W
P P O O W E E R R + + P E R F O R M A N C E + P A S S S S I I O O N N
whichcar.com.au/motor
january 2020 $11.95 NZ $12.50
E
V
I
R
D
T
S
R
I
F kW
E
V
I
S
U
L
C
X HALF-PRICE FERRARI? WE LIGHT THE WICK
E ON HOLDEN’S MID-ENGINE MUSCLE CAR!
GAZOO’S THIS? Turbo Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch breaks cover – and we’ve driven it!
➜ BIG MACS F1, P1 & Senna – magic McLarens tapped out on an airstrip all to ourselves
TOP 20 TRENDS The MOTOR crystal ball predicts the next decade for fast cars
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M ERFORMANCE.PASSION.
07 PERFORMANCE FEATURES
Which is the best of the supercar-cum-
grand-tourer breed? Time to find out
8 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
tech
T ALK
IN THE
KNOW
a
Why 48-volt electric l
e
systems are the future
re
BUYER’S GUIDE
What to watch out for if you’re looking
to buy a classic 997-series Porsche
11 ED’S LETTER 2020 will be a massive year for new performance car models
12 PACE NOTES 20 trends that will define the fast car world in the 2020s
22 THE VENT Festive cheer and beckoning keyboards; this could get ugly
26 FIRST DRIVES Audi RS6, RS Q8 and RS Q3, Taycan 4S, Polestar 1, JCW Clubman, Lotus Evora IPS
106 ICON BUYER Everything you need to know about buying an iconic Porsche 997 911
110 TECH TALK Why 48-volt electrical systems are a vital automotive innovation
112 GARAGE Camaro ZL1 rumbles in; 308 takes to the track; 124 Spider heads for the hills
118 HOT SOURCE Running the tape measure over every performance car offering
125 OPINIONS Morley is percolating; Keen swaps chicken for quail; JB reflects on ‘classic status’
130 LOST IN TIME Plymouth’s brave Prowler ‘hot rod’ looked the part but failed to deliver
42 COVER STORY CHEV ROLET C8 CORVETTE FIRST DRIVE
Macho mid-engined Ya nk on test in America, a year before coming to Oz
50 EGO WARRIORS: JAG UAR F-PACE SVR v ALFA ROMEO STELVIO Q v BMW X3 M COMPETITION
Three hard-charging lu xury sprog haulers meet in the wilderness for the first time
62 FIRST AUSSIE DRIVE : LAMBORGHINI HURACAN EVO
More power and all-wh eel steering for the Baby Bull, but is it worth the Evo badge?
70 WEAPONS GR4DE: T OYOTA GR YARIS
Rally weapon in waitin g has the arsenal to be the gun hot hatch on the road
78 HONDA NSX v McLAR EN GT v FERRARI PORTOFINO
Three distinctly differe nt approaches to grand touring in the 21st century
90 FIRST AUSSIE DRIVE : BMW M340i xDRIVE
Stealthy exterior hides a 275kW turbo six, but has AWD neutralised its baby M3 appeal?
98 McLAREN’S HOLY TR INITY: F1 v P1 v SENNA
On track with a line of hypercars that trace a strong DNA for Britain’s iconic sports car brand
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 9
nt sport
ENGINE PERFORMANCE ACCELERATION
DESIGNATION Cosworth GPV8 MAX POWER 675 bhp @ 9,600 rpm 0 – 160 KPH 5.0 sec*
CAPACITY 3.8L MAX TORQUE 450 Nm @ 7600 rpm MAX SPEED 300kph*
VALVES 32 MAX RPM 10,000 rpm normal running *Subject to conditions and aero configuration RODIN-CARS.COM
M FRONT END. ED’S NOTE
AS THE NEW DECADE COMETH, HERE ARE
A S THE NEW DE C ADE COMETH, HERE ARE
THE 10 NEW PERF ORMANCE C ARS I’M MOS T
THE 10 NEW PERFORMANCE CARS I’M MOST
W
OOKING
L
LOOKING FORWARD TO DRIVING IN 2020
OR
F
O
T
ARD
2020
IN
DRIVING
Dylan Campbell
WELCOME TO A BRAND new decade – if you believe, of of the two combining – in what is our cover car this issue; read
course, the new decade starts now, and not next year! And as the verdict p42 – makes me slightly giddy. Although there’s a
you’ll read over page in our special Pace Notes crystal-ball- chance we might not drive it locally until next year.
gazing feature, it’s looking like a fairly monumental one for 5. Ford Mustang R-SPEC. Supercharged 5.0-litre V8, circa
the world of performance motoring. 500kW, manual-only, rear-drive, tight diff, tough looks... it’s
Forgetting the decade for a moment, this year alone is certainly a time-proven recipe. And with factory reliability.
looking insane for new performance models, the pipeline 4. Mercedes-AMG GT R Black Series. A car that might
spewing factory hot rods at unabated pace. Sluggish global make a GT2 RS look a bit timid, if what we’re hearing is true.
economy be damned! And rather than list them all out, I Huge wings and aero; wide, sticky rubber; an almost brand
thought I’d pick the 10 new performance models coming in new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 exceeding 515kW... AMG boss
2020 that I’m personally most excited to drive. Tobias Moers says the very-serious-sounding Black Series
10. MINI Cooper GP. I loved the old R56/R57 MINI, and the shares little with the AMG GT R on which it’s based. Yikes.
JCW GP was that generation MINI at its best and silliest. Sadly, 3. Porsche 992 911 Turbo. Let’s get one thing straight – the
MINI went backwards with the third generation but the new, 992 911 is annoyingly good. Like, beyond excellent, and that’s
225kW Cooper GP promises a return to form. Here’s hoping. just the Carreras. We’ve not yet seen, let alone driven, a Turbo,
9. Ford Fiesta ST. It’s been a long time coming but finally GT3 or, god willing, a GT2 RS. That will change this year when
Ford’s feisty bum-dragger has touched down in Australia. I’ve we bolt ourselves into the 485kW Turbo. Expectations high.
missed the previous ST’s cheekiness – and love the idea of it 2. Audi R8 RWD. Fitting only rear driveshafts is one of
being combined with a thrummy three-cylinder. the best decisions Audi (and Lamborghini) ever made. The
8. Alpine A110S. The current Alpine is a breath of fresh Huracan LP580-2 and R8 RWS both firmly received the
air, going totally against the typical just-get-a-Cayman MOTOR stamp of approval, and I don’t care if the new rear-
groupthink. The S sounds like the one MOTOR would make – drive R8 RWD has the same power as the ‘old’ RWS, because
more focused again, sharper, tauter, a bit quicker and louder. 397kW is still plenty for one driven axle and frankly the 5.2-
7. Mk8 VW Golf GTI. Despite a brand new architecture the litre atmo V10 could make 300kW and I’d still love it.
benchmark everyday hot hatch is expected to be evolutionary 1. BMW M2 CS. The M2 Competition is a seriously good
in the way it drives, with a bit more power, smarter handling – and seriously underrated – car. A lighter, more powerful
and a cutting edge interior. Could be – probably will be – version (with the full 331kW from the M3 Competition)
the best all-round performance vehicle under $100K. mated to the same beautiful, taut chassis, could make
6. Chevrolet C8 Corvette. I am a huge fan of GM for one of the performance cars of the
small block V8s and mid-engine cars so the thought In the year, if not the decade.
MADHOUSE
OU T - T A K E S 05
TH I S M O NTH 1. We did ice driving for 2. Do ‘rally driving’ 3. Driving a bright blue, 4. Three people in 5. Lambo Huracan Evo,
AT M OTO R WhichCar TV. In Australia, on 45-profile tyres, Chevrolet C8 Corvette in a McLaren F1 is probably meet Australia. It gets to
that means a skidpan and they said. It will be the USA is to have a bad best left a warm, fuzzy- 46 degrees in Italy, right?
four spacesavers fun, they said... influence on productivity feeling theory How about Germany?
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 11
01 . 20
M FRONTEND.NEWS
NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT
PaceNotes
IF IT HAPPENED THIS MONTH, IT’S IN HERE
BY • M O TO R S T A F F
2O2O
VISION
OUR 20 PREDICTIONS FOR THE DECADE AHEAD
THIS IS BRAVE of us, one of those articles you re-read many years down the track and have a little chuckle
to yourself. Hello to the readers from 2030 and beyond! But it’s something we felt we must do. As serial
speculators here at MOTOR HQ, the next decade is looking mighty interesting for the new-car industry.
Tightening emissions regulations – to the point of corporate strangulation – will form the core of the
challenge, forcing a total rethink of model ranges and propulsion systems, manufacturers moving as quickly
as possible to battery electric vehicles, abridged where possible with hybridisation. It’s going to cost
them a lot. Petrol engines will become impressively efficient and lose cubic centimetres and cylinders
along the way, while autonomy will further develop but won’t leave the lab, we reckon. More punters
will choose not to own a car at all, turning instead to ride-sharing as the manufacturers also
reposition themselves as ‘mobility suppliers’. And as for performance cars? They’ll get faster,
naturally; still predominantly turbocharged, but smaller engines, more hybrids, more EVs.
Expansion of model ranges at the top end of town, reflecting somewhat the times.
But everywhere else, more chassis electronics helping you get the best from
the car, more safely, and handling like you’ve never encountered before.
If anything, the golden age of chassis wizardry is upon us, as
we’re about to explain. That, and a whole lot more...
12 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
01
THERE WON’T BE FULL VEHICLE
AUTONOMY – NOT EVEN CLOSE
FUTURISTS WILL have you believe we’ll all be getting around in flying autonomous electric pods by
the end of the decade, but the actual experts – at the cutting edge of autonomous vehicle technology
– are warning that the coveted ‘Level 5’ full autonomy might take a lot longer than first thought.
Numerous companies, from automakers to tech giants, are investing heavily in what has become a race
to be first, but it’s proving extremely difficult to get the tech to a working, let alone safe level. What is
more likely is that most, if not every new car will be fitted with some sort of semi-autonomous feature
by the end of the decade, and that the steering wheel will be with us for a while yet.,
02
THE
PETROL
ENGINE
WILL STILL
RULE THE
RO ST
M MUCH LIKE full autonomy, it’s speculated the petrol-powered car will have met its maker by the end
o of the 2020s, but that’s the realm of fantasy. True, EVs will make up a growing percentage of the new-
car marketand charging infrastructure will rapidly evolve but thecheaper internal combustion engine
car market and charging infrastructure will rapidly evolve, but the cheaper internal c mbustion engine
will remain the propulsion method of choice – just smaller, and smaller, and smaller. We’ll see the most
efficient petrol engines ever made, with by the decade’s end almost universal mating to some sort of
hybrid system for every new car sold, even the cheap ones.
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 13
M FRONTEND.PACENOTES
NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT
03 ATMO
ENGINES
WILL STILL
BE KICKING
THIS ONE is admittedly a little optimistic, but there’s
plenty of hope brands like Lamborghini will be able
to preserve their big, atmo V12 engines for another
generation courtesy of hybridisation. However,
that’s reportedly a sore point internally between
Lamborghini’s management and its Volkswagen
Audi Group overlords. If such a thing was to happen,
Lamborghini would have to sell a lot of electric Uruses
– and Ferrari, for its V12, a lot of Purosangue SUVs.
It’s possible the atmo will live on in more unexpected
places, such as in a lightly hybridised MX-5. Mazda
has admitted it is looking at such things for the
next-generation car.
05 DOWNSIZING 2.0
AS FORCED induction and hybrid systems send specific
outputs soaring, the ICE will play a smaller role. Case in point:
the LaFerrari needed a 6262cc V12 to produce 708kW, but
the SF90 Stradale pumps out 736kW from only 3990cc.
Three-pot hot hatches (Fiesta ST, GR Yaris), four-cylinder
super sedans (next C63 AMG) and V6 supercars (Aston Martin
Valhalla, AMG One) all point to a future with fewer cylinders.
04 THE ROAD
TOLL WILL
(SADLY)
REMAIN
STABLE
THIS IS not a prediction we enjoy making, but at this rate the
road toll is unlikely to decrease with a growing population.
Existing strategies clearly aren’t working, despite safer cars,
with little appetite from authorities to try something different.
14 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
TURBOCHARGED
PERFORMANCE
CARS WILL GET
08 VERY, VERY
GOOD
WITHIN THE European performance brands, engineers were forced to
retire the big, naturally aspirated engines they knew so well for so long,
06 TORQUE nowhere as responsive, exciting or sounding anywhere near as good.
replacing them with smaller, turbocharged units more powerful but
Now, though, with outputs approaching levels necessitating all-wheel
drive – for cars even like the next M3 and M4 – the power wars should
CONVERTERS
cool as engineers focus on efficiency, response, emotion and sound.
Also helped somewhat by the less turbo-friendly WLTP emissions and
WILL MAKE
A COMEBACK economy test. Which should mean an era of turbocharged performance
engines just as memorable as the best of the atmo ones.
THEY’RE ALREADY making a comeback of sorts but it
looks certain to accelerate. Yes, what is old is new again, as
engineers seem able to combine the smoother operation of
the fluid coupling with shift speeds and economy equivalent
to, or near, the average twin-clutch transmission. And, most
importantly for the lower end of the market, much greater
reliability. BMW, for example, is doing it with its M cars, the
M5 making the switch back to the oil doughnut and the next
M3 and M4 expected to do the same. Although it might be a
stretch to expect Porsche to replace the Doppelkupplung.
07 YOU’LL STILL
BE ABLE TO
BUY A MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
IN A NEW CAR
THERE’S HOPE it will be in a Porsche 911 or a Toyota 86 if
such a car still exists by 2029, but no doubt the manual will
become an endangered species in showrooms. It’s possible
the last new manual available will be some Europe-only light
commercial vehicle. You laugh, but 90 per cent of Renault
Trafics sold internationally are manuals. Seriously.
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 15
M FRONTEND.PACENOTES
NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT
09
GPS SPEED
LIMITERS
WILL BE A
THING (BOO)
THE EUROPEAN UNION has
drafted legislation stipulating all
new cars from 2022 must be fitted TOYOTA’S SPORTS
with technology that makes the REVOLUTION
driver adhere to the speed limit,
as known through GPS. Australia 10
has said it will follow suit. Your AKIO TOYODA has the authority and approval of the
car would not let you exceed the board to bring back performance cars through the
speed limit even if you wanted to. GR name. Toyota’s GR Yaris (p70) is certainly walking
Dystopia cometh. the talk, a car that must have cost a bomb to develop.
Bold of them to do so, and it might be just the start!
11 THE MUSCLE CAR WILL EVOLVE
BRACE YOURSELF, folks, the muscle car as we know it isn’t long for this world. The Mustang is now an electric crossover as
much as it is a V8-powered coupe, and the latter won’t escape electrons for long if Ford’s recent Lithium concept (above) is
anything to go by. Fiat-Chrysler boss Mike Manley has said the next Charger/Challenger “isn’t going to be a V8, supercharged,
700-horsepower engine”. And GM has shuffled its Camaro chief engineer across to the company’s electric division. Coincidence?
V8s will continue for a while (there’s too much demand), but don’t get too precious about what a nameplate represents.
16 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
12 EVERY NEW HIGH-END PERFORMANCE
MODEL WILL BE HYBRID OR ELECTRIC
BATTERIES ARE EXPENSIVE and so are high-end performance cars, making it easier to fit the former to the latter. And by the
end of the decade, as emissions regulations tighten, every one of them will be either electric or hybrid, a lot of the time with tiny
engines. They will still make enormous power, and with next-level acceleration and handling, as BMW previewed with last year’s
Vision M concept, revealed last year. It uses a turbocharged inline-4 of unspecified capacity mated to electric motors for more
than 440kW and a 0-100km/h time well below 3.0sec, with also unheard-of levels of efficiency for a car of its performance.
14 HANDLING &
DYNAMICS
WILL REACH
A NEW LEVEL
ELECTRIC PROPULSION opens a window into a new world of handling
precision. Battery power will inevitably increase weight, but the
lower centre of gravity and ultra-fine control over how that power is
delivered means cars will stick to the ground like never before. But
the potential is there for added fun factor too, as clever algorithms,
13 RACERS WILL between will merely be a button push away.
VIRTUAL
not large chunks of metal, dictate where the power goes. Rear-wheel
drive on demand, constantly variable all-wheel drive and everything in
BE AS FAMOUS
AS THE REAL
DRIVERS
VIDEO GAMES are no longer something to keep your kids occupied,
they’re big business. Gaming industry revenue is already US$150bn, or
roughly four times global box office takings. Fortnite World Champion
Kyle Giersdorf, 16, pocketed US$3m for his win. F1 and Supercars
already have official E-Sports leagues supported by the major teams,
and yet the surface has barely been scratched. Don’t be surprised if the
2030 F1 E-Sports champion is as famous as the one actually on track.
m m m
d torofficial motor g 17
M FRONTEND.PACENOTES
NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT
15 THE TRACKDAY
GOLDEN AGE
WITH PERFORMANCE CARS becoming even more
capable – and more durable with track abuse – combined
with increasingly draconian road laws and enforcement,
we will all be left with little choice but to spend more time
at race tracks. No bad thing at all. And more will be built.
16
AUSSIE
FAST CAR
VALUES
WILL GO
BESERK
WANT SOME good
investment advice?
Fill an aircraft hangar
with the cleanest,
lowest-kilometre Aussie
performance cars you can
find. EB XR8s, VN SSs, EB
GTs, EL GTs, T3 TE50s,
VT SS 5.0s, BA FPV GTs,
HSV Coupes and even
Avalanches, Clubsports,
VF II Redlines – the lot.
Over the next 10-15 years
we reckon you’ll do better
than the stock market!
17 THE R35 WILL STILL
BE ON SALE
...JUST KIDDING. Hopefully Godzilla will make an appearance in
R36 guise by the end of the decade, but don’t bet on it because
Nissan has bigger fish to fry (like the company sort of crumbling).
An all-electric, manic-fast GT-R built around a carbonfibre-
aluminium spaceframe chassis might just be the hero it needs.
18 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
BUILT FOR THE TRACK
READY FOR THE ROAD
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M FRONTEND.PACENOTES
NEWS / REVIEWS / LATEST TECH / MOTORSPORT
18 WE WILL WITNESS
THE FASTEST ROAD
CARS EVER MADE
YOU THOUGHT McLaren P1, LaFerrari and Porsche 918 were fast? Cute. Cars like
the Mercedes-AMG One and Aston Martin Valkyrie – road cars heavily inspired by
Formula One racers – will make them look a bit heavy and slow. And sell-out sales
of both, despite eye-watering price tags, will no doubt embolden Ferrari and tempt
the Volkswagen Audi Group to do the same. There’s lots else to come as well, like NO
the McLaren Speedtail, Toyota GR Super Sport, Lotus Evija, Koenigsegg Jesko,
Hennessey Venom F5, Pininfarina Battista, Rimac C-Two... and that’s just the next BRAND
three years, really. Where will it end? Surely in a ditch a lot of the time, given that 19 WILL BE
the owners of these cars are just rich gents, not racing drivers.
SACRED
BMW REPLACING rear-drive with bum
draggers, Ferrari doing an SUV when it said
it wouldn’t... Over the next decade, and with
huge bills to pay in order to convert their
ranges to EV or at least hybrid, car brands
will stop at no product, however against the
grain, to bolster the bottom line. A Porsche
dual-cab ute? You read it here first...
20 HOT
HATCHES
DOING
0-100 IN
<3.0 SEC
WE SUSPECT some serious craziness in this
space lies ahead. Will we witness a 400kW
hot hatch by the end of the decade?
450kW? No-one really ever thought you’d
be able to buy a 470kW Lamborghini
SUV. Hey, 300kW was once stratospheric.
Thanks also to launch control, high-end hot
hatches are going to get fast.
20 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
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01 . 2
M FRONTEND.LETTERS
SEND US A RANT. OR SOMETHING NICE. [email protected]
WIN THIS NEXT MONTH! MOTOR MAGAZINE PRIZE PACCK
➜ Winner Stephen will be ready for winter after winning a genuine Kia Stinger GT Nurburgring Nordchleife jacket,
$200 and a 12-month MOTOR subscription. Next month, our pack includes the same cash prize, subscription and
n
this genuine Bentley mug, worth more than $50. We award ideas, opinions, prose and originality. So get typing!
20
JANUARY
WINNER
LETTER
of the
EDUCATION IS THE ANSWER MONTH crashes across the whole spectrum of vehicles on our roads.
In response to Morley’s blast of dual-cab utes and SUVs, if we The Victorian and SA road tolls are way higher this year, and
actually taught people proper automotive driving skills, then other states are probably not doing well either. If you actually want
people would have the knowledge and skill to jump into any vehicle to lower the road toll, properly educate and teach the humans that are in
and drive it safely and within its limits of handling and braking, etc. control of these vehicles.
In this situation, whether someone jumps into a Picanto, Hilux, Unfortunately, no state or the federal government are looking at this
Landcruiser or Porsche 911 for the first time, they would drive each option! They can keep lowering speed limits and bringing in other stupid
vehicle in a manner that did not exceed their ability, or the vehicle’s measures, but the road toll will not come down.
dynamic abilities. The result would be a massive reduction in vehicle Stephen Fogarty, via Facebook
NSX PRICE GOUGE A current base model Acura NSX expensive than a Nissan GT-R in
There’s probably an element of brand sells for USD$157,000 (AUD$232,000), Australia, and that might be the main
snobbery at work, maybe moreso in a current base model Nissan GT-R sells reason Honda Australia is not selling its
the US than here, but if Honda Australia for USD$114,000 (AUD$168,000). Yet NSX successfully here in Australia.
wants to look for a reason no-one is somehow Honda Australia sees fit to sell Andrew Phillips, via Facebook
buying their NSX they need to go no the NSX here for $400,000-plus, while
further than pricing. Nissan Australia sells the latest GTR OH SO WRONG
To compare our market to the US is Premium for $197,000. David Morley, your piece about dual-cab
pointless obviously, as taxes and such So the NSX is roughly 38 per cent utes and SUVs causing an increase in
make the comparison null and void, but more expensive than a Nissan GT-R deaths is a master piece of vomit.
I’m going to do it anyway. in the States but is 104 per cent more If you want the truth, drivers are
22 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
getting lazy and time-poor. Seriously. All
the so-called gadgets designed to help
really don’t.
When was the last time you turned
your head to merge? Blind spots are
getting larger behind larger pillars, so
you can’t see the car coming you are
about to hit.
You also say the weight of utes is
an issue, but passenger cars have also
increased after taking on new safety
gear and equipment.
So are the safety devices helping or
causing the accidents?
Greg South, via Facebook
WE’RE TO BLAME
In response to the continued decline of
Holden in Australia and the discontinuing IT’S Frank Noronha
of the Commodore name. Buying your MINE
Holden at auction, your spares off eBay, O WNER’ S 2018 BMW M2 Competition | 3.0-LITRE TURBO INLINE-6,
and waving a lion flag at the racetrack Ride 317KW/550NM | OWNED FOR ONE YEAR | ODO 5000KM
does not keep the factory open.
A recalcitrant parent company, happy
to put its hand out from governments YOU ONCE HAD A Z3 M COUPE? That’s the first M I had, and I still regret selling that car. It
and great at stifling innovation, also was unbelievable in terms of how raw that car was. It had very few driver assistance aids, it’s
preventing imports into their own basically you and the car. And I wanted to recapture that a little bit with the M2 Competition.
market. Inevitable, really. DID ANYTHING ELSE COME INTO THE EQUATION? I was always a Porsche fan. So many
Tony Barnett, via Facebook missed opportunities. Back when I was driving the M coupe I was looking at 911s and tested a
TESLA LOVE few but never got to the stage where I put pen on paper.
Love this statement from your Model 3 HOW HAS THE EXPERIENCE BEEN? I don’t drive the M2 enough, it’s basically a weekend
cruiser. It’s a very good car.
Performance review in your December
2019 issue: “I quickly found myself WHY THE AUTO? I based my choice on the performance of the automatic – it’s slightly
sitting in traffic looking at all the quicker than the manual – but in hindsight I probably should have gone to a manual. The
vehicles around me and wondering: dual-clutch has been okay, but sometimes there is a slight delay when you push on the
why aren’t they all electric? Obviously accelerator from a start. But it’s not too bad.
not the occasional Cayman or McLaren DOES THE M2 C DELIVER ON ITS PERFORMANCE? It handles really well. Almost too well. I
or AMG, but all the vehicles whose look at the M Coupe and think, that was quite raw and you can step the tail out. This car has
sole purpose is to transport people or quite a lot of power, but because of all the electronic aids you have, it tends to correct driver
products in quiet comfort: SUVs, buses, error very easily, and you don’t get the same feeling. I’m getting too old to push it that hard.
hatchbacks.” PLANS? It will stay with me for a few years and I want to get some more power out of it and
I’m coming up to my three-year see how it goes. I think it needs to be louder too. I always put it into M2 mode when I drive,
anniversary of Tesla ownership. I’m the paddle-shifter. When you get the exhaust popping, I like that sound. I may track it, I don’t
bored with people who argue the know. I’ve got so many friends that go tracking and they always go: “Bring the M2!”
“lack of infrastructure” argument, but
I concede, if you don’t have a car park
near a 240-volt outlet, right now is not
the time to buy electric.
Antony Benedetto, via Facebook
HYDROGEN DEAD END ARE THE CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVING
Hydrogen is being promoted as the
next big thing, yet currently a hydrogen US ON OVER THEIR TORQUE FIGURES?
station costs about $2m to build. Then
you still need to truck the hydrogen to
that station and you still need to drive decent range around town, around people could just charge at their home
there to fill up. 20-35km, depending on factors. and the recharge infrastructure can be
One electric car fast-charging point Now, remember, wherever there is a so much more with the investment?
will cost about $50K; add more plugs power point you can recharge, so you Jason Panosh, via Facebook
to the location and it gets relatively could recharge at home, or you could
cheaper. So for the $2m investment you recharge at work, or you could recharge ALL TORQUE
could install about 40 chargers. down the street while watching a movie Maybe I’m just getting old and cynical
Meanwhile, slow chargers cost about or doing your groceries. – okay, I’m definitely getting old
$5K to install, so your local council/ Why would we want hydrogen and and cynical – but I wonder if the car
businesses could install 400 chargers all the terrible infrastructure, transport, manufacturers are having us on over
instead. Just one hour can provide a etc, that goes with it when a majority of their official torque figures.
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 23
YOUR MONTH IN SOCIAL MEDIA can keep up with a 2016 RS3 – if the
roads are grippy, tyres are warmed up
and other optimal conditions are met.
On The Wires Yawn.
Tag your pics with #motormag so we can find you Petty criticisms aside, it’s an excellent
engine in a nice looking body, but BMW
1. Felix Hu on Facebook didn’t need to add the 35kW from the
“M5 tunnel at night.”
factory – we could have done so using
2. Nambour_village_news on Instagram a $500 chip and tune and got over
“Another #happycustomer excited 300kW and 600Nm anyway.
for the latest @motorofficial ” Troy Duggan, via Facebook
03 3. Robert Martinic on Facebook CHECK YOUR EYES
“Snapped this one up the other day.” The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
01
04 4. Scott Buchanan on Facebook Roadster named best looking car of
“Get out of the industrial park into 2019? I must disagree. It’s far too busy
the wild!” and angular to be properly attractive,
more so than the Civic Type R, which
5. Andrew Phillips on Facebook was rightfully panned for its design
“Evo and an East Coast sunrise.”
(though obviously not for its ability as a
driver’s car).
I concede the SVJ is very aggressive
in its design, cool even, and would be
well suited to anyone who buys one
looking for attention, but good looking
it is not.
Perhaps looking to something a little
more subtle would be the way to go,
02 05 maybe from Aston or, if it had arrived
early enough, the Ferrari Roma.
GET INVOLVED ON FACEBOOK ON TWITTER ON INSTAGRAM If you really wanted to call an aggro
Pick your channel, @motorofficial @motor_mag @motorofficial supercar the best looking, why not the
enjoy daily content The tribe: 54,391 The mob: 3335 The voyeurs: 8588 600LT? Sure it’s still a bit busy, but its
features look less thrown together in my
eye than on the SVJ. And yes, I know
the Lambo’s anatomy is all functional,
but so is that of an anglerfish, and no
Is it just me, or have other people down. A lot of the figures would be set one’s calling them good looking...
noticed how nicely round most of them by marketing departments. Aaron A, via email
are these days? While power outputs
are perfectly random, and clearly the BANGLE DANGLE VOLVO ODDITY
result of dyno testing, torque numbers My first reaction to the new M4 nose Is the Volvo V60 T8 Polestar-tuned
– especially where electrification is was “has Chris Bangle snuck back into wagon not the most delightful oddity?
involved – are imperfectly even, like the building?” First of all, that engine. Turbocharged,
exactly 600 or 800 and such. Bangle’s idea of design turned me supercharged and hybrid assisted. Why
Is this just an engineer’s guesstimate? off BMWs and sent me into the arms not settle on one type of assistance?
Clearly these are not the result of of Mercedes Benz. I wonder how many Then the whole Polestar thing.
proper dyno testing, otherwise they’d prospective buyers will be alienated by Adjustable shocks – really? In something
be just as uneven and precise as those the new design direction. that will probably never be taken to
for horsepower. So what’s the story? Len Weavers, via email a track? Don’t get me wrong, I love
Surely published outputs have to be the enthusiasm. But if Volvo have
scientifically determined and accurate. I DOWN ON POWER this performance DNA in its genes,
reckon they’re having us on. So the recently updated BMW Z4 M40i why don’t they make a proper,
Brian Desmore, via Facebok has the same power now as a 2004 HSV straightfoward perfomance car.
Fair point, but they’d be rounding Clubsport (albeit 10Nm less torque) and Kai Smith, via email
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24 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
IT’S MORE THAN JUST OI IT’S IQUID ENGINEERING.
NEW. FAST. FIRST 07 PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
30 PORSCHE TAYCAN 4S When the base model is the pick 36 AUDI RS Q8 441kW twin-turbo V8 SUV a cut-price Urus
32 MINI JCW CLUBMAN Fast but pricey and still no hot hatch 38 AUDI RS Q3 Turbo five-banger is a high-riding RS3
34 POLESTAR 1 Crazy powertrain but sadly not coming to Oz 40 LOTUS EVORA 410 IPS Auto ’box misses the point
AUDI RS6AVANT
Big wagon is Audi Sport at its curious best
ENGINE 3993cc V8, DOHC, 32v, twin turbos, LIKE: Practicality of a wagon;
mild hybrid system usable performance; wild looks;
Rating quality ride with air suspension
POWER 441kW • TORQUE 800Nm DISLIKE: Weight and sheer
4.0 0-100KM/H 3.6sec (claimed) size compromise poise; lack of
WEIGHT 2150kg • PRICE $240,000 (est)
feel and driver appeal
BY • MAR K T I S S HA W
a colossal 441kW at 6000rpm and
THE RS6 HAS ALWAYS felt like the the roof, front doors and tailgate are 800Nm from 2050-4500rpm and is
Audi Sport flagship. Its bonkers past carried over, with every part sculpted ➜ hooked up to an eight-speed
most famously includes a V10 engine to look more aggressive, most notably Tiptronic auto and a proper Torsen
and has amusingly mixed supercar- the flared wheelarches (housing wider ABOVE Just differential-based permanent four-
baiting performance with practicality tracks and bigger alloys), bonnet, rear like the engine, the wheel drive. There’s also a torque-
over four generations now. spoiler, and front and rear bumpers. eight-speed Tiptronic vectoring diff at the rear.
You’ll recognise plenty about this It looks more like a GT3 car than an auto is more about The engine itself is now a mild
new RS6 from its RS7 sibling, and estate with some of the addenda – and, refinement than hybrid, mated to a 48V system to
we’ve come to the USA to test it to these eyes, it’s brilliant. aggression boost energy recuperation. It works
because, surprisingly, it’s the first time Whereas the RS4 has switched to a BELOW LEFT for efficiency reasons only rather
the RS6 has been sold here. V6, a V8 is retained in the RS6 – and Standard RS6 than performance, not that the RS6
Even by Californian standards, the significantly upgraded with a larger overseas wears is wanting in the performance stakes:
21-inch alloys, but
styling is no shrinking violet and quite a turbo and increased boost pressure. upper models ride on 0-100km/h takes a claimed 3.6sec,
change over the classy A6 Avant. Only The twin-turbo 4.0-litre produces carbon black 22s traction off the line aided by a new
launch control system.
Height-adjustable adaptive air
suspension is standard, the car sitting
20mm lower than the A6 Avant. Steel
coils with an interconnected hydraulic
damping system is included on the
range-topping version. Active all-wheel
steering from the RS7 features, as does
the option of ceramic brakes.
There are fewer changes inside,
and less added aggression. The seats
(very comfortable and supportive)
are new, as is the steering wheel,
which has larger shift paddles, but
the capaciousness of the standard A6
Avant remains. Fido should be kept
happy by the 565-litre boot, rising to
26 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
THE RS6 HAS AMUSINGLY MIXED
SUPERCAR-BAITING PERFORMANCE WITH
PRACTICALITY OVER FOUR GENERATIONS
O1
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 27
M
1680 litres with the 40/20/40 split rear engine is extremely flexible and happy
seats folded flat. THE AVANT LIKES TO to be revved all the way to the redline,
Two customisable driving modes and on a wide-open throttle finally
(RS1 and RS2) allow you to pick MAKE PROGRESS IN exhibits aural charm, albeit not at the
out the best bits of the standard levels of an AMG V8. It’s your eyes
Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Efficiency rather than your ears that let you know
modes that tweak all major dynamic A RAPID BUT ULTIMATELY how brisk your progress really is.
components. In the RS2 mode, you can On tighter roads, you can happily
also now turn off the electronic chassis FUSS-FREE WAY use just second and third gear, such
control systems for the first time in an is the wide spread of torque and
Audi RS model. driveability, but gearshifts, whether
With such an extensive and complex scars and abrasions well, those firmer manual or automatically controlled,
specification – there are more than abrasions causing the body to rock. aren’t the event they could be, even
40 ECUs talking to one another – The sports exhaust, even in in the crispest shift mode. The quiet,
it’s surprising that it is so relaxing, the Dynamic mode, is fairly quiet efficient shift is a good metaphor for
comfortable and easygoing as you roll and certainly doesn’t scream 600 the drivetrain as a whole: the RS6 is a
down the road for the first time. You’re horsepower – until you really squeeze machine that likes to make progress in
almost left wondering if you’re driving the throttle and the RS6’s considerable a rapid but ultimately fuss-free way.
the same aggressive-looking car you straight-line pace is revealed. It’s not It’s much the same for the chassis,
stepped into, such is its refined manner, sledgehammer in its delivery in the way which is improved over the previous
which leans more towards comfort that a Mercedes-AMG is, nor raucous in MAIN Bespoke R8 RS6. It turns in more keenly and feels
than sporty. On air suspension, the the way of an Italian or British V8, but aside, the RS6 has a good deal nimbler, the four-wheel
always felt like the
ride is reasonably quiet and cushioned, it’s supremely fast nonetheless. flagbearer as to what steering at work here. Yet its sheer
and even with large 22-inch alloys The refinement at low speeds isn’t Audi Sport can do to size and weight mean it never feels
it manages all but the largest road lost when you push on either. The regular Audi models fully at home in slow corners and
28 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
➜
BELOW Interior
avoids the visual
excesses of the
exterior, with all the
luxury appointments
ensuring smooth and
refined progress
twisty roads in the way it does in you on to do so or really involves you
The faster, flowing ones. Nor does it ever in the process.
The RS6 is a car that impresses
OPPONENT really exhibit much feel through your rather than excites you, and its key
hands or backside. That sense of feel
is improved with steel coils, but lacks calling card is its sheer breadth of
the air’s suppleness and ride comfort. abilities, not just performance ones.
MERCEDES- Whatever the version, there’s a Remember, this is a vast wagon that
AMG C63 S lingering doubt that the RS6 may just weighs more than two tonnes but has
ESTATE be just too big and too complex to get mighty yet undramatic straight-line and
4.0-litre twin- anywhere near the limit of its abilities. point-to-point pace, as well as space
turbo V8, RWD, Still, the RS6 is probably the most for all your stuff and brilliant, relaxed
375kW/700Nm, usable all-round performance car on road manners for the 95 per cent of
0-100k m/h 4.0sec the market, especially when it’s wet drives when you just want to blend in
1725kg, $163,070
and cold. There aren’t many things with and get where you’re going.
this much power that you’d rather use Direct rivals – like the BMW M5,
in those conditions. Mercedes-AMG E63 Estate and Porsche
When you floor the throttle midway Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo – feel
through a corner towards the exit, the more engaging and have greater
diff tucks the rear end in, which adds driver appeal, yet the RS6 feels more
A smaller car, not as
quick, nor maybe as to the confidence and trust you feel usable for more of the time and as
comfortable... but we to get on the power early and for the such arguably makes for the more
don’t get the bigger car to find traction, albeit without that compelling ownership proposition.
E63 Estate in Australia involvement. You’d have to be really Which Audi would probably take, not
and C63 has a lot of
the RS6 vibes, and for pushing it to see the RS6’s playful side only for the RS6 but also for all the new
a lot less coin and even then it’s not a car that eggs era of Audi Sport models to follow.
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 29
M
PORSCHE TAYCAN 4S Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu.
Beginning and end are popular with
Base model is all the Taycan you need tourists, but the hinterland is owned by
local hippies, bikers in show-off leather,
hardcore sports car aficionados and
crazy dudes like Domingo who had
ELECTRIC MOTORS 2 x permanent magnet LIKE: Smooth, quiet and quick; dropped an LT1 engine into his black
synchronous, Performance Battery Plus less grunt than Turbo S, but you
Rating can access it all the time MX-5 and was waiting by the side of
POWER 420kW • TORQUE 650Nm DISLIKE: High-speed wind, the road for fresh meat.
4.5 0-100KM/H 4.0sec (claimed) road and tyre noise; no extended against the Nippovette, but with
We declined the proposed race
WEIGHT 2220kg • PRICE $200,000 (est)
range pack available
the available Electric Sport Sound
BY • GE O R G K A C HE R
generator and the recuperation
WITH THE EXCEPTION of the skimpy the book, you really only need program deactivated, our duck-egg
19-inch wheels, the entry-level Taycan a handful of essentials such as blue Taycan would have snatched the
still looks every bit as sexy as a fully adaptive LED headlights, a couple of clean-air trophy, the noise pollution
loaded Turbo S (which will launch assistance systems and heated seats. ➜ award and the instant torque medal in
Porsche’s first all-electric model in Comparatively equipped and priced to one clean sweep. After all, this car is a
Oz later this year). And all it takes to a Panamera V6 hybrid, the Plus version truly talented tarmac-peeler and apex-
make the interim base model more of the Taycan 4S beats its sibling MAIN whisperer. It coasts with a subdued
Porsche’s first electric
stimulating to drive is the optional in terms of outright performance, car looks every bit a duo-tone chant, plays a brief solo on
Performance Battery Plus, which has emotional driving experience and conventional Porsche the drums when shifting from first into
a capacity of 93.4kW and provides an absolute environmental consciousness. sports car but comes second at around 100km/h, and fuses
overboost output of 420kW/650Nm, We drove the Taycan 4S over a – once it makes regenerative deceleration and hydraulic
Australia at the end of
up from 79.2kWh and 395kW/640Nm. 270km loop from the bottom of the the year – with new- braking to a polyphonic hum that
Although adding $100K worth Los Angeles Crest Highway through age technology and spirals up and down the bottom end of
of extras is the easiest trick in the San Gabriel Mountains to the drive systems the decibel ladder. Beyond 160km/h,
30 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
though, wind noise, road rumble and
tyre resonance take centre stage.
With all fast-forward systems
armed, the Taycan 4S can sprint to
100km/h in 4.0sec and reach 250 no
matter which battery pack is feeding
the motors, but that sort of driving
slashes the driving range from 465
to 265km.
Find the most powerful fast
charger and replenishing the
batteries to 80 per cent takes little
more than 20 minutes. The cost
maximum speed can be set between
90 and 140km/h. When the car is
running on empty, only the front
wheels are driven and top gear
is locked in. Although there is no
mechanical connection between the
axles, 4WD feels at all times very much
like a subtle concerted effort.
Since it can recuperate up to 265kW
by momentarily turning its motors into
power generators, the hydraulic disc
brakes must typically handle only about
10 per cent of the total deceleration
action, which explains the generous six-
year interval for pad replacement.
THE4SISNOT usual bunch of go-faster, feel-better
Our test car was equipped with the
MUCHSLOWER to fill up depends on your energy acronyms like PTV, PCCB, PDCC and
provider, but the cheapest and
PCCM. While these goodies are nice,
greenest way is of course by tiling the
they’re not must-haves like the active
THANTHETURBO ➜ roof of your house and garage with aero pack, comprehensive thermal
management system and predicative
solar panels.
ANDISTHE Taycan is definitely only works on the track. In the Taycan, charging planner. The more ambitious
In any other Porsche, Sport Plus
TOP
the chosen drive mode, the more
SMARTER BUY of the digital age and however, the no-holds-barred setting energy needs to be kept in reserve, and
doesn’t even have a
the system has learned to cope with
is perfect for winding country roads
gear stick. The two-
over 300 different dynamic eventualities
and even busy freeways. Better still, hit
speed transmission
applies only to the rear Individual and lock the air suspension in like launch control, extra-fast charging
axle; front axle is a Comfort, which is reasonably compliant and discharging, repeated acceleration
single speed but not overly soft. runs and continuous highway speeds.
ABOVE Stabbing the throttle at low speed As far as the protective redundancies
A full recharge may coax the two-speed transmission of its DNA are concerned, the 4S
takes nine hours, but to shift briefly back into first, but matches the Turbo. But you don’t need
you can get up to 80 second is usually happy to do all the the Turbo. The 4S is not that much
per cent charge on work, with a clear rear bias in Sport slower and it’s the smarter buy, by
direct current in just
22.5 minutes and Sport Plus. In Range mode, the about 100 grand.
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 31
M
MINI JCW CLUBMAN let you do so without much hassle, but
feedback and feel isn’t abundant.
There are three drive modes: Green,
The fastest Mini to set rubber in Australia Mid and Sport. Green is rather tame,
as you’d expect, and Mid leaves the
dampers in a softer setting while giving
ENGINE 1998cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v, turbo LIKE: Now properly fast; you some access to the grunt from
POWER 225kW @ 6250rpm adaptive dampers a must; Pure
Rating variant provides value the engine. It’s still quite punchy, and
TORQUE 450Nm @ 1750rpm DISLIKE: Could go faster for can provide enough poke if you bump
3.5 0-100KM/H 4.9sec (claimed) the money; still heavy; not the the 8-speed into its Sport setting, but
WEIGHT 1550kg • PRICE $57,900 (Pure)
most dynamically exciting
if you want to drive properly fast you
need the Sport drive mode.
BY • C H R I S T H OM PS ON The Pure isn’t just about the adaptive
dampers and tyres though. As with
CRITICISM LEVELLED at the previous design revised for better aerodynamics, the Pure versions of BMW’s M cars, the
version of the Mini JCW Clubman and it now sports JCW-specific JCW Clubman is cheaper in this variant,
often boiled down to it being not quite steering knuckles. by $5000. While the ‘full-fat’ version
powerful enough to overcome the fact All of this should mean it’s a much of the JCW cops all the gear and more
it’s approximately 1.5 tonnes. better drive than its predecessor, right? ‘luxe’, it doesn’t have adaptive dampers
The new one is here to fix that. With Well, yes, but there’s one more thing as standard, and it costs $62,900
225kW and 450Nm at its disposal, the that the JCW Clubman really needed before on-roads.
new JCW Clubman is able to complete – adaptive dampers. And if you opt The more premium version does get
the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 4.9 for the new ‘Pure’ variant, you get ’em. ➜ a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound
seconds, which feels about right based Standard. Rolling on 18-inch alloys with system, head-up display and electrically
on the driving conducted during its Michelin 225/40 Pilot Super Sport tyres ABOVE LEFT adjusted heated leather seats. And
launch in the Adelaide Hills. (instead of 19s with 235/35 Continental Pure interior lacks a while $62,900 isn’t too bad for a quick
That power is sent to all four wheels PremiumContact6s), the JCW Clubman few mod-cons like wagon with all of the above, the Pure is
via an 8-speed Steptronic auto, the is at its best. leather and HUD, the driver’s choice.
but it’s worth going
same found in the BMW X2 M35i and The new engine makes the JCW feel without for the value Sure, you could buy something faster
M135i xDrive, which both use the same properly brisk, especially when you it provides and more dynamically capable like a
engine as the JCW. consider you’re essentially hauling a VW Golf R for a little less, but if you’re
But there’s more that’s new for the small wagon rather than a hatchback. ABOVE RIGHT anything like the people to whom
JCW wheels have a
updated Clubman. For a start, it’s Its longer wheelbase also provides nice old-school vibe, I’ve suggested that possibility, you’ve
visually different in a few key places, stability in fast, long corners, though at while the calipers they already thought “but it’s not a Mini”. Its
including a fresh fascia, larger exhaust the expense of sharp, dramatic turns cage are anything but appeal is that it’s, as a Mini Australia
exits due to an uprated system, and and quick exits. old and halt the wagon product manager called it, “the uncool
new ducts for cooling both at the front If you like a little bit of playful road rather well cool kid in the corner”.
– two new radiators flank the main movement, the adaptive dampers and OPPOSITE Thanks to its dampers and the brute
one – and at the rear. The wheels have Super Sport tyres can provide the Revised front bumper of a four-pot (thanks, BMW), the JCW
been given a little more camber, and goods, though overcommit and you’re includes two new inlet Clubman Pure might just be the pick of
vents beside the main
the ride height has been lowered by stuck finding a way to round up almost grille to direct air to the entire Mini range… at least until the
10mm. It has also had its underside 4.3 metres of ‘Mini’. The steering will auxiliary radiators JCW GP shows up.
32 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
3
THE PREVIOUS CLUBMAN WASN’T
POWERFUL ENOUGH FOR ITS WEIGHT...
THE NEW ONE’S HERE TO FIX THAT
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 33
M
ABOVE Power (448kW at 6000rpm)
comes from a Volvo 2.0-litre inline-4 that
➜ is both turbocharged and supercharged,
and supplemented by three electric motors
34 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
POLESTAR 1 is carbonfibre) and the whine of the
electric motors creating a unique
aural backdrop that’s not necessarily
Volvo-based plug-in electric hybrid bristles and baffles better than a standard car, just
appealingly different.
However, the Polestar’s real party
ENGINE 1969cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v, turbo and LIKE: Advanced technology; trick is the way it deals with corners.
supercharged + 3 electric motors styling; interior fit-out; instant The trick torque-vectoring motors
Rating acceleration; economy; handling
POWER 448kW • TORQUE 1000Nm DISLIKE: High weight despite do their bit here, rotating the car into
4.0 0-100KM/H 4.2sec (claimed) lightweight body; small boot; not and out of the bends, but so does
the suspension. There are double
WEIGHT 2350kg • PRICE AUD$270K (est)
coming to Oz (LHD only)
wishbones at the front and a multi-
BY • J AM E S D I S D AL E link set-up at the rear, but in place of
Volvo’s adaptive dampers are eye-
acts as a powerful starter/generator. wateringly expensive Ohlins dual-flow
Powering these are two large batteries, manually adjustable dampers, which as
one in the transmission tunnel and an engineering choice is both strange –
another over the rear axle. So you can who wants to get grubby adding a few
see why the car is a bit lardy. Still, clicks of bump and rebound to their
there should be enough power to luxurious sports GT? – and brilliant,
overcome this. because they work so well.
Inside, the Polestar borrows heavily There’s not much feel through the
from Volvo, with the dashboard steering, but it’s meaty and has a
essentially carried over wholesale. cracking rate of response, which
However, special leathers and bespoke further helps the Polestar scythe
trims help lift the ambience, allowing towards the apex with real agility,
the car to hit its luxury GT brief. While and you can sense that the outside
it’s billed as a 2+2, the rear seats really rear wheel is subtly oversped on
THIS THING ISN’T CHEAP AND HAS
SOME QUIRKS, BUT IS A SHOWCASE
FOR WHAT POLESTAR CAN ACHIEVE
IT’S THE FIRST model to emerge from are cramped – as is the boot, which is exit. It doesn’t generate oversteer
Volvo’s fledgling Polestar premium largely full of battery. as such, but helps kill understeer to
electrified car brand. A limited run and ➜ In Pure mode the Polestar uses the deliver a deliciously neutral stance.
hand-built, it’s both a four-wheeled combined 171kW from its twin rear Rapid direction changes reveal a deft
shop window for what the company motors to travel in near silence for dexterity, while those special dampers
can achieve and a taster for what its MAIN about 130km on a charge. Acceleration deliver cast-iron control.
future models will be like. Polestar’s first model is instant and it feels T5-quick, which is The brakes are up to the challenge
At a glance, it would be easy to since becoming an more than fast enough for the daily cut too, a degree of low-speed
independent brand
dismiss the Polestar 1 as simply a two- in 2017 is quite eye- and thrust. Better still, such is the range snatchiness giving way to both
door Volvo S90. But there’s more to it catching, and more that you would rarely need to bother prodigious power and a progressive
than that. Much more. It’s packed with than merely a Volvo its internal combustion engine. To do pedal that has you second-guessing
advanced technology and, apart from S90 with two doors so, however, would be missing a trick. where regenerative retardation ends
the elements of its scalable platform LEFT Engage Power mode and the and friction braking begins.
architecture (SPA) and interior, has Beautifully finished performance gets serious. It’s perhaps Take things easier and the Polestar
little in common with Volvo’s more interior is a highlight; not quite as rapid as you’d expect a does the whole GT thing well. Ride is
mundane models. only 1500 cars will 448kW car to be (that’s the effect of on the firm side, but you can always
For starters, the eye-catching be built (by hand!) in nearly two and a half tonnes for you), soften the dampers a touch. It feels
China, but only in
bodywork (this car really does look left-hand drive but the combination of immediate special inside too, the use of bespoke
good) is made up of hand-layered electric torque and the power of that leathers, premium trim inserts and
carbonfibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP). twin-charged engine mean, in a straight details such as a translucent gear
Even so, the kerb weight is still 2350kg, line, the Polestar easily has the measure selector helping to enhance the already
which makes sense when you realise of, say, a Mercedes-AMG A45. There’s stylish interior and justify the price.
what’s under those lightweight panels. also terrific traction, with only the odd This thing isn’t cheap and has some
Driving the front wheels through an squirm of torque-steer reminding you quirks, but as a showcase for what
eight-speed auto is a turbocharged and that the front and rear axles have no Polestar can achieve in the future, the
supercharged 2.0-litre petrol four, while physical connection. handsome 1 hits the spot. Despite its
at the rear is a pair of electric motors, It sounds good too, the mix of fiendishly complex underpinnings, the
one for each wheel, and another motor supercharger and turbo chatter, quick and composed coupe also has
between the engine and gearbox that gravelly induction (the intake plenum genuine charm and personality.
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 35
05
M
AUDI RS Q8 Pack Plus, this Q8 on steroids comes
Equipped with the optional Dynamic
with carbon-ceramic brakes, quattro
Plain-clothes Urus at a $170K discount, almost sport differential and a deregulated top
speed of 305km/h, up from 250. On
this remote island five flight hours from
ENGINE 3996cc V8, DOHC, 32v, twin-turbo LIKE: Looks; performance; the nearest autobahn, however, the
POWER 441kW @ 6000rpm kind of an RS6 for those who still latest creation by the RS powerbrokers
Rating dare to buy an SUV
TORQUE 800Nm @ 2200-4500rpm DISLIKE: Fuel consumption; is facing more mundane obstacles like
4.0 0-100KM/H 3.8sec (claimed) weight; price; massive CO2 tourists, cyclists, buses, thick fog and
WEIGHT 2315kg • PRICE $225,000 (est)
lots of twisties.
footprint if you give it stick
With Drive Select in Dynamic,
BY • GE O R G K A C HE R overtaking distances shrink and are
➜ more often than not completed in
WITH 600 HORSES roaming the tight Our test car is fitted with silver second or third gear. But there can be
V8 corral and a whopping 800Nm of 23-inch wheels, plenty of brightwork, a split-second delay between lift-off
torque rattling its gates, our master grey brake calipers, a body-colour MAIN Kacher and tip-in before the engine reconnects
stallion parts Tenerife’s herd of rental aero kit and LED matrix headlights reckons the big Audi to the torque surf. As the V8 zooms in
actually looks nicer
car ponies as if it had sailed across the embedded in dark housings. Even with than the E-Tron on its 7000rpm cut-off, a red upshift
Sea of Galilee. Even though the new a huge Zorro mask and a laser sword to electric SUV and even blitz will in manual mode alert the
RS Q8 is all muscle inside, though, clear the notoriously jammed overtaking the E-Tron Sportback, driver to click in the next act.
it doesn’t strike onlookers as Hulk lane, the aggro element relayed by the but dreams of a Floor the throttle in preparation
lightweight version
Hogan’s motorised alter ego. new Audi is far from objectionable. that sheds 250 kilos for a standing start before stepping
36 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
FLOORTHETHROTTLEANDTHE2.3-TONNE flat and composed almost irrespective
of radius, surface and speed. When
kicked in the butt, exiting a bend is
MONSTERSQUATSDOWNAFRACTIONBEFORE often accompanied by a faint trace
of oversteer, but proper slides only
LAUNCHINGTO100KM/HINARAPID3.8SEC happen on gravel or when ESC is fully
deactivated. More than anything, this
car loves quick esses and multi-lane
roundabouts.
off the brake and the quattro system Your two favourite blends can be Dislikes?
automatically diverts 85 per cent of the stored and summoned by pushing the Well, the brakes could do with
twist action to the rear, which squats RS button on the steering wheel, or more initial bite, less effort under full
down a fraction before launching the you can switch to the sporty shifting pressure and a later ABS interaction.
monster to 100km/h in a rapid 3.8sec. program by flicking the stubby drive- The engine comes equipped with
Press on and the RS Q8 surges to by-wire gear selector to the left. an electrically assisted charger to
200km/h just 9.9sec later in fifth gear. Should you feel the itch to leave the compensate for initial turbo lag, but
The eight-speed auto is ambitiously beaten track, the lift function increases despite this and other mod cons it
spaced except for the top two ratios, ground clearance by a useful 90mm. doesn’t pick up revs eagerly enough
which are calibrated to cut revs and Fears that our optional show-off ➜ from 2500rpm in second and third
save fuel at autobahn velocities. wheel and tyre combination might gears. The flow is more flawless in
Drive Select accesses vehicle destroy the ride are unfounded; the TOP RIGHT Dynamic, which encourages faster
dynamics in a somewhat different 295/35 ZR23 footwear is vulnerable but The interior is one gearchanges, quicker throttle response
manner than the Anima and Ego neither knobbly nor noisy. big mirror cabinet and more involving steering action –
controls unique to the related One optional extra worth having is until grease marks but coasting is a no-go with the chips
Lamborghini Urus. In addition to active anti-roll bars, which improve the progressively dim it; locked in this setting.
selecting one of six fixed programs, ride in a straight line by decoupling not one of Audi’s best The future might belong to EVs, but
the driver can tweak the individual the split stabiliser bars while at the ABOVE LEFT right now the combustion engine still
characteristics of engine, transmission, same time reducing roll, yaw and pitch Optional big rubber rules, especially in this 600-horsepower
steering, air suspension, all-wheel through fast corners. is an obvious bonus turbocharged V8 form. All the same,
on smooth roads, but
steering, sound pattern and air con In combination with the pronounced dislike standing water mild hybrid and cylinder deactivation
to three different parameters labelled rear torque bias, quattro sport diff and and deep longitudinal are part of the package, just in case
Comfort, Balanced and Dynamic. rear-wheel steering, the RS Q8 remains grooves Greta T drops in for a cuppa. M
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 37
M FRONTEND.FRONT END.JUSTLAUNCHEDJUST LAUNCHED
AUDI RS Q3 06
Small performance SUV gets angrier looks and more power
but the smoothest road surfaces to feel
ENGINE 2480cc inline-5, DOHC, 20v, turbo LIKE: Reduced weight; extra
POWER 294kW @ 7000rpm power; AWD traction; grip levels; rutted and coarse. It’s more refined at
Rating information screens city speeds, and fares much better than
TORQUE 480Nm @ 1950-5850rpm DISLIKE: Fewer exhaust some harshly sprung rivals, but the
4.0 0-100KM/H 4.5sec (claimed) theatrics; steering feel; interior focus is very much on assured handling
WEIGHT 1715kg • PRICE $90,000 (est)
finish; hesitant automatic
over comfort.
Inside, front sports seats and a flat-
BY • T O M M O R G A N
bottomed steering wheel set the RS
THE SECOND-GENERATION RS Q3 torque to the rear axle, and it always apart from the recently facelifted Q3.
arrives in a crowded market – a far cry remains composed when hustled out ➜ It gets the same 10.1-inch infotainment
from the original car, which effectively of corners. screen and 12.3-inch virtual cockpit
kick-started the trend for performance The five-pot’s solitary turbocharger ABOVE instrument cluster, with an additional
compact SUVs when it arrived in 2013. doesn’t deliver a singular punch of New RS Q3 majors RS-specific screen that puts rev count,
on performance
Sitting 10mm lower than a standard thrust, managing instead to mete out over comfort speed and other performance metrics
Q3 and riding on 20-inch alloy wheels shove throughout the rev band and right in your eyeline.
(21s on the test car), the RS now gets onto a 7000rpm redline. It can be BELOW Overall, the RS Q3 is a pricey
Interior tech is near
twin exhausts, but a petrol particulate violently fast off the line, the Quattro top of the class, but compact SUV in a class filled with rivals
filter means the carryover five-pot system helping provide the traction of scratchy plastics are that best it for interior finish, if not
turbo engine doesn’t pop and bang a pricier Macan Turbo. a little unbecoming outright pace.
quite as vigorously as before. Access to all that power isn’t always
Liberal use of aluminium has reduced instant, though; the auto takes its time
weight by 26kg, and power has been to drop cogs unless set to Sport mode.
tuned to 294kW. Quattro permanent This can be troubling when attempting
all-wheel drive and a seven-speed auto overtakes, so it’s better to use the
deliver 0-100km/h in a rapid 4.5sec. wheel-mounted paddle-shifters for a
Meteoric point-to-point progress is more direct response.
the order of the day here, not driver Happily, the addition of two
engagement. There’s plenty of grip but customisable RS driving modes (via
a slight disconnect between what the the steering wheel) makes it easier
front tyres are doing and your inputs to switch from regular driving to
through the progressive steering rack, maximum performance, though the
which speeds up the further it turns. adaptive dampers are best left in their
The Quattro all-wheel drive system most comfortable setting. In Dynamic
can send as much as 85 per cent of the they become extra stiff and cause all
38 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.
The only SUV you choose with your heart.
By the time you discover the capabilities of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio as an everyday SUV, it won’t really matter. By all means, go ahead
and discover, for example, the spacious interior that comfortably seats a family of five and easily stows all of their gear in its flexible, ample
cargo area. Satisfy yourself that your loved ones will be protected by a full array of the latest active and passive safety technologies.
Explore the level of quality genuine materials and craftsmanship, along with advanced technologies you’d already assumed as standard.
Experience the beautiful balance of ride and handling, courtesy of its ‘Q4’ AWD system. Confirm that in the flesh, it looks even better in red than
it did in the pictures. Indeed fulfill a level of due diligence commensurate with your status in life; make sure there’s no compromise. After all, we did.
But remember, it’s already too late. Because, by the time you’ve discovered all of the elements that go into making a contemporary premium
SUV such as the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, you’ll already have been seduced by its unique Italian design. You’ll already know it has a level of performance
and dynamics enabling it to set a lap record of the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and propel it from 0-100km/h in a supercar-like 3.8 seconds.
And you might even already be addicted to its intoxicating exhaust note. In fact, you’ll already know all you really need to know.
Find out more at alfaromeo.com.au
M FRONTEND.FRONT END.JUSTLAUNCHEDJUST LAUNCHED
LOTUS EVORA IPS
Does a self-shifter spoil a great sports car?
ENGINE 3456cc V6, DOHC, 24v, supercharger LIKE: Superb dynamics; grip;
POWER 306kW @ 7000rpm docile around town; incredible
Rating noise; user-friendliness
TORQUE 420Nm @ 3500rpm DISLIKE: Test car felt a little
3.5 0-100KM/H 4.1sec (claimed) tight; manual gearbox suits the
WEIGHT 1372kg • PRICE $181,990
Evora’s character better
BY • S C O T T N E W MAN
PURISTS WILL STRUGGLE with the 306kW/420Nm. The auto – Toyota’s the world’s best exhaust notes to keep
Lotus Evora Sport 410 Intelligent U660E, if you’re curious – adds 11kg, but you entertained, and if that’s not enough
Precision Shift (IPS). To Hethel diehards the claimed 0-100km/h time actually there’s always the incredible chassis
the idea of an automatic Lotus is drops by a tenth to 4.1sec, though the poise and outstanding steering to enjoy.
anathema, completely contrary to the top speed also shrinks, from 305km/h to The brakes are a little soft at the top of
traditional aims of driving purity. What 275km/h – no big deal. ABOVE their travel but you can drive very hard
Evora is technically
would Colin Chapman think? Choosing the auto also deletes the a 2+2 but the back with complete confidence, as there’s an
Well, Chapman may have been a manual’s limited-slip diff, but to be seat is not suitable immense amount of grip to lean on.
pioneering engineer first and foremost honest it’s not necessary; the engine for humans and Crucially, the auto doesn’t kill
but he was also a businessman. The simply doesn’t generate enough torque the interior quality the fun. The shifts aren’t dual-clutch
former may have bristled at the idea to trouble the 285mm-wide Michelin remains lacking at this rapid and you have to be slightly
price level
of a heavier, power-sapping torque- Pilot Sport Cup 2s at the rear. In fact, patient with downshifts, but there’s a
converter auto, but catering to it doesn’t generate enough torque BELOW nice little mechanical kick on upshifts
customers who don’t want a third pedal to trouble anything. Exiting the tight Despite all its troubled and, as you’d hope, in urban commuting
history, Lotus has
is definitely a smart business decision. corners of our test road, the Evora IPS transformed the Evora it’s zero fuss.
We’ve sampled the Evora Sport felt to take an age to build revs, only from a superb chassis But also slightly confused. Lotus
410 previously and came away very really getting going in the upper reaches with a dodgy interior positions the auto Evora 410 as more of
impressed, but the six-speed manual of the tacho. and a Camry engine a ‘Touring’ variant, yet it’s still equipped
can be a bit recalcitrant when rushed – It’s odd. There’s little weight penalty, into a speedy, snarling with Cup 2 tyres, which are great for
sports car
when, say, changing down for a corner the auto’s gearing is actually shorter and grip but not for ride or refinement, and
under heavy braking – which left us I don’t remember the manual feeling a carbon engine cover, which looks
wondering whether the optional ($2000 particularly lethargic. One possible great but results in essentially zero rear
extra) six-speed auto might be the explanation is that our test car was visibility. In the end, choosing the auto
better choice. extremely new and needed a few more probably only robs you of 10 per cent
There’s no power penalty for kays to loosen up, but it certainly didn’t or less of the Evora 410 experience.
choosing the self-shifter, the 3.5-litre feel 4.1sec-to-100 quick. However, it’s that 10 per cent that makes
supercharged V6 continuing to produce Thankfully, the Evora 410 emits one of all the difference.
07
40 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
PEDAL DOWN.
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1969
2019
KNFIL TERS . C OM
M COVER STORY. CHEVROLET CORVETTE FIRST DRIVE
42 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
BLUE
ANGEL
THE MIGHTY MID-ENGINED CORVETTE STINGRAY
IS ONLY A YEAR AWAY FROM OZ, BUT WE
COULDN’T RESIST DRIVING IT FIRST IN CALIFORNIA
BY J E T H R O B O V I N G D O N + P I C S J AM E S L I P MAN
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 43
YPE SWIRLS AROUND the new Corvette Stingray like few other WHO CARES ABOUT
cars in recent memory. In the US there have been rumours of
a mid-engined ’Vette for decades and people are drooling at TALK OF LEGACY AND
the prospect, or outraged that more than 65 years of front-
engine heritage has been betrayed. It seems to offer the most HERITAGE? MOST OF
outrageous value and yet packs a 6.2-litre V8 with 369kW and
637Nm, and an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox. THE OLDER ’VETTES
US magazines have already recorded sub-three-second runs
to 60mph (97km/h) and 0-100mph (0-160km/h) in the low 7s. SUCKED ANYWAY
This from a car that starts at just $59,995 in its home market, or
$10K less than a Cayman S. No wonder there’s so much hype. It
looks like Corvette has democratised the supercar.
Let’s not spend too long worrying about what went before
and whether placing the engine behind the driver is sacrilege The Stingray weighs 1530kg dry. I wish it were a little lighter,
or simply progress. Holden has announced that the Stingray but the chassis is a hell of a piece of engineering for a car that
will come to Australia in right-hand-drive form, so what will be built in great volumes – up to 40,000 a year – at a pretty
we really need to know is whether this thing is any good. If reasonable price. Encouragingly, the thing you notice when
Chevrolet has finally built a car to take on and beat the rest you walk around the C8 for the first time is just how low they’ve
of the world and it’s available to buy here through your local managed to locate the engine in the chassis. Dimensionally,
Holden dealership… well, who cares about talk of legacy and it’s full-scale supercar – longer than a Ferrari F8 Tributo and
heritage and all that nonsense? Don’t tell anyone I said this, but with a significantly increased wheelbase, a shade narrower and
most of the older Corvettes sucked anyway. 28mm taller.
Sadly, the stylists weren’t as keen as the engineers to cut the Now, let’s talk options. Not leather and infotainment packages
baggage loose. The inescapable truth is that the C8’s styling – of which there are many – but performance options to
is rather conservative, slightly clumsy and very definitely unleash the Corvette’s sharpest, most focused character traits.
➜
weighed-down with all that history. There’s drama in the The big one is the Z51 Performance Package, which comprises
shape, but park it beside something from McLaren or Ferrari uprated suspension with manually adjustable threaded spring
OPPOSITE
Jethro found the new and it looks heavy-handed and rather dated already. Even in seats, bigger brake discs with four-piston monobloc calipers all
Corvette to be more of the context of a 718 Cayman, the Stingray looks like it’s trying round, enhanced cooling, shorter gearing, electronic limited-
a comfortable cruiser way too hard. A shame but maybe not a deal-breaker, as there’s slip diff, performance exhaust and a fixed wing. It’s a USD$5K
than a serious corner so much good stuff going on beneath the fussy lines. option and our Rapid Blue Z51 test car has the additional
carver, even with the Z51
Performance Package The C8 is built around a central aluminium spine, essentially benefits of Magnetic Selective Ride Control (USD$1895). It’s
a three-sided box-section that’s closed for added stiffness also fully loaded with the 3LT interior (USD$11,000), has
BELOW Traction with a carbonfibre panel. Aluminium subframes bonded and Competition Sports Bucket Seats and a few other goodies to
is a C8 strong point,
especially with the Z51’s screwed in place carry the double-wishbone suspension all take the total to USD$83,825. That’s a chunk more than the
upgraded rubber round and cradle the powertrain. headline-grabbing base price, but still spectacular value.
44 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 45
46 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
Swing open the door and drop into the tight-fitting seats and THERE’S SOMETHING
you’ll remain convinced that’s the case. The square-topped
steering wheel looks odd but gives a fantastic view of the INTOXICATING ABOUT THE
instrument binnacle, and the intensely driver-focused layout
shows the C8 team really cared about the person in the hot seat. BIG-CUBE FEEL AND SOUND
The V8 starts with a nice, big boom but settles back to an
almost restrained idle, and even when I hit the Z button on the
steering wheel that has been pre-loaded with Sport or Track
settings for most parameters, the noise is pretty polite. The C8
has Weather, Tour, Sport, My Mode and Track modes as well sure the computer says it hits as hard and fast as a PDK but it
as Z mode, which you can shortcut to via the aforementioned doesn’t feel it. In fact, you could almost be forgiven for thinking
button. The small-block’s smooth, slightly distant noise it was a really good torque-converter auto rather than a dual-
suggests powerful GT car rather than hair-on-fire supercar. clutch unit. It needs more edge.
First impressions continue along the same theme. The Pretty soon you start to wonder if the whole car doesn’t need
ride is extremely good – quieter than even a McLaren with its a bit more edge. The Stingray flows with a lovely sense of calm,
trick hydraulically linked dampers and lack of anti-roll bars – the steering light and precise if a little lacking in texture and
with a lovely sensation of well-oiled smoothness mixed with feedback, the front-end quick to respond but never manic or
effortless precision. Sport is the sweet spot, as Track goes too jumpy, and there’s so much traction available that once the
far for even quite smooth roads. It’s nice to feel such defined nose has bitten you can load the rear axle with torque and
steps between the modes, though. The electric power steering know it will deploy every last bit. There’s a real efficiency about
also has various weighting options but in essence is light, very the way the C8 tackles a road, and it always feels within itself ➜
clean in feel and reaffirms a sense of inherent agility if you even when you’re starting to really push. Yes, there’s a trace of
avoid the needlessly stiff and sticky-feeling Track mode. understeer at the limit, and just occasionally over bumps on OPPOSITE LEFT
Quite simply, there’s a polish and fluidity here that I haven’t corner entry you suddenly sense a lot of weight behind you, Square steering wheel
experienced in previous Corvettes and the dynamic package but this is a car with real composure even under duress. In dominates an interior
that seems to have
immediately feels poised, alert and yet well within itself. And fact it positively invites you to up your own commitment to been designed without
I love the driving position; you sit so far forward and have an experience everything it has to offer. much consideration of
amazing view ahead, very much like an original Honda NSX. What you don’t get is an expressive driving experience or the passenger
The engine is naturally endowed with a fabulous breadth one rich in feedback and adjustability. Try to impose yourself OPPOSITE
of performance, and such is the traction available Chevy has on the C8 by braking hard into turns or really gassing the V8 RIGHT Digital
given the C8 very short gearing in the first two ratios. It’s a early in corners and it remains relatively benign and seems top dash design is more
Empire Strikes Back
nice introduction to the V8’s insistent and linear power, then reluctant to really indulge the driver. It’s extremely impressive
than Rise of Skywalker
once you’re rolling along in third or higher you get to feel its but maybe a shade too buttoned-up.
any-rev muscle. The LT2 V8 doesn’t have the sweet, cultured Having complained about the snappy on-limit behaviour TOP The small-block
tone of, say, the Porsche flat-six in a Cayman GT4, but there’s of the C7, it seems unfair to call the C8 too well-mannered, Chevrolet LT2 V8
provides plenty of urge
something intoxicating about the big-cube feel and sound. If but I can’t help feeling that making it a touch more aggressive but lacks a compelling
only the 8-speed dual-clutch had a tighter, punchier shift. I’m on turn-in and a little stiffer at the rear to bring the tail into soundtrack
d motorofficial f motor_ mag 47
play would make for a more intense and exciting experience. The Specs
I understand this is the entry point for the new mid-engined
Corvette and there are faster, more focused iterations to Sting in the tail
come, but the beauty of rivals from the likes of Porsche is that CHEV CORVETTE STINGRAY Z51
they play the everyday card perfectly and then offer infinite BODY 2-door, 2-seat coupe
entertainment and adjustability. A little more of that split DRIVE rear-wheel
ENGINE 6162cc V8, OHV, 16v
personality would be very welcome.
BORE/STROKE 103.2 x 92.0mm
Even so the new Corvette is a deeply impressive car. Its talent COMPRESSION 11.5:1
runs deep and doesn’t feel artificially magicked out of extreme POWER 369kW @ 6450rpm
tyres or crazy spring rates. The feeling of agility and composure TORQUE 637Nm @ 5150rpm
POWER/WEIGHT 241kW/tonne (dry)
is inherent in the chassis, suspension and engine location. Even TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch auto
better is that the car celebrates its mid-engined configuration. WEIGHT 1530kg (dry)
The styling had led me to believe the Corvette might feel like SUSPENSION double wishbones, adaptive dampers, coils (f); double
wishbones, adaptive dampers, coils, anti-roll bar (r)
its radical new architecture was done begrudgingly rather than L/W/H 4630/1934/1234mm
embraced for all the benefits it can bring. Yet when it’s flowing WHEELBASE 2722mm
TRACKS 1648/1586mm (f/r)
down a twisting road and you feel right at the point of an arrow,
STEERING electrically assisted rack-and-pinion
masses so well controlled and with all that lovely traction to BRAKES 345mm discs, 4-piston calipers (f);
lean on, there’s no doubt the engineers wanted to show that 350mm discs, 4-piston calipers (r)
WHEELS 19.0 x 8.5-inch (f); 20.0 x 11.0-inch (r)
abandoning the old layout wasn’t a necessary evil but instead TYRES 245/35 ZR19 (f); 305/30 ZR20 (r);
opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Michelin Pilot Super 4S
PRICE AUD$240,000 (as-tested, estimate)
This standard Corvette Stingray, even in Z51 configuration, AUD$175,000 (base model, estimate)
PROS Lovely fl ow; driving position; ride; traction; value
isn’t the natural conclusion of that bold step into the future.
CONS Could be sharper; overweight; fussy styling; gearbox
But it’s a hell of a place to start. STAR RATING 11112
THE NEW CORVETTE IS A DEEPLY IMPRESSIVE
CAR AND ITS TALENT RUNS DEEP
BELOW
Mid-engine Corvette concepts have
been around for more than half a
century, but the C8 brings it to reality
➜
48 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
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M COMPARISON.JAGUARF-PACESVRvBMWX3MCOMPETITIONvALFAROMEO STELVIO Q
BY L O U I S C ORD ON Y + PI C S C R I S T I A N B R U N E L L I
DOWN
& DIRTY
IS A BLOWN V8 OR A TWIN-TURBO SIX
THE BEST WAY TO MAKE AN SUV GO
WAY FASTER THAN IT SHOULD? WE
HEAD TO THE FOREST TO FIND OUT
50 january 2020 whichcar.com.au/motor
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