YOU might think that domestic sales rising by 45 per cent on 2013’s numbers would be cause for celebration at Infiniti, but when 2014 only signed off on 441 registrations, it’s clear there are some hefty expectations on the broad shoulders of the latest Q60 concept.
It gets the big billing too, ‘foreshadowing the next generation of Infiniti’s premium sports coupe’ although it clearly draws heavily from the same chatty design language of the Q80 Inspiration Concept that appeared at the 2014 Paris Show.
The bottom-feeder front end has been toned down but there’s the same blend of smooth Bezier curves and aggressive swages along the flanks. The 21-inch alloys with their jet turbine-inspired design probably won’t make it to the production version but the interior looks production-ready, with quilted leather surfaces and aggressively encompassing dash architecture.
The Q60 majors on individual settings with Infiniti InTuition, where each driver can set a profile for not only driving position but also heating and cooling, audio, navigation and telematics.
Chief designer Shiro Nakamura has indicated that the Q60 will be gunning for the BMW 4 Series but will be slightly larger, and will also draw a bead on the Audi A5, Lexus RC and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe when it goes on sale at the tail end of this year as a 2016 model.
A convertible model has also been pencilled into Infiniti’s projections and although there’s no definitive word on powerplants, the smart money’s already on the twin-turbo 3.0-litre V-6 from the Q80 Inspiration, sold alongside a subsequent hybrid option. Speaking of money, the target market suggests $70,000 should be the starting point.
VOLKSWAGEN wants to cash in on the popularity of high-riding fastback SUVs, unveiling the Cross Coupe GTE concept at the Detroit Motor Show.
The third SUV-styled concept in three years from the German car maker, the Cross Coupe GTE comes across as a cheaper ‘premium rather than luxury’ version of BMW’s X6 and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLE.
It’s not the first time Volkswagen has looked at the popularity of expensive models and given its own spin to the idea. The Passat CC, for instance, is believed to have had Mercedes-Benz’s CLS-Class as its inspiration.
The plug-in hybrid-engined Cross Coupe GTE follows in the footsteps of the seven-seat CrossBlue and CrossBlue Coupe concepts revealed at Detroit in 2013 and Shanghai last year, and takes Volkswagen’s long-mooted US market seven-seat SUV a step closer to its late 2016 production deadline.
According to the car maker, the Cross Coupe GTE will travel about 30km on battery power alone. When the batteries start to fade, a 3.6-litre V6 engine, producing 206kW and 350Nm fires up – the car makes 250kW and 380Nm when that’s teamed with the two electric motors.
Why two? One electric motor produces 40kW and 220Nm at the front wheels, and also generates electricity for the battery, while the other, mounted at the rear and drawing exclusively on battery power, provides 85kW and 270Nm and is the only motive force in pure EV mode.
Only a whisker shorter than a Ford Territory, the interior of the concept car includes gesture-sensitive controls that, in one application, allow a passenger to swipe a hand across the dash to scroll through music titles displayed on the console’s large central screen.
The ‘GTE’ in the concept’s name refers to the vehicle’s sports-honed pedigree, which at the push of a button marked GTE sharpens up throttle response and steering, with drive provided both by the engine, which powers the front wheels exclusively, and the electric motors.
The Cross Coupe GTE includes an off-road mode that pushes drive to all four wheels when selected.
ONE of the worst-kept secrets of the Detroit Show – Jaguar’s F-PACE crossover – is the logical development of the C-X17 concept that did the rounds at the Frankfurt, Dubai, LA and Guangzhou shows in 2013.
Based on the aluminium-intensive chassis of the XE saloon, the low-riding F-PACE has already contributed all-wheel-drive tech to the F-TYPE range and is slated for a 2016 on-sale date.
Clearly eyeing the Cayenne and Macan’s contributions to Porsche’s bottom line, Jaguar needs the F-PACE to bolster US sales, which were down seven percent in 2014, in spite of an overall six percent growth in the US luxury car market.
The name delivers a subtle nod to Sir William Lyons’ definition of Jaguars delivering “grace, space and pace” and, rather refreshingly, Jaguar has resisted the urge to call the car a coupe, sticking with a ‘performance crossover’ title.
Production capacity for the spacious five-seater has been allocated at the Solihull plant, and there ought to be room in the market for both the F-PACE and sister company Land Rover’s similarly sized Discovery Sport.
“We received such an overwhelmingly positive response to the C-X17 concept car last year that we just had to make it a reality,” said Ian Callum, director of design for Jaguar, in a statement announcing the F-PACE.
Engine options are expected to include the 250kW supercharged 3.0-litre V6 from the XE-S, and a 3.0-litre 202kW V6 diesel, with the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 possibly slated for an F-Pace R performance variant. Pricing has yet to be announced, but expect a close match for the Macan here in Australia.
THE Mercedes-Benz C350 Hybrid has been shown at Detroit and along with all the new C-Class glitz and glam, it claims stunning 2.1L/100km economy.
Undercutting the cleanest BMW 3-Series or most miserly Audi A4, it’s the first four-cylinder hybrid from Mercedes and the first plug-in version of the new C-Class, which is a strong contender for Wheels Car Of The Year (winner announced 21 January).
The C350 takes the C250’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, with the same 155kW/350Nm outputs, and teams it with a 60kW electric motor. Like Mercedes’ E-Class hybrid, the electric motor is cleverly sandwiched between the transmission and the engine, benefitting packaging efficiency, weight, cost and interior space.
Mercedes claims a total output of the system at a healthy 205kW with a whopping 600Nm. That delivers the 2.1L/100km – beating the C300 BlueTec’s 4.0L/100km for best in class and even outdoing Ford’s Fiesta – along with an athletic 5.9sec 0-100km/h claim. Parsimonious pace? On paper, this car can claim it.
The downside? The plug-in hybrid can travel only 31km (at best) under electric power, and while it has genuine drivability with an electric-only top speed of 130km/h, it’s still well short of the 50km range offered by the Audi A3 e-tron or even the larger, heavier Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. The battery pack inevitably adds weight – 100kg – but Mercedes says mounting it between the boot and rear seat assists weight distribution and doesn’t cut much load space. Even so, the boot shrinks from 490L to 355L.
If the C300 Hybrid currently in Australian showrooms is anything to go by, the C350 should behave like any other C-Class on the open road, meaning a competent, refined drive with a superb interior. In Europe, It will be offered in sedan and wagon body styles, with air suspension as standard, but it’s still not confirmed for Australian showrooms. If we get it, it’ll cost an estimated $80,000.
THIS – the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 – is what will keep BMW X6M owners awake at night.
It’s taken six long years for a rival to the almighty BMW SUV to arrive but now the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 has cut its German rival’s lunch with a 4.2sec 0-100km/h sprint. Accelerating two tonnes that rapidly calls for 430kW and 760Nm, making this the world’s most powerful SUV.
The GLE 63 coupe’s grunt comes from the same 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 that was introduced to the AMG range in 2012. That replaced the naturally aspirated 6208cc V8 that was badged as a 6.3-litre and accounts for the ‘63’ in the name. While the S model packs the full 430kW – easily overshadowing the X6’s 408kW 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – the base model GLE 63 makes do with 410kW. The stonking V8 is hooked up to a seven-speed automatic transmission that sends power to a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.
As shown in Wheels spy images last year, the hunched-over GLE 63 is essentially the coupe version of the new M-Class. That range has had a name-change to GL, so think of the GL as the X5 rival, with the GLE the X6’s nemesis.
Hitting the muscular, bold X5 with the ugly stick to create the X6 worked for BMW, and while motoring journalists scoffed at the gawky styling and interior compromise of the BMW behemoth, the X6 quickly became a cash cow to vindicate Munich’s product planners.
Now the GLE 63 AMG packs an even bigger punch under an almost carbon-copy of the X6’s swooping rear roofline. The S model’s 22-inch alloys, front grille bling and buffed-up guards and bumpers scream for attention, but though it blatantly copies the BMW formula, the Mercedes has one crucial advantage – while the X6 is a 2+2, the GLE is a comfy five-seater. Making it even more cosseting, despite the huge wheels, air suspension is standard.
That gives the GLE a practical advantage over the X6, and makes it a strong competitor to the recently updated Porsche Cayenne.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 will go on sale in Australia in spring 2015 and is expected to start from around $190,000.
AUSTRALIAN car designers have shown they’re still a force to be reckoned with, penning and building a next-generation Buick-badged limousine concept that has taken centre stage on the General Motors Detroit Motor Show display.
The luxury-laden four-seat Buick Avenir was designed in collaboration with GM North America out of the Holden-based GM Design Australia centre in Port Melbourne. It also was built at GM Australia’s fabrication studio.
The heavily sculptured Avenir – the name is French for ‘future’ – “embraces Buick’s rich design heritage of creating exquisite sculptures, precise in their design and beautifully proportioned”, GM’s PR said after revealing the concept car.
“As a brand with one the richest histories of design, Buick’s legacy is recognised and revered around the world,” GM Global Design vice-president Ed Welburn said. “The designers in Australia understood the essence of Buick’s design language just as well as those in America, which fostered a more cohesive collaboration between teams, with seamless integration.”
According to GM, the Avenir’s classic rear-wheel-drive proportion and exterior design theme originated at the Australian design studio, while the interior theme was penned in the US.
GM International Design vice-president, Australia’s Mike Simcoe, said the teams’ understanding of the project brief and the sculptural essence of Buick “transcended the time zones”.
“GM’s global design studios are very well connected and we contribute to each other’s projects all the time,” Simcoe said. “There is a tremendous understanding of the brand’s design language and passion for the future of this portfolio.”
According to GM, the Avenir’s signature sweep-spear side motif and nod to the ‘boat-tail’ styling of the 1971-’73 Riviera are modern interpretations of classic Buick cues proposed by GM Australia’s lead exterior designer, Warrack Leach.
“When you receive a brief titled ‘Buick Flagship’ you immediately think of a vehicle with impressive road presence, a confident yet graceful stance, emotive and progressive form language, but above all else, a beautiful automobile,” Leach said in a statement.
“It has been incredibly exciting to be part of this passionate global team, and we are immensely proud of what we have achieved. To be given the opportunity to present a show car at Detroit, one of the biggest automotive stages in the world, is the ultimate compliment.”
Under its bonnet, the Avenir features a next-generation fuel-injected V6 engine with cylinder deactivation and an idle-stop system to save fuel.
Drive is sent to all four 21-inch wheels via a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission using paddle shifters, while a selectable suspension damping system adding a sense of sport.
The Avenir features LED exterior lighting, a 12-inch infotainment screen, wireless charging system for mobile devices, and a wireless internet hotspot.
ENDURANCE: Mercedes wins 24H Dubai
THE GULLWING Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 has taken its third consecutive outright win in the Hankook 24 Hour of Dubai to crank up a narrow favouritism for next month’s much-awaited Bathurst 12 Hour.
Globetrotting German team Black Falcon took the win in the 10th running of Dubai’s international endurance race, the long-nosed SLS driven by German Hubert Haupt, Dutchman Yelmer Buurman, Briton Oliver Webb and Saudi-Arabian Abdulaziz Al Faisal.
The multi-cultural line-up completed 604 laps of the 5.39km Dubai Autodrome, four laps up on second-placed RAM Racing’s similar SLS AMG GT3. UAE-based team Dragon Racing was third overall with its Ferrari 458 Italia GT3.
There were 12 changes in the overall lead, with four different cars taking turns to head the field.
Just off the podium was the KPM Racing Aston Martin, taking fourth ahead of the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN’s Nissan GTR GT3. Crashes and mechanical woes thinned several leading contenders from the 95-car field.
Australian team MARC Cars came out on top in the SP2 class with its MARC Focus V8 (#91, Kassulke/Alford/Leemhuis/Padayachee/Elgammal) while the sister car (#92, Kaye/Al Hamad/McLedo/Karanfilovski/Fiore) completed a one-two for the team.
ENDURANCE: Bathurst contenders gather
WHY IS next month’s Bathurst 12-hour race in history now less than four weeks so hotly anticipated? Probably because of the roll-call of impressive GT cars heading Down Under: two factory Bentley Continental GT3s, plus a local entry, Aston Martin Vantage, Ferrari 458, Porsche 911 GT3, Lamborghini Gallardo, McLaren MP4-12C, Nissan GT-R NISMO, Audi R8 LMS ultra, and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. In all, 17 brands are represented, with teams from 10 countries.
Class A (GT3), which includes the outright contenders, is loaded with 30 cars across nine makes, reasonably evenly split between Pro-Am (two seeded drivers) and ‘Am’ classes (one seeded, two amateurs).
Entries were closed at 55 cars and though one or two may drop out, organisers are expecting the grid will be about twice the size of last October’s Bathurst 1000.
The complete list of drivers will be rolled out within a few days, with announcements from Bentley, Erebus Mercedes, Nissan and AF Corse Ferrari of particular interest, but it’s already as enticing as the cars, despite the effective ban on V8 Supercar regulars.
Talents include ex-F1 pilots Mika Salo, David Brabham and Andrea Montermini, two Le Mans 24-Hour winners (Stephane Ortelli and Brabham), Nürburgring 24-Hour winner Christopher Haase, works Porsche ace Patrick Long, previous Bathurst 12-Hour winners Christopher Mies and Darryl O’Young, BTCC champ Gordon Shedden, a former ‘Stig’, and some of Europe’s finest hired guns such as Laurens Vanthoor, Markus Winkelhock, and Felix Baumgartner.
Then there are also Craig Baird, Steve Richards, Chris Pither, David Russell, Steve Owen, Ben Collins Tony D’Alberto, Matt Halliday, John Bowe, John McIntyre, James Winslow, Luke Youlden and Ben Barker for the locals to get behind.
On top of that, Greg Crick, who duelled with Mika Salo in the 2014 race, suffered serious carbon-monoxide poisoning during the event but wants to be back this year.
LEGEND: Ron Tauranac clocks 90
WHEELS recently had a pleasant chat and a glass of West Aussie red with Ron Tauranac. And on the eve of his 90th birthday, the technical genius from the glory days of Brabham and Ralt was just as forthright as ever.
Ron’s Brabham cars dominated Formula One, Formula Junior and Formula 3 during the 1960s, winning the F1 Constructors Championship in 1966 and 1967 with the Repco Brabham BT19 & BT20.
Whilst Ron still gets annoyed when people wrongly suggest Jack Brabham was the engineering force behind his triple F1 triumphs, he says Australia’s most successful F1 racer was also the smartest and most technical drivers he worked with.
Ron was perhaps the antithesis of Lotus’ flashy Colin Chapman in that he built his race cars to be reliable and practical, with safety just as important as speed. It seems Chapman once asked Tauranac to run his race team – that would have been a clash of philosophies and it’s probably for the best Ron didn’t take the job.
“I like to think any success I achieved in designing racing cars came about through being able to apply the correct balance between theory and practicality,” he once said. “Theory is very important, of course, but it is the practical application of it which makes it work on the track.”
When Jack Brabham retired from F1 at the end of 1970, he sold his shareholding in Motor Racing Developments (MRD) to Tauranac. Ron ran the outfit for a year before flogging it to a youthful Bernie Ecclestone. The transaction wasn’t as pure as it should have been, but there were no regrets.
Tauranac then set up the Ralt design group, his Ralt RT1 immediately tasting success with Larry Perkins taking out the 1975 European F3 championship. Ralt prospered, its cars amassing an astonishing number of F2 and F3 titles in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Ralt also brought on drivers including Nelson Piquet, Derek Warwick, Ayrton Senna, Mike Thackwell and Damon Hill. From 1975 to 1993 the Ralt factory produced a total of 1083 cars; Ron claims credit for 1047.
On 13 January, the Historic Sports & Racing Car Association of NSW will celebrate Tauranac’s career and his 90th birthday with a lunch in Sydney. Ron, dry as ever, isn’t so sure reaching 90 is something to celebrate. He hits the gym every day and enjoys a morning cup of coffee but he suggests life these days is boring – not enough worthy stuff to do.
Perhaps it’s that refusal to rest on his laurels that drove him through a magnificent career. Wheels salutes you, Ron!
THE Holden Commodore may be headed for extinction but it’s playing a key role in a major development project for Chevrolet in the United States – reportedly the next generation Corvette.
Pictures have emerged of a radical prototype disguised as a VE Commodore ute with a radical mid-engine layout shoehorned into its load tray, which has the space to take an engine where the load usually sit.
While the lights, bonnet and proportions are instantly recognisable as a Holden, it’s also clear the test mule has undergone major modifications.
The wheel arches are wider to accommodate a broader track while the huge wing mounted on a modified hard lid tray looks set to generate some serious rear downforce, but is likely a cosmetic distraction. Even the roof has been replaced with a slimmer version from the Corvette Stingray, which tapers in at the rear.
US magazine Car and Driver posted the exclusive images and claims the radically modified Commodore ute is a test mule for a high performance version of the 2017 Corvette, which would break cover late in 2016.
Gleaned from inside information and with these pictures as backup the magazine says the flagship version of the C8 Corvette – which could be called Zora ZR1 – would make a radical departure from the traditional front-engine, rear-drive layout used by one of America’s most famous muscle cars.
Instead it would use a more supercar-esque mid-engine layout, better transmitting the expected extra dose of V8 power and making for sharper, more focused handling.
Engines would likely be smaller V8s in line with other manufacturers’ moves to smaller, lighter engine architectures.
While it would initially sell alongside the Stingray that broke cover early in 2013 before going on sale later that year, the mid-engine layout could ultimately form the underpinnings of all future Corvettes.
It’s understood Holden has nothing to do with the top secret project, but the company refused to comment, other than to say “it looks like an interesting project out of North America”.
Asked whether Holden was involved in the development or had supplied any components, spokesman George Svigos said: “We’re not able to comment on future product at all.”
The Nurbrugring Nordschleife is rightly regarded as one of the world’s most difficult racetracks.
Over 20km in length, even once you’ve memorised the 150-plus turns, the high speed, massive elevation changes and complete lack of run off make it a daunting place to drive fast.
And that’s in the dry. Add some moisture and things become even more treacherous. For a number of months the Nordschleife is actually covered in a blanket of snow, forcing drivers to put their ’Ring addiction on hold.
Everyone but Andy Gulden, that is. Gulden is chief instructor at the Nurburgring Driver Academy, and he is either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.
Y’see, with the temperature a balmy -16C and the ’Ring invisible under a thick blanket of snow, Gulden decided this was a good time to take one of the Nurburgring Formula cars for a run.
What follows is an utterly mesmerising display of car control, with the single seater rarely facing in a straight line for more than a second or two. Gulden is clearly a driving god, as he is not content to tip-toe round in deference to the conditions.
Respect to you, Mr Gulden.
The very morning HSV announced the GTS Maloo, I heard some duck-shover on AM talkback questioning the sanity of anybody in the market for such a thing.
What, this self-appointed font of all wisdom wanted to know, did society want with another supercar, even if it could haul a load of bark chips? Didn’t we already kill enough dolphins with our cars? Didn’t I know the crisis in Syria is all because the 100km/h speed limit in Victoria is too high? I never thought I’d say this, but thank the gods for FM radio.
Anyways, I’ll admit I am a ute kind of guy. Okay, I lack the necessary Southern Cross tatt on my shoulder blade and a frothing Rottweiler slamming backwards and forwards in the tray to be considered a true ute-brother. And I do still own a radio that picks up AM. But beyond that, I reckon I’m probably somewhere in HSV’s cross hairs as a potential owner for the GTS Maloo. Apart from the wallet thing, that is.
Yes, the money thing. Look, there are two ways to shoot this. Either the GTS Maloo is a hugely expensive yoot at $87,990, or, it’s the world’s cheapest HSV GTS.
Depends how you want to look at it, but I reckon the truth leans towards the former. Yes, you do get the full-welly 6.2-litre supercharged, 430kW/740Nm, LSA mill, but if this thing is a two-door GTS, I’m running for a seat at the next federal election. (Come to think of it…)
Why so? A couple of things. Starting with the fact HSV’s Magnetic Ride Control set-up can’t be had in the GTS Maloo. Apparently, the cost-versus-benefit thing just didn’t line up with the knowledge a complete recalibration would have been needed and, with strictly 250 units to be built, that would have been crucial development bucks down the pan.
Also, the sharpness of the GTS sedan isn’t there, either. Mainly, this is manifest in the steering which just doesn’t seem to work as harmoniously in the Maloo platform, even though the ride is bloody good for something like this. In the sedan, yes, you can feel HSV (and Holden) has gone with electrical assistance, but it’s hardly evil.
By the time you’ve hooked the same system to the Maloo’s slightly different weight-bias (even with its 20-inch wheels and ContiSport Contacts) the end result just ain’t as good. The Maloo needs a big prod to get the tiller off centre and even then, seems to need small corrections in a straight line at urban speeds. Another irk is you’re also aware of more mechanical noise (mainly the differential, I think).
But for me, the biggest glitch in the whole shebang is the fact I can’t see out of the damn thing. I’m no tiddler at 182cm, but I’m damned if I could spot a double-decker bus sneaking up on me from behind. The pillars are made entirely from Acme Corporation blind-spots and the Batmobile humps of the hard-tonneau (remote locking, but not waterproof) create twin eclipses.
Want to reverse out of a parking spot at Bunnings (with yer new bark chips)? Then best you develop a new trust in The Lord, because even this simple move is an act of staunchest faith.
The rest of the deal, though, really is as good as a GTS, including torque vectoring and the straight-line stomp. Oh yes. This is truly a great engine. It’s calibrated just so, too, meaning that on light throttle inputs, it really just feels like a big, cuddly V8.
But get carpet-bound with the loud pedal and that all changes as the six-speed auto dumps two or three cogs and you’re off. By the time the active exhaust has cracked open (and it takes longer than you expect) all hell has broken loose, including the rear end if you’ve been bold enough to power-down the traction and stability.
Down the strip the Maloo is every bit as quick as the sedan with the same driveline, which equates to a best of 12.6sec at 185.8km/h and 0-100km/h in a handy 4.7sec. The in-gear stuff is impressive, too, and you’ll get from 80 to 120km/h in a tidy 2.6sec which means open-road progress is a case of ‘here comes a truck to overtake, it was a truck wasn’t it?’
Brakes work well too, hauling down from 100km/h in 34.7m at which point the Maloo must be just about standing on that big, plastic nose.
All that plastic is possibly the least appealing part of the Maloo formula for me. A ute is always going to look a bit unbalanced (in an oil-on-canvas sense) but to simply add acres of body kit, fake tail-light extensions, bogus tailpipes and what-not doesn’t fix that. In fact, it kind of draws attention to the monster within, particularly with that humpback hard-tonneau.
Not that the tonneau isn’t well thought out in some ways: it locks and unlocks via the remote fob and there’s even a lid-release tab (the Americans call it an anti-kidnap lever) inside the tub should you, for whatever reason, find yourself locked in the tray. But it still precludes the carting of higher loads and your Rotty is surely gonna hate it in there.
Okay, that’s me, but the fact you can’t escape is this: all that added-on, non-mechanical, HSV-specific stuff makes the Maloo, as a ute, about as useful as a WRC navigator with a stutter. Maybe if the thing was $60,000, it’d be a viable alternative to the GTS sedan, but at $85K, it doesn’t seem like enough of a saving. And even if it was substantially cheaper, I would still have issues with not being able to see anything that I hadn’t already hit.
So maybe, for all the wrong reasons, the duck shover on the radio the other day was right. But then, I guarantee he hasn’t driven one.
Specs: Engine: 6162cc V8, OHV, 16v, supercharger Power: 430kW @ 6150rpm Torque: 740Nm @ 3850rpm Weight: 1875kg 0-100km/h: 4.7sec (tested) 0-400m: 12.6sec @ 185.8km/h (tested) Price: $87,990
