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2016 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT REVIEW

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The all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport is not a toy SUV masquerading as a 4WD, it is the real deal – an all-terrain vehicle from the old school. One that can be taken into tough off-road conditions where, believe it or not, even the rather crude Land Rover Series 1 would have struggled when it was launched 68 years ago. Yet the Discovery Sport will meet all the requirements of on-road comfort and handling today’s buyer demand. This seeming impossible combination of on-road sophistication and off-road ruggedness shows design expertise… Read more

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AUSTIN A40

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The Austin A40 did much to help Britain recover financially after World War II with the country badly in need of export dollars. Whilst millions of dollars were poured into Germany and Japan in the form of aid Britain received little assistance in recovering from the war. The Managing Director at the time Mr LP Lord travelled to the USA in May 1946 and after a close study of conditions returned to the plant and prepared for a large-scale attack on the most difficult of all markets, with a new… Read more

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ISUZU TRUCKS TRAVEL DOWN INFORMATION HIGHWAY

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Connectivity, whether it’s between driver and vehicle, or occupants and the outside world, is the new automotive buzzword, with recent research by carmaker Nissan showing almost a third of new-car buyers put connectivity ahead of other features, including fuel economy. It says 28 per cent of new-car buyers put Bluetooth ahead of other features, 13 per cent would not buy a car that could not connect to the internet, and 20 per cent would switch to another brand for better connectivity. Now, Australia’s truck sales leader has taken connectivity to… Read more

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PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

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Porsche 718 Boxster has arrived in Australia to the delight of all Porsche enthusiasts, especially those who can’t afford a 911. The new ‘718’ title is in recognition of the Porsche 718 sportscars that were victorious in races during the 1950s and ‘60s. It also ties in with the title of the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. Though technically not an all-new model the Porsche 718 Boxster has significantly revised styling, retuned suspension and steering, and most importantly all-new four-cylinder engines that produce significantly more power and torque, yet create… Read more

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LANCIA FULVIA HF COUPE

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At the top end of the Fulvia range, Lancia offered a 1298cc version of its narrow-angled V4 overhead camshaft engine, supplementing the 1216cc and 1091cc versions. The 1.3-litre came in two forms for two variants of the Fulvia couple. The Rallye 1.3 used a 9 to 1 compression engine producing 65kW at 6000rpm and the Rallye 1.3HF produced 75kW at the same rpm, with the aid of a 10.5 to 1 compression ratio, high-lift cams, larger valves with stronger springs, different pistons and lightened flywheel. The 65kW engine was installed… Read more

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FORD FESTIVA 1991-2000

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Built by Kia in South Korea, the Ford Festiva is a tough little car that seems to just keep on keeping on. After a successful 10 years on the Australian market that began in October 1991, the Ford Festiva was succeeded by the Ford Fiesta at the end of the year 2000. While the two names continued to be mistakenly intermingled to this day, the two machines are significantly different. The first Festivas were virtually identical in appearance to older Mazda 121s, except that the Ford was sold as a… Read more

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SENSATIONAL AUDI R8 V10 PLUS

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In 2015 Audi’s first generation R8 supercar bowed out, to be replaced by the so-far V10-only second generation. The Australian range consists of two cars, the V10 Coupe and the V10 Plus, the former weighing in at $354,900, the latter $389,900. Visually, you can easily tell the two apart. From the front the Plus’ big grille is a glossy black. There’s a huge, DTM-inspired carbon fibre wing on the back, replacing the Coupe’s electric-lift wing that pops up at 120 km/h. The bigger differences are under the skin. Both run… Read more

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MORE POWER ADDS FINISHING TOUCHES TO A FINE MX-5 TRADITION

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The latest iteration of the Mazda MX-5 compact two-seater sportscar has won more than 65 major international awards, including the prestigious European Red Dot “Best of the Best” award, which recognises exceptionally ground-breaking design, the UK Car of the Year, and the 2015-2016 Japan Car of the Year. The fourth generation MX-5, coded ND, was first seen in Australia with a 1.5-litre engine hooked up to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Now a 2.0-litre version has been added. With either engine it comes in two variants –… Read more

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ANGER AT 4WDs

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Time and again we motoring journalist are asked the question, “Why don’t they ban big 4WDs from the suburbs?” Usually followed by, “because 4WDs block the vision of others drivers and are hazardous to pedestrians.” I’ve also heard plenty of complaints about threatening behaviour by those behind the wheels of 4WDs and SUVs. And in more recent times by drivers of big 4WD dual-cab utes. Yet sales of 4WDs, which is the name usually only given to genuine off-road vehicles; and SUVs, the title used for most light duty off-roaders… Read more

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ISUZU F SERIES DELIVERS FAR-REACHING TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

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Recent research has shown that road haulage in Australia is predominantly the territory of Japanese medium-duty trucks, 95 per cent of which start and finish within the same state or territory. This puts Isuzu in the box seat to take advantage with its all-new F Series, rolled out for the media to sample in and around Brisbane. Has the Japanese-developed-and-built range got what it takes? With nine variants on show Isuzu appears to have ticked all the appropriate boxes and more by harnessing the advantages of low- displacement, high-output engine… Read more