IF YOU live in the UK, you know exactly how much you’re going to be asked for the new A90 Supra.
The same goes for if you live in the United States. Aussies, however will have a very long wait before they get to find out how much one of 2019’s most eagerly awaited cars will cost. Why?
“We’re still working through pricing,” said Manager, Public Affairs Brodie Bott, sounding as if a car that has been teased for an eternity has managed to sneak up on Toyota Australia and catch the company unawares.
We know UK cars range between £52,695 and £56,945, while US models kick off at $49,990 and top out at $55,250. Both the US and the UK already have their launch ranges detailed, with equipment lists and colour choices fully specified.
Here in Australia, we’ll have to wait until close to the model’s launch in Q3 or Q4 of this year to get any indication of pricing and trim.
“We haven’t had a car like this for a very long time,” says Bott. It’s put to him that exactly the same applies to the US.
“That’s a different situation. The US has far bigger volumes than us. They’re around ten times larger than we are. It’s also dependent on when we get stock. We’re still working through the sales process for the car,” he explains.
“We’ll just get the six cylinder engine at the moment,” he says.
Does that mean that a version with a different engine is on the way?
“There may be a four-cylinder car later,” he responds.
The Japanese market is set to receive a pair of BMW B48 turbocharged four-cylinder engines, developing either 147 or 190kW. It’s doubtful we’d get that entry-level motor as it’s below even the power output of the manual 86 coupe, but the 190kW version looks an interesting alternative to help lower that as-yet unknown Supra asking price.
Given that the BMW Z4 with which the Supra shares most of its oily bits retails at around $80,000, that’s not a bad ballpark to start your budgeting from.
Australian buyers usually demand a high-spec option and our entry-level specification could well mirror that of the UK-market GR Supra Pro. That car is equipped with adaptive suspension, an active differential and high-performance brakes. Inside, dual-zone climate control, 8.8-inch infotainment with sat nav, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers and a rear-view camera. That’s in addition to black leather upholstery, a 12-speaker JBL sound system, head-up display and wireless smartphone charging.
Until the tail end of the year, we won’t know for sure. The lucky country? Not this time. In the meantime click through our monster gallery of Supra images and let us know how you’d specify yours.
Subaru has debuted a special edition Ford Focus RS killer at the Detroit Auto Show with the reveal of the WRX STI S209.
Inspired by the Japan-only S208, it produces an ‘estimated’ 254kW from its highly-tuned turbocharged 2.5-litre boxer four, more than any factory STI model in history, that is improved right down to its forged con-rods.
Forged pistons and stronger exhaust valve springs are supported by a host of upgrades focused on increasing power. The fuel, intake and exhaust systems, along with the turbocharger and ECU tune are all newly modified. Meanwhile, an intercooler water spray system has even been added to cool the intake charge in hot conditions.
The chassis underneath the S209 undergoes a similar transformation now that it rolls on 265mm wide Dunlop rubber. They’re 20mm wider than the base car’s tyres and live under widened front and rear guards.
New Bilstein suspension control new 19 x 9.0-inch BBS wheels, held in place by new rose-jointed suspension links in the rear setup and STI “suspension supports” in the front. The chassis is further braced by a flexible front tower bar and sub-frame ‘draw stiffeners’ at both ends.
Aerodynamics are tweaked via new carbon-fibre rear spoiler and S209-specific front splitter with canards. A new carbon-fibre roof helps to drop the centre of gravity, as well.
Handling its newfound power is the same six-speed manual transmission that uses a “performance” clutch and short-throw shifter. Meanwhile, the current STI’s Brembo brake setup hides behind the wheels in all their six-piston and four-piston glory.
Other changes to the interior include S209 specific logos on the seats and side sills. Meanwhile, black door mirrors and a ‘cherry red’ stripe along the rear diffuser signal at its exclusivity.
You can have the S209 either in white with gold wheels, or blue with grey wheels, and only if you live in North America.
It’s not clear how much it’ll cost Americans when it finds dealers late this year, however it’s placed in Subaru’s ‘S-Line’ of STI offerings, the first time it’s reached to America.
Either way, consider us jealous.
The Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 has been revealed, but this time via the official channels.
And what its reveal confirms is that most of the information divulged by forums and leaked documents stacks up to be true.
Ford officially says the Supercharged 5.2-litre V8 in the GT500 will produce “more than 700hp”, or over 522kW, and will be married to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission borrowed from the Ford GT.
“Carroll was always working on the next faster Shelby, I think he would love this Mustang more than any other,” says Ford global markets president Jim Farley.
“A takedown artist, the new Shelby GT500 will surprise supercar owners with its Ford Performance racing tech, supercharged engine and visceral swagger.”
Want to know more about the GT500? We’ve got the details
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and Cup 2 Tyres that were rumoured are confirmed, as well as the Magneride, braking system, and carbon fibre aspects of the GT500.
Ford also adds that it’s been tweaked to feature more than twice as much ‘front fascia opening’ versus the GT350 it will replace, and that its cooling system has been dramatically improved with “six heat exchangers stuffed in.”
“With its supercar-level powertrain, the all-new Shelby GT500 takes the sixth-generation Mustang to a performance level once reserved only for exotics,” says Ford Performance vehicle programs global director Hermann Salenbauch.
“As a Mustang, it has to be attainable and punch above its weight. To that end, we’ve set a new standard among American performance cars with our most powerful street-legal V8 engine to date, plus the quickest-shifting transmission ever in a Mustang for all-out precision and speed.”
All in all, we haven’t learned much about the GT500 we didn’t already know or suspect, but at least we can call it official.
UPDATE #1 (15th Jan 2019): Locally, Ford Australia has confirmed there are no plans to officially bring the car here through dealerships in RHD form.
“There are no plans for a right-hand-drive GT500, which limits our opportunity here,” says product communications manager Damion Smy.
“We’ve seen the appetite for Mustang, which continued as Australia’s favourite sports car in 2018 for the third year in a row, as well as special editions such as the Mustang BULLITT, which resonated strongly, and will continue to explore opportunities for Australian customers as the Ford Performance and Mustang story develops in this country through Supercars and other activities.”
UPDATE #2 (25th June 2019) : Ford has confirmed that the GT500’s 5.2-litre supercharged V8 will produce 567kW and 847NM of torque, and claims that the GT500 will be the most powerful Ford road car ever.
With a specific output of 109kW per litre, the GT500 outguns the Dodge Challenger Demon‘s 626kW engine of 101kW per litre.
After what has seemed like eternity, Toyota is ready to officially show us what the new 2020 A90 GR Supra looks like inside and out, not just accidentally.
So here are the key details and answers to some of the most circulated rumours and questions regarding the A90 Supra.
1. Its engine output remains unchanged from BMW’s tune
Not only does the Supra share the 250kW/500Nm engine output of its 2019 BMW Z4 cousin, they’re also the same as the ‘40i’ variants of the 1 and 2 Series.
If you were worried it would be slow, fear not. Toyota claims it’s even faster than the Z4. But we’ll get to that.
2. It’s 0-100km/h claim is faster than the Z4 M40i
And not only by a little. Toyota claims the Supra will hit 100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, which is three tenths quicker than the Z4’s top variant.
3. We still don’t know how much it weighs.
We asked Toyota Australia, and there’s still no confirmed weight for the Australian spec. Japan’s official data lists the GR six-cylinder Supra at 1520kg based on estimates.
4. Toyota’s putting it under the Gazoo Racing banner
Yep, that ‘GR’ in its name stands for Toyota’s motorsport division turned go-fast division.
5. Its design is inspired by the 2000GT… Toyota says
But it looks an awful lot like the FT-1 concept, doesn’t it? Toyota says that’s because the FT-1 was a preview of what was to come. Playing the long game.
6. Less than 500 will be available in Australia for its first year
Each car will be built in Austria, but Toyota says it’s bringing “less than 500 cars” Down Under for the first 12 months after it launches here in late 2019.
7. It’s very ‘BMW’ inside
Just have a look for yourself. It’s even got BMW’s iDrive system with the same menu. They did add a Supra onto the display though.
The wheel is a mashup of the two brands’ parts, while most of the dash and centre console is Munich’s handiwork.
8. Its wheelbase is shorter than that of the Toyota 86
And it’s got a lower centre of gravity. Prepare for pictures of Supras drifting on racetracks to appear in MOTOR Magazine.
9. It’s all about ratio goals
Toyota’s engineers had a few aims for its characteristics. 50:50 weight distribution and a 1.55:1 ratio between the wheelbase length and track width were the two key goals.
10. Akio Toyoda signed it off with a drive at The ‘Ring
The Toyota President gave it the green light after spending ‘countless hours’ driving an older Supra at the Nurburgring.
“Even though Toyota had no plans to make a new Supra, just like a lot of other diehard Supra fans around the world, I secretly wanted to make it happen,” he says.
“The new GR Supra was born through testing at Nürburgring, and I can honestly say that it is a car that is fun to drive and better than ever.”
FINALLY, the teasers are over, the leaks have stopped, the hype train has pulled up to the station, and the 2020 Toyota Supra has been officially revealed.
The silken covers were ripped off at the Detroit Motor Show, revealing the Supra’s final styling, which incorporates a double-bubble roof, and aggressive rear haunches.
With a drip-feed of information preceding the official reveal, many of the details surrounding the Supra have already been released.
Toyota Australia confirmed fewer than 300 Supras will be coming Down Under in the first 12 months after it launches late this year. All Australian-delivered Supras will have an active differential as standard, and be built by Magna-Steyr in Austria.
Local pricing remains unclear, however Wheels expects the Supra to cost around $75,000 in Australia.
Developed in conjunction with BMW’s new Z4 roadster, the Supra coupe will have a Bavarian-sourced turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine under the bonnet, producing 250kW and 500Nm, sent exclusively to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
We predict some internet commentators will denounce these outputs as being too small, but it’s worth remembering the Supra has a shorter wheelbase and lower centre of gravity than the Toyota 86, and a target production weight of 1500kg.
This equates to a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.3 seconds – 0.3 seconds quicker than the BMW Z4 M40i which shares the same chassis and engine. While impressive, acceleration was never the Supra engineer’s main focus, with the team working hard on perfecting the coupe’s dynamic abilities.
Tetsuya Tada and his team have designed the Supra with what they call a “golden ratio” of 1.55:1 between its wheelbase and track width, along with a 50:50 weight distribution front to rear.
Underpinning the Supra is a new suspension design, with double-joint spring MacPherson struts at the front, and a five-link system at the rear.
While much of the interior is very BMW-esque in appearance, Toyota has added its own twist, installing knee pads in the door trim and on the side of the centre console – a firm indicator of what the manufacturer’s thinks of the Supra’s corner-carving ability.
There are also Supra-specific seats, steering wheel, clocks, and dash roll top amongst the BMW styling.
Development for the Supra has taken several years, with Tada-san and his team testing the car in multiple countries, including Australia, to ensure it meets fans’ lofty standards.
We’ve driven a prototype of the car, and can assure you, Supra fans have plenty to cheer about.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program – ANCAP – is continuing to penalise car makers that do not equip their models with the latest autonomous emergency braking technology (or AEB), this time making an example of South Korean brand Kia.
AEB works to reduce the severity of front-on crashes by taking over braking duties from the driver if certain parameters – like closing speeds between cars – are breached.
Simple AEB systems rely on cameras to measure distances, while more sophisticated systems use a combination of cameras, radars and laser radars (called lidars) to improve the quality of the information fed back to the car.
This in turn allows the car to more easily identify smaller, slower-moving obstacles like pedestrians and cyclists, and usually from higher speeds than single camera-based systems.
To highlight the importance the local vehicle safety assessor places on high-level pedestrian protection technology, ANCAP has taken the unusual step of awarding the 2019 Kia Cerato a split rating.
The Cerato, which competes against other small sedans like the Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra, was crash-tested at ANCAP’s Sydney headquarters, where its front and rear occupant structures passed with flying colours.
The more premium Sport Plus and GT Cerato variants are fitted with the highest level of AEB, which includes both pedestrian and cyclist protection, earning them the full five-star rating.
However, the camera-only AEB system that comes standard on the more affordable Cerato S (above) and Sport reduces the rating to four stars.
Kia Motors Australia media and corporate communications general manager Kevin Hepworth explained that he expected many S and Sport customers to option their more affordable Ceratos with a $1000 Safety Pack, which adds the more advanced AEB for the full five-star rating.
“There’s quite a few (customers) now taking it”, he said. “The car still represents terrific value, even with the $1000 added to it.”
The option also bolts on rear cross traffic and lane keep assistance as well as the higher-end AEB, which uses radar technology as well as a camera for a more detailed view of hazards in the road ahead.
Instead of including the option as standard fare, Hepworth said price was crucial at the entry point of the segment, and a majority of customers would prefer to make the decision whether to add the option themselves.
“$1000 at base purchase is a fair degree – that’s five to eight percent of the car,” he said. “The customer makes their own mind up on it … It’s all relative in the market”.
The base Cerato S kicks off from $19,990 before on-road costs, and a sub-$20,000 price ticket is a powerful marketing tool in the fearsomely competitive small hatchback and sedan market.
ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin said the latest Cerato scored well in both adult and child occupant protection, but better protection for other road users would have earned the full five stars for all variants.
“The Cerato performed well in its protection of adult and child occupants, scoring 90 percent and 83 percent respectively,” he said.
“All variants offer autonomous emergency braking and lane support functionality; however, the AEB system fitted to S and Sport variants offers reduced performance.
“Kia should be commended for offering an affordable vehicle which meets todays demanding five-star requirements and we would recommend consumers opt for a five-star variant as they provide added safety benefit to all road users.”
A teaser image of what’s believed to be the next-generation Holden Trax crossover has appeared at a General Motors investor presentation on the eve of the Detroit Motor Show.
The shadowy image shows what appears to be the next Trax, which is sold with a Chevrolet badge in the US and other markets, sporting more aggressive lines that clearly reference the larger Chevrolet Blazer SUV (pictured below) – which is also reportedly on Holden’s wish list.
A new, aggressively-styled baby crossover can’t come soon enough for Holden, which sold just 5433 of the current six-year-old Holden Trax last year – a 27 percent drop from 2017, and well behind main rivals including the Mitsubishi ASX (19,034), Mazda CX-3 (16,239) and Subaru XV (12,937). That result stings especially hard, given the small SUV category is one of the fastest-growing in Australia.
However the arrival of an all-new – and more attractive – replacement would fit well with Holden’s plans to progressively refresh its SUV portfolio, which since late 2017 has seen the introduction of the Holden Equinox mid-sized SUV and Holden Acadia seven-seater.
Apart from spy shots of a heavily camouflaged test car, little is known about the second-generation Trax except that it’s likely to be built on GM’s new high-riding platform, dubbed VSS-S. With VSS-S engineered from the outset to be able to support right-hand drive models, it appears there should be few obstacles in the way of Holden receiving a much sharper replacement for its struggling small SUV.
UPDATE:
The HKS Zero-R has now been living with V-Spec Performance since late 2019, and made its debut to the public locally at the V-Spec Performance open day on 30th November 2019!
MOTOR Magazine Associate Editor Scott Newman attended and filmed a walkaround of the event, which you can watch below.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
One of only four HKS Zero-R R32 Nissan Skyline GT-Rs has sold at the BH Auction sale during the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon.
And there’s good news in this for Aussies who hope to spot one in person one day – it’s coming to Australia. Melbourne-based workshop V-Spec Performance has secured the car with a winning bid upwards around AUD$191,000 leading to a final sale price of AUD$212,000 (or 16.5 million yen).
The HKS car has had modifications to the extent that there are no longer Nissan badges visible, and that there was enough interest in the work HKS carried out that the Sultan of Brunei ordered one of the four – which we’d expect is sitting idly in his extensive garage.
While work on the four HKS Zero-R cars originally began in the 1990s, the project was abandoned until the mid-2000s when it became easier to have them approved and registered as road-legal cars.
Much of the car has been altered or replaced with HKS’s own parts, with the engine having been upgraded to a 2.8-litre bored-out RB26DETT that produces upwards of 441kW.
In addition, the R32 Zero-R is now a two-seater with the fuel tank located where the rear seats were, while the front of the cabin is a custom interior.
The car was part of a list of 50 cars that went under the hammer for the sale, of which many are still yet to have their sale confirmed.
Of the cars that sold, the most expensive were the 1990 Ferrari F40 which fetched 121,000,000 yen (AUD$1,557,000), a Ferrari Testarossa tuned by Koenig sold for 31,350,000 yen (AUD$403,000), and another Skyline, this one an R34 V-Spec II Nur for 24,200,000 yen (AUD$311,000).
Honourable mentions should go to the AMG-tuned 300SL Gullwing of which only 11 exist (and only two in RHD), the Group A R32 racer, the HKS-built ‘Kamikaze’ R35 (with more than 745kW!), and the Caparo T1 for all being almost equally rare and impressive.
BY MOST standards, Porsche had a tough time of it in 2018.
Its most popular models were in runout, it had all kinds of issues with supply due to new WLTP emissions testing and it withdrew a bunch of diesel-engined models from sale in the rumbling aftershocks of Dieselgate.
For any other manufacturer, those are the excuses that you go cap in hand with to the board. Not Porsche. It once again had record sales in 2018. How?
It’s hardly news that Porsche is now a company that builds SUVs with a sideline in sports cars. No matter how much they’ll proclaim the opposite, the numbers speak for themselves.
Of the 256,255 cars Porsche delivered last year, Cayenne and Macan SUVs contributed 157,489 to that number. Despite sales dropping by 11 percent year on year, the runout-model Macan was still Porsche’s best seller, shifting 86,031 units, which is quite amazing given that it didn’t even exist five years ago.
New Porsche 911 992 first pictures
Porsche’s flagship sports car, the 911, could have been forgiven for shedding a few sales given that an all-new 992 generation car is replacing the 991 version, but new models like the Carrera T helped swell final full year sales for this model to 35,573, up 10 percent against last year.
The 718 Boxster and Cayman models tracked fairly flat, down one percent, with 25,114 cars finding new owners, which left the biggest success story of the lot, the new Panamera. This saw sales step up by 38 percent from 27,942 in 2017 to 38,443, in the process overtaking the 911 for the first time ever.
To put these numbers into perspective, back when the 991-generation 911 was first shown in 2010, Porsche sold 95,564 cars. Within one 911 shape, the company has multiplied its sales by two and a half times.
That’s incredible. Even more amazing is the fact that in 1995, Porsche sold 19,262 cars. The company’s come a long way and it has its SUVs to thank for providing the coin. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t help but respect them.
AYRTON Senna, arguably Formula 1’s greatest driver of all time, has been immortalised in a 160kg life-size bronze statue unveiled at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham.
The incredibly detailed sculpture was created by UK artist Paul Oz, and depicts the three-time F1 champion cornering in his cramped cockpit through the famous Eau Rouge sequence at Spa-Francorchamps.
The 12-month-long process to complete the project involved hundreds of images which were then turned into a 3D clay model. Details such as sponsorship logos on his suit were immaculately etched into the model before wax casts were made and sent to be filled in a foundry.
Three bronze models were cast, with one sent to the McLaren Technology Centre, one donated to Senna’s Brazilian-based charity and the third is for sale.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Senna’s death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix and the statue was created with respect to Senna’s five wins at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Speaking of the unusually-posed statue, the artist said “it’s a position alien to most and even many F1 fans don’t appreciate how extreme it is, even back in the 1990s.”
“If there’s one thing that I am happiest about with this statue it’s the dynamic and balance of the position.”
The artist himself is an F1 memorabilia collector and donned his own replica Senna helmet and race suit to pose in research photos for the project.
If you can’t justify the $354,000 price tag for the life-size version, an additional 41 statues (representing 41 race wins) are being created that are roughly one metre long – at a price of £49,000 ($87,000).
Some might wonder why the artist chose Eau Rouge in particular for the driving position of the statue. Well, we’ll let Ayrton Senna himself answer that question.
“If you take away Eau Rouge, you take away the reason why I do this,” he said in 1993.
