PORSCHE 911 CARRERA T

  The 911 Carrera T is based on the standard 911 Carrera, but with major changes. While the T stands for Touring in Porsche speak this is not a GT (grand touring) vehicle in the conventional manner rather the T is aimed at harder performance through lower weight. The legendary Colin Chapman famously said when he designed his racing and sportscars, “First add lightness.” To trim mass the Porsche Carrera T rear window and rear-side windows are made from lighter glass and the door trims feature opening pull loops instead… Read more

EVEN HOTTER PORSCHES COMING

Porsche Boxster 718 GTS

Porsche Australia has announced that two new models, from the opposite ends of the scale, are coming Downunder next year: PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER AND CAYMAN GTS The Porsche 718 Boxster roadster and Cayman coupe are now offered in high-performance GTS variants. The updated turbocharged 2.5-litre, GTS four-cylinder boxer engine produces 269 kW, up 26 kW over the previous GTS models with their naturally aspirated engine. Maximum torque is there between 1900 and 5000 rpm. They are sold in six-speed manual gearbox format, or optional Porsche DoppelKupplung (PDK) for a crazy… Read more

LEXUS’S RELENTLESS PURSUIT FOR PERFECTION

Talk about attention to detail. Lexus has spent 15 years developing a dazzling new paint colour mimicking that of an American Morpho butterfly that is renowned for the deep, shimmering blue of its wings Lexus calls it Structural Blue, it uses special technology to produce a finish that is deeper, more lustrous and essentially more “blue” than anything seen before. The development was a collaboration between the company’s U.S. and Japanese technical centres and California-based VIAVI Solutions, a leading provider of thin-film optical coatings and pigments. The desired quality could… Read more

SUBARU LEVORG BLENDS STYLE WITH PERFORMANCE

The crew from Monty Python may well have had the Subaru Levorg in mind when they coined the phrase “And now for something completely different …” because there’s nothing else on the Australian market that can quite match this Japanese station wagon’s combination of stylish looks, high-performance, practicality and value. For starters it’s a station wagon which makes it something of a rarity in this SUV-centric era. Add the fact that it shares much of its underbody componentry with Australia’s favourite performance car, the Subaru WRX. About the only ugly… Read more

2018 MERCEDES S-CLASS FIRST DETAILS

New Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Mercedes-Maybach models are on ships headed for Australia as we write. As befits the prestigious German marque the topline models both are crammed with the latest high-tech features. When Maybachs were launched in 2002 sales very slow, chiefly due to extremely high prices, but also because very few people knew the name. Hence the decision to call the new topline models in the Mercedes S-Class range the Mercedes-Maybach. They have features not available in even the most expensive Mercedes S-Class models. Equipment offered on S-Class models… Read more

NISSAN ADDS UPMARKET X-TRAIL TO RANGE

The Nissan X-Trail range has been expanded to include the topline TL model with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. This four-cylinder engine produces up to130 kW of power with maximum torque of 380 Nm at a relatively high 2000 rpm. There should be good torque below the peak figure, something we will comment on when we can get ourselves behind the wheel of one. The powerplant is also offered in the entry X-Trail TS. It drives to all four wheels through a CVT automatic transmission. Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester,… Read more

PORSCHES ARE COMING YOUR WAY

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) has launched “Porsche in Motion”, a roadshow to destinations along Australia’s East Coast. The travelling show will run from now until mid December. It will move onwards into 2018, though next year’s dates and destinations are yet to be set. Porsche in Motion consists of two locally designed and built mobile trailers or “pods”; a brand experience pod and a pop-up showroom pod. The pods provide prospective Porsche customers and fans of the German marque with a similar premium experience found in a Porsche Centre. Proving… Read more

HYUNDAI TICH TAKING A LEAD FROM BIG BROTHER SUVS

When micro cars first came out the joke went: you need two – one for each foot. The roller-skate analogy could equally be applied to the new Hyundai Kona but for one thing. In the latest technology, comfort and convenience, the small SUV is kitted out almost as well as big brothers Tucson and Santa Fe. Like its bigger siblings the Kona comes in four levels of specification – Active, Active with Safety Pack, Elite and Highlander. With the choice of two petrol drivetrains, a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated unit mated with… Read more

SUBARU BRINGS TEST DRIVES TO YOU

Want to test drive Subaru on your home ground instead of out of a Subaru dealership? Thus using it on roads that are very familiar to you. Then have a Subaru be brought to your home, work or anywhere else that best suits. At this stage it’s a trial program only, operating only in the Sydney metro area and is limited to potential buyers of Impreza or XV. If it proves successful Subaru, will expand it to other capital and non-capital cities, and to other models in the range. The… Read more

NISSAN PATROL UPGRADED FOR 2018

Nissan Patrol has a new look and a variety of enhancements to make it even more attractive to large 4WD / SUV buyers. The Patrol’s front has a new grille with horizontal metallic bars, and revised foglamp housings. A new design of 18-inch alloy wheels is aimed at giving it a more premium look. Inside, the Patrol range gets an updated infotainment system with a multi-touch panel that’s now more intuitive. There are now two USB charging points at the rear of the centre console. The range-topping Patrol Ti-L has… Read more