CAR ADVICE

The manic  Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk super SUV has been confirmed for the Australian market, locked in for a December launch. Powered by a 527kW/874Nm 6.2-litre supercharged V8 shared with the Dodge Challenger and Charger Demons, the flagship Grand Cherokee can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 290km/h. “I’m very excited to confirm that the Trackhawk will officially join the new Grand Cherokee range,”  said Steve Zanlunghi, Jeep Australia’s CEO. “From the moment it was revealed in New York we knew we had to bring it to Australia. Public interest in the Trackhawk has been incredible – barely a day goes by when I’m not asked if it’s coming. “Now I can confirm it,” he added. Australia is currently the second-largest market for the current performance flagship – the 344kW Grand Cherokee SRT – behind its home market of the USA. Other headlining features of the US-market Trackhawk include an upgraded eight-speed automatic transm...

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_IVKYjctiw The  Ford Focus RS Option Pack has been revealed this week, giving the Blue Oval’s hyper hatch several mechanical and cosmetic upgrades. Compared to the already manic ‘standard’ Focus RS , the Option Pack adds a mechanical limited-slip front differential sourced from tuning company Quaife, along with a two-tone colour scheme inside and out. The LSD has been developed by Ford Performance to further enhance the Focus RS’s grip in corners, which is already aided by the standard torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system. “For hardcore driving enthusiasts, the additional mechanical grip offered by the Quaife LSD will make it even easier to carry speed through a corner on the track, and maximise acceleration on the way out,” said Leo Roeks, director of Ford Performance Europe. “The new setup also delivers greater mechanical stability and control when braking hard, and will help drivers set the car up for power-slides using Drift Mode.” ...

Seven years ago, Jeff Morton didn’t know if he would ever be able to race again, let alone win the Country Club GT Sports Trophy at Targa Tasmania in his 2017 Lotus Exige Sport 350 . In 2010, Morton was diagnosed with brain cancer and was facing a long road to recovery after an operation to remove the tumour. An avid motorsport fan with a love of driving, Morton had to wait years before he was able to compete again. After dipping a toe back in the water at Targa High Country last year, and winning a trophy at Challenge Bathurst, Morton stepped it up a notch and entered Targa Tasmania. Celebrations continue after he and Dennis Neagle won the Country Club GT Sports Trophy class – and Morton is now seriously contemplating his next move. We caught up with Morton to find out where his motivation comes from, and learn a little more of his amazing story. What got you interested in racing? I’ve been interested in cars and racing my whole life. As a boy,...

Supercar company McLaren has moved chief designer Rob Melville to the office with a view, promoting him to the position of Design Director. Replacing outgoing design director Frank Stephenson, Melville will report directly to McLaren chief operating officer, Dr Jens Ludmann. “I remember when I got the call to come and join McLaren back in 2009 and the joy I felt then is the same today. We have developed a fantastic design team and have integrated a design philosophy that I feel passionately about,” Melville said. The British designer’s latest promotion follows his promotion to chief designer in 2014, reporting to Stephenson. Melville has already played a key role in McLaren’s rapid ascendance to the top end of relatively high-volume supercar production, having established the brand’s “design pillars” – the starting point and guiding principles for every McLaren car. “These pillars form the main ethos from which the team create breath-taking products that tell the visual story o...

The sale of Opel and Vauxhall to the PSA Group , owner of the Peugeot , Citroen and DS brands, has reportedly hit a snag. Sources have informed the Allgemeine Zeitung the company’s works council has paused the transition timeline. Employee information sessions, which were due to be held this week, have been postponed indefinitely. Also delayed is the transfer of the bulk of GM’s European operations to a new holding company named Opel Automobile GmbH. Above: The new Opel Insignia, which will be sold in Australia as the next Holden Commodore , uses a GM platform. At issue is Opel’s International Technical Development Centre (ITEZ), which currently employs around 7700 people. The works council and the IG Metall union want to lock in future contracts for the development centre, including work that it will carry out on behalf of GM after Opel’s sale to the PSA Group . ITEZ is GM’s second largest development centre and currently undertakes development not only for GM’s European o...

Finalists for Australia’s  2017 Good Design Awards  have been announced, and several automotive manufacturers have products in line for the win. In the automotive and transport division, the Audi A5 / S5 , Q2 , Hyundai i30 , Mazda CX-5 , Renault Megane and Tesla Model X are all nominated for the award, which the organisation says reflects excellence in architectural design, digital and communication design, and emerging areas of design such as business model innovation, social innovation and design entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Powerwall 2 home battery system has been nominated as a finalist for the overall Good Design Award, with the winners to be announced on June 8. Above: Tesla Powerwall 2, Top: Audi Q2 An open exhibition of the finalist entries of the Good Design Awards will be showcased at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney from June 9-11. The Good Design Awards have been going since 1958, and celebrate the best new products and services in t...

The  BMW Motorrad Concept Link has been revealed this week, showcasing the company’s vision of future zero-emissions urban vehicles. Inspired by last year’s BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 concept – which was one of four vehicles revealed for the company’s centenary – the Motorrad Concept Link blends futuristic design and digitisation with the form of a modern two-wheeler. Edgar Heinrich, BMW Motorrad’s head of design, said: “For me the BMW Motorrad Concept Link, with its timeless and reduced style, is more than a concept – it is rather a symbol for a new era”. “[It] stands for a new understanding of urban mobility. It links the digital and analogue world and places the focus on the rider and his mobility needs.” “In the way it links functionality and digitalisation it performs both as a means of transport as well as a communication device,” he added. The Motorrad Concept Link’s low-slung, long body looks like something out of the  Tron franchise, while the company’s E...