Author: Mike Stevens

New Patrol Warrior previewed with Aussie-tricked Infiniti QX80

Nissan’s next-gen Y63 Patrol Warrior could look a little something like this, if Infiniti’s latest show car is any clue.

Nissan has given us our clearest look yet at the next Patrol Warrior, and it comes from an unlikely source: Nissan’s luxury arm, Infiniti.

At the prestigious Pebble Beach show in the US, Infiniti revealed a QX80 Terrain Spec concept, a preview of its Patrol-based luxury SUV.

The crucial detail, though, is that it was developed right here in Melbourne by Premcar – the engineering firm behind Nissan’s successful Warrior program.

The QX80 Terrain Spec concept features the expected off-road upgrades, providing a strong blueprint for the next Patrol Warrior: raised suspension, wider wheel arch flares and custom all-terrain tyres.

So, of course, we couldn’t resist throwing all that gear onto the regular Y63 Patrol to get a sense of how it might all come together, and that’s what you’re looking at atop this article.

While the Aussie-developed concept hints at the chassis,the road-focused Track Spec revealed the new powertrain’s potential.

As previously revealed, the incoming Y63 Patrol will ditch the beloved V8 for a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 – derived, to some extent, from the heart of the now retired R35 GT-R.

In standard form, this mill makes a healthy 336kW and 700Nm in the QX80, but the Track Spec shows it can be comfortably tuned to over 485kW and 1017Nm for hot luxobarge performance.

If, you know, that’s your thing.

August 20, 2025
Ringbrothers’ 600kW Octavia is a manual Aston DBS unlike any other

Swapping British grand touring grace for supercharged V8 muscle in this outrageous carbon-bodied Aston Martin DBS.

American restomod masters Ringbrothers have a knack for ruffling purist feathers, and their latest creation is no exception. They’ve taken one of Britain’s most handsome grand tourers and given it a heart made of American muscle.

Meet ‘Octavia’, a 1971 Aston Martin DBS that’s been comprehensively re-engineered over 12,000 hours.

The original Aston engine is gone, replaced by a Ford Performance 5.0-litre V8 boosted by a 2.65-litre supercharger. The result is a staggering 600kW, channelled to the rear wheels through a proper six-speed manual gearbox.

As co-owner Mike Ring puts it, they’ve “combined the ferocity of American muscle with the stiff upper lip of English sophistication.”

This is far more than a simple engine swap. The entire car sits on a custom chassis from Roadster Shop, with its wheelbase stretched by about 75mm.

It uses modern independent rear suspension, C7 Corvette sway bars, and Fox Racing dampers, with Brembo brakes to manage the performance.

The bodywork, a “Coke-bottle” reinterpretation of William Townsend’s original design, is rendered entirely in bespoke carbon fibre.

The brothers asked themselves what an MI6 agent might drive on holiday, and this was the answer.

With tongue-in-cheek nods like a martini-glass-shaped dipstick and valve covers reading ‘Aston Martini’, it’s a build that understands its own playful sacrilege while delivering a serious piece of engineering. It’s the ultimate expression of what happens when transatlantic ideas collide.

“Octavia is beyond anything we’ve built before.”

More piccies and details at Top Gear.

August 19, 2025
Gunther’s fighter 911 will rip up the flight deck

Gunther Werks, the coachbuilder for potential Singer buyers who want their retro 911s to have a little more Hot Wheels flair, have unveiled their latest piece: the Project F-26.

If that name evokes thoughts of fighter jets, looking at it will probably have the same effect. The number in the name is pulling double duty, however, representing the build volume. And, no, you probably shouldn’t expect to see one in Australia.

The rapidly beating heart of the F-26 is a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged air-cooled flat-six co-developed with Rothsport Racing, and the numbers are appropriately unhinged: 745kW and 1017Nm of torque, thanks in part to a race-derived flat fan for enhanced cooling.

All of this is channelled through a six-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. It’s a purist’s drivetrain combination mated to a level of power that requires a healthy dose of courage to fully exploit.

The entire car is a comprehensive re-engineering exercise, tipping the scales at just 1224kg thanks to a full carbon fibre body.

The chassis is reworked with a 30mm longer wheelbase, a new double-wishbone front suspension, and adaptive JRZ dampers to try and tame the power. The aggressive Slantnose-inspired bodywork, massive rear wing, and widened arches aren’t just for show; they’re necessary to house the massive 295-front and 335-rear tyres.

While Singer has cornered the market on understated, OEM-plus perfection, Gunther Werks clearly understands the commercial reality of the high-end restomod scene: there’s a segment of buyers who want more visual drama and outrageous performance.

The F-26 is a calculated and extreme answer to that demand, a true hypercar in a classic 911 silhouette built for the shock-and-awe theatre of Monterey Car Week.

The price? A lazy $2.4 million AUD. Get after it. Or, if you want something that’s actually sold locally… there’s always Singer.

PS… am I the only one seeing a little NC MX-5 in the front end? 😂

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August 19, 2025
The Supra will leave Australia this month with nearly 1500 sales to its name

The Supra is dead, long live the Supra. Launched here way back in 2019 BC, the A90 generation will exit the Australian market by the end of August – but a new sixth-gen model won’t be too far away.

Announcing its exit, local sales boss Sean Hanley said the current BMW-partnered Supra had “exceeded the expectations set by its predecessors”.

Sales figures show there have been 1422 examples of the Supra sold here between September 2019 and the end of July this year, but Toyota doesn’t offer any breakdown on the split between four-cylinder and six, or manual and auto.

Sadly, Toyota isn’t doing anything special for its final models, shutting down any hopes of the overseas Final Edition bringing its 320kW/570Nm tune here. (Regular six-cylinder models produce 285kW and 500Nm.)

2025 Toyota Supra Review

Then there’s the matter of its coming introduction into the Australian Supercars series.

It’s a bit of an odd one, seeing a car that’s no longer for sale still lapping Bathurst. The Supra will join the Chevrolet Camaro in the ‘ghost car’ category on the Supercars grid, leaving only the Ford Mustang as a racer you can actually buy.

The big question is what comes next. Hanley has all but confirmed a sixth-generation is coming, so the name isn’t going anywhere. Whispers from Japan suggest a hybrid powertrain could be on the cards, and maybe even a Lexus version.

For now, though, the Supra’s exit leaves the entertaining Nissan Z looking pretty lonely as the only real Japanese rival in its class. A far cry from the glory days, that’s for sure.

August 18, 2025