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ABARTH 695 RIVALE SPECIAL EDITION

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Abarth Australia has announced it will import just 35 units of its 695 Rivale Special Edition models to this country. These are in celebration of the heritage of the Riva Yachts, prestige boats famed for their opulence, performance and sophistication. Available in both hatch and cabriolet versions, the Rivale Edition features a two-tone exterior finish of Riva Blue & Tributo Ferrari Grey, reminiscent of Lake Iseo, where the Riva brand began. The Rivale Special Edition is based on the current Abarth 595 Competizione. Visually it stands out by having satin… Read more

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MERCURY COUGAR

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1969 Mercury Cougar

The Mercury Cougar was produced in the United States from 1967 to 1972 by the premium market division of Ford, Lincoln Mercury. In keeping with its policy of marketing more expensive versions of Ford’s best sellers the Mercury Cougar was positioned as a Ford Mustang variant in the Lincoln Mercury range. In spite of this it was never allowed to impact on the Luxurious T-Bird which Ford had released earlier. Under its skin it was almost identical to the Mustang except for its slightly longer – 282cm – wheelbase but… Read more

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IS MY AIRBAG SAFE?

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The Queensland Government is showing strong and courageous leadership in issuing defect notices to owners of over 2000 vehicles fitted with dangerous ‘alpha’ type Takata a move that the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) welcomes and one that could lead to the cancellation of registration if ‘alpha’ Takata airbags are not replaced within 21 days. FCA Chief Executive Tony Weber noted that the decision is an effective response in the interests of the safety of motorists and passengers across Queensland. “We applaud the Palaszczuk Government for acting so decisively… Read more

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BMW 8 SERIES CONVERTIBLE: FIRST DETAILS

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The BMW 8 Series Convertible won’t be in Australia till the middle of 2019 but already it appeals to us because it has a classic soft-top roof. Folding hardtops makes sense but the trouble is that with the roof closed – which let’s face it is most of the time – they look like a hardtop coupe not a convertible. Styling is stunning, with large wide-spread kidney grilles interlocking, though not touching, the headlights and a rear end with wide very-Bimmer lights and large exhaust outlets. Top down or top… Read more

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JUST ENOUGH CHANGE TO KEEP CX-5 FANS INTERESTED

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Mazda, who presented us in 2012 with a CX-5 package that was to become Australia’s most popular sports utility vehicle, has no intention of letting the top spot go, recently upgrading the mid-size wagon. The 2.2-litre diesel engine has been given a power and torque boost while the 2.5-litre petrol unit has adopted cylinder deactivation to reduce fuel consumption at steady speeds. Other updates to the petrol engine range have accounted for a 1 Nm increase in torque for the 2.5-litre variant, and a 1 kW increase in power for… Read more

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HOLDEN CASCADA 2015 – 2017

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Holden Cascada is the soft-top convertible version of the Holden Astra, both coming from Holden’s German affiliate, Opel. It was launched here in April 2015, but didn’t prove to be as popular as it deserved and was quietly slipped off the new-car price list midway through 2017. At almost 4.7 metres long the Cascada is significantly bigger than its European convertible competitors so can provide reasonable comfort for four full-sized travellers. As is common in this class, taller occupants in the back may have to do a deal with those… Read more

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NEW URBAN CROSSOVER FROM LEXUS

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The upmarket Japanese marque’s latest model, the UX (‘U’ for Urban and ‘X’ for Crossover) will be sold in Australia from late November. However, the model range won’t be complete until the last week of January 2019. Lexus UX joins Lexus LX, GX, RX and NX, but its name suggests it’s more suburban cruiser than bush-basher. Fair enough, that’s what many are looking for these days. Styling is interesting in the increasingly popular high-riding coupe manner. But the shape isn’t only there to look good, the wheelarch mouldings use the… Read more

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PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN GTS IS A VISUAL TREAT

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The Porsche 718 Cayman coupe, as well as its open-top brother, the 718 Boxster are now offered in high-performance GTS variants. Our test car for the past week was the Cayman. Living on the Gold Coast mean that we would have preferred the Boxster convertible, but who are we to argue? To balance out the lack of a folding roof our test Porsche was finished in a brilliant daffodil yellow that almost demanded you wear sunglasses to avoid eye damage – loved it! The new line of GTS 718 models… Read more

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CHEQUERED FLAG LIMITED EDITION OF JAGUAR F-TYPE

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The famed Jaguar XK 120 sportscar was introduced in 1948 and to celebrate the passing of those 70 years since two Jaguar F-Type Chequered Flag Limited Edition models have been launched. They are based on both the F-Type R-Dynamic Coupe and Convertible. Ian Callum, Director of Design at Jaguar, said: “In creating the Chequered Flag we’ve focused on details which enhance F-Type’s presence and promise of performance – and in doing so, made a fitting celebration of 70 years of beautiful, fast, Jaguar sports cars.” Highlights include a Black Contrast… Read more

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KIA RIO GETS SERIOUS UPGRADES

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Kia Rio competes in one of the most hard-fought sales segments in Australia so it made sense to give a full-on revamp with major mechanical changes to give it more weapons to fight with. The entry level Rio S is unchanged, with a 1.4-litre petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Much bigger news is that the Rio Si and SLi models have been replaced by a new Kia Rio Sport. It has 17-inch alloy wheels and, importantly, a six-speed automatic that replaces the four-speed. It… Read more