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THE QUEEN AND I

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Watching the royal wedding and the arrival of the Queen in her special Bentley reminded me of an Opinion piece I wrote several years ago. It is repeated here for your enjoyment: One reason for writing a column voicing my opinions is find out what other people are thinking. Many agree with what I write, some disagree and say so, at times in quite a vehement manner. All of which is good fun. But I must admit to being surprised when I did an opinion piece some time back saying… Read more

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2018 MAZDA CX-5 MAXX SPORT REVIEW

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So robust is the competition in the SUV market that even cars that would be technically considered quite new are having adjustments to prolong their appeal. The Mazda CX-5 is a case in point with the all-new model released in 2017 now getting a pair of new engines to keep it fresh. The changes are minimal of course, this is one of the brand’s best sellers after all, but those tweaks combined with a slight drop in price is likely to make converts of those “I’m gonna” buyers. STYLING The… Read more

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2019 FORD EVEREST ANNOUNCED

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Ford Australia has announced details of the MY19 Ford Everest SUV. There’s a particular emphasis on the top end of the range as many buyers are opting for SUVs instead of sedans and wagons. Biggest news is the introduction of a high-tech 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine which is optional on Everest Trend, and standard on the Titanium. This BiTurbo unit produces bulk grunt at 500Nm from 1750rpm. It has a fixed-geometry turbocharger for fast throttle response and minimum lag. Then a secondary turbocharger features variable geometry for performance gains at higher… Read more

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AMILCAR

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1921 Amilcar CC.

While it didn’t make the 100 Cars of the 20th Century listing the Amilcar would appear on many lists of outstanding or classic cars. Typical of small sports cars which were very popular in England in the 1920s and 1930s the Amilcar earned a reputation for racing performance, an important criteria in the 1920s. Much of the design work and trial and error testing of that period was beneficial in laying the groundwork for later designs. The Amilcar was the brainchild of two French engineers who worked for Fernand Lamy… Read more

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FORD FOCUS 2005 – 2016

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2012 Ford Focus

Ford Focus is a small-medium Euro model that offers better than average ride and handling, that’s even in the standard model which have attracted quite a few keen drivers. Even better, Focus comes in an impressively large number of sports variants. Ride comfort is pretty good in the standard cars, however they can be on the harsh side on rough roads. By contrast sports models may be on the firm side for those looking for comfort ahead of handling. Showing its Euro heritage, Focus is very good at high speed… Read more

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LEXUS CRAFTS A SPECIAL EDITION RX SUV

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Lexus has introduced a special-edition of its RX five seater SUV. Based on the RX Luxury grade the Lexus RX Crafted has black coating on its 20-inch alloy wheels and black accents for the grille, foglamp surrounds, door mirror caps and the rear bumper. Added features are a moonroof, colour head-up display; an extra large 12.3-inch high-definition infotainment screen and a premium 15-Speaker Mark Levinson sound system with Clari-Fi technology. The standard Lexus RX Luxury is not short of features: leather-accented trim, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone Lexus Climate… Read more

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2018 INFINITI QX80 REVIEW

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Infiniti’s extra-large QX80 has had a major facelift and a number of stylish interior updates. Previously the shape had been a bit – dare we say – Japanese and wasn’t always to the taste of Australian or Americans. Most sales are to these two nationalities so the changes are likely to make it more appealing in this country, and perhaps increase sales, because they have been rather slow to date. STYLING This is more than your routine facelift, everything forward of the windscreen has been revised, not just the easy-to-reshape… Read more

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HYUNDAI IONIQ HYBRID SHEDS LIGHT ON THE FUTURE

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Car companies are not known to do things by halves. But by thirds, that’s a different matter. Hyundai, for example, is in the process of bringing not only one version of its electric powered Ioniq to Australia, but three all at once. The petrol / electric hybrid is about to be joined by its plug-in hybrid and pure electric siblings for a trifecta no other manufacturer can match. In the meantime, the newcomer Hybrid is being put through its paces in a series of fleet tests. We were able to… Read more

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RENAULT TRAFIC FORMULA EDITION

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Renault Trafic Formula Edition has landed in Australia to celebrate the French marque’s participation on the Australian F1 Grand Prix. The 2018 Renault Formula Edition is available in Storm Grey or Jet Black, and in short or long wheelbase. All are powered by the twin-turbo 1.6-litre high-torque diesel engine. The exterior pack for the Formula Edition comprises a body-coloured front bumper, rear light surrounds and door rail, black-painted 17-inch ‘Cyclade’ alloy wheels with yellow centre caps, a unique black Renault diamond bonnet badge, yellow upper and lower grille inserts, yellow… Read more

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TRIUMPH SPITFIRE

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The Triumph car originated as a sideline for the successful motorcycle business which unfortunately went bankrupt in 1939, and Triumph was finally bought up by Standard in 1944. In 1946 the first Standard-Triumph car appeared. It was the 1800 Roadster which was aimed at the export market and had three-abreast seating, a steering-column gear change and was the last car in the world to offer a `dickey’ seat behind the driver. Initially it was fitted with a 1776cc engine exactly as supplied by Standard for the Jaguar 1.5-litre models, but… Read more