There is a small violin playing for me somewhere amongst an ocean of epic first-world problems. My first-world problem? That being the unfulfilled desire to be a competitive racing driver. Any car or driving enthusiast would feel that relentless craving somewhere deep inside – the thought of ‘what if?’...
The CarAdvice Melbourne office has just had not one, but two 2019 Suzuki Jimnys pass through its garage – one auto, one manual. As unlikely as it seems, this tiny little shipping crate on wheels is shaping up to be one of 2019s hottest new releases. Every time we mention it on the site or on social media it attracts a swarm of comments and reactions...
Remember the funky Toyota Sera? No? Unsurprising, really, as the sporty little coupe was built exclusively for the Japanese market, with a total of 15,941 cars produced from 1990-96. Of those, 15,852 cars were registered in Japan, emphasising its local market credentials. The 2+2 seater was powered by Toyota’s 1...
When you think Lexus, you think old man’s car. Well, that’s all changing… and in a big way. Lexus has gone to town on dropping that image with sharp styling, stacks of luxury and the option to ‘sportify’ your car with an F-Sport package. Enter stage left the Lexus ES300h. I hopped into the car thinking it was a Toyota Camry with some fancy leather and a stack of features...
I spent a bit of time with the all-new 2019 Ford Focus ST-Line over the Christmas break, and one of the biggest tests I put the Blue Oval's latest hatchback through was a 570km round trip from Melbourne to Mulwala on the New South Wales border...
Part 2: The Return of the Wild Cat (1980–2010) By 1980, Jaguar was a well-known British luxury carmaker with an illustrious past, yet at the same time the company was struggling financially while quality issues – due to the troubled British Leyland ownership of the past decade and the subsequent nationalisation – deprived the company of funds...
It would be fair to say that the media do not portray driving on the sand very well at all. In the quest for that perfect image, tyres spinning and sand flicking up in a cool-looking wave, we are probably more often than not responsible for many of the bad habits first-timers driving on the sand fall prey to. An exciting shot does not equal good driving in a lot of cases...
While the CarAdvice office shuts down (mostly) over the Christmas break, those few weeks are a great opportunity to thoroughly road test cars. With a longer loan period and the inevitable road trips planned, you start to really live with a car and pile on kays in all types of conditions. I count myself pretty lucky in that I’ve been able add almost 2000 kilometres to the odometer of a 2019 Audi Q8...
Legendary British marque, Jaguar, is known around the world for blending sportiness with luxury and style in a unique manner. From the motorsport triumphs and the iconic E-Type of the past, to the technological advancement of the all-electric I-Pace today, the “leaping cat” continues to offer driving pleasure in a compelling package...
In this week’s design review we look back on a premium MPV concept from Citroën. Unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the C-Airlounge Concept was not just another design study, but a different take on the executive car segment. The concept was designed under the guidance of Jean-Pierre Ploué, who led Citroën’s design studio from 1999-2009 before assuming his current role as Groupe PSA Head of Design...
I have a fondness for French cars. There, I’ve said it. My infatuation probably stems from the Citroen 2CV my mum owned back in the late 1960s. Yes, it was slow. No, it wasn’t comfortable and yes, it ended its all too short life on its side (with me inside). But I loved that car. I loved its quirky styling, it’s pale blue paint, and the black canvas roof that folded back like an old sardine tin...
Part 2: The Return of the Raging Bull (1981 – present) At the dawn of the 1980s, Lamborghini was an established supercar manufacturer thanks to iconic models like the Miura and the Countach, however financial difficulties had dragged the Italian company into receivership status...
Like most young German engineering students, Burkard Bovensiepen was into cars and while he was working for his family’s typewriter business, Alpina, all he could think about was making his car go faster. The Munich-based student noticed the amount of empty space in the engine bay of his BMW 1500 at the same time as he realised it needed more power...
At the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda premiered the HSC (Honda Sports Concept), a prototype that looked like a suitable replacement for the ageing NSX which was in its last years of production. Thanks to its carbon-fibre body built on an aluminium chassis, the HSC weighed in at a svelte 1150kg. Power came from a 3...
When Santa obliged an eight-year old’s request for a 26-inch mountain bike for Christmas, I knew the Ford Everest would fit my holiday vehicle needs nigh on perfectly. Why? Firstly, I’d need inherent cruising comfort, decent diesel economy and huge cargo space because dad and son are separated by a 800-odd-kay slog between Sydney and Bendigo and buggered if I’m going to keep pulling the front wheel off junior’s pride and joy once I (eventually) get to regional Victoria...
For more than 50 years, Lamborghini has been designing and building exciting vehicles that trigger all of our senses. Outrageous looks, spectacular sound, and astonishing performance have come to define the raging bull from Sant'Agata. The company that invented the modern supercar, has one of the most recognisable names in the automotive industry, yet only a few people know its exciting and often chequered history...
Double demerit points, largely desolate roads and barely any traffic leave me wanting one thing over the Christmas break – a commercial vehicle that isn't likely to encourage me to get into any trouble. The CarAdvice Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series wasn't quite ready to go from its first round of mods and with the requirement that I lug my huge 80-litre Engel fridge/freezer around over the break, the 2018 Hyundai iLoad presented itself as the perfect solution...
Florence, Alabama is probably the last place on Earth I expected to see, let alone drive, a bespoke Porsche 911 built by Singer Vehicle Design out of Sun Valley in Southern California. That’s no slight on Alabama, by the way, as there’s plenty of serious car money in the deep south – but trucks (F-150 Raptors and the like) are more sought after in these parts...
Australia is indeed a lucky country. For the second consecutive year, one of the oldest motorsport events in the world, Targa Florio, has left Sicily in Italy, and touched down in Victoria. There is no other event like it in Australia, and it has been designed to duplicate exactly how the 102-year old event is run in Italy...
This is an unashamed love letter. From the moment I first laid eyes on the Alpine A110, I was smitten. It was December 2017 and I was in France for the international launch of the reborn Alpine brand. My first glimpse of it in the metal evinced all kinds of physiological reactions. Weak-kneed, sweaty-palmed and heart racing, it was like the moment you know you fell in love for the first time...
