Articles by Adam Tonkin

Adam Tonkin road tests and reviews the Bentley Contintental GT V8 S with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Adam Tonkin road tests and reviews the Ford Fiesta ST with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Adam Tonkin road tests the Honda Odyssey with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ferrari gives an overview of the first turbocharged California, arriving in showrooms later this year.

 Australia gets preview of updated Ferrari California T with new turbocharged engine.Ferrari seems to have an annual program for launching exciting new models.  Eighteen months ago it was the Ferrari F12,  more recently they rolled out the stunning and super-fast hypercar, the LaFerrari, and now it's the turn of the California.  Australia got an early look at the updates 'in the metal' this week, with customer cars dues to start arriving in November.But unlike many updates that are just light or at best evolutionary facelifts, the changes for the Cali are revolutionary -- including a substantial price drop of almost $50,000. The California T -- 'T' standing for turbo -- is the first Ferrari road vehicle to be engineered with a turbocharger since the legendary F40 in 1987. The California is an integral part of Ferrari's business selling some 10,000 units since it was introduced in 2008 – and bringing new people  to the brand.  Ferrari Australasia president and CEO Herbert Appleroth says a staggering 70 per cent of all California owners are first-time Ferrari buyers, they travel 30 per cent further than owners of other Ferrari models and used their vehicles 50 per cent more often, making the California a true 'everyday' Ferrari.The California T arrives with a new high revving 3.9 litre V8 twin-turbo charged engine that produces an impressive 70HP more than it's naturally aspirated predecessor and generates a staggering 50 percent more torque.   Maximum power output is now 412kW at 7500rpm and produces 755Nm at 4750rpm. Maximum speed has increased by 6km/h to 316km/h thanks to the new twin-scroll turbo arrangement, while 0-100 km/h arrives in 3.6 seconds, a reduction of 0.2 and 0-200 in 11.2, a reduction of 2.1 seconds, scintillating performance from the Italian open top grand tourer.  The exterior has truly come of age with a sporty – but still elegant --  aerodynamic flair that salutes the depth of the company's heritage by incorporating past cues like flanks inspired by the 250 Testa Rossa. Working with Pininfarina, the Ferrari Styling Centre has created a sophisticated style that gives the 'Every Day' California T, an authentic Ferrari Grand Tourer look.New 19" starburst designed wheels hide the carbon-ceramic brakes which now feature a upgraded pad that's designed to work in all conditions, resulting in reduced braking distances from 100 km/h – 0 in 34 metres. There are only two features carried over from the previous model, the retractable hard top roof that opens and closes in 14 seconds, and the chassis with its 47:53 front/rear weight distribution. Spring stiffness has been increased by 11% to reduce body roll and pitch with a steering rack that is now 10% quicker and offers more direct turn in giving the California T true sports car agility.The 2 +2 interior has received subtle upgrades that make the California T more ergonomic and comfortable for the driver and passengers.   The dash looks to be more compact and is slightly lower to aid visibility, larger and wider front seats with integrated headrests add appeal to the growing and diverse list of buyers.Interior style and materials have also received a fresh update with the launch version showing off a well-appointed black and tan two-tone leather combo that looked stunning under the lights.  Ferrari boasts they have 15 million different colour combinations to suit all tastes including two new colours designed especially for the California T, California (Red) and California (Blue).Also featured was a new 458 styled steering wheel that incorporates wheel mounted controls with larger gear selector paddles that are attached closer to the wheel.  The Manettino (Ferrari's traction and stability control system) has three functions, Sport, Comfort and Electronic Stability Control Off which add to the dynamic and sporty nature of the car when such a road calls for it.Due to the significant increase in torque from the twin-turbo V8, Ferrari's 'F1-Trac' electronic stability system has now been integrated into the California T to enable better handling and traction especially out of fast corners. The seven-speed F1 dual clutch transmission features longer gear ratios that delivers faster longitudinal acceleration and assists to reduce fuel consumption by 15 percent.  With right hand drive versions still being built in Italy, no test drives were on offer with only the left hand drive model unveiled at the launch.Frist published at MyDrive: VIDEO | Ferrari California T – Australia’s Official PreviewFerrari California TPrice: from $409,880Engine: 3.8L twin scroll turbo 412kW/755Nm0-100km/h: 3.6 secondsTop speed: 316 km/hTransmission: dual clutch 7-speed automatic

The biggest Ferrari show on earth will descend on Sydney from the 11-13 of April and will turn the entire town red. Sydney Motorsport Park at Eastern Creek, 24kms west of Sydney, will host Ferrari Racing Days, the largest gathering of road and track Ferraris to ever converge on a single location in Australia.The three day event will showcase the best that Ferrari has to offer while highlighting the most powerful brand in the world. Ferrari Racing Days will put on a show like no other manufacturer before it.You can expect to see close racing from the Ferrari 458 Asia Pacific Challenge series and watch on as the Ferrari Corse F1 and Clienti XX take to the track in their finely tuned track cars that leave nothing to the imagination in performance and sound.There will be plenty of action both on and off the track with streets of hospitality tents as guests indulge in the luxury and opulence that Ferrari clients and fans have come to expect. Ferrari Racing Days has a short but successful history traveling to Brazil, Italy, Malaysia, United Kingdom, United States and now, Australia.The event has created a logistics nightmare for the organisers as they bring together race cars and crew as they fly into Sydney from all parts of the globe. Set to arrive this week are sixty shipping containers full of equipment and cars including some 300 Ferrari race engineers to prepare the field of road and track Ferraris.“Ferrari Racing Days is an event never seen before in Australia, a focus on Ferrari’s road and race heritage converging in one place to give the fans, drivers and owners the opportunity to engage with each other and the brand like never before” said Herbert Appleroth, Ferrari Australasian President and CEO.Ferrari Racing Days highlights• Ferrari F1 race car and Pit Demonstration to highlight the inner workings of their F1 team.• The FXX and 599XX Ferrari Clienti program, which includes six cars of each technical program, driven by Ferrari’s most privileged and wealthiest clients.• An official round of the Ferrari 458 Asia Pacific Challenge series, 30 Ferrari Challenge EVO race cars battling it out for Australian line honours• Ferrari’s new hypercar, La Ferrari including the Ferrari Enzo, F50, F40 and the 288 GTO.• Ferrari Pre-Owned and Ferrari Approved Warranty Vehicle Display.• Ferrari showroom, Ferrari 458 Speciale, FF, F12 Berlinetta, 458 Taylor Made Spider including Ferrari’s customisation program, Atelier.A cavalcade of up to 200 Ferraris will converge on Sydney from several locations around Australia and together they will drive across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the welcome party at the Sydney Opera House and then they will be on display at Ferrari Racing Days.First published at MyDrive: VIDEO |Ferrari Racing Days – The Biggest Ferrari show on Earth  

Swedish driver Robert Dahlgren will partner rising Kiwi star Scott McLaughlin in the new factory-backed Volvo Polestar Racing outfit in the 2014 V8 Supercar Championship.The 34-year old Swede arrives with several years of Volvo S60 Polestar racing experience and road car development, most recently finishing a hard-fought and credible third place in the 2013 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship for Volvo Polestar Racing.“V8Supercars is one of the toughest in the world,” Dahlgren commented, referring to his first experience in 2006 of seeing the series in Darwin. Dahlgren was obviously impressed as he pursued a full time seat in Australia’s elite motorsport category.Dahlgren will need to rely on his previous Volvo racing experience as the V8Supercar rookie looks down the barrel of his biggest motorsport challenge to date.“The car I’m used to racing is a bit different, still a Volvo S60 Polestar but … is a DTM .  This V8Supercar is completely different and I have to learn a lot of new things…such as sitting on the right side of the cockpit,” Dahlgren says.The 2014 V8 Supercars Championship will mark 27 years since Volvo last raced in the then-Australian Touring Car Championship. The Volvo Polestar V8 Supercar team will enter the category a year after the introduction of the Car of The Future control chassis formula, and will join segment stalwarts Holden and Ford along with the Nissan and AMG efforts that entered the series in 2013.Volvo’s entry to the sport has been aided by pairing with the formerly Holden-aligned Gary Rogers Motorsport, where Dahlgren replaces Frenchman Alexandre Premat who drove for the team in the 2012 and 2013 championships.Progress and testing for the Volvo Polestar Racing S60 and its Volvo B8444S production-based V8 engine have been heavily guarded, although team principal Garry Rogers admits: “at this stage we are looking fair,  but I think we can improve from fair to very good, very soon!”.The Volvo racers will make their first public appearance on February 15 at the initial 2014 V8 Supercar test day at Sydney Motorsport Park. This will give the teams a mere 12 days to iron out any issues before the 2014 V8 Supercar Championship kicks off in Adelaide with the Clipsal 500 on March 2nd.First published at MyDrive: Volvo Polestar Racing V8 Supercar driver lineup confirmed