Articles by Jonah Wigley

The new concept from Audi had people talking at the Detroit Motor Show, as photographers and tyre kickers fought for any available space to gawk at the V12 diesel beast, even an hour after the reveal.Sprinting from 0-100km/h at a tight 4.2 seconds the R8, being closely related to the R10, will surely be thrown into the supercar category in no time flat.Many in the industry say that the noise these high end Audis are putting out at the moment is the best in the game, and the R8 doesn’t disappoint, using every one of its 500 horses to put the rest to shame. 

 

Nissan claim that the GTR is a multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of “an ultimate supercar for anyone, anytime, anywhere.”The all new Premium Midship platform comes into play for the first time, enabling the use of the world’s first independent rear-axle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system.The carbon fibre and aluminium construction houses a 3.8 litre twin turbo V6 producing a whopping 480 horsepower and 430 foot pounds of torque. The engine runs with a GR6 sequential dual clutch rear transaxle, with paddle shifting, rolls 20 inch wheels, and stops with big Brembo brakes.Up close, the GTR is one impressive machine with an aggressive, muscular stance.It will be on sale in the U.S. in June. 

This year the North American International Auto Show did not disappoint with a huge range of cars – some mildly sensible, some downright ridiculous.One of the more ludicrous offerings was Suzukis’ X-HEAD. Looking more like a Tonka truck than a serious off roader, the X-HEAD is said to have more capability than a mere toy. It combines the off road readiness of the Suzuki Jimny and Grand Vitara with the load-carrying capacity of the Suzuki APV van from Japan.Lexus’ LF-A Roadster is one concept not to be chuckled at however. The engineers and designers at Lexus continue to use their groundbreaking LF-A concept as a medium for expressing their ideas about what a high-performance sporting vehicle not only can be but should be. A very sleek road machine.Sit back and enjoy this image gallery from day 1 of the 2008 Detroit Motor Show to see into the future of the motoring world.

They were always at least twenty years old, picked up cheap from a barely legal auction house out the back of nowhere. For some reason, and I cringe about this now, I yearned to blend in – to be average. But dad would insist that new cars were a waste of money, and he would speak at length about the amazing deals he had snagged over the years. Now, I think he had a point.I kick myself for worrying so much about what other people thought, to the point where it angers me when I see people acting in a similar fashion today. There you go; cars have taught me a life lesson. But back to the point of my story. I am now able to see what dad saw in those old cars.It’s a common take on new cars these days isn’t it? You can’t work on them anymore because the engines are too hard to get to, or you might bugger something in the electrics and short the computer. Who knows what’s going on in there? It’s all a bit of a mystery to me. Dad had the right idea though. He knew that if he bought an old car, he’d know exactly where everything was if something went wrong – and that wasn’t often.Our cars were always well made; the doors clunked, they weren’t necessarily flash but they had character. In no particular order, we had an ex-cab - a 1978 XC Falcon we named ‘207’ with three quarters of a million kilometres on the clock. We had a golden Holden Premier station wagon with an electric tail gate window, thanks very much. For a family of four, our Moke Californian with the dud distributor wasn’t especially practical, but it was fun for the five or six months we could handle it. And then there was the VH Valiant Ute; a tough nut and a cool looking car but again, not hugely practical.When I look back and remember the anxious moments when friends would come round and we’d head off somewhere in one of the beasts, first I give myself a clip round the ears, then with a pang of regret I wish I had just enjoyed the fact that I was riding in vehicles that will be thought of fondly long after average, normal, boring cars have come and gone. 

I’m always sceptical about these sorts of things. Don’t get me wrong, I hope it succeeds, but there have been so many instances of popular television shows ruined by second-rate copies, that I fear my cynicism may be justified.Think about it, when was the last time you were at a party and someone said “geez did you see that new Seinfeld copy, it’s so much better than the original!”, or “the American version of the Office kills the English one!”. You simply don’t hear it, and if you do, you realise as the party rolls on, that the person who uttered the ludicrous claims is clearly insane.The TV shows mentioned have become immensely successful because of the people who star in them. The original, English version of Top Gear is exactly the same. With an irreverent, humorous look at motoring world, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have become such a polished unit, that they now command an audience of over 350 million worldwide. A staggering figure considering the vehicle for their talents is (ahem) the vehicle.It’s hard to fathom anything coming close to matching its popularity. And I think this is where most television producers go wrong. I don’t think we should ever try to make an exact copy of a successful TV show.But there is nothing wrong with adapting a successful framework and adding local features and personalities. Hopefully this is what happens with Australia’s Top Gear. Considering there is a distinct lack of watchable car programs here these days, I’m sure it shouldn’t be too difficult to make this one work.

Designed in Germany, the i30’s Euro styling demonstrates that with a little bit of effort and imagination, a company with a reputation for being somewhat characterless, can produce a gem. The rear section looked remarkably like a one series BMW, whilst strong lines and a longer, wider stance enhance that European hatch look and feel. The top spec SR sport model we tested looked the part with 17 inch alloys, side skirts and a rear spoiler. Shutting the door delivered a satisfying ‘clunk’ – a welcome change to the ‘slap’ we have become accustomed to with the Excel or the Getz. The interior was equally as impressive with a simple, intuitive dash combining quality plastics with a pleasant textured finish. Gen-Y’ers will go doof doof crazy with an iPod connection neatly hidden in the centre console, controllable via the stereo interface – although we didn’t quite work out how to search for songs properly. Racing sports alloy pedals, a six stacker CD player and leather and cloth seats were extras on the SR only. Objects in the in the side mirrors were a hell of a lot closer than they appeared, with the big convex mirrors causing a few near misses. The petrol versions of the base model SX, the SLX and the sporty SR carry 2 litre engines producing 105kW and 186Nm of torque. We found that even the SR left us wanting more punch cruising at low revs, but we were ok with it, considering it is a small car. The improved suspension produced spot on ride and handling. The 1.6 litre diesel engines in the SX and the SLX will give you 85kW with an impressive 255Nm of torque for extra power right down low. ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution is standard across the range and you have the choice to add the Protecz enhanced safety pack for addition passive safety features, including side and curtain airbags. For a car that was essentially produced as the hatchback version of the Elantra, the i30 has dug its heels in and demanded be recognised in its own right. A demand likely to met, considering the effort made by Hyundai to winch itself out of a rut of uninspired production.  

Concerned about the environmental impact of your car? Carsguide will help you save money, save fuel and save the planet. Hybrid cars, diesel, LPG, ethanol, electric, hydrogen and lots of practical advice on reducing the impact of the car you already own.

With over five and a half thousand entries, the inaugural carsguide Car of the Year Readers Choice Awards has been a rousing success.

When I was passed the flick-knife key from the garage manager at Holden, a wave of adrenalin washed over me and stayed sloshing in the pit of my stomach as I made my way across the warehouse to Commodore’s high performance model, the SS-V. It’s not often that you get to drive the hero car in the Commodore fleet, Holden’s $480 million engineering investment, a major part of Australia’s first $1 billion car program. I am not a Commodore enthusiast but I’ve been watching the V8 Supercars this year with interest and thought I’d better see what all the fuss is about.The new shape isn’t as aggressive as in the past. Rather, the squarer, more refined package suggests a maturer design approach. Holden have employed a subtler, smarter design process, enabling the new Commodore to step up and be counted next to the world’s best-designed brands. However, subtle design or not, the new-look quad exhausts, 19 inch wheels and prominently flared wheel arches still make this car look tough.Climbing in and adjusting the seat and mirrors, I’m unsure about the garish two-tone dash but I let it slide because it seems so Commodore, (and with a pang of patriotism) so damned Oz. The luminous red dials highlight the sporty feel, as does the perforated leather trim – also two-tone. The rest of the interior conveys a pleasant simplicity. Leather steering wheel and gear selector, colour-coded instruments and dual-zone climate control are unique to the SS-V. Multifunction steering wheel, driver display and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) incorporating: Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), Traction Control System (TCS) are standard across the VE range, as is cruise control and power… well… everything.Hearing a throaty V8 gurgle is always a joy and the SS-V didn’t disappoint; it is a whopping 270kW, 6.0 litre, Generation 4, alloy V8 engine, after all.On the road, I took the SS-V on the freeway, onto tight side streets, gave it heaps on long, windy stretches and wound it out up lengths of steep road. Compared to its predecessor, the SS-V is a stiffer, stronger and a better handling car for its size.. It is comfortable when cruising, and in the cabin there is less noise from the road, engine and wind than before.There are no punches pulled – with 530nM of torque at about 4500rpm, you get the power you want, when you want it.You will never be in a position to wish for more power in the SS-V. In fact, a more common reaction might be, “Please take this machine away from me quickly or I am likely to do something very stupid”. This Commodore is awesome in the right hands, and potentially dangerous in the wrong ones. With that performance at your disposal, it becomes very tempting to break the law, and obviously that isn’t an option.To get the most out of this beast, you have to take it to a fully supervised track on the weekend – and that equals one of two precious free days, gone. No, when I buy a car, I want to drive it all the time, thanks. Sure, it’s very comfortable, it looks great inside and out and handles beautifully, but knowing that I will only ever be allowed to use a fraction of all that yummy, scary power under the bonnet, is just too much of a tease. Sigh.But to hell with all that! This car is just too cool to pass up, and priced at least 20k less than its Euro V8 competitors, it’s a steal. In the immortal words of Elliott in ‘E.T’, “..I’m keeping him”.