The Porsche 911 GT3 is a 911 Coupe with more power, less weight and a hunger for race tracks. The $293K Porsche 911 GT3 is not the most expensive or the fastest car in the 911 range – the Turbo S is – but it is the one real drivers should choose.

WHAT IS IT The Porsche 911 GT3 is a road-legal 911 Coupe enhanced for race track use. That means less weight, more power, bigger brakes and stickier tyres; everything the budding track maestro needs to hone their driving skills. If you’re really serious, Porsche will throw in a half-rollcage and racing harnesses for free.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The 991-series Porsche 911 GT3 first launched in Australia in March, but engine reliability issues forced Porsche to withdraw it from sale, and recall all cars already in customer hands. Six months later, the engine issues have been overcome and the 911 GT3 is back and ready for a proper road test.

MAIN RIVALS Aston Martin Vantage V8S, Audi R8 4.2, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Lamborghini Huracan, Mercedes-AMG GT S

THE WHEELS VERDICT The 991 series Porsche 911 is a huge step up from the previous model (the 997 Series II). There is no better 911 if you want to better yourself as a driver.

PLUS: Rev-hungry engine; steering; handling; brakes; grip MINUS: Auto only; no back seat; compromised road manners

THE WHEELS REVIEW SOMEBODY got the recipe wrong. It was probably nothing more sinister than a pinch too much of this, or a dash too much of that, but a small mistake becomes a huge problem when you’re whipping up titanium alloy for connecting rods for a 3.8-litre flat-six engine that spends its life screaming to 9000rpm.

None of the five 991-Type 911 GT3s delivered to Australian buyers in early 2014 threw a rod, but a handful of European customer cars did. That was enough for Porsche to call a worldwide halt to deliveries and recall every GT3 in customer hands. Those cars sat motionless for six months, waiting for Porsche’s conrod supplier to get the recipe right. And now that they have, the purest 911 can hit the track again.

As we know, the GT3 is a 911 honed for pace and precision on a racetrack. This $294K rear-drive coupe is based on the $251K Carrera S and shares the S’s larger 3.8-litre flat-six, but the internals of that engine have been reworked for 53kW more and to make it rev higher and harder.

Far from being a ‘stripper’ 911, the GT3 actually gets more tech, to enhance stability in corners and traction exiting them. For starters, two rear suspension control arms are replaced with electro-mechanical actuators to provide active rear steering. At speeds below 80km/h, the rears contribute to a tighter turning circle; above that, they increase the turning circle, which Porsche says bolsters cornering stability and speed.

Then there’s the active rear diff and Porsche’s Torque Vectoring Plus electronics. Unlike the previous GT3’s rear differential, which had preset locking values, the new system is fully variable for greater finesse under power. The greatest compliment you can pay this system is that you can’t feel it working.

The new GT3 has a bigger footprint than the 997 MkII version: wheelbase is 103mm longer, front track has grown 51mm and the rear Michelins are 31mm further apart. So it’s no great surprise that kerb weight is up, but the 36kg increase is tiny considering the dimension growth. It’s also irrelevant because real-world performance is hugely improved, and not just because the PDK’s gear ratios and the final-drive ratio combine with the power increase to carve 0.6sec off the 0-100km/h time (now 3.5sec).

Wheels tested the 991-Type GT3 at Queensland Raceway, laying down a best time of 60.3sec for the clubman circuit. Our best in the 997 GT3 at the same track in 2007 was 63.5sec. It is possible that the driving skills of yours truly may have improved in the intervening years, but the greater improver is the GT3. Not just in outright pace, though it’s hard to ignore the direct-injection engine’s extra aggression, the higher levels of grip the Michelins provide, and the ferocity of the GT3’s bigger brakes. The GT3’s composure and stability on the limit is equally astonishing, and an absolute joy to experience. This is not a scary 911 to drive, not even on the edge.

One aspect that may upset purists is the omission of a manual transmission from Porsche’s track weapon. It’s hard to deny the romance of DIY heel-n-toeing, but on race tracks the PDK is the faster, better option. Proper paddles that rotate with the steering wheel let the driver change gears in a blink and focus more on braking points, apexes and accelerating at breathtaking speeds down the straights. And that’s totally in tune with the GT3’s track focus.

It may not be the fastest 911 coupe, nor is it the most expensive. Right now, both those honours go to the $445K, 412kW 911 Turbo. But it is the best proponent of the 911 ethos, the purest expression of Porsche’s pursuit of driving perfection. It nails the 911 recipe perfectly.

SPECS Model: Porsche 911 GT3 Engine: 3799cc flat-6, dohc, 24v Max power: 350kW @ 8250rpm Max torque: 440Nm @ 6250rpm Transmission: 7-speed PDK automatic Weight: 1430kg 0-100km/h: 3.5sec (claim) Fuel economy: 12.4L/100km (claim) Price: $293,600 On sale: Now

Renault Australia has today announced local pricing for the Megane RS275 Trophy-R, the fastest front-wheel drive around Germany’s famed Nurburgring circuit.

For $61,990 (RRP), customers will be able to lap the Nordschleife in just 7min54.36sec, at least they will if they possess the other-worldly driving skills of record-setting Renault test driver, Laurent Hurgon.

Available in only 15 countries, just 250 of these hardcore hot hatches will be available globally, with Australia scoring the second-highest allocation with 50 cars available. This is commensurate with Australia’s position as the second-most popular market in the world for Renault Sport products after its French homeland.

With Australia’s preference for high-specification vehicles, it’s little surprise that the Trophy-R comes with the ‘Nurburgring Accessory Kit’ as standard. This includes a lightweight lithium-ion battery, which saves 15kg, steel/aluminium brake discs (saving another 3kg) and six-point harnesses for the polycarbonate front seats (subtract another 42kg).

This is in addition to the standard specification which includes Ohlins adjustable dampers, composite springs, specially developed Micheln Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres (similar to those on the Ferrari 458 Speciale) and 19-inch Speedline Turini wheels.

Initial demand has been strong, with a number of customers placing deposits without having seen or driven the vehicle. With such strong customer demand Renault Australia is unsure whether a press car will be made available, but we’ll continue trying to bend their arm to bring you a local first drive as soon as possible.

V8 SUPERCARS: Bold new world of non-V8s and turbos

IT TOOK way too long to happen, but credit to V8 Supercars for finally reacting to the changing real-world motoring landscape with a raft of changes opening the way for additional engine and body configurations to compete alongside current V8 engines and four-door sedans and due to take effect from 2017, as we reported last week.

Not unexpectedly, there has been a mixed reaction to the most contentious of the changes, opening the series to engines other than 5.0-litre V8s – the staple of V8 Supercars since its inception two decades ago – along with the acceptance of coupe body shapes draped over the obligatory off-the-shelf standard-issue chassis.

Many old-time fans are resisting change, but there are also others who support V8 Supercars Australia’s chief executive James Warburton’s blunt assessment that it is a survival imperative to make the sport more relevant to spectators and manufacturers as the Australian car industry transitions from locally built cars.

Warburton says research shows that opening the category to other brands and engines would have substantial appeal, particularly to younger fans.

V8 Supercars is also hoping the likes of Lexus SC and BMW M4/M3 might be on the grid in the future, helped by an acceleration away from the traditional blue-collar spectator demographic.

While the prospect of greater variety – of brands and engines – is intriguing, this potential diversity tosses up one major headache for the category: the performance equivalence process.

It hasn’t been easy and swift to settle on parity for recent newbies Nissan, Mercedes and Volvo, and they all have 5.0-litre V8s. Bringing turbo fours and sixes (and maybe even hybrids) into the mix will require some delicate fiddling to ensure all the brands and engine configurations produce similar lap times.

V8 Supercars management sought feedback from car-makers before firming-up the new direction for the category.

It did nothing to dissuade Ford from going ahead with its withdrawal.

Importantly, the new direction means new manufacturers may source race-developed engines used in other series, rather than enter into costly development programs (as Nissan, Erebus and Volvo have had to do).

Lexus Australia boss Sean Hanley got very excited about the possibilities of being involved post-2016, although no business case has yet been looked at from within the company.

Handley’s enthusiasm has been partly generated by Toyota boss Akio Toyoda’s imperative that the company should go racing.

To that end, Lexus Japan has already indicated it is poised to jump into the FIA GT global series with the RC-F GT3, most likely in 2016.

This exotic sports car series for GT3 cars is a better fit for the Lexus buyer demographic, and Handley would be aware that the Lexus GT3 car could also be raced locally in the Bathurst 12 Hour and the Australian GT Championship.

Selling just 7000 units a year locally doesn’t seem enough to give Lexus a decent war chest with which to go ‘V8’ racing, a commitment probably needing about $10 million in the first year, but Volvo jumped aboard despite selling fewer than 5000 annually.

Lexus would almost certainly need a significant budget from external sponsors.

V8 SUPERCARS: Wet end-of-year break-up party

FANS who attended the season-ending Sydney 500 at Homebush at the weekend left the precinct very damp – and a little unfulfilled – after two of the three races were abandoned due to heavy rain and track flooding.

Officials rightly suspended race two on Saturday and race three on Sunday when Sydney was belted by thunderstorms that left visibility and grip in short supply.

The atrocious weather couldn’t upset Jamie Whincup’s coronation because his record sixth title was sealed before the weekend, but it did shake up the fight for the minors.

A delighted Shane van Gisbergen splashed a path from fourth in the championship to second, the Kiwi jumping Mark Winterbotton, who finished third in the standings, and Craig Lowndes (fourth).

The season finale marked some emotional exits from the series, too, including multiple title-winning team boss Ross Stone, who is stepping back, at least for the foreseeable future.

Highly regarded Nick Percat, a Bathurst 1000 winner, has been left without a drive following end-of-season shuffles that sprung Lee Holdsworth from Erebus AMG to drive a Holden run out of Walkinshaw Racing (for Charlie Schwerkolt Racing).

Percat this year drove a Walkinshaw Holden for entrant James Rosenberg, who has now handed back his licence. Rosenberg has been singing the praises of his young charge, who has had a brilliant first season in the main game.

Also out of a regular drive is former champ and Bathurst winner Russell Ingall, who has shown about as much inclination to leave the spotlight as Johnny Farnham. If Ingall doesn’t get a reprieve, his services surely will be eagerly sought by teams seeking a quality enduro driver.

Also departing as a full-timer is likeable Swedish import Robert Dahlgren, who found out how tough and different is the challenge of V8 Supercars. He also hopes to return for the 2015 enduros.

V8 SUPERCARS: How the prodigal fared

MARCOS Ambrose’s priority for the three races of the Sydney 500, the meeting that marked his return to V8 Supercars, was simply to finish.

Entered in a third DJR Falcon (backed by Xbox), Ambrose was unashamedly using the hit-out as a means of easing himself back into the category after nine years in the US.

But the Sydney 500 threw far more at the celebrated ‘wildcard’ entry than anticipated. Hot and humid conditions early on followed by violent thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday delivered Ambrose a tough ‘welcome home’ present.

Despite the unfriendly weather, he looked more comfortable in the car as the weekend unfolded.

The final leg presented greasy track conditions at the start, a dry middle sector with cars back on Dunlop slicks, and then a ferocious storm that ended the day’s racing. Ambrose started from P23, moved decisively into the Top 20 and was 16th when the race was red-flagged and then declared.

“Today it all started to click in the Xbox Falcon, despite the weather conditions,” Ambrose reported.

“It has been a tough weekend, no doubt about it, but we kept the car straight and finished all the laps available in all the races, which is what I wanted to do.

“The weather was a factor, too, but it did allow me to experience a lot of different things and I do feel a bit more rounded after not driving these cars for nine years.

“I’ve got a long way to go and I just hope the team is patient with me and we can build this thing into a winning combination.”

FORMULA ONE: McLaren continues to keep us waiting

McLAREN is still to announce who will be team-mate to the returning Fernando Alonso in season 2015.

Having earlier suggested the announcement would come in December, McLaren then confirmed at the start of the month that no decision has been made and that the people making the choice were still divided on who should get the job.

The British team will choose between local hero Jenson Button, whose contract expired at the end of the season, and Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen.

Magnussen, 22, started his F1 career with a flourish, scoring a podium in his first grand prix in Melbourne, but his form has been patchy since.

Button, a former world champion, has been a loyal McLaren servant and has enormous experience – 266 starts and 15 race victories – to help the team switch to new Honda powerplants.

“Selecting the optimal driver line-up for a Formula One team is clearly an important process and it is therefore one that requires precise and prolonged analysis,” McLaren said.

McLaren has not won a race since 2012.

V8 SUPERCARS: Fox Sports revs up for massive cover

FOXTEL makes no bones about its intentions with the deal it has secured to show (with junior partner the Ten Network) V8 Supercars for the next six years.

Conceding many V8 Supercars fans don’t currently subscribe to Foxtel, the pay TV operator has a growth strategy to get into as many Australian homes as possible.

Aware of the negative reaction by many fanatics to the unpalatable concept of paying to watch their favourite sport after getting it for nothing, Foxtel last month announced a drastic cut in its pricing structure, with the basic package starting at $25 per month (down from $49), with the Sports pack (five channels) at a further $25.

So it will cost race fans $50 a month, with several other categories of motor sport (including MotoGP and NASCAR) also a part of the regular programming.

As has been widely reported already, Ten will show just six marquee events live to air, with the others going to air later in the day in the form of a one-hour highlights package.

Chasing the subscription dollars, the task for Fox Sports will be to broaden the appeal of V8s beyond the rusted-on obsessives who will already be reaching for their credit cards. A technically complicated sport needs to be presented in a highly entertaining, understandable fashion.

This year, outgoing telecaster Seven struggled manfully to put some intrigue and punch into often snoozy qualifying sessions. How Fox and Ten will inject life and drama into humdrum practice sessions will be interesting to watch.

Foxtel will show all practice, qualifying and racing live to air, and support races as well. There is also an undertaking not to interrupt the races with commercials.

Fox also says it will wrap the sport in exciting new technologies – more cameras, data displays, split screens and with a stronger emphasis on the drivers and their personalities.

Craig Lowndes predicts viewers will see a lot more behind the scenes revelations than ever before: “You’ll get to see V8 Supercars warts and all.”

Will Davison admitted he is a little concerned about the prying nature of the new Fox coverage. “There’s no hiding. Maybe we’ll have to watch what we say.”

Perhaps Rick Kelly was the most honest of the drivers: “There can be repetition in our sport – we start, we race, we finish. But a lot goes on in the background that the punters will get to see.”

Kelly thinks the revolution in the coverage will bring in a whole new army of viewers. Foxtel hopes he’s right.

Former Holden chief talks down Aussie-developed Camaro

MARK Reuss, the head of GM’s North American division and a former overlord of the car maker’s Australian subsidiary Holden, has talked down the Australian designed and developed Camaro muscle car.

“The first-gen Camaro was a bit of a tortured birth because the architecture was something that was sort of loosely based on [the Holden-developed] Zeta at the time, but then brought into the United States, and we made a Camaro out of it – off of a concept car that wasn’t completely architected yet,” he told Motor Trend magazine in an interview published online this week.

The fifth-generation Camaro, which shares the same underpinnings as the current Holden Commodore large rear-wheel-drive passenger car (sold in the US as the Chevrolet SS) and ute range, was launched in the US in 2010, shortly after Reuss’s departure from Australia to head up his home market’s operations.

The next-generation Camaro due in 2016, he tells Motor Trend, will be built off “a very mature and exclusive architecture” that will make it much lighter, more dynamic and cheaper.

Ford’s Mustang recalled to fix four-pot burnouts

STICKING with American iron, Ford has had to pull the recently launched sixth-generation Mustang back into service centres after four-cylinder versions were found to be at risk of a supercar trait – unexpectedly bursting into flames.

According to the car-maker, a pressure sensor on the turbo 2.3-litre four-pot’s fuel line – it will sell here next year alongside a 5.0-litre V8-engined version – can spring a leak and, if it meets an ignition source, catch fire.

Changes to the V8 Supercars format due in 2017 will allow a turbocharged ’Stang to scrap with the V8s, although, as we found out earlier in the week, if anyone wants to contest the championship it will be without Ford’s factory backing.

Saab in talks with mystery Asian investors

IN A week that Dutch supercar maker Spyker announced it was flirting with bankruptcy, car-making’s Lazarus with a triple bypass – Saab – has revealed it is in talks with a pair of unnamed Asian investors about kick-starting the brand once again.

One of the companies it is trying to woo is believed to be Indian-based industrial giant Mahindra & Mahindra.

Wheels spoke with the company’s chairman, Anand Mahindra, while he was on a flying visit to Australia last week and received a straight bat in response to several tempting line-and-length lollies asking whether it was actively in talks with anyone regarding a potential takeover, and whether there was any cast-off technology globally that it had its eye on.

Mahindra already has another car-making phoenix under its wing, having bought struggling Korean brand SsangYong in 2011; its SUV and trade ute range is ripe for development as part of the Indian car and tractor maker’s core business.

Small cars struggle for top crash rating

SMALL cars struggled a bit in the latest round of EuroNCAP tests that assess how vehicles will perform in a crash.

The Mini Cooper, the next-generation Benz-owned Smart ForTwo and the Renault-shared Smart ForFour – the latter currently under consideration for Australia – scored only four out of a possible five stars for crashworthiness.

The snub-nosed Smart ForTwo was marked down for poor pedestrian protection and scarcity of driver safety aids, while the ForFour and Cooper were mainly hurt by their lack of electronic driver aids.

A big bunch of SUVs sailed through with the top five-star rating, though, including the Porsche Macan, upcoming Land Rover Discovery Sport (which includes a pedestrian-protecting airbag as standard), Subaru Outback, Lexus’s new NX soft-roader, and the new Kia Sorento due on sale here next year.

France to phase out diesel cars

DIESEL’S biggest drawback – its more toxic emissions compared with other conventional fuels – will be its undoing in France, where vehicles running on the fuel face the guillotine.

Labelling its roll-out as a “mistake”, the French government has flagged it plans to make life difficult for diesel car owners – about 80 per cent of the nation’s fleet – with higher taxes and travel restrictions, such as banning them from inner-city streets, from as early as next year.

Drivers willing to trade in their dirty diesel on an electric car should expect a $14,000 kickback from the government, though.

The push to get more drivers into EVs does have a sting in the tail, though; about 40 percent of France’s electricity comes from nuclear reactors that, as we’ve seen a number of times already, could prove even more of a long-term worry than diesel emissions.

Meanwhile, diesel passenger vehicles are falling out of favour with Australian buyers.

TOYOTA Australia today announced it will close its Sydney operation, finally plumping for Melbourne as its sole head office after decades of being split between Australia’s biggest cities.

The company will close its Caringbah sales and marketing office and offer to help relocate the 350 affected employees to the Melbourne head office in Port Melbourne.

The decision may have been influenced by Toyota Motor Corporation president and CEO Akio Toyoda, who visited Australia last month, and earlier this year shed a tear as he announced the end of local manufacturing.

Australia has played an important role in Toyota’s global history. It was Toyota’s first significant export destination and its first overseas production venture – significantly, at the existing Port Melbourne site. So it is hallowed ground for Toyota.

The consolidation in 2018 will finally end the historical tension between the two centres in Sydney and Melbourne, one a highly profitable commercial vehicle importer (that started as Theiss) and the other a larger but more problematic manufacturer and importer of cars (that started as AMI).

The rivalry, which was recognised back in Japan as a problem needing to be addressed, has eased in recent years, following the appointment of Dave Buttner, a former chief of manufacturing in Melbourne, initially as senior executive director of sales and marketing, traditionally a Sydney-based role.

He subsequently was appointed executive vice-president and, earlier this year, president of Toyota Australia.

Announcing the decision to consolidate in Melbourne, Buttner admitted that 2014 had been “an extremely tough year for everyone at Toyota Australia”.

“These changes will provide us with the best opportunity to have a strong and sustainable base for the next 50 years and beyond,” he said in a statement.

“The decision … supports our long-term vision and will assist us in improving business efficiency, increase collaboration and reduce operating costs.”

The 350 sales and marketing staff from Sydney will join almost 1000 people remaining in the Melbourne head office. Total workforce will fall from 3900 to 1300 when manufacturing ceases in 2018.

Mr Buttner said the company would retain the Altona production site and establish a Centre of Excellence there, comprising a world-class training facility and some other commercial initiatives that will “enhance the company’s business and the community”.

This is thought to be a reference to work the company’s production process engineers recently completed at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, where they redesigned the hospital’s medicine packaging operations for patients and cut the cycle time by more than 80 percent.

What is it?

Porsche’s 991-series GT3, essentially a race car for the road.

Hang on, didn’t that come out ages ago?

Well, yes, overseas media drove it about 18 months ago, but then came a couple of much publicised engine failures caused by faulty conrod bolts. The fix was a relatively simple one, but it had to go through Porsche’s durability regime again, hence the delay.

Is it worth the wait?

What do you reckon? Porsche is yet to build a duff motorsport model and the new GT3 continues that trend, though it is a different beast.

How do you mean?

It’s the first GT3 not to use the iconic ‘Metzger’ flat-six, there’s no manual option, it’s bigger in every dimension and there’s tricky tech like four-wheel steering.

It’s the fastest GT3 ever (0-100km/h in 3.5sec, 315km/h flat out) but also by far the most civilised. The trademark chatter at idle is gone and you have to drive it at the absolute edge of adhesion for it to display any hint of rear-engined 911-ness.

Purists will bemoan this as further dilution of the 911’s character, but in reality it means those of us not blessed with Walter Rohrl’s driving skills can drive the new GT3 harder and faster with fewer penalties.

There’s immense grip, the brakes are tireless, the gearbox without fault (on track at least) and the 350kW/440Nm 3.8-litre flat-six howls its way all the way to 9000rpm redline time after time after time.

A question mark stills remains over the new GT3’s road manners as our first drive took place exclusively on track, but in the environment it was designed for it’s pretty much perfect. No other road car can endure this level of sustained punishment.

Is it the best 911?

Not sure yet. If you regularly hit the track, then absolutely, at least until the ‘RS’ version arrives. And if you buy a GT3 and don’t hit the track regularly, then what the hell is wrong with you?

As a road car the new Carrera-based 911 GTS could be the sweeter package, but we’re yet to drive it locally. Once we’ve sampled both it and the GT3 on the road we’ll report back.

For a more detailed first drive of the new GT3 check out our February issue on sale December 31.

Specs: Engine: 3.8-litre flat-6, DOHC, 24V Power: 350kW @ 8250rpm Torque: 440Nm @ 6250rpm Weight: 1430kg 0-100km/h: 3.5sec (claimed) Top speed: 315km/h (claimed) Price: $293,600

Australians could be driving this stunning XR8 Coupe right now, if Falcon sales had stayed stronger just a little longer.

That’s the word from Ford’s Asia Pacific design boss Andrew Collinson, who went on to say that the Coupe could have been the first of many Falcon body derivatives to flow down the FGX production line at Broadmeadows.

“If large-car sales had continued to remain strong, who knows what we could have had,” Collinson said to Wheels during our exclusive interview.

Our artist’s illustration is based on an XR8 Coupe design study penned in 2012 by former Ford Australia designer Jordan Demkiw, now working for Ford in Cologne. Demkiw says his XR8 Coupe sketch was one of a number of body styles designers investigated.

“When we started working on the FGX exterior in 2012, we looked into alternate body styles like wagons and sportbacks, just to show what could be possible,” Demkiw told Wheels.

Demkiw says inspiration for the XR8 Coupe Concept came directly from the Falcon’s back catalogue.

“The inspiration for the Coupe Concept came from cars like the XB and XC hardtops, and considering there hasn’t been a Falcon coupe since the 1970s, I thought it would be a great exercise to reimagine one now in line with the release of the FGX.”

Potential FGX body styles included a reborn Falcon wagon, and an XR8 Ute, something Ford insists won’t happen despite the success of Holden’s Commodore V8 ute variants.

Collinson told Wheels the difference between exploring body-style derivatives and actually getting those derivatives green-lighted for development is considerable. The biggest hurdle, he says, is Australia’s limited market size.

“There are so many factors determining the success of a product and the market is so competitive now that the luxury of having a bespoke product like a coupe produced purely for one region sadly isn’t something available to car-makers anymore,” says Collinson. According to Falcon and Territory program director David Wilkinson, body shapes beyond the existing sedan and ute variants were never a strong chance of production.

“At a point in time, everything has a natural end to its cycle,” he told Wheels. “There comes a point where you’ve gotta say ‘yeah, this is what we want to do with the car line’.”

According to Ford insiders, the Falcon coupes – ranging from the XM/XP launched in the 1964 to the Bathurst-crushing XA-XC series from the 1970s – are said to have never made a financial return on their investment.

Collinson hinted that Ford is not done with Falcon just yet. There may be more model activity between now and Broadmeadows’ closure in October 2016.

“We think what we’ve got over the next two years is a great product; it’s got some really nice refinements, great appearance improvement, and that’s appropriate for the next two years,” Collinson says of the FGX.

“But we’re not going to make a coupe out of it.”

We drive the new Mercedes C-Class Estate on Aussie turf for the first time

WHAT IS IT: The C200 is the entry-level model, the cheapest way into the C-Class Estate

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT: The W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate brings with it the massive improvements that the sedan delivered; a longer wheelbase, shorter overhangs, less weight and smarter packaging than before. The new Estate dazzles with the brilliant cabin, looks arguably better than the sedan and boasts 10 litres more space than its predecessor.

MAIN RIVALS: BMW 3 Series Touring, Audi A4 Avant, Jaguar XF Sportwagon

THE WHEELS VERDICT: The C200 is a competent, value-packed Estate that offers class-leading space, cabin quality and equipment

PLUS: Space, cabin, and wagon form is even more practical MINUS: Steering and chassis mis-matched; BlueTec diesel only $1K more

THE WHEELS REVIEW: THE Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate is up against the BMW 3 Series Touring but if the sedan is anything to go by, the Benz is set to impress with its superb class-leading dynamics, stunning cabin design and improvements in efficiency. The Audi A4 Avant stacks up well but the new C-Class Estate makes its opposition not only look but feel positively outdated.

This C200 is the new base-model wagon, priced from $63,400 – a $2500 premium over the C200 sedan. That gets you the same level of equipment, including 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, artificial leather upholstery and sat-nav as standard. On top of this, the new estate has the same 2840mm wheelbase (80mm longer than its predecessor) as the sedan, and uses more aluminium body panels and smarter packaging in places where it counts, such as fewer suspension components to save weight, complexity and cost.

In terms of space, the C200 Estate offers 510 litres with the rear seats up, and 1510 overall with them folded flat. That’s only 10 litres more than its predecessor, but also tops the BMW 3 Series Touring by 10 litres and the A4 Avant by useful 80 litres. The C200 Estate offers a low loading lip and flat cargo area, and with its seats now a 40:20:40 split, the space is effective and useable too.

On the road, the C200 is impressive. The same 1991cc turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder makes 135kW, but its 300Nm from a lowly 1200rpm through to 4000rpm means it has enough torque to cover ground quickly and punch holes in traffic. The 7.5sec 0-100km/h claim is competitive – and only 0.2sec slower than the C200 sedan, which is 60kg lighter. It’s not a performance car, of course, and you need to plan your overtakes but the C200’s throttle is responsive and the seven-speed automatic’s changes are generally smooth enough for country-road passes. Kickdown can be a little slow, and its punch is more competent than brawny, but it has a solid athletic ability for an entry-level wagon.

From the excellent driving position, all-’round visibility is good, and the ride is on the softer side, which means that the C200 can take a while to come back to earth over larger bumps. Still, there’s only a meagre amount of roll around corners and it remains composed, with excellent roadholding – you’ll hear the tyres squeal if you push, but that softer ride feels out-of-sync with the steering.

The perfectly sized three-spoke steering wheel transmits a slightly lightweight feel in the default Comfort mode; it’s noticeably weightier in Sports and Sports Plus and becomes responsive and accurate, making it easy to place the C-Class on the road. Yet the C200 Estate’s compliance means it falls into holes, ruts and channels and needs too much input to feel composed on long corners, for instance.

When parking, however, the crisp rear camera and Comfort mode steering make tight spots easy for a car this large.

The C200 Estate is superb value, and offers a premium feel despite being an entry-level model. It doesn’t feel half-done, undercooked or lacking, and offers a competent if not complete driving experience in a practical, stylish package. Yet it’s difficult to sign up for the C200 Estate when, for only $1000 more, the C200 BlueTec uses less fuel (4.3L/100km EU). The C250 Estate offers more power, plus ‘hands-free’ boot access and the same 6.2L/100km claimed fuel consumption, yet that’s $8K on top of the C200. This model may instead be an alternative to larger, cheaper SUVs or wagons for buyers wanting some sparkle in their garage.

SPECS Model: Mercedes-Benz C200 Estate Engine: 1991cc 4-cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power: 135kW @ 5500rpm Max torque: 300Nm @ 1200-4000rpm Transmission: 7-speed automatic Weight: 1450kg 0-100km/h: 7.4sec Fuel economy: 6.2L/100km (EU) Price: $63,400 On sale: Now

OR TRY THESE: BMW 318i Touring Audi A4 Avant 1.8 TFSI

AUSTRALIA’S peak professional motorsport has opened the door to cars such as BMW’s M4 and even the four-cylinder Ford Mustang as it attempts to reinvent the sport and remain relevant beyond the end of local car manufacturing.

V8 Supercars announced today that it would relax and expand the rules governing which vehicles qualify for the sport, paving the way for turbocharged four- and six-cylinder vehicles to take the field as early as 2017 against existing V8-powered cars.

An important point of order, though, that allows vehicles such as the M4 to compete, is the stipulation that a vehicle must have at least four seats – not the traditional five that the crop of current-generation cars adhere to.

According to V8 Supercars, the “Gen2” Supercar will need to be loud, look like the road-going version on sale here, use Car of the Future chassis and control components, and adhere to strict engine and aero parity rules.

“The cars will continue to be loud and high powered, irrespective of their engine configuration,” a statement from V8 Supercars said.

“The competitiveness and dynamic racing the sport is renowned for will not be compromised.”

V8 Supercars chief executive James Warburton said the sport had to change to stay relevant, particularly if it wanted to attract a younger audience.

“The current climate in world motorsport is absolutely clear. Manufacturers want choice in what they go racing with, otherwise they won’t participate,” he said.

“They want their DNA represented and so do we. We will not compromise our DNA – fast, loud and fierce racing.

“The sheer brute power and sound of V8 Supercars is synonymous with the sport,” Mr Warburton said.

“A key area will be retaining the acoustic effect of high-powered race cars no matter the engine or make.”

Over the next 12 months, two working groups will focus on engines and bodies to draft technical specifications and rules to ensure “no engine or body configuration has any advantage or disadvantage over another”.

By mid-2015, the group will have draft rules in place that will allow testing to take place in February, 2016.

One thing that has not yet been flagged, though, is a what name the motorsport division will wear once the string of four-, six- and eight-cylinder cars join it.

Cars are

NEW vehicle sales cracked the magic one million in November, as the industry starts to lose some heat in the run to the end of 2014.

More than 1.016 million new vehicles were registered to the end of November the latest VFACTS data shows, with sales for the year so far down 2.2 percent compared with the same period last year. Sales are more than 23,000 behind the 11-month period to November last year when Australia posted a record 1.136 million sales.

November also saw Hyundai outsell both Mazda and Holden, ranking it second behind market leader Toyota, which alone accounted for almost one in five new vehicles sold.

Hit hardest were sales of city cars such as the Holden Barina Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Micra. Buyers switched off and cut the segment’s sales in half compared with the same month last year –it’s also down 30.3 percent on year-to-date sales.

By contrast, Australia’s love affair with small SUVs continued, with the segment up 17.5 percent year-to-date, with models such as Hyundai’s ix35 and the Mitsubishi ASX – and even the higher-priced new Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class – catching buyers’ eyes.

The wait for new models from Ford and Holden – a new Falcon and Territory went on sale this month, while a refreshed Commodore range went on sale last month – has the local manufacturers plumbing new depths.

Only 7561 new Aussie-built vehicles were sold in November, a 36.2 percent hit compared with the same month last year.

Holden’s Commodore only managed to attract 2200 sales for the month, snaring fourth spot on the bestsellers’ list, while the Cruze small car dropped completely out of the top 10 list with just 1393 sales.

Ford’s Falcon sales rebounded slightly to 411 units, meaning it was outsold by the Ranger ute, Focus small car, Fiesta city car, Kuga small SUV, and even its locally made stablemate, the Territory mid-size SUV (679 sales).

The Falcon woes are nothing compared with Toyota’s six-cylinder rival, the Aurion. That fell to just 336 sales for the month, sliding 44.6 percent compared with the same month last year. Year to date, the V6-engined large car is down 25 percent.

Toyota’s four-cylinder and hybrid Camry fared better, selling 1981 units for the month, down 16.6 percent compared with November last year, but only down 7.8 percent in year-to-date performance.

In the battle for outright sales, the Mazda 3 small car has wrested the monthly bestseller title away from Toyota’s fleet-friendly Corolla, with its tally of 3499 for the month out-pacing its rival by 235 units. The rivals are neck-and-neck for 2014 line honours, the Toyota only 679 units head in the race at 40,189 to the end of November.

A surprise entry in the top 10 brands list is Mercedes-Benz, which has nibbled away at Honda’s position to slip in at the bottom of the table for November.

It had a gangbuster month, with sales up 32.6 percent compared with November 2013. Strong performers included the new C-Class sedan (817), A-Class small hatch (421) and CLA-Class (397) small sedan, with its recently refreshed ML-Class (341) also bolstering the monthly tally.

In terms of buyers, mums and dads, and government departments are keeping their wallets shut, with passenger-car sales falling more than 17 percent in both segments compared with last November.

The winner – again – was the SUV segment, attracting 7.3 percent more private buyers, 8.3 percent more business buyers, and 4.5 percent more government buyers for the month.

BMW’s innovative i3 hatchback has now joined the electric car showroom, and sales in the segment are up by a third for the month compared with last year. Unfortunately, the i3 is not part of BMW’s November sales data so we’ll have to wait until December to see how it performs. As at the end of November, 108 electric vehicles were sold here.

In terms of other fuels, private buyers are still shunning diesel, LPG and hybrid vehicles – unless they come wrapped in an SUV shell, where sales are bubbling along strongly.

Other hot market sectors include sports cars priced from $80,000 – the hunting ground of the two-door BMW 4 Series range and the older Mercedes C-Class and mid-size E-Class coupes – up by more than 18 percent year-to-date.

If you don’t think there’s much money kicking about, think again, as the upper-large car segment – models costing more than $100K – has more than doubled so far this year. Sales in the segment are led by the likes of Maserati’s Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, the refreshed Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine, BMW’s 7 Series limo, and the equally corporate Audi A8.

Also doing well are people movers – think the new Honda Odyssey, Hyundai’s van-based iMax and the soon-to-be-replaced Kia Carnival – up by 12.5 percent over the same 11-month period.

According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, which compiles the monthly sales data on behalf of participating car brands, the Australian market is on track to sell about 1.086 million vehicles in 2014 – down about 50,000 sales on 2013’s result.

TOP 10 PASSENGER CARS FOR NOVEMBER 2014

TOP 10 BRANDS FOR NOVEMBER 2014