Hot hatches have jumped the shark, and we deserve better

-
I despise the phrase 'jumped the shark'. It comes from a late episode of Happy Days, where Fonzie literally jumps over a shark on water skis – at least, that's what Wikipedia told me. I wasn't born when the shark was first jumped, you see, but the expression still lingers like a bad smell over pop culture.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2023 Porsche Taycan GTS review

-
Image
Whether on the back of a 911 or a Cayenne, the GTS badge has always denoted a special kind of Porsche. Now the electric Porsche Taycan gets the GTS treatment. Skip ahead: Introduction Running costs Price and specification Energy use Interior space and comfort On-road assessment Connectivity and infotainment Summary Safety 2023 Porsche Taycan GTS Nothing prepares you for it. It’s visceral, punching you in the guts, grabbing your heart in its sweaty fist and squeezing to the point of breathlessness. It’s the first heady rush of acceleration, a rush of speed unencumbered by the limits of traditional internal combustion. It shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore.   Meet the 2023 Porsche Taycan GTS , the mid-spec variant in the wider Taycan range that takes everything you think you know about the physics of driving and then stomps on it. Yes, there are faster Taycans – Turbo and Turbo S anyone? – but in terms of bang-for-your-not-inconsid...
Read more

New Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale supercar unveiled with petrol and electric power

-
Image
Alfa Romeo has rebooted the iconic 33 Stradale of the 1960s with a limited-edition, custom-built, multimillion-dollar supercar available with twin-turbo V6 petrol, or full battery power. The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale name has been revived for a new supercar, unveiled in Europe overnight ahead of first customer deliveries overseas due late next year. The new car is a modern reboot of the original 1967 33 Stradale, which was the road-going version of the Tipo 33 race car of the day, and is considered one of Alfa Romeo’s most iconic cars. Limited to 33 examples, all sold out, the new 33 Stradale will be available with an enlarged version of the twin-turbo petrol V6 familiar to Alfa Romeo performance cars today – or solely electric power, as the first battery-powered vehicle unveiled by the Italian car maker. With each vehicle to be custom-built to the customer’s specifications by boutique Italian ‘coachbuilding’ company Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, prices are estimated to e...
Read more

Singer DLS Turbo: 1970s racer inspires reimagined Porsche 911

-
Image
The Singer DLS Turbo is the Californian company’s most powerful Porsche 911 recreation yet – combining 1970s racing looks with a 520kW twin-turbo engine. California-based classic Porsche restoration firm Singer has revealed the ‘DLS Turbo’ – a sports car inspired by a racing 911 from the 1970s. The Singer DLS Turbo’s design draws inspiration from the Porsche 934/5, a racing variant of the iconic 911 sports car which won six out of the eight races it competed in throughout the 1977 Trans-Am season in North America. As with all of Singer’s ‘reimagined’ Porsches, the DLS Turbo is based on the chassis from a 964-generation 911, though its bodywork is bespoke – blending elements of the 934/5 with more modern offerings. MORE: Singer reveals its ultimate Porsche 911 Singer’s latest creation is its first model to mate the company’s 3.8-litre air-cooled flat-six engine – developed by Formula One team Williams and found in the ‘standard’ DLS – with two turbochargers. Th...
Read more

Ineos Grenadier gets converted into a camper with Australian-made pop-top

-
Image
Mere weeks after hitting the road in Australia, this Ineos Grenadier has already had the roof chopped and converted into a pop-top camper. Ineos Grenadier Pop-top camper The Ineos Grenadier four-wheel drive now has a pop-top conversion available , thanks to Australian company Expedition Centre. Based in Sydney, Expedition Centre has been making pop-top conversions for Land Rover Defenders and Toyota LandCruisers since 2009. But now with the Ineos Grenadier hitting the road in Australia, Expedition Centre has quickly turned its attention to the new, old-school four-wheel-drive wagon. Similar to conversions Expedition Centre has been doing on Defenders and LandCruiser Troopcarriers, the roof of the Grenadier is removed and modified to fit in a slatted 1.3-metre wide Fanello Bed. Hinged at the front and latched at the back, the roof can ‘pop’ open to create additional sleeping and living space inside the vehicle. The roofline of the Grenadier is raised by around 250...
Read more

The mysterious origins of the Isuzu MU

-
Image
Long before the Isuzu MU-X made a name for itself as rugged tow vehicle, the Japanese brand was employing wizardry and mystery when it came to naming its off-roaders. The letters following the humble Isuzu badge don’t really give a hint at what’s to come. After all, we’ve become accustomed to car names over the decades that feature a string of letters or numbers after their maker’s badge. And, for the most part, we know what those numbers and letters have meant: GT stands for Grand Touring , while RS , whether on a Porsche or Audi , denotes rennsport , German for ‘motorsport’. Other notable acronyms include Mazda’s MX-5 , the popular sportscar from the Japanese manufacturer deriving its nameplate from Mazda Experimental Project 5. Mazda’s Experimental Project 5 Ferrari takes its naming conventions seriously too with various models designated GTB , GTO , GTS or GTC which stand for, in order, Gran Turismo Berlinetta , Omologata , Spyder , and Coupe . And Ferrari’...
Read more

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross GXL Hybrid AWD review

-
Image
The Toyota Corolla Cross blends the brand’s excellent hybrid technology in a small SUV package that buyers are clamouring for. Is the all-wheel-drive GXL the sweet spot in the range? Skip ahead: Introduction Running costs Price and specification Energy use Interior space and comfort On-road assessment Connectivity and infotainment Summary Safety 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross GXL Hybrid It’s a dollop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of white bread, staples loved by many, if not all. The Toyota Corolla Cross is a new small SUV from the Japanese brand that takes the world’s best-selling car ( Toyota Corolla) and turns it into a compact SUV. But, if you’re expecting a jacked-up version of the Corolla hatchback, then think again. Externally, the Corolla Cross bears no resemblance to its small car stablemate. Instead, it presents more like a scaled-down version of the brand’s popular RAV4 medium SUV. And why wouldn’t it, the RAV4 the second-best-sel...
Read more

2024 Toyota Yaris Cross updated in Europe with new tech, more hybrid power

-
Image
Europe’s Toyota Yaris Cross has received a mid-life update with more power, a revised look and new technology. Plans for the Australian version are yet to be announced. The updated 2024 Toyota Yaris Cross small SUV has been unveiled in Europe with an upgraded hybrid powertrain and new styling.  This is the first update for the Yaris Cross – the SUV sibling to the Toyota Yaris hatch – since it was first introduced to the Australian market in 2020.  Mirroring changes to the European-market Yaris hatch, the 2024 Yaris Cross in Europe brings with it mild styling changes to the exterior and interior of the SUV, improved safety features, and a more powerful hybrid system.  While pre-orders in Europe are due to commence this month, there’s no word on when we can expect to see the updates flow onto the Yaris Cross in Australia.  European-market Yaris Cross vehicles are manufactured in France, whereas Australian-delivered examples are built in Japan. Most ...
Read more

A brief history of electric cars: The Early Years

-
Image
In celebration of World EV Day on 9 September, we take a look back at the history of electric cars. You might think electric vehicles are a relatively new phenomenon, a late-20th and early 21st century answer to growing concerns around climate change and pollution. Certainly, mass-scale production and uptake of EVs has only taken hold in this century. As technology has improved so too has the ability of carmakers to produce viable electric vehicles on a large scale. But, if you think EVs are a 21st century solution, then think again. Who made the first electric car? It’s hard to pinpoint exactly who built the first electric car. But history is rife with pioneers, those inventive souls who were looking to transform their horse-drawn carriages into something that could move under its power. Hardy inventors in both Europe and across the Atlantic in the US experimented with carriages driven by an electric motor sourcing its power from a battery. In Scotland, two Roberts, Ande...
Read more

The new European cars under $50,000 drive-away

-
Image
If you’re a European-car fanatic on a strict budget, you’ve still got options… You’ll just have to get a little bit creative. Despite the rapid advancement in automotive technology and the proliferation of car manufacturers from all over the world, there’s no doubt European cars still hold a certain allure. This allure almost defies logic, given plenty of European brands now have manufacturing operations based outside of Europe, while, conversely, plenty of Korean, Chinese or North American carmakers build and design their cars in Europe.  According to sales figures, cars designed and produced outside of Europe are dominating the Australian industry. In 2022, the majority of new cars sold in Australia were imported from Japan, followed by Thailand and Korea in third place.  In fact, Asian countries accounted for almost 80 per cent of all new car imports into Australia last year.  Still, there remains a staunch army of diehard Francophiles, German loyalists or...
Read more