CAR ADVICE

Kia has fully unveiled the tuned trio of cars on its SEMA stand in Las Vegas this year. Along with a pair of reworked Stingers , one of which was previewed two weeks ago , the company will be exhibiting a hotted-up Cadenza . The first, and arguably most exciting, car on the Kia stand is the Stinger GT Wide Body. Developed by the team at West Coast Customs, it takes inspiration from the GT racers of the 1970s, with an aggressively-flared body and suspension that’s been dropped 1.4-inches and 1.2-inches at the front and rear respectively. A carbon-fibre aero kit brings a meaner, deeper front end and a rear diffuser, while the 21-inch forged alloy wheels and sticky rubber help give the car some serious presence. Quad pipes also feature at the rear, while the (horrible) fake bonnet vents from the production car have carried over. Inside, the leather seats are finished with blue piping to match the pearl-blue exterior, the dashboard is trimmed in grey and the steering wheel has bee...

The hotly-anticipated Jeep Wrangler has been unveiled in a set of images, ending months of speculation about how the latest iteration of Jeep’s legendary off-roader will look compared to its predecessors. As predicted, the new design is more of an evolution than a revolution, with an instantly-recognisable vertical grille and round headlamps. The rectangular brake lights are also very similar to those of the outgoing model – which had lights very similar to that which went before it. Jeep says the new design has improved aerodynamics compared to the outgoing car, with more open-air options available to those who want the wind in their hair. A fold-down windscreen is among the changes, which include “dozens of different door, top and windshield combinations”. The front end of the four-door Sahara model (pictured at the top) is also home to more modern headlamps and some fresh chrome trim. Unfortunately, the images weren’t accompanied by any information about what will power the n...

Hyundai has appointed Fayez Abdul Rahman as the new Vice President of Genesis Architecture Development.  Rahman will be waving goodbye to his role as concept and platform architecture leader on a number of model lines at BMW , including the 7 Series, X-badged crossovers and M division cars. His most recent role – ending on November 1 – involved heading up the M equipment, M Sport lines and BMW Individual lines. Hyundai will be tapping his expertise to lead “new vehicle architecture development processes,” initially focusing on enhancing performance and handling in Genesis cars. Early on, the development process will revolve around the specifications and electronic systems in Genesis vehicles. The things learned from these processes will gradually be rolled out across the wider Hyundai range, in an attempt to have them “directly compete with Europe’s leading premium car manufacturers.” We want to develop a flexible and future-oriented vehicle architecture that is unique t...

Ford has revealed a set of concept vehicles for the  2017 SEMA show , this time based on its  F-Series truck  and SUV range. While there are too many individual cars to detail all of them, here are three of our favourites: Ford F-150 by Air Design (top) The best selling car in America has been given a makeover, inspired by the sport truck mania of the 1990s, including a range of accessories by Air Design. Under the bonnet is the same 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 Ecoboost engine hooked up to a 10-speed automatic transmission as the standard car, though a Ford Performance cat-back exhaust has been fitted for a better sound. Air Design has applied numerous enhancements from its new Street Series range, including a full body kit, bonnet scoop, fender vents, rear spoiler and tailgate applique. There’s also a Maxtrac kit to lower the car, with Bilstein shocks, Recaro leather seats, Focal speakers, along with an Astell & Keam Kann high-resolution digital music player. ...

The next-generation Bentley Flying Spur has been spied in its production body for a second time, with the sedan undergoing warm weather testing in southern Europe. While the original set of spy photos were taken by a fan of our spy agency, these pictures were taken by one of the agency’s professional photographers. The pictures seen here are not only clearer, but give us a full look at the car’s front end. As with the prototype spied back in June, Bentley’s disguise team has fitted this car with false body panels to camouflage the final product’s surfacing and details. There’s also a set of headlight and tail-light stickers concealing the true shape of the car’s lighting units. The current Flying Spur has an all-wheel drive platform shared with the Volkswagen Phaeton , and as such its W12 and V8 engines hang over and in front of the rear axle. As this prototype’s proportions show, the new car is based on the rear- and all-wheel drive MSB architecture developed by Porsche . ...

The replacement for the Lamborghini Huracan will be available with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Speaking to Autocar , Stefano Domenicali, head of Lamborghini, said: “The [next] Huracan — that car will need hybridisation. Hybridisation is the answer, not [full] electric.” According to the British magazine, the successor to Huracan is due to be launched in 2022, and will feature a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Echoing what he told CarAdvice earlier this year at the launch of Huracan Performante, Domenicali noted: “There is still a lot of potential for the V12. The right approach for us is to have the V10 and V12 to suit our customers and then be ready to switch [to a hybrid] at the right moment.” As such, it’s understood the replacement for the Aventador , due before the Huracan’s successor, will stick with a naturally aspirated V12 engine. Above: Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2. Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s head of research and development, describes the central problem of deve...

Revised regulations could allow autonomous vehicles on California roads without a human minder in the driver seat next year, but it could be five or six years before we see similar tests on local roads. Proposed changes to the California DMV Driverless Testing and Deployment Regulations remove the need for “physical control by a natural person sitting in the vehicle’s driver’s seat” during tests. The revisions only ask for someone “supervising the autonomous technology’s performance of the dynamic driving task”, which means Californians could see cars with an empty driver’s seat on public roads as early as next year. Manufacturers will need to renew their licence every two years to keep testing in Cali. Although self-driving test vehicles will be allowed to carry civilians, companies won’t be able to charge passengers for the privilege. It could be a while before we’re faced with anything similar in Australia, though. Victorian Minister for Roads and Transport, Luke Donnella...

BMW has revealed its its new  M Performance parts for the new-generation  M5 super sedan, along with a special  M3 30 Years American Edition for the US market. Set to be displayed at the  2017 SEMA show , the M Performance parts on the new M5 have already been previewed by the new MotoGP safety car , and are all crafted from carbon-fibre. The accessories include a front splitter, side skirts, rear spoiler and a rear diffuser. BMW claims that these parts not only enhance the visual appeal of its new-generation super sedan, but also providing “optimised aerodynamic characteristics” for “even sportier handling”. Other M Performance goodies on offer are the carbon-fibre grille surrounds, a coilover suspension system, sports pads for the carbon-ceramic brakes, an M Performance sports exhaust system – which is made from titanium and finished with carbon-fibre exhaust tips – along with the M Performance Drive Analyser, which records vehicle dynamics data and all...

Jaguar has dismissed suggestions the XJ sedan could be usurped by an SUV at the pinnacle of the range. Design boss, Ian Callum, told  Autocar  the XJ would remain the brand flagship, even if a ‘J-Pace’ SUV were to be added to the range. “An SUV was discussed but it’s not the mainstay of the brand,” Callum told Autocar . “There’s more sophistication for a flagship due to its origins and that’s Land Rover .” Although he rejected the idea of an SUV flagship, Callum admitted the basic sedan shape needed to be spruced up to remain relevant in the current climate. He also credited the polarising design of the current XJ for its longevity. “The coupe profile is something I obsessed over,” he said. “Some people don’t agree with it. Everything else is three-box; people simplify and categorise things. [If you do that], you lose the opportunity to define it in your own way. The XJ covers that well.” Sedans might be out of favour, but hatchback-style cars like the Audi A7, Tesla...

It’s 1:30am in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, I am cruising down Brunswick street in a black Lamborghini Aventador S and there is not a single conscious human being that is not drooling, yelling or exposing themselves as it glides past emitting a noise that is best described as the definition of ‘pure evil’. It’s covered in hand prints every time it stops and I have (reluctantly) refused a dozen female attempts at ‘going for a ride’. If it wasn’t for my girth and uncontrollable grin, all I need to pull off a seriously believable Batman-impersonation is a voice synthesiser. The big bull was brought here at night to test a theory: is the Aventador really the king of the road? The fact of the matter is, there is not one other car sold in Australia today that can upstage an Aventador S at the lights. No, not in terms of performance, but sheer presence. This is a car that says F-You to anyone that ever doubted you. It’s the ultimate expression of not giving a f***. It’s awesome. Lamborg...

At  CarAdvice , we love to engage with our readers, which is why we’re kicking off a live streamed panel show that you’ll be able to participate in. On the first Wednesday of each month Panel Beaters will go live at 8PM to cover the latest car news and give you exclusive content, led by a panel of industry experts. We’ll be calling on you to provide comments, ask questions and even join us in the studio for future episodes! Our debut episode will feature a stack of content to keep you busy: See and hear the Hyundai i30 N in studio with our panel Stinger v Commodore — is the Kia really a successor to the homegrown Aussie sports car? The latest car news from the industry Win $500 cash by guessing the power and torque output at the wheels of our Kia Stinger — you’ll be surprised! You can tune in to Panel Beaters live on Facebook , YouTube , Periscope or right here at the CarAdvice website. Your panel this week will include Paul Maric , Trent Nikolic and Jez Spinks . ...

Nissan’s decision to launch the first Leaf electric car way back in 2009 was akin to a military leader from ancient history dashing into the fray of battle without ensuring his soldiers were following close behind. Here the company was, rolling out a mainstream EV across the world before most rival carmakers had so much as figuratively rallied their engineers. It was a major gamble, but one that Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn saw as an essential differentiator for the years ahead. Anyone who’s into the tech game knows that being an early adopter makes you a crash-test dummy for any problems that arise. But at the same time, you can stake a claim to leadership if the field matures. And Nissan always thought this was a certainty. Now it’s time to capitalise, and the new Leaf is tasked with doing exactly this – cashing in on Nissan’s deserved status as the maker of what has long been the world’s most popular EV, often by something approximating default, within in a now rapidly maturing ...

The Pagani Zonda is still one of the prettiest cars on the road, but it’s starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Believe it or not, the first Zonda C12 rolled out of the factory in 1999, and some owners have covered upwards of 100,000km in their bespoke supercars. Rather than forcing owners to schlep to their nearest Ultra Tune for a comprehensive refresh, Pagani has announced an official Rinascimento – or ‘renaissance’ – program. Owners are able to ship their cars to the factory (or  atelier,  to use Pagani parlance) and have them restored to near-new condition, for a properly factory-fresh feeling. Don’t expect the restoration to be a quick process. Every part of the car, right down to the base nuts and bolts, will be inspected and brought up to scratch if required. Pagani hasn’t provided a timeframe on the process – which will likely vary from car-to-car – but the fastidious nature of each of its designs would suggest the wait time will be recorded in months a...

Mahindra has announced pricing and specs for the 2018 Genio pick-up , which now comes with a Euro 5 diesel engine Both the single- and dual-cab Genio are now powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, making 88kW of power and 280Nm of torque. The engine is hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox, with no automatic offered on the options list. The engine gains idle start/stop technology, helping cut fuel economy to 7.5L/100km in the single-cab and 8.1L/100km in the dual-cab on the combined cycle. With a 74-litre fuel tank, Mahindra says you’ll get more than 900km of driving on a single fill. All models are two-wheel drive, with no four-wheel drive option. The single-cab has a 1.2-tonne payload in its 2700mm-long tray, while the dual-cab will haul 1.1-tonnes in its 1950mm tray. That means the latter has space for two standard pallets. Behind the wheel, Mahindra highlights the fact the Genio has large storage compartments scattered around, along with standard equipmen...

Honda’s luxury arm,  Acura , has revealed a special version of its  NSX supercar for this year’s SEMA show, dubbed the  ‘NSX Dream Project’ . Developed in collaboration with ScienceofSpeed, the Acura NSX ‘Dream Project’ gets aerodynamic upgrades and powertrain modifications, giving the Japanese supercar a look inspired by GT3 racing, along with a power boost over the standard tune. Changes include high-performance downpipes and a lightweight stainless steel exhaust system – the latter of which saves 16 pounds (7kg) – which the company says delivers a “deeper, more aggressive engine note”. There’s also liquid-injected intercooler to cool intake air before it enters the twin turbochargers, bumping power to 610hp (kW) and torque to 507lb.-ft (687Nm) – up 37hp (27kW) and 31lb.-ft (42Nm) respectively. Other upgrades include wider five-spoke Advan GT forged alloy wheels (20×9-inch front, 21×12-inch rear) finished in Hyper Black and wrapped in Pirelli Trofeo R tyres, a ...

BMW has unveiled the M5 safety car for the 2018/19 MotoGP season, spelling the end for the current hotted-up M2 safety car. Power in the safety car comes from the same twin-turbo V8 as the standard road car, with 441kW and 750Nm channeled to all four wheels through a clever M xDrive all-wheel drive system. Although it defaults to a rear-biased all-wheel drive setup, the system is able to accomodate a bit of sideways action in its looser all-wheel drive setting or, if the driver is feeling particularly brave, can be locked into rear-wheel drive. In news that will shock no-one, the E63 AMG is capable of the same. Strange how the German manufacturers seem to stumble across the same solutions at the same time, isn’t it? The 0-100km/h sprint takes just 3.4 seconds – 0.8 seconds faster than the outgoing M5 in standard trim – and derestricted top speed is 305km/h (189 mph). Base dealer cars are restricted to 250km/h, as is standard practice among most German manufacturers. In...