MITSUBISHI ASX LS 2WD

Driveability and economy

While the Mitsubishi ASX may be one of Mitsubishi’s bestselling models, it’s one of the oldest in this segment and its due for an update. For the most part, it drives well and gives driver confidence, but the steering can be jolty on bumpier roads and noisy tyre-road relations can become an irritation. It’s also thirstier than the Mazda CX-3.

FUEL: 7.4L/100KM

Comfort and space

The seats of the ASX are comfortable but the seats have little lateral support so you end up using your legs more for grip. This is not the car to play ‘corners’ in. On the flipside, the ASX is one of the largest small-SUVs with more rear leg and head space than many of its competitors. When it comes to comfort the ASX and CX-3 are similar, but the Mitsubishi wins in the space department with a 393L boot-space capacity.

Price and equipment

Given it’s age, it’s no surprise the ASX comes with slightly less gear than the CX-3. When you consider we’re comparing the base model ASX with the mid-spec CX-3, it seems harder to justify. The ASX car includes cruise control, reversing camera, parking sensor, leather steering wheel, touchscreen infotainment system, and alloy wheels as standard. It also features automatic climate control and digital radio, which gives it a two-up on its competitor. On the plus side, Mitsubishi offers ASX buyers a 5 year/100,000km warranty.

Click here to read the full review on the Mitsubishi ASX range.

MAZDA CX-3 MAXX AWD

Driveability and economy

The Mazda CX-3 has a punchy engine and good engagement. It handles corners well and offers a smooth ride. The biggest criticism of the CX-3, however, is it has some refinement issue and, like the ASX, it can also be a little bit noisy. But, the 2.0L four cylinder engine sets better economy figures.

FUEL: 6.3L/100KM

Comfort and space

The Japan-made CX-3 is one of the most comfortable of the small SUVs, particularly at this price point. It’s got good visibility, particularly from the slightly-elevated rear seats, giving back-passengers a good view of the road ahead. Boot space, on the other hand, is annoyingly small measuring in at just 264L, which is slightly bigger than its Mazda2 sibling. It’s enough to fit a couple of overnight bags, but getting the pram in can be a bit tricky and may require the backseat to be folded down. It’s certainly one of the smallest of the bunch.

Price and Equipment

The CX-3 comes stacked with gear. Like the ASX, cruise control, reversing camera, leather steering wheel, touchscreen infotainment system and allow wheels all come as standard. But then the CX-3 takes off, offering buyers brake assist, automatic start/stop, keyless entry, and satellite navigation and seatbelt reminders for all seats. As for warranty, it’s the segment popular 3 year unlimited warranty.

Click here to watch our video review on the Mazda CX-3.

VERDICT

When it comes to who wins this race, both have their obvious pros and cons. The ASX may come with a spacious interior and five year warranty; it loses out when compared to the CX-3’s equipment, economy and price.

It’s a long way from the once-loved Holden Commodore Vacationer, but Holden’s upcoming Trailblazer SUV is in many ways trying to appeal to the same adventurous family buyers – albeit decades later.

Priced from $47,990 the Trailblazer is indicative of shifting market trends, which have seen families abandon large cars and shift to seven-seat SUVs for the daily runabout and a vehicle to explore Australia.

In a small way, then, it’s appealing to some of those buyers who may have previously considered a Commodore but are now shopping for SUVs.

Based on the Colorado ute, the Trailblazer is no soft-roader, though. It sits on the underpinnings of the Colorado ute but gets a unique rear suspension setup (with coil springs instead of leaf springs, which have a lower load capacity but are more comfortable) and a seven-seat wagon body.

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It is designed to tackle some fairly serious tracks – from the High Country to the Outback – and can tow up to 3000kg, equal to the best in its class.

The Trailablazer nameplate replaces the Holden Colorado 7; the car is an update to the Colorado 7.

With major improvements to driveability and refinement – there are big revisions to the standard six-speed automatic transmission, and the suspension has been modified – Holden is hoping to attract a new breed of buyers.

“This car is much more advanced, it’s better to drive, it’s refined, there’s more creature comforts and for that reason we’ll be looking at the more family based market instead of just the pure off-road adventurers,” said Trailblazer product marketing manager Steven Vassallo.

“These families enjoy exploring and they’d much rather take a trip in their vehicle out to the country or a new location in Australia than going on an overseas holiday. They really want to get to their destination safely, comfortably and in style.”

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The most affordable LT is priced from $47,990 and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio tuning, a reversing camera, seven airbags (a driver’s knee airbag has been added to the dual front, front side and side curtain airbags) and a six-speed automatic.

The flaghship LTZ is priced from $52,490 and gets bigger 18-inch alloys, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, leather trim, a powered driver’s seat, tyre pressure monitoring, climate control air-conditioning, rain-sensing wipers, front parking sensors, lane departure warning, blind spot warning and forward collision alert (it doesn’t apply the brakes, only beeps to warn of a crash).

The Trailblazer’s 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine still makes 147kW and 500Nm, making it the most powerful among its key competitors.

The Trailblazer is the first of at least three new SUV nameplates.

Within weeks US-based sister brand Chevrolet will reveal the Equinox SUV, a car that will wear a Holden badge early in 2017. The Holden Equinox will compete with the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Nissan X-Trail.

Holden has also confirmed it will sell the larger, seven-seat Acadia SUV from 2018, giving the brand a competitor to the likes of the Toyota Kluger, Mazda CX-9 and Nissan Pathfinder. The Acadia is sold in America wearing a GMC badge.

• Update #2
• Farewell

Equally, there has to be more than just hedonism behind the SL’s astonishing longevity, which stretches back six decades to the 300SL hardtop in 1954, and the 190SL convertible that followed shortly after.

Or is there?

Ask me again in four months. Normally, Wheels runs long termers for six months, but Benz was only willing to loan this $240K beauty for four.

The model I’m driving is the new SL400, freshly facelifted and receiver of a mighty heart transplant in January. Continuing Benz’s modern habit of ignoring synergies between badge numerals and engine size, the SL400 has a new 3.0-litre direct-injection V6, twin-turbocharged for 245kW and 480Nm, the latter kicking hard from 1600rpm. In this turbocharged age where performance and economy co-exist, the SL400 is claimed to hit 100km/h in 5.2sec and sip just 7.3L/100km.

That last number is the combined figure, one I’ve so far failed to get anywhere near. On my vastly reduced, 2015-spec, 4km commute to work – see ya Mt Martha, it was fun – I’m averaging closer to 20L/100km. You read that right. Makes sense, though, because that 4km takes about 12 minutes and involves lots of stopping and accelerating.

With a couple of freeway runs over Christmas to collect relatives from the airport – one at a time, please, and pack light – the SL400’s trip computer reported a more tolerable 10.9L/100km, but that’s still nowhere near the official average.

All up, our first few weeks and 454km together returned a mediocre 11.9L/100km. Next month’s trip to Phillip Island will give the SL a chance to demonstrate its long-distance prowess, and hopefully bring some country balance to the so far exclusively urban economy average.

I have to take some of the blame for the SL400’s sizeable thirst. The engine is a thruster! Sounds pretty good, too. Like a deep, distant earthquake, all thrum, boom and rumble. There’s even a deliberate cackle on lift-off in Sport mode, which is nice but far too subtle for my enthusiast ears.

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This SL400 is the ‘entry-level’ model, the first step on a price list that peaks with the awesome twin-turbocharged V12 Mercedes-AMG SL65 at $481K. The SL400’s $229,000 ask is less than half that, and while the performance gulf between the two is considerable, the visual differences are not. Seems even shoppers perusing the ‘affordable’ end of the SL range like to look the goods while whipping wind through their surgically-enhanced coiffs.

This particular test car has a little help from the $9K Designo package, which adds some AMG body touches and 19-inch alloys, plus lashings of black and white leather inside – which subtly advertises my support of the mighty Magpies AFL team to other motorists.

The SL400’s ride is good on 19s, when the road is in a good mood. There is some shudder over joins, particularly with the roof down, but it’s quickly over, and far better than previous SL generations, some of which weighed more than two tonnes. This much lighter 1655kg model feels far more solid and planted.

The steering is a pleasant surprise; it’s quick and really makes the big roadster pivot into corners, a sensation accentuated by the driver’s seat being so far back in the wheelbase. Not a massive amount of feel for the road, but it’s hard to engage with the front end while negotiating school zones and shopping centres. Roll on next month.

The biggest challenge this SL400 faces is… me. On two fronts.

First, I struggle to see the allure of convertibles, especially in a sun-drenched country like ours. Most summer days, the sun is simply too intense to subject even my well-carpeted pate to a roasting. Nevertheless, in the name of science, I’ll go topless as often as possible.

Second, personal perception. I feel like an imposter driving this quarter-million-dollar roadster around town with the roof down, especially in peak hour. Like a G-list celebrity pretending to be an A-lister.

I wonder if the SL400 will change either of those perceptions?

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ROOFLESS THUNDER

With its folding-hardtop lid stowed away, the opportunity is there to enjoy the SL’s internal combustion soundtrack more than usual. The new twin-turbo six tries very hard to find a good aural balance between sporty and luxury, and almost succeeds.

Even so, it’s nothing like the raucous two-wheeled rocket-ship I once owned called a Kawasaki ZX-9R.

I put an aftermarket pipe on this sportsbike, which made it more characterful and louder – but not overly so – and unleashed an insane crackle, pop and burp on overrun. Evocative. Exciting. Delicious.

Took my enjoyment of that motorbike to new highs. Added a few horsepower, too, but for me the soundtrack alone was worth the price.

A more evocative soundtrack is on the Benz SL options list, but it comes with an AMG price tag attached.

Update #2

NEVER thought I’d find doors to be a challenge. The concept is simple enough: open door, go through, close door. I’ve been doing this successfully for four decades. Well, there has been the odd painful hiccup, for which I blame alcohol.

The SL has long doors that need a good three feet in which to operate, or the opening is severely compromised. Which it often is. Which means I do a strange contorted vertical limbo as I extrude myself.

Scuff marks on the door’s lower panel give count to my less than perfect starts as I swing my legs way back to where the opening is widest. Then, rather than scratch the car next door, I place my fingers directly in harm’s way between my door’s trailing edge and the other car’s door panel. The tighter my squeeze, the more my fingers are squeezed. It’s never elegant.

The only places I’m assured of an easy egress are my driveway and kerbside spots. Elsewhere, it’s compromised because Australian parking spaces are not wide. I’m not saying they should be, but the SL ownership experience has helped me understand why wealthy types do yoga.

I’ve also started keeping a baseball cap in the car. Last month I vowed to drive topless as often as possible. This, too, has not been easy, but not because of the summer sun’s intensity. I expected that. It’s the delay each time I get in to drive.

The SL’s roof refuses to operate if the car’s moving at anything above Zimmer-frame pace. Benz claims it’ll go up, or come down, at vehicle speeds up to 15km/h. My read of the speedo suggests it’s below 10km/h, which is easy to exceed, even in my driveway. So I’ve been forced to work the roof into my start procedure, right after I put the seatbelt on and hit the starter button. It’s only 15 seconds, but it feels soooo long.

The feeling of being ‘on show’ is acute while the roof does its origami act in public. Also, the roof switch occupies my left hand, so I can’t simultaneously set the nav, or tune the radio, or engage the stubby gearlever, or anything really. A First World problem, sure.

Listen to me whine about what amounts to 30 seconds for each drive. But it’s caught me by surprise how much I really begrudge it. When was the last time you did nothing for 30 seconds and didn’t subconsciously reach for your smartphone? Waiting for an elevator, in line for a coffee, at the bus stop…

Okay, I ain’t catching the bus. Driving the Mercedes-Benz SL400 is much nicer, and the person beside me doesn’t have BO, or mutter to themselves.

Farewell

Wheels’ resident lefty John Carey holds fast to the law of diminishing returns, which declares that value does not increase commensurately with price. JC wields this baton most effectively during our annual Car of the Year testing week.

The argument goes that a $100K car is not twice a $50K car, therefore it should be judged less favourably on Value. Superficially, it makes sense: a $100K sedan cannot carry twice the people, nor will it accelerate twice as quickly, or cover twice the distance on the same fuel, or be twice as safe and have twice the features.

There’s an obvious flaw here. Is 2m² twice the size of 1m²? No, it’s four times, because both length and width double. So, if only one measurable quality doubles – say, engine output – is that sufficient to overturn the law of diminishing returns?

Cars are too complex to be valued in such a simplistic fashion. And it’s wrong to say that luxury or sports cars don’t represent good value. On the contrary, they represent fantastic value to their owners.

Yes, I’m about to argue that a $238,500 Mercedes-Benz SL400 represents good value.

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Take the indirect red ambient lighting that gently illuminates the cabin at night. And the way the transmission automatically engages park when a door is opened (I had wanted to make sure I was wholly within my parking spot…). And speaking of doors, the pockets can take an umbrella. Perhaps this is partly why they’re so long.

This SL also has a variety of roadster-specific value-add features, not least the electric retracting hardtop. It wouldn’t be a roadster without it, but don’t underestimate the work that went into finding a way to stow said roof and only lose less than one-third of the SL’s boot capacity.

And what about the boot’s kick-to-open (and kick-to-close) feature? That’s handy to have when my hands are full, though I do feel like an idiot doing the one-legged activation dance.

The front seats have heaters and coolers in them, and air vents to warm your neck. The leather chosen for these seats partially reflects the sun’s heat, a welcome touch on a hot Melbourne day. And there’s a handy window master button that raises or lowers all four simultaneously.

Acoustically tuned voice-control entertainment system, autonomous driving features… How do we value these assistance technologies that no doubt cost millions to research and develop? And how much value should we ascribe to the quieter cabin, more compliant ride, effortless acceleration, and that evocative exhaust note?

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You get my point. The SL400 is not seven times a well-specced Mazda 3, but its ‘true’ equipment list would be.

Those who ascribe to the law of diminishing returns will never see financial value in luxury cars like the SL roadster. But for the few wealthy enough to afford it, the SL’s value goes beyond the obvious. It’s all those thoughtful value-adds that subtly yet tangibly enhance the ownership experience.

And let’s not forget the ego. That is, after all, at the heart of everything Mercedes-Benz sells. No Benz does this better than the indulgent and decadent SL roadster.

At its core, though, sits an impressive and invigorating driving machine. Rides beautifully, sounds meaty, goes effortlessly, steers with alacrity and accuracy. All the while spoiling you better than most cars on the market.

It has a few foibles, which I’ve documented in past reports, but none that diminish the experience in any considerable way.

So, the big question: Would I buy one? No. My automotive palette prioritises performance over panache. But for those in less of a hurry, and for whom motoring should be sumptuous rather than speedy, try an SL400 for size.

You’ll love it.

The new generation Hyundai i30 will come with more power and tech when it is launched in Australia in mid-2017.

Hyundai has revealed the highly anticipated i30 third generation in Germany.

The five-door, five-seat i30 will be manufactured in the Czech Republic for European market, while the Australian i30 will continue to be built in South Korea.

The suspension and steering was tuned for local conditions via an “extensive engineering and development testing” program run in the Australian outback since January.

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European versions will come with economic engine options including a frugal 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol (T-GDI) and new light-weight 1.4-litre four cylinder petrol T-GDI. It’s unlikely these frugal engines will make their way to Australia; instead the local cars will come with a 2.0-litre petrol four cylinder engine as standard with an automatic transmission, replacing the current 1.8-litre motor.

An updated version of the 1.6-four cylinder diesel engine with 7-speed Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) will also be available.

The sporty SR variants finally get a 1.6-litre turbo four cylinder petrol engine with 7 Speed DCT.

Manual options are yet to be confirmed for Australian variants.

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The SR will also come with independent rear suspension, replacing the torsion beam springs which will still be at the rear of the standard models.

The front of the Hyundai i30 sports a new “Cascading Grille” similar to that on the latest i40 and Elantra models, which, apparently, is characterised by a “downward tapering gesture inspired by the flow of molten steel”. Its fresh face is completed by LED headlamps and the vertical running lights enhance by projector-type front fog lamps are integrated into the air intakes.

Aerodynamic performance is enhanced through several measures including a rear spoiler and improved airflow through the front grille and bumper to reduce turbulence in the wheel housing.

The new Generation Hyundai i30 will come with 12 exterior paint options and three wheel choices, including 16 or 17-inch10-spoke alloy wheels, or 15-inch alloy or steel wheels.

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The interior also has a sophisticated Euro look with slightly more leg and shoulder room than the previous model despite sitting on the same 2650mm wheelbase.

Seats-up boot capacity goers up 17 litres to 395 litres, increasing to 1301 litres with the split-fold seatbacks folded flat.

Up front is a 7-inch touch, which rises out of the dashboard vertically Mazda style – there will be an optional 8-inch version. The launch of the i30 in Australia will also be the debut of Hyundai’s next generation multimedia system, incorporating Sat Nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The new i30 also gains state-of-the-art active safety technology for higher spec models including:

• Autonomous Emergency Braking with Front Collision Warning System
• Driver Attention Alert, which detects and warns of erratic driving behaviour
• Smart (Active) Cruise Control
• Blind Spot Detector
• Rear-Cross Traffic Alert
• Lane Keeping Assist System, which warns the driver acoustically and visually if veering over the line before inducing corrective steering to guide the driver back to a safe position

It is confident the i30 brand will continue to be a big success in this country.

Hyundai has lifted the lid on its third-generation Hyundai i30 today, peeling back the covers at an event in Frankfurt to reveal the newest incarnations of the Korean automaker’s volume-selling small hatch for the first time.

Why Frankfurt? Hyundai may hail from South Korea, but the company has gone to great lengths to impart an upmarket Euro aura to the latest i30, making it more premium and refined than past generations. It’s grown up, gone to finishing school and learned how to dress itself.

The design, development and testing for the new i30 all centred around Hyundai’s German R&D homeroom in Russelsheim. It’ll be built in the Czech Republic for Europe, though Australia-bound i30s will continue to be sourced from South Korea. Save for that, the new i30 would be a Korean car in name only.

A brace of new downsized turbo petrol and diesel engines – a three-cylinder petrol 1.0-litre and a 1.4 turbo petrol four-cyl among them – provide power, while a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic takes over from the old model’s hydraulic six-speed. At the same time, cabin quality and the i30’s infotainment fit-out gets a massive boost.

The 88kW Euro-market turbo triple 1.0-litre is not only low on power, but as a manual-only powertrain it’s been deemed unsuitable for the auto-loving Australian market.

The 102kW/242Nm 1.4-litre turbo petrol that will sell alongside the three-pot in Europe is an all-new engine and comes available with a dual-clutch automatic as well as a manual, but Hyundai Australia has opted for a mildly-improved version of the current i30 SR’s naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre as the new i30’s mainstay motor.

Instead of the 2.0, the 2017 Aus-market Hyundai i30 SR will be propelled by the 1.6 litre turbo petrol motor that also sees service in the Hyundai Tucson and Veloster SR Turbo. Outputs for both the 2.0-litre and 1.6-litre turbo i30s remains secret for now, but in the current-gen i30 SR the former makes 124kW of power and 201Nm of torque, while the latter produces up to 150kW/265Nm in the Veloster Turbo.

Automatics and manuals will be available across the range, but only the 1.6 turbo petrol and 1.6 turbo diesel will receive Hyundai’s latest dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 2.0 litre atmo petrol will soldier on with a six-speed hydraulic automatic.

Hyundai’s European engineers went to great lengths to impart a sportier feel to the new i30’s chassis, honing its tune on European roads and at the fearsome Nurburgring test track – where the Korean company maintains a permanent presence with a fully-fledged development centre.

The company claims the new i30 has steering that’s 10 percent more direct than before, and its chassis responds to inputs 15 milliseconds faster.

A multi-link suspension makes a return in the new i30, though entry-level i30 variants sold in Australia will stick with a simpler and cheaper torsion beam setup.

Other dynamic improvements come from reduced weight, with 53 percent of the new i30’s bare bodyshell being constructed of high-strength steel. The body-in-white sheds 28kg as a result, and the 1.4 litre turbo model (which should weigh roughly the same as the 1.6 turbo over here) tipping the scales at 1204kg – over 100kg less than the current i30 SR.

It also boasts 22 percent more torsional rigidity than the current model thanks to new construction methods.

In the boot the 2017 i30 gets a cargo-carrying upgrade, with seats-up boot capacity rising 17 litres to 395 litres, increasing to 1301 litres with the split-fold seatbacks folded flat.

A dual-level boot floor provides extra stowage options, while a ski port allows extra storage flexibility.

The interior also ditches the current car’s Korean frumpiness for a an upscale design that places the infotainment screen up high, sprouting out of the dashboard like a tombstone in a fashion similar to the Mazda3 and most current-gen BMWs.

Lower-grade models receive a seven-inch touchscreen display, while premium variants score an eight-inch infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring will also be standard across the range, rather than just on the base model (as is the case with the current i30).

A wireless smartphone charging pad will also be built into some models – a new feature for the i30.

The list of available safety equipment is extensive. While precise specs have yet to be locked in for Australia, some variants of the 2017 i30 range will feature autonomous emergency braking, front collision warning, active cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, highbeam assist and fatigue monitor.

Other high-end features that are new to the i30 include a heated steering wheel and heated and cooled front seats. A two-position memory function will also be offered for the power-adjustable driver’s seat.

Australian-market pricing and specifications have yet to be confirmed, though expect that information to be released closer to its local release in the second quarter of 2017.

Other body styles will be added to the range, and the high-performance i30 N hot hatch will join the Hyundai family later in 2017.

The Volvo S90 and V90 are about to get the racetrack treatment thanks to Polestar launching its new performance package, called the Polestar Performance Optimisation, for the mid-size sedan and wagon.

Available as a $1858 option on the S90 sedan and V90 wagons being launched in Australia in October and Q1 of 2017 respectively, the Polestar Performance Package will be available for D5 diesel and T6 petrol engine upgrades.

Polestar, which is Volvo’s performance division, claims the kit will improve engine performance, upgrade the drivetrain, and enhance acceleration and gearshift speeds, making the S90 and V90 more fun to drive.

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The dealer fit option was developed with the help the Polestar Cyan Racing team of engineers and drivers.

”We continue to enhance the performance of Volvo’s new, class-leading SPA vehicle architecture and Drive-E powertrains. The S90 and V90 already offer excellent driving dynamics and we are delighted to raise the performance level even further with Polestar Performance Optimisation,” said Niels Möller, COO of Polestar, the Volvo Cars performance brand.

Swedish touring car champion Thed Björk, who drives a Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, said it was exciting to take the technology from Volvo’s race cars to its road cars.

“We have created a balanced package that provides performance in all conditions, whether you are winning a race or driving actively on your favourite roads.”

The Polestar Performance Package will place Volvo’s big cars the league of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series.

Has BMW decided to let the purists decide on convertible version of its M2 coupe?

Speculation over BMW’s plans to produce an M2 convertible has hotted up again, with a Dutch motoring site claiming to have pictures leaked from within the company.

Autoblog.nl claims the images are genuine and show the yet-to-be announced BMW M2 cabriolet.

This is despite strong denials that such a car was on the cards made earlier this year by M2 chief engineer Frank Isenberg.

However everyone has a boss, so it’s possible the suits at Munich see a demand for a small hot drop-top to complement its BMW M4 and M6 convertibles.

It might offend the track-day purists, as Isenberg fears, but it’s not like they’ll stop buying the coupe in protest. And it might even bring new suitors to the M2 badge.

Despite what the purists say it should still be a hoot to drive with the coupe’s 272kW/465Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six under the bonnet, even if weighed down by bracing.

It remains to be seen if these pictures are proof of a yet to be announced M2 convertible. Even if they are genuine BMW renderings they could have placed in the reject file before Isenberg issued his emphatic denial.

BMW Australia told Wheels they didn’t have a comment regarding the story, with a spokesperson calling the images “speculation”.

First published in the June 1986 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

Was this the start of the decline for the big, rear-drive Aussie-made six-cylinder?

What is the front-drive four-cylinder Magna doing in a direct comparison with the newest family sixes from Ford and Holden? Doing very nicely, that’s what it’s doing. Report by Mike McCarthy.

MAGNA RULES, okay! The reigning WHEELS COTY winner was motoring’s success story of 1985, and deservedly so. Its bold concept, advanced design and thorough development not only meant the Magna improved four-cylinder class standards but also meant it was the first four ever capable of competing outside its own sphere. The Magna had the space, pace and refinement to directly challenge the traditional family sixes.

It wasn’t only on the best-seller charts that the wide-bodied Mitsubishi made its mark. The Magna achieved the rare distinction of virtually unanimous acclaim from the motoring press. There were at least two car makers who’d have to disagree – at least in public – with the press and people’s choice. Ford and Holden could only stand and watch, first with blissful indifference, and then with increasing concern as the Magna stole the spotlight. They saw it surge to a dominating position on the four-cylinder sector, scoring points off the Telstar and Camira among others along the way. The hurt spread as the Magna slipped across the border into six-cylinder territory to poach sales.

Was nothing sacred? It was only then that Ford and the General realised they had a different fight on their hands. In addition to scrapping with each other, they found their flanks vulnerable to the big-bodied four-banger. In defence they can point to the probability that the total number of six-cylinder sales lost to the Magna is fairly small. Main reason for that is that a large majority of six-cylinder sales go to company cars and fleet deals, which are fields where Mitsubishi doesn’t choose to compete as intensely. But industry watchers believe that the Magna’s impact on private (ex six-cylinder) buyers is significantly greater than the Big Two care to admit. Its influence is certainly even greater than the sales numbers might suggest because behind the scenes it’s a trend setter which has affected coming designs from other car makers.

Perhaps most importantly, if the proposed tax on company cars becomes reality the Magna is going to be the first choice for those forced out of Falcons and Commodores. The first round of the Magna -versus-the-rest stoush was fought with leaded petrol. But the conditions and the contenders changed somewhat with the continuing price spiral and the switch to unleaded fuel.

Which brought us to the question of how the latest Magna stands in relation to the mildly modded Falcon and the facelifted Commodore with its brand new powertrain. Three cars, seven days and about 1000 kilometres later we had found the answers.

Our line-up consisted of the Commodore Executive, the Ford Falcon GL and the Magna SE, all autos. They came to the line with a broad spread of list prices ranging from the Executive’s base $15,150 to the SE’s $16,270 with the GL almost splitting the difference at $15,513.

The Executive is one of those special deals (like the Vacationer) that the General packages so well.

In this case the base figure includes power steering and automatic transmission, so represents a saving of more than $250 against the equivalent optioned-up Commodore SL. The test Executive added $130 tinted windows, $69 metallic paint and $1207 air conditioning to bring its total to $16,556.

At $15,513 the Falcon GL already included the optional 4.1-litre carburettor engine and auto trans. But the $538 power steering and $1190 air conditioning brought it to $17,241 and the same general spec level as the others; though not the same equipment level.

The automatic Mitsubishi Magna‘s $16,270 figure blew out to about $17,200 by the time air conditioning was added, and you’d need another $483 in hand if you opted for power steering which the test car unfortunately lacked. However the sticker shock is softened with the knowledge that the SE is much better equipped than the Executive and GL. Among the middle Magna’s standard features are four-wheel disc brakes, which together cost over $550 extra for the Executive. The Falcon’s $693 all-disc option includes a limited-slip differential, and one can’t get full instrumentation without specifying the whole $714 ‘S’ Pack which also brings sports styled road wheels, tilt steering column, driver’s lumbar adjustment and cushion tilt, driver’s left footrest, tweed style fabric, fog lamps and (in Ford’s words) “racey black stripes”. That means the GL will set you back about $18,594 to rival the Magna SE’s features and throw in a few other goodies besides. However that’s getting a bit beyond the point of the middleclass exercise.

Aside from standard power steering and auto trans, the Executive’s equipment and options list parallels the Commodore SL’s in every respect. It’s reasonably well featured as standard with remote boot lid release, driver’s footrest, driver’s cushion height adjustment, cloth trim and band tinted windscreen. But to get on par with the Magna SE’s equipment level, one really would have to start with the upmarket $16,798 Berlina and option on from there.

So far as fittings and features are concerned, the problem for Commodores and Falcons is simply that the Magna outdoes them. In fact on a straight equipment level they compete more closely with the base GLX Magna; except that it lists at under $14,300 as an automatic, plus $483 for power steering. It’s quite reasonably appointed with tachometer, tilt column, tinted windows, driver’s lumbar adjustment, passenger grab handles (lacking in the Executive and GL) and more. The SE adds velour trim, four-speaker electronic tune sound system, seven-way driver’s seat, front passenger’s lumbar adjustment, foot rest, remote boot lid release and centre console among its many niceties. What it all means in the equipment context, of course, is that the Magna SE justifies its higher initial price by providing much more than the others.

Performance

Performance equations have changed of course, with the advent of unleaded petrol. Some makers adapted existing engines to the new technology, Ford and Mitsubishi among them. Others, like Holden, found it too difficult and/or expensive to improve their old engines for ULP, so turned to new powerplants.

Deceptively small but intricate modifications to the ignition, intake, exhaust and elsewhere have enabled the Falcon and Magna engines to survive the unleaded trauma with minimal loss of

performance. The Falcon is a case in point. The carburetted 4.1-litre model’s power is down by 5.5 kW and its torque by 19 Nm, but the respective peaks occur 150 and 400 rpm lower than before. The Magna on the other hand maintains its previous power level at unchanged revs but has lost seven Nm while raising the point of peak torque by 400 rpm.

Where the Falcon keeps its three engine line-up (with slow selling carby 3.3- litre and expensive injected 4.1 as well as the carby 4.1), the Magna sticks to its one and only carburetted 2.6-litre trojan. The Commodore too now has only one engine; the old 2.8 and 3.3 variants have been replaced by the supersports injected three-litre which GMH buys from Nissan. Though the three-litre develops 19 Nm less than the previous injected 3.3 and peaks at a lofty 3600 rpm(400 more than before) maximum power is up by eight kW, albeit at 800 rpm higher than its predecessor.

For such a big four the engine is outstandingly smooth and free-revving. It’s torquey enough to pull strongly from low revs and makes the most of its slick and high-geared four-speed automatic to be able to keep the Falcon honest. In fact in the standing start acceleration runs the Mitsubishi pipped the big Ford up to about 90 km/hand only then slipped slightly behind to cover the standing 400 metres just 0.3 of a second in arrears.

The Falcon’s no slug either. There’s still a suggestion of laziness in the way it bowls along with that time-honoured big-car feel. The engine sometimes seems a bit agricultural because it’s more a stayer than a sprinter and is in its element at low to middling revs. If it had a tachometer it’d be redlined at a comparatively low 4250 rpm.

The real nature of the 4.1 and the strength of its performance can be seen from the fact that not only is the Falcon by far the heaviest of this trio, almost 300 kg more than the Commodore, but also that it has the tallest gearing in its three speeds. True, the overdrive fourths of the Commodore and Magna are taller again, but in first, second and direct (top) gear the Ford has the much longer legs needed to wring respectable speeds from its more constrained rev range.

The Commodore’s engine and performance are in utter contrast to the Falcon’s. A real rev-head, the injected three-litre is tractable but gives its best when working in the middle to high end of the rev scale.

Its revs and performance prove this is a sports engine par excellence. At least, that’s the way it ought to be. Not with this particular test car however. Whether tired from the demanding test schedule or just simply off song, the Executive went a bit fiat at the top end.

To keep the comparison in proper perspective therefore, we’ve recalled the performance figures from WHEELS May ’86 test of the mechanically identical Calais. From this it can be seen that the combination of the most powerful, most free-revving engine with a well geared four-speed transmission in a car of comparatively low mass gives the healthy Holden outstanding performance potential. Exploit that potential and it fairly flies, more like a sports car than an easy driving family sedan.

Besides being quickest the Commodore is fastest of the three. Even as an automatic it really gets up there. We saw over 190 km/h on the corrected speedo, with a bit more to come given a longer run. It also peaked at 190-odd in overdrive fourth before shifting itself back to third to go faster. The same thing happens (at about 180 km/h) in the Magna, as it does in other overdrive automatics.

Fuel consumption

Score another one for the Magna. On test it gave a best of over 8.8 km/l (almost 25 mpg) down to a worst of almost 7.4 km/l (21 mpg). The normal-driving fuel loop saw an excellent 10.5 km/l (29.5 mpg) result while the test’s overall figure of 8.3 km/l (23.4 mpg) is pretty good too and helps allay last year’s fears that thirsty consumption might be the Magna’s Achilles’ heel.

For such a large and heavy car the 4.1 auto Falcon doesn’t do too badly. Judging by test results from the previous equivalent model (January 1985) the ULP version at least maintains or even reduces the consumption levels. For instance the earlier overall figure was a creditable 6.7 km/l (18.8 mpg) but this time around Ford’s big bird logged over 6.8 km/l (19.3).

That’s a fine result, especially since everyday driving should bring between our 7.1 km/l (20 mpg) ‘best’ figure and the 9.1 km/! (25.8 mpg) fuel loop result. Even our ‘worst’ result of nearly 6.2 km/l (17.5 mpg) is reasonable considering it included the performance test session and a hard, fast cruise.

Unlike the Falcon the Executive couldn’t match the economy of the injected 3.3-litre Berlina tested in January ’85. On test the old model averaged 7.2 km/l (20.3 mpg) whereas the current edition managed only 6.7 km/l (18.9 mpg), thirstier than the rival Falcon too. That situation was repeated in the best and worst categories also, but the Commodore saved some face by scraping home just in front in the fuel loop check. Remembering that this Executive was a bit off the pace in its performance, we wondered if it might also be uncharacteristically thirsty. Doubts were dispelled when we recalled the Calais managed only 6.2 km/l (17.5 mpg) overall.

On the road

One ot the good things about the Executive is that it comes with power steering included, whereas the Falcon and Magna allow buyers the mistake of sticking with the standard manual steering. Sure, not opting for power assistance saves hundreds of dollars but it’s the wrong choice. Frankly, the power steering systems aren’t anything to get excited about. But they’re infinitely preferable to the manual .mechanisms which are unanimously slow, heavy and devoid of feel.

On test the unassisted Magna was a constant reminder that besides making the steering quicker and lighter, the alternative system helps make the car generally nicer to drive.

The Ford’s power system perhaps goes too far in virtually halving the number of turns lock-to-lock against the excessive wheel-winding needed for the manual model. The problem is that besides being almost acutely direct, the power steering is effortlessly light, because of which you’re stioll really no wiser about how the wheels are working.

The Commodore’s power steering strikes a much better compromise between turns and weighting than the variable ratio manual version. In those respects, it’s nominally better than the Magna and the Falcon systems – when operating properly, that is. It was scoring well, but a gremlin then then switched it to intermittent mode so that during parking or cornering it could suddenly become even heavier than the manual model. We assumed it was an isolated problem. We have since heard it may not have been.

Even with the power steering doing its thing properly, the Commodore’s ride and handling leave something to be desired. Changes to the new model’s suspension succeed in eliminating the former roll-oversteer bogey, but at the cost of increased understeer, reduced responsiveness, more body roll and obvious front tyre scrub. Hard cornering soon reveals that despite its impressive extra speed and acceleration, the new model has lost a bit more of the spirit and balance that once made it the driver’s favourite. Now even the ride is wrong; compliantly comfortable in easy conditions, it is bouncily adrift when rough roads make demands on the damping and axle location.

RTS ain’t what it used to be. The manually steered Magna’s handling is handicapped in two ways, the large number of turns needed at the wheel and the doggedly persistent understeer. From straight-ahead the Magna’s response to steering wheel movements is even slower than the Commodore’s.

Since its initial turn-in is neither quick nor precise, the Magna must be steered early, with the driver steering into corners before entering them. Safe and stable as it may be, this much understeer is a bore.

The ride is quite good in all conditions however, because the suspension copes as well with big bumps as with small ones.

The Falcon’s chassis dynamics are interesting and were judged by our crew to be the best in the group. Which may be faint praise, but it is praise for all that. Pushed hard into corners the Falcon immediately makes it obvious that it’s the biggest and heaviest of the three, and ordinarily a strong understeerer too. The difference is that it’s more responsive to the wheel and throttle control, so its cornering attitude is better balanced and to some extent adjustable. Indeed with suitable technique it’s possible to swing the Falcon into long, lazy oversteer which is unknown to the Commodore automatic, let alone the Magna. It means that while the Falcon’s ultimate roadholding and cornering don’t reach especially high standards, the handling is entirely predictable, controllable and virtually fail-safe right up to the limit.

Though it couldn’t be called noisy, the Falcon is generally a bit more vocal than the others, with the Holden second overall. But thanks to superior soundproofing and isolation of the cabin the Magna shames its six-cylinder rivals by being not just quieter on the meter at a constant 60 km/h, steady 110 km/h and when accelerating through the gears from rest 10 100 km/h, but by being quieter to a degree which could be recognised by normal human ears.

Accommodation

By changing the interior styling and slimming the tunnel Holden has sought to improve the perception of roominess within the Commodore cabin. The gambit is only a qualified success. The Commodore remains a good four-seater but not more-seater because the broad centre tunnel and compact shoulder width bring discomfort with a fifth adult aboard.

The Falcon too has a large backbone of course, but has more than enough width across its rear bench for three big blokes.

Because the scuttle is relatively low and the driver’s seat is a fairly basic bucket, the Falcon sometimes gives the impression that one sits on, rather than completely in, it. At least it gives a commanding field of view through the deep windows. The Magna is the most space-efficient of the three.

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Though it has the shortest wheelbase it offers the longest cabin (facia to rear seat). Stepping from the Falcon, one is conscious that the Magna is narrower but even then it’s not so squeezy as the Holden since the Magna has more shoulder room and much less tunnel.

As ever the Falcon’s boot disappoints because while the floor area is generous the depth isn’t. When the rear backrest access panel is lowered it enables long items to be carried (up to

2.7 metres from tail panel to dash panel), or provides a handy little table for rear passengers. The Commodore’s boot is slightly larger than the Falcon’s, particularly in having a lower floor.

The Magna triumphs again because, despite the highest loading lip, its boot is best. It has the largest capacity thanks to the underfloor spare wheel, and the backrest access port is another bonus.

Conclusions

The Falcon fared well in this comparison because it gave a good account of itself. It’s an honest car, and still a big one, which makes no pretence of being the most advanced or refined thing on wheels. It is however deceptively well developed and impressively proficient in its own way.

The same used to be even truer of the Commodore but the more each successive model is changed and ostensibly ‘improved’ in the running gear, the further it seems to go at a tangent and the less happy we are.

Which leaves the 1986 Magna where the 1985 model left off: in many ways that count it is a better car and a better buy than either the Falcon or Commodore. It mightn’t ever usurp the six-cylinder class and it still has a job ahead to convert traditional buyers. Even so, with the ground it can now call its own in both the four-and six-cylinder areas, the Magna rules, again.

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This week marks a decade since the sad passing of Peter Brock, so to celebrate his amazing life we’ve delved into the archives.

This story comes from our January 1983 issue, in which we ran full performance figures on the new VH Group 3 Commodore SS and compared it to its race-going sibling, Peter Brock’s ‘05’ that had recently won Bathurst, PB’s sixth win at Mount Panorama.

It was very quiet at Lang Lang the day Barry Lake, photographer Warwick Kent and I arrived to test and photograph the hottest new Holden in Australia.

The huge test facility had been shut down for half a day to enable a no-holds-barred match between Peter Brock’s Bathurst-winning 05 car and his latest road-burning equivalent, the Group Three 5.0-litre Commodore SS.

The protagonists will be familiar to readers of MOTOR over recent issues. The construction and detail work that goes into an HDT Commodore racer was covered in the September 1982 issue. Since that time, of course, the SS model Commodore has been homologated, with the “big valve” engine producing more horsepower and torque.

The SS homologation also meant less weight, substantially improving the power-to-weight ratio of the cars. In essence, it’s a 5.0-litre Commodore SS with modifications too numerous to recall here.

The engine in Brock’s Bathurst car, and still fitted at the time or our test, was an extra good one according to HDT engine builder Neill Burns. It produced 292.4kW at 6500rpm and 496.4Nm at 5000rpm. Drive is via a Borg & Beck triple-plate clutch to a Borg-Warner Super T- 10 four-speed transmission.

The road car is based on a four-speed manual 5.0-litre Commodore. lt comes from the factory with the “big valve” heads, the M21 gearbox used by Holden for all its performance specials since the XU-1 Torana, limited-slip differential and four-wheel disc brakes. The HDT Special Vehicles operation makes a number of mechanical and cosmetic changes, depending on the level of modification specified.

Group Three is the ultimate level of development. Front and rear springs are changed, shock absorbers are replaced with Bilstein units and new anti-roll bars go in front and rear. A new, harder rubber is used in the top mounting point for the front struts and the struts are turned around one post in their three-bolt pattern to increase steering caster and straight-line stability.

The three-quarter-inch brake master cylinder is replaced with a one-inch component. Engine modifications consist of ignition blueprinting, a cold air intake from just behind the grille to the air cleaner, exhaust extractors, chrome rocker covers and air cleaner and other detail changes.

These few change boost the 5.0-litre’s power output from 126kW at 4400rpm in standard form to a more respectable 184kW at 4750rpm and 418Nm of torque at 3500rpm. Maximum torque in the standard engine is 361Nm at 2800rpm. Maximum recommended engine speed goes up to 5500rpm although the redline stays at 5000rpm. The engine meets all current emission standards.

The wind splitters on the front guards are functional and are designed to route air cleanly over the bonnet and roof. The 5.0-litre four-speed with full Group Three modifications weighs in at around 1370 kg, giving it a weight-to-power ratio of 7.45kg/kW.

Flat on the banking

It’s cold out there in the Dandenongs first thing in the morning, but the temperature soon rises as the sun comes up. HDT mechanic Martyn Watt arrived soon with the 05 car in tow behind a trusty Holden ute that once sported an L34 engine, but that’s another story. Now it’s down to a 4.2-litre V8 and we followed Martyn as the 05 car was taken around to the 5km banked circuit and unloaded.

John Harvey, our test driver for the day, had arrived in the road car by now and got togged up in his racing suit as the racer was unloaded. Race cars don’t have chokes and I was invited to place my hands over the throats of the huge Weber carburettors as Martyn churned the car into life on the starter motor. A few coughs, splutters and the 5.0-litre racing engine bursts into life with an eardrum-tickling roar.

After a few laps we stop and Warwick hops into 05 with John to photograph him at work in the cockpit. This provides an ideal opportunity for Barry and myself to follow in the two road-going cars and run them out to their top speeds for our performance figures.

The next six laps are a celebration of speed. The 05 cars disappears into the distance, lost somewhere in our leftmost peripheral vision or out of sight on the other side of the track. Barry, 500 metres in front of me leaves the Alfetta on acceleration but cannot shake the Italian car in top speed as we circulate foot flat to the floor in top gear in the topmost groove of the banked track.

John Harvey stops. Warwick changes to the back seat, we pull in behind and start again. Once more 05 disappears in to the distance, the engine sounding more like a low-revving Formula One engine than a production-based pushrod V8. The sound is clean, hard and smooth. It seems to go on climbing forever in each gear until, suddenly, Harvey makes the upshift – fast, clean and with hardly any disturbance to the smooth blast of acceleration.

We learn minutes later that John Harvey (and Warwick) have seen 6600rpm in fourth gear – 265km/h or 165mph in the old measure. Our best was a mere 210km/h indicated (G3 SS) and 230km/ h indicated (Alfetta). Both corrected back to a more realistic 210km/h.

We move to the handling circuit where usually Camira and Commodore prototypes are driven around and around, day in, day out. Today it’s ours and we pick a corner for John and Barry to sweep through for our photographs.

Both must approach the corner at high speed over tram-tracks set in the road as part of the test circuit. Silence reigns, soon shattered by the beautiful induction/exhaust scream of the 05 car as John Harvey approaches nearly flat out in second.

The car whips through the corner, the only indication of the speed being the roar of tyres above the exhaust noise. Barry follows in the G3 SS. It turns into the corner particularly well, soon after crossing the tram-tracks. Its near-silent progress is only disturbed by the roar of the huge Uniroyal radials on the tarmac. The race car handles the turns with near-perfect neutral balance.

You may have noticed during the Bathurst telecast that Peter Brock does a lot of left-foot braking (short stabs on the brake pedal in corners to balance and neutralise the car). John has such faith in the car’s handling that he brakes very hard and turns at the same time immediately after our photo corner.

Barry likes the way the ultimate SS handles some understeer as speeds rise, but controllable either with power or a trailing throttle. The latter lets the car tighten its line. At low speeds more power will induce easily controllable oversteer.

I go for a quick ride with the fleet-footed Lake. The speedometer needle is soon hovering on 130-plus km/h as we negotiate the handling course. Along one longish straight we accelerate hard. Soon, too late, we see a couple of dips in the road.

The humps in this road are virtually invisible on approach, like many a similar hump on everyday roads. They are followed by ripple strips, designed to test the integrity of suspension bushes and NVH suppression. We hit these at about 130km/h and they pass almost unnoticed, the suspension again offering just the right combination of compliance and control for maximum adhesion.

Around the handling course the G3 SS is blindingly, deceptively quick. No drama, no squealing tyres, or dramatic transitions from understeer to oversteer, just fast, controllable handling that ranges from slight understeer to power-on neutrality. Fast, safe and reassuring for enthusiast drivers.

Faster and faster

We move to the brake road for acceleration tests. First 05, but myriad problems surface to upset the Correvit test equipment. The head (which attaches to the side of the car and bounces a light beam on the road to read speed and distance) is being shaken around by the car’s vibrations and won’t give an accurate reading.

We move it to the rear door on the passenger’s side. No joy. Then Lake the systematic finds the head IS reading the exhaust pulses at idle (the exhaust exits under the front passenger door). We relocate on the right rear door and then find that power surges from 05’s electrical system are upsetting the microprocessor that computes speed, distance and elapsed time.

We stop. The road curves down to the left a little. First gear. The clutch goes in. Wham! We’re off, the rear end drifting sideways under full power. It’s a fantastic start, but the clutch is playing up and John has trouble engaging second gear smoothly. Another blast of neck-jolting acceleration, then third gear and 400 metres have flashed by in 14-odd seconds. We have readouts and transfer the test equipment to the G3 SS. Barry drives.

This car is impressively quick, knocking over the 0-400 metres in 15.65 seconds with only a little wheelspin at the start. During the first run the car revs cleanly to 4700rpm and then suddenly dies. We lift the bonnet and soon discover the problem – a fuel filter too close to the exhaust extractors and the petrol inside it is boiling away merrily, causing vaporisation and a lack of fuel at high revs. This car was one of the first cars built and all production models since have the filter in a cooler spot.

Time was pressing by now and we didn’t have the chance to rerun the figures at Lang Lang. They weren’ t to the satisfaction of Peter Brock and he insisted that they be rerun, which we did at Melbourne International Raceway (Calder Park) the following Monday.

John Harvey in No. 25 beat Alan Grice in the Re-Car Commodore across the line in the following event with a time of 12.10 seconds. Grice, with sticky rubber and a lower differential ratio, recorded 11.74 seconds, but Harvey beat him to the line. This, we felt, was more like what could be expected of a top touring car. Peter Brock confirmed it – in person.

Brock did the driving himself. This time we did the road car first. Peter took the engine to about 4000rpm and dropped the clutch, while flooring the accelerator at the same time. First gear was all wheelspin, a snap change to second, then third and fourth briefly just before 400 metres flashes by.

The result? 14.90sec and 153km/h, and the engine still meets all emission requirements. The magic 160km/h came up in just over 16 seconds, which is better than all but the hottest early-1970s “supercars.” To put it bluntly, performance lives.

That magical scream again beside my left ear. The car rockets forward. With a triple-plate clutch in the race car his changes are only fractionally slower. Pit row is a blur, the 400 metres is gone and I drop my hand.

It’s taken us just 13 seconds to reach 176km/h in 400 metres with the “tall” Bathurst gearing and an engine with 1600km of hard racing behind it. Our test session is over. It’s taken us two days and many hours to get the performance of our hottest Holdens down on paper.

But it’s all been more than worthwhile. The closeness of the road car to the racing car has been underlined – the road car is only 1.9 seconds slower over the 0-400 metres test than the racing car, and all of this performance is usable thanks to the other changes to the car.

If ever the old motor racing adage “racing improves the breed” was true, it applies to these two cars. The Commodore SS racing car is amongst the quickest in Touring Car racing; its endurance is beyond question following the James Hardie 1000 and most of the lessons learnt by the team have been put into the road car.

All that is good news for the enthusiast and the motoring public appreciates such cars. When we visited Melbourne the special vehicles operation owned by Peter Brock had orders for 200 SS Commodores and was looking forward to producing another 500 in 1983 for sale through participating GM-H dealers.

Future fast

But that’s just the beginning. Brock and his crew of specialists have plans for even faster roads cars in the works at the moment. These will probably begin to appear towards the end of 1983. Ford must be regretting the day it decided to phase out the V8 engines from its line-up.

The Brock operation has shown just what can be done with the application of a little commonsense and racing know-how to sell a large number of high performance Commodores and give GM-H’s performance image the biggest boost it’s had in years.

Subie’s half of the Toyobaru twins may have been beaten to market, but can it lead along one of NSW’s best inland roads? Daniel DeGasperi points the BRZ into bushranger country with an 86 in tow.

First published in the September 2012 issue of Wheels mag, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.

It’s a fork-in-the-road moment, but the decision is closer to picking between hell and heaven. An exact 180 driving kilometres north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, kerbside on the Pacific Highway, a green sign reads ‘Bucketts Way’ and points left.

Here, drivers can choose to continue north via the Pacific Highway and its blend of mangled surfaces, varied speed limits, heavy traffic and heavier speed enforcement. Or, they can head inland and criss-cross over the Great Dividing Range on tight, technical tarmac that wraps around mountains, then skims across ridgelines, and sweeps over the plains. This is a ‘sign’ for driving enthusiasts.

Departing from the usual route is something the Subaru BRZ and 86 do for their respective manufacturers. For Subaru in Australia, it marks a shift in company philosophy. After committing to selling only all-wheel-drive cars 17 years ago, this rear-drive coupe is both an aberration and a revelation. There’s little reason why the Boxer Rear-drive Zenith (yep, really) can’t make the same impact on the motoring landscape as a certain other three-letter Subaru nameplate did back in 1994. Not least because the turbo, all-paw icon has aged to the point of anonymity.

On the F3 Freeway, a driver in a dumped BA Falcon slows, pulls in behind, changes lanes, sniffing around the car like some sort of automotive mating ritual. Blokes at the servo want to chat, kids press their faces against the side glass at coffee stops. Deputy editor, Jesse Taylor, reckons the only cars that he’s seen nab this much attention were the reborn 2001 Holden Monaro and 2003 Mazda RX-8. The sort of people who turn their nose up at exotics, or don’t dignify the wealthy owners with a glance of interest, love these cars.

All that you’ve read about the 86 applies to the BRZ. Put the argument to Subaru or Toyota engineers that the other company owes more to the car’s development, and you’ll only end up with a face full of Asahi. The single engineering difference is that the BRZ has stiffer front springs (by around 10 percent). On the outside, a new front bar, redesigned headlights and different front guard vents round out the differences. Even the alloys are identical to that of the top-spec Toyota 86 GTS.

Opinion is split on looks – I reckon the concave surfacing of the 86’s front bar looks ungainly; another tester reckons the Subie’s grille looks like “a Greek girl’s moustache”.

The one-spec BRZ fits neatly between the base and GTS versions of the 86. The base 86 is around $33,500 on-road, the BRZ $37,150, while the 86 GTS is $39,500.

The Subie essentially gets all the kit of the GTS, with the exception of satellite navigation (a $1815 option) and leather/Alcantara heated front seats ($1500). Toyota charges $170 for the first four scheduled services; Subaru offers four free services to 60,000km. Subaru Australia has been allocated 200 cars this year, but the BRZ can only be bought online.

But is the BRZ worth the extra over the base 86, which runs size-smaller 16-inch alloys and thinner tyres? Only one way to find out – we brought along an 86 for this drive. Having spent plenty of time in this orange 86, the BRZ immediately feels firmer around town. There’s a whisker more jolting in the 50-aspect Michelin-shod Subie than the 55-aspect Yokohama-wearing Toyota.

The single problem we’ve had with the performance of the base 86 is its lack of wet-weather grip. Sure, less grip equals more fun, but the front-end feels too keen to wash at low speeds. Will the 17s fix that problem and still allow the chassis to play?

It’s nice to have proper climate controls, instead of rotary dials that are shared with a Toyota Corolla Ascent. The dashboard feels more ‘premium’ thanks to silver highlights, a digital speedometer, and vinyl padding on the door tops and centre stack sides. Of course all of this can be had on the 86 GTS, but who needs to spend $2300 over the BRZ for stuff you don’t need like sat-nav and leather? We reckon the single Subaru spec offers the best value.

The real fun begins as we pick up Thunderbolts across the Manning River, 200 metres above sea level, at the foot of the Great Dividing Range. Pine trees tower over the shallow, but flowing creek, keeping the road in an almost permanent state of shade.

The 86/BRZ’s 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated boxer engine – dubbed FA20, and basically an Impreza engine with Toyota’s direct-injection system – produces its peak 205Nm at 6600rpm (only 9Nm more than aunty’s Impreza 2.0i), just before 147kW comes online at 7000rpm, and just prior to the 7800rpm cut-out.

Nah – old mate is wrong. Those latter numbers – the revs, not the outputs – are clues to the enjoyment factor. The engine may sound like a Forester in the bottom half of its rev range, but hit 4250rpm, and the cams lift, and the pace quickens; by 5000rpm the tacho needle seemingly doubles its pace; the gravelly note smooths out, as though you’ve filled a blender with cookies, added milk and hit high.

I’m in the BRZ, following road-test editor Jimmy Whitbourn in the 86, and we’ve both forgotten that photographers Brenton and Suesse are back at the bridge. They’d wanted us to do a few passes over the river, but suddenly our turnaround point was too many kilometres up the mountain. These cars make drivers selfish.

Trailing the 86, I notice that it’s behaving differently to my BRZ. In sharp bends the Toyota clearly looks keener to roll onto its outside-rear, as though the back tyres take a fraction longer to bite following the turn-in sharpness. The Subie is almost telepathically-immediate on turn-in, and its line can be adjusted somewhere between where the throttle meets, then presses, the carpet. Its grip, poise and balance means that, barely a quarter of the way into this car-versus-road stoush, the machine is winning.

Once over the Range, one of the best single kilometres of the road unfurls. It’s the sort where you can see the next five corners, from the bottom of a hill, looking up through the top of the windscreen past red-clay rock faces, wire fencing and grazing cows.

The surface is smoother than before, the corners wide with more generous room for, erm, adjusting your line. In the dry, the 86 is easier to get sideways – it’s as simple as that. Yet, arguably, the BRZ loses very little for its extra grip, blending extra sharpness with intimacy and adjustability. The front-end is more trustworthy, particularly, permitting higher corner entry speeds, and earlier throttle application to thumb the nose into line. Drive tidily, sensibly-fast, and the ESC’s Sport mode is fine, unobtrusive; if a slow-in, sideways-out approach is more your style, switching the electronics off completely is the go. This chassis is so faithful, the safety net is only there for nuffies.

While it’s tempting to raise speed to something approaching a ‘two’, the surface quality is mostly patchy, often poor. For me, that’s a good thing. Feeling the arms of a sorted suspension dancing to keep up with surface changes, the dampers compressing at the bottom of a hill, then extending over crests, is almost as enjoyable as hanging the rear out in the tight stuff.

WRX versus Thunderbolts? This road would win. Try the Pacific Highway for size.

The final 30 kays of Thunderbolts, towards meeting the New England Highway at Uralla, is dead straight. It provides a perfect time for reflection. Both the Subaru BRZ (slash Toyota 86) and Thunderbolts Way are brilliant because they offer drivers such great diversity. What the road offers in terms of surface and topography changes is matched (and then some) by the breadth of ability inherent in this giant-killing, but humbly priced, and soon-to-be-classic rear-drive coupe.

For all the fun (and speed) the BRZ consumed 8.7L/100km on test (only slightly more than the 86). This is more car and road, than car versus …