It may have taken almost 40 years but Aston Martin has finally responded to James Bond’s use of a Lotus Esprit S1 in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me. Aston Martin and James Bond are two names that go hand in hand so you can imagine how betrayed the luxury carmaker must have felt when it watched the Lotus Esprit submerse itself under Sardinia water for the popular movie.
At last, the British brand has its revenge in the form of an autonomous, voice activated powerboat unveiled at Salone del Mobile.
The AM37 was unveiled as part of Aston Martin’s ‘Art of Living’ portfolio which is the carmakers answer to an innovative range of lifestyle products that fit with the luxury brand.
Travelling up to 60 knots and controlled via a tablet and apps, the AM37S allows owners to have control over the boat’s functions from anywhere.
Want the smell of coffee drifting through the boat before you get there? No worries, push the button from home. Hoping to cool the interior down to escape the heat? You can do that from your car.
Then there’s the voice controlled features such as the entertainment systems access via a 15 inch touchscreen, or the fingerprint sensors replacing a need for a key.
This powerboat has Q written all over it. And we don’t mean James Bond’s head of research and development or even Aston Martin’s personalisation service. We’re talking about Quintessence Yachts, who worked on the design and production of this slick wooden speedboat, which had been in development for several years according to AM.
“The most important attribute for Aston Martin is the language of design and we have transferred this language into AM37. The new powerboat represents the ideal combination of luxurious and technical materials, generating a powerful yet understated finished product,” said Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman.
Can’t get enough? Read more about what carmakers make besides cars.
M division rediscovers its mojo with the fastest version of the BMW 2 Series coupe.
WHAT IS IT? The M2 is BMW’s new baby M-car, and possibly the most eagerly anticipated release of this year. It’s a rear-drive coupe powered by a front-mounted, turbocharged, 3.0-litre inline six.
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT We drove the BMW M2 at its international launch in California, and loved it. This is our first chance to try it on Aussie roads.
MAIN RIVALS High-powered German hatchbacks such as the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG and Audi RS3, which cost a bit less. Or for direct coupe competitors, there are the Audi TTS and Porsche Cayman.
PLUS: Marvellously thrilling agility; inline six’s bulging torque and go-hard sound; either gearbox satisfies; great brakes MINUS: Cheapest M but not cheap; some iffy cabin plastics; snug rear seats; join the queue
THE WHEELS REVIEW SO HERE we are. Long rumoured and highly anticipated, the BMW M2 sits before us on local roads – all muscular and squat like a British bulldog.
We lauded the new flagship 2 Series after a drive at Laguna Seca in California, but smooth racetracks are one thing, and cragged and scarred Aussie roads are another.
The local surfaces exposed some misgivings about the M3/M4. Now some stages from the Targa Tasmania – the closed-road tarmac rally event – are perfect for discovering whether our faith in M division has been restored.
Where the BMW M4 can start to feel twitchy at speed on broken bitumen, the M2, which borrows the M4’s aluminium suspension, refuses to be unsettled. That’s regardless of whether bumps are on the entry to a corner, under hard braking, or mid-corner where the outer tyres are loaded up.
Its electric steering, while not as meaty as that of its most immediate predecessor, the 1 Series M Coupe of 2011, is more fluid and communicative than any other current BMW rack.
The front end’s response to steering inputs is also incredibly sharp, switching the angle of attack with an immediacy that’s darty without being nervy.
Those settings don’t alter the dampers, though that’s welcome beyond saving money because the M2 allows us to hark back to a time when cars such as the E46 330Ci made you marvel at BMW’s mastery of balancing ride against handling.
While the ride of the M2 is still undoubtedly stiff, there’s a suppleness to it that was never apparent on the aforementioned 1M Coupe (though the M2 shares the 1M’s loud tyre roar). There’s the occasional mild thump as the dampers indicate their intentions to keep a firm lid on rebound, but it’s mostly noise and doesn’t interfere with this car being a commendable commuter.
Torque is its main game, with 465Nm – or 500Nm with overboost – fast-tracked to 1400rpm, and maintained till 5560rpm for a mid-range that bulges like the M2’s bodywork.
The 80-120km/h in-gear surge is completed in just 4.4 seconds. In fifth gear.
Shifting gears with paddles costs an extra $10,000 above the $89,900 M2 Pure that is available only with a (satisfyingly hefty and accurate) six-speed manual.
You could grumble that the just-as-quick Audi RS3 costs just $78,900, though BMW would (fairly) point to the slower, $99,900, Audi TTS.
Adults will also be more appreciative of the rear seat space in the M4, and some of the smaller coupe’s cheap cabin plastics can’t be disguised despite flourishes of carbon fibre and Alcantara.
Dynamics are everything for an M-car, though. And here the least expensive of them all is, at least for now, the greatest.
SPECS Model: BMW M2 Pure Engine: 2979cc inline 6-cyl, dohc, 24v, turbo Max power: 272kW @ 6500rpm Max torque: 465Nm @ 1400-5560rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Kerb weight: 1570kg 0-100km/h: 4.5 seconds Fuel economy: 8.5L/100km Price: $89,900 On sale: Now
Chrysler’s big, Hemi-powered 300 SRT is probably wishing the Aussies would piss orf already.
Never mind the 335-more-like-375kW, $53K XR8, but closer to 300 SRT territory, HSV’s cooking up a 400kW Clubbie for sixty-something grand. Chrysler’s had to revisit the 300 SRT8 recipe to keep it on punters’ menus.
For a start, it loses the 8 from its name, now just SRT, ditches the much-maligned hydraulic steering for a new electric unit and welcomes a new ZF eight-speed auto (there’s no manual). Outputs are up 3kW/6Nm from its 6.4-litre naturally-aspirated pushrod Hemi V8, now a pretty impressive 350kW and 637Nm, good for 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.5sec.
But in picking a fight with the Aussies, you could count the new three-mode adaptive dampers as the SRT’s knuckle-dusters. Chrysler took us down some crook rural roads near Wagga in NSW and the big, 1965kg SRT had some impressive waft-factor about it. It rides really well.
The thing bellows out a very satisfying V8 snarl, too, even emitting a little AMG C63-esque blat on upshifts. For a solid V8 soundtrack the 300 SRT sounds the business. The new gearbox is a bit of a game-changer; you’re always in the engine’s sweet spot and with a pluck of a steering paddle, there’s no delay, it just grabs a new gear and goes.
Rather, the 300 SRT has the same hot-rod qualities as the old one, but with some much-needed updates, and now laden with tech. But we’d wait for a few MOTOR comparos before placing your order. Guess which cars we’re thinking…
4 out of 5 stars
Specs Engine: 6.4L V8, OHV, 16v Power: 350kW @ 6150rpm Torque: 637Nm @ 4250rpm Weight: 1965km 0-100km/h: 4.5sec (claimed) Price: $75,000 Like: Solid grunt; decent ride; rear-drive, LSD; satisfying V8 racket; new tranny Dislike: Thirst; interior a bit low-rent in places; a bit unsure about the handling
Audi will stick with offering a wagon bodystyle for its next-generation RS4, but it will ditch the outgoing V8 engine for a smaller unit.
The 2017 Audi RS4 was filmed testing around the Nurburgring circuit this week and was also snapped by MOTOR reader Julian Spoor.
Audi’s rival to the C63 Estate appears to playing the usual tricks of the trade – take one B9-generation A4 wagon, pump the guards then fill them with large alloy wheels and make the front bar more aggressive. Cues such as the split diffuser beneath the front grille mimic current models such as the RS6 and likewise looks ready for a ‘quattro’ sticker to be stamped on it.
What we know about the next RS4 is that it won’t use a naturally aspirated V8 engine, with the 4.2-litre unit that has graced B7- and B8-generations since 2006 now killed off.
Audi is on-record saying the R8 supercar won’t get a V8 engine to complement the current V10, but it may get a smaller engine down the track – likely a heavily boosted twin-turbocharged V6 engine.
The 3.0-litre turbo V6 used in the recently revealed S4 appears a likely candidate, possibly with a second turbo, for both the RS4 and entry R8 models.
Either way the RS4 will produce higher outputs than the new S4’s 260kW and 500Nm. The outgoing RS4 made 331kW and 430Nm, however both new S4 and old RS4 claimed 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds.
Around the ‘Ring the new mid-sized RS wagon didn’t appear to scream loudly, but it did look to sit flat and corner neutrally when pressed around the famous circuit in Germany.
Audi RS is busy these days, readying a five-cylinder turbocharged TT RS in addition to what has appeared to be a production RS3 sedan, the long-rumoured V6-engined R8 and now this next RS4 Avant.
Sumptuous S-Class Cabriolet sets out to be the most comfortable convertible in the world; we’re not about to argue the toss.
WHAT IS IT? The first open, four-seat S-Class convertible from Mercedes-Benz since 1971 fills out the S-Class range to six different body styles. Cruising to Palm Beach or Portsea was never so effortless.
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The convertible Mercedes-Benz S-Class comes almost two years after the launch of the coupe, offers the same three-strong twin-turbo engine range: 335kW 4.7-litre V8 (S500), 430kW 5.5-litre V8 (AMG S63), and 463kW 6.0-litre V12 (AMG S65), at an estimated $522,000, the most expensive Mercedes-Benz on offer. All arrive in Australia in September priced around $30K above the equivalent coupe.
THE WHEELS VERDICT Supremely comfortable and luxurious convertible brings coupe levels of refinement, yet is also able to take on the character of a genuine high performance GT car. One Percenters need look no further.
PLUS: unbelievable levels of refinement and comfort, performance, equipment, sheer opulence MINUS: rear seat not as roomy as coupe, body float in comfort mode, smaller boot
There are compromises. To make room for the roof, Mercedes moved the twin bucket rear seats 50mm forward and each 16mm closer to the centre of the car. So it’s not quite as commodious as the Coupe.
Driving the S500 is, in the words of John Carey, like riding with a mattress on top and a pillow underneath. Superb.
SPECS Model: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet S500 Engine: 4663cc, 90deg V8, dohc 32v, twin turbo Max power: 335kW @ 5250-5500rpm Max torque: 700Nm @ 1800-3500rpm Transmission: 9-speed automatic Weight: 2040kg 0-100km/h: 4.6sec Fuel economy: 8.5l/100km Price: $360,000 (est) On sale: September
Holden says it is introducing the Holden Trax Active, Colorado Storm, and Colorado 7 Trailblazer in response to the way people are using the compact SUV, ute, and large SUV, respectively.
The Active is based on the LS trim grade, but for its $23,990 driveaway price adds bigger (17-inch) alloy wheels, electric sunroof, roof racks, and exterior door handles finished in chrome rather than body colour.
Holden has frequently used the Storm badge, and it was also previously used in 2015 on the Colorado. Its return this April asks an extra $500 over the 4×4 Crew Cab LTZ on which it’s based in return for extra goodies.
They comprise black nudge bar on the lower front bumper, black sports bar on the rear tray, larger (18-inch) alloy wheels, and black bonnet protector with Storm logo. The cabin also gains carpet floor mats.
The Colorado 7 Trailblazer also expands upon a range-topping LTZ trim grade, with a $48,990 driveaway price.
Wheels stay at 18 inches but feature new-design rims, there’s a Colorado-branded bonnet protector, Z71 masked headlights, a body-coloured roof spoiler is added, and carpet floor mats are fitted inside.
Each model also features special edition badging.
Shelby Mustang supercharged kits have now been delivered Down Under, featuring power increases to 485kW or 560kW versus the base GT coupe.
Shelby American works with Ford to build the 5.2-litre flat-plane V8-engined Mustang GT350R, which won’t be making it to our shores. The company also builds supercharger kits for Mustang 5.0-litre V8 owners, however, and Mustang Motorsport is officially named as Australian supplier of those packages.
Bring your standard V8 coupe to Victorian-based MM and then select from either $53,500 Shelby GT, $87,200 Shelby Super Snake 650 or $98,000 Shelby Super Snake 750 packages.
Selecting the middle-range model adds a Whipple supercharger to extract 485kW of power, well up on the 306kW Mustang, in addition to a cooling kit, upgraded half shafts, Wilwood six-piston front brakes and more.
Both enter Mercedes-AMG C63 S territory at just shy of $150,000 all told. Expensive the Mustangs are, but with official Shelby parts there is a distinctly authentic American road presence factor to back the increased performance.
According to Mustang Motorsport operations manager James Johnson, however, the local outfit has also “developed our own suspension locally with the team at Shockworks and tested the Roush/Ford Racing Supercharger kit for over 8 months in normal street driving and race conditions.”
Of its partnership with suppliers around the world, Shelby American explains that “by partnering with high-calibre businesses to open mod shops for customers in Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Canada, China and Africa, the company can help fans sate hunger for Shelby vehicles and parts across the globe”.
The text analyser system, or ‘textalyser’ for short, can be used by roadside cops to scan phones for recent activity. It would work in a similar way to random breathalyser tests, with a textalyser scan conducted by the roadside.
Cellebrite, the Israeli company behind the textalyser, has stated that its device can also be used after a collision to tell police whether a mobile phone was being used at the time of the incident.
Legislation making it legal for police to use this technology is currently being processed in the USA. At the moment privacy laws are stopping the implementation of the textalyser system, however Cellebrite claims it will not be able to access the content of the messages being sent or received, only to identify the offence.
Drivers would need to surrender their phone to police for the scan to take place. Supporters of the new technology are hopeful that drivers who do not comply will be forced to do so in the same way drivers who refuse a breath test can be charged.
A non-profit organisation in the USA called Distracted Operators Risk Casualties (DORCs) has helped to draft the new legislation, named ‘Evan’s Law’. DORCs is run by Ben Lieberman whose son, Evan, was killed by a distracted driver in 2011.
If you’re one of the alarmingly high number of people in Australia who have admitted to driving while distracted, check out our article about smartphone apps and car technology available right now that can help you stay focussed and safe while driving.
WE’VE sprung the world’s first-ever Alfa Romeo SUV testing in Italy, and while it is still wearing plenty of ugly body concealing cladding, it’s not enough to fully hide the curvaceous shape lurking beneath.
The Audi Q5-sized medium SUV (also known by its Tipo 959 codename), will wear an Alfa Romeo Stelvio badge, and is likely to be unveiled late this year. As it is set to help spearhead the brand’s North American market return after three decades away, pundits are predicting the Los Angeles Auto Show in November as the most likely venue for a premiere, although a month earlier at Paris isn’t out of the question.
This is an exciting development for driving fans, because the platform co-development with Maserati hints at a proper sports car focus to the Stelvio’s dynamic capabilities. It also means that even entry level models will adopt a rear-drive platform that promises to live up to the marque’s reputation. There will be all-wheel-drive versions as well.
The Stelvio will be the first of three SUVs that Alfa Romeo is believed to be planning for about 2020, and will be built alongside the Alfa Romeo Giulia in Cassino, Italy.
Have spy pics of your own? We’d love to see them. Just email them to [email protected]
Hardest hit by price rises this month is Jeep, with price increases of up to $8000. The sharpest price rise is for the Grand Cherokee Summit (up from $79,000 to $87,000), with other Grand Cherokee models up between $2000 and $3000 (except for petrol Limited and Overland, which are unchanged).
The Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited are all up between $1500 (Unlimited) to $3500 (two-door Sport and Overland and Unlimited Sport, Sport CRD and Overland). The Cherokee Trailhawk is up $4500 (from $47,500 to $52,000), while the Cherokee Limited diesel remains at $49,000.
FCA spokesman Andrew Chesterton said the increases were due to, “the dramatic change in currency value between the Australian and US dollars”. The AUD has lost more than 20 per cent in value against the USD in the last 12 months.
This article was originally published in 4x4Australia April 2016.
