Wheels

SOMETIMES A DEPARTING executive or editor will leave a note on their desk addressed to their successor. Inside, the incumbent can expect some kind words of encouragement, or perhaps a joke, as well as some useful insights gleaned through hard-earned

IT’S HARD to be an innovator these days – everyone’s at it. Which makes life difficult for the all-new S-Class. Back in the good old days, the S-Class was a beacon of future thinking and genuine technological advancement. The new S-Class still lives

IT’S BILLED AS the ‘most powerful mass-produced truck in the world’ and we’re not about to argue. The Ram 1500 TRX packs much the same maniacal 6.2-litre supercharged V8 hemi lump seen in the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which results in 523kW and

OF COURSE it’s amazing. You knew that already. How could anything that weighs 986kg, that’s powered by a 487kW 3.9-litre atmo V12 that revs to 12,100rpm, yet retains an H-pattern manual gearbox driving the rear wheels be anything but? That the Gordon

A DESIGN DOCUMENT kept secret by Holden for two decades has been uncovered by Wheels, revealing initial plans for a number of tantalising VE Commodore variants. Top of the pile is a mid-size sedan that would have revived the Torana bodystyle for Hold

Using the same 150kW 1.6-litre four-pot as its hatch equivalent, the three-box Hyundai i30 Sedan N-Line adds a third bodystyle to the i30 range. Offered with 18-inch alloys, CarPlay/Android Auto and an Aussie-specific suspension tune, this one will b

But please, keep it tight (no more than 200 words) and do include your suburb if via email: wheels@wheelsmag.com.au You can also have your say on Facebook (search for Wheels Australia), Instagram or Twitter LETTER OF THE MONTH WE ALL DREAM sometimes;

HERE’S A QUICK brain teaser to get you warmed up. How many cars can you think of that were offered – in the same generation – in both front and rear-wheel-drive guises? True anoraks might well be able to identify the Rover 75 or, if they have a real

WHAT WE have here, dressed as two midsized SUVs, is a conundrum. Where do your priorities lie when it comes to choosing a set of wheels? Do you want soothing practicality and a vehicle that does its job with ease while leaving you in sublime comfort?

THE TOYOTA Hilux has always bumped around in an odd netherworld between bushy suburbia and the blue-collar universe. Starting life as a simple, rugged tool for the hard-hat and Akubra brigades, along the way it’s morphed into one of the most popular

SO HERE IT is: one of most eagerly awaited electric cars of year. After the hors d’oeuvre of the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe, this is the main course that will properly launch the new company from Sweden into the mainstream. It’s hard not to comp

AT THE RISK of reading from the Captain Obvious handbook, it’s clear that plenty of 4x4 ute buyers do not work from same priority list as car buyers. If strong fundamentals of the driving experience, and inclusion of the latest multimedia and safety

MASERATI’S EMBLEM, the trident, is a three-pointed weapon, so it’s fitting that the MC20 you see here is the first of a trio. This beautiful mid-engined coupe, powered by a hugely powerful new Maserati-made twin-turbo V6, is the brand’s first superca

Maserati touts the Nettuno V6 as all-new and 100 percent its own work, but a closer look at the engine reveals some striking similarities to the Ferrari F154 V8 engine and, by extension, Alfa Romeo’s 690T V6 as seen in the Giulia QV. Like the F154, t

ON THE FACE of it, it seemed Gen Y had ample ‘issues’ to keep them busy sooking and moaning. There’s the financially impenetrable housing market; the rising cost of smashed avo on toast; the discomfort of skinny jeans. But now Toyota has just added a

An easy way to keep safe on the road is purchasing quality tyres from reputable brands. MITCHELL GOLLEDGE, Managing Director at Continental Tyres, the leaders in tyre safety, shares his tips on things to consider next time you purchase new tyres. As

I walked green miles of jungleI walked through yellow miles of painI crossed starvation’s desertWatched dead rivers swell with rainThe song of insects filled the airNights and days of despairwhere a killer’s son says “son beware” Rollins Band, ‘Illum

Charles ‘Spen’ Spencer King began his career in 1942 as an apprentice at Rolls-Royce, quickly becoming expert with jet and gas turbine engines. In 1945 he moved to Rover at Solihull, prompted by the fact that the British automaker had been involved i

Jeeps are used for the inaugural adventure/race in 1980, but the following year the organisers switch to Range Rovers for the event in Sumatra and never look back – they’re the expedition’s weapon of choice again in ’82 (in Papua New Guinea) and ’87

DEEP within automotive boardrooms the world over, there’s a term that’s flung around as frequently as “Kale detox” at a Bondi cafe. It’s ‘platform rationalisation’, and chances are that the car you’re driving now conforms to its edicts in some way. F

MID-ENGINED FERRARIS require little explanation. Founder Enzo famously may not have been a fan of the layout, preferring his horses ahead of his cart, but Maranello has long since established itself as a master of the art of otherworldly yet accessib

CREATING A WHOLE new set of technical regulations isn’t the work of a minute. Supercars has created a Gen3 working commission to develop the new rules involving stakeholders from within the business and pit lane. But not everyone is included in the i

IF YOU TOOK the panels of a Ford Mustang road car and tried to affix them to Scott McLaughlin’s race car, they wouldn’t fit. That is a hard, unfortunate fact – one created by the current chassis which was introduced in 2013 to suit four-door Commodor

THERE IS NEAR universal agreement that Supercars will continue to be powered by a naturally aspirated V8 in the future. The debate hinges on from where those engines will be sourced. Currently, engine costs are “out of control”, with a two-car team s

OF ALL THE challenges facing Supercars, this is the most complex. It boils down to a simple truth: Supercars doesn’t want to rely on manufacturer involvement but it needs manufacturers to be involved to make the category interesting and relevant. Nav

THERE IS NO race series without fans, and according to ex-Supercars CEO Tony Cochrane, who steered the sport into its most profitable and popular era, the category needs to act quickly to save the fans it has left and ensure its survival. “Keeping th

THERE ARE A FEW things that I have planned for which a selection of cars would be preferable: a ute for grabbing building supplies; a wagon to shift a bunch of boxes with kids’ toys; something large and comfortable for a much-needed holiday. But we r

I DON’T KNOW about you, but I tend to do something fairly irrational whenever I get into a front-wheel-drive SUV. Because they have a modicum of extra ride height, I always feel compelled to drive them off road. I know, I know, this really needs to b

AH, THE OLD ‘instant versus delayed gratification’ debate. Until now, I’ve considered myself a delayed gratification kind of person. Give me a piece of cake, and I’ll save the icing until last. And in a motoring sense, if offered the choice between a

YOUR COMPLETE NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE WHAT IT ALL MEANS PRICE: Recommended Retail Price at time of publication (* indicates driveaway) ENGINE TYPE: L = in-line, V = vee, F = flat. Number of cylinders. T = turbo, S = supercharged, D = diesel, H = hybrid

FINALLY, AN SUV! Regular readers of this section may have noticed a pattern. Aside from the capable but humble Ford Mondeo, every car to feature on this page has been a two-door sports car (Alfa Romeo 4C, BMW i8, Mercedes-Benz SLK/SLC). It feels good