Features
The Wheels Interview: Meet Kees Weel, the knockabout Aussie who cools Formula 1 cars and satellites
They call him ‘the radiator man’ – Kees Weel is a Dutch immigrant who discovered he had a way with car radiators and has now built a $1 billion Aussie business providing cooling solutions to an amazing array of high-profile clients.
Inside the Ferrari Challenge, the race-bred 296 and the series’ Australian expansion
Ferrari’s 296 Challenge sets out to deliver a bona fide circuit racer that’s fast, forgiving and finance-friendly. Wheels discovered what it’s like to race as part of the Ferrari Challenge, the international series staged since 1993 and now with a substantial Australian leg.
Modern Classic: BMW M Coupe
It’s attracted some cruel nicknames but when Wheels first encountered the BMW M Coupe in 1998, we knew it was something special.
Suzuki Swift Sport: End of an era for a much loved little champion
The lightweight hatch didn’t win comparos but was much loved.
Modern Classic: VL Commodore, 1986 ~ 1988
The stop-gap midsized sedan that ended up a significant success story for the Aussie brand.
How Citroen reached the end of the road in Australia
The French brand recently pulled down the shutters down under after a dismal sales run.
Mazda 6: A tribute to the once-popular sedan as it departs the Aussie scene
Australia turns its back on the joy of six.
Jeep Grand Cherokee’s sad farewell to Australia
After more than 30 years on sale here, Jeep’s big ’un bows out.
Modern Classic: Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R
The awkward middle child of the ‘Godzilla’ triumvirate or the Skyline GT-R for those with a more discerning eye?
Modern Classic: Autozam AZ-1, and the story behind one of the most unique cars ever built
Tiny, rare and fantastically obscure it may be, but this kei-car is every bit the deserving modern classic.
Lotus Exige S1: Modern Classic
Nobody was quite ready for how Lotus turned the friendly Elise into the far fiercer Exige S1.
The Wheels Interview: Aussie F1 Sensation, Oscar Piastri
In 2024 Melbourne’s Oscar Piastri turned heads in the world of motorsport as the boom youngster claimed two Formula 1 grand prix wins. Ahead of this year’s Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, he tells Wheels of his 2025 plans to make fans truly sit up and take notice.
12 Greatest Automotive Technical Innovations
We tip the hat to a dozen technical advances that, over the years, served to redefine motoring technology.
A Grand Design Career: Michael Simcoe
News that General Motors’ Australian senior vice president of global design, Michael Simcoe, will retire from the company after 42 years in July this year warrants another look at his recent meeting with esteemed Wheels journalist Peter Robinson, who undertook a global tour of General Motors’ design centres at the invitation of Simcoe to see how the company is transforming its design ethos.
How the GTO Unleashed a Generation of Supercars
Ferrari’s creation of the GTO in 1984 birthed a run of incredible supercars from the Italian powerhouse that continues today with the F80.
Red Dawn: How the Ferrari GTO Changed Everything
An instant classic when it debuted in 1984, the Ferrari GTO was always intended as a showcase of the famous car-maker’s technological excellence.
Driven to extinction: Peugeot 508
Just sometimes, talent isn’t enough.
Driven to extinction: The Grand Tour
A sentimental and joyous ode to running out of steam.
Driven to extinction: Ferrari 812 Superfast
The clue was in the name.
Modern classic: Audi TT
The most definitive automotive styling statement of the nineties? The Audi TT MK1 stakes a convincing claim.
Modern Classic: Nissan 350Z
Overlooked and underrated by the market, the 350Z’s time will surely come. Here’s the story behind a true modern classic.
Driven to extinction: Jaguar XE
Jaguar waves goodbye to “lower-end products”
Modern Classic: Ford Laser TX-3 4WD Turbo
The forgotten blue-oval performance hero.
Driven to extinction: Suzuki Ignis
The not-so-bad MF-generation departs the Aussie market.