Chevrolet C30 Reviews

The ZR1 has stolen the crown as the most powerful-ever American production V8 in history. 

Walkinshaw has announced its plans to deliver a “state of the art” 100,000 square metre production, engineering and office facility in Dandenong by the end of 2025. 

Chevrolet's Silverado 2500 HD is in a full-size pick-up battle with Ford's F-150 and the RAM 2500. We know it's big and powerful but how does it cope with a typical working load? And what about navigating day-to-day city traffic? Specialist contributor Mark Oastler puts this heavy hauler through its paces to answer these questions and a whole lot more.

Just like passenger cars and SUVs, the world of utes and pick-ups is set for an electric transformation in the coming decade. Medium and heavy-duty trucks and even semis are also set to be a part of this change, with big-name brands such as Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt and Volvo joining Tesla in the electric prime mover market.

Australian MPs at the state and local level have delivered a shocking rebuke to owners of American jumbo trucks, with one councillor describing some owners as "idiots", and a state MP demanding to see "less on our roads".

Luxury sports cars are something of a tautology. By their nature sports cars are a luxury item, as the primary purpose of such cars is driving enjoyment, which is very much a luxury.At least, that’s one way to look at it. But what if we take a different view and assess it in the prism of modern luxury cars?In simple terms, luxury sports car brands are the same as you’d think of when you think of prestige cars and exotic sports cars. So, think of popular brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz and more high-end sports cars from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche.The list of luxury sports cars that are common in Australia is filled with familiar names, as sports cars tend to sell in less volume and therefore only the most popular models survive. Some familiar names include the BMW 4 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe and Porsche 911.There are other famous names, such as the Ford Mustang and Toyota Supra, but these don’t meet the widely accepted view of what a luxury car is, which is a vehicle that stands out in terms of either comfort or performance.Below you’ll find a rundown of the best luxury sports cars in Australia defined by 2023 sales across the brands and models that meet the criteria of a premium vehicle.While the 2 Series is a broad range, it meets the standards most people would expect from a luxury vehicle. And while it makes the list based on a strong sales year it would also headline a list of affordable luxury sports cars, as it’s the only one on the list in the under $80,000 price segment in the industry's VFacts registration data set.The 2 Series is available as a genuine two-door coupe or four-door Gran Coupe, but the headline attraction is unquestionably the M2.This twin-turbo six-cylinder makes 338kW/550Nm and sends all that power to the rear wheels for a very dynamic driving experience.There’s a variety of 4 Series models to choose from, with the two-door coupe, convertible, four-door Gran Coupe and even the electric i4. BMW has long offered a coupe version of its 3 Series small sedan but made the decision in 2013 to separate the two to create a more distinct sports model.The 4 Series Coupe is the most overtly sporty member of the range, in particular the M4 hero model. The M4 Coupe has long been considered a benchmark for luxury sports cars (dating back to when it was still badged as an M3), especially at what is considered the more affordable end of the market. In the same way BMW offers a sedan and coupe version of its 3 Series so Mercedes does with the C-Class. The C-Class Coupe and Convertible are among the most popular luxury sports cars in Australia and the range is headlined by the muscular AMG C63.Once famous for its growling V8 engines, the latest C63 features a downsized turbocharged four-cylinder engine but it's still a potent beast. The four-cylinder C63 still makes an impressive 350kW power and a staggering 1020Nm of torque, ensuring this is a true luxury sports car in every way.When people think of fancy sports cars chances are the 911 will be the first model that springs to mind. Porsche arguably set the benchmark for luxury sports cars when it launched the first 911 way back in 1964. Since then it has only become more luxurious and sporty with each new generation.The reason it has become so iconic is its blend of comfort and practicality whilst remaining an incredibly capable and dynamic performance vehicle. These days the 911 range includes more than 20 variants so you can choose the level of either luxury or sporty bias depending on your preference and budget.While Chevrolet may not sound like the most obvious luxury brand, the latest generation Corvette certainly fits the bill of a classy sports car. This eighth generation ‘Vette shifted the American brand into a direct fight against the established European premium players like Porsche and Ferrari with its new mid-engine layout and more premium design.The C8 Stingray feels like a true luxury sports car whenever you drive it, blending everyday usability and sharp handling into a single package. It’s also now priced like a luxury car starting at close to $200K, but when compared to its European rivals it makes a strong value argument.It probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that there's a second Porsche on this list, as the 718 Cayman bridges the gap between luxury sports cars like the BMW and Mercedes to the more expensive 911.But that doesn't mean the Cayman isn't a great luxury sports car on its own merits. The more compact model offers its own unique driving experience compared to its bigger sibling, especially since it switched to its four-cylinder turbocharged engine when the 718 generation was introduced.Still, like the 911, Porsche offers a wide variety of Boxster variants to suit all (luxury level) tastes and budgets.

The battle for the title of Australia's favourite jumbo truck is heating up, with just two sales separating the Chevrolet Silverado and the Ram 1500 in May.

It’s funny, I always thought I had the controversial automotive topics down pat.

The influx of full-size utes from the USA has been a controversial development, with WWII American GI-style sentiment along the lines of ‘over-sized, over-priced and over-here’ summing up the negative commentary.

People who enjoy the taste and sensation of dust in their teeth no doubt get a lot of joy out of tearing over wild terrain in their ATV or UTV, but nothing quite beats the combination of convenience, capability and toughness that you get from a full-sized off-road 4x4. So far, however, if you want a vehicle like this but are determined to save the planet at the same time by choosing an electric powertrain, your options are somewhat limited, at least in Australia. But that will change.There are certain four-wheel-drive (4WD) snobs who’d liken driving an electric 4WD to piloting a battery-operated, remote-controlled Traxxas car, but the prejudice is uncalled for: Electric Vehicles (EVs) have the grunt and torque to match any internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicle, and the technology in them is only getting better. All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) is similar to 4WD in that power can be used for both the front and rear wheels for maximum traction, but 4WD is the only one of the two options that has serious off-road capabilities - in this article, we’ll be focusing solely on the latter. Currently if you want an electric 4WD in Australia, your options are quite limited. First, it’s important to know that currently there are two main contenders when it comes to the 4WD electric car: conversions, which are petrol or diesel vehicles that have been modified to EVs thanks to a conversion kit, and ground-up electric 4WD vehicles that are designed as EVs from the get-go. At the moment conversions are only available for commercial use on large private grounds, and not the consumer market. Ground-up 4WD EVs are only for sale from specialist start-ups rather than established car manufacturers at this stage, but this will likely change in the not-too-distant future. With the popularity of EVs set to increase drastically over the coming years, it will only be a matter of time before mainstream car brands are mass-producing electric 4WD vehicles. And indeed, one of the most famous in this field, Hummer, is not far off doing so.Until that time comes, here’s what’s available, globally, and what’s eventually coming to a showroom near you. GMC are throwing down the gauntlet and giving petrol and diesel-powered V8 4x4s a serious run for their money with a Hummer EV pick-up truck with a driving range of more than 560km from a 200kWh battery and an engine that delivers a whopping 2033Nm of torque. Read that again - two Newton kilometres of torque - it should be able to tow any reasonably sized planet. Excellently, the Hummer EV has a ‘crab mode’ that allows it to drive diagonally, and an off-road 'extract mode' can raise the air suspension approximately 15cm, giving the armoured undercarriage extra clearance. It went on sale in the US in 2022 and is currently offered in both pick up and SUV forms - but currently no plans have been announced to release either model in Australia. ​Yep, we know the BYD ute will launch before the end of 2024 with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain the brand dubs DM-i (for dual-motor intelligence), sporting electric motors on both axles supported by a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. A similar system employed in BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao 5 SUV delivers a whopping 500kW/750Nm.However, this will just be the beginning for the BYD ute, with a fully electric version said to be roughly 12 months behind the plug-in. It has yet to be seen, even overseas, but if it can deliver on the same value and performance which other BYD models have been able to, expect it to be a hit.Toyota might be slow to the EV game, but expect it to make a statement when it finally arrives. While it may be a while off before we see a fully electric equivalent to the best-selling diesel HiLux, the EPU concept is perhaps a first look at what we can expect.To be clear, the EPU is about half a size down from the HiLux, measuring 5070mm long, and rather than a ladder chassis, it will ride on a battery electric platform more akin to a standard car platform. A production version isn’t expected until 2026, and it is unclear whether the EPU will be only for left-hand drive markets, where smaller pick-ups like the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick sell in higher volumes.It may look like something out of a science fiction film, but the Tesla Cybertruck has serious power and off-road capability: 547km range, 4990kg towing capacity, a tray of nearly two metres and over 400mm ground clearance. It may or may not make it to Australian shores, but expect it to turn some serious heads if it ever does arrive.We were one of the first Aussie outlets to get a chance to review it overseas, check our story out here.US American electric car start-up Rivian has stepped up to the plate to take on Tesla with two off-road EVs with 4WD capability: the R1T ute and the R1S wagon. Both Ford and Amazon have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the company, which eventually has plans to sell the R1T and the R1S in Australia. The most notable thing is that the R1T will feature Individual Wheel Drive (IWD), essentially assigning a motor to each wheel, which could make it the most capable off-roader to ever hit the market. Canoo is a US-based start up which specialises in light commercial-style vehicles, and plans to launch a ‘lifestyle vehicle’, delivery van, and of course a pick-up truck.While Canoo has been beset with production delays and issues since its inception in 2017 its range of funky but rugged looking vehicles lean fully into the idea of building a van or a ute around a skateboard chassis underneath, making for a particularly cool design formula, which is also very modular.The brand is taking pre-orders in the US at the moment, promising the choice of AWD or RWD, over 370kW of power, at least 320km of driving range and is targeting over 800kg of payload. Time will tell if it can escape its troubled start-up phase, but the brand is already looking to produce right-hand drive versions of its vehicles for use by the USPS.If Bob Dylan going electric back in the ’60s caused controversy, wait till you see what happens now that Ford has created an all-electric version of its iconic F-150 model. Although unlikely to make it to Australia, at least for the time being, the F-150 Lightning arrived in the US in 2022 with two battery options, Standard and Extended Range, with the latter offering 483km of range and the former 370km.In a glimmer of hope for those who would accept nothing else as an electric truck, the F150 Lightning has been spotted in Australia having been converted to right-hand drive by a third-party outfit AusEV.The Silverado EV is an entirely new proposition when compared to the combustion version currently converted to right-hand drive here in Australia.Instead it sits on GM’s new Ultium EV platform which underpins other new fully electric vehicles in its range. Big batteries are matched by long driving ranges (644km+) and powerful electric motors, which combined can produce up to 495kW/1058Nm. It also sports a payload of 505kg and can tow over 3500kg.Unfortunately it seems, despite a renewed push back into Australia with its Cadillac premium arm, General Motors is as yet uninterested in bringing the Silverado EV to Australia as a factory-backed option.With laws making the sale of ICE vehicles illegal in the near-future in some countries as well as Australia’s government finally making moves on emissions, expect everyone from Mitsubishi to Land Rover to have electric 4x4s on the market in the coming years.