Here’s the CLA Shooting Brake, the fifth and final model based on Mercedes-Benz’s small transverse-engine MFA platform.
The five-door fashion wagon joins a family already comprising A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA.
European deliveries of the standard range and high-performance CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brakes are scheduled to begin in March next year.
While Mercedes will initially manufacture the model with a total of four petrol and two diesel engines, expect the local line-up, when it arrives, to follow the pattern set by the closely related and coupish CLA four-door.
This means three levels, all turbocharged petrol-burners – 115kW 200, 155kW 250 Sport with 4matic all-wheel drive, plus the potent all-wheel-drive-only 265kW 45 AMG.
In terms of both style and practicality, the Shooting Brake is a more attractive car than the awkwardly proportioned CLA four-door with its cramped rear seat. The Shooting Brake features 40mm more rear-seat headroom and a usefully large 495-litre cargo compartment.
A special version of the CLA Shooting Brake named OrangeArt Edition will add some citrus-like tang to the market launch. This limited-run model features orange highlight rings around its bi-xenon headlights, AMG alloy wheels with orange rim flanges and orange striped and stitched seat coverings.
FORD is talking to its suppliers about increasing production volumes for the reborn XR8, the first V8 in a non-FPV Falcon since 2010.
After more than a decade of softening Falcon sales, general manager of marketing David Katic said the company had been caught out by demand for the $52,490, 335kW XR8, which picks up the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 and tauter chassis of the limited edition FPV GT R-Spec that was once the performance hero of the range.
Wheels will publish its first drive of the last-ever Falcon on Friday.
“It’s fair to say we’ve under-called the volume,” Katic said. “We’re trying to get a handle now on where we think XR8 demand is. Will it be higher than what we’ve forecast? Absolutely. I think we’ll be a lot stronger than what we’ve forecast.”
It’s a rare problem for Ford Australia, which has been dealing with an unprecedented downturn in large-car sales following a buyer shift to small cars and SUVs.
While arch-rival Holden has managed to bolster sales and keep the Commodore as the fourth best-selling car in the country, the Falcon has been drifting from one month of lowest sales to the next; in October 2014 just 396 Falcons were sold; fewer units than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (862) or Hyundai Veloster (466).
Katic refused to outline sales forecasts for the just-released FG X Falcon, other than to say sales will increase.
“We’re expecting an improved performance,” he said. “There are a whole lot of variables; there’s the size of the large-car segment – we’re expecting our performance in large cars to improve. The amount of consumers looking for large cars will be a key variable.”
He said while fleet and government volumes remain soft, there were more private buyers considering purchasing an FG-X.
Much of it was being driven by the return of the XR8 and the Mustang-inspired nose.
“The consumers left in that [large car] segment, they’re auto enthusiasts and they’re looking for that performance,” Katic said. “We’re very confident in the plan we have.”
Yet despite half of all Falcon sales still being for the XR6 – with sporty add-ons such as lower-profile alloy wheels and a wing over the regular six-cylinder Falcon – Ford still doesn’t offer the four-cylinder turbo EcoBoost engine with a sports bodykit.
Ford has ruled out fitting the 351kW engine from the final Falcon GT – the GT-F – but it has left the door open to use the higher output 310kW turbocharged six-cylinder formerly reserved for the FPV F6 in an upcoming version of the XR6 Turbo.
Holden has announced a series of updates weighted towards its V8-engined Commodore models in response to Ford’s decision to resurrect the XR8 badge for one last run before local manufacturing of the Falcon range ends in 2016. Additions include steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for $52,490 SS-V Redline models.
Even today, more than three in 10 Commodores rolling out of Holden showrooms have V8 engines under their bonnets, plus cosmetic changes including alloy wheels and exterior colours.
The new Falcon officially goes on sale next week.
HERROD Motorsport has been modifying Fords for the past 15 years. Who better to turn to when setting up an FPV GT-F for 300km/h.
We took an otherwise standard GT-F to Herrod Motorsport and let Rob’s team take care of business. From the factory the GT-F is electronically limited to 255km/h. Using specialist tuning software, Rob was able to lift the redline restrictor in top gear. Exactly what we needed for Target 300.
Before we headed for Alice Springs, Rob took us inside his workshop to speak about the business and why Herrod is the trusted name in Ford performance in Australia.
“We got involved with an American company by the name of SCT, who, without a doubt, have the world’s best tuning software to tune Ford vehicles with. I saw a really good opportunity to bring in tuning software to flash tune in Australia to Ford computers,” he said.
Herrod Motorsport is also an official distributor of Ford Racing Performance parts. Rob says, “Ford Racing have such a great range of parts for the 2015 Mustang, the Focus, the Fiesta, and I just think it makes a great fit.
“We’ve got the tuning software, we’ve got the technology. Since the start of this year it’s really starting to ramp up and go really, really well.”
For more information pick up Wheels December issue, on sale now.
BMW’S firebrand M5 may soon be available with all-wheel drive in order match the Audi RS6 and the Mercedes-AMG E63. A BMW M insider told Wheels that it’s highly likely we’ll see more M division vehicles putting their power to all four tyres, stretching beyond the twin-turbo V8 X5 M and X6M shown at the 2014 LA motor show.
The entire line-up of Audi’s high-performance RS range uses its quattro all-wheel drive system, offering no two-wheel drive variants whatsoever. Mercedes, too, introduced an all-wheel drive version of its BMW M5 rival, the Mercedes-AMG E63, proving that there’s a substantial demand for the technology even in a traditionally rear-drive car – especially in more northern US states, Canada and the Alpine regions of Europe.
Currently, only Audi sells its all-wheel drive performance models beyond SUVs in Australia, with a version of the Mercedes-AMG E63 sending drive to all four wheels only available in left-hand drive markets.If all-wheel drive does make it under the skin of the M5, our insider says that it’ll be a system unlike any competitor cars. BMW suggests that it will ensure the car feels and drives like a regular rear-wheel-drive M5, deploying power to the front axle only when needed, making it a more effective point-to-point machine. The proof will be in the pudding if M Division does decide to bring the all-wheel-drive M5 to the market.
While M5 may get the treatment, diehard fans of the BMW M3/M4 can rest easy – there are no plans at this stage to fit all-wheel drive to these models.
BMW’s 218i Active Tourer is the turbo three-cylinder entry-point to the new range of compact cars
WHAT IS IT? BMW’s newcomer is more MPV than SUV, with practicality ahead of the brand’s traditional focus on the driver. The 2 Series Active Tourer is BMW’s first-ever front-wheel-drive model.
The four-strong line-up runs from the $44,400 turbo-three base model via the $47,800 2.0L turbo-diesel four-cylinder 218d to the flagship $54,900 2.0-litre turbo-petrol 225i Active Tourer. The $50,990 220i will join the range in January – it’s powered by a lower output version of the 225i four-cylinder engine.
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The 2 Series is fresh off the boat and the launch in Launceston, Tas, was our first opportunity for a drive on local soil, following our first overseas drive at the international launch in Austria.
MAIN RIVALS Audi A3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
THE WHEELS VERDICT The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer attempts a new feat – BMW handling in a practical, comfortable front-wheel-drive mini-MPV. It is practical, as well as roomy and well-equipped, but in trying to satisfy conflicting requirements – delivering driver appeal and mainstream comfort – it nails neither.
PLUS: Well-packaged and equipped; agreeable dynamics – on smooth roads, with optional dampers and steering MINUS: Low-speed ride quality; modest performance; not the Ultimate front-Driving Machine
THE WHEELS REVIEW FRONT-wheel drive brings unique packaging benefits. Who knew? Erm, everyone, including pioneers the British Motor Corporation, which experienced the same revelation just five and a half decades ago, in 1959’s Morris Mini Minor.
If confronting a famous rear-drive believer’s first FWD effort isn’t disturbing enough, the base model’s engine may be – a Mini-sourced 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo.
The 218i springs to life with a pleasant purr, though it’s not a particularly premium sound. This will change, though, as triples continue to proliferate.
The engine helps make the base 2 Series the weirdest car yet to wear the Munich roundel, but we can’t criticise it. Its 220Nm arrives at 1250rpm, belying the capacity and cylinder-count, and carries through until 4300rpm, just short of the 100kW peak.
Despite delivering its outputs at low revs, the engine spins without harshness or excessive intrusion to a 5400rpm redline. The distant snarl is almost reminiscent of the brand’s sixes, though the 9.2sec 0-100km/h sure isn’t. The 5.1L/100km official economy is a valid trade-off in this market segment.
The stylised shoebox delivers rear headroom in spades, and rear leg and foot-room are ample. It’s a pity about the transmission tunnel hump (to accommodate not-for-Oz AWD) and dual A-pillar blind spots.
The 2 Series ushers the mini-MPV into the BMW line-up, then. But does it apply BMW poise to the people mover?
Body roll is always more pronounced when you’re seated up high, so the fact little is felt holds promise. The $55K 225i, with its standard variable steering, is fluid and agreeable; the steering itself slick and well weighted.
Primary ride quality is decent on the standard adaptive dampers, but secondary ride is busy on 18in Bridgestone Potenza run-flats. Bumps are blotted on back roads but the little niggles never go away, whether in Comfort or the distinctly tautened Sport mode.
With the flagship as the reference point, the 218-badged variants – lacking fancy steering and clever damping but riding optional 18in hoops – do the job with decidedly less dynamic polish. The low-speed ride niggles multiply, and primary ride quality is less absorbent. The front end is coaxed into corners where the variable steer variant is guided; the 50kg-heavier diesel with the weight in the nose suffers most.
The dynamics fail to match the promise – or the badge – but it’s here, in a quiet, spacious and well-equipped compact, that we could almost let it slide. However, ride is crucial, so we’d suggest sticking with the standard 17s to maximise comfort.
There are countless ways to spend $45K on a small SUV or compact premium car, but if the BMW floats your boat, it will count that 2 Series Active Tourer has only one direct rival – the Mercedes B-Class – and that isn’t perfect, either.
SPECS BMW 218i Active Tourer Engine: 1499cc 3cyl, dohc, 12v, turbo Max power: 100kW @ 4400rpm Max torque: 220Nm @ 1250-4300rpm Transmission: 6-speed automatic Weight: 1360kg 0-100km/h: 9.2sec Fuel economy: 5.1L/100km (ECE) Price: $44,400
It’s been a controversial season.
From the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, F1 has never been far from the headlines. From the furore over the relative silence of the new 1.6-litre hybrid powertrains, to Bernie Ecclestone’s long court case, to the tensions between title contenders Rosberg and Hamilton, to nervousness over whether the ill-thought-out double points rule would decide the title, there’s always been plenty to talk about.
Thankfully, there has always been plenty of positives to discuss: some of the best racing we’ve seen in decades, the resurgence of the Williams team and the incredible performance of local hero Daniel Ricciardo.
The new cars may not be music to some peoples’ ears, but the combination of less downforce and enormous power has allowed drivers to race closer than they have for many years. There’s also the fact that F1 cars are now matching last year’s lap times using just 100kg of fuel, which of course was the point of the whole exercise in the first place.
Grab a cup of coffee, have a read and let us know where we’ve got it right and wrong. Until next year!
Mercedes-Benz – 1st 701 points
Crushing dominance a reward for mammoth spending and early focus on the new-for-2014 regulations. A record 16 wins, including 11 1-2 finishes, speaks of a superiority not seen since McLaren in 1988. Occasionally made it harder than it needed to be, with costly reliability niggles and intra-team fighting. With Mercedes’ car advantage set to continue in 2015, can the Rosberg-Hamilton relationship survive another world championship battle?
Lewis Hamilton – 1st 11 wins, five pole positions, 384 points 9.5/10
A deserving champion. Bore the brunt of Mercedes reliability niggles with DNFs in Australia and Canada and qualifying problems in Hungary and Germany, yet never finished off the podium in a race he finished and stood on the top step 11 times. Denied a perfect score by often failing to make the most of qualifying. Something to work on for next year.
Nico Rosberg – 2nd Five wins, 11 pole positions, 317 points 9.0/10
A brilliant season from a driver that few thought would offer a realistic challenge to Hamilton. Lack of driving genius (relatively speaking, of course) countered by incredible technical knowledge and ability to adapt – his drive to second in Canada with an ailing car was a masterpiece. Was frequently out-driven by his team-mate when it counted, though, and five wins from 11 pole positions is a poor return. Can he go one better next year?
Red Bull – 2nd 405 points
Given that following pre-season testing the reigning champions looked like they would be flat-out finishing a race, second in the constructors is a very impressive result. With aero wizard Adrian Newey taking a step back from F1 in 2015 and lingering questions over whether the Renault power unit can be brought up to scratch, Red Bull has plenty of work to do over the off-season to produce a front-running car.
Daniel Ricciardo – 3rd Three wins, 238 points 10/10
Patriotism aside, Dan was undoubtedly The Man of 2014. Surely even his most ardent supporters didn’t realise he was this good? Cruelly had a home podium stripped away, but wasted no time making amends with his first win at the Canadian Grand Prix. Maximised his machinery at every opportunity and established himself as the class overtaker of the field. If Red Bull provides the package, the Honey Badger will be a title contender next year.
Sebastian Vettel – 5th 167 points 7.0/10
How the mighty have fallen. With blown diffusers now outlawed, the driving style the Vettel used to blow his rivals into the weeds with devastating effectiveness in 2013 was now useless. Had more than his fair share of reliability problems, but never really got on top of his machinery and showed the odd sign of petulance. Off to chase a new challenge at Ferrari, but could need an awful lot of patience…
Williams – 3rd 320 points
Welcome resurgence in form a just reward for clever management, investing when times were tough and securing the all-important Mercedes powerplant. The decision to favour low drag over downforce often paid dividends in races, though left the car track-sensitive. Operational mistakes also cost some results, but that’s all part of learning to be a front-running team again. With the right drivers, right car, right people and a decent budget again, there’s no reason Williams can’t challenge for regular wins next year.
Valtteri Bottas – 4th 186 points 8.5/10
The latest in a long line of fast Finns, Bottas proved he is the real deal with six podiums, often establishing himself as Mercedes’ nearest challenger. Struggled to make the most of his tyres on some occasions, but crucially always kept his nose clean and very rarely made mistakes. Surely a first win will arrive in 2015.
Felipe Massa – 7th One pole position, 134 points 7.5/10
Fast but flawed, Massa splits opinion like few other drivers. Had a torrid middle of the season, when it seemed he couldn’t make it past the first corner without getting involved in an incident, culminating in turning upside down in Germany. Finished the season strongly, though, with five top-five finishes in the last seven races. The only non-Mercedes driver to score a pole position this year, on his day he’s brilliant – trouble is, on his off days he’s dreadful.
Ferrari – 4th 216 points
Oh dear. The Scuderia continue to slide into the midfield, with no indication that it knows what the problems are, let alone how to fix them. This year marked Ferrari’s first winless season since 1993; not only that, there were just two podiums courtesy of Alonso. Having two drivers that prefer totally opposite car setups didn’t help, but there is hope in the fact that next year’s car will be the work of James Allison, the extremely clever ex-Lotus Technical Director.
Fernando Alonso – 6th 161 points 10/10
Another year spent dragging an unwilling car into places of the grid it had no right being in. Made the most of every opportunity; if there was a result to be had, Alonso would grab it. After five fruitless years at Ferrari, he is presumably off to McLaren. While there are big question marks over the new Honda engine, he is unlikely to be any worse off.
Kimi Raikkonen – 12th 55 points 5.5/10
A dreadful season from Raikkonen. Excuses that the car doesn’t suit his driving style only hold water for so long, the best drivers will find a way of working around their machinery. Still, with Vettel joining the team for 2015 – Raikkonen’s best friend in F1 and a driver with a similar style – if the car is right there’s no reason Kimi won’t be troubling the front runners once again. At least he didn’t stay at Lotus.
McLaren – 5th 181 points
Another season of woeful underachievement for one of the best resourced and funded teams on the grid, marking 16 years since the last constructors’ championship win. The double podium (following Ricciardo’s disqualification) at the Australian Grand Prix was a false promise, though the team did show signs of improvement in the latter stages of the year. With a Honda engine (and money) and (presumably) Alonso at the helm, there will need to be race wins next year.
Jenson Button – 8th 126 points 8.0/10
If Button has driven his last F1 race, then there is no justice in the world. While there are signs that he perhaps no longer has the ultimate one-lap pace he once did, when the car is right, or in mixed conditions, he is still absolutely one of the finest drivers there is. Consider this: while similar on outright pace, Button scored 126 points to Magnussen’s 55 this year. If McLaren produce a good car, the combination of Alonso/Button would be the strongest pairing on the grid.
Kevin Magnussen – 11th 55 points 7.0/10
A solid debut season for the young Dane, who impressed mightily with second in his first ever F1 race. The rest of the season didn’t quite go as smoothly, with problems adjusting to the competitiveness of F1 and learning to extract the best from the tyres. There are signs of promise, but a year spent as a test driver learning the ropes from two of the best drivers in F1 wouldn’t do any harm.
Force India – 6th 155 points
While it may have finished in the same position as last year, Force India scored more than twice the amount of points in 2014. Apparently happy with their place as a midfield runner, occasionally snatching a podium from the big boys, retaining the same drivers for next year should give the team valuable continuity.
Nico Hulkenberg – 9th 96 points 7.5/10
Another solid season from the most overlooked man in F1. There was a strange dip in form mid-season, but he recovered with impressive performances in the last two races of the year. More often than not outscored his teammate, which is the most you can ask for at this end of the grid.
Sergio Perez – 10th 59 points 7.0/10
Recovered well from being cast aside by McLaren and some more time in the midfield has done him good. Still prone to getting involved in silly scuffles but has the pace and scored Force India’s only podium of the year in Bahrain.
Toro Rosso – 7th 30 points
The points difference between itself and Force India tells of the mountain Toro Rosso still has to climb. With Marussia and Caterham unlikely to be around next year, expect Red Bull’s B team to occupy the rear of the grid more often than not, along with Sauber. And who’s going to drive the second car alongside Max Verstappen?
Jean-Eric Vergne – 13th 22 points 7.5/10
Another driver in the Hulkenberg mould; appears quick, but perennially overlooked. Has to feel hard done by that Kvyat gets promoted to Red Bull ahead of him, particularly when he has outscored the young Russian almost three-to-one. Has improved markedly since news filtered through that Toro Rosso was going to release him, so maybe he needs to get angry more often. The irony is, he is looking likely to retain his seat after all as insurance against Verstappen.
Daniil Kvyat – 15th 8 points 7.5/10
Thrown in the deep end, but swam rather than sank. Kvyat quickly proved that while he still has plenty to learn, he definitely has the pace to be in F1. Had a troubled end to the season, often finishing behind Vergne, and moving up to the A-team so quickly will test his mental capacity, but hey, we had doubts about Ricciardo, too.
Lotus – 8th 10 points
A year to forget for Enstone. A slow, unreliable, difficult car was the perfect storm and Grosjean and Maldonado were often left fighting with one hand behind their backs. The team has lost a lot of key technical staff so whether it can recover to run again at the midfield, let alone the front, remains to be seen. Surely 2015 has to be better, though.
Romain Grosjean – 14th 8 points 7.0/10
Held out for as long as he could, but eventually the frustration of being saddled with an evil-handling, untrustworthy old shed of a car proved too much, Grosjean making his feelings known to the wider world via broadcast radio calls. One of F1’s most promising talents, risks falling off the radar of the bigger teams without a strong 2015 campaign.
Pastor Maldonado – 16th 2 points 5.0/10
One thing is certain, races are never dull when Moneybags is around. Even when he’s not bouncing off other drivers Maldonado is entertaining to watch thanks to his seeming determination to constantly drive the car over the limit, a trait exacerbated by this year’s unpredictable Lotus. A fast driver, but the jury’s out on whether he’ll ever win another grand prix.
Marussia – 9th 2 points
It was all going so well. With its first ever points finish in Monaco, Marussia was on track to finish in the top 10 for the constructors championship, guaranteeing it all sorts of travel bonuses and prize money. Sadly, then came Jules Bianchi’s tragic accident, followed by the swift demise of the team itself. It seems unlikely that the black and orange cars will be on the 2015 grid.
Jules Bianchi – 17th 2 points 7.0/10
Slowly being bred for a future Ferrari drive, the only thing of importance now is Bianchi’s full recovery from his awful head injuries following his accident at Suzuka. According to latest reports he is slowly recovering and now breathing on his own, but there’s a long road ahead. #forzajules
Max Chilton – 21st 5.0/10
While no-one gets to be an F1 driver without being extremely talented, Chilton never really showed that he had what it took to progress beyond the back of the grid. With the demise of Marussia, perhaps Chilton should follow the footsteps of his brother Tom, a successful BTCC driver?
Sauber – 10th
The first ever pointless season for the Swiss outfit. Traditionally able to score strong finishes by virtue of a solid, if unspectacular, car and alternative strategy, this year’s efforts were hampered by dreadful early season reliability, a slow car and the sub-standard Ferrari powertrain. Likely to be F1’s backmarker in 2015.
Adrian Sutil – 18th 5.0/10
Likely to be Sutil’s last season in F1, despite his protestations that he has a contract for next year. Possibility of a strong result in Austin ended by being torpedoed by Perez, but it’s unlikely a points finish would have made a difference. A solid driver who will no doubt be snapped up in the World Endurance Championship or Formula E.
Esteban Gutierrez – 20th 5.0/10
Not even the pockets of the world’s richest man, Carlos Slim, could save Gutierrez’s seat. Outperformed Sutil in the last few grands prix of the year, but he makes way for Brazilian Felipe Nasr, which is going to be a commentator’s worst nightmare.
Caterham – 11th
Marcus Ericsson – 19th 6.0/10
Consistently slower than his team-mates (even the ring-in ones), nonetheless Ericsson is rated very highly in some circles and subsequently gets a second chance to impress with Sauber next year.
Kamui Kobayashi – 22nd 7.0/10
A strong, feisty racer, Kobayashi never gives less than 100%. Gave up a lucrative Ferrari GT deal for another shot at F1, but it’s fair to say the return hasn’t exactly gone to plan. Still, being a factory Ferrari driver isn’t a bad second choice.
Will Stevens – 23rd No Rating
Presented with a rare opportunity to race an F1 car, the young Englishman understandably took the chance, but will be remembered mostly for attracting the ire of Fernando Alonso during the Abu Dhabi GP. “Who is this guy?” the Spaniard yelled when Stevens wasn’t particularly quick to get out of his way.
Andre Lotterer – 24th No Rating
Did remarkably well given he slotted into a car he’d never driven before, at one of the world’s most daunting racetracks (Spa), with no testing. Sensibly decided against returning with Caterham at Abu Dhabi.
FORMULA ONE: Hamilton is champion
THE SILLY double-points finale in Abu Dhabi meant there was doubt over who would be the 2014 Formula One world champion. It was Lewis Hamilton’s title to lose.
Nico Rosberg trailed Mercedes team-mate Hamilton by 17 points, meaning it wouldn’t be enough for the German to win; he needed the Brit to finish third or worse. But who was fast enough to split the Silver Arrows? No-one, on the available evidence. In the event, the race started badly for Rosberg and went downhill.
Hamilton grabbed a perfect jump and raced ahead of Rosberg, the fast-starting Felipe Massa’s Williams in third.
On lap 25, Rosberg’s title chances turned to dust when a power issue resulted in a loss of 160hp; two laps later, Massa raced into second place. As Hamilton eased off to protect his machine, Rosberg slipped through the pack and Massa took the lead.
Massa and Williams looked magnificent, with Bottas also making a charge into third. The Brazilian lost the lead back to Hamilton at his final stop, but while he was within striking distance as the laps ran down, it was clear Hamilton wanted to win the title in style.
So an ecstatic Hamilton sealed his second F1 title, with Massa second on track, and Bottas third. Daniel Ricciardo took a close fourth, despite starting from pit-lane after he and Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel were pinged for illegal front wings.
Ricciardo mounted his usual clinical slice-and-dice into podium contention while Vettel took eighth and will be delighted to escape direct comparison with the Aussie.
Rosberg, instructed to bring his ailing Mercedes to the pits with a couple of laps to run, asked to continue to the flag. He finished 14th.
The Silver Arrows absolutely dominated the first season of the new hybrid era, amassing 16 wins, 18 poles, 31 podiums and 12 fastest laps. The others have a lot of catching up to do.
Hamilton is the first Silver Arrows driver to claim title since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955 and on the basis of his 11 race wins this year, a deserving champion. Rosberg triumphed just five times in 2014.
Acclaim too, for the phenomenal Ricciardo, who won three grands prix in a car that wasn’t a match for the Mercedes weapons. The West Aussie outshone four-time world champion team-mate Vettel and took a worthy third in the title standings.
He was rightly pleased with the last race of 2014. “I think it was pretty much a faultless race from all sides, from the strategy, to myself and the pit stops, everything was good so we did everything we needed to. I had fun passing; it wasn’t boring out there. One spot better would have been nice but fourth is really cool from the pit lane.
“It’s been pretty much a perfect season, as perfect as it can be without holding a world title, so no real regrets, no complaints. It’s nice to not only start the season well, but to finish it well. We had a strong summer, so the start, middle and end were pretty good!”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner lavished praise on Ricciardo. “It was an unbelievable drive from Daniel. He was quick throughout, with some great overtaking moves.”
Next year we’ll see Fernando Alonso in a McLaren-Honda, Vettel in a Ferrari and Daniil Kvyat join Ricciardo at Red Bull. Jenson Button’s future remains unclear – will he stay at McLaren, or follow Mark Webber to Porsche and endurance racing?
One Australian leaving the scene is McLaren’s sporting director, Sam Michael. After a long career with several major teams, he’s returning home with his family, where he has firm plans that don’t including motor racing.
F1 has to face up to some serious problems, with Marussia and Caterham collapsing late in the season (Caterham managed to scramble back to the grid in Abu Dhabi). The budget woes of other outfits, led by Sauber, Force India and Lotus, led to suggestions the grid might be boosted by the big teams fielding three cars but Bernie Ecclestone has boned the idea of third or customer cars.
Lotus, Sauber and Force India bosses met with Ecclestone and a representative of commercial rights holder CVC in Abu Dhabi on Saturday to discuss the financial problems faced by small teams.
The teams later said they were heartened that Ecclestone and CVC understood the gravity of their money problems and the need for urgent action. The path to resolution appears to be the redistribution of the commercial rights income, in tandem with renewed efforts to reduce costs so Ecclestone’s challenge is to convince manufacturer teams help smaller outfits emerge from the crisis.
While smaller teams have been agitating for fairer revenue distribution and demanding cost cuts and a budget cap, their well-heeled rivals believe such changes will not solve the issues, and could cause large-scale redundancies.
Lotus owner Gerard Lopez has been outspoken about what he calls unacceptable practices in F1, such as bonuses for Ferrari merely for competing.
The distribution model is unfair, he declared, highlighting the reality that some teams get more money just for showing up than other teams spend in a whole season.
Lopez also pointed to the dramatic jump in engine costs this year, badly hurting the budgets of the smaller teams.
As the debate continues, the calls for 84-year-old Ecclestone to go are getting louder. Louder than the exhaust on a hybrid F1 car.
FORMULA ONE: Red Bull in the naughty corner – again!
AT THE first F1 race of 2014, the Australian Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo suffered that embarrassing fuel-flow misdemeanour and lost his podium place. And at the Abu Dhabi finale, Red Bull’s qualifying spots – fifth and sixth-fastest for Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel – were wiped after their cars were found to be in breach of technical regulations. A technical report indicated that the “front wing flaps were designed to flex under aerodynamic load”.
Observers suggested that flexible wings would be very handy around the Yas Marina circuit, with its long straights and abundance of tight, low-speed corners. As a result, the two Red Bulls were forced to start behind the rest of the field.
V8 SUPERCARS: Marcos back, Ford out
MARCOS Ambrose has shaken down his Xbox-sponsored DJR Falcon and declared himself ready for his much-ballyhooed return to Australian V8 Supercars racing.
That’s the good news. The bad news, reported by Auto Action, comes in a story that American racing magnate Roger Penske has confirmed Ford is pulling out of V8 Supercars.
Ford is yet to officially confirm what most believe is a fait accompli – its withdrawal from the competition – but Penske let it slip to AA that despite Broadmeadows’ decision to withdraw, he is sticking with the Blue Oval for his entry into V8s.
“We felt that next year, even though Ford is not supporting the series going forward, it was the right thing for us to do to carry the Ford logo,” Penske said on a flying visit to Australia. “Our relationship with Ford is important. They’ve been so supportive of us on the NASCAR side.”
Penske also told AA that while DJR Team Penske would look at other options after next year, he hoped to convince Ford Australia to re-engage and back the team – which will run FG X-look Falcons next season – in the future.
“We’re committed to running Fords in 2015,” he said. “We’ll look and see what offers are out there once we’ve been able to show our capabilities. [But] my first goal would be to have Ford see the value of the series.”
SPORTS CARS: Tom Kristensen bows out
TOM KRISTENSEN has announced his retirement from professional racing after the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in São Paulo on 30 Nov.
The 2013 FIA World Endurance Drivers Champion and nine times winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will leave with a record unmatched in world sports cars racing.
Kristensen was named by Autosport last year as the best driver never to make it to Formula One. As much as his winning record, what elevated him above his peers was his character and easy charm. The 47-year-old Dane is simply a terrific bloke, and one of endurance racing’s greatest ambassadors.
FORMULA E: New face Matt Brabham left red faced
THIRD-GEN racer Matt Brabham discovered inexperience and impetuosity were a bad mix heading into the first corner in his first Formula E prix event, on the streets of Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Saturday.
The youngest driver ever to start a Formula E race, the 20-year-old qualified ninth but was caught out on the opening lap, cold brakes flicking him into a spin.
Under the Safety Car for another first-lap incident, Brabham took the opportunity to pit and repair damaged bodywork on his Andretti Formula E car and when racing resumed, he found himself in a spirited scrap with another well-known racing name – ex-F1 driver Bruno Senna.
Briton Sam Bird took a dominant win in the event, while Lucas Di Grassi took the championship lead with second place. Brabham finished 13th and was satisfied with his race pace but said the one-day schedule for practice, qualifying and the race was a huge challenge.
“I think we could have achieved a very good result if it wasn’t for the incident on the first lap,” he said. “I was probably a bit aggressive. If I approached it differently, I may have got the job done but to bring the car home 13th with the incidents that were happening out there isn’t a bad finish.”
The next round of the FIA Formula E Championship will be conducted on the streets of Punta de Esta, Uruguay on 13 December – Brabham is sweating on a call from Andretti to see if he’ll be racing.
Everest everywhere
NOW that we’ve finally seen the production version of the Ford Everest – the Aussie designed and developed seven-seat SUV was unveiled in Beijing last week, of all places – the once top-secret engineering mules have stepped out to clock up real-world kilometres. Wheels has had several readers contact us over the last few days with snaps of a convoy of the locally designed and developed Ranger ute-based SUVs busting around the NSW south-eastern coastline as work goes on ahead of its global showroom debut early next year. Also spied: a Ranger ute – Ford’s best-selling model last month – wearing the new Everest face. Seen anything else that looks out of place? Let us know via email. Shout-out to Wheels reader David Wunsch for the Everest/Ranger images.
Holden on
THE revolving door at Holden has almost spun to a stop after the shock announcement of the departure of Greek-born Gerry Dorizas late last month, but it could end up being rusted solid by the time his replacement arrives. Holden let slip at the launch of its facelifted Colorado trade ute this week that no decision on Dorizas’s replacement is likely to be made before the end of the year. Dorizas was appointed from outside GM circles, having previously worked for brands including Ferrari-flogging Fiat, fast family wagon maker Volkswagen and beer-budget luxury wannabe Hyundai. His strictly retail experience was an important part of Holden’s shift to a full-line importer once the tap is switched off on the locally made Cruze and Commodore range in late 2017. The bookies are favouring an Aussie expat who now heads up GM’s China bureau, Mark Bernhard, to replace him.
Hyundai on the hunt?
WHISPERS are circulating that Hyundai may be poised to launch an all-out assault on the Australian market next month as it tries to punch through the 100,000 sales barrier for the first time. The Korean car maker is currently sitting on almost 84,000 sales up until the end of October, about 3000 sales ahead of where it was at the same time last year. In its sights is RX-7 tragic Mazda, which is just over 100 sales ahead of Hyundai with a month and a half left until the books close on 2014. It’s a risk-laced strategy, though, as after the sunshine of factory cash helping cars to move out of showrooms, there’s the rain of the sales crash once the money dries up in the new year. Watch this space.
Formula done
CATERHAM will race at Abu Dhabi this weekend, but whatever happens, it will be sour grapes for 230 of the penniless Formula One team’s workers who were summarily sacked this week. In other cash-strapped news for the team, Kamui Kobayashi will pilot one of the CT05 cars around Yas Marina, while the other will turn over to back-up driver – F1’s equivalent of third reserve orange juice squeezer to the goal umpire – and Formula Renault 3.5 regular Will Stevens despite a bidding war for his seat. It’s bound to be an exciting weekend on and off the track, with shooting star Vettel confirmed for a Ferrari seat in 2015 as scuderia stalwart Alonso polishes his resume for a possible return to McLaren, and the final double points round providing a big roll of the dice for catch-me-if-you-can Mercedes duo Hamilton and Rosberg.
Cash for dash
STILL on motorsport, crowdsourcing has suddenly become a viable form of campaign fundraising – a factor that shouldn’t be lost on certain V8 Supercars teams now that Ford Australia is stepping away from the sport. Team Brabham has raised enough funds via its public appeal to help it re-take to the endurance racing track, reeling in more than the quarter of a million pounds it wanted to build a race car and re-establish the legacy of Australian Formula One driver’s and constructor champion Sir Jack as a force to be reckoned with. The car it builds using the money will contest the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the punishing Le Mans 24-hour race. Caterham, meanwhile, convinced enough people over the space of a month to hunt for loose change behind the couch and help it reap more than $3 million needed just to turn up to Abu Dhabi, let alone turn a wheel in anger. If the team fails to qualify, no amount of money will see it on track for a race start on Sunday.
AS THE curtain comes down on Aussie muscle cars, we endeavour to set a production-car record in perpetuity and break a mythical speed barrier.
On 9 August, 1971, former Wheels staffer Mel Nichols and photographer Uwe Kuessner produced the most famous image in the magazine’s back catalogue. Shooting over Nichols’ left shoulder, Kuessner snapped Ford’s Bathurst homolation special, the XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III, at an indicated 145mph (233km/h). At redline, in top.
Ford Australia hasn’t needed to homologate a road-going Falcon for racing for a very long time. But as the door began to close on its Ford Performance Vehicles arm, the passionate revheads inside the Blue Oval’s Melbourne HQ fought hard to give the very last FPV, the 351kW GT-F, the send-off it deserved.
With such a rich muscle-car heritage, crowned by the legendary Phase III, Ford decided to farewell its Aussie icon by creating the fastest Falcon ever.
How fast? That’s what we went to Alice Springs to find out.
We brought along the very same XY GT-HO from the original photograph, and the future icon, the FPV GT-F, to the unlimited roads of the Northern Territory. Two landmark Aussie muscle cars and one of the most legendary Australian motoring stories of all time.
Read the full feature in Wheels December issue, on sale now. Click here to go behind the scenes of our adventure to the Red Centre. Special thanks to Herrod Motorsport.
Ah, the sports wagon. A utilitarian device that swallows kids, dogs, surfboards, and now in VW’s case: race tracks. The German carmaker has announced it will build the Golf R wagon it revealed at the LA Auto Show.
Up back the car will hold up to 605 litres worth of family paraphernalia, 262 litres more than the five-door Golf R hatch. Fold the rear seats down and you’ll have 1620 litres to play with.
The Golf R wagon’s driveline is identical to its hatch sibling’s so it’s got that rorty 2.0-litre turbo four outputting 221kW and 380Nm (in Euro spec). There’s no mention of a weight figure, but VW says it’ll sling shot to triple figures in 5.1sec, 0.1sec slower than its (206kW) Australian hatch-back equivalent.
The mechanical similarity between it and our Bang For Your Bucks $50K-$100K winner also means it has the same multi-mode chassis damping and ESC that can be fully neutered.
Unlike the hatch, though, the R wagon will only come equipped with a DSG transmission, and it’s currently unconfirmed for Australia, despite aspirations for it to join our local market.
