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RED LETTER DAY FOR FERRARI LOVERS

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Tim Schenken is still Australia’s only Ferrari factory driver. Hopefully we will see others in the future

Ferrari has announced that Australia’s only ever Ferrari factory driver, Tim Schenken, Schenken will lead a parade of more than 100 Ferraris from Albert Park, Melbourne’s home of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, on Tuesday 10th October. He will be at the wheel of a Ferrari 70th Anniversary limited edition LaFerrari Aperta as part of the famed Italian marque’s official 70th anniversary celebrations. Tim Schenken’s Ferrari racing career began in 1971 when he was signed up by Enzo Ferrari in a Monza hotel (where else!) to driver Ferrari sportscars…. Read more

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FORETASTE OF NEW LEXUS LS FLAGSHIP

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The Lexus LS (Luxury Sports) sedan was the first vehicle launched by the then newly created upmarket division of Toyota back in 1990. Despite dire predictions that it could never beat the upmarket Germans and Brits at their own game the Lexus marque has now been operating for almost 30 years. An all-new fifth generation LS flagship sedan is coming to Australia in April 2018. Lexus assures us it will further build on its reputation for smoothness, ride quietness, craftsmanship and attention to detail. New LS is longer and lower… Read more

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HYUNDAI ACCENT UPGRADES

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Though it was only introduced a few months back the Hyundai Accent has now received a makeover. It has a bolder mesh-style front grille with dark chromed surrounds, brighter headlight bezels and a bolder front bumper shape together with a brighter range of exterior colours. Pulse Red and Blue Lagoon bodies make a pleasant change from whites, black and silvers are all the rage at present – though it has to be said Hyundai is also offered in these shades. Hyundai Accent sedan and hatchbacks have new front end styling… Read more

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2018 NISSAN NAVARA ST REVIEW

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Two years into its lifecycle, the Nissan Navara has found itself on the right end of a few twerks and tweaks. It is unusual, yes, but also gives a strong indication of how important this ute is to the motoring giant. Complaints of ride quality have followed the 2016 model and Nissan has worked hard to revise the suspension, made changes to the front and rear shock absorbers and stiffened the rebound dampers. Nissan has also taken this opportunity to add a further variant to the range, the SL, a… Read more

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LDV JOINS THE UTE COMPETITION

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Somewhat bizarrely the pickup truck market continues to dominate sales of new ‘passenger’ vehicles in Australia. Now a new Chinese competitor has arrived to try and grab a share of this lucrative segment, the LDV T60. This is a serious commercial vehicle not a toy truck, the LDV pickup comes as a double-cab, dual-range 4WD. It’s powered by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel that sits behind either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Alloy wheels, side steps and roof rails are standard. Luxury features in all models include air conditioning, a… Read more

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NEW ALFA ROMEO STELVIO

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Alfa Romeo is joining everyone else in the automotive world with a new SUV model, its first, called the Stelvio. The Stelvio is named for the Stelvio Pass, one of the world’s famous driving roads. Based on the underpinnings of the Alfa Romeo Q4 all-wheel-drive the Stelvio is instantly recognisable as an Alfa with its huge shield dominated grille. Indeed the Stelvio probably looks more Alfa Romeo than anything else in the Italian marque’s range. Give Italian stylists all the frontal real estate and there’s no way they would deliver… Read more

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2018 AUDI RS 3 REVIEW

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The Audi RS 3 is the first Audi small sedan to carry the RS high-performance tag. This hotrod provides strong driving enjoyment for those who want it all and want it now – it is both a full-on sports machine and a family car. STYLING The body is 25 mm lower than on the standard A3 sedan. This, combined with an aero body package, gives it a sporting look without going over the top. The RS 3 we have been testing for the last week was enhanced by an extended… Read more

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MAKER PUTS MORE INTO KANGOO

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The little French van that can: Renault hopes so after giving the Kangoo a push along with more power under the bonnet of the light commercial vehicle. From the company that has been the maker of Europe’s number one van range 18 years in a row, a new 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine comes up with better performance and fuel economy than many larger naturally aspirated engines. The new engine puts out 84 kW at 4500 rpm, more than 1500 revs below the unit it replaces, while direct fuel injection into… Read more

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‘HI 5’ FOR PICK-UP WITH A TOUCH OF LUX

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With global diplomacy playing out like a nuclear-charged game of chess, it’s good to know Australia is holding out the hand of friendship to some unlikely corners of the world. Toyota Australia engineers devoted six years and more than 650,000 kilometres in a wide variety of conditions to make sure the latest Hilux ute was up to standard for Australian and other regions, such as South Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Russia, with rugged conditions. Toyota says Australia is the ‘spiritual home’ of the new Hilux and the… Read more

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2017 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT REVIEW

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The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a bit of a conundrum. A thundering V8 in a hulk of a 4WD designed with who knows what in mind, offering a thrill in a straight line and some competence off the tarmac – it is head shaking stuff. Yet because of all this, rather than in spite of it, the SRT is also decidedly likeable. I’m partial to a V8 despite its impracticality, and the Grand Cherokee SRT offers the sort of value for money and stirring drive that deserves a second… Read more