BMW Advice

This could be the future of car multimedia. Officially launched in May this year, Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of Apple CarPlay, a smartphone mirroring platform that’s enjoyed by millions of iPhone users every day. Yep, Android owners, this review isn’t for you – unless you’re considering making the switch to Apple’s iOS mobile software. It’s the Apple CarPlay many have come to know and love, but it takes control of all of your vehicle’s screens, as opposed to just its central display. It also assumes control of (nearly) all of your vehicle’s functions, including its climate, camera and radio controls, plus all other general settings. Point being, it’s a complete Apple takeover, which is good news if you’re a fan of its ecosystem. And let’s face it, many car brands’ default multimedia systems are underwhelming for a multitude of reasons, including bad user interfaces and limited functionality. Apple CarPlay and even its Android Auto competitor don’t suffer from those issues as they are literal mirrors of the user-friendly and highly capable smartphones that we love to use every day. Most users will say their primary reason for preferencing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto over their vehicle’s default multimedia system is access to their favourite satellite navigation platform, be it Apple Maps, Google Maps or a third party. Several car brands have either launched or are in the process of rolling out new default multimedia systems based on Android Automotive, which is a car-specific derivative of Android Auto with Google Maps and Google Play built in. Much like Apple CarPlay Ultra, Android Automotive takes over all of a vehicle’s screens and functions – and sometimes even still offers Apple CarPlay support – but it differs by being the default multimedia system. Apple CarPlay Ultra sets itself apart as it can be wirelessly streamed on demand to any vehicle that supports it. Apple CarPlay Ultra’s first problem is availability. The first model to support it was the highly attainable Aston Martin DBX707 large SUV. It’s priced from a lazy $462,500, plus on-road costs, for reference. And yes, I am being sarcastic. You would’ve thought that car brands beyond Aston Martin would’ve jumped at the opportunity to offer the latest smartphone mirroring platform, but they haven’t for several reasons. Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, Renault, Rivian and Lincoln have either cancelled or said they have no plans to support Apple CarPlay Ultra, with some saying they are not impressed with its first version due to the level of control it gives to Apple. General Motors’ Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC brands are also unlikely to support Apple CarPlay Ultra in its new electric vehicles due to its controversial decision to not even support regular Apple CarPlay. That said, Hyundai, Kia, Porsche and Genesis, as well as Aston Martin, remain committed to adding support for Apple CarPlay Ultra in the 12 months from its launch, meaning they should start to release their versions by May 2026. Nissan, Honda, Land Rover, Jaguar, Infiniti and Acura also announced plans for Apple CarPlay Ultra support when it was previewed at Apple’s WWDC 2022 event, but it remains to be seen if they’ve changed like so many others have. Another sticking point for car brands is the implementation of Apple’s user interface and experience, which differs greatly from their own. However, Apple is open to working with car brands to put their own design spin on their version of Apple CarPlay Ultra, with Aston Martin being the first example. To work out what this actually means, I got the keys to a MY25 Aston Martin DBX707 to give it a red-hot go. First thing’s first, getting Apple CarPlay Ultra set up is a very similar process to that of regular Apple CarPlay, but you have to wait a little bit longer. Once you’re in, the central display has a very familiar look to it, but the home screen features three new apps: Climate, Radio and Vehicle. As mentioned, the Climate and Radio apps do exactly what you think they will and well. But it’s the Vehicle app that is the most interesting, as in the case of the DBX707, it features everything from Individual drive mode customisation to clock settings. That said, while the DBX707’s delightful Bowers & Wilkins sound system has its own setting menu, if you click on it, it will ironically boot you out to an inset version of the default multimedia system to make your adjustments. The same goes for its ambient lighting. Presumably this happens because Apple and the car brand (Aston Martin in this instance) haven’t configured some of these more bespoke settings. And for that reason Apple CarPlay Ultra doesn’t quite live up to the hype for me. Don’t get me wrong, it is very, very exciting for a tech nerd like myself, but it’s also very clearly a first version. When it inevitably becomes all encompassing with a future iOS update, it will be a true game changer due to its ease of use, particularly as drivers move from one car to another. But wait, there’s more! Apple CarPlay Ultra also takes control of the DBX707’s digital instrument cluster and it’s really where Aston Martin gets to flex its design muscle in conjunction with Apple. Different themes for the driver display are available, with the ‘traditional’ one featuring a speedometer and tachometer, which are split by an even more customisable section. It features either maps, current media, adaptive cruise control, the trip computer, tyre pressures or more. The colours and layouts are at the discretion of the car brand, with Aston Martin using its signature hues (think green) in the DBX707. The British marque also goes a step further with the aforementioned tachometer, which features very subtle ‘Handbuilt in Great Britain’ lettering in the top right corner. Another interesting thing about the Apple CarPlay Ultra experience is that every time you turn your vehicle’s ignition on, it automatically activates – but it takes a decent amount of time to do so, during which you get to experience the default multimedia system. It’s still very early days for Apple CarPlay Ultra, but the early signs are very promising. It offers iPhone users an interface that they’re familiar with and an experience that they’ll likely love. But Apple CarPlay Ultra’s success will mainly be dictated by the support of car brands, which need to play ball to roll it out. Also, it’s got a few more vehicle settings that it needs to fully integrate. But there’s no doubt that Apple CarPlay Ultra’s potential is very high.

Like music and fashion, the types of cars we drive tend to evolve with each generation. We are currently living in the age of the SUV, but for much of the 20th century, Australians loved the sedan.

There are some states where the very existence of unmarked police cars seems almost as illogical as it is cruel, while in others, like Victoria, it’s a surprise that every second vehicle isn’t a cop car in disguise.

What is the safest car in Australia?

The 1980s was a golden age for cars on the small screen, indeed, for those of us who grew up in that era, it was a golden age for everything, which is why Netflix mega-hit Stranger Things mines such a rich river of reverie.

The hot hatch is in hot demand these days.

Q: What are the most reliable car brands you can buy in Australia? A: It’s a heck of a question – but a popular barbecue discussion point - and there’s no definitive answer, mainly because there are so many variables (not to mention the sheer number of available car makes and models).

To modern Australian families, the SUV is what a Commodore or a Falcon used to be - the sensible, obvious and most common choice of family vehicle.

Why are so many willing to pay so much for so few obvious benefits?  Most of us don't shell out six-figure sums for a car, but plenty of people do, and you have to wonder why. Is it simply because they can, because a car is a highly visible status symbol that can make you feel, and look, wealthier every day? It's exceedingly difficult to drag your giant house down to the golf-club car park after all. Sadly this theory probably holds some water, or some overpriced champagne, but the fact is that expensive cars - not all, but some - really do feel special to drive. Whether they're worth the money Australians have to pay for them is another debate entirely, but something like a Porsche 911 has a kind of engineering purity, a sense of build quality and teutonic tactility, that elevates driving, even in traffic, to a different level of joy. But you can get nearly all of that joy for less, in a $112,090 Cayman, too. Similarly, a BMW M4 feels and sounds special, with muscular steering and spine-whacking acceleration, as you would hope it should for $156,900, but much of that sheer driving pleasure DNA can also be felt in a 435i Coupe, for $108,500, or even a 420i at a comparatively bargain priced $69,500. The extra performance of the M4 is something you'll only rarely appreciate, unless you own a race track, so spending the extra is hard to justify this side of showing off. The good news however, is that much of this seemingly ephemeral and expensive driving joy can be had for far less money, once you convince yourself to be blind to badges. Behold our list of champagne cars for craft-beer money   So, you think you can't afford a super car? Sure you might need to sell an organ or two, but the incredible Alfa Romeo 4C - with the looks of a Ferrari, the racing snarl of a Maserati and the all-carbon-fibre construction of a Lamborghini - brings the supercar dream down to an almost attainable level, with its launch price tipped to be around the $80,000 mark. It feels like we've been waiting forever for this car to arrive in Australia, although Alfa says it's definitely almost nearly here, but that's because world demand has been berserk. And building an F1-like carbon-car takes time. How Alfa has managed to make this super-light (just 895kg), super-handling and seriously quick car - 0 to 100km/h arrives in a Porsche-worrying 4.5 seconds - to market at a price less than six figures is some kind of Italian economic miracle. Perhaps they've fiddled the books. Best of all, it looks so good you wouldn't be surprised if it cost a million dollars. Truly super value.   A not-so-poor-man's Porsche The last Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Mk VI, was such a great driver's car that more than one magazine posited the theory that it was the 911 you could actually afford - it is German after all, and VW actually owns Porsche these days so there's a certain sense in it. The new, Mk VII GTI is an even more incredible car, but VW has gone a step further with the Golf R - the fastest Golf in history, and with all-wheel drive and a $51,990 price tag it's one of the greatest performance bargains on the road today. It might not please the people at Porsche to suggest this, but a well-driven Golf R on a twisty bit of road would give a Porsche Cayman owner a horrible, wallet-hurting fright, and a few 911 owners for that matter. It combines prodigious grip with serious rip from its 206kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. A $112,090 Porsche Cayman has only 202kW and 290Nm and will hit 100km/h in 5.6 seconds, while the Golf R gets there in five flat, which is a huge difference. Even a $228,150 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 only does it in 4.9. This is all the German car any enthusiast needs.   Boxer-ing clever There are only two car companies in the world willing to tackle the complexities of a boxer engine (in which the cylinders lie flat and punch side to side, instead of up and down) - Porsche and Subaru. Engineers from the riotously rich German company admit they're deeply impressed that the relatively small Japanese concern can manage the engineering task, but the rewards are clearly worthwhile and nowhere more evident than in the legendary Subaru WRX. This incredible car has held the bang-for-your-buck world title belt since its launch in 1995, thanks to its all-wheel-drive setup, sharp chassis and 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer engine which now makes 195kW and 343Nm and will hit 100km/h in 5.4 seconds. Sure, over some of those years it looked like it had been badly beaten up by a designer with a death wish, sporting the equivalent of two black eyes for a while, but the latest version is possibly the best-looking ever. Better yet, the new WRX is just $38,990, making it a full $1000 cheaper than when the original Rex appeared in 1994. Yes, there are quicker cars on the road, but not many, and very few that are more involving.   Cheap and ridiculously cheerful It's probably physically impossible to drive a Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ without a smile on your face, and not just because you can't believe the price tag. What you need to know straight up is that the Toyobaru - a joint project between Subaru's engineering brilliance (they brought the 2.0-litre boxer engine, but no turbocharger, sadly) and Toyota's global dominance - is not fast. Its 147kW naturally aspirated engine will get you to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds, so you won't see which way a Golf R went. But then it does only cost $29,990. What you get for that price is far more than numbers on a page can express. Its steering has been favourably compared to Porsche's, its rear-wheel-drive and light weight make it a hoot to throw around and there's a kind of purity and simplicity to it that revisits the kind of fun that cars used to be. It's a cheap way to show off the same smile that the guy in the 911 is wearing.

Is 2017 the year of the new car for your garage? It's pretty easy to work out what's available now, but here are the most exciting models that are yet to arrive in showrooms.