The Oldest, Newest Cars

Land Rovers stopped making the Defender earlier this year, bringing an end to over 60 years of continuous production. I don't think the mantra of if it ain't broke don't fix it has never been more applicable in the car world. However, with the Defender now shuffling off to collect its pension here are some other not so new cars that manufacturers really should have replaced by now.

Nissan Patrol Y61

Technically now out of production Nissan were still screwing them together just a couple of weeks ago, meaning there are still plenty in the dealerships. In production since 1998 the Y61 Patrol rules off road, but on road there are many newer, better choices.

Mitsubishi Pajero and Lancer

Struggling Mitsubishi probably isn't in a financial place to go replacing cars right now, but to get competitive again they should probably try. Apart from some new headlights and an interior refresh the big Pajero hasn't changed since 1999. While in the ever changing small sedan/hatch market the 2007 Lancer really doesn't cut the mustard any more.

Mercedes Benz G-Glass

Stuttgart's answer to the Defender since 1979. It is unquestionably cool but also agricultural, old and wets itself whenever it sees a corner. Although Merc will still charge you over $150,000 for a new one, go figure.

Morgan Classic

Classic by name classic by nature. If you think it looks like its straight out of 1950 you'd be right because it is. With a chassis made of Ash wood its amazing the Morgan still passes safety standards. Definitely one for the enthusiastic chap with a bulging bank account, prices start at $95,000.

Suzuki Jimny

It's small, 4x4 and looks alarmingly unstable. It has been on the market since 1998 and as competent off road as it is surely Suzuki could bash out a funky looking newer one?  

Toyota LandCruiser 70

Much like the G-Class this is Japan's closest thing to a Defender. With a ladder chassis and zero on road dynamics it is arguably the workhorse of rural Australia. On sale in its current form since 1984.

There you have it, a selection of brand new cars you can buy right now that are actually rather long in the tooth.

Top 5: Normal cars with not so normal engines

A sleeper, an otherwise ordinary looking car which has a not so ordinary engine under the bonnet. I love them, especially ones manufacturers actually make themselves, so here are my top 5.

Subaru Forester XT

The Subaru Impreza WRX is an iconic vehicle, love them or hate them you can not argue with their rally conquering heritage and bargain basement AWD performance. The wagon versions are also reasonably practical. But what if you want even more practicality and looks so bland you could lose your car in an empty car park? Not to fear; Subaru also created the Forester and you guessed it, in GT then XT spec you got the Impreza's thumping turbo charged motor. All the pace of an WRX with none of the hooning in yer face body styling, well except for the massive bonnet scoop.

Specs; 2nd Generation Subaru Forester XT
Engine/drive chain: 2.5 litre turbo charged boxer engine, AWD
Kilowatts: 155
Torque: 320Nm
0-100km/h: 6.4secs
Price range: $6000-$20,000

Mercedes Benz S600

Do you want an understated luxury sedan with enough power under your right foot to match that of a ballistic missile? If so can I suggest the Mercedes-Benz S600. A car with a 6 litre V12 up front, a V12 for goodness sake! That's the type of power plant usually reserved for super cars and here's Merc cramming one under the bonnet of a luxury sedan. Also expect much, much luxury.

Specs; Mercedes-Benz W220 S600
Engine/drive chain; 5.8 litre naturally aspirated V12, RWD
Kilowatts: 270
Torque: 530Nm
0-100km/h: 4.6secs
Price range: $25,000-$65,000

Volkswagen Touareg V10

Do you need a car capable of towing a Boeing 747? Or maybe you want your house moved slightly to the left and need something to give it a shove. Well Volkswagen have the answer, the unassuming almost bland Touareg was once available with a twin turbo V10 diesel, which produced a quite frankly silly 750Nm of torque. Emissions laws killed off the mighty diesel after 3 years, but thank the car guy gods it existed in what was an otherwise normal SUV.

Specs: Volkswagen Touareg 7L V10 TDI
Engine/drive chain: 4.9 litre twin turbo V10 diesel, AWD
Kilowatts: 230
Torque: 750NM
0-100km/h: 7.4secs
Price range: $19,000-$45,000

Volkswagen Passat W8

On the subject of bland, have you ever seen a Volkswagen Passat? Don't worry if you haven't, as despite their solid build quality and general good at everything'ness they just don't grab you visually. So really what better car for VW to shoehorn a W8 engine and 4 motion all wheel drive system into. For those unsure what a W8 even is think of it as a two 4 cylinder V-shaped engines welded together, making a W shape with 8 cylinders. Honestly it's a ludicrous idea for an engine and by putting it into the Passat the buying public clearly thought so too, with VW only selling 10,000 globally and a mere handful of those made it down under. As I write this I can't even find one for sale, but they're here somewhere in 2003 28 were registered!

Specs: Volkswagen Passat B5.5 W8
Engine/drive chain: 4.0 litre W8, AWD
Kilowatts: 202
Torque: 370Nm
0-100km/h: 6.8secs
Price range: Educated guess, $8000-$15,000

     

Volvo 850 R

Nothing quite says middle aged dentist's car like a Volvo 850. Volvo clearly thought the same so in 1996 they decided to ramp up the 850's cool factor by way of fitting a 5 cylinder 2.3 litre motor. Featuring a wonderful warble with added turbo whoosh, the R is an unsuspecting performance wagon.

Specs: Volvo 850 R
Engine/drive chain: 2.3 litre 5 cylinder turbo charged, FWD
Kilowatts: 184
Torque: 350Nm
0-100km/h 6.9secs
Price range: $6000-$13000

Top 5: big speed, little money

Did you know that there is one other place outside of Germany's autobahns where you can legally drive your car as fast as you want? That place is right here in Australia, a 276km stretch of the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory (NT) which has had its speed limit lifted since 2014. And this got me thinking, can you buy a car that can crack 250km/h for under $10000? If you fancy a really long road trip here are 5 cars that'll do exactly that in the NT.

Toyota Soarer

Let's start with the car most likely to actually get you to the middle of Australia, the 90's Japanese super coupe with a reputation for never breaking. Available with 3 engines between 1991 and 2000 the Soarer you'll need to track down to break the 250km/h barrier is the 2.5 litre twin turbo straight 6. In standard form it could do the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.9sec before surging onto 260km/h, here's one I found earlier for a bargain $4,800.

Nissan 300ZX

My second choice is another Japanese super coupe, complete with a couple of turbo's, the Nissan 300ZX. Again don't buy the wrong car in your search for speed, the one you need is the V6 twin turbo, The thing was so fast Nissan limited it to 249km/h from the factory although period road tests saw the car top out at 267. However with the limiter removed some reckon the 300 is good for 290km/h plus. Here's a garish yellow one I found in WA for $7,000.

BMW 540i E39

4.4 litres of naturally aspirated V8, that's all the E39 5 series needs to take it to a electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. Remove the limiter and you might see another 10 to 20km/h out of one. Besides the rather ballistic turn of speed though, these cars offer a whole lot more and are staggering value for money nowadays. Released in 1996 the early ones can now be picked up for under $7000 and come with all the bells and whistles you'd expect of German luxury sedan; heated leather pews, cruise control, climate control, some even came with a very 90's car phone and inbuilt TV! Here's a loevly looking face lifted 1999 540i Sport I found for just $8,000.

 

Audi A8 V8 D2

In much the same vain as the BMW above, only larger, Audi's A8 is a no holds bared full on luxury limo. The first gen D2 car is also a bit of a rarity, arriving in the mid 90's just before Audi's popularity started to take off. It's relative unknown existence means prices are very reasonable for a car with a 4.2 litre V8, famous Quattro AWD and self leveling suspension. Again the top speed is electronically limited to the magic 250km/h but the car is capable of more. This long wheel base version, offering back seats passengers the option to fully recline can be had for just $8,500.

   

HSV Clubsport 15th Anniversary

I couldn't write something about an outback Aussie road without including a proper Aussie hero capable of 264km/h could I? I give you the VX Holden Commodore in fettled with HSV form. With a 5.7 litre LS1 V8 up front the Clubsport is a proper muscle car. Straight line speed  and a bellowing bent 8 exhaust note makes it an ideal candidate for a top speed run. They're relatively abundant and cheap too, this ones a bit rough around the edges and can be had for $6,500

A few words of advice before you go out a buy one of these cars though. The stretch of road in question is a 31 hour drive from Sydney and 26 hours from Melbourne, that's a commitment already. Secondly there are no local amenities once your past Alice Springs and importantly no petrol stations, so best bring a Tim Tam and a jerry can. Thirdly seriously consider if your bargain performance car is reliable enough to get there, do 250km/h without exploding and get you home again, these cars are good but some are pushing 20 years old. Lastly the road surface on the Stuart isn't flawless, it dips and undulates so mashing the go faster pedal isn't all you need to do, it will take concentration and skill to vmax your motor up the highway. With all that in mind though it's still hard to disagree that these 5 cars offer some serious oomph for very little dollar. All cars found on carsales.com.au

Mountune package makes fast Fords even faster

I love a good bit of modifying, for a car enthusiast nothing quite beats making your car go faster and look better than everyone else's. Trouble is modifying is largely seen as a young persons past time, once you get older boring stuff like warranties and resale values start to influence your car buying brain and suddenly modifying just seems like a waste of money. However imagine if a car company allowed you to buy a box full of go faster parts direct from them? Not only that, they would fit the parts and still happily cover your car with their warranty. Well Ford Australia are offering exactly that.

 

From the middle of this year, conveniently around the time Ford will stop manufacturing locally, the blue oval is to offer a Mountune upgrade package for both it's Fiesta ST and Focus ST hot hatches in a bid to boost sales of it's already profitable performance car range. These packages sold under the Ford Licensed Accessory Programme will see buyers able to seriously up the performance of their hatch with full factory backing. And don't think Mountune is just some buzz word marketing lingo dreamt up to sell Ford customers a remap, no, Mountune is a bona fide company that's been tuning Fords for 30 years, these upgrade packages are the real deal.

For an extra $2328 and 1 hours labour Fiesta ST buyers get; a new airbox, high performance air filter, a new air feed pipe, engine remap and a Mountune badge on the boot. In power terms this equates to 158kw, that's over 20kw more than standard. A decent return on the initial investment in my book and one that can only make the already epic Fiesta ST that bit more rewarding to drive. Ford Focus ST buyers on the other hand can opt for the $4135 MP275 package which takes 2 hours to fit, this includes a new intercooler, air filter and remap to boost power from 184kw to 202kw. Again an impressive power hike that not only makes the car faster but makes it even more engaging to drive at the limit. The final benefit of the packages is that being a factory option available from any Ford dealer they shouldn't affect the resale/trade in price should you ever have to part ways with your hot hatch. If anything a Mountune package might make your car even more desirable to it's next owner.

So if you buy a fast Ford and are concerned about the disapproving reaction your boring middle aged friends will give the moment you want to make it faster, fear no more. Ford Australia will happily help you modify it and won't kick you to the kerb should anything go wrong. Peace of mind and modifying, two things that rarely go hand in hand.  

       

New Peugeot 308 GTI: 5 things you need to know

The last time a mid size hatchback Peugeot wore a GTI badge in Australia was 2001. That's a long absence from sportiness for a company that used to be one of the major players when it came to the letters G T I. However the wait is now finally over, Peugeot has launched not one but two range topping 308 GTI's, here are the top 5 things you need to know about them.

1. It will only come with a 6 speed manual! Yes, car guys the world over rejoice, much like Fords hot hatches of late Peugeot will not be offering an auto option. So if it's some cushy no clutch, flappy paddle action your after best look elsewhere. Good job Peugeot.

2. Power comes from a tiny 1.6 litre turbo, in an era where downsizing is king Peugeot has been leading the way, this engine has already been doing the business in the RCZ-R coupe since 2014. The 308's 1.6 will come with either 184kw or 200kw.

3. Yes what I said above is true, you can buy a 308 GTI in 2 states of tune, however quite why is unclear. Peugeot says the less powerful GTI 250 is for the daily driver, whereas the GTI 270 is for the enthusiast. Shouldn't everyone who wants a GTI be an enthusiast? Honestly save up that bit more and order the 270, there might only be a difference of 16kw between the 2 cars but when your buying a hot hatch more is always better. GTI 270's also come with a much better specification; you get upgraded brakes, a limited slip diff, 19 inch wheels, the option of garish 2 tone paint and a 0-100km/h time of 6 seconds, that's 0.2 seconds quicker than the 250, doesn't sound like much but it gives you infinite more man points.

4. It looks fast too, but in a subtle Germanic way. That is provided you don't tick the option for, I quote "The Coupe Franche separation-line design exclusive to the 308 GTi 270 contrasting the new, explosive Ultimate Red with Pearlescent Nera Black". Yes leave this option off and what you get is a sophisticated looking hatch that sits 11mm lower than standard on a nice set of wheels with twin pipes out the back and ever so slightly redesigned bumpers. The only obvious clue to it's sportiness being a GTI badge on the boot. The interiors a pretty nice place too, with go faster bucket seats and red detailing letting passengers know this ain't no hum drum 308.

3 Pedals!

   

5. Price, probably the most important thing to tell you about. Well if for some reason you want less power and a slower car $44,990 buys you a GTI 250 (that's the black car in the pics). Save up $49,990 though and you can drive away with the GTI 270, plus on road costs of course.

There we have it, 5 things you need to know about Peugeots welcome return to the land of hot hatches, let's hope it can live up to the hype.

Volvo XC90 D5: The Video Review

Remember way back in January I brought you my review of Volvo's all new XC90? If not here's a link to it so you can familiarise yourself. Well now it is time to give you my video review, filmed after my week with the car ended I can only apologise that it has taken so long to get this uploaded! As you'll see I'm no Steven Spielberg when it comes to films so the editing might be slightly awful, but hopefully it will give you a greater sense of what Volvo's new flagship is like both inside and out.

4 Alternative Budget Hot Hatches

Hot hatches, what's not to love about them? They combine practicality and performance, usually for very little financial outlay. Trouble is some of the worlds best are harder to find than unicorn poo in Australia or depressingly never made it here in the first place, I'm taking about Peugeot 205 GTI's, early Golf GTI's, Renault 5 Turbo's and Ford's XRI range of hatches. So what Aussie alternatives are out there for the budget hot hatch connoisseur? Let me share with you 4 of my favourites.

Ford Laser TX3 Turbo

Based on a Mazda 323 the Laser range was a massive sales success for Ford in Australia over 5 generations. And naturally at the height of the 80's hot hatch war Ford couldn't resist strapping on a Turbo, some all wheel drive hardware and an X badge. Available in a sportier 3 door body style with obligatory rear spoiler, skirts and alloy wheels the TX3 actually has more than a passing resemblance to Ford of Europe's Mk3 Escort. With a turbo charged 117kw 1.8 litre and a kerb weight of just 1180kg the TX3 was good for 0-100km/h in 8.4seconds. The 4 wheel drive also meant the Laser was that little bit more sure footed than it's rivals on the twisty stuff. A truly forgotten hot hatch hero if ever there was one that you can pick up now for less than $3000, a future classic perhaps?

Toyota Corolla GTI

Twin cam's, 16 valves and the engine code 4A-GE, 3 phrases that should raise the heart rate of any die hard car guy. Unfortunately though if you were brought up in the last 20 years the words Toyota Corolla are more likely to put you to sleep than set your heart racing. But imagine a time when all those words were thrown together! What appeared was a Corolla that deservedly wore a GTI badge on its boot. 100kw of naturally aspirated 1.6 litre goodness teamed to a light body and willing chassis saw the early 90's Corolla do a rather good job of being an every day performance car. 0-100km/h took a little under 10 seconds so although it wasn't blistering it had just enough fun factor to distract you from what was at best bland styling, the AE93 Corolla GTI is a rare gem which can be had for as little as $1500 nowadays, if you don't mind fixing one up like the car in the pics.

Holden Barina GSI

Holden's European cousins Opel/Vauxhall thought it was a good idea in the mid 90's to tune the engine they put in they're tiniest car and give it a set of 3 spoke alloys, what they created was the Corsa GSI, a car which thankfully Holden imported and sold here as the Barina. The Barina measures a mere 3.7 meters and has a dry weight of less than 1000kg, these figures are good from a handling point of view and when you slot in a 1.6 litre 16 valve engine which loves to rev, your left with a recipe for the perfect winding road warrior. The lady in the picture is certainly happy with hers.

Suzuki Swift GTI

My last choice makes do with just 1.3 litres and 74kw but it is arguably the most back to basics hot hatch on this list. With a willingness to rev, some period body modifications and a set of bucket seats the Swift GTI really isn't a whole lot more. And the great thing is it doesn't need to be, I've been passenger in a basic Swift (GLX if you want to get technical) which was driven briskly and can honestly say without sounding too clichéd it lives up to the name! A surprisingly balanced car that with a shot of GTI'ness makes it all the better. You can get one for under $3000 and I cant recommend one enough.  

       
Coming from a era when 16 valve's, twin cam's and liberal usage of the letters S and X implied your car was better than everyone else's I hope my little run down has given you something to think about, especially if you find yourself sad at the lack of retro hot hatches Down Under. Naturally certain people might not agree with my 4 cars and for obvious reason, a least one of them looks like an utter pudding, but what lies beneath are ultimately fun and engaging cars with a liberal dosage of nostalgia. Perfect for tearing up a good road, without breaking the bank. Whack their names into Gumtree.com.au and see what I mean.