By now, you’ve no doubt heard about our campaign to raise Australia’s speed limit, on selected freeways, to 130km/h.
The Raise the Limit and Lower the Toll petition has made headlines throughout the country and is generating, as we’d hoped, strong public debate.
Click HERE: to join our petition and make your voice count!
To further explain our position, watch this video from Wheels Editor Stephen Corby. For too long, speed has been demonised in a simplistic and silly fashion, and to change this, we need your help.
Head to our Facebook page Wheels’ Facebook page to join the debateand sign our petition to the Federal Minister for Roads.
It’s time for sensible speed limits. Make your voice count.
Friends, countrymen, fellow travellers – it’s time to act!
After years of travelling in the slow lane, we need a higher speed limit. If countries in Europe – where people average far fewer kilometres a year than we do – can cope with a 130km/h limit, then why can’t we? Fatigue, microsleeps, we’re told that these things are killers, so let’s do something about it, and Raise the Limit to Lower the Toll.
Welcome to our campaign – a crusade designed to increase the limit to 130km/h on our best highways, thus leading to less fatigue-related crashes on our roads.
Sign the petition HERE: Raise the limit and lower the toll
For too long, speed has been demonised in a simplistic and silly fashion, and to change this, we need your help.
Head to our Facebook page Wheels’ Facebook page to join the debateand sign our petition to the Federal Minister for Roads.
It’s time for sensible speed limits. Make your voice count.
Why not both?
That was Volvo’s answer when asked to decide between turbocharging and supercharging.
The Swedish brand, which was sold by Ford to China’s Geely in 2010, has come up with an innovative way of replacing its existing stable of engines.
Current four, five and six-cylinder turbo units will all be replaced by a single 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine available in different power ratings running from 111kW to 225kW. The lesser versions are powered by a lone turbocharger, while the more potent versions rely on a turbocharger and a supercharger.
Yes, that’s right, a turbo and a supercharger.
There is also a diesel version, which shares many of the engine’s components and makes between 88kW and 170kW. The less potent versions get one turbo and two are bolted on for the pokey versions.
Wheels has just tested the mid-spec D4 diesel and the top-spec T6 petrol versions, and the experience certainly backs Volvo’s decision to head down this route.
The performance of both powerplants on the sublime winding roads of the global launch in Nice, France, made quite an impression, one that suggests Volvo can still make a damn good engine.
The only question left after the frantic blast relates to the fuel consumption, with our enthusiastic driving resulting in sky-high fuel consumption (we’re talking 22L/100km) for the T6 in an S60 sedan.
It is extremely unlikely the cars will ever be pushed that hard in real life, really, so we’ll just have to wait and see whether the S60 T6 gets closer to its claimed average consumption of 5.9L/100km in more realistic conditions.
The new engine family, called Drive-E, replaces everything from the existing four-cylinder turbo to the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo and six-cylinder turbo, as well as the diesels.
To save money, Volvo decided the petrol and diesels would share as many components as possible.
For example, the engines have the same bore and stroke, the same crankshafts and the blocks are near identical apart from the diesel being slightly taller and running more durable cylinder liners to cope with higher compression.
Then Volvo dresses up the engines with various components to meet each requirement. So, the diesel gets a big and a small turbo to spread the torque band wider, the base engine gets a single turbo and the potent T6 gets both the turbo and supercharger.
Volvo engineers say the most the engine will produce in this format is 225kW, there are no more plans to squeeze more performance out by increasing boost or other existing measures.
Instead, Volvo says it will push up the power and torque levels with the addition of electrification.
The petrol engine has been designed so a compact battery can bolt in between it and the transmission and all the new generation Volvos are being developed with a space in the middle below the floor where a battery pack can be fitted if required.
That would be quite something and the numbers are going to be large. It’s fascinating that Volvo has backed the turbo/supercharger combination at the same time that Volkswagen is walking away from its Twincharger engine that also employed both due to high cost and reliability issues (not that they will admit it). VW argues its turbo technology advances mean it can do away with the supercharger.
Volvo is convinced it has picked the right option for its application, pointing out that the new four-cylinder T6 has the same power as the larger six and yet it uses less fuel and is 50kg lighter.
We tested the standard S60 and its comfort-oriented suspension meant it was never going to be a handling super star, but having 50kg less hanging over the nose is certainly of benefit.
The petrol engine is strong off the line and just keeps going all the way through to just above 6000rpm.
It doesn’t feel as exciting as, say, an STI Subaru which has slightly less power, but perhaps that is because the STI’s turbo lag and then great whack when the turbo spools up, but it does get up and go.
The diesel is extremely good. It is a bit like a new Mazda diesel in that it revs out in a similar way to a petrol engine. While it isn’t quietest, it is lovely to do drive. The new eight-speed automatic, available with both new engines, works so well with the diesel that you simply don’t notice it.
The first Drive-E engines will arrive in Australia around next April, available with the updated S60, V60 and XC60.
As part of a pre-launch stunt, eight Mazda 3s left Hiroshima for Frankfurt 30 days ago. Only six arrived.
The Frankfurt motor show is not usually a big event for Japanese carmakers. It’s hard to make a big splash in the backyard of the world’s biggest brand Volkswagen, and perennial premium players Mercedes, Audi and BMW. Not to mention competing against sexy new Porsche hybrid supercars.
Still, sometimes a Japanese brand will embark on an ambitious and attention-grabbing stunt in an attempt to steal some coverage from the forty-seven new Golf variants Volkswagen has unveiled.
Like Mazda did this year by driving eight brand spanking Mazda 3s across Asia from Hiroshima to Frankfurt.
It was meant to be a tale of triumph, 15,000km in 30 days, crossing nine time zones and some of the harshest roads on earth. And it mostly went to plan… until Belaruse.
Border control for the once-Russian state east of Poland took exception to the paperwork accompanying two of the Mazda3s, despite Mazda organisers carrying roughly 480 trees’ worth of the stuff for just such difficulties.
Long story short, the two Mazda 3s are still stuck in Belarus and Mazda has no idea when – or if – they’ll get them back.
We’d estimate they’ll be returned about the same time the Border Commander and his wife get sick of them.
Supercars sit at the lofty peak of the performance pyramid. Built for speed and pleasure, they indulge the senses with stunning looks and breathtaking performance.
A new breed is also emerging, mixing potent acceleration with hybrid technology, to help protect the planet … as quickly as possible. Strap in to our gallery, and hold on tight.
Smart is mounting its second attempt at a four-seater car with the new Fourjoy concept that was revealed in Frankfurt over night.
The futuristic door-less concept will be tamed for production, which is expected to start next year. And yes, it is coming to Australia.
It is the second time Smart has attempted to expand, with a similar type of vehicle, called the ForFour, launched in 2004.
A two-door micro version of the Fourjoy will also replace the current Smart Fortwo, although it will actually come later than the Fourjoy.
That model was based on Mitsubishi’s Colt and struggled to make an impact in a crowded sector and was axed in 2006, just months after the quirky Smart Roadster was euthanized.
This time around, Mercedes-Benz has chosen Renault as a platform donor for its Smart brand.
The Fourjoy is built on a rear-engined, rear-drive base that will also be used by the next-generation Renault Twingo although the concept shown in Germany is electric only.
It will run a 900cc turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, although an electric version could also be added.
The concept Fourjoy runs a 55kW electric motor, linked up to a 17.6kW/h lithium ion battery pack. It also has two electrically-driven skateboards that are carried on the roof.
The Fourjoy concept is described as a design study by Smart, but you can expect the production version to share many of its general design cues. Don’t get your hopes up for the electric skateboards though.
He’s been connected withWheels magazine for close to four decades, so former editor, Peter Robinson is well placed to call the shots at this year’s Frankfurt motor show.
Most Beautiful: Easy, Opel’s Monza, superb proportions, simple curves, it’s the “anti-Korean” design with not a hard crease or overcomplicated surface in sight.
Designed by Boris Jacob – who played a major role in the styling of the first generation Ford Focus – the Monza previews Opel’s new design direction.
Don’t expect it to show up on the next Corsa, the first production variant is three or four years away.
Highlight of the interior is a new 3D LED technology that projects the instruments, from behind, on to the dash. Not today’s small screens but to virtually any surface in front of the driver, including a wide screen view, via cameras of what’s happening behind the car. Early days, but design boss Mark Adams is convinced the technology has huge potential.
Meanwhile Opel and Holden are talking about which of the German manufacturer’s niche models would work in Australia. Not just from the current range – Cascada, Astra OPC Coupe – but from those models in the pipeline.
Ugliest: No doubt, the Lexus LF-NX which “explores design possibilities for a future crossover.”
Overwrought, over-designed with an excess of sharp edged lines clearly intended to out-Korea the worst of the Koreans, who have now moved past the overly aggressive trend.
The Lexus rival for the X3/Q5 redefines hideous.
Let’s hope next year’s production version is toned down and loses the crazed grille, needle headlights and the sharp edged wheel arch extensions.
The name says it all. Concept cars preview the future direction of the automotive world in terms of design, materials, and engineering; even transportation ideas that might do away with the car altogether!
They give a car brand direction, publicly display what the company’s capable of, and let the design and styling teams ‘off the chain.’ Flick through our gallery, and prepare for your jaw to drop.
Its record-shattering 918 Spyder may have been the highlight but it was far from the only Porsche on display at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
Unveiled next to the mega plug-in hypercar was this – the freshly updated Panamera diesel which not only cops visual tweaks, but a more efficient, more powerful engine.
Boasting a revised version of the Audi-sourced 3.0-litre V6 common rail diesel, the Panamera oiler now churns out 221kW/650Nm – up 37kW and 100Nm on the current model.
A new crankshaft, pistons and water-cooled turbocharger provide the jump in grunt, with Porsche claiming a 0-100km/h time of six seconds (0.8sec quicker) and top speed 259km/h.
As you’d expect economy is also improved, with Porsche citing an economy figure of 6.4L/100km.
Further changes to the drivetrain include a tweaked eight-speed automatic gearbox and the addition of Porsche’s torque vectoring system as standard.
Towing capacity is up too, with the four-dour Porsche capable of pulling 2600kg.
Expect to see the new Panamera diesel in Australia from March next year, priced at $204,600.
Lexus has a problem – its buyers are getting old. Which is why it’s targeting a new, younger audience with concepts like this new LF-NX crossover.
Freshly unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor, the controversially styled LF-NX (Robbo named it Frankfurt’s ugliest car), is said to preview a new generation of Lexus design language.
Speaking toWheels, chief designer Takeshi Tanabe said the LF-NF ushers in a ‘new chapter’ for future Lexus models in which ‘sharpness’ is key. Yikes.
Expect its maze of aggressive lines, needle headlights and gaping grill to be toned down for production, though, with Lexus revealing it could hit our roads as early as the fourth quarter of 2014, should it get the green light.
Pitched to sit below the current RX range as a competitor for the Audi Q3 and BMW X3, the LF-NX uses the same 2.5-litre petrol hybrid boost powertrain as the IS300h sedan and marks the latest addition to the booming small SUV market.
Mercedes-Benz used Frankfurt to show its new small crossover, the GLA, and Infiniti revealed the crossover/coupe/hatch Q30.
