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2018 BMW M240i COUPE REVIEW

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The BMW 2 Series range is closely related to the 1 Series, but comprises the sportier models, the coupe and convertible. There’s also a station wagon, the Active Tourer, though in the complex world of BMW this wagon is more 1 Series than 2. Anyhow, our test vehicle this week was the pick of the bunch, the hotrod BMW M240i coupe. We have always loved the BMW straight-six engines and this latest 3.0-litre turbo-petrol produces 250 kW of power and a great 500 Nm. At $76,510 it’s reasonably well priced… Read more

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JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 2011 – 2016

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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

Jeep began the whole SUV thing almost accidentally with the introduction of the CJ (Civilian Jeep) not long after the Second World War ended. Spotting holes in the market Jeep introduced station wagons and later – 1996 to be precise – came the first Jeep Grand Cherokee, a large 4WD aimed more at buyers of luxury station wagons rather than keen off-road drivers. These first units are getting on in years, so we will start this used car checkout with the WK Series Grand Cherokee launched in Australia in February… Read more

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TOUGHER THAN EVER – NEW MERCEDES G-CLASS

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The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is the real deal. Forget SUVs, SAVs, SATs, crossovers, soft roaders and a variety of other vehicles people buy because they want to be seen at the wheel of a Tough, or should that be Tuff? vehicle. The Merc G-Class is in a lightly populated class of large, serious, ladder-frame working vehicles. The current model dates back to the late 1970s, with several updates in the meantime so a new model is long overdue – and is on its way. Mercedes is gradually passing information to the… Read more

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STINGER SET TO BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR KIA

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  The end of local production of Commodores and Falcons has created a battle in the large family car market. The new German Commodore isn’t due till February, new Kia Stinger and Toyota Camry arrived earlier this year and both are pushing hard in the sales race while the Commodore slot is vacant. Kia Stinger is making a big deal on being rear-wheel drive, unlike Commodore which is either front- or all-wheel-drive, Camry is front drive only. Stinger is offered in four specification levels: S and Si with either four… Read more

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JEEP TRACKHAWK: THE WORLD’S CRAZIEST MUSCLE CAR

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Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has reached us Downunder with a bang. Want to buy one? Too bad, because the first batch has already been snapped up. Only 62 Trackhawks were in the first ship to dock here. The guys and gals at Jeep have a quirky sense of humour – and have gone for 62 because that’s the capacity of the Chrysler Hemi V8 engine – 6.2 litres. If that’s not large enough a supercharger has been added to pump its apparent capacity to somewhere about 10 to 11 litres,… Read more

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SUBARU SUPERSTAR STILL HAS ALL THE MOVES

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‘Move over, coming through’, might well be the thoughts running through the mind of a driver catching a WRX STI looming ever larger in the rear-view mirror. Yes, since the first generation set the standard in the late 1990s, the Subaru super sports sedan still has all the moves. Now, the WRX and WRX STI, the latter suffix alluding to Subaru Tecnica International, the company’s performance arm, have undergone a non-too major refit for model year 2018 with both mechanical and cosmetic upgrades. The all-wheel drive turbocharged twins share external… Read more

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2018 HONDA ODYSSEY UPDATES

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Honda Odyssey people mover has had an external facelift, an upgraded interior and improved driver assist technology for the 2018 season. The Odyssey VTi now has an ‘aero’ front fascia design previously used on the top-of-the-range VTi-L. Bright chrome surrounds for the new front foglights add to the image. Topline Odyssey VTi-L has received a ‘premium aero package’ bolder bumper shaping, LED foglights and a dark chrome finish on the grilles and door handles. It also has a revised rear fascia and a stylish tailgate applique. Inside the VTi-L, the… Read more

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MAZDA3 2009 – 2016

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2011 Mazda3 SP25

Mazda3 first went on sale in Australia in April 2004, replacing the Mazda 323. A second generation was launched here in April 2009. We will begin our used car feature with that model as it’s significantly larger and more sophisticated than its honourable ancestors. Sales were strong from the start and the gen-two was frequently at or close to the top in the overall sales race as buyers moved away from larger cars. This means that there are plenty on offer in the used car scene. Take your time, do… Read more

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BMW FOUR-CYLINDER BUILDING TRANSFORMED TO ‘BATTERY PACK’

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If you have ever been to Munich it’s likely you will have noticed the famed ‘Four-Cylinder Building’. This striking structure is the head office of the BMW Group. To celebrate the delivery of more than 100,000 electrified vehicles (pure-electric and hybrid) worldwide in 2017, BMW has transformed the Four-Cylinder Building to make it look like a gigantic battery. An 80-year-old man took delivery of his BMW i3, making him the 100,000th customer. Harald Kruger, the chairman of BMW, handed him the keys to the in Protonic Blue i3, and said,… Read more

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RILEY BROOKLANDS

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1928 Riley Brooklands

The Riley Brooklands was first introduced in mid-1927 and was produced from 1927 to 1932. It was powered by a front mounted four-cylinder 1087 cc overhead-valve engine which had part spherical combustion chambers driving the rear wheels. This engine was originally introduced in the Riley Nine family car in 1926 and its early performance indicated that it would make a good power source for a sports car. After some modifications, including the fitting of two horizontal SU carburettors, power output was raised to 37 kW at 5000 rpm, very high… Read more