The owner of a road-going McLaren F1 GTR has admitted he accidentally filled his ultra-rare supercar with diesel during a moment of absentmindedness.

François Perrodo, an accomplished racing driver and chairman of oil and gas company Perenco, recalled his story on Instagram, where he poked fun at himself for wondering why his McLaren wouldn’t start after being topped off with a tank of diesel when he was out for a Sunday morning drive with friends.

When the car cranked without firing, Perrodo put the problem down to the F1 simply being a temperamental race car.

He ended up calling McLaren F1 specialist Paul Lanzante, who was equally stumped as to why the V12 wouldn’t start, and called in a tow truck. At some point Perrodo realised the problem was of his own making.

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“I don’t know what went through my head at that precise moment (actually, probably nothing) but I was so happy and excited I just grabbed the first nozzle available (which incidentally was blue, like 97 Ultimate [premium unleaded]!) and then I started filling the car,” he wrote.

“Firstly, had it been a modern car, the nozzle would not have fit in the hole, but the GTR is a race car with a large aperture!

“Secondly, had we been in France, the diesel nozzle would have been disgusting and smelly but this was BP Chiswick and it was as clean and dry as a petrol nozzle!”

While filling a diesel vehicle with petrol can mean thousands of dollars worth of repairs, it appears to not be quite as catastrophic doing it the other way around. Flushing the system with high-quality petrol seems to have done the trick.

Following the incident, Perrodo’s friends bought him some stickers for the F1 to remind him which fuel he’s meant to use.

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“Here rests FP,” Perrodo joked on Instagram, writing his own epitaph.

“Good husband, good father, a true petrolhead, multiple WEC champion and 24h of Le Mans winner.

“But above all, the only man to have filled a McLaren F1 with diesel… Ever.”

American electric vehicle start-up Rivian has named its new chief executive officer.

Former executive of Canadian automotive parts manufacturer Magna International Frank Klein will join Rivian as its COO, bringing with him experience from vehicle production at Magna’s plant in Austria.

Having been one of the executives at the top of the chain when Magna Steyr’s Graz plant shifted more towards an electric mobility platform, Klein’s history also includes a stint at Daimler – parent company to Mercedes-Benz – which lasted just under two decades, setting up its plant in Kecskemét, Hungary.

The appointment comes after the manufacturer faced difficult months navigating production issues.

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Based at Rivian’s lone production facility in Normal, Illinois, Klein will be tasked with turning the company’s fortunes around after it announced a 50 per cent reduction in production targets for 2022, dropping to 25,000 units owing to supply chain issues.

Despite becoming one of the world’s most valuable car companies just days after going public on the stock market late last year (peaking at US$179.47/AU$249.91 a share), Rivian’s share prices have plummeted dropping to their lowest-ever point of US$35.83/AU$49.89 at the time of writing.

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The drop coincides with the manufacturer facing a public backlash earlier this month after it increased order prices of its vehicles by up to 20 per cent, which also applied to customers who had already ordered their vehicles but not yet taken delivery.

Rivian became the first manufacturer to produce a fully-electric pick-up truck when its R1T rolled off the production line in September, beating the controversial Tesla Cybertruck, Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado Electric.

UPDATE, November 2022: ‘Abarth New 500’ electric hot hatch previewed

A first official teaser for the upcoming electric 2023 Abarth 500 – simply dubbed ‘Abarth New 500‘ – has been handed down. Get all the details, and watch the teaser, at the link below.

The story to here

An all-electric Abarth hot hatch is on its way.

Fiat CEO Olivier François confirmed a zero-emissions Abarth model was set to launch in 2023, based on the electric 500 city car.

“A year and a half ago, I said it can’t be that hard [to make an Abarth version of the electric 500],” François told UK magazine Autocar.

“Electric cars are so fun to drive already. The good news is that we are actively working on it, and once it’s confirmed, it will be relatively quick.”

However, the Fiat boss said the car’s development was more complicated than anticipated, with the engineering team having to upgrade the entire car to handle the extra power and torque.

While no details of the electric Abarth have been revealed, a 0-100km/h sprint time in around six seconds (or less) is likely, to better the petrol-powered 595 Competizione.

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In late 2021, parent company Stellantis announced the Abarth performance brand would switch to a fully-electric line-up by 2024 – however, in recent days Abarth launched a variant of the Pulse crossover for the Brazilian market. It’s not clear whether the Abarth Pulse will be short-lived, or if the company’s deadline has been pushed out.

The electric Abarth hot hatch will almost certainly go head-to-head with the Alpine R5, which is expected to follow in 2024.

Who knows how many engineering man-hours, how many hundreds of millions of dollars, have been spent over the past few decades trying to make SUVs – the Aston Martin DBX707 being a case in point – perform and handle like sportscars.

By any rational measure, it’s an impossible task. SUVs are the physical antithesis of a sports car – tall and heavy, with high ground clearance and mass in all the wrong places.

But we keep trying to teach elephants to tap-dance.

Foot on brake. Select launch control. Push the throttle to the floor, listen to the revs build with a guttural snarl. Sidestep the brake pedal. The Aston Martin leaps forward with an angry roar, the nine-speed transmission crisply snapping off the upshifts as the tach needle kisses the 7000rpm redline.

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Corner! Push the giant carbon-ceramic stoppers hard. Clickety-click the left-hand paddle. Come off the brake and turn in. The front end responds immediately and the rear tracks faithfully. Punch the throttle as the apex looms.

The tail swings wide in a graceful arc. Counter-steer and keep the boot in. The Aston hangs in a beautiful drift, two turning, two burning. Wind off the lock as the giant 325/30 ZR23 Pirelli P Zeros at the rear start to bite. The Aston smoothly straightens up, then grips hard and launches at the horizon.

Okay, the Aston Martin DBX707 might be a big, heavy SUV. But it sure dances nicely.

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The DBX707’s mission statement is simple: To be faster than a Lamborghini Urus, and better handling than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe.

After a brief drive at Aston’s compact Stowe Complex test track at Silverstone – forget the coy ‘prototype’ stickers on the car in the photos, it’s a production-ready unit – it’s tempting to suggest it’s ‘job done’.

Beating the Urus is the relatively easy bit. Under the bonnet is a tweaked version of the versatile M177 V8 that powers a bunch of Mercedes-AMG models as well as Aston’s own DB11 and Vantage, plus the regular DBX. Aston Martin understands this engine very well: The man who oversaw its development at AMG, Ralph Illenberger, is now the company’s head of powertrain engineering, reporting directly to the man who was his boss at AMG, Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers.

The DBX707’s mission statement is simple: To be faster than a Lamborghini Urus, and better handling than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe

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In the regular DBX the engine makes 404kW and 700Nm. In the DBX707 it makes 520kW and 900Nm, courtesy of twin-scroll turbochargers that spin on ball bearings for a faster response and to generate higher boost pressures.

That extra muscle – the DBX707’s engine is currently the most potent of all the M177 V8s, even those carrying the three-pointed star – dictated a switch to the Speedshift MCT wet clutch nine-speed automatic transmission used in high-power, high-torque Mercedes-AMG models. The transmission also offers quicker and more precise shifts than those afforded by the ZF eight-speed auto used in the regular DBX, plus a Sport+ mode with launch control, and a full manual control mode.

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A new e-diff has been fitted at the rear to handle the extra torque and deliver a faster locking rate, and the all-wheel-drive system can send 100 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels.

Standard brakes are 420mm front and 390mm rear carbon-ceramic rotors that reduce unsprung weight by 40.5kg and are clamped by six-piston calipers with high-performance brake pads. The final drive ratio has been shortened by seven per cent.

Tobias Moers says the DBX707 will storm from 0 to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds, making it about a tenth slower than the Urus. But with a 310km/h top speed it’s 5km/h faster overall. Take that, Lambo.

What’s much more impressive than how the DBX707 goes is how it handles. It has the best, most authoritative front end of any super-SUV in the business

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But what’s much more impressive than how the DBX707 goes is how it handles. It feels agile and responsive, not twitchy or straining at its tethers, especially on rapid changes of direction.

It has, quite simply, the best, most authoritative front end of any super-SUV in the business; precise in its response, and concise in its feedback. Turn in, and the Aston will go exactly where it is pointed. More importantly, there’s plenty of support from the rear axle, right through from corner entry to exit.

Much of that, says Moers, is the result of a major rework of the front suspension, particularly in terms of its supporting structures. A cross brace means the front shock top mounts are 55 per cent stiffer than those of the standard DBX. A 4mm underbody panel has improved torsional stiffness by 1.3 per cent to improve steering response and impact control. Front axle compression and rebound damping have been increased by 20 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

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At the rear, suspension compression and rebound damping rates have been upped by 15 per cent and five per cent over the regular DBX, and the electronic active roll system has been recalibrated to deliver 50 per cent more torque on low body motions. The roll control is also now more rear-biased at higher cornering speeds to reduce understeer.

As a result, the DBX707 feels remarkably light on its feet, with none of the slightly leaden, nose-heavy feel you get when pushing a Lamborghini Urus or a Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe, and little of the exaggerated roll and head toss you normally feel in vehicles with a high centre of gravity.

Though tighter and tauter than a regular DBX, the ride is still impressively refined, with no harshness or jitters over small, sharp lumps and bumps.

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It still feels more like a grand tourer than a track monster. Looks it, too, though there’s obviously more muscle under the glamour. Up front is a bigger, bolder grille, larger cooling intakes for the brakes, and a more aggressive front splitter.

The rear fascia is also new, with quarter panel vents integrated into the bumper and a large diffuser underneath flanked by dual exhaust outlets. A larger spoiler extends from the trailing edge of the roof. Standard wheels are 22-inch alloys, shod with Pirelli P-Zero tires. The car here is on the new 23-inch wheel that’s exclusive to the 707 and available as an option.

The DBX707 feels remarkably light on its feet, with none of the slightly leaden, nose-heavy feel you get when pushing a Urus or a Cayenne Turbo Coupe

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Inside, the DBX707 can be had with either sport or comfort front seats, the former offered with the unique herringbone perforation pattern on the backrest and squab featured on the car shown here.

A rotary controller has been added to the centre console to allow rapid selection of different drive modes. It’s a much better system than flicking through the steering wheel-mounted tabs as on other Aston Martins.

Our track drive was brief, and we’ll wait until we get behind the wheel on roads we know before making a definitive call but on first acquaintance, the Aston Martin DBX707 is the new benchmark super-SUV.

Because it’s not just fast. It dances, too.

The European arm of American automotive giant Ford has announced its plans to introduce an additional seven electric vehicles to market by 2024, aiming to go all-electric before the end of the decade.

Earlier this month, Ford announced it would be setting up dedicated electric vehicle and internal combustion engine arms of its business to cope with evolving market conditions, with the EV side of its operations to be named Ford Model e.

European production is set to be based at the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre in Germany, with its first vehicle teased as a five-seat, medium-sized crossover – potentially named the Mustang Mach-S, a smaller version of the popular Mach-E crossover.

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While there’s been no name or design revealed for the upcoming EV crossover – aside from its headlight outline – Ford has said it will boast a driving range of around 500km, with production set to begin next year.

It will be followed by a sports crossover later down the track, both of which are set to benefit from the use of Volkswagen’s MEB architecture, a part of the joint venture deal between the manufacturers which will see VW use the new Ford Ranger’s platform for its Amarok ute.

Borrowing from its current model line-up, Ford will fully electrify its Puma small crossover from 2024, although production of the all-electric model will take place in Craiova, Romania and run alongside the internal combustion engine-powered variants.

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For its commercial vehicle operations, Ford is more open about its future prospects, with today’s announcement showing off another four vehicles to go on sale alongside the E-Transit.

First up for 2023 will be the fully-electric Transit Custom van and Tourneo Custom “multi-purpose vehicle” (also known as a people mover), followed by smaller versions of both models in the form of the Transit Courier van and Tourneo Courier in 2024.

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The Courier variants of each van are set to be produced alongside the Puma at Ford’s Romanian plant under the ownership of Ford Otosan, a joint venture with Turkish business, Koç Holding.

An expansion in Turkey is also on the cards with Ford announcing the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Koç Holding and SK On Co. Ltd., seeking to build a new EV battery facility near Ankara with an annual capacity of 30-45GWh targeted by the middle of the decade.

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Ford’s Australian arm has previously confirmed it will introduce five electrified models to its range by 2025, with the E-Transit slated to be the first all-electric model with a mid-2022 arrival.

On top of the E-Transit, a plug-in hybrid variant of the Escape SUV will also land this year while the remaining three models have been left open for interpretation, although it’s likely both the new Ranger ute and Everest large SUV are set to become the next electrified models.

Despite being sold-out worldwide, the Mustang Mach-E is the next likely candidate to come to Australia, becoming Ford’s first electric passenger vehicle for the local market – however, the manufacturer has not confirmed nor denied these plans.

Honda has defended an 80 per cent drop in sales for the Civic compared to this time last year, claiming the model is in fact punching above its target.

Just 86 vehicles were recorded as sold in new car VFACTS data in February – compared with 439 in the same month in 2021.

Honda launched its all-new Civic in November last year, raising the price by $7600 to $47,200 and switched to focusing on delivering just one highly-specified variant, the VTi LX – down from a choice of 11 grades in the previous generation.

The price jump was widely criticised at the time, though the list of additional features on the all-new model compared with the outgoing version has been increased.

Despite the apparent sales slump, the firm says the Civic is selling above its revised target for the model, and comparing year-on-year sales data means ignoring the bigger picture.

“The role for Civic in Australia changed with the arrival of the new-generation vehicle at the end of last year,” Belinda Cusworth, general manager of customer experience for Honda Australia, told Wheels.

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“We are focusing on top grades and premium specification levels as part of our new product strategy, and the lower sales volumes for a single grade of Civic are in line with that new positioning.”

According to the brand, it is aiming to shift 900 units of the new Civic over the first 12 months, and therefore its February sales numbers exceeded the average monthly run-rate required to achieve that target by 15 per cent.

“It is difficult to make a direct comparison between the Honda sales data year-on-year while we are in the 12-month transition phase between old and new business models, as there are a multitude of factors at play that means it doesn’t enable a like-for-like assessment,” Cusworth added.

The Civic isn’t the only small car to suffer year-on-year drawdowns last month, with the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 dropping by 31 per cent and 20.5 per cent respectively – and the entire segment seeing an overall sales drop of 26.4 per cent as buyers increasingly gravitate towards SUVs.

But while the Civic may have exceeded internal expectations, Honda’s new business strategy – coupled with external pressures such as the global semiconductor chip shortage – meant the brand is still struggling to pick up momentum, falling short of its soft target of 20,000 vehicles sold in 2021.

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The Japanese carmaker finished the year with 17,562 local sales – a shortfall of more than 12 per cent.

Honda Australia moved to an ‘agency’ model on July 1, 2021, with all of its vehicles now offered at a fixed price, and all stock on dealer lots owned by the company – rather than being ordered in and managed by each individual dealership.

“Chasing volume through the agency model is not where we want to be as a brand,” Director Stephen Collins told Wheels in September 2021.

“The decision to change to this model was ours in Australia, it was not an order coming down from Japan, we looked at how we could improve buying a car which hasn’t fundamentally changed in many decades, we had two choices, accept the status quo or look at what customers want and do that.”

Honda should see a noticeable bump in numbers when the new-generation Civic Type R eventually goes on sale, likely in the second half of 2022.

The hot hatch is expected to arrive with a similar version of the powertrain found in the outgoing model – a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder powering the front wheels through a manual transmission – with rumours suggesting it could be upgraded with mild-hybrid assistance.

Premium family SUVs compared: Audi Q5 45 TFSI Quattro vs Genesis GV70 2.5T AWD vs Jaguar F-Pace P250

If you want to get ahead in a South Korean car company, speak German. In the last decade, Kia and its parent company Hyundai – encompassing sub-brands Ioniq, N and Genesis – have seemingly lived by an unofficial mantra of ‘if you can’t beat them, or join them, or buy them – hire them’. Senior designers and engineers from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group have flocked to the world’s third-biggest auto manufacturing group, and it’s paying – and has paid – huge dividends.

For example, dismiss the build quality of a base model, brand-new Hyundai these days and you’ll be quickly corrected by most people. The South Korean motoring giant has raised its own bar, but also that of most segments it’s entered.

Hit after hit, like a rock band burning up the ARIA charts, the Hyundai Motor Group has put the automotive world on notice. Some choice examples would be the i30 N – Hyundai’s effectively error-free first attempt at a hot hatch – and more recently, the new 800-volt platform electric Ioniq 5 and closely related Kia EV6. And you can be sure there’s at least a handful of those getting dissected in engineering departments of rival car companies as you read this.

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The same is true, although to a lesser extent, of the group’s still-infant luxury brand, Genesis. While it hasn’t shaken up the luxury world like the i30 N did that of hot hatches, or Ioniq is for EVs, you’d be foolish to underestimate it. Indeed, a slew of all-new, luxury Genesis models is on the way in the next few years.

One of them is already here, and from a sales perspective could be to Genesis what the Cayenne was for Porsche: the GV70. As a mid-size SUV – Australia’s favourite type of vehicle behind only the dual-cab ute – the GV70 is the brand’s second SUV after the larger GV80 went into production in 2020. Based on the same platform as the G70 sedan, the GV70 is offered in Australia with a choice of three engines, a petrol 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder, a turbo-diesel 2.2-litre four-cylinder or a thumping 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.

The base 2.5-litre turbo can be had in rear-drive, but it’s the pricier all-wheel drive version we’ve got today. It’s often the lower-run variants where you get the true measure of a new model, and so we’ve grabbed this one to see how it compares against a benchmark rival – the Audi Q5 45 TFSI – and a bit of a wildcard, Jaguar’s F-Pace R-Dynamic S P250.

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Fresh from a recent-ish facelift, the second-generation Audi Q5, launched in 2017, is by a large margin the best seller of our three contenders here. For most buyers, it’s the safe bet.

Built in Mexico on Audi’s long-serving MLB Evo platform, the Q5 45 TFSI uses a turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder mounted north-south, sending 183kW and 370Nm to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and on-demand all-wheel drive (being front-drive until it’s not, to save fuel). Touted as a ‘mild hybrid’, the Q5 uses an integrated starter generator to recharge a small lithium-ion battery. Audi claims it can do 8.0L/100km on the combined cycle.

While it has been hammered by events of the last two years, Jaguar continues to lean heavily on its best-selling model, the F-Pace SUV made in the UK. Refreshed and restyled last year with a new, consolidated model line-up in Australia, all models now get the R-Dynamic package and Pivi Pro infotainment.

Our P250 tester wedges in a north-south configuration of JLR’s favoured 2.0-litre turbo Ingenium four-cylinder packing 184kW and 365Nm. There’s a ZF eight-speed torque-converter auto and all-wheel drive sending 90 percent of power to the rear wheels during normal daily driving.

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Initially, it seems a bit of an unfair fight considering the catalyst for our comparison, the GV70, packs a potent 224kW and 422Nm from its 2.5-litre turbo four. But those outputs are blunted somewhat by it needing to lay off the kimchi, its 1973kg a bit porkier than the Audi’s 1825kg and the aluminium-rich Jag’s 1897kg.

That said, the power-packed Genesis still wins in the power-to-weight stakes at 113kW/tonne, versus the Audi’s 100kW/tonne and the Jag’s 97kW/tonne. The GV70 sends its grunt through HMG’s own eight-speed lock-up torque-converter auto to on-demand all-wheel drive powering, in normal circumstances, the rear wheels.

We’ll let your eyeballs decide which looks best, but I think the Jag, with its power-bulging bonnet, high belt-line and narrowing, coupe-like glasshouse, makes the biggest visual statement. The Audi looks smart on its 20-inch wheels and the new OLED tail-lights are cool, but in any upper-middle-class suburb it’s just another wealthy person’s RAV4.

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The GV70, especially this one with the optional Sports Line Pack, intrigues with its split head-lights and tail-lights and cannon-sized exhaust tips. But I do really like the front of it, its gaping lower side openings adding aggression and, well, you can do worse than adopt a general Bentley-meets-Aston-Martin vibe, as it has.

No surprises, then, that Genesis design is headed by ex-Bentley stylist Luc Donckerwolke. The GV70 is one of the few cars that can make a 19-inch wheel look small, but you can get 21-inchers as part of an optional package. And you should.

In the standard equipment stakes, it’s the Genesis that packs in the most gear for its $82,084 drive-away tag. We’ll spare you from listing out the brochure, save to say if you like features and toys, the GV70 is the car that entertains the most while stationary.

Our tester came with the $3546 Sport Line pack which adds more aggressive front and rear bumpers, those bigger tailpipes, a bit of dark chrome but most importantly larger four-pot front brakes measuring 360mm in front disc diameter (up from 345mm). The rears grow from 325mm to 345mm. It’s a must-get for any Wheels reader, also granting a Sport Plus driving mode for when the horns come out.

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Our Jaguar test vehicle wears $7789 of options including a Technology Pack which gives wireless charging and head-up display. The 20-inch wheels are also optional; as is a 400W Meridian sound system. It comes in at $83,909 (before on-road costs) making it the priciest car here.

The Audi, meanwhile, is $78,590 as-tested (before on-road costs), its only option metallic paint. It’s got plenty of standard kit, but one option we wished it had was the variable-height air suspension, which has won acclaim from fellow Wheels road-testers.

Hitting the road, we motor west through Melbourne’s ever-sprawling suburbia, and it’s the Jaguar that is least impressive for the everyday driving experience. That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just not as good as the Audi or Genesis. While the interior talks luxury, the engine is loud and tinny at idle; and in 2022 the stop-start system is one of the most unpleasant we’ve tested.

While it feels to be the most softly sprung of our trio – making for a plush primary ride – if the road is a bit choppy, you’ll absolutely know it. For a luxury car it can also let in unbecoming levels of road noise.

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It’s all made especially stark jumping into the Audi which makes a lasting first impression, being the nicest car here to daily drive. While the suspension can thud loudly over some bumps, the general ride quality is lovely. If effortless transport was all you wanted, you aren’t going wrong with the Audi. It also has the best control feels at urban speeds of our trio, making it even more of a delight.

The Genesis, meanwhile, is everything you’d want from a luxury car – smooth, great ride quality and terrific sound insulation. It doesn’t put a foot wrong, but while the Audi’s luxury credentials are immediately apparent, the GV70 quietly charms you the more time you spend in it. (The opposite is sadly true of the Jaguar.)

For fuel use, all take 95RON minimum. Over about 230km of testing kilometres – which we wouldn’t call representative of normal use – the Audi used the least amount of fuel (11.1L/100km), followed by the GV70 (12.0L) then the Jaguar whose 14.5L/100km was a startling 30 percent more than the Q5. At 83 litres, it at least has the biggest fuel tank.

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The order is similar again when it comes to straight-line performance. Out of the blocks, the grunty Genesis claims an eager 6.1sec 0-100km/h with launch control. When activated, it holds the engine against the torque converter at about 2000rpm, and it’s as easy as lifting off the brake and catapulting away.

Timing your getaway for just as revs reach 2100rpm yields a best effort of 6.43sec to 100km/h, making it the drag racer’s choice of our three. Both torque and power are spread linearly across the rev range, the engine pulling solidly to its 6000rpm redline, and there’s a little kick through the car as it angrily changes up gears. First and second gears are short and quickly dispersed, even if there’s a bit of a noticeable gap to third.

In the sportier drive modes, artificial engine noise also floods through the front speakers over the top of what is a bit of a thrashy-sounding four-cylinder – the thought of a windows-down tunnel blast is unlikely to ever enter your mind – but it’s not terrible.

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Taking advantage of its dual-clutch transmission, the unassuming Audi – claimed to hit 100km/h from rest in 6.3sec – is the most ‘exciting’ to launch. To activate launch control – which feels a bit naughty in this car – you activate Dynamic Mode, bump the shift lever across to manual mode and turn off ESC. The computer pins the revs at a high-ish 3500rpm, at which point you simply side-step the brake and hold on. There’s a wee bit of violence as the clutches jolt and slip, the revs racing cleanly to 6800rpm, gears changing rapidly for a best effort of 6.74sec.

Obviously we’re not talking supercar acceleration here, but even still you’ll be checking a drag chute hasn’t caught around a side mirror of the F-Pace. From the outset Jaguar only claims 7.3sec 0-100km/h, but with no launch program, the best we could manage from its torque converter auto set-up was 8.23sec. It felt slow, too.

As for the noise it makes in the process, the Jaguar has the loudest exhaust with a proper mechanical note, even if it’s a bit curiously tinny. At least it sounds natural. (The Audi’s sound is neither enjoyable or offensive, but certainly forgettable.)

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Having bolted along arrow-straight roads, we arrive at our bit of testing bitumen somewhere west of Melbourne near Meredith, snaking down a pastoral valley as wind turbines eerily turn in the distance. And it’s the Jaguar that redeems itself somewhat with initial dynamics that invite you to get in and drive it hard. That could be thanks in part to its trick double-wishbone front suspension, where the Audi uses a multi-link arrangement and the GV70, a more classic MacPherson strut.

Yet push on and the Jaguar starts to feel excessively heavy and high – no surprises there – and tends to roll over its front tyres excessively. It reaches a point where you don’t want to drive it any harder and that’s about the same time as the downchanges from the eight-speed auto become lurchier and lurchier. Not great.

With its responsive powertrain and razor-sharp paddleshift dual-clutch, the Audi relishes carving up a twisty road. There’s plenty of grip; bodyroll is acceptable and you edge up to what feels like an obviously engineered-in, clean and tidy understeer. But it’s a safe limit and one that’s easily approached. Bonus points for an ESC system which, well, doesn’t completely freak out.

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Where the Jaguar and Audi feel like they can turn on the handling ability if asked, the Genesis straight-up insists. It’s got the most exciting handling by a long way. Straight off the bat it feels soft, heavy and high, but with a very fast front-end. In fact, the steering is so sharp the body needs a moment to settle after your initial input; and it feels to pivot around its middle almost like it has rear-wheel steering.

It’s much more neutral than the Audi and Jaguar, to the point you feel a bit cautious activating Sport Plus mode because supposedly it also fully deactivates the ESC.

On an unsealed road, which we found ourselves on in the GV70 at one point, it turns out the ESC doesn’t go fully off, but a very soft rear-end means the GV70 is same way Hyundai has garnered a new legion of fans for its N brand, it’d be easy to become a fan of Genesis. They’re having fun, and we like what they’re doing. By way of a random example, want your GV70 in matte black? They’ll do it for you from the factory, for just $2K. Certainly, and more broadly, anyone who buys the GV70 2.5T is unlikely to be disappointed.

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However, it’s not to be for the Genesis brand today. It’s a very close call, but the engineering talent just runs that little bit deeper in the Audi.

While it feels like competent luxury transport compared to the seductive Jag and flamboyant GV70, it redeems by scoring As across its report card, B-pluses at worst. The dual-clutch transmission – smooth yet responsive – feels like it was made by Breitling or Tag Heuer. The whole car bristles with impressions like this.

Also worth noting, is that Audi upgraded its warranty from three years to five years earlier in 2022 (leaving BMW and Porsche as the only premium German brands still selling with a three-year warranty).

(EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story reported that Audi offers only a three-year warranty. Wheels regrets the error.)

We suspect the Q5 will also come out ahead of the Genesis and Jaguar in the resale stakes. But mostly, it’s just a beautiful everyday SUV that’s difficult to fault – yet still gratifying to punt hard.

Genesis would do well to hire those who made it. And, to be fair, they probably already have.

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Cabin Fever

1. GENESIS GV70

Much like the sun, it’s best not to look directly at the GV70’s Sevilla Red trim. Beside it being loud, there’s an almost Art Deco vibe with leather stretched over most surfaces broken up by textured, brushed aluminium.

You also sit much more ‘in’ the GV70’s interior rather than ‘on’ it like the Audi, and the seats are more snug. At the top of the dash sits a slim 14.5-inch touchscreen with the most attractive and responsive infotainment system here. An intriguing place to sit.

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2. AUDI Q5

The most conventional SUV interior of the three, its Rock Grey upholstery helps make things feel light and airy. While it feels a little dated in places, Audi has done well to keep the cabin feeling fresh and contemporary, and build quality feels bulletproof. Its 10.1-inch touchscreen is the smallest of the lot (not that it really bothers), but it’s an overall safe, bordering on anodyne vibe. Like it would be happy to do your taxes.

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3. JAGUAR F-PACE

The sexiest cabin of our trio, like you just bought it from a Prada store. While the price for that sculpted exterior is the smallest and most compact interior here, the packaging is good and it doesn’t feel cramped or tight, just cosy.

Jaguar, like Audi, has done well to keep its ageing SUV’s cabin feeling modern with its 11.4-inch centre touchscreen. The chink of actual metal shift paddles under fingernails is also a nice touch, and it’s in the Jag you sit highest of our three.

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SOMETHING HOTTER?

All three of our contenders come in much spicier iterations which we are duty-bound to recommend. For another $15K, the GV70 can be had with a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 packing a fire-breathing 279kW and 530Nm, good for 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.1sec.

The Audi meanwhile comes in evergreen SQ5 guise with 251kW/700Nm from a single-turbo diesel 3.0-litre V6. Think 0-100km/h in 5.1sec again, but now with 7.1L/100km claimed consumption thanks in part to a 48v mild-hybrid set-up, all yours for $110K.

But we’d personally be getting the 5.0-litre blown V8 F-Pace SVR with 405kW/700Nm, snarling to 100km/h in just 4.0sec. A pinch at just $142K. Wowsers.

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SCORING

Audi Q5 45 TFSI Quattro

VERDICT: 7.5/10

Genesis GV70 2.5T AWD

VERDICT: 7.5/10

Jaguar F-Pace P250

VERDICT: 7.0/10

This is the cheapest, full-fat M model you can buy in the go-fast G80 3 Series range. More importantly, the base variant of the BMW M3 is arguably one of the best you can purchase because of a few key reasons. Well, three to be exact. That’s the number of pedals you receive for your $144,900. It’s a shame that such a focused performance car will see so few buy the manual version.

It’s a pseudo back-to-basics proposition. Now, that’s not to say the BMW M3 isn’t packed to the rafters with tech, because it is. However, dropping the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the eight-speed torque-converter automatic as well as culling the on-paper figures has done nothing to lessen the experience. Badging runs devoid of the Competition moniker, but there’s still the new powertrain up front, nestled behind that contentious grille.

History shows that there’s always some form of a simmering controversial undercurrent when it comes to a new generation M3. Bavaria seems to like change more than its fan base. However, it’s usually on mechanical grounds. Or, more specifically, the cylinder count.

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The transition from S55 (F80) to S58 (G80) has been less dramatic, with the latter remaining a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six. In this application it pumps out 353kW and 550Nm, which is nothing to sneeze at. And while there are some synthetics at play, the soundtrack is a return to form.

Some might cast a sniggering eye at the fact it’s 22kW and 100Nm down on the Competition, but it’s important to note that the ‘base’ M3 now offers more kilowatts (but not Newtons) than even the F80 CS. Be in no doubt, the entry-level M3 is rapid. With power being delivered right up to 6250rpm, there is real benefit to extending the tacho to redline. On the flip side, the wave of mid-range torque (from 2650 to 6130rpm) means you can leave it in a higher gear and use the S58’s muscle to pull you through. The gearing is also well-matched, meaning it never feels breathless or lethargic.

The shift action of the six-speed manual itself is more serviceable than brilliant. It can feel a little rubbery, especially when slotting into a gate, and it isn’t as rifle-sharp as you might hope. However, being lighter in nature means it isn’t a chore to use and the rev-matching on downshifts works a treat if you don’t want to heel and toe – of which the pedals are ideally placed if you do. The manual adds a layer of connection to the experience, an element you as the driver have to get right in order to hustle down the road (or on a race track) quickly.

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While the six-speed manual is the talking point here, it’s hard not to be enthralled by the driving experience. This is a German four-door muscle car with the grace and talent of a ballet dancer. Ham-fisted? Not a chance. The front-end is razor sharp (with 275-section front tyres) and will eagerly arrow into an apex with a sense of competence that isn’t fully translated through the variable ratio M Servotronic steering – you have to trust that it will stick. All the strut bracing and extra track width aiding its nous, while the rear axle has been calmed with the somewhat prickly nature of the F80 blunted.

That’s not to say it’s a walk in the park. There’s still a heavy dose of driver input required. Play with the plethora of modes, or even dare to switch things off, and the M3 requires taming. You can’t forget that 353kW and 550Nm is being sent to just two 285-section Pirelli P Zero tyres. M Dynamic Mode is the amenable safety net, allowing for degrees of slip without fully releasing control, while there’s 10 stages of traction control and even an M Drift Analyser to play with.

The M3 has a classic rear-drive dynamic nature where you can drive off the outside rear, guiding things as much with your right foot as you do the steering wheel.

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It would be a step too far to say that the M3, with adaptive dampers set to Comfort, is a plush-riding car. However, coining it crashy is far too harsh. There is a level of compliance to the suspension, combined with sophisticated damping to control vertical movements. It’s all part of making the M3 that bit more approachable without forgoing its focused ability. You can slot it into sixth gear and cruise along the highway in relative ease with little hint of the racy prowess waiting to be unleashed.

The cabin adds to the refined nature, too. Fit and finish is top-notch while the quality of materials used is pleasing, however, NVH and tyre roar could be better suppressed. It’s a little subjective, but the 12.3-inch instrument cluster isn’t the best use of a digital screen in the business with the tacho in reverse and a poor map display.

However, the head-up display is clear and concise. The central 10.25-inch infotainment screen is touch enabled and supports smartphone integration for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Being a four-door, five can be seated comfortably and there’s a 480-litre boot to lug all your track-day goodies.

It’s a shame few will choose the manual. And those who do might have speculative motives for doing so, wrapping one of the most controversial M3s in cotton wool and locking it away in a shed for future monetary gain. It’s too good for that. The G80 is every bit the driver’s car the venerable marque heralds with the added three-pedal connection enthusiasts crave. That combination might not be around much longer. Get it while it lasts.

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2022 BMW M3 specifications

A one-off modified BMW 3 Series is up for sale in Germany, with an interesting history to back up its unique credentials.

Known as the GP3.10, the E92 3 Series body was taken in by renowned BMW tuner AC Schnitzer and given a one-of-a-kind treatment for the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, with the V10 from a contemporary M5/M6 shoehorned into its engine bay.

As if that wasn’t enough of a departure from how the 3 Series rolled off the production line, Schnitzer decided to convert it to run on LPG too, resulting in better emissions but also stronger performance figures, pushing out an impressive 406kW and 540Nm.

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In true 2007 style, the GP3.10 sports a more aggressive body kit than its donor vehicle, with an M3-inspired front bumper leading to pumped-out rear guards, a ducktail spoiler and a centre-exit exhaust.

The overly-chrome Aachen wheels, bonnet and front guard vents date the GP3.10, but its light mint green paint paired with the cream and tan interior has aged well – or at least better than some of its other features.

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At the time of its conception, AC Schnitzer valued the one-off creation at roughly €198,000 (AU$298,000) but its buy-it-now price on eBay sits at just €69,980 (AU$105,250) – less than a current M3 and considerably less than its estimated build cost.

If you want need a reminder of what BMW’s V10 sounds like when running on gas, watch the video below.

UPDATE, Tuesday March 14: As Russia begins steps to nationalise assets abandoned by foreign-owned companies, Mercedes-Benz has admitted it has around €2 billion (AU$3 billion) at risk of being seized by the state.

In its annual report released on Friday, Mercedes-Benz outlined scenarios born from international financial sanctions which could lead to the forfeiture of assets to Russian banks, but warned ​​”these risks could be exacerbated by the potential expropriation of assets of Russian subsidiaries [by the government]”.

The German luxury carmaker recently spent €250 million (AU$375 million) on a new factory, with Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2019 (pictured above with Dieter Zetsche, then Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, and Peter Altmaier, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy).

Renault Group is doing all it can to avoid losing its assets, being the only global carmaker to not announce an intentional production halt in Russia in response to the country’s actions in Ukraine.

While the company “continues to monitor the situation,” Russia is Renault Group’s second largest market, accounting for 12 per cent of its annual revenue.

Renault Group could end up losing out regardless, with Russia’s ruling party introducing regulations that would seize assets that have a foreign ownership greater than 25 per cent from those originating from “unfriendly states”.

The French company owns around 67 per cent of Avtovaz as of December 2021, with the state-owned Rostec defence company – headed by Sergey Chemezov, a close ally of President Putin – owning the minority share.

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The story to here

March 10: A high-ranking member of Russia’s ruling party has likened the mass exodus of carmakers from the country as a “war” against its citizens, while echoing comments from the First Deputy Prime Minister in proposing the nationalisation of factories abandoned by auto companies.

“United Russia proposes nationalising production plants of the companies that announce their exit and the closure of production in Russia during the special operation in Ukraine,” United Russia Secretary Andrey Turchak said in a statement posted to the party’s website this week.

“This is an extreme measure, but we will not tolerate being stabbed in the back, and we will protect our people. This is a real war, not against Russia as a whole, but against our citizens,” he said.

“We will take tough retaliatory measures, acting in accordance with the laws of war.”

It’s likely the proposed nationalisation of the manufacturing facilities is being used to financially punish companies who have suspended operations in Russia, given global parts supply issues are forcing production stoppages right across Europe.

Renault Group has yet to make an announcement on the subject, but subsidiary Avtovaz was forced to suspend production at its factory in Russia this week, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Despite sourcing the majority of the components needed to build Lada models from within the country, 20 per cent of the parts required are imported.

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March 9: The Russian Government has outlined a plan in which it would take control of car manufacturing facilities abandoned by foreign companies in recent weeks.

The First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov told a group of business leaders there were possibilities in which the country could seize assets from organisations which had departed Russia, under the guise of keeping its citizens employed.

“We analysed the statements of the authorities of foreign states and specific companies that, having made huge investments in the localization [sic] of production, do not want to leave the Russian market, but today they are facing unprecedented politically-motivated pressure from their own regulators,” Belousov said during a meeting with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Business Russia.

Belousov, who is considered a potential successor to President Vladimir Putin, appeared to be giving carmakers an ultimatum, with the first option being to continue operations in spite of publicly making a decision to leave the Russian market.

“In the second option,” he said, “foreign shareholders transfer their share under the control of Russian partners and subsequently be able to return to our market. This option was discussed with the Russian business community – it is ready for this. Some investors have already taken advantage of this option.”

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Car companies that decide to pull out from the country entirely, with no possibility of returning, would be regarded as entering a “deliberate bankruptcy”.

“In this option, we will intervene through the accelerated bankruptcy procedure, since the absolute priority for us is the preservation of employment and the social well-being of our citizens, so that conscientious entrepreneurs can ensure the effective functioning of the business.”

If the thinly-veiled punishment was enacted, it could be a significant financial loss for many companies with local operations – particularly Mercedes-Benz, which spent €250 million (AU$375 million) on a new factory in Russia which only opened its doors in 2019.

Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Hyundai, and a handful of other companies with production facilities in Russia could also be facing large financial losses.

If Renault Group was forced by the French Government to suspend its Russian plant, it could effectively hand control of Avtovaz back to minority shareholders in Russia, eliminating 12 per cent of its annual revenue and destroying a US$1 billion (AU$1.36 billion) deal.

The looming threat of losing Avtovaz – makers of the iconic Lada brand – could be the reason for the conspicuous silence from Renault Group management as it attempts to negotiate a quagmire of economic sanctions designed to cut Russia off from the world.

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“Andrey Belousov also noted that the Russian Government has always proceeded from the need for a constructive dialogue with foreign business and mutual fulfilment of the obligations undertaken by the parties,” a statement from the Russian Government read.

“For many years, foreign enterprises and joint ventures have been provided with state support measures based on the fulfilment of obligations to deepen localisation and create new jobs in our country.

“All measures prepared by the Government are aimed at supporting industrial and business activity in the Russian Federation, maintaining employment, as well as the speedy restoration of the activities of all enterprises.”