TELL ME ABOUT THIS CAR

Aimed directly at the Volvo XC70 set, albeit in a slightly smaller overall package, the A4 Allroad quattro is unique among cars like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class in that it combines the more traditional premium medium-sized wagon with a crossover. Extra ground clearance and a tougher off-road ready look promise lifestyle and adventure, yet the Audi is still very much a practical, comfortable, safe, and efficient urban family hauler underneath.

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STRENGTHS

• Audi and great design are synonymous. Looking every bit the luxury wagon, the A4 Allroad quattro heaves with eye-catching detailing to put it ahead of the game.
• Real car driveability. Forget lumbering SUVs – the Allroad is about half-way between the regular A4 Avant and the in-house Q5 for ground clearance, yet the easy steering, agile handling, and secure all-weather/all-condition body control.
• The cabin is a masterwork. Eye-catching design fuses practicality and technology to make the Allroad – like all latest-model A4s – feel special inside. Excellent seats, heaps of practicality, and enough room for five adults (and their gear) point to a high degree of efficiency.
• Engineering efficiency. Whether it is the petrol or diesel versions, the A4 Allroad promises to use significantly less fuel than similarly-priced mid-sized luxury SUV alternatives.

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WEAKNESSES

• Audi has been very conservative with its styling, so it’s difficult to tell the latest A4 Allroad apart from the limited-run previous-generation version.
• Headline features like the Audi Virtual Cockpit that turns the instrumentation into a vast digitised info/multimedia screen cost extra – so don’t be fooled into thinking all those dazzling brochure features are standard.
• The base price is getting up there at $71,400 for the 2.0 TDI diesel, and $74,400 for the volume-selling 2.0 TFSI petrol variant.
• Firm ride. Though not uncomfortable, the suspension is prone to occasional hard jolts. The solution – adaptive dampers – are expensive options. They ought to be standard.

If a raised wagon is what you are after, the A4 Allroad’s closest rival is the Volvo XC70 – but that’s a decade old and feels it in every department. Otherwise it’s one of the myriad medium luxury SUVs like the Land Rover Discovery Sport, or save upwards of $20,000 and buy the Audi’s distantly-related Volkswagen Passat Alltrack cousin. Essentially the same type of thing, not quite as elegant or advanced, but the Vee Dub still delivers. Though just a low-riding wagon, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate is also recommended for similar money to the Allroad.

With almost dangerous levels of performance, Caterham’s Seven 620R happens to be the only one it doesn’t let punters build themselves.

They can, however, turn to Lego, as it’s immortalised the fire-breathing 620R into a brick kit due out next month.

It isn’t as nerdy as the 2704 piece Porsche GT3 RS technic set, but with 770-pieces involved, the Lego 620R’s assembly knocks up the car to impressive detail.

Inside, too, you’ll find a gear stick, steering wheel, and seats like the real one’s. The copy-act continues under the bonnet, where the 620R’s crescent intake manifold and slinky intake hose feature.

If this all sounds like your bag, you can thank Carl Greatrix for the honour. An avid Lego and Caterham fan, he submitted his own Caterham Seven to Lego’s Ideas community, a fan-based breeding ground Lego keep an eye on for potential new designs, where it racked up the required 10,000-likes-for-official-review quite quickly.

What’s the price? Lego’s said it’ll cost US$79.99 (AU$104) when it hits stores this October.

TELL ME ABOUT THIS CAR

The Mazda 6 is Mazda’s flagship passenger mid-size car, and one of the few models available in Australia in wagon and sedan form.

It’s a sporty, family-friendly car that is not only the driver’s choice but now also comes with better handling and refinement than before.

STRENGTHS

• Improved handling. Thanks to Mazda’s trademarked G-Vectoring Control, which controls the amount of power delivered to each wheel while driving and turning, the Mazda 6 offers smooth steering and less body roll movement. You notice the difference on windy roads or when turning through a roundabout.
• Interior style. With three updates since it was launched in 2012, the Mazda 6’s interiors are sophisticated and good quality. Updated early in 2015, with some minor tweaks in its most recent September 2016 update, the Mazda 6 is attractively styled. Uniformity of the instrument updates adds a big plus.
• Spacious. Its interiors are more spacious than you’d expect. The only criticism in this area in tall passengers in the back may have an issue with the sloping roofline of the sedan, while legroom is sacrificed in the shorter wheelbase wagon.

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• It’s packed with technology. A seven-inch colour touchscreen, digital radio, reversing camera, head-up display and internet radio integration (via apps such as Pandora) are all included as standard.
• There’s a newly designed steering wheel. The old one wore a bewildering array of buttons and toggles, but Mazda has cleaned them up to make them a lot simpler and easier to use.
• Safety has greatly advanced. Mazda’s camera-based Smart City Brake Support, which will automatically slam on the brakes if it senses you are about to have a low-speed crash, can also recognise pedestrians. On the range-topping model, the radar-based Smart Brake Support now works up to the highest legal speed limit and tries even harder to minimise the damage from a crash.
• The range offers plenty of flexibility. Optioned across four different specs; Sport, Touring, GT and Atenza; in wagon or sedan body styles, with petrol and diesel engines choices on all models except the petrol-only Sport, and eight colour choices (two at a $250 premium), there’s plenty of selection for the buyer.
• Prices haven’t changed despite all the improvements. They range from $32,490 for the petrol-engined Sport sedan up to $49,540 for the diesel-engined Atenza wagon.

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WEAKNESSES

• True to Mazda’s reputation, the 6 allows a bit of road and wind noise into the cabin. Despite sound deadening added to side glass and the roof the difference is marginally better, at best.
• The 2.5-litre petrol engine received an update last year and remains unchanged. While strong, lively and responsive, it does get a bit vocal in higher rev ranges but it’s never unpleasant.
• While the Mazda 6 appeals to the keen driver, there’s no manual option offered across the range.

Rivals to consider include the Toyota Camry, Ford Mondeo, Hyundai i40 and the low end of the Mercedes C-Class range.

Factory team will continue to race Nissan Altimas for another two years.

NISSAN will continue to provide factory backing for its Australian arm to race Nissan Altimas in V8 Supercars, as well as enter two factory Nismo GT-R GT3s in next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

Yesterday’s announcement comes after months of will-they, won’t-they as executives in Japan contemplated the future of factory support for racing in Australia.

Nissan Australia will continue to race as a four-car factory team in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship for the next two years, with Michael Caruso re-signing with the team for the same period.

Caruso won Nissan its first Supercars race since 2014 earlier this year, claiming victory at the Darwin round of the championship.

The Japanese brand will also expand its efforts at the Bathurst 12 Hour, where it won in 2015 and finished runner-up this year.

A pair of Nissan Nismo GT-R GT3s will contest next year’s race, with driver line-ups to be confirmed at a later date.

“When Nissan first opened for business in Australia in 1966, one of the first things we did was to go motor racing.

“Our motorsport program is a way for us to show people what the Nissan brand stands for – through the excitement of our race cars and the innovative and inclusive nature of our fan activations.”

It was confirmed earlier this month Nissan would enter its GT-R GT3 in the final two events of the Australian GT championship at Hampton Downs and Highlands Motorsport Park in New Zealand, with Caruso and GT Academy graduate Matt Simmons behind the wheel.

“We are very proud of our global approach to motorsport and today’s announcements for Australia really showcase our brand, both locally and internationally,” said Nissan global motorsports director Michael Carcamo.

“The Supercars championship is one of the most high-profile sporting events of any kind in Australia and Nissan has tremendous heritage and a huge fan base in this series.

“Our efforts in the Bathurst 12 Hour over the past two years have further intrinsically linked Mount Panorama and the GT-R. They already had incredible history together but this has now gone to a new level.”

First published in the July 1995 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

At last, a tweaked chassis, more equipment and less noise makes Falcon the car it should have been from the start. Bob Hall gives EF II the thumbs up.

There’s no question last year’s Ford EF Falcon was a giant leap forward for Ford in terms of styling, refinement and quality. But in the pressure cooker of Car of the Year judging it fell just a fraction short of the mark.

Not only did the EF run into some pretty tough competition, but there were niggling doubts among most of the judges over its twitchy handling.

To the shock and dismay of all those at Broadmeadows, COTY ’94 went to Subaru’s Liberty instead.

To its credit, Ford took our criticisms seriously. We spent a warm mid-February day at the You Yangs proving ground evaluating a number of EFs in the company of senior Ford engineers. While no one actually conceded there was anything amiss with the EF’s suspension tune at the time, it’s clear they did plenty of listening.

The most extensive of these is a rework of the front suspension which first appeared on the Fairlane Ghia and LTD a few months back. Taller spindles have raised the ball joint location by 3mm, while toe-in has been reduced by 1mm.

Firmer lower A-arm inner bushings have been fitted and the stabiliser bar diameter increased by 1mm with bushes to suit.

In addition, the power assisted steering has been tweaked to improve feel.

The result? A Falcon with the same sort of sure-footed composure as a live-axle Commodore. No more twitchiness, no more nervous roll oversteer, no more hyperactive turn-in response.

Ford has got it right. At last.

Only the most eagle-eyed of bird-watchers will spot the exterior changes. On the GLi and Futura, the model series badge work at the rear has forsaken frosted silver finish for the lustrous, prestige-packed luxury of plastichrome. Mmmm!

Nine-spoke wheel covers on the GLi are new and the Futura’s bodyside moulding insert is given a more prominent section.

There’s also an ‘ABS’ logo at the base of the rear window on cars so equipped (everything but a GLi, and if the ABS option is bought, the logo is included at no additional charge. Swell, huh?).

All cars from the GLi to the long wheelbase LTD get a convex left-hand door mirror with that US lawyer-frustrating inscription “objects in mirror are closer than they appear”.

The latest Fairmont, in Ghia form, is slightly easier to spot than the two Ford Falcons. There’s a chrome moulding surrounding the dummy grille, bodyside pinstripes and the grey finish between the spokes of the aluminium wheels is now a brighter silver, ‘Ghia’ nameplates subbing for the Ghia logos previously seen on the front guards (and appearing alongside the rear Fairmont badge).

The B-pillar has a black finish applique and the engine designation is now on the bodyside moulding insert on V8s as well as sixes. The ‘4.0i’ legend is now satin gold instead of grey.

All models are now available with a passenger airbag. It’s a reasonable $510 option on all Falcons and the Fairmont, standard on Fairmont Ghia, Fairlane Ghia and LTD.

The big (150-litre) bag has a distinct shape Ford calls ‘keyhole’, designed to provide a degree of protection to centre passengers on GLis fitted with the no-cost centrefold front seat option.

Ford engineers have also been aggressive in their efforts to control noise. Door seal rubbers have been redesigned for better control of wind noise, particularly in the A-pillar area. Further acoustic control comes from the addition of Orbseal inserts.

First used by Ford on the imminent Taurus, Orbseal is a neoprene-based foam which expands from 400 to 1000 percent when the car is run through the cathodic paint process. It swells to fill hollow areas of the body structure, blocking potential resonance paths and improving the body’s sound absorption.

Additional suspension upgrades are a large part of the new Fairmont Ghia, the closest thing to an all-new model in the EF II series. Recently overshadowed by the Fairlane Ghia in the eyes and wallets of the buying public, Ford has refocussed – some might say it without the prefix – the top spec, short wheelbase model to give it a stronger image. In an interesting way, mind you.

Relying upon the keystone of the punchy XR6 engine developed by the wizards at Tickford Vehicle Engineering, Ford has managed to produce a fascinating composite, highlighting the best performance aspects of the faster-than-an-eight six allied to the sort of comforts you’d expect from a top-line local six.

In the process, they’ve also managed to imbue the car with more character than a Calais.

Using the XR6 engine as a starting point, Ford fits a laminated sump and a specific exhaust, tuned to be a little more mellow than the extrovert XR6, but maintains everything else as on the volcanic XR, Tickford winged ‘T’ logotype notwithstanding. Power output dips from the donor car’s impressive levels, but not by much.

The Fairmont Ghia’s stats read pretty well; 162k W at 4900rpm and 361Nm at 3000rpm, versus 164kW at 5000 revs and 366Nm at 3150rpm for the XR6.

You can have any transmission you want, provided it’s a four-speed automatic, coupled to the six. The automatic box is, in fact, the same one fitted to the XR6, and the 3.45:1 final drive ratio (rather than the 3.23:1 used with the regular Fairmont and six-cylinder automatic Falcon GLis and Futuras) is shared with the XR6 auto.

The Fairmont now fits a limited-slip differential as standard.

Time prevented us from taking any performance figures, but a series of impromptu back-to-back runs with a baseline automatic GLi showed the Tickford-improved Fairmont Ghia would move out more smartly than the standard Falcon under any circumstances.

Ford’s claiming a 0-to-100km/h time of 8.4sec for this king of Fairmonts. Our seat of the pants-ometer tells us they’re in the ballpark.

The price of performance must be paid and there are no prizes for guessing that the preferred currency is dinosaur squeezings. Crackling fresh AS2877 numbers show the Fairmont Ghia’s 13.0L/l00km city and 8.0 L/100km figures to be 4.0 and 5.3 percent worse than the base Fairmont’s 12.5 and 7.6 fuel economy numbers.

Against the 5.0-litre V8, the situation reverses itself.

The Fairmont Ghia’s ‘enhanced’ six handily trumps the optional (though we don’t know why anyone would order it) bent eight’s 14.5L/100km city and 9.0L/100km urban thirst. Cheers!

Suspension for the Fairmont Ghia has 10 percent higher rate springs up front, improved rebound control in gas shocks all round. It has been lowered 10mm up front, 15mm in the rear – and yes, you can see the difference.

Of course, the Fairmont Ghia gets some interior tweaks and upgrades, too. Full leather upholstery (previously a $1113 option) is now standard and the previously standard velour/leather combo is now a no-cost option. ‘Cappuccino’ interior trim has been ‘imported’ from the Fairlane/L TD.

A six-disc CD stacker is now factory-fitted in the boot to level the playing field with Calais, with chrome metal door handles culled from the Fairlane/LTD. But the passenger airbag means the dead tree applique on the dashboard is in the waste bin. There’s still some on the doors, though.

None of this is going to come cheap, right? Well, the Fairmont Ghia’s price has edged up exactly $510 to $45,340. Not bad considering the increase is equal to the price of the passenger bag option on Falcons or the base Fairmont, but the leather, CD changer and limited-slip rear end would have added another $2500 above ‘last year’s model’. It’s also $356 less than a Calais, which must have been another object of the exercise.

It would appear Ford has not been greedy, even if the rest of the range isn’t being treated as well as the Fairmont Ghia. Futura, base Fairmont and XR6/8 prices are unchanged. Base GLi is up $148 for the sedan, $157 for the wagon while Fairlane Ghia and LTD prices are also up $510, but without extra fruit.

With the VT Commodore more than a year away, the General’s reaction is bound to be interesting. We’re guessing there may be some buyer-pleasing special editions in the offing.

Watch these pages …

Nissan has confirmed it will stay in the Supercars championship for the next two years, with a quartet of Altimas to continue racing in the 2017 and 2018 seasons – but whether it is a stay of execution remains unclear.

So far only Michael Caruso of the number 23 Nismo Nissan Altima Supercar – as the brand calls it – has signed to race, with brothers Rick and Todd Kelly yet to be confirmed, though it remains likely given the Nissan Motorsport team continues to be Kelly-family owned.

Speculation has been rife that Nissan will follow Volvo and pull its Supercars connection, particularly following the confession by Nissan Australia managing director and CEO Richard Emery (pictured) that the slow-selling Altima struggles to stack up as a business case.

Emery did not reference Supercars involvement in a statement, however, except to say: “Motorsport is in the DNA of Nissan, both here in Australia and globally. Our motorsport program is a way for us to show people what the Nissan brand stands for – through the excitement of our race cars and the innovative and inclusive nature of our fan activations.”

It was then left to Nissan global motorsports director Michael Carcamo to reaffirm his belief in the series.

Nissan also announced it will enter the 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour with a pair of GT-R Nismo GT3 entries, with team and driver details to be confirmed. The brand then said it “will explore further opportunities in the Australian GT Championship from 2017 onwards.”

Whether the Altima retains its V8 is unclear, given the Supercars championship will switch to Gen-2 technical specifications from next year’s season. It will open the door to turbocharged four- and six-cylinder entrants, though all must retain rear-wheel drive.

One possibility is that Nissan Australia is waiting during the next two years for a more exciting model (perhaps a turbocharged coupe?) to conform to the new regulations.

MERCEDES-Benz has expanded its AMG GT family with an open-top Roadster and a GT C model complete with a higher output version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

The GT C gives a tantalising taste of a possible new “C” line to slot in above the AMG S models, bringing go-fast handling tweaks and more power.

The C moniker – Mercedes-AMG hasn’t said what the C stands for, although apparently it’s not “comfort” – is expected to spawn more models within a rapidly growing AMG portfolio.

AMG boss Tobias Moers told Wheels the GT C was about blending some of the technology and thinking in the GT R with a more comfortable road car.

“GT C is a more luxurious version, it’s more sophisticated,” said Moers.

Yet its output is far enough below the recently revealed, track-focused GT R (430kW/700Nm) to ensure that road-going interpretation of the track-only GT3 is still king of the AMG GT kids when it comes to going fast.

However, the GT C benefits from the Nurburgring-led development of the AMG GT R in other areas.

The C also gets the R’s electronically locking rear differential to aid traction when punching out of corners.

The GT C also gets some of the styling cues from the GT R, the most distinctive of which is the Panamericana grille with its vertical chrome slats. Behind that grille is an active aerodynamic system that can close vents to smooth the air flow when cruising.

As with the GT S, the GT C uses 19-inch front wheels and 20-inch rears, although the rears on the GT C are 10mm wider, at 305mm, in an effort to better harness the extra power.

The GT C also picks up the AMG Ride Control suspension, which includes adaptive adjustable damping. It’s matched to the AMG GT R’s nine-stage traction control system developed with track use in mind.

For now, the AMG GT C is available exclusively in the Roadster body, which adds 55kg to the weight.

Blame that added bulk largely on the extra bracing to ensure the required body strength for its high-performance duties.

Despite the extra weight, Mercedes-AMG quotes the same 4.0 second 0-100km/h for the GT Roadster and the GT Coupe that arrives in Australia late in 2016.

The GT C, on the other hand, uses its extra oomph to complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.7 seconds – 0.1 seconds faster than the GT S and 0.1 seconds slower than the GT R.

Moers told Wheels that a GT C Coupe was also in the works, and would be revealed late in 2017.

“There’ll be a coupe version of the GT C badge as well,” he said.

Despite the recent additions, the AMG GT family still has more room to expand.

As mentioned, a GT C Coupe is due late next year, and a Black Series is also in the works; expect to see that pinnacle of GT performance in 2018 or later.

Mercedes-Benz is also working on a Porsche Panamera-rivalling four-door version, so far known as GT4.

There’s never been a better time to review the dual-cab 4×4 class of 2016 than right now. Wheels pitches eight of the biggest sellers in the segment for the title of King of the Heap. Here’s number five, the Nissan Navara.

First published in the May 2016 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

NISSAN’S NP300 Navara, which arrived in 2015, has the makings of a segment-shaker. Just look at its rugged good looks and newly car-like cabin, then glance at the specs and witness a potent and efficient 2.3-litre Renault-Nissan diesel with twin turbos (in the upper and mid-spec versions), a stout 3500kg towing capacity and five-link rear suspension with coil springs (in all dual-cab versions) when all its rivals still use rear leaf springs.

Standard features include seven airbags and auto headlights, and the ST adds self-levelling LED headlights, LED running lights and front fog lights, side-steps, a rear diff lock and 16-inch alloys.

A compass in the rear-view mirror reminds you of Navara’s taste for bush-bashing, and it certainly feels at home in the rough. The standard electronic rear diff lock assisted for the most challenging climbs. With help from the responsive twin-turbo engine’s torque, Navara powered to the top without raising a sweat, though it did kick up impressive rooster tails. It lacks the clearance of some rivals, and traversed rocky and rutted sections with the odd scrape but no real issues.

The 2.3-litre diesel makes use of its twin sequential turbos to torque convincingly from low revs – peak twist of 450Nm is delivered from 1500-2500rpm – while also providing a thrusty mid-range that runs to the 140kW peak at 3750rpm. The Navara is a hard-charger that’s a fraction quicker than both the Ford Ranger and Colorado where it counts, doing 80-120km/h in 7.5sec, and it’s in the race from 0-100km/h too, which it hits in 10.5sec – a match for the Ford while trailing the Holden Colorado by just 0.3sec. Efficient at 7.0L/100km and impressively refined when cruising, the donk betrays its commercial origins by getting noisy when it’s worked hard, which is a shame.

Flaws and all – and there are commendably few of them – the likeable Navara finishes just below our not-so-surprising Top Four.

Off-road performance

Navara rides lower than some rivals – its ground clearance is less than Ranger’s, for example, but greater than Triton’s – which puts it at an initial disadvantage off-road. However, the torquey, responsive engine (which draws air from near the radiator top tank – not so good) and smart seven-speed auto (first gear is a great low-crawl ratio) ensure it has the brute force.

A rear diff lock is standard in this spec, and engaging it doesn’t deactivate the traction-control system across the front axle. Despite the system’s less-than-slick calibration, that locker and the potent drivetrain mean Navara makes light work of hairy climbs.

Remember a song by GANGgajang called Sounds of Then?

It is – as well as being a beaut little ditty – all about the way smells and sounds you experienced way back as a kid can rekindle some potent memories when you sniff or hear them years, or even decades, later.

Nothing new in the sentiment, I suppose, but it’s a phenomenon that really resonates (no pun intended) with me. Especially when it comes to the various noises made by cars.

There have been three new models that I’ve sampled in the last 12 months or so that have struck major chords (no pun intended) deep in the Morley melon and the sometimes iffy memories stored within that mangled, mistreated cortex.

The first time this happened was months ago when I drove the new Jaguar F-Type. But rather than the bellowing, junket-curdling V8, the one that grabbed me by the ears was the V6 version. Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a 4.2-litre Jaguar E-Type at full chat with a maniac at the helm (that’d be me), but if you have, you cannot fail to be reminded of the same when you stomp on the F-Type’s danglers.

I’m not generally one to plump for the V6 when there’s a V8 on offer, but when it comes to F-Types, I was instantly in love with the little ’un. Weird, right?

“Cheat!” we all cried and I, for one, have not changed my mind on that subject. But whichever way you cut the deck, I always found the noise of the M3 and M4’s inline-six more of a groan than a warble and I didn’t really expect any different from the M2 given the lineage of the engine. But I was wrong. And I’m glad of that.

Here’s the rub: I’m tipping I could be one out and one back on this because the engine of my youth that the M2 revives for me is the old Holden red motor with a decent exhaust. A humble thing, I know, but one that has given me huge joy over the last 40 years.

My third GANGgajang-car was the new Porsche Boxster. The M big problem, of course, was that going to a turbocharged flat-four meant the new Boxster could have sounded like a WRX. If you squint your ears, at some points the 2.5-litre version in the S-model kind of does.

But the little two-litre base-model, to me, sounds enough like a tuned air-cooled VW Beetle engine to take me way, way back to my questionable youth and the heinous things we got up to in Dak-Daks. Again, I’m not sure Porsche will be thrilled to hear this, but it makes me love the base-model Boxster. It’s music to my ears (pun intended).

Mercedes-Benz and AMG have taken the covers off two drop-top versions of the AMG GT coupe.

The GT S and GT C Roadster lose the roof, to be replaced with a retractable soft-top.

The GT C also gets a boost of power over the standard version, with 410kW/680Nm over the GT’s 350kW/630Nm.

The more powerful roadster not only gets extra power, but also receives tech from the recently released, hardcore AMG GT R coupe, including active rear wheel steering. This means the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the fronts up to 100km/h and in the same direction above that speed.

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The GT C also receives an electronically locking rear differential to aid traction under hard acceleration.

There is also active aerodynamics behind the front grille, to improve airflow during cruising.

AMG Ride Control suspension is available on the GT C, which includes adaptive adjustable damping, along with and nine-stage traction control.

The folding roof is similar to what was found in the previous generation SLS Roadster, with the ability to open or close in just 11-seconds, at speeds of up to 50km/h.

The twin-turbo V8 engine will shuffle you from 0-100km/h in 4.0-seconds in the GT S Roadster, while the GT C does the spring in 3.7-seconds.

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The cars will be revealed in the flesh at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.

Mercedes-Benz is still to confirm if the GT C will arrive in Australia, but expect at least of the two roadsters to arrive Down Under by mid-2017.

Local pricing will be confirmed next year. However, the hardtop AMG GT S will set you back $259,000.

“With our two Roadster models, we are strategically expanding the AMG GT family by two exciting variants,” says Mercedes-AMG GmbH Chairman Tobias Moers.

“With the AMG GT C Roadster, we are also introducing a new model variant to which we have transferred main performance-related components from our top sports car, the AMG GT R. The result: a highly dynamic driving experience in a very exclusive ambience, coupled with that pure roadster feeling.”