Wheels

I DIDN’T WANT the Mercedes-Benz EQC to win. There I was, in an AirBnB down in Inverloch and it was clear that as the judges sat down to cast their final votes in Wheels Car of the Year 2020, the electric Merc was about to wipe the floor with the two other finalists; the Mazda 3 and the Tesla Model 3. A simple totting up of the scores told you that. The EQC aced the numbers on the judging criteria of function, efficiency, safety, technology and value, being the only car in the field to net a mean 80 percent score across those marks. I knew I should have voted for the EQC. All the other judges were doing so and a few of ‘em were a good deal smarter…

FRESH FACTS THINGS WE LEARNED IN THE CAR WORLD THIS MONTH 1. The star of Monterey Car Week? That could well be the Tuthill GT One, a street-legal homage to Porsche’s 911 GT-1. Power comes courtesy of a 4.0-litre flat-six, weight is 1200kg, and you get the choice between 500bhp atmo or 600bhp+ twin-turbo. Six-speed manual or seven-speed auto? Decisions, decisions… 2. For the first time, BMW sold more EVs than Tesla in Europe, shifting 14,869 electric cars compared to 14,561 Teslas in July’s figures. Despite this, the Tesla Model Y remains Europe’s best-selling EV. 3. MG has pulled the wraps off its baby SUV, the ZS. Unsurprisingly, it melds the oily bits of the MG 3 hatch with the styling direction of the HS as featured in this issue.…

EVEREST TREMOR: WHY? BECAUSE IT’S THERE As well as the Ranger Tremor that we’ve driven on p.56 of this issue, Ford has announced a forthcoming Tremor version of the Everest for those who want to go further and do more off-road. Priced at $76,590, like the Ranger Tremor the Everest version receives a premium suspension set-up consisting of Bilstein position-sensitive dampers and new springs. Also identical to the Ranger Tremor, the Everest will ride on General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres. This suspension and tyre package combines to provide an additional 26mm of ground clearance compared to a stock Everest. The big difference? Unlike the Ranger, Everest buyers get six rather than four cylinders. GET RICH VIA HEMINOMICS We normally associate Mecum’s Monterey auction with European blue-blooded exotics but a slice…

NEW GENERATIONS of Lamborghini supercar don’t come along all that often – but the latest introduction marks an even bigger step than normal for the Italian brand. Say hello to the Temerario, the replacement for the Huracán, and a model that takes Lambo’s entry-level supercar away from V10 power and into the world of turbocharging and electrification. The V10 was introduced more than two decades ago, but for the Temerario, the company has invested heavily in a new specification of twin-turbocharged V8 powerplant, complete with a flat-plane crankshaft. The new 4.0-litre engine (a ‘hot V’, because its two turbos are located within the V of the layout) can rev to 10,000rpm, with peak power of 588kW produced between 9000 and 9750rpm. Its 730Nm peak torque figure is available between 4000…

JAGUAR IS STICKING with its plan to go all-electric from next year, despite unsteady EV demand – and it is just months from scrapping its entire existing line-up and revealing a crucial concept car that will set the tone for its new era. Jaguar’s next-generation models will be unrelated – visually, technically and in their positioning – to the cars that have come before. So far, the brand has described them as only a “copy of nothing” when pressed for clues about how they might look. But all the questions will be answered in December with the reveal of a radical new concept that closely previews its first new-era EV: a £100K (AU$194K) four-door GT with a range in excess of 700km, ultra-rapid charging and a dual-motor powertrain with more…

Keep it tight (no more than 200 words) and do include your suburb if via email: wheels@wheelsmag.com.au You can also have your say on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (search for Wheels Australia) What are the chances of seeing a BYD driven to Cape York like in the old days of Wheels? AS AN avid reader of your magazine for years, I would like to suggest a road test. Back when the VB Commodore was released your magazine drove one to Cape York to see how good it was. I and no doubt many others would love to see you attempt the same with a Tesla, BYD etc. Just to see if these are indeed as good as an old Holden. Thanks for your consideration in this regard. Daniel Rigda We…