Car News

Australian buyers will be forced to wait until next year for the Land Rover Defender 90 short-wheelbase, with delays also cited for the local introduction of all diesel-powered Defenders. The British brand says the arrival of the Land Rover Defender 90 short wheelbase has been pushed back due to delays caused by COVID-19 related complications in the company's new production facility in Nitra, Slovakia.

Tesla boss Elon Musk has slammed German authorities who last month banned the company from using the term “autopilot” when adverting its autonomous driving technology. The outspoken boss of the electric-car start-up said it was “idiotic” for people to be upset with the autopilot name, because aircraft still require pilot control and it was never Tesla’s intention for drivers to rely solely on the technology.

Mazda Australia is lobbying Japan to introduce a turbocharged hot hatch version of the new Mazda 3. The Japanese car maker has been without a hot hatch locally since the Mazda 3 MPS was dropped after two generations were sold from 2006 to 2012. The previous Mazda3 MPS models were powered by a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder (190kW/380Nm) matched to a six-speed manual sending power to the front wheels.

A limited-edition Subaru WRX Club Spec – based on the current generation model – has been revealed, with the manufacturer’s Australian distributor announcing 150 cars will be available nationwide. As with the standard WRX, the vehicle is powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged "boxer" engine producing 197kW and 350Nm.

Production of the current Subaru BRZ looks set to wrap up. A memo posted to the brand’s Japanese website said that any new orders for the car could only be satisfied by remaining dealer stock, and heavily implied that production of the current model was ending. A spokesperson for the brand's Australia division told CarAdvice they were currently "awaiting clarification from Subaru in Japan regarding production." This story will be updated when further information becomes available.