northeast
property guide on front page
N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A
OCTOBER 5 - 11 | 2018
> available online - www.nemedia.com.au
2019
FOREVER YOUNG: The shape of the Mini is arguably one of the most recognisable of all cars.
Mini Cooper S
By EWAN KENNEDY of the customisers. Cleverly, styling changes on the latest Mini that we have just road tested are minimal. Instead of making exterior changes, technology and infotainment have received major upgrades based on those introduced in recent years on BMW’s own models. Though to assist those who are right into customisation, a new palette of colours and trims have been introduced. STYLING There’s a fascinating 3D design of the Mini logo, used not only on the exterior of the car, but also on the steering wheel,
the dashboard, key fob and the projection lighting. New design LED lights are standard on the Cooper S - the model we tested - and on John Cooper Works. The LEDs are integrated into the main headlight fitting and increase both low- and high-beam range. An optional adaptive LED system using a matrix high beam function that adapts to the road ahead was on our test car and certainly made night driving safer and simpler. Highly distinctive Union Jack styled taillights on the Cooper S we drove became talking points with the occupants of following vehicles. There are also Union
Jack motifs on the dashboard. INFOTAINMENT The updated Mini sees the introduction of Mini Connected that uses a touchscreen interface and the 4G network. Though the touchscreen sits in a huge round area in the centre of the dash the screen itself is tiny at just 6.5 inches. Included are Real-Time Traffic Information as well as Remote Services, Connected Services, Tele Services and a Concierge function. Mini Connected Services provides weather information, key points of interest, news items, petrol station locations and send-to-car functionality.
Continued page 2 21d13123-v14/3918
IT’S hard to believe the Mini is now in its 60th year, these days its shape is arguably one of the most recognisable of all. It began life as a tiny no-nonsense very-practical car that could carry four people with less squeezing than you might expect, but became a legend in its own lifetime. Or rather two lifetimes, because the BMW Mini, launched in 2001 after the British maker got into so much financial strife that the German company moved in to sort out the mess. Thankfully, the guys and gals at BMW understood what Mini had become over the years – though it had remained a sensible car – it had also become the king
GO ANYWHERE, ANYTIME WITH THE SECURITY OF A 5 YEAR UNLIMITED KM WARRANTY NEW-LOOK 4 x 4 Dual-Cab utility XTR 3 Years/45,000KM FREE SCHEDULED SERVICING* PLUS $750 GO Bonus FROM ONLY PLUS:
$46,990
DRIVE AWAY
COME IN FOR A TEST DRIVE TODAY ! Serving the community as your local Mazda dealer for over 50 years!
10 Templeton Street, Wangaratta
Kylie Manfield 0428 215 677 Mark Prentice 0437 276 412 Noel Gilbert 0438 597 200 Michael Henderson 0418 512 531
(03) 5721 5677 www.onemilemotors.com.au
LMCT1060
2
October 5 - 11 | 2018
AUDI Sport Day TEST YOURSELF: Audi driving days are an excellent way of improving your driving, just make sure you come with an open mind.
IN the world of ultra long distance motor racing Denmark’s Tom Kristensen is a legend. Driving in the famed LeMans 24hour – think four-and-a-half Bathurst 1000s back to back – Kristensen has finished 15 times, and been on the podium 15 times. For nine of these races he and his teammates were on the top spot of the podium. In an eerie similarity to Kristensen’s nine LeMans wins, Australian racing legend Peter Brock took out nine Bathurst victories. Despite several further attempts neither of these brilliant drivers managed to get into double figures. Seven of Tom Kristensen’s victories were in Audis so the German car maker invited the now retired driver to Australia to take part in the latest version of the Audi Sport Driving Experiences program. It was held at the brand-new The Bend Motorsport Park near Tailem Bend about 100km south-east of Adelaide. This is the first new dedicated circuit in Australia for almost 20 years and is an impressive undertaking with a main circuit that’s second only to the Nurburgring in length. In a previous life this area housed Mitsubishi’s proving ground before the company stopped making cars in Australia. The Audi Sport Driving Experience is a serious sweating-in-the-driving seat event that is run worldwide. Always held away from public roads and generally at racetracks, often using a skidpan to learn
From page 1 The Mini Connected App provides sendto-car that uses your calendar and contact data. This can be used for navigation with the car suggesting departure times based on current traffic information. The TeleServices system communicates with your Mini dealership to share service requirements. It sends a message to let you know when a servicing is required. POWERTRAINS While the MY19 Mini’s engines don’t produce any more power or torque than in the superseded car, careful internal revisions have taken out a little weight to improve their ability to quickly pick up revs. The Cooper S has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit that produces 141 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque. Transmission options are either a sixspeed manual gearbox or a sports-tuned seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters for additional control. The
at ‘The Bend’
By EWAN KENNEDY how to get a car out of shape and regain control again. There’s also as strong serving of on-track driving. This Experience is just one of many Audi high-performance events that cover everything from improving yourself as a daily driver, to full-on amateur racing in Audi R8 racing machines, with various intermediate steps. See audidrivingexperience.com.au/ for details. A number of Australian motoring journalists were invited to the latest of many Audi driving events that have been run in this country over the years. The Sport Experience includes emergency manoeuvres, theory and practice of safe high-speed handling and demonstrations of the abilities of Audi’s quattro four-wheeldrive system. Interestingly, though Audi makes a big thing about its quattro all-wheel-drive system, we were also able to drive the new Audi R8 rear-wheel-drive model to check the difference between them and the quattro when driven to extremes on drifting exercises. While the differences are noticeable you really only feel them if the sports machines are going hard. We then did some laps of The Bend, which is surely one of the most complex layouts anywhere on the planet. The laps were initially done one-on-one behind a lead car
2019
to learn the best braking, turn-in, apex and acceleration points, then we were allowed to do some on our own. However, there was no lap timing and no racing. That doesn’t come until you’re several further steps up the Audi driver training ladder. To finish the day, there was some intense competition between journos in a timed motorkhana. Intense not only because we are competitive by nature, but also because the top three scored a high-speed ride on the track with Tom Kristensen at the wheel. I missed out… The day was exceptionally well organised by Audi, using almost-a-legend Steve Pizzati who we have worked with several times before. Keep an eye out for his name if you’re planning any track days or similar.
Mini Cooper S
JCW’s dual-clutch includes launch control to minimise standing-start times. Interestingly the JCW has an eightspeed sports conventional automatic rather than a DCT. DRIVING The words ‘go-cart handling’ have been used in every conversation about Minis I’ve ever had since first owning one in the mid 1970s, and I used it again last week while describing the updated for 2019 model to a car-mad neighbour. Steering and handling let you use a combination of the throttle and steering wheel that’s all-but intuitive. You really do see a bend and the car and you work together to get quickly and safely around it. If you don’t get a smile on your face during a Sunday morning drive on your favourite challenging road it might be time to have a think about yourself.
The brakes hauled off speed with ease and never showed the slightest sign of fade. Engine lag is minimal and once it’s passed there’s strong torque that makes light work of hills. If you engage the Sport mode for added fun not only do you get better performance, but also a much improved exhaust note. The automatic transmission is virtually always in the correct gear, though habit had us probably using the paddle shifters more than they were required. Having said that, there’s no way I would buy a Mini of any sort with an automatic… Ride comfort is generally good, but some hard bumps and dips did find their way into the interior. Fuel consumption isn’t something that’s generally spoken about when testing a performance car, but efficient engines
After the journos had various lessons and competitions we not only felt that our driving was just that little bit better but reminded us, not for the first time, that we were a long way down on the skills of the professionals. After the opening event we attended, Audi and Mr Kristensen stayed on for the best part of a week to cater with different levels of driving lessons for keen Audi owners. We can highly recommend any of the Audi driving experiences if you’re the owner of one of these technically advanced German machines.
are often surprisingly economical. Which was the case in the Mini Cooper S around town and when fanging in the country it sat in the nine to twelve litres per hundred kilometres range. On motorways this dropped to below the sevens. SUMMING UP BMW Mini is a delight to drive and to look at. Indeed many spend more time improving the looks to their taste than actually concentrating on the driving. A car for all ages and uses. Love it.
3
October 5 - 11 | 2018
All new
Lexus ES Hybrid
HYBRID OR BUST: Shape of the all-new Lexus ES sedan is almost coupe like. IN an interesting move Lexus will import only hybrid versions of its Lexus ES 300. Now in its seventh-generation the Lexus ES is being offered in Luxury and Sports Luxury grades. Compared with the outgoing gen-six Lexus ES power has been increased by almost six per cent, to 160kW while fuel consumption has been reduced by 16.4 per cent, to 4.6 litres/100km as measured on the Australian combined cycle. A new-generation 2.5-litre petrol engine is among the most thermally efficient engines in a production vehicle. It is linked to an electric hybrid system with components that are smaller, lighter and more efficient than in the outgoing model. In an apparently odd move the Japanese company that has made its name by providing near-silent running now offers
By EWAN KENNEDY drivers the chance to turn on an ‘active sound control’. This generates an audio feedback that gives the aural effect of up and downshifts like those experienced with a geared automatic transmission. We will comment on this when we borrow a road test car from Lexus. Alloy wheels are standard; 17-inch for the ES Luxury and 18-inch under the Sports Luxury. To counteract noise that can be generated by low-profile tyres the 18-inch wheels have a hollow rim structure to help reduce the noise. Infotainment is controlled through a 12.3inch multimedia screen, there’s a wireless phone charger. Satellite navigation, Lexus Enform and DAB+ digital radio are standard. ES Luxury features a 10-speaker Pioneer audio system. For Sports Luxury,
the Lexus ES debuts a 17-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound system. The Lexus Remote Touch Interface pad has been redesigned and gains vibration feedback. Heated front seats in ES Luxury offer 10way power adjustment. In Sports Luxury, they are also ventilated. There’s 14-way adjustment for the driver’s seat and 12way for the passenger seat. Rear headroom has been improved while luggage space benefits from the hybrid battery being relocated under the rear seat. The LCD instrument panel incorporates a 7.0-inch multi-information display. Other ES Luxury equipment includes dual-zone air-conditioning, automatic, a moonroof, electronic park brake, premium trim and a power-adjustable steering column.
Sports Luxury expands the airconditioning to three zones with a humidity sensor. It is also equipped with a hands-free boot opener, semi-aniline leather-accented seats, heated steering wheel and adjustable, heated rear seats that recline. New ES 300h is equipped with the latest active safety and driver assistance technologies from the Lexus Safety System+. New features include daytime cyclist detection as part of the comprehensive pre-collision system. Already capable of detecting oncoming vehicles and pedestrians, the system has also been enhanced to detect pedestrians at night. All-in-all the stylish new Lexus ES sounds like a most impressive vehicle and sells for a moderate price for this prestige class.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Sport Edition
EYE-CATCHING: Black highlights combine with red pinstripes to give the special Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross a sporty appearance.
By EWAN KENNEDY MITSUBISHI is pushing hard in the sales race in Australia and has released several specials to tempt even more buyers to the showrooms. The most recent of these offerings is the Eclipse Cross Sport Edition. Eclipse Cross Sport Edition is based on its entry-level ES. It has exterior styling enhancements aimed at giving it a sportier look; black grille, black door mirror covers, as well as side and corner skirts with red pinstripes. It is available with all colours in the standard Eclipse Cross range and has the same interior trim as the ES trim. As with the existing Eclipse Cross range, the ES is powered by a 1.5-litre direct injection turbocharged petrol engine developing 110kW of power and
250Nm of torque matched to an advanced new CVT automatic transmission with Sport mode and manual shift paddles. Only 1000 Eclipse Cross ES Sport Editions have been released and are now available at Mitsubishi dealers Australia wide, they have a recommended retail prices beginning at $30,990. Any sales push from a car maker such as this one indicates it might be the right time to head for a showroom and push for a special deal, either on this Sport Edition or something else in the range.
4
October 5 - 11 | 2018
Mustang Bullitt to debut at Motorclassica By EWAN KENNEDY THE Ford Mustang Bullitt will make its Australian debut at the 2018 Motorclassica in Melbourne. The firstever Mustang Bullitt to be sold by Ford in Australia pays homage to the 1968 Mustang GT Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the original motion picture and will be unveiled to motoring media and enthusiasts in time for the film’s 50th anniversary. Mustang Bullitt is the most powerful Mustang ever offered in Australia, with a 460 horsepower (345kW) 5.0-litre V8. All have a six-speed manual transmission, with rev-matching to assist those who aren’t confident of driving manuals. All will be fastback coupes, which makes sense as no Mustang convertibles bounced down the famed hills of San Francisco in the movie. Just 700 are being offered in Australia - but the rumour mill tells us all have already been taken. True to the 1968 original from the film, each Mustang Bullitt is finished exclusively in Dark Highland Green, with
I AM GRUNT: Mustang Bullitt is the most powerful Mustang ever offered in Australia.
a body devoid of badges. It featuresTorqThrust style black 19-inch alloy wheels, red Brembo brake calipers, chrome window trim, a cue-ball style gear-knob and Bullitt badging. Deliveries of the Ford Mustang Bullitt will begin in Australia in October, 2018, with a Manufacturers List Price of $73,688 including Luxury Car Tax (LCT). “We’re so pleased that enthusiasts will be able to see Mustang Bullitt in the metal for the very first time at Motorclassica,� said Kay Hart, president and CEO, Ford Australia. “The event is a must-see, and we’re delighted to be part of what’s a cornerstone event on the automotive calendar, and a great way to introduce Mustang Bullitt to Australia.� Motorclassica 2018 will take place over four days, from October 12-14, at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Melbourne, with 550 vehicles across 30,000 square-metres of exhibition space. Tickets to Motorclassica are available for purchase at the event, or online at motorclassica.com.au.
MUSTANG IN SUPERCARS RACING
Ford Mustangs will compete in the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. Ford Performance, DJR Team Penske and Tickford Racing Australia are working on the homologation of the Mustang for the 2019 season. It is expected to make its on-track debut at the season-opening Adelaide 500.
CLASSIFIEDS CARAVANS & CAMPERS
CARAVANS & CAMPERS
AS new, hard floor camper trailer, purchased for trip to the centre, 2003 Avan A frame selling with fridge, gas caravan, good condition, bottle etc, (Y87568), registered, gas stove, $7500. Ph 0423 957 779. ZD\ IULGJH DOO ÂżWWLQJV MOTOR VEHICLES for caravan park, sleep 2 to 3 people, full annexe, good storage, spent $1000 on repairs so no water leaks, viewing welcome, $7000. Ph 5729 8369. 2008 Mercedes Benz sedan E280 Sports edition, touchshift, Flint grey, V6 3ltr petrol, 7sp sports automatic, 80,000km, (ZPT448), immaculate condition, serviced and maintained Mercedes Benz, always garaged, $22,500. Ph 0427 212 619.
COMPASS caravan, 2000 model, double bed, microwave, 3 way fridge, new tyres, bearings, electric brakes, 2008 Volkswagen Golf, in excellent condition, 2 . 0 T D I , s i l ve r, 2 L $12,000. Ph 0412 331 turbo diesel manual, 383 (WUO470), very good condition, serviced reg., CLASSIFIEDS 176,835km, $7500. Ph 5723 0101 0400 142 346.
SOLD MOTOR VEHICLES
2013 Holden Cruze, 2L turbo diesel, 1000km/ tank, 5 star safety rating, ESC and traction control, auto, 120,000km, RWC, (1MG4SF), $8000. Ph 0400 775 963.
Selling your car has never been easier or cheaper! MOTOR VEHICLES
NISSAN Pulsar Plus, 1999, manual, 250,000 kms, new tyres, unregistered (QIF328), $2000. Great little learner’s car. Ph 0411 635 818.
18ft Majestic Knight caravan complete with roll out awning, shower, toilet, reverse cycle A/C, 3 way fridge, radio, DVD, CD, new tyres. Excellent condition, $30,000. TOYOTA L'Cruiser 100 Series turbo diesel, excellent condition, reg (SQM871) til Jan '19, $30,000. If sold as a package $54,000 total 2010 Mazda BT50, 2.5L for both. Ph 0427 500 turbo Boss, (1DO4MM), 083. 1 2 3 , 8 7 0 k m , RW C provided, rear tyres 1 9 9 6 s i l ve r Vo l vo , new, tinted windows, automatic, 225,000km, excellent condition, (NYE865), no RW, $12,200. Phone Hugh $1200. Ph 0455 195 0409 134 065. 594.
MAZDA 3, 2008, manual, A/C, power steering, 4 new tyres, 11 m o n t h s r e g o , 131,000km, regularly serviced, excellent condition, (XFF239), $6500 ono. Ph 0407 385 421.
MOTOR VEHICLES
STORAGE
2007 Nissan X-Trail STS, auto, air cond, cruise control, power steer, power windows, tow bar, sun roof, May ‘19 reg, (UOF096), current RWC, nice clean car, $8000 ono. Ph 0418 579 368.
V I C T O R I A N CARAVAN STORAGE. S e c u r e u n d e r c ove r storage for caravans, boats, cars and more. From $15.50. Oxley. Ph 0428 847 657. www.victoriancaravan storage.com.au
We’ll make your bike go faster Eight ads over Two weeks with photo only
29
$
*
SUZUKI GSXF750, 2004, 11 LD SO ,000k (HY571) un ms, Reg til 22/12/15 Exc. cond. $6 . 500 ono. Ph Shane 0428 . 257 809.
Over two weeks your advertisement will appear in two editions of the weekly Motor Guide and six editions of the Wangaratta Chronicle. Together these papers are read by over 80,000 people. *Cond apply. Private advertisers only, min 20 words, extra words 50¢ each. No refunds given if item is sold before advert expires. 2 weeks = 6 Wangaratta Chronicle & 2 North East Motor Guide, covering all NE Victoria.
5723 0101
MOTORING TRADES & SERVICES
7ANGARATTA Auto Cooling System Specialists
5721 3486
135 Vincent Road, Wangaratta AU01845
K/21D11897-V55/1018
WANG’S ONLY 5 STAR CARWASH
the best
CARWASH 22 - 24 Handley Street, Wangaratta
k/06d11887-v5/3518
ADVERTISE HERE...
CALL US TODAY
5723 0100