M3 Competition Apr 21 $154,900 (8a)

I6/3.0TT

375/650 rear 1730 217

3.9

–

–

4.5 Competition gains full-fat S58 power output, paired with eight-speed auto and rear-wheel drive 4.0 BMW’s controversial looker promises more familiar performance

M240i

M2 CS Mar 21 $139,900 (6m) $147,400 (7dc) I6/3.0TT 330i Aug 19 $77,900 (6m/8a) 330i Touring

$78,900 (6m/8a)

M340i xDrive Jan 20 $111,900 (8a) M3

430i

1730 159

$90,900 (8a)

I4/2.0T

190/400 rear 1545 123

5.8

–

5.9

M440i xDrive Jan 21 $118,900 (8a)

I6/3.0T

285/500 all

4.5

–

6.9

4.0 The M340i’s feral performance gets a face to match

I6/3.0TT

353/550 rear 1700 207

4.2

–

–

TBC Two-door M3 gains controversial grille... but the driving experience will be up to M standards

I6/3.0TT

375/650 rear 1725 217

3.9

–

–

4.5 Watch out AMG, the M Division has been busy. Kerb weight increases and AWD is yet to land Down Under

$149,900 (6m)

M4

M4 Competition May 21 149,900 (8a)

1730 159

M440i xDrive Gran Coupe

$115,900 (8a)

I6/3.0T

285/500 all

1825 156

4.7

–

6.9

TBC If you want a sedan with coupe styling (and lots of grunt), BMW has you covered

M440i xDrive Convertible

$135,900 (8a)

I6/3.0T

285/500 all

1965 145

4.9

–

–

TBC Extra weight dulls performance over its two-door coupe sibling

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

1810 215

3.62 –

8.9

4.0 Baby M badge brings serious torque, active diff and adaptive dampers, all for a bargain price

$152,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

1915 204

3.8

–

8.9

4.0 Full-fruit version adds laser headlights and luxury, along with active roll bars and rear-wheel steering

M5 Competition Feb 19 $244,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

460/750 all

1895 243

3.78 11.53 10.6 4.5 Less weight would have been preferable to more power, but 3.3sec 0-100km/h is silly fast

M5 CS

$274,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

467/750 all

1825 256

3.0

–

–

TBC Does the M5 need a ‘Club Sport’ version? Either way it’s endowed with BMW’s highest output engine ever

740i

$199,900 (8a)

I6/3.0T

250/450 rear –

–

–

–

4.0 Has all the bells and whistles yet somehow lacks the luxury vibe of the S-Class

750i xDrive

$277,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

1965 198

4.0

–

9.5

4.0 A fair chunk of the V12’s performance for a lot less

M760Li xDrive

$373,900 (8a)

V12/6.6TT 430/850 all

2220 194

3.9

–

12.5

3.5 Top-dog limousine heroically fast and surprisingly dynamic, but what’s the point?

M850i Gran Coupe Feb 21 $277,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

1995 196

3.9

–

9.9

4.0 Four doors on BMW’s new blistering GT doesn’t spoil its sleek looks. Will report back when we drive one

M850i Jul 19

$280,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

1890 206

3.7

–

9.8

4.0 New 6-Series replacement makes serious strides forward for the brand

$289,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

2015 194

3.9

–

10.6

4.0 Easier access to the retuned V8’s great new soundtrack

M8 Competition Dec 19 $357,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

460/750 all

1885 244

3.2

–

10.6

4.0 Monstrous luxury coupe is blisteringly quick, but still no 911 Turbo beater

$354,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

460/750 all

1980 232

3.58 –

10.6

4.0 Extra doors add practicality and strengthen the M8’s GT credentials for $3K less, but you can feel its flab

Z4 sDrive 20i M Sport

$88,900 (8a/6m)

I4/2.0T

140/320 rear 1405 100

6.6

–

6.8

4.0 Manual transmission set to make the ‘slow one’ a more involving experience

Z4 sDrive 30i M Sport

$109,900 (8a)

I4/2.0T

190/400 rear 1415 134

5.4

–

6.1

4.0 High-output turbo four and a light rear-drive chassis is good on paper, but the six is much faster in reality

Z4 M40i

$129,900 (8a)

I6/3.0T

285/500 rear 1535 163

4.1

–

6.3

4.5 More grown-up BMW roadster (now with Toyota links) can genuinely fight the Porsche Boxster

X2 M35i

$73,900 (8a)

I4/2.0T

225/450 all

1610 140

4.9

–

7.4

3.5 Mini-based all-paw small SUV with ‘M’ treatment a brave new world for compact BMWs

X3 M40i

$113,900 (8a)

I6/3.0T

265/500 all

1810 146

4.8

–

8.9

4.0 Superb performance takes it right to Mercedes-AMG GLC43 (if not GLC63)

I6/3.0TT

375/600 all

1970 190

4.11

12.10 –

4.0 Our first taste of next M3/M4’s S58 turbo inline-six

M550i xDrive Pure Aug 20 $137,900 (8a) M550i xDrive

M850i Convertible

M8 Competition Gran Coupe

(▲$3000) X3 M Competition Jan 20 $160,900 (8a)

–

I6/3.0T

265/500 all

1825 145

4.8

–

9.0

4.0 Hefty $10K premium over an X3 M40i with a slanted roof. Wouldn’t you prefer an Audi S4 Avant?

(▲$3000) X4 M Competition

$167,900 (8a)

I6/3.0TT

375/600 all

1970 190

4.1

–

–

4.0 Like the X3 M Competition, but with a slicked-back roofline

X5 M50i

$157,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

2250 129

4.3

–

11.5

3.5 Monster engine, plenty of space and decent looks define the new M50i

X5 M Competition

$212,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

460/750 all

2310 199

3.8

–

13.0

4.0 Dynamic talent beggars belief for a 2.3-tonne ‘off-roader’ that’ll never leave sealed surfaces

X6 M50i

$163,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

2345 166

4.3

–

10.5

4.0 Does a glowing grille make the SUV-cum-SUV body style ‘cool’? Capable, tuneful and dynamically capable

X6 M Competition

$218,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

460/750 all

2295 200

3.8

–

13.0

4.0 Basically the same as the X5 M, but with less rear boot space and headroom. Bonkers fast

X7 M50i

$181,900 (8a)

V8/4.4TT

390/750 all

2480 157

4.7

–

11.6

3.5 Behind the huge kidney grille is a lovely V8 twin turbo beast, but it tips the scales at two and a half tonnes

X4 M40i Jan 19 $121,900 (8a)

Caterham www.caterhamcars.com.au Seven 275 Sep 17 $73,700 (5m)

I4/1.6

100/160

rear 590

170

6.53

14.8 6.2

3.0 Entry-level Caterham is great fun to steer. It’s an emotional purchase for the cash – there’s quicker

Seven 485 S

$114,000 (6m)

I4/2.0

177/206

rear 675

262

4.5

–

7.7

3.5 The proper, full-fruit, no-electronics Caterham experience. Just be prepared to pay for it

Seven CSR

$115,000 (6m)

I4/2.0

177/206

rear 700

253

4.5

–

7.7

4.0 A truly special driving experience, but it’s 718 Boxster money for a car without a proper roof...

V8/3.9TT

456/760 rear 1664 274

3.5

–

–

4.5 Adding the M to the Portofino means that it is now nothing like a ‘base model’ Ferrari

V8/3.9TT

462/760 rear 1570 294

3.4

–

11.2

4.5 Quite a bit more than a ‘Portifino M Coupe’, but also quite hardcore

Ferrari www.ferrari.com.au Portofino M Sep 21 $438,500 (8dc) Roma Jul 21

134

$418,100 (8dc)

s e p te m b e r 2 0 2 1 w h i c h c a r. c o m . a u /m o t o r

Research your next new car at whichcar.com.au

F8 Tributo Nov 19 $484,888 (7dc) F8 Tributo Spider

$536,888 (7dc)

COMMENT

RATING

FUEL CONS

0-400M

0-100 KM/H

KW/TONNE

KERB KG

DRIVE

KW/NM

ENGINE

PRICE

TESTED

BENTLEY – HYUNDAI

5.0 Ferrari’s mid-engine V8 staple now so fast your brain might not be able to keep up

V8/3.9TT

530/770 rear 1435 369

2.9

–

12.9

V8/3.9TT

530/770 rear 1505 352

2.9

–

12.9

5.0 Same as above, just with open-air access to the twin-turbo V8

812 Superfast Oct 18 $610,000 (7dc)

V12/6.5

588/718

rear 1630 357

2.9

–

14.9

5.0 F12 successor wraps possibly world’s greatest engine in a prettier body for less money

812 GTS Dec 19 $689,500 (7dc)

V12/6.5

588/718

rear 1705 345

2.9

–

–

5.0 It’s $65K more expensive, but that’s the price to hear one of the best engines around sans-roof

2.5

–

–

5.0 Ferrari’s mid-engine products reach new levels of traction with a three-motor hybrid setup

SF90 Stradale

$846,888 (8dc)

V8/4.0TTE 574/800 all

1570 360

Ford www.ford.com.au Fiesta ST Feb 21 $32,290 (6m) Focus ST-Line

$28,990 (8a)

Focus ST Aug 20 $44,890 (7a/6m) Mustang 2.3L HP Jul 19

Mustang GT Conv.

147/290

front 1217 115

6.5

–

6.0

4.5 Mini performance hero is reportedly everything we hoped for but we have to wait until 2020 to drive one

I3/1.5T

134/240 front 1369 98

8.3

–

5.5

3.5 Focus makes an attempt at reclaiming warm-hatch royalty, but with three pots and no manual

I4/2.3T

206/420 front 1508 137

5.6

–

7.9

4.5 More liveable, still incredibly capable and better poised to fight the Golf GTI than ever

I4/2.3T

236/448 rear 1716 138

6.0

–

8.5

3.5 Don’t sneer, the four-pot Mustang is a great steer, but a Mustang without a V8 just isn’t quite right

I4/2.3T

236/448 rear 1765 127

–

–

9.5

3.5 Great value for a head-turning convertible. Just don’t call it a muscle car

$63,690 (6m) $66,690 (10a) V8/5.0

339/556 rear 1732 196

4.53* 12.49* 13.0 4.0 With hugely improved steering and suspension, it’s what ‘Stang should have been from the start

V8/5.0

339/556 rear 1802 188

–

–

12.7

3.5 Copped the power and torque hike, but even more of a price rise. Go the GT coupe

V8/5.0

345/556 rear 1732 199

–

–

13.9

4.0 With only 700 units slated for Australia, you better get in quick for the ultimate atmo ’Stang

$51,490 (6m) $54,490 (10a)

Mustang 2.3L HP Conv. Apr 19 $60,790 (10a) Mustang GT Jul 19

I3/1.5T

$74,901 (10a)

Mustang Mach 1 Jun 21 $83,241 (6m/10a)

Genesis www.genesis-motors.com.au G70 Sport G80

$75,876 (8a) $99,776 (8a)

V6/3.3TT V6/3.5TT

272/510

rear 1719 158

279/530 all

2023 138

4.7 5.1

13.3

–

10.2

4.0 Brawny compact sedan delivers benchmark ride quality but falls short on the finer things

10.7

TBC Grunty twin-turbo V6 with all-wheel-drive traction – but it weighs more than two tonne

Honda www.honda.com.au Civic Type R Jan 21 $54,990 (6m)

I4/2.0T

228/400 front 1393 164

5.81 13.79 7.7

4.5 Possibly the best front-driver ever now receives revised suspension, brakes and Active Sound Control

Hyundai www.hyundai.com.au i20 N Jun 21 $32,490 (6m) i30 N Line

$29,420 (6m) $31,420 (7dc)

I4/1.6T

150/275

I4/1.6T

150/265 front 1315 114

CHART ATTACK

front 1190 126

6.7

–

–

TBC Watch out Ford Fiesta ST, this feisty Hyundai is out for blood. And it’s got the goods to do it

–

–

7.5

3.5 SR-replacing N Line is still a terrific warm hatch with a punchy engine and good dynamics

NEW PERFORMANCE CAR SALES UPDATE

EMERGENCY BRAKE Fiscal year and lockdowns stall sales THE SPORTS CAR MARKET enjoyed a fruitful end to the financial year. However, it proved far less robust than the larger mainstream segments in the aftermath, with registrations falling from 1215 in June to just 649 across July, as the 2022 financial year begins.

That’s a significant 46.6% drop in month-on-month registrations. For comparison’s sake, overall sports car registrations fell just 32% (1331 to 903) across the same EOFY period last year.

While most monthly sales figures this year have shown strong improvements compared to 2020’s efforts, exhibiting a returning buyer confidence and recovering market, the brakes seem to have been well and truly pumped in recent weeks. This is largely due to the fact much of Australia’s east coast has been plunged into lockdown as they struggle to stay on top of Covid-19.

The most affordable sub<$80K segment is generally the most durable, however, it shrunk by a whopping 58%, posting 664 registrations in June and just 279 over July. All frequent top scorers posted significant slumps.

Registrations for the ever-popular Mustang fell 67% from 437 in June to 142 last month. The segment’s second most popular entrant, the Mazda MX-5, fell by 43% from 111 to 63 registrations, but actually increased market share from 16% to 20% thanks to the Mustang’s sharp decline.

The mid-range $80K<$200K segment similarly posted a 38% shrinkage, falling from 440 new registrations in June to 274 over July. BMW’s popular 4 Series suffered the most, with new registrations falling almost 40%, a little worse for wear than its C-Class arch nemesis that fell 33.5%. The BMW maintains a volume advantage, having sold 35 more units than the Three-Pointed Star this year. - AA

TOO COOL PIPING HOT NISSAN 370Z Nissan’s long-serving 370Z was one of just two cars in the entire sports car market that actually posted improved month-on-month figures, rising from 11 new examples realised in June to 19 in July. A small but sweet surge as the 370Z nears the end of its life.

FORD MUSTANG Ford’s ubiquitous pony car is a frequent candidate for the Piping Hot spotlight, and you’d have never guessed it to win the monthly ‘Too Cool’ award.

Generally, the retro muscle car is a safe bet to shift more than 400 units per month, but last month plummeted to just 279. It’s a stark change of pace in just one month, but among market-wide struggles, the Mustang retained its 50% market share last month, and accounts for 54.4% of all sub>$80K sports car registrations this year.

i30 N Line Sedan

$47,500 (8dc)

i30 Fastback N Performance Mar 20 $42,910(6m) Sonata N Line Aug 21 $50,990 (8dc) Kona N

$47,500 (8dc)

COMMENT

RATING

FUEL CONS

0-400M

0-100 KM/H

KW/TONNE

KERB KG

DRIVE

KW/NM

–

I4/2.0T

206/392 front 1447 142

6.24 14.26 8.5

4.5 Finessed, flavoursome and qick. A sweet blend of virtues for the price – now with more power

I4/2.0T

206/392 front 1480 139

5.4

–

TBC For the first time the i30 N gains an automatic option (and it’a DCT), which should boost sales

I4/2.0T

206/392 front 1441 140

6.22 14.28 8.0

4.0 Broadens the i30 N tasting, which is great, but adds weight to a hot hatch that needs to lose some

I4/2.5T

213/422 front 1623 131

–

–

8.1

3.5 Eye-catching design with a powerful four-pot and eight-speed dual-clutch ’box – an interesting recipe

I4/2.0T

213/392

5.5

–

–

TBC An SUV with grunt and a track warranty. Okay Hyundai, consider us curious to see what it’s all about

front 1510 141

–

3.5 Essentially an Elantra with a new name, the booted i30 gains radical new styling with proven powertrain

150/265 front 1310 114

$30,690 (6m) $30,690 (7dc) I4/1.6T

(▲$3100) i30 N Performance Feb 19 $44,500 (6m) i30 N Performance

ENGINE

PRICE

TESTED

POWERED BY

7.5

8.5

Jaguar www.jaguar.com.au $72,391 (8a)

I4/2.0T

221/400 rear 1558 142

5.9

–

6.9

3.5 Pairs lovely ride and handling with smooth steering, just don’t look at the options list

XF P300 HSE AWD R-Dynamic

$102,500 (8a)

I4/2.0T

221/400 all

1744 127

6.1

–

7.1

3.5 Scores 221kW four-pot with lovely steering and ride quality, now adds all-wheel-drive traction

F-Type P300 R-Dynamic Coupe

$127,942 (8a)

I4/2.0T

221/400 rear 1525 145

5.7

–

7.2

3.5 New four-pot sheds weight and sounds a lot better than you’d expect, but the options list is a minefield

V6/3.0S

280/460 rear 1594 176

4.9

–

8.6

3.5 Extra grunt and LSD makes it a sharper package, but more noise than actual pace

XE P300 R-Dynamic HSE

F-Type P380 R-Dynamic Coupe May 21 $174,642 (8a) F-Type R Coupe

$264,842 (8a)

V8/5.0S

423/700 all

1730 234

3.7

–

11.3

4.0 Brutally quick and a great drive, with stunning looks and soundtrack to match. We miss the rear-driver

F-Type P300 R-Dynamic Conv.

$146,642 (8a)

I4/2.0T

221/400 rear 1545 143

5.7

–

7.2

3.5 Takes the fight to the new Boxster flat-four, but is four cylinders enough for this cool cat?

F-Type P380 R-Dynamic Conv.

$193,342 (8a)

V6/3.0S

280/460 rear 1597 157

5.3

–

8.4

3.5 Throaty V6 snarl perfect for four-pot snobs. Extra weight means it’s only marginally faster

F-Pace SE P400

$98,530 (8a)

I6/3.0TS

294/550 all

2008 146

5.4

–

–

TBC New mild-hybrid straight six promises silken engine response

F-Pace SVR Jan 20 $142,170 (8a)

V8/5.0S

404/680 all

2070 195

4.21 12.20 11.9

I-Pace HSE EV400 May 19 $151,432 (1a)

Dual EM

294/696 all

2133 138

4.8

–

–

4.0 Sexier than a Tesla Model X, with price and performance to match an Audi S4 Avant

3.0 SRT-lite Grand Cherokee thunders with Hemi V8, but might struggle to get all that weight moving

4.0 Superb V8 for not a lot more than XF Sportbrake, it’s no wonder people buy SUVs

Jeep www.jeep.com.au Grand Cherokee S-L

$72,950 (8a)

V8/5.7

259/520 all

2302 113

–

–

13.0

Grand Cherokee SRT

$95,950 (8a)

V8/6.4

344/624 all

2289 150

4.9

–

14.0 3.5 Stonking engine is finally mated to an eight-speed auto; not the bargain it once was, though

V8/6.2S

522/868 all

2399 218

3.70 11.80 16.8

4.0 Cheapest way to the 500kW club, though you’ll spend the rest on fuel bills

–

3.5 New turbo triple is a refreshing change from old 1.4-litre atmo, but still fails to inspire

Grand Cherokee Trackhawk Aug 18 $139,950 (8a)

Kia www.kia.com.au Rio GT-Line

$24,990 (7dc)

PIPELINE

88/172

front 1176 75

–

5.4

HOT STUFF COMING SOON

Note: all timings are a guide only given disruptions related to COVID-19.

H2 2021 Audi S3 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm A winged, 397kW super sedan Alpina XD3 AM Vantage Roadster Bentley Bentayga Speed BMW M3/M4 xDrive for all-paw traction BMW M5 CS M5 gains Club Sport treatment BMW X3/X4 M Competition

136

I3/1.0T

Chevrolet C8 Corvette American supercar set for Oz Hyundai i30 N facelift Confirmed with a DCT Land Rover Defender Supercharged V8... yes please!

Maserati Levante GTS Twin-turbo Ferrari-derived V8 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C63e to be a hybrid four McLaren Sport Series Mercedes-AMG GT Black Halo car gains flat-plane crank Mercedes-AMG Project One Mini JCW Nissan 400Z

s e p te m b e r 2 0 2 1 w h i c h c a r. c o m . a u /m o t o r

Turbo slice of old-school cool Nissan GT-R Nismo Porsche 911 GT3/Touring Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Is this the first hyper SUV? It’s already got the ’Ring record Porsche Taycan Cross Subaru BRZ No turbo, but 2.4-litre Boxer promises more power/torque Subaru WRX Much needed next generation Toyota GR 86 Bigger boxer, increased fight Volkswagen Golf R Hatch/wagon coming to Oz

Volvo S60 T8 Polestar-tuned Volvo V60 T8 Polestar-tuned

2022 Audi RS3 Audi RS e-tron Audi’s electric performance future – based on Taycan BMW M2 BMW M3 Touring Who can resist a fast wagon?

Cupra Leon Cupra Formentor Cupra Ateca Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Do you need any more 911?

Tesla Model S Plaid

Research your next new car at whichcar.com.au

COMMENT

RATING

FUEL CONS

0-400M

0-100 KM/H

KW/TONNE

KERB KG

DRIVE

KW/NM

ENGINE

PRICE

TESTED

HYUNDAI – MASERATI

$35,290 (7dc)

I4/1.6T

150/265 front 1370 110

–

–

6.8

3.5 Polished dynamics and turbo grunt, but ride is firm and engine sounds strained. First to gain new design

Stinger 200 S

$50,050 (8a)

I4/2.0T

182/353 rear 1693 108

6.0

–

8.8

3.0 Alluring entry price for Korean Falcon EcoBoost, but why wouldn’t you extend to the twin-turbo V6?

Stinger GT-Line

$57,730 (8a)

I4/2.0T

182/353 rear 1693 108

6.0

–

8.8

3.5 Four-pot pick thanks to adaptive suspension and premo cabin. Misses out on an LSD and Brembos

$53,830 (8a)

V6/3.3TT

274/510

rear 1780 154

5.07 13.26 10.2 3.5 Every V6 scores Brembos and LSD. The steering needs work and it isn’t all that polished

Stinger GT Feb 18 $63,760 (8a)

V6/3.3TT

274/510

rear 1780 154

4.82 13.01 10.4 4.0 Adaptive suspension adds much-needed support to the chassis. Update adds 2kW to overall output

Cerato GT Jul 19

Stinger 330 S Jul 18

KTM www.simplysportscars.com X-Bow R May 16 $169,990 (6m) X-Bow GT

$189,990 (6m)

I4/2.0T

220/420 rear 790

279

3.9

–

8.7

4.5 Literally face-peeling performance in a package that’s not exactly a pragmatic choice

I4/2.0T

220/420 rear 847

260

4.1

–

8.7

4.5 It adds a windscreen, but is still about as ‘GT’ as a turbocharged skateboard

12.7

4.0 Modern-day LM002 guaranteed to frighten the other parents on the school run

Lamborghini www.lamborghini.com Urus Apr 19

$390,000 (8a)

V8/4.0TT

478/850 all

V10/5.2

427/540 rear 1389 307

3.55 11.25 14.3

4.5 More involving and playful than the LP610-4, but it still feels like it needs to be let off the leash

$429,000 (7dc)

V10/5.2

427/540 rear 1509 283

3.6

–

14.5

4.5 The cheapest way to let that soaring V10 soundtrack into the cabin

Huracan LP610-4 Spyder Sep 16 $470,800 (7dc)

V10/5.2

449/560 all

1542 291

3.4

–

14.6

4.5 Ultimate extrovert’s car with a fab noise. Ultimately it isn’t the purist’s choice given its heft

Huracan Evo Jan 20 $459,000 (7dc)

V10/5.2

470/600 all

1422 331

2.9

–

13.9

4.5 More power, aero and handling ... has the ‘Baby Lambo’ just become the Raging Bull of choice?

Huracan STO

V10/5.2

470/565 all

1339 351

3.0

–

13.7

TBC More hardcore and track-focused than the Performante with extensive aerodynamic addenda

V12/6.5

544/690 all

1575 346

2.9

–

16.9

4.0 S brings worthwhile upgrades to agility, brakes and ride, but gearbox remains a bugbear

Huracan LP580-2 Jan 17 $378,900 (7dc) Huracan LP580-2 Spyder

$596,000 (7dc)

Aventador S May 17 $788,914 (7s)

2200 217

3.6

12.8

Aventador S Roadster

$825,530 (7s)

V12/6.5

544/690 all

1625 335

3.0

–

16.9

4.0 Will make you feel a million bucks, which is just as well as that’s basically what it costs

Aventador SVJ

$949,640 (7s)

V12/6.5

566/720 all

1525 371

2.8

–

–

4.5 Hard to tame, but epic potency and amazing soundtrack worth the challenge (and then some)

Lexus

www.lexus.com.au 3.5 Great value, enjoyable dynamics and a responsive V6 is tied to an intrusive ESP and old engine tech

V6/3.5

233/378 rear 1685 138

6.10 14.10 9.7

V6/3.5TT

310/600 rear 2240 138

5.0

–

9.5

3.5 New turbo-torque king also drinks much less than LC’s V8, but when will LC get it?

LS500h F Sport Aug 18 $195,325 (4a)

V6/3.5E

264/350 rear 2280 116

5.4

–

6.6

3.5 Prime efficiency, but a dreary power-to-weight ratio that barely matches a base RC

RC300 F Sport Feb 16 $75,613 (8a)

I4/2.0T

180/350 rear 1620 111

7.0

–

7.5

3.0 Turbo four-pot is frugal and more flexible than V6 despite lacking pace and the V6’s chassis upgrades

RC350 F Sport Jan 18 $78,613 (8a)

IS350 F Sport Feb 21 $74,877 (8a) LS500 F Sport Aug 18 $195,830 (10a)

V6/3.5

233/378 rear 1680 139

6.42 14.41 12.15 3.5 Good value and entertaining rear-drive coupe; added LSD adds much-needed traction and agility

RC F Aug 19 $136,513 (8a)

V8/5.0

351/530 rear 1780 197

4.5

RC F Track Edition Feb 20 $164,994 (8a)

V8/5.0

351/530 rear 1715 205

4.79 12.90 15.9 4.0 An unlikely prospect for a track-focused reinvention, but looks and sounds the business

LC500 May 21 $194,270 (10a)

V8/5.0

351/540 rear 1935 182

5.18 13.23 11.6

V6/3.5E

264/348 rear 1985 134

5.0

–

6.7

3.0 Near half the V8’s fuel usage, but feels slower than it is and it’s missing the NASCAR-like soundtrack

V8/5.0

351/540 rear 2035 172

–

–

12.7

4.0 Retains the coupe’s delicious looks and only improves on its cracking sound – but has gained some flab

LC500h Oct 17

$193,925 (4a)

LC500 Convertible Ann 20 $213,877 (10a)

–

11.2

3.5 Improved ride/handling and sounds great while not being all that fast; ancient-feeling interior 4.0 Concept-car looks, atmo V8 and lovely steering, but she’s a bit hefty. Still feels nimble and sounds great

Lotus www.lotuscars.com.au $97,990 (6m)

I4/1.8S

179/244

rear 922

194

4.5

–

7.8

4.0 Made even better by a supercharger. A car that’s hard to get out of – literally. Now with more power

Elise Cup 250 Final Edition

$109,990 (6m)

I4/1.8S

183/244 rear 931

197

4.3

–

7.8

3.5 More hardcore than a Cayman for similar coin. Final Edition to farewell iconic nameplate

Exige 390 Coupe Final Edition

$149,500 (6m)

V6/3.5S

296/420 rear 1138 260

3.7

–

10.2

4.0 Cheapest ticket to supercar power-to-weight ratios. Just don’t expect it to be a daily driver

Exige Sport 350 Roadster

$139,500 (6m)

V6/3.5S

258/400 rear 1125 229

3.9

–

10.0

4.0 Pop-top barely compromises the Exige’s ferocity, meaning it remains a hardcore proposition

Exige 420 Coupe Final Edition

$169,990 (6m)

V6/3.5S

313/427

rear 1110

282

3.4

–

10.2

4.0 Hardcore driving experience and supercar-fast, but tricky at the limit. Now in Final Edition-guise

Exige Cup 430 Final Edition

$209,990 (6m)

V6/3.5S

321/427

rear 1098 292

3.3

–

10.2

4.0 It’s a lot of money for a Lotus, but what a glorious alternative to a Porsche. Get it while it lasts

$179,990 (6m) $181,990 (6a) V6/3.5S

313/410

rear 1325 231

4.2

–

9.7

4.5 Brilliant driving experience, fine day-to-day manners and much cheaper than before

Elise Sport 240 Final Edition

Evora GT410 Sport Jul 19

Evora GT430 Sport Nov 18 $239,990 (6m)

V6/3.5S

320/440 rear 1289 248

3.8

–

10.1

3.5 Wedges powered-up Elise engine into larger, but stripped-out Lotus GT

Evora GT430 Aug 18 $259,990 (6m)

V6/3.5S

320/440 rear 1299 246

3.7

–

10.1

3.5 20-way adjustable suspension and carbonfibre buckets top off priciest Lotus

Maserati www.maserati.com.au Ghibli

$144,990 (8a)

V6/3.0TT

257/500 rear 1810 142

5.6

–

9.6

3.0 Great looks and alluring engine note but we still haven’t driven it locally

Ghibli S GranSport

$175,000 (8a)

V6/3.0TT

321/580 rear 1810 166

4.9

–

9.6

3.5 High-tune twin-turbo V6 gives the Ghibli real punch and sits in an unusual spot in the market

Ghibli Trofeo May 21 $265,000 (8a)

V8/3.8TT

433/730 rear 1969 220

4.3

–

12.3

3.5 Twin-turbo V8 grunt from Ferrari going to the rear wheels only... sounds like a lot of fun

Levante GTS

$268,990 (8a)

V8/3.8TT

405/730 all

2170 186

4.2

–

13.5

4.0 Ferrari-powered Levante is finally an appealing, if pricey, alternative to other small super-SUVs

Levante Trofeo

$330,000 (8a)

V8/3.8TT

433/730 all

2170 200

3.9

–

13.5

4.0 Feels proper fast, but maybe not fast enough for this sort of money

QuattroporteTrofeo

$376,900 (8a)

V8/3.8TT

433/730 rear 2000 217

4.5

–

12.2

TBC Turbo V8 has mega mumbo and a classy interior ... and so it should for the price!

GranTurismo MC Sportline

$345,000 (6s)

V8/4.7

338 /520 rear 1880 187

4.7

–

15.5

3.5 Drop-dead gorgeous coupe finally gets extra grunt. More of a grand tourer than proper sportscar

GranCabrio Sport

$335,000 (6a)

V8/4.7

338/520 rear 1980 171

5.0

–

14.5

3.5 Made for a coastal road, not a race track

GranCabrio Sport MC

$355,000 (6s)

V8/4.7

338/520 rear 1973 171

4.9

–

14.9

3.0 ‘MC’ shifts the trans rearward and cuts shift times. Will any Cabrio drivers feel the difference?

V6/3.0TT

463/730 rear 1470 315

2.9

–

11.6

4.5 A mid-mounted twin-turbo V6 in a carbon-fibre body. Welcome the Trident back to the supercar league

MC20 Jun 21 $438,000 (8dc)

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POWERED BY

COMMENT

RATING

FUEL CONS

0-400M

0-100 KM/H

KW/TONNE

KERB KG

DRIVE

KW/NM

ENGINE

PRICE

TESTED

MAZDA – MERCEDES-BENZ

Mazda www.mazda.com.au 3 G25 GT

$34,090 (6m) $35,090 (6a)

I4/2.5

139/252 front 1339 104

–

–

6.2

3.5 Next-generation Mazda3 is a crucial car for the Oz market – we’re keen to drive the sportiest version

MX-5

$35,890 (6m) $37,890 (6a)

I4/1.5

97/152

–

–

6.2

4.0 Superb dynamics matched with lightness and a keen engine – but larger folk will struggle

$43,820 (6m) $45,820 (6a)

I4/2.0

135/205 rear 1035 130

6.37 14.54 6.8

I4/2.0

135/205 rear 1033 131

6.8

I4/2.0

135/205 rear 1087 124

6.55 14.65 6.9

I4/2.0

135/205 rear 1085 124

6.9

4.0 Electrically folding hardtop adds convenience with the touch of a button, but also adds weight...

I4/2.0

135/205 rear 1112

–

6.9

4.0 GT hardtop stacks up as the most premium pick, hence it comes with a significant sticker price

MX-5 GT Jul 19

MX-5 GT RS Feb 21 $47,020 (6m) MX-5 RF Oct 18 $41,200 (6m) $43,200 (6a) MX-5 RF GT RS Feb 21 $51,100 (6m) MX-5 RF GT

$47,900 (6m) $49,900 (6a)

rear 1021 95

121

–

4.0 Powered- and revved-up 2.0-litre distances itself from 1.5-litre, but it now starts with pricey GT 4.0 Upgraded brakes shave 2kg; lighter 17-inch wheels, revised Bilstein dampers and strut brace also added 4.0 Hardtop adds class and coupe looks ... along with a bit more weight

McLaren www.cars.mclaren.com GT Nov 19 $399,995 (7dc) Artura

$449,500 (8dc)

720S Mar 18 $489,900 (7dc)

456/630 rear 1530 304

3.2

–

11.9

4.0 It’s more practical than a ‘regular’ McLaren but still no proper GT like the 911 Turbo

V6/3.0TTH 500/720 rear 1498 334

3.0

10.7

–

TBC Woking downsizes the displacement, but ups the ante in the fight against traditional rivals

V8/4.0TT

530/770 rear 1419 374

2.9

–

12.2

4.5 Otherworldly speed matched to outstanding dynamics. If only it sounded better

V8/4.0TT

720S Spider

$556,000 (7dc)

V8/4.0TT

530/770 rear 1468 361

2.9

–

12.2

4.5 Weight increase is marginal over the coupe, and the chassis remains just as rigid with the carbon tub

765LT

$609,650 (7dc)

V8/4.0TT

563/800 rear 1339 420

2.8

–

12.2

TBC The 720S gains track-focused Longtail treatment – is it almost a Senna now? We think so

Mercedes-Benz www.mercedes-benz.com.au A250 4Matic Feb 19 $58,500 (7dc)

165/350 all

1430 115

6.2

A35 AMG Feb 20 $71,576 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

225/400 all

1480 152

4.86 13.16 12.1

A45 S AMG Feb 21 $93,976 (8dc)

I4/2.0T

310/500 all

1550 200

3.9

–

8.4

4.5 Snagged a podium at PCOTY 2021 and is absolutely ballistic cross country. Just brilliant

A250 4Matic sedan Feb 19 $60,900 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

165/350 all

1450 111

6.3

–

6.7

3.5 All-wheel drive seems to add safety rather than performance

6.2

4.0 Accessible performance but hardly game-changing in face of the Civic Type R or Golf R. Still, underrated

A35 AMG Sedan

$72,576 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

225/400 all

1495 151

4.8

–

7.3

4.0 Same as above, only packaged in sleeker sedan body. We’d prefer the hatch for practicality

CLA250 4Matic

$71,600 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

165/350 all

1475 112

6.3

–

6.5

3.5 Classy looks, decent powertrain and lots of tech help justify pricey tag

CLA35 AMG

$85,900 (7dc)

I4/2.0T

225/400 all

1515 149

4.7

–

7.3

CLA45 S AMG Sep 20 $112,000 (8dc)

4.0 A35’s respectable performance wrapped in a more stylish, swoopy package 4.5 Getting a little exxy but you do get a lot of car for the money. And what a car. And engine!

I4/2.0T

310/500 all

1600 194

4.09 12.21 8.3

V6/3.0TT

287/520 all

1630 176

4.7

–

9.1

4.0 A quick, comfortable and entertaining drive that’s more subdued than most AMGs – now with more grunt

$116,176 (9a)

V6/3.0TT

287/520 all

1685 170

4.8

–

9.3

4.0 Engaging chassis wrapped in a wagon package. Looks quite subtle, but then that could be a plus

C63 S AMG May 19 $168,176 (9a)

V8/4.0TT

375/700 rear 1680 223

4.44 12.30 10.4 4.5 Amazing engine and brilliant chassis offset the terse ride and occasional gearbox stumble

C63 S AMG Estate Jan 16 $170,876 (9a)

V8/4.0TT

375/700 rear 1725 217

4.0

–

8.7

4.5 The ultimate do-everything car, though it’s quite small in the back

6.0

–

6.6

3.5 A quality product and a decent steer. Less convinced about that rear styling

4.7

–

9.2

4.0 The car you buy if the C63 feels a bit too full-on, and it would be the quicker car in the wet

4.8

–

9.5

3.5 Solid mix of class and performance; hefty price tag, though

C43 AMG Jun 17 $113,576 (9a) C43 AMG Estate

C300 Coupe

$93,276 (9a)

I4/2.0T

190/370

C43 AMG Coupe

$122,076 (9a)

V6/3.0TT

287/520 all

1675 171

C43 AMG Cabriolet

$142,176 (9a)

V6/3.0TT

287/520 all

1810 159

C63 S AMG Coupe Aug 19 $173,376 (9a)

V8/4.0TT

375/700 rear 1725 217

4.56 12.48 8.7

4.5 Thunderous power and engaging handling, but pricier than rivals and a heavy so-and-so

375/700 rear 1850 202

4.1

–

9.3

4.5 Front-row seats to hear AMG’s thumping 4.0-litre eight. Not the keenest handler of the C63 bunch

4.4

–

8.7

4.0 Plenty of pace and stunning interior, but it doesn’t feel very ‘AMG’

rear 1490 121

C63 S AMG Cabriolet

$193,876 (9a)

V8/4.0TT

E53 AMG

$162,176 (9a)

I6/3.0TT(E) 320/520 all

–

V8/4.0TT

450/850 all

1955 230

3.40 11.28 9.3

4.5 The prototypical super sedan lacks only a smidge of refinement

I6/3.0TT(E) 320/520 all

1895 169

4.53 12.68 8.7

4.0 New inline-six as smooth as the styling, plus it’s among the first AMGs to get an electric kick

I6/3.0TT(E) 320/520 all

1980 162

4.5

–

8.7

3.5 Introduction of ‘53’ cab and coupe make for the quickest two-door E-Class AMGs

I6/3.0TT

270/500 all

1940 165

4.8

–

7.8

3.5 Great car, gorgeous interior, swift acceleration, but handling tuned for mass market, not the enthusiast

I6/3.0TT(E) 336/520 all

1980 162

4.5

–

8.7

4.0 Beautiful interior and eye-catching looks backed by high-tech new inline-six

E63 S AMG Mar 21 $253,776 (9a) E53 AMG Coupe Dec 18 $164,676 (9a) E53 AMG Cabriolet

$173,276 (9a)

CLS450 Sep 18 $164,474 (9a) CLS53 AMG Apr 18 $188,977 (9a)

–

S450

$240,576 (9a)

I6/3.0TT(E) 270/500 all

2001 135

5.1

–

8.2

TBC Tech tour de force continues for new Mercedes flagship – overhauled cabin adds massive screen

S450 L

$264,776 (9a)

I6/3.0TT(E) 270/500 all

2074 130

5.1

–

8.4

TBC Incredible fuel economy and grunt from new mild hybrid inline-six

S580 L

$329,776 (9a)

V8/4.0TT

370/700 all

–

4.4

–

–

TBC Uses EQ Boost 48v mild-hybrid tech for an extra 15kW/200Nm of shove – top dog until AMG version

S560 Cabriolet

$349,111 (9a)

V8/4.0TT

345/700 rear 2075 159

4.6

–

9.9

4.5 Vitamin-D exposure in opulent style, though it’s very showy

S63 AMG Cabriolet

$414,611 (9a)

V8/4.0TT

450/900 rear 2110 209

–

–

10.2

4.0 Hell-raising acceleration and gorgeous looks, but don’t get too enthusiastic in the bends

GT53 AMG

$256,110 (9a)

I6/3.0TT(E) 320/770 all

1970 162

4.5

–

9.1

3.5 Cheapest ticket to AMG 4-door town, but you’ll forever be answering why you didn’t buy the V8

V8/4.0TT

470/900 all

2025 229

3.16 11.08 13.5 4.5 AMG has bolted wheels to a Tomahawk cruise missile; this car will still be spoken about in 50 years

V8/4.7TT

335/700 rear 1720 187

4.3

AMG GT C Feb 19 $341,076 (7dc)

V8/4.0TT

410/680 rear 1625 252

3.66 11.55 12.4 4.5 Monster performance for those who find the GT R a bit ostentatious

AMG GT R Jun 19 $373,276 (7dc)

V8/4.0TT

430/700 rear 1575 273

3.6

–

12.4

4.5 AMG GT in its ultimate form, yet ride also improved. This or a 911 GT3?

AMG GT R Pro Feb 21 $453,200 (7dc)

V8/4.0TT

430/700 rear 1575 273

3.6

–

12.4

5.0 Brilliant on a twisty road, epic on a race track. And that’s why it is our 2021 Performance Car of the Year

AMG GT C Roadster Jun 17 $376,276 (7dc)

V8/4.0TT

410/680 rear 1660 247

3.7

–

11.4

4.5 Steals choice bits from the GT R to create one hell of a drop-top experience

$83,576 (8dc)

I4/2.0T

225/400 all

1582 142

5.1

–

7.4

4.0 Slightly confused as to what it wants to be, but it is a quick small SUV with a premium badge

GLA45 AMG Feb 21 $107,976 (8dc)

I4/2.0T

310/500 all

1731 179

4.3

–

9.3

4.0 Higher A45 S will handle speed humps better, but its centre of gravity will cost it in corners

GLB35 AMG

$89,176 (8dc)

I4/2.0T

225/400 all

1857 121

5.2

–

8.3

TBC Baby AMG GLB mates ‘35’ spec donk with new eight-cog DCT but suffers from a weight problem

GLC43 AMG

$120,476 (9a)

V6/3.0TT

270/520 all

1855 146

4.9

–

8.8

3.5 We’d buy a C43, but most people will probably buy this. Strong engine

GT63 S AMG Feb 20 $363,576 (7a) SL500

GLA35 AMG

138

–

3.5 A smartphone on wheels, but kerb weight is up and power below average for this price

I4/2.0T

$292,135 (9a)

s e p te m b e r 2 0 2 1 w h i c h c a r. c o m . a u /m o t o r

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–

9.1

3.0 Fantastic engine and sleeker looks undermined by previous-gen interior and body wobbles

WITH A FINANCIAL FOCUS ON COLLECTOR CULTURE, THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES ‘WHEN WILL THE BUBBLE POP’?

Alex Affat IT’S AN EASY TRAP to fall into when looking at the values thrown around in today’s secondary and collectible car market: to get stuck in the knowledge of what these cars once commanded.

And I’m not above it. I too lament the loss of the once flourishing and affordable enthusiast car market, and struggle to make sense of many asking prices being thrown around. And it’s weird stuff, too, that people have traditionally never paid much attention to that’s going gangbusters. Things like Mitsubishi FTOs, Toyota MR2s and R33 Nissan Skylines – traditional black sheep – are now commanding unprecedented sums of money, often exceeding the values of big hero cars from just a few years ago.

But when I see a tired old GTS-T listed for what was genuine GT-R money, I find I’m increasingly having to quell the urge to rattle off old values. I’m aware that I may be beginning to sound a lot like the old codger on Facebook – yelling at the abyss about how a GT-HO Falcon once cost just $6000.

The harsh truth is a GT-HO Falcon will never be close to a fivedigit car again, and I’ve long made peace with the fact that I’ll never see a $35k R34 GT-R again. And with such a heavy financial focus on today’s collector culture, the question then becomes ‘when will the bubble pop’?

We’ve seen bubbles in the collector car market burst before. The turn of the 1990s comes to mind. The world was less globalised back then and the US represented one of the major epicentres for the high-end performance market. The run up was hard and the crash spectacular, with huge amounts of credit being leveraged.

Within months, the values of genuine blue-chips like the Ferrari F40 and Carrera RS had halved.

It wasn’t just the top-end that got hit. Even amongst local collectors, US imports were at one point booming with all manner of Mustangs, Chargers and Camaros being brought in by the boatload – until, seemingly one day, they weren’t.

GT-HO Falcons enjoyed their first major blip in values during the late 1980s, with pristine cars fetching up to $100,000, when

they looked safer than the bank and the V8 Falcon had gone on hiatus. Similarly, HO values soon halved from the days of their 1989 peak and remained there until the mid-’00s.

There are a lot of similarities between the 1990s collector car bubble and the state of the market we’re seeing today. There are many new players on both sides of the fence. Specialist media coverage and a hot sector means that in some cases, the same vehicles often appear on the market repeatedly.

There are also key differences some 30 years later. There’s still a huge level of speculation at play, perhaps more so than ever.

However, the high-end collector segment has morphed into a truly legitimate asset class – more than it ever has been – and is fuelling derivation everywhere.

There will be some market correction, there always is, once macroeconomics shift and the world opens up, or perhaps another revenue bubble opportunity will come along. Today’s collectible mania simply isn’t sustainable. Yet, three decades on, there is one big difference. And it’s tied to the new car industry. We sit at the precipice of arguably the greatest paradigm shift since the advent of the internal-combustion engine. Classic/vintage, or even cars from just a few generations ago, offer a vanishing experience that we simply won’t be able to buy in the near future.

It’s the same appeal and emotion that the gorgeous restomods featured in this issue trade on, although they’re executed to a hyperbolic degree. Look at Mercedes-AMG’s C63e as a case study.

The next-generation of go-fast cars will boast unprecedented performance metrics, but some will undoubtedly feel they’re losing something in return.

Therefore, questioning whether something like an R34 Nissan GT-R is truly justified in commanding $200,000 is a fallacy. A younger me would’ve rebelled and said no. However, value is relative. And as the stunning restomods in this magazine show, if it’s done correctly, the internal combustion, analogue experience remains a powerful draw virtually regardless of price.

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