No comments

LANCIA FULVIA HF COUPE

  By ,
1969 Lancia Fulvia HF Coupe

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

No comments

FORD FESTIVA 1991-2000

  By ,

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

No comments

SENSATIONAL AUDI R8 V10 PLUS

  By ,

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

No comments

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

  By ,

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

No comments

ANGER AT 4WDs

  By , ,

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

No comments

ISUZU F SERIES DELIVERS FAR-REACHING TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

  By ,

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

No comments

BENTLEY SPEED SIX

  By ,

Bentleys came to be regarded as the archetypal vintage sports cars following their many successes at Le Mans. Introduced in 1929 the 6.5-litre six-cylinder model was designed to give the marque a more prestigious, quieter performance model. On the 6.5-litre and the later 8-litre models the camshaft was driven by a system of coupling rods which were quieter than the shaft. In all other cars Bentley kept to the single overhead-camshaft layout until the time of his unsuccessful 4-litre model of 1931, by which point his company was on the… Read more

No comments

2016 LEXUS RX350 REVIEW

  By ,

In the Lexus naming system the letter ‘X’ stands for cross country. Not cross country as we understand it in Australia which means off-road work, but cross country in European speak; a vehicle suited to long distance on-road running. Grand touring with a little less emphasis on speed. Lexus RX is the midsize model in the range, sitting between the NX which is an on-road wagon and the LX which is a big beast, basically a Toyota LandCruiser with body mods and heaps more luxury bits. The fourth generation of… Read more

No comments

JCW MINI CONVERTIBLE FLIES DOWNUNDER

  By ,

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the standard convertible versions of the third generation Mini comes information on the hottest of them all – the John Cooper Works (JCW). Powered by a highly tuned version of the Mini 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, the JCW unit produces 170 kW of power between 5200 and 6000 revs, and 320 Nm of torque that’s on tap all the way from 1250 to 4800rpm. Sitting beside the engine is a six-speed sports automatic transmission that can be overridden by paddle shifters. A… Read more

No comments

FERRARI GTC4 LUSSO UNVEILED IN SYDNEY

  By ,

The Italian word ‘lusso’ translates into ‘luxury’ in English so Ferrari Australia’s choice of a multi-million dollar Sydney harbourside mansion as the venue for the southern hemisphere debut of its equally luxurious new GTC4 Lusso couldn’t have been more appropriate. Among the dignitaries at the launch was Flavio Manzoni, Senior Vice President of Design at Ferrari who penned the original sketches of the Lusso. He had previously worked on a range of models including the F12 Berlinetta and California T. The GTC4 Lusso replaces the previous Ferrari FF, so named… Read more