WHAT IS IT

If you’ve got just north of $100k to spend on a sports coupe, the market’s been a three-way carve up. Hardcore option? Buy a Lotus Elise. Need back seats? BMW M2. Want the most polished performer? Spring for a Porsche Cayman. Beyond that, you were into varying degrees of self-flagellation. Alpine’s A110 now offers a fourth way and a very appealing one at that. But is it really good enough to level with the best driver’s car in the class?

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WHY WE’RE TESTING IT

We had an invite to give the Alpine A110 a vigorous workout on this year’s Targa High Country event, which represented the perfect opportunity to see how the car coped with demanding Australian roads at the sort of speeds that would normally have us worrying about our licences.

MAIN RIVALS

Alfa Romeo 4C; Audi TTS; BMW M2; Lotus Elise; Porsche Cayman

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THE WHEELS REVIEW

THERE’S one question you probably have about the Alpine A110. Can it really be that good? If you’d read the initial reviews on the car you may well be excused for thinking some fairly seasoned motoring journalists got a bit giddy after their first encounter with the Alpine, gushing like hormonal shopping channel hosts. I’m hoping it is as good as billed, because I’ve just climbed into one at Targa High Country, and my co-driver’s pace notes for the first stage include a road that’s wriggling up the face of a hill like an overcaffeinated nematode worm.

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First impressions are good. The A110 draws a crowd, event photographers in thrall to its slinky shape. Alpine shies away from the retro tag, preferring to imagine that this is what Jean Rédélé’s original 1961 A110 would have developed into given a continuous product evolution, but there’s an unashamed nod to the past here. Cast a critical gaze through the cabin and it’s not difficult to find parts-bin commonality with some fairly blue-collar Renault models, but it’s fairly stylishly integrated, bold in its execution and, most importantly, works well. The car we’re driving is the range-topping Premiere Edition, priced at $106,500 plus on-roads and limited to just 60 units. Featherweight Sabelt buckets, 18-inch Fuchs alloys, Brembo bi-material brakes and an active sports exhaust contribute to the asking price, although there are also $97,000 Pure and $103,500 Legende models on offer.

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Glance beneath and you’ll spot the double wishbones at each end, the neatly bonded and riveted aluminium chassis and the positively avian anti-roll bars. Because the car is so light, the front one is 17mm across; slighter than some Mont Blanc fountain pens. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres are a modest 205 section at the front and the brake discs are from a Clio. The springs look like they’ve been purloined from a 125cc MX bike, but at 1103kg, the Alpine isn’t giving them too much in the way of physics to deal with.

Switch it into Sport and floor the throttle and it leaps off the line smartly. Track mode is also available, holding gears to the redline and slackening the stability control off still further, but I’ve just seen the tyre tracks of a Lotus spearing off the side of the hill into nothingness, so I’m glad of a little contingency. The seven-speed dual clutch is a quality installation but not a particular highlight, and Alpine has gone on record saying that there will never be a manual, or a powerplant with more cylinders than the quartet you get here.

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The noise is raw and urgent in the sportier modes, almost as if a sound symposer has been jacked up to 11, but it’s the real deal. It burbles on the overrun and hardens into an angry, metallic zing with a little turbo whistle to round out the harmonic. The electrically assisted steering is crisp and perfectly geared, the pedal weighting is spot-on and there’s even room inside if you’re comfortably over six foot.

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At speed, it’s a revelation. Roads that you’d try to batter into submission in most sports coupes are turned into a flowing, malleable slur of cambers, buttery modulations of throttle and clearly telegraphed roll. It feels balletic, almost slow-motion, such is the car’s natural ability to work smarter; all sympathetic weight transfer and high-definition feedback loops. Provoke it and it’s willing to play along, braking deep into the apex demonstrating amazingly benign yaw damping for a mid-engined car.

So to answer the initial question, yes, it really is as good as billed. Here’s a car that finally makes good on the lightweight promise and which works in Australian conditions. Best of all it does so without compromising Jean Rédélé’s philosophy one iota. Bien joué.

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THE WHEELS VERDICT

The Alpine A110 is the perfect solution for those that cherish light weight and efficiency but don’t relish the prospect of a bone-shattering ride and typically flaky low-volume build quality. It feels made for Australian roads, with a rangy pliancy to its chassis tune and a gutsy, turbocharged 1.8-litre with decent flexibility. Import numbers are capped so the A110 will remain a rare sight on our roads, but a lucky few will have landed a genuine game-changer.

PLUS: Pace; soundtrack; ride/handling balance; efficiency; styling; value; exclusivity MINUS: Some cheap interior plastics; dinky shift paddles; poor cabin stowage; little badge equity in Australia

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SPECS

Model: Alpine A110 Premiere Edition Engine: 1798cc, inline four, dohc, 16v, turbocharged Max Power: 185kW @ 6000rpm Max Torque: 320Nm @ 2000rpm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1103kg 0-100km/h: 4.5 sec (claimed) Fuel economy: 6.1L/100km Price: $106,500 On sale: Now

First the bad news. Toyota has unveiled TRD versions of its Camry and Avalon sedans ahead of the Los Angeles show later this month, but has said nothing about any supplementary kilowatts. That makes us a little bit sad.

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A little recompense comes via the fact that the #TRDtakeover Facebook video series did suggest that the TRD versions of the XX50 Avalon and the XV70-gen Camry would get a more focused suspension tune. And given the fact that plenty of performance is already available for so little in Aussie Camry models (the V6 is just over $37K and, with 224kW, has more grunt than a Porsche Cayman) perhaps a little cornering control might be just the ticket.

As well as the suspension mods, the usual targets of bodykit, wings, alloys and sportier interior trims have all been given the once-over. Gloss black details and a rear diffuser give a slicker look to the exterior while the cabin benefits from leather and suede seat trims with red stitching and TRD emblazoned head restraints, the red theme continuing with red seat belts and floor mat flashes. We all know that in the absence of extra power, more red is a decent fall-back option.

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We’ll have boots on the ground in LA later this month to bring you all the news from America’s show without the snow, including word on TRD’s plans for Australia.

Toyota #TRDtakeover facebook video series

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Honestly… I don’t know why Victorians didn’t march on their parliament, tearing their rego papers in half, when their government announced it was reducing speeding offence tolerances to virtually zero a few years back.

In one fell swoop, the government of the day helped itself to untold millions of dollars in arguably unjustifiable fines, distanced itself from the actual job of creating a better, safer driving culture and created a zombie army of drivers trained to watch their speedos and not the road.

And now it seems Victoria is stepping things up again. As if hiding speed cameras in poorly-parked unmarked vehicles isn’t enough of a misery for people travelling at 114km/h in a 110km/h zone, now it seems that enabling is the name of the game, with widespread reports that street side window cleaners – you know, the ones that lean over your new car with keys in their pockets while endangering their own lives to make your windscreen dirtier – are being used to dob in mobile phone users to patrol cars up the way.

Seriously?

I’m actually not against the notion of dissuading drivers from being distracted from mobile devices. I actually looked at buying a cell signal blocker that would kill the ability to use a phone in a car, but apparently it’s a $12,500 federal telecommunications kind of ‘please don’t do that’ thing. I digress …

The Western Australian government spent an extra $20 million last year on more cops in more cars … What have the Victorians done? Bought buckets and detergent.

The point is that these kinds of tactics are not the kind employed by an enforcement agency that’s genuinely looking to change behaviours. If you’re sent a ticket in the mail for a minor – I’m talking 4km/h in a 100km/h zone, and please keep the “they reduce the figure” nonsense to yourself – offence, it teaches you nothing but how to use BPay to sort out the fine.

Equally, using a taxpayer-funded patrol car to cower behind a bush, pinging the radar like a tap-n-go machine at 200 metres, is just not right. Sure, the patrol boys and girls have KPIs like the rest of us, but maybe they should be adjusted.

How’s this for a start? ‘I maintain that I will add a minimum number of kilometres to my vehicle’s odometer each shift, with the sole aim of deterring offences before they occur via visible policing.’

Yes, visible policing. It’s not rocket surgery, is it? Put more brightly coloured cars with pretty flashing lights on top out in the daily mix, and watch people’s behaviour change for the better.

The Western Australian government, for example, spent an extra $20 million last year on more cops in more cars to counter a rising regional road toll. What have the Victorians done? Bought buckets and detergent.

I don’t want my cops to be invisible! I don’t want BMW 530d patrol cars skulking down side roads! I can wash my own damn window! Get the coppers out there! Wear those expensive patrol cars out! Ever seen how slowly a convoy of commuters travels when they’re banked up behind something with blues and twos, even if it’s a canine unit divvy van?

I don’t envy the job of law enforcement agencies in controlling and reducing a road toll that should be going down much faster than it is. Equally, policing should be executed in a way that minor offenders are warned and lectured, while the real issues – drug driving, distracted driving and unroadworthy vehicles – can be better process with blue-clad bums on seats.

New month, new mag. This one’s packed with a broad range of fast cars from all over the world, and from the past, present, and even future.

You can find our gorgeous mags at retailers around Australia. Or you can subscribe and save yourself some cash, there’s even a digital subscription.

Or, if you want to give us feedback and see behind the scenes, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Enjoy!

294kW 2019 Mercedes-AMG A45 hyper-hatch preview Upcoming second-gen AMG A45 set to gain hybrid-boost and ‘drift mode’ in bid to take the hot hatch crown!

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2018 Ferrari 488 Pista vs Porsche 911 GT2 RS review Two of the finest fast cars ever, battle it out with one left standing as the victor.

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2018 Ford Ranger Raptor vs HSV Colorado Sportscat HSV’s rock-riding Colorado SportsCat tackles Ford’s Ranger Raptor on road, strip and (rally) circuit.

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2018 McLaren 600LT driven Flame firing, tyre burning and utterly intoxicating, the McLaren 600LT is properly lit.

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World Time Attack Challenge 2018 feature The world’s fastest tin-top creations descend on Sydney Motorsport Park to face the clock.

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2019 BMW Z4 M40i first drive Bavarian drop-top makes a comeback and this time it has the Porsche Boxster in its sights!

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Icon Buyer: BMW Z4 used car guide Salivating over the new Z4? Here’s how to find a mint example of BMW’s first-generation Z4.

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2019 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S 4-door coupe review Four doors, earth-turning twist and a hunger for racetracks define Merc’s new Panamera challenger.

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Tunehouse-fettled Ford Focus RS fanged Ford axed the Focus RS before it built a really fast one. The aftermarket steps in where it left off.

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Long term updates: Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai i30 N Our i30 N claims top step at a hillclimb, whereas the Civic Type R climbs even bigger hills.

News, opinions, and regular features All the usual fun stuff sticks around, including the silly stuff we want to spend money on, the numbers behind every fast or fun car on sale, Morley’s rant, Tim Keen’s tongue-in-cheek musings, and our breakdown of everything happening in the world of fast cars right now.

Head out and pick up a copy, or subscribe and save some dosh!

The second-generation Mazda CX-5 is Australia’s biggest-selling SUV, ahead of the sharply-priced Mitsubishi ASX, and its key mid-sized rivals including the Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4.

A major part of its popularity is due to a decent standard equipment list that includes autonomous emergency braking and plenty of choices including a diesel and two petrol powertrains paired with front- or all-wheel-drive (AWD).

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The mid-spec CX-5 Touring is arguably the pick of the CX-5 bunch in terms of value, offered as two versions; a 2.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre twin-turbo diesel, both of which drive all-four wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.

We tested the 2.5-litre petrol that’s $3000 cheaper, not much thirstier than the diesel and the better buy if most of your driving is around town.

PRICING

The Mazda CX-5 Touring price sits in the middle of the CX-5 range, with the 2.5-litre petrol version retailing for $38,590 before on-road costs. That’s about $10,000 more than the entry-level CX-5 Maxx FWD manual, with about half that premium justified by a more powerful petrol engine, automatic gearbox and AWD traction – before you factor in significantly more creature comforts including the premium-look interior.

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The 2018 Mazda CX-5 range is priced as follows:

• CX-5 Maxx FWD 2.0L manual – $28,690
• CX-5 Maxx FWD 2.0L – $30,690
• CX-5 Maxx AWD 2.5L – $33,690
• CX-5 Maxx Sport FWD 2.0L – $33,990
• CX-5 Maxx Sport AWD 2.5L – $36,990
• CX-5 Maxx Sport AWD 2.2L diesel – $39,990
• CX-5 Touring AWD 2.5L – $38,590
• CX-5 Touring AWD 2.2L diesel – $41,590
• CX-5 GT AWD 2.5L – $43,590
• CX-5 GT AWD 2.2L diesel – $46,590
• CX-5 Akera AWD 2.5L – $46,190
• CX-5 Akera AWD 2.2L diesel – $49,190

The Mazda CX-5 Touring’s price tag compares well with similarly equipped and powered medium SUVs, including the new Subaru Forester 2.5i-S ($41,490) and the Volkswagen Tiguan TSI132 Comfortline ($41,990).

It’s 2.5-litre petrol engine consumes regular-unleaded at an official combined rate of 7.5L/100km, which isn’t bad when compared with the 2.2-litre twin-turbo diesel’s 6.0L/100km.

The Mazda CX-9 is covered by Mazda’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Detailed information about the entire CX-9 range can be found in the Mazda CX-5 Range Review.

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STANDARD FEATURES

The Mazda CX-5 Touring comes with some decent kit for a sub-$40k SUV, which includes:

• 7.0-inch touchscreen with rotary dial
• Reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors
• Satellite navigation
• Head-up display
• Cruise control
• Traffic sign recognition
• Keyless entry/start
• Dusk-sensing LED headlights
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
• Dual-zone climate control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind spot monitoring
• Rear-cross traffic alert
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• ‘Martex’ faux leather upholstery
• Heated, auto-folding exterior mirrors

SIZE

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The CX-5 measures 4.56m long by 1.84m wide and has a 2.7m wheelbase, which makes it one of the roomier medium-SUVs, with plenty of leg and headroom in both rows.

The 442-litre boot space isn’t the biggest in class, but it does have a broad floor space. The second row seats split-fold 40-20-40, so that you can carry longer items while still seating two rear passengers comfortably.

SAFETY

The CX-5 Touring comes with mandatory stability control, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and six airbags including side curtains protecting both rows.

Its autonomous emergency braking, which Mazda calls SmartCity Brake Support uses camera-based sensors to scan the road ahead for cars and pedestrians and functions at speeds up to 80km/h. The system works in reverse up to 8km/h to help avoid parking bingles.

The second-generation CX-5 received a five-star ANCAP rating in September 2017.

COMFORT

The CX-5 Touring’s seats are trimmed with part real, part synthetic leather, which provides a premium look, while plush cushion bases and backrests providing good comfort and upper-back support.

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The interior design is refined with tasteful use of metal finishes, stitching and soft touch surfaces.

Noise levels in the cabin, which was the main flaw of the previous model, have been reduced significantly, with both tyre and wind noise well subdued and the 2.5-litre petrol engine goes about its job reasonably quietly.

The ‘MZD’ infotainment works well but lacks the convenience of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone pairing, however this can be added with a new retrofit kit for about $495.

Ride comfort is good without being outstanding. There are few issues around town, but the ride is busy over rougher roads producing side wobble particularly in the rear seats and secondary bounce after you negotiate bigger bumps.

That said, it handles like a car and has a great driving position, and there’s plenty of storage space, including the centre console bin and a nook in front of the gear shifter to help reduce cabin clutter.

Mazda claims that it designed the CX-5 from rear to front, and that’s evident from the amount of leg room and wide door openings, which open out almost 90 degrees to make getting in and out easy, as well as strapping in little ones.

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Rear-seat passengers also benefit from air vents, and a fold-down centre arm rest with two cup holders and shallow tub with a lid to place devices, where you can also plug in to two USB sockets.

ON THE ROAD

The CX-5 is one of the more enjoyable mid-sized SUVs to drive with great steering and dynamics.

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Cornering grip is excellent too, helped by Mazda’s ‘G-Vectoring Control’ that automatically and imperceptibly reduces engine power slightly as you turn into a corner. This sures up grip and feel at the front end.

The handling can be let down by the ride on less refined roads, which is busy over smaller bumps and never seems to settle.

The 2.5-litre petrol’s free-revving nature is enhanced by a Sports driving mode that takes the engine revs to redline before changing gear. This is good out on open roads or freeway entrances, but you’ll find it too revvy for driving around town.

The CX-5s AWD system is good for light-duty off-road work such as gravel or snow covered roads and gentle tracks.

The Mazda CX-5 has a modest 1800kg braked towing capacity.

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THE VERDICT

Nothing about the CX-5 really stands out, but it ticks enough boxes across the board to justify its continued dominance, winning the mid-sized and overall SUV sales battle on points.

Part of this is due to plenty of choices for buyers in terms of powertrains and specification grades, suiting a wide variety of needs and budgets. It’s within the CX-5’s broad menu that the 2.5-litre petrol Touring represents the sweet spot in terms of value, performance and features.

The COTY 2019 field was one of the smaller in recent years, but no less competitive. Vying for glory were 24 of the best new cars released in the prior 12 months (and a few which haven’t launched locally yet), with 47 variants presented for testing.

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All those vehicles collectively tipped the scales at just over 76 tonnes. The lightest was the Alpine A110, while Porsche’s Cayenne E-Hybrid was the most in need of a fad diet to shave some kilos from the waistline. We even weighed every car present to see which manufacturers were most economical with the truth regarding kerb weights.

All budgets were covered this year, with the field ranging in pricing from the entry-level Volkswagen Polo which cost $17,990, all the way to the Bentley Continental GT, which wore an eye-watering $422,600 sticker price and had over $117K of options tacked on.

Not only was it the most expensive car present, but the Bentley was the quickest, with a claimed 0-100km/h of 3.7 seconds. It didn’t record the highest mid-corner speed on track though. That honour went to another Brit, which narrows the field significantly.

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COTY 2019 also bucked industry trends, with more sedans and coupes present than SUVs, with just 10 high-riding models taking part.

Although local manufacturing has ceased, two of the contenders (Chevrolet Camaro and Holden Commodore) were in some way fettled by Australian workers.

We keep being told electrification is the way of the future, and while Australia always looks likely to be an EV holdout, COTY is starting to show this trend. Of the 24 models present, four included a hybrid, plug-in, or fully electric variant.

At the head of the electrified charge were the Jaguar I-Pace and Hyundai Ioniq, both of which run without a single drop from the bowser.

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Some manufacturers increased their chances of victory by entering more than one model, with Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Holden, and Hyundai represented multiple times in the field.

Those of you that follow Wheels on Instagram would know that testing for Car of the Year 2019 has already been run. The winner will be announced at the Australian Motoring Awards in Melbourne on January 30.

If you want to know what it takes to organise the biggest motoring award in the country, we have a behind-the-scenes highlight featured on our Instagram page.

While the seven judges were hard at work assessing every vehicle in the field for COTY 2019, there was also a substantial support crew ensuring everything ran smoothly. The photography team was hard at work capturing tens of thousands of frames to ensure the magazine pages are filled with lush shots, while a healthy video team ensured the television product looks as schmick as Editor Inwood’s groomed facial hair.

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In total it took a team of 21 people to run COTY 2019, but only Inwood knows who wins… for now. How about letting us know your nominations for the podium? Get it right and you can bask in the rosy glow of satisfaction that you can do in seconds what it took us a week to figure out.

Below is a full list of contenders:

• Alfa Romeo Stelvio
• Alpine A110
• Audi A8
• Bentley Continental
• Chevrolet Camaro
• Citroen C3
• Ford Focus
• Holden Acadia
• Holden Commodore
• Hyundai Ioniq
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Jaguar I-Pace
• Lexus LS
• Mazda CX-8
• Mercedes-Benz A-Class
• Mercedes-Benz CLS
• Peugeot 5008
• Porsche Cayenne
• Skoda Karoq
• Subaru Forester
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Corolla
• Volkswagen Polo
• Volvo XC40

There have been worse times to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From the depths of an ugly war that waged in the mid-1990s, the south-eastern corner of Europe is bouncing back to a period of growth and relative prosperity, fuelled by manufacturing and exports. While unemployment and a large trade deficit remain less than ideal, B&H’s GDP has recovered to a respectable $24bn.

That’s serious cash, but if like me, you are having trouble getting your head around just how many pineapples that is, allow me to put it into context. $24bn is exactly how much Australian gamblers lost last year.

Just let that sink in for moment.

Some reports say as many as one Australian suicide per day is attributed to gambling – a horrid and grim statistic to digest but, as a menace to society, pokies and casinos are categorically upstaged by alcohol.

400 deaths each year might be tied to gambling, but that’s the same number of people admitted to hospital every day in Australia for alcohol-related illness and injury. Of those 146,000 unfortunate individuals, 6000 per year will die from the evil drink.

And yet, it is not another gambling advert that the Advertising Standards Bureau has banned this week. Nor is it an advert for an alcoholic drink.

No. In its wisdom, the band of eight joyless adjudicators holed up in a Canberra bunker decided that a TVC for the Ford Ranger Raptor is so socially toxic that we are not allowed to see it. The ASB believes our self control is so poor that, upon watching this ad, we will leap into our five-year old Corollas and emulate the stunts in the ad.

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Of course, you could argue that the roughly 1200 deaths on our roads each year are equally unacceptable and no one wants advertising that potentially exacerbates the problems. But what is questionable is Ad Standard’s consistency when it comes to deciding what’s acceptable for any advert (regardless of the product) and what is not.

If you haven’t seen the Ford advertisement in question – then click the link in our gallery above. It shows the current flagship of the Ranger line-up emerging from a shed in what appears to a be a location so remote you’re more likely to see Martians than humans, and proceeds to do what the Raptor does best – devour dirt like it’s car cocaine.

Showing the Raptor in any other light would be like filming an ice pick advert in Abu Dhabi.

But “The speed that the vehicle is seen travelling down the dirt road, dramatised by the sound of the engine and filming techniques, appeared reckless,” said Ad Standards. “The panel considered the speed of the vehicle appeared unsafe when the vehicle became airborne”.

Firstly, anyone who watches the Raptor ad and thinks it is okay to conduct those kind of aerobatics on public roads will have already lost their licence. But no one will because it is clearly shot on the surface of Mars.

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And even if you did need reminding that you should not try this at home, Ford includes a disclaimer informing particularly stupid people that the driver is a professional and the dirt that he is turning into powder and occasionally flying above is private.

More so, if it wasn’t piloted by an expert, the Raptor’s chassis is so capable that it can perform its airborne party piece with a complete buffoon at the wheel – the local press launch proved that quite nicely.

All of which, Ad Standards completely ignored.

Even more perplexing than the ruling is the manner in which an investigation is initiated. Under the current arrangement, all it takes is one complaint from a single meddling do-gooder for the organisation to ban an advert.

This time, one objector – and we’re not sure if it was time-rich, going-slowly enthusiast Harold Scruby – sited ‘ultra-fast acceleration’ as a cause for concern. Clearly the complainant didn’t ask Google for the Raptor’s claimed zero-to-100km/h time, because if they had they would have got the answer 10.5 seconds – ultra-slow.

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Apparently ‘revving engine sounds’ troubled another curtain-twitching keyboard warrior. Also listed was the frequently mentioned but rarely contextualised ‘speed’.

But all of these are relative moot points. The key issue here is that Ad Standards is suggesting the general public should not be shown anything mildly irresponsible for fear of individuals going out and doing the same and potentially harming themselves.

If that’s the case then I shouldn’t be allowed to watch adverts about burgers because they will make me fat and then I’ll die. I shouldn’t be able to switch on the telly and watch an advert about Queensland because I might want to go there where the sun will give me cancer and when I try to cool off the sea life will kill me before the melanoma has a chance.

It is not the job of Ad Standards to protect us from ourselves. If someone watches a car advert and decides to go out and recreate the stunts, the job of preventing them falls to an organisation called The Police.

It is unfortunate that people choose to do the wrong thing at the wheel, but there is however, a poetically simple solution that we can borrow from those gambling and alcohol promotions.

It seems, while you are trying to sell the general public something that, if abused, will lead them to an early grave, including gambling and drinking, all you have to do is overlay two simple words and you can avoid the mire and wrath of Ad Standards.

The new Ford Ranger Raptor – enjoy responsibly.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14

A year following the closure of Holden’s manufacturing plant in Elizabeth, South Australia, the Lion brand has thrown open the gates its proving ground in Lang Lang, Victoria, specifically for owners of VF Series II Commodore, Calais and ute limited edition models.

Holden produced 1200 Commodore Motorsport Edition manual and automatic sedans, 360 Calais V-based Director auto sedans and 240 Magnum manual and auto utes, with over 500 owners participating in an enthusiast club for the models – 86 of which attended Lang Lang.

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It is extremely rare for the Australian division of General Motors to open its doors to the general public, especially given that its local designers and engineers are known to be working on – primarily with validation testing – Buick and Cadillac models not yet released.

Holden confirmed that the event was organised by an employee at the proving ground, who also owns a VFII limited edition, and the day was given the company’s blessing to go ahead.

Photography revealed exclusively to MOTOR showed Red Hot to be the dominant colour of the day, with 21 of the 86 lining up and taking turns across the skid pan, the ride and handling loop and then high-speed bowl. Heron White took a close second with 19 examples, while Spitfire Green, Son of a Gun Grey and Nitrate Silver rounded out the cohort.

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Holden also wheeled out two left-hand drive Chevrolet SS prototypes, which formed the basis for the magnetic damper-equipped limited edition sedans; and also a left-hand drive original-generation Camaro, the revived US coupe of which was designed in Port Melbourne and engineered in Lang Lang based heavily on the VE Commodore’s Zeta platform.

Each owner further received photography standing beside their limited edition on the skid pan, bunched together on the high-speed bowl and leaving the facility via a tunnel with the Lion logo painted above it.

And of course they were allowed to drive around the famed ride and handling track, with several sharp corners, plus a bumpy-road straight section.

Sometimes, to achieve your best, you have to be given the right conditions to excel. That’s something MOTOR hasn’t really afforded the Skoda Octavia RS245. The reality is, even though it’s more an evolution rather than revolution of its predecessor, we’ve only sampled the new car on a racetrack in Oz. Not exactly a place you’d expect to find a $45,490 family-sized liftback.

However, that’s the beauty of this performance-orientated Octavia. It’s a sleeper, with few design cues pertaining to what lies beneath. And that would be the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo found in the VW Golf GTI.

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The figures come in a 180kW and 370Nm, which is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed wet-clutch DSG (the six-speed manual has been dropped). A recent update sees all RS Octavias now gain this tune and the tricky diff. The RS245 keeps its place atop the food chain with adaptive dampers and extra kit as standard.

While the passive dampers deliver comfortable and engaging dynamics with aplomb, the adaptive dampers (and resulting drive modes) allow for a newfound duality. In Comfort, there’s enough control and absorption of bumps to press on without fuss, the only drawback being slight body roll.

The way the 1366kg MQB chassis handles open-radius, third- and fourth-gear corners is impressive. The renowned boosted four feels stronger than the numbers suggest given the rate of knots that can be achieved. The 225/35 R19 Pirelli P Zero rubber also offers substantial lateral grip, both in wet and dry conditions.

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Yet, for all its competence, there’s one elephant still in the room. The traction issues we felt on track have translated onto the road. To clarify, it isn’t down to a lack of front-end nous on turn-in – the RS245 fervently dispatches understeer into a corner.

However, once through the apex, the Octavia can torque steer wide due to its inability to fully harness all the power with lock. The electronically controlled mechanical LSD isn’t aggressive enough to offer the grip and go (axle tramp also remains) needed out of first- and second-gear bends.

Ultimately, this isn’t an issue most of the time and if you use guiding inputs, rather than abrupt manoeuvres, the Octavia shines. The truth is the RS245 is a Golf GTI in family-friendly clothes. It’s the hot hatch for adults.

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The pricing restructure, addition of the full-fat EA888 engine and LSD to the entire range has slightly muddied the RS245’s waters. It’s now not the clear-cut go-to. But if you want all the goodies and the adaptive dampers, it still makes a lot of sense.

An extended stint on real roads in daily conditions renders the hotted-up Octavia a car you can genuinely use every day, yet also has the ability to excite when the mood takes you. Given the right conditions, the Octavia RS245 certainly excels.

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2018 SKODA OCTAVIA RS245 LIFTBACK SPECS: Engine: 1984cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v, turbo Power: 180kW @ 5000-6700rpm Torque: 370Nm @ 1600-4300rpm Weight: 1366kg 0-100km/h: 6.6sec (claimed) Price: $45,490

Like: Still the Golf GTI for the family; impressive turn of speed; ride and handling; practicality Dislike: Axle tramp and wheelspin still an issue despite the LSD; badge snobs

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Triton has gone from ‘frumpy’ to ‘formidable’ in one fell swoop, with the 2019 Mitsubishi Triton dumping the current model’s anonymous styling for a much more aggressive look.

The under-the-skin changes are more restrained, largely limited to a new six-speed automatic in place of the old five-speed, while the 2.4-litre diesel and six-speed manual carry over. The suspension and brakes receive some modest hardware tweaks, but the layout is still the tried-and-true coil-sprung independent front and live-axle leaf-sprung rear.

We’ve already detailed what it’s like to drive ahead of its local arrival in January next year, but here’s a visual rundown on what to expect from Mitsubishi’s new load-lugger.

Take a good look at our photo gallery above and let us know what you think.

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The visual changes elsewhere are largely limited to new tail-lamps and side sheetmetal on the tub. The doors and tailgate stampings carry over unchanged.

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Australian pricing and specifications will be released in December, ahead of local deliveries in January 2019. We’ll have more information for you then!

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The in-car makeover is more restrained. There are some new panels on the centre console and centre stack, but most of the interior furniture is the same as the soon-to-be-superseded model.

MORE: Mitsubishi Triton Range Review MORE: Mitsubishi Triton Specs, Range & Price