CAR ADVICE

With the Mk8 Golf launch approaching, Volkswagen has been spied testing the 2020 Golf GTI – and it appears the engineers in Wolfsburg are worried about the threat posed by the Hyundai i30N. Lurking in the background of our spy snapper's photos is a white i30N, suggesting the Mk8 GTI is being tested alongside Namyang's front-wheel drive giant-killer.

Life inspires art, and then art returns the favour. The gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5 that starred in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger led to the creation of a hugely popular diecast Corgi toy – you might remember the ability to fire a plastic passenger from the ejector seat – with Aston Martin Works admitting the model version played a significant role in inspiring the creation of what is basically a full-sized version.

The current Jaguar XJ will be the last with an internal-combustion engine, with the company confirming its next sedan flagship will be pure-electric. The XJ badge debuted in 1968, and has been attached to big, four-door sedans powered by everything from inline-sixes to fire-breathing supercharged V8s over that period, with a smattering of V6 and V12 engines thrown in for good measure.

The ID.3 has essentially been given headline billing in Volkswagen's future, when you consider the company's long list of achievements, including cars like the Beetle and its spiritual successor, the Golf – both of which have long reached iconic status.

Skoda Australia has issued a recall for 27 vehicles across the 2018 model-year Fabia, Karoq, Kodiaq, Octavia, Rapid and Superb lines due to an airbag fault that may see the driver’s unit not inflate properly in the event of a collision. “In some instances, the front driver air bag may not inflate to its fullest capacity fast enough when required,” the company says in the recall notice.

The new Nissan GT-R Nismo has landed and Paul Maric had the chance to give it a go on sections of Germany's derestricted Autobahn. Plus, we head to the Dekra Lausitz race track to see how it compares to the MY17 GT-R Nismo and finally, we sit down with 'Mr GT-R' himself, Tamura-san.

230, 240, 250, 260km/h... The only thing stopping us from hitting 300km/h is traffic ahead on a stretch of German autobahn. The 2020 Nissan GT-R Nismo redefines what fast means in the sports car category. The 'standard' GT-R was never a slouch, and the MY17 GT-R Nismo, complete with 600hp, was certainly no wimp either. So, how do you improve on what is thought of by some as one of the most potent sports cars on the market? That's what I wanted to find out.