Last week, Wheels’ Peter Robinson was the first man to get behind the wheel of the first Toyota 86 coupe to arrive on Australian soil. “Not since first driving the Boxster in August, 1996, has any car left me as thrilled, or utterly excited, as the 86,” said Robbo.
The Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ twins continue the renaissance of the affordable coupe. You can read about Robbo’s full verdict in the March 2012 issue, on sale February 15. His enthusiastic local drive has left us office coves salivating over the prospect of our own first steer.
With Subaru Australia deciding to import the BRZ after all, and Toyota announcing that its 86 will be priced under $40K, the question remains how each brand will price what is essentially the same car. Subaru Corporate Affairs Manager, David Rowley, likened each company’s decision to “a stare-off match … it’ll be a case of who blinks first”. Subaru must either match the Toyota’s pricetag (likely $39,990) or add equipment for a modest extra cost. Although the 86/BRZ is an engineering joint venture between the two Japanese manufacturers, neither will coerce on pricing and marketing their versions.
According to Robbo, and editor Bill Thomas, the 86/BRZ are an early tip for 2012 Car of the Year honours. If the twin coupes can pull it off, it will mark two straight years that a coupe has won Australia’s most prestigious award.
There’s more coupes to come this year, too.
Hyundai has announced pricing for its innovative ‘three plus one door’ coupe, the Veloster, which arrives in Australia this week priced from $23,990. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder Korean entrant is $11K cheaper than our COTY-winning Honda CR-Z. Where the Japanese product blends brilliant dynamics with an intelligent hybrid drivetrain, an overseas first drive indicates that the Veloster isn’t an involving steer like the CR-Z. Instead, Hyundai aims to woo young buyers with its sharp styling and unique bodystyle. In terms of price, only the three-year-old Kia Koup comes close.
Late this year, Opel returns to Australia with the swoopy, three-door Astra GTC likely to debut. It will use the same 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine seen in the Holden Cruze, matching the 103kW output of the 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated Veloster. Another European entrant to the segment will be the Mini Coupe, which will soon be available with a 90kW four-cylinder engine in addition to the just-released 1.6-litre turbocharged S variant.
But back to the start – the ones we’re really hanging out for are the 86 and BRZ. Welcome back, affordable coupes.
So much for seeing an all-new Smart ForTwo at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show – Mercedes’ city car brand has just announced a minor spring refresh for the existing model instead.
Smart describes the new look as ‘striking’, but it’s more of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it update if you ask us. Biggest change is the enlarged radiator grille with more prominent central logo, standing for ‘the brand’s new self-confidence’, according to Smart boss Dr Annette Winkler.
Beyond this there are new front and rear aprons (bumpers on any other car), ‘muscular’ side-skirts and a horizontal arrangement for the optional LED daytime running lights. There are also three new alloy wheel designs to choose from.
New paint colours complete the exterior refresh – including a matt anthracite for the first time, as pictured – while the Smart Brabrus Tailor Made programme gives buyers an even wider choice.
Changes on the inside are more limited, but a new ‘crystal grey’ interior package blends half-leather with fabric, including an imitation leather dashtop finish.
Trim levels are Pure, Pulse and Passion, with Brabus and Brabus Xclusive above. Both coupe and cabriolet versions will continue to be offered, available in six engine options – including the ultra-frugal diesel and ultra-green electric drive variant.
Power output ranges from 40kW for the diesel to 55kW for the Brabus turbo petrol, all driving the rear wheels via Smart’s traditionally slow-witted automatic gearbox.
Drifting legend Vaughn Gittin Jr. has taken on his RC car doppelganger in an epic drift battle to promote his upcoming line of remote-controlled Ford Mustang GT replicas.
The sideways action takes place in and around an abandoned warehouse (as all drifting videos seem to these days) and results in a massive game of cat-and-mouse.
We’re told that no RC cars were hurt during the making of this video.
Okay, maybe a few were.
Daredevil Heath Frisby has become the first person in history to successfully complete a front flip on a snowmobile.
Just moments earlier his friend and fellow competitor Justin Hoyer had to be carried out on a stretcher after failing to complete a double backflip stunt. This did not faze Frisby, however.
“Guys, it’s all right, I’ve been waiting a year to do this,” he told the media. “I am my own deal. This is a totally different trick and I’m ready.”
Volkswagen have announced that a full production version of its e-Up! concept will be available in 2013. The e-Up! is a zero-emissions electric version of the hugely popular Up! city car.
The e-Up!’s electric powertrain develops 60kW and 210Nm of torque which reportedly allow it to reach a top speed of 135km/h. Its 18kWh battery capacity also enables the e-Up! to travel distances of up to 150km.
A distinctive styling characteristic of the e-Up! is an arc-shaped row of LED daytime running lights on the front bumper.
Kahn Design has given the Porsche Panamera a wide track makeover, complete with billet aluminium detailing, chunky wheel arch extensions and 22-inch wheels – not to mention a vivid red interior finish.
Beyond the wheel arches – no mean feat given the number of shut lines at the rear – Kahn has also changed the rear air damn and fitted a lower boot spoiler.
The overall look is complemented by lowered suspension, tinted rear lights and windows, red brake calipers and billet aluminium side vents, and finished by a Kahn custom quad-exhaust system with ‘crosshair’ tailpipes.
The wheels are a 22-inch Kahn RS600 design. As with everything else about the car they can be completed in whatever colour you like. A neat touch, however, is that the original centre caps still fit in the middle.
Perhaps the most attention grabbing aspect of the grey car is the interior.Complete with quilted and perforated ‘claret’ leather, and colour matched dials it certainly gives this particular Porsche a unique ambience – which is entirely the point of such bespoke modification.
The folks at Bentley have decided to liven up the usually mundane winter sport of “skijoring” by giving a group of journalists fromAutoExpress the chance to experience it whilst holding onto the reins of a V8-powered Continental GT.
Skiijoring is normally undertaken with the assistance of a dog or horse, but Bentley were not content with natural horsepower, instead deciding that the internal combustion variety was more suited to the situation.
Skiers reach speeds up to 65km/h.
A Chrysler 300C once driven by US President Barack Obama has been put up for auction on eBay – with a starting price of $1 million US.
The 2004 Chrysler 300C was used by President Obama when he was Illinois State Senator: he drove it for three years and put over 30,000km on the clock.
It was first registered to him on 13 July 2004 and the auctioneer even has the original Illinois title document showing President Obama’s name.
President Obama did, however, come in for criticism for his choice of car during his stewardship of the Chrysler 300C (which he leased rather than bought outright). This is because he selected the HEMI version – packing a 5.7-litre V8.
Critics said such an influential politician should not be driving such a thirsty model. This is undoubtedly the reason why President Obama switched cars shortly after announcing he was to run for US President in 2007: he instead moved to a green Ford Escape Hybrid.
Bugatti has shown a dramatic yellow and black ‘Bumblebee’ version of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport at the super-rich Qatar Motor Show 2012. The new 1,001hp Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is already the world’s fastest and most powerful open-top car. Now, it’s also one of the most distinctive.
The body of the Qatar Motor Show 2012 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport is finished in bright yellow. This is framed in deep black carbon, set off by black-tinted wheels. The combination blends Ettore Bugatti’s two favourite colours, apparently.
Similarly, the interior maximises the contrast effect: seats are trimmed in yellow leather with black stitching, while the middle section is black carbon, and both the dashboard and steering wheel boast black leather with yellow stitching.
It’s no faster than the standard Grand Sport though. Because that’s already the world’s fastest convertible. It boasts a top speed of 252mph with the roof on – and a maximum of 217mph even with it off.
Look out world – the first BMW M diesels are on the way. Badged M550d, X5 M50d and X6 M50d, they’re packing THREE turbochargers, 284kW and 740Nm of torque, and debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
Part of a new range of ‘M Performance Automobiles’, these new M diesels are stage one of a wider plan aiming to expand the reach of BMW M GmbH beyond the current lineup of hard-driving, hard-drinking petrols.
The M550d is the one we’re all excited about, as it’s effectively a diesel version of the current BMW M5. However, first to market will be the BMW X5 M50d and the BMW X6 M50d.
