The Jaguar F-PACE SVR is exactly what you might expect – an absolute rock-ape of an SUV, but to also manages to be completely normal. How?Who cares?
Redline regulars (hello!) will know how much I adore a supercharged V8 Jaguar. Both F-Type SVRs – cabriolet and coupe – are utterly captivating. Look deeper into the family tree and the same engine powers the Range Rover SVAutobiography and Range Rover Sport SVAutobiography. And it used to make the XJ SVR go, too.
The F-Pace sits above the E-Pace in the Jaguar SUV pantheon (sorry), with the big cat likely the goodbye for the Ford-sourced V8. I’ve been waiting a long time for this car. I’m so glad it’s here.
Look and Feel
In this mid-sized-ish SUV segment, most of the quick ones don’t shout about themselves. The X3 M/X4 M pair and the GLC63 look different enough, but there’s no shouting. That would scare off the punters. Jaguar has taken an equally calm approach to the F-Pace SVR’s. You can still tell – whopping 21-inch alloys, big-bore exhausts, requisite deeper front bumpers and a lower ride height.
The awkward extension to the rear spoiler could probably have been better-executed, but it does little to detract from a fine-looking SUV. I love the slammed glasshouse, big wheel and blacked-out look of the SVR. And the badging isn’t too much, either.
I wouldn’t say I’d have an F-Pace SVR in with a red interior but I’m not saying I wouldn’t either. As you can see, the fast one has diamond stitching inserts, shell-type front seats with grippy bolstering and some SVR badging. The F-Pace interior is pretty good to start with, so the SVR’s just helps justify the extra money. The sport-shifter is nice, too, instead of the lower models’ rotary shifter.
Drivetrain
Ah, yes. Like the F-Type, the F-Pace SVR is utterly dominated by the Ford-sourced (no shame here) 5.0-litre supercharged V8. The hoons at JLR’s SVO department fit a whopping great supercharger to extract 405kW and 680Nm.
An eight-speed auto, with faster shifts available when you’re in Dynamic mode, sends the power out to all four wheels, but for the most part it’s quite rear-wheel drivey.
Chassis
As you might expect, the F-Pace SVR is no lightweight. Yes, the standard cars are pretty good for their size with all that aluminium, but a 550-odd horsepower supercharged V8 isn’t light. The forged alloys and lightweight brakes drop a few (unsprung) kilos from the aluminium-intensive chassis and a new active valve exhaust drops a further 6.6kg.
The front springs are 30 percent stiffer with a 10 percent hike at the rear, ensuring reasonably flat and responsive performance. A new anti-roll bar and damper setup also helps cope with the expected corner loads.
Pirelli P-Zeros provide the grip, with 265/45s at the front and 295/40s at the rear, a first on the F-Pace.
Driving
I like the standard F-Pace a lot, especially in V6 diesel form. It’s light, fun, fast and handles beautifully for its size. It stands apart from the Germans, too, by being prettier, cooler and uniformly comfortable. And as the years have gone on, the cabin technology has improved too.
The F-Pace SVR is a car I have been waiting for. That endlessly charismatic V8 is utterly wild and totally addictive, serving up smooth torque when you’re pootling. Put the boot in and you’ll wake the dead with an AMG-rivalling, theatrical performance of the 1812 Overture. Cracking, banging, popping and probably breaking heaps of rules, you will never tire of it. And if you do – because you’re dead inside or something – you can shut off the noise with the exhaust button.
The SVR does suffer a little from its heavier nose, but the SVR suspension set up claws most of it back. The steering is lovely – not too heavy, enough feel without too much chatter for the day-to-day. One thing it really gets right is the ride. A week before I had the F-Type, I fired a BMW X3 M Competition down the same bit of road. It has more grip, is pretty much as quick and has a bit more space. It’s fast – but the F-Pace SVR handled the same road much more comfortably. Where the Beemer had my bum leaving the seat over a particular bit of road – big, tree-root bumps on the edge of the road under the tarmac – the F-Pace stayed the course and my foot stayed pinned to the floor.
And that fills you with that all-powerful confidence.
Where the F-Pace bests the X3 is with the soundtrack and the overall throttle response. The supercharged V8 reacts effortlessly to a change in throttle pressure, none of the X3’s lag. It’s crisp and ensures you don’t have to drive around the lag.
It’s so much fun. Loud, bawdy and bonkers, it had me smiling like a loon for the entire week.
Competition
It has some pretty stiff competition in the Stelvio Q, Porsche Macan Turbo, Audi SQ5 (not really, but that’s all Audi has) and the BMW X3 M.
The real competition is from the completely troppo twin-turbo V8 AMG GLC63, which has less power but more gears and torque and is quicker to 100km/h by half a second. Not much to look at, though and even with air suspension always feels heavy.
Redline Recommendation
The F-Pace SVR is wonderful – I can’t think of a good reason not to get it. The X3 M might have the final say on a racetrack or the slightest edge in braking and handling. The GLC63 isn’t anywhere near as pretty, but is faster. It feels heavier, though, and the interior is a bit oppressive in some configurations. The Stelvio is hilarious, but it’s an Alfa. Who knows what’s going on there.
The F-Pace certainly uses the most fuel but you get it all back in noise and hilarity.
The 2020 Jaguar F-Type has arrived with an even sleeker new look, a few engine and specification upgrades and stays hugely cool.
Jag’s uber-cool coupe and roadster are a firm favourite here at The Redline as well as with my wife. In fact, it’s one of the few cars that turn female heads out in the wild, no matter what knuckle-draggers in Lamborghinis tell you.
Australia scores six distinct models, with four, six and eight-cylinders as well as rear and all-wheel drive depending on the engine. And in a weird first, we get to keep the supercharged six while the home market loses it.
Look and feel
Look at that new front end! I wasn’t sure what you could do with the tight packaging around the front wheels, but the new headlights redefine the F-Type. It’s pretty obviously a top and tail, meant to take the car into its final years, but if you’re going to do it, do it properly.
The new lights are a lovely, intricate design and gave the design team room to enlarge the grille. The old car’s few styling issues included that slightly pinched grille. Now it’s a bit more grand and framed by the new lights which have what Jaguar calls “Calligraphy” DRLs. Basically, they’re hockey stick-shaped and are more in line with the other cars with the slimmer lights (eg XF and XE).
Down the back there are new, slimmer taillights with the more angular chicance line. It’s not hugely different, but enough for you to see it’s the newer car.
Things haven’t changed too much inside, which is good or not so good depending on your viewpoint. The analogue clocks have been replaced by a 12.3-inch digital display, with a big central tachometer. An updated touchscreen software also receieves over the air software updates so you don’t have to wait for your annual service before getting upgrades. It’s also got Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard on the big screen.
I’ve always liked the cabin, but it does still feel a bit mobile drawing room in some specs, especially with warmer leather colours like brown. Anyway, I still like it even if it isn’t space-age because it doesn’t need to be.
Drivetrain
Funky new exhaust tips with R etchings
Australian buyers have a choice of three engines.
The first is the 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo Ingenium with 221kW and a massive 400Nm from 1500 to 4500rpm, which is awesome. It’s crackly and we drove the now-replaced one a few months ago. You’ll hit the ton in a respectable 5.7 seconds and consume 8.1L/100km (NEDC) on the combined cycle, which isn’t that far off reality.
The second is the 280kW 3.0-litre supercharged V6, dialling up 460Nm and 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. Fuel consumption figures on the sticker come in at 8.6L/100km on the combined cycle and that is not very close to reality at all, even if you’re careful.
Finally, the R. Now this is interesting. The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 climbs down from the SVR, still delivering a massive (and hugely loud) 423kW and a massive 700Nm between 3500 and 5000rpm. The sprint to 100km/h is over in 3.7 seconds. As the R misses out on the SVR’s active aero package, top-speed is “only” 300km/h. May as well be 700km/h in Australia, let’s face it.
Fuel consumption in the V8 is lavish, but Jaguar’s official NEDC figure is, um, 11L/100km. Probably not, eh? The engine isn’t hugely updated but it now features a quiet start, with the exhaust flaps staying closed unless you select Dynamic or hit the exhaust button. And the exhausts now have lovely R etchings on the barrels. Nice.
The four and six-cylinder F-Types are rear-wheel drive and have a newly-calibrated eight-speed automatic (called QuickShift). The R has the SVR’s very rear-biased all-wheel drive and the same eight-speed automatic. Jaguar reckons the shifts are faster and crisper in the MY20. Only one way to find out…
How Much and When?
When the new car arrives, you can choose the R-Dynamic Coupe and Convertible with either the Ingenium four or supercharged V6. Prices for the Ingenium fours start at $126,400 and the supercharged V6s from $173,100.
There will also be a First Edition V6 for $203,500 and the R, with the old SVR’s 423kW engine, is a snip at $263,300, a hefty price cut on the previous big banger.
The six models will be along soon, no doubt with the usual extensive options list to add their basic spec, which looks okay. The R-Dynamic comes with LED headlights, leather interior, sat nav, a choice of interior finishes and the usual choice of wheels.
As for the SVR, I have no idea what’s happened to that. I tried to dig up where it’s gone or what’s happening, but Jaguar’s local PR fellow is way better than I am. The talk of a BMW twin-turbo V8 engine refuses to go away, though…
The Ferrari Roma was last night unveiled and we know barely anything about it, so we’re going to fill an article with opinions about the looks.
I’m not even joking. The press release has fewer words than this article because, I dunno, they don’t have to worry about Google search algorithms. The McLaren Elva release, by contrast, had about 15,000 words.
We do know a few things. It’s called the Ferrari Roma and to hammer home the point, Ferrari gave us five photos of the car in Rome. Except it wasn’t really there, was it? Because Rome plus tourist attractions equals a gazillion idiots taking the same photo.
Looking at the photos though, you can probably tell why Ferrari left a lot out of the release. This is a new design direction for Maranello. Nobody has messed with the classic profile of a Ferrari coupe – heaven forfend – but there’s a lot to see here.
Wait! There’s a new look!
First, the new rear end ditches the round light treatment for a very modern pair of flat horizontal lights that cut into the bodywork. It’s a very clean, unfussy rear end. You can’t see under the coloured part of the bumper but I’ll take a pot shot and say it’s a big diffuser. The haunches are very Portofino-ish, though.
The headlights sport a new design – no more vertical stacks but a more traditional horizontal arrangement with a what looks like an LED DRL slicing through the middle. The grille is a real departure for Ferrari and I don’t mind it at all. That front splitter looks like it will take some feet with it.
And glory be, those flush-fitting doorhandles actually look alright.
Another thing we know is that under that long bonnet is Ferrari’s awesome 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, developing 620PS or a monster 456kW. And it’s spread across 5750rpm to 7500rpm. Torque weighs in at the usual 760Nm and no doubt isn’t available until you hit top gear in the new eight-speed twin-clutch. The torque band is nice and fat, between 3000 and 5750rpm.
Ferrari also tells us it will run from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds and crack 0-200km/h in 9.3 seconds.
New interior look
So what is the Ferrari Roma for? It seems to be a dedicated hardtop Portofino with a different body. The Portofino’s rear seats are, shall we say, limited and the only interior shot provided of the Roma doesn’t even show the rears. To be fair, Ferrari does call it a 2+. No number after the plus. Not a typo.
Like the exterior, there’s a fair bit to see in here. Recent Ferraris have been quite minimalist inside but the Roma seems more custom-fitted. The new centre console and screen arrangement is higher and a but easier to reach (and see) than either the Portofino’s or GTC4/812 setup. It also seems a lot more cosy the way the two pods wrap themselves around the driver. It’s a nice effect and blends nicely into the doors.
The target competitor car is most likely the Aston Martin DB11 but I wouldn’t be surprised (depending price) if a few 911 Turbo folks won’t join the party.
The Roma has a longer wheelbase than the Portofino, so hopefully there’s a little more room in the back. It’s also longer than the Portofino by 70mm and weighs 1472kg in its lightest form (“with lightweight options). That’s a dry weight, by the way, in true Ferrari style. Handily, it’s about 70kg lighter than the folding hardtop.
How much and when?
A good compound question. I’m going to guess and say next year and given it has a bit more go than the Portofino, the price will be higher, probably sitting between Portofino and the F8 Tributo.
I guess the car will arrive sometime next year in European showrooms. Local ones? No idea.
Like I said, the press release was pretty light on for detail.
The 2020 McLaren Elva revives a nameplate from the 1960s and sticks to the original formula – no roof and no windows.The price tag is very 2019, though.
The Elva dropped out of the sky as part of McLaren’s endless model onslaught and this one caught me quite unprepared. It’s another of the Ultimate Series, parking itself in the McLaren range next to the Senna and the Speedtail.
This one is a bit special, though – the Elva name harks back to founder Bruce McLaren’s M1A and the customer versions of that car, the McLaren-Elva M1A Group 7 race cars. McLaren reckons the design principles of those cars are integral to today’s McLarens. Sure. Why not.
The 2020 McLaren Elva is another limited run Ultimate car and given its – shall we say – limited practicality, that’s unlikely to be a bad thing.
Look and Feel
It’s certainly very striking. As you can see, it’s a very strict speedster – no roof.
Or is there?
Nope, no roof. Instead, McLaren has developed an aerodynamic roof called AAMS or Active Air Management System. As the car passes through the air, it is forced through the front clamshell section. Then through some black magic, the air hits a deflector and passes over the occupant’s heads. McLaren says this creates “a bubble of calm” which sounds like Darth Vader’s egg thing.
McLaren suggests if you’re not keen on that, you can wear a helmet or, even better, option the windscreen. Only if you’re a sook, obviously.
The styling itself is gorgeous. The flying buttresses looked great on the 570S but here they look magnificent. The rear end has a lot of 720S about it, and that’s a good thing. There’s something very feline about these curves, without being self-conscious. I dig it.
Of particular note is that the entire body is made of carbon fibre – the massive front clamshell is just 1.2mm thick. McLaren says it meets all of its structural integrity targets. The side panels are three metres long and also very thin and light.
The cabin is nice and minimalist, reflecting its namesake and the obvious need to make it weatherproof. Carbon fibre abounds, including the seats which are exclusive to the Elva.
McLaren’s IRIS system appears to soldier on with a new screen (still the wrong orientation) and the centre console is resplendent in these photos with a gloss finish. You can change pretty much everything and McLaren Special Operations will cheerfully charge you for it. They’re good like that.
Drivetrain
Nestled under the rear deck – as always, away from prying eyes – is McLaren’s 4.0-litre twin turbo V8. In the Elva you get 815PS or excruciatingly close to 600kW. Along for the ride is a massive 800Nm, all of reaching the rear wheels via the usual seven-speed twin-clutch from every other McLaren.
Combined with the Elva’s light weight, all this power and torque propels the car to 100km/h in “under three seconds” and beats the Senna to 200km/h, cracking that figure in just 6.7 seconds.
The dry-sumped, flat-plane crank V8 should be fairly vocal with a trick new exhaust made of titanium and Inconel. The exhaust has three exits, two down low and one up high. The upper exhaust features a 3D-printed titanium exit and it looks pretty cool.
Chassis
As ever, McLaren’s Monocage technology forms the basis for the car. The company says it’s the lightest road car it has ever made but hasn’t yet got an official figure. Remember the F1 was a bit over 1000kg.
McLaren bolts the engine in and then fits linked hydraulic fully active suspension for its trademark – and spectacular – ride and handling balance. (Yes, I know that’s not how the cars are built)
The sintered carbon fibre brakes, pioneered on the Senna, save unsprung weight, with the inclusion of titanium brake calipers further reducing weight – by an entire kilogram across the whole car. Don’t say McLaren doesn’t sweat the details. The discs measure a huge 390mm, which for carbon fibre brakes means massive stopping power.
Elva also features variable drift control along with the usual three-mode ESC system and if you’re super-keen you can shred Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres instead of the standard-fit set.
How much and when?
Yeah, this is the fun bit. At £1,425,000, if you can afford one of them, you’ll have to be quick. There are just 399 of them and one imagines they’ll go quickly (see what I did there?).
F1 2021 is a going to be a very different looking beast. At least, that’s what they’re telling us. Here’s a rundown of what’s happening.
Let’s be honest, F1 has been pretty boring for a few years. Apart from Max Verstappen mouthing off like a third-tier boxer or Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari team employing a creative director to find new ways of losing races, I mean.
The racing is tedious (for the most part), the new tracks all suck and Mercedes’ incredible – and deserved – domination has made the sport hard to watch. I love Formula 1, have for well over two decades. But these days the five-to-seven year rule blocks mean if a team grabs the initiative, everyone else has to try and catch up.
The rules have changed a bit in the last few years, but not enough to fix the fundamental racing problems. The stupidly complicated engines (nobody cares if they’re hybrid, only the manufacturers) and the aero rules are even worse.
Something had to change.
Bernie Ecclestone sold F1 to Liberty Media a few years back. They put a man who knows a thing or two about domination in charge of turning the tide. Ross Brawn and his team engineered Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button’s world championships for years. He knows how to design cars, how to run them. He was a team owner and (mostly) well-respected in the sport.
With his help, the teams – who don’t ever agree on anything – have come up with the new rule set which we’re calling F1 2021. And as if to wave a big stick at those pesky teams, the World Motorsport Council has already ratified them.
Aerodynamics
The most common complaint from the drivers stems from the dirty air behind the car in front. But really, the air isn’t dirty at all. It’s filthy. Wretched. Worse than a teenager’s bedroom floor. If you’re behind an F1 car, it’s like being inside a barrel rolling down a hill, aerodynamically-speaking.
This problem comes from the dependence on the front and rear wings and all of the finicky bits in between shaping and moving the air to improve downforce and reduce drag. F1 banned those bits in 2007 but they crept back after the sport decided fans wanted faster lap times. Which nobody really cares about, as long as they’re faster than F2 cars.
Sadly, in order to help with reducing turbulent air, we’re going to see the return of wheel covers. Uncovered wheels contribute a huge amount of to the dirty wake.
The new front wing has just four allowable elements and the endplates are part of the main plane and much smoother. That should help stop punctures from contact between wings and wheels. A much simpler rear wing mounts to a single point and should reduce downforce at the rear and therefore mucky air.
DRS stays, at least until the sport agrees it can go because it won’t be needed. Hopefully that’s exactly what happens.
Ground Effect
Something else banned, way back in the early 1980s, was a way to get downforce without spewing junk out the back. They probably didn’t know that at the time, but ground effect didn’t create as much turbulent air as aero devices.
Ground effect is the practice of essentially creating a vacuum under the car by shaping the floor in such a way that it generates an area of low pressure. This sucks the car to the ground without massively increasing drag and slowing the straight line speed. Clever-but-naughty folks like Colin Chapman at Lotus and Gordon Murray at Brabham found ways to hugely increase downforce with variations on this theme. The governing body at the time put a stop to it.
As you can see in the image above, the shape of the new floor is quite different. The vanes at the front direct the air into Venturi tunnels and out through new diffuser at the rear. Notice the absence of barge boards and other air-shaping devices. Much cleaner and simpler.
How much better will it be for the driver behind? Alarmingly, if you’re within one car length behind a car, you have just over half the downforce of your competitor. Drop back three car lengths and the figure is a still-scary 68 percent. Even at seven car lengths, almost 35 metres (almost 120 feet), you have just 80 percent downforce. F1 aero engineers chase single percentage points in the wind tunnel for hours.
Imagine getting to within a few feet of another car on the motorway and the road surface turns to glass – that’s probably what it feels like.
The new figures seem encouraging, but they’re still theoretical – you should have 86 percent if you’re one car length behind an F1 2021 car. At three lengths, you’ll have 94 percent and at the longest distance measured, five lengths, 98 percent. Much better.
Wheels and Tyres
The current wheels and tyres have been roughly the same for over a decade. And 13-inch wheels have been part of the sport for even longer. IndyCar long ago up-sized and they do look more modern.
F1 asked Pirelli for stickier tyres as well as more options for teams to mix up strategy, but they’re basically the same diameter, with the occasional change in width over the years. And things got a lot better after those awful grooved tyres got the bullet.
Along with the ugly wheel covers, the size goes up to 18-inches and the tyres’ profile reduced accordingly. The bigger wheels will probably contribute to higher unsprung weight, but not significantly so.
Little fins over the front wheels are supposed to reduce the amount of turbulent air as well.
Costs
All teams will be subject to a cost cap of US$175m for the development of the car itself. Driver salaries and marketing – and no doubt rockstar team principals and designers – will be exempt from that cap.
Anyone who has watched F1 for the last ten or so years has seen a parade of teams come and go. F1 has always been expensive, but at the moment, it’s hugely expensive. The hybrid engines are pricey, especially if you’re a customer.
A few years ago, a resource cap was a total waste of time because the teams rorted it. Some stuff around the edges helped, like the August shutdown, but that was as much for team personnel and their mental health as anything else.
Some recent changes meant that teams like Haas could buy parts off-the-shelf from Ferrari which meant it actually got to the grid. USF1’s ignominious failure came down to the sheer cost of starting a new team from scratch. The fact two idiots ran it was only part of the story.
Season F1 2021will be longer but the owners have proposed new rules for carving up the cash, with more $1m added for any race over and above a 25-race calendar. Not sure how a 25 race season will reduce costs, but anyway.
The sport will also mandate some standardised parts, such as wheel rims, brakes and radiators. It might also ban things like hydraulic suspension.
F1 weekends will be shorter. Ross Brawn says the teams spend too long at the track and bring too many people. Changes to the sporting regulations will reduce the time available to work on the cars and restrict the changes a team can make during the weekend. The car that rolls into scrutineering on Friday must be the car that races on Sunday. Teams can still test new bits in free practice, but can’t race them on the same weekend.
The rules allow for the engines to weight more and ban expensive materials to reduce cost. Ironically, leaving the engine formula as it is now is probably one of the few changes that will reduce costs, at least for the engine manufacturers. The manufacturers also have to supply the latest spec engine and software packages to customers (if they’re willing to pay), which should please McLaren.
Teams can only perform 400 wind tunnel runs in 2021, dropping to 324 during subsequent seasons.
Parts Sharing
Wheel guns, like the wheels themselves, will be standardised across the teams, but that does mean some teams will have to stump up for more gear.
Teams can also share the load of designing DRS mechanisms, brakes and steering wheels and these are known as open source parts. Which is clever but one wonders if they’ll collaborate. F1 teams are famously silly when dealing with each other. Silly? I meant childish.
Penalties
The most confusing thing for most punters are all the grid penalties. Because the power units are stupidly complex, they break and a driver cops a penalty. The gearboxes have to last forever and break, so the driver cops a penalty. In F1 2021, a set of brakes has to last the entire weekend, so if the team changes them, penalty.
F1 needs fewer, not more penalties. And V10 engines again, but that’s another story.
Safety
For the third time that I can remember, the teams have to increase the size of the cockpit so bigger drivers can fit. That’s less about safety and more about variety – look up Nigel Mansell McLaren 1995. The structure itself will be beefed up to further protect the driver and the halo will stay. Charles Leclerc will be pleased.
A longer nose will absorb more energy in a crash. The nose is lower, like the lovely looking cars of the mid-90s.
Some parts must be covered in a rubber membrane to stop them shattering into a zillion pieces. These pieces are carbon fibre, so are super sharp and cut tyres. Larger bits end up in radiators, stuck in wing elements and radiators. Occasionally a driver gets clobbered by an aero part shearing off on a kerb strike.
More parts have to be tethered to stop them flying about in a crash, too.
Will it work?
Apart from safety, which is non-negotiable, I hope that if only one more thing survives – and actually works – is the aero change. According to F1’s own numbers, the rule changes will make the racing far closer.
Nobody really cares about standard parts or engine penalties. What F1 2021 needs is excitement. It needs more than two title contenders. It needs more fun.
The 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S might be the eighth-generation 911 but it’s the first time Peter Anderson has driven one.
Like the Lotus Elise, the 911 is a car I have only ever admired from afar. Almost everybody I’ve ever met has at least had a ride in one or a mate had one who let him drive it. It wasn’t until 2017 that I had the chance to ride in one – a 991 Targa around, of all places, Circuit Paul Ricard. He wasn’t pushing very hard and got rounded up by, well, everything.
But it’s now 2019 and we’ve got a new 911, the 992. Lots of new technology, new cabin, changes, changes, changes.
This isn’t going to be one of those self-indulgent, “Ah, yes, but is it still a 911?” stories. I’m not qualified to tell you that.
I am qualified to tell you if it stands up against the best from Germany and Britain, whether it’s a match for an Audi R8, an M850i or maybe a McLaren 540C. So let’s get cracking.
Look and Feel
Okay, there is a bit where I can tell you if it’s a 911. There is no other car on earth that looks anything like it and this one, I think, is extremely difficult to fault. Almost impossible, actually.
The 996 was the nadir – flabby-looking with those awful headlights, the world’s obsession with it is endlessly mystifying to me. The 992 is the best modern iteration since the lithe 993. To my eyes, anyway – everyone has a strong opinion about the 911 and you’re entirely welcome to be wrong, I mean, you know what I mean.
The 992 takes back the clean look of the 993. The full width light bar at the rear is fantastic, as is the high-level stop lights integrated into the grille. The wing sits flush into the rear section and the badging is just right. The clean lines of the bumper and the huge exhausts flanking the number plate really work.
In profile there’s a lovely curve from A-pillar to tail and the 20-inch wheels are just right. And the front is a cleaner version of the 991, which was almost there. Add in the funky four LED daytime running lights and you’ve got a proper, 21st-century design. Yes, it’s way bigger but it seems like it has taken almost 25 years for the 911 to work out how to carry its girth.
The interior is – thankfully – devoid of the button festival of the 991. Regular Redline co-pilot Mark Dewar says he prefers the button explosion, but I am not a fan.
The Porsche PCM system runs on the huge central screen and the dash is the traditional five dial layout. Like the Cayenne, you can’t see the dials on the edges so they don’t have to tell you much. One thing I can’t get anybody to like – including me – is the weird shifter paddle thing poking out of the dash like a toddler’s tongue.
It’s all beautifully built – more so than the Cayenne, which is a bit ordinary – but everything fits just right and looks the business. The rear seats are ludicrous, but they’re there for emergencies. I crammed one bloke in who is maybe 175cm and he wasn’t super-pleased. He forgot about it when I gave it a boot full.
Chassis
The bad news is that the 992 is 55kg heavier. The good news comes in two parts.
Firstly, there’s even more aluminium in this car, with steel now making up just 30 percent of the body. That’s down by over half. Most of the body parts are aluminium and the extra 20mm is mostly at the front to house a new crash structure. It’s worth the flab for more safety, I reckon – these things are damn fast and things can go wrong.
All 911s are now wide bodied, with an extra 45mm accommodating a wider track, which is an excellent thing.
For the first time in a 911, the front and rear wheel sizes are different. The front rolls on 20-inch wheels wrapped in 245/35s at the front. The rears are massive 21-inch units with 305/30s. If you don’t tick any boxes, the factory-fit tyres are Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersports, which are the tyres I had. Box-fresh they were, too.
You can choose either Michelins or Pirellis from the factory. It would be very interesting to see those numbers.
The car I drove also had Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, which Porsche says has active roll stabilisation and the rather vague “enhanced agility”. As you have to also tick the rear-axle steering box to get this, I had that too. I would suggest you tick at least one of these – the four-wheel steer is brilliant.
The Sport Chrono package throws in active engine mounts, a Mercedes C63S-like mode-switching dial on the steering wheel; individual driving mode in addition to Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus; throttle blipping on the downshift; PSM Sport mode; Track Precision App (didn’t use it) and launch control. Do get this option, too.
My car had the standard steel brakes because the carbon ceramics would be utterly ludicrous. The rears are 330mm while the fronts are whoppers at 350mm.
Drivetrain
This is the second part of the good news.
Here in the S, the 991.2’s 3.0-litre twin turbo stays, but now with more power and torque. The engineers shifted the engine further forwards and the mounting points further apart to make it less rear-engine-ey and more mid-engine-ey.
Power is up by 22kW (30PS) to 331kW (450PS). 0-100km/h arrives in 3.6 seconds (0.1 quicker than the Carrera 2), nearly half a second quicker than the 991.
The increase in the engine’s figures come courtesy of bigger turbochargers with cast intake manifolds, new intakes, new piezo injectors that are more controllable and bigger charge air coolers under the grille where they’re supposed to work better. The air filters are now wrapped in the rear guards.
The Sport Chrono Package drops 0.2 seconds off the standard 4S’ 0-100km/h time.
Power reaches all four wheels via an eight-speed PDK transmission. It’s interesting to see Porsche doing this – my immediate thought was, “Why not go with the ZF eight-speed?” but
a) the purists would lose their minds and
b) I don’t think it would fit the 911’s unique installation.
With an extra gear to play with, first is shorter than the 991’s seven-speeder and eighth longer than the old car’s seventh. If you’re giving it a hiding, there is also a fast-shift program which I can tell you works a treat.
The new gearbox is also designed to go with the new hybrid powertrains destined for the 911, so that’s going to be interesting.
Other things of note on this car were the sports exhaust system, which made it a little bit more vocal when switched into higher modes. Not sure if it was worth the extra, but there you are.
As for those modes, you have Wet, Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. Amusingly, when the car works out it’s wet, it suggests switching to Wet mode. That’s kind of cute, even if the message is a bit passive-aggressive.
What Did I Do With the 992 911 Carrera 4S?
I have to be careful here. As I write this, the real reason I had the car has to remain a bit of secret. No, really. I can’t wait to see the end result, though and for you to see it too. I’ll post a story when it’s ready.
So here’s how the day went. 4:30am start, drive to Sydney Motorsport Park (SMP). It was dark and cold (for Sydney), but it was dry. Wait around for sunrise, clean the car up, straight out on to the main straight for some high speed runs.
Then we drove back through the under-track tunnel to the relatively new layout of the South Circuit. The day I was there coincided with an EV industry day. While I was haring around in a 3.0-litre turbo flat-six, Teslas and Leafs and all sorts of EVs whirred around the rest of the track.
The South Circuit is a pure delight – it’s basically all corners, with a very short pitlane and pit straight. I grew to love it in the way I don’t really love the main circuit. It has all of the good bits of Eastern Creek without the scary bits.
And after a day with the track pretty much to myself and another 911 (a 991.2 T), I drove home, arriving just before 9pm. A seriously long day.
High Speed Runs
What did it do as soon as I lined up for my first run? It started raining. Those of you who know about SMP know that Turn One is a) very fast (and I was treating it as run-off) and b) dreadful in the wet because there’s standing water everywhere. I was the only person on the track, so there was nobody to clear the water.
It didn’t just rain. It poured. On the first run I just floored it in Sport Plus. The engine bellowed, there was the tiniest of squirms from the rear tyres and we were off. The 911 doesn’t gather speed, it sucks it up as though dragging it in from the air around it. Triple figures appear almost in an instant.
That’s cool, though, I’m “used” to that from other cars. Every car has its own power delivery, but the 911’s is something else again in this turbo era, feeling more like a naturally-aspirated car apart from the burps and whooshes.
The thing that really got me was at turn one. Despite a wet track and the knowledge I was running out of straight road, the change of direction was instant. Combined with all-wheel steer, the car was totally settled. Scarily well settled, actually. The way it turned in gave me a little fright because I wondered if the rear was going to come around (you know how all 911s do that, right?). But it didn’t. By the time I reached the pit blend line, I was able to turn around and do it again and again and again.
The grip in the wet, even on the Goodyears, was phenomenal. And the fact it could blat through 170km/h without drama on a soaking wet track had me shaking my head on every run. Amazing.
The South Circuit
The rest of the day was spent on the South Circuit, with a couple of sounding runs through the tunnel under the track that leads to the pit paddock, just for fun.
The track was drying by then, but there was still plenty of standing water around and some very wet kerbs. Obviously, Sport Plus was the mode I stuck with. Binning a brand new 911 at a race track would have been disappointing for a very large number of people. Chiefly, Porsche Australia, I should imagine, but also the 50-strong film crew there to film me cutting laps.
It’s a grand thing to have a racetrack largely to yourself for a day. The secret project involved filming the car at all speeds, so I got to play with the car. Clipping kerbs (at low speed), different lines, looking for grip. It’s hugely adjustable, even in the Carrera 4 version. It’s so obviously rear-biased it barely needs mentioning, but it also reminds the mouth-breathers that all-wheel drive doesn’t have to feel like it’s on rails.
One shot called for a big tail wag out of a hairpin and the car duly delivered with a fair amount of provocation. What’s even more impressive is how much rope it gave me before gently gathering it all up again. Some systems intervene with a guillotine, this was a far more soft-edged approach, with none of the awkwardness that goes with the dropping blade.
During a day of being absolutely hammered, the brakes never gave up. The South Circuit is hard on brakes – lots of corners, a few of them downhill and given the 911’s propensity to hit warp speed, they were sorely tested despite the lack of long straights.
But what my brain kept coming back to was the way it changes direction – the four-wheel steer certainly helps, but its ability to go left and right, to handle that awkward downhill left-hander. I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t spend the money for a car that’s so gloriously pointy but without the instability.
Redline Recommendation – I Get It.
And then, I drove it home. The tyres were fine after a day’s hammering, the car comfortable and warm and I had some lovely quiet tunes playing on Apple CarPlay to reduce my heart rate and dilute the adrenaline. It had been a huge day but the 992 911 took it all in its stride.
I’ve said it before – good cars stick in your head, but great cars get into your bones. I had pretty much everything but snow to deal with in the 911 and it was ready for more. It’s a massive achievement that few of its ilk can match – ferocious power with a delicate on-road experience that would keep my mother happy.
The Mercedes-AMG C63S has become an absolute icon for Mercedes – instantly recognisable by its signature V8 bark. The 2019 update knocks off a few rough edges but stays true to its roots.
I have a confession to make – I had never driven a C63S before this year. I had always wanted to, especially the legendary 6.3-litre original. My first run was at the Bathurst 12 Hour on the car’s local launch. But I wanted more. So Mercedes let me have it again for a week to get better acquainted.
But first, some things you probably didn’t know. The C63S is the only one we get in Australia – Benz reckons local buyers will screw up their nose at the lower version and go straight to the fastest one. It’s the fastest-selling AMG in the country, faster even than the much cheaper farty-pants A45 or even the SUV-based GLC63.
So this is a very important car. The very mildly facelifted W205 AMG C63S can’t just be good, it has to be better.
The facelift is pretty easy to spot if you’re a Mercedes person but is otherwise very calm. One of an alleged 6500 parts, there’s a new grille called the Panamericana. The heavily-slatted piece first appeared on the GT, then the GLC63 and now the C. It looks pretty good and it’s nice that it’s finding its way on to the 63 cars.
The car is largely unchanged, with the panels all staying the same because there’s no point in changing, I guess. I really like the way the rear lights fit flush in the curvy panel work but it’s otherwise a very conservative design. The standard 19s look good, with red brake callipers peeking out from behind and if you go for the hugely expensive carbon ceramic brakes, you get a golden caliper effect.
The cabin is same-old C-Class. I don’t like this era of design to look at but the detailing is mostly nice. I like the open-pore wood (hello the to the YouTube commenter who says that this isn’t a thing – it is) and the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel is superb, especially with the new selector dials like a manettino on a Ferrari 488. Less superb is the satin finish on the metal-look bits, it just doesn’t look good.
COMAND screen is big and clear.Brilliant front seatsNaff perforated speaker covers.Doubly naff clock
The seats are spectacular – they feel underpadded at first but then as you get going, it all falls into place. Less spectacular are the horrible silver perforated speaker covers and the silly IWC-branded analogue clock in the dash.
The 10.25-inch screen screwed in above the vents runs the latest version of Mercedes’ COMAND system, which is getting better over time and features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get a wireless charging pad, sat nav, leather everything, power everything and plenty of other toys.
You can get the C63S in four body styles – the sedan I drove, a cabriolet, wagon (oh, yes please) or the coupe.
Drivetrain
Digital dash
AMG’s amazing 4.0-litre twin-turbo provides the thrust, with 375kW (510PS) and 700Nm. It’s a belter of an engine and it’s in almost two dozen scary-fast Mercedes cars.
In the C63 S, max power is available between 5500 and 6250rpm and torque from 2000 to 4500rpm.
New for the 2019 model is the nine-speed MCT transmission. While MCT stands for multi-clutch transmission, it’s not a twin clutch like…er…just about everybody else. Like a motorbike’s gearbox, the clutches sit in an oil bath. The new transmission, Mercedes says, provides faster response and is also lighter than the old seven-speed unit. While BMW M and Audi RS are moving to the eight-speed ZF in their V8s, Mercedes is sticking with this clever-clogs transmission.
The sedan will smack 100km/h in four seconds, the cabriolet and wagon a tenth slower and the coupe slightly quicker. All will charge on to a top speed of 300km/h which is hilarious (and a claim I didn’t test, if you’re wondering) and mildly scary.
Between the rear wheels you will find a tricky electronic diff that ensures plenty of smiles in RACE mode. You can dial up a set amount of slip in the C63S via the steering wheel dial, which is hugely entertaining and new for the facelift.
Chassis
One of the big complaints about the old car was the ride. When I drove this car back in January for Carsguide, the usual mouth-breathers pitched in to tell me the ride was fine. It was not. Most owners put up with it because they had bought a sports car. But even with adaptive damping, it was hard work. As competitors got their ride in order, AMG came to the party to smooth things out a bit. In Comfort mode, at least.
AMG has softened both springs and dampers to knock the edges and harshness off the C63’s ride. It certainly isn’t soft, but sometimes dialling things back a bit might drop a tenth off a lap time, but you’ll get it back in confidence.
The C63 S rolls on a gorgeous alloys and a lovely set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, with 255/35s on the 19-inch front hoops and 285/30s wrapped around 20s on the rear.
The standard brakes are what AMG confusingly calls “composite”, which means a steel disc and aluminium centre, the latter helping to reduce unsprung weight. The front discs are a whopping 390mm. You can spot when someone has spent the cash on carbon ceramics – the standard red callipers are replaced with golden ones. They actually look alright…
The rear diff features electronic locking, which as we discovered on the Giulia, doesn’t always guarantee predictability. The 2019 changes include a new Dynamics menu that brings a whole heap of new options to play with, but to boil it down, it really just means you can dial up how far sideways you go. Let’s be honest, it’s an AMG.
Driving
As you might expect – and as is already well-established – AMG engines dominate the driving experience. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo is already legendary and even those who hanker for the old 6.3 are only doing it to be perverse.
The power and torque seem permanently available. Any flex of the right foot delivers a commensurate delivery of power, like a volume knob. Not many twin turbo engines can manage the kind of response you get from this unit.
Little twitch – little shove.
Floor it – everything goes blurry. The BMW straight-six and the Audi V6s are brilliant, but they’re finer, sharper tools. The AMG V8 is an absolute brute and the sound is colossal. Just, please, if you get one, turn down the exhaust at night – it’s window-rattlingly loud.
I’d always viewed the C63 as more of a dragster than the M3 or RS4/RS5, but that’s unfair. The Merc is terrific fun to throw around and in a few ways betters both of those other cars (the new M3 is a long way away, so we’re talking F10 here).
The AMG feels permanently planted but you can, at any time, decide to transfer some rubber to the road with the twist of a dial. Dialling up RACE rolls back the electro-nannies and the C63S transforms from a tied-down – albeit characterfully obnoxious – sports sedan into a proper muscle car.
You need to be awake, too. While the front end grip is truly excellent, too much throttle and you’ll get a pretty decent angle. It’s all completely catchable – and hugely fun – but that’s where you remember what the C63 is famous for – being utterly lairy. It’s a proper thug.
You pummel corners into submission with the C63 and the brakes are phenomenal. A good afternoon’s hammering failed to overwhelm them. Similarly, there’s just enough compliance to help keep you going where you want to go on the bumpy stuff without unsettling you or the car.
How much?
It’s worth remember that Australia only has the C63 S – we don’t get the lesser spec because Mercedes figures nobody will buy it and there’s mountains of evidence that’s correct.
The C63S sedan starts at $159,900, rising to $162,400 for the wagon, $164,900 for the coupe and $182,900 for the cabriolet.
It comes stacked with gear, including fully digital dash with telemetry pack, 13-speaker stereo system, auto LED headlights with active high beam control, active cruise control, auto wipers, head up display and Nappa leather.
Safety – 5 Star ANCAP
The five star ANCAP safety rating comes from nine airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, reverse cross traffic alert, slippery surface mode, driver attention detection, blind spot warning, brake assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, around-view camera and traffic sign recognition. You also get two ISOFIX and three top-tether anchor points.
Redline Recommendation
Oh, it’s a belter, this car. While it’s not my personal choice, it’s very, very tempting. That bellowing V8, the hilarious RACE mode and the improved every day usability makes it super-compelling. Get the sedan or wagon though, the coupe is a waste and the cabriolet ridiculous.
It’s hugely fast and on track would be sideways, tyre-melting hoot. So is it better? Oh, yes.
This article is out of date – click here for Australian pricing and spec for the 2020 BMW M2 CS.
The 2020 BMW M2 CS is the M2 Competition with even more power, cool aero and the option of a six-speed manual. Get out of the way everyone, this car is bound to be awesome.
The M2 is the car I reckon heralded the return of BMW M’s sense of humour. It sparked something at M. The M4 CS quickly followed and it too was awesome. I once had a long text discussion with my wife about the relative merits of the M2 and M4 CS and their tyres – she’s not a speed demon but was taken with both of them. Great steering, agile, hilarious.
Then came the M2 Competition. The Comp scored more power courtesy of the S55 from the M4, de-tuned to 302kW and a nifty 550Nm. It also came with a carbon strut brace that made the front end of the car even more pointy. It’s brilliant.
Anyway. M threatened more and here it is – the M2 CS.
2020 BMW M2 CS
BMW says the CS is the result of a number of motorsport-inspired enhancements and there’s an M2 race series coming (in Europe, obviously).
As with the M4 CS, the name implies a lightweight version. And lighter it is, with a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) roof, a new bonnet, front and rear splitter and a Gurney flap on the bootlid. Not sure if all of those things are CFRP or straight carbon fibre, but the strut brace is definitely CFRP.
Its engine is the S55 twin-turbo straight-six, but now with a knee-trembling 331kW. It will never not be funny that the lower-powered N55 was axed because it didn’t meet emissions targets.
There’s a new exhaust which BMW says sounds better (and let’s hope so). The new bonnet also lets the hot air escape faster and compared to the M2 Competition and there are some detail changes to the oil setup.
And – hold on to your hats – you can get a six-speed manual as an alternative to the seven-speed twin-clutch. I drove a manual M2 a few years ago and it was glorious. With a stack of extra power, this one should be terrifyingly good fun.
M says that the new M Dynamic Mode will allows “more significant oversteer and understeer…[and] moderate, controlled drifts.” Moderate drifts. Sure. It’s going to be quite lairy because the other M2s are too.
0-100km/h will be over in 4.0 seconds in the DCT and 4.2 with the manual. Top speed is a limited 280km/h.
Look and Feel
BMW M2 CS cockpit / BMW M2 CS interior / BMW M2 CS
Inside there’s a ton of Alcantara, a carbon fibre centre console and some proper M seats. A few bits of carbon fibre – okay, door pulls and door trim – complete the upgraded interior. It’s still not a classic, but there’s nothing wrong with it.
The Misano Blue in the pictures is spectacular and that CFRP roof (first for an M2) looks pretty good. Those Y-spoke front and rear wheels measure 19-inches in diameter and you can have them in high-gloss black or go full Colin McRae with the blue paint and optional gold finish.
How much and when?
It’ll be here in mid-2020 and full price and spec details will obviously arrive before then. I bet if you ask nicely, a BMW dealer will take your money for a deposit.
Peter Anderson takes on the new 2020 Audi A1 range which is now available here in Australia.
When I were a lad, many moons ago, you wouldn’t dream of a premium German manufacturer selling a small car. Just not on. Which is kind of silly, really, because that’s what they did in their home markets when they got going again after World War II.
In 2010 Audi released their first small hatchback. It was the undeniably pretty A1, made to go up against BMW’s Mini and Merc’s Smart ForFour which was a Mitsubishi Colt.
Almost a decade later, we have the second-generation A1. Bigger and heavier, it’s also got a fresh look inside and out. To tackle the Mini, though, it’s going to have to be good to drive. Whatever you think of the Mini’s looks (and very existence), it’s good fun.
2020 Audi A1 30 TFSI
2020 Audi A1 30 TFSI
Let’s start at the bottom, shall we? The 30 TFSI is the range-opener and packs a 1.0-litre turbo triple. It spins up a reasonable 85kW and better-than-expected 200Nm. All A1s are front-wheel drive and in the 30, you get a seven-speed twin-clutch.
You know what? It’s fun. While the car I drove in Tasmania was on the 17-inch wheel and tyre package, it rides the best of the lot of them and despite lacking grunt, is tremendous fun. You won’t stay with too many cars – although 9.4 seconds is a respectable 0-100km/h sprint – but the steering and suspension are just right.
There isn’t a great deal of feedback, but you can get the wee beastie up to speed and enjoy threading it through corners to see what it will do. It has bucketloads of grip meaning you can really carry a lot of speed through the twisty bits. I didn’t think Tasmania was the place to launch this car, but I was wrong.
In normal driving, there’s plenty of ride comfort and not much noise both in town and at speed. The engine is really quiet too and zings happily to the redline making a distant gravelly three-cylinder growl.
I was quite taken with it. The thing about the 30 is that it doesn’t feel like an entry-level machine. A few well-spent dollars – LED headlights, for instance – bring it
2020 Audi A1 35 TFSI
2020 Audi A1 35 TFSI
More power, bigger wheels and tyres, more stuff and more options. The 35 TFSI is the middle ground, adding more options to the mix along with a bit more pep. Well, it’s sort of the middle ground – at $35,290, it’s only $2940 more than the 30 TFSI for all the extra gear.
It’s very much like the 30 – tons of grip, smooth and heaps of fun in the corners. The only problem is that the steering doesn’t work as well as on the 30. Chatting with my colleagues and we decided it was something to do with the tyre construction allied with not-so-chatty steering.
It’s still a heck of a lot of fun and extra power never ever goes astray (unless it’s a Bugatti Chiron, in which case it’s stupid) but it doesn’t have the feel of the 30.
2020 Audi 40 TFSI
2020 Audi A1 40 TFSI
Yep, this is the quick one. The old 170kW S1 quattro was a hoot, but this isn’t a direct replacement. With 147kW and a 320Nm whack of torque, you’ve heaps to go on with, though.
Part of the justification for the big price jump (apart from the wallop of extra gear) is adjustable damping. As ever, the dampers tighten up when you switch to the Sport mode in Audi Drive Select, and. then you’ve got something of a weapon on your hands.
Stickier tyres on the 18-inch wheels help but, unlike the 35TFSI, the steering works really well with the tyres. Sport adds some weight to the wheel – which would help in the 35 – swinging the dial back in the 40’s favour.
There is even more grip, too, breeding ever more confidence as you fire the 40 through the bends. It corners like a proper hot hatch and I reckon all it needs is a manual transmission to make it even more fun.
That engine is super smooth as it is in every other Audi. The power comes on with the revs and it will even pop-and-bang a bit, especially when you lift off in a lower gear. It could be a bit more raucous, but it’s still a “normal” Audi.
And in everyday driving, it feels as docile as the 30, with an easygoing comfort mode (skip Eco, it’s too soft) or you can dial up your own settings in Individual.
You’re paying big bucks for the 40, but every extra dollar over the 35 adds a ton of gear and a truckload of laughs.
So which one?
30, 40, 35…
Well, the 40 is the best A1 you can buy, that’s easy. But if you can’t stretch to $46,450, it’s a bit harder. The 35 TFSI is very good but the 30 is more fun to drive. So if you spend a few bucks on the right options, you’ve got tons of fun and you’ve saved a few bucks.
I was hugely impressed with the A1 range. I like the old car but it was really old. With the latest MQB, a good range of engines and an excellent chassis no matter which one you pick, it’s a proper rebirth for Audi’s smallest car.
The new 2020 Audi A1 has finally made its way here to Australia. It might be small, but it heralds a massive new product push for the German brand.
It’s hard to believe but the original A1 arrived in 2010, a whole decade ago. It was a long time coming since BMW had been in the small car game with Mini for ages.
Now for 2020 we have three A1s to choose from and they come with a stack of gear, with pricing kicking off at $32,350.
Audi has split the range with its three engine specifications, the 30, 35 and 40.
[table id=46 /]
2020 Audi A1 30 TFSI2020 Audi A1 35 TFSI2020 Audi A1 40 TFSI
For $32,350 you’ll score yourself the 30TFSI. That seems like a lot, because it is, but you can’t get a Mercedes or BMW this cheap, can you? Powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo you get 16-inch alloys, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, auto headlights and wipers, cloth seats and a leather steering wheel. The dash is a new digital dashboard that isn’t Virtual Cockpit but is 10.25-inches. Audi seems to have ditched analogue clocks.
The 8.8-inch touch screen hosts MMI radio plus with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Charging includes 2 USB ports, 1 USB-A and one USB-C.
You can also add Style Packages for $2990. It’s worth it (well, almost) just for the LED headlights, but you get 17-inch wheels, interior lighting package and heated-folding-electrically adjustable mirrors.
2020 Audi A1 35 TFSI
For $35,290 ($2940 more) you step into a 35TFSI powered by a 1.5-litre turbo four. Upgrades fromt the 30 include 17-inch alloys, keyless entry and start, different cloth trim and headlining, power mirrors, Qi wireless charging pad and a front centre armrest.
The $2990 Style package 2 is also available with LED headlights, 18-inch alloys, interior lighting package and heated-folding-electrically adjustable mirrors. Package 1 has an LED colour lighting package and the cool 7-spoke rotor design 18-inch alloys and is the same price.
A Technik Package ($3200) is available on the 35TFSI, adding MMI Navigation, Virtual Cockpit instrument pack, Audi Connect Plus, Audi sound system, luggage compartment package and wireless Apple CarPlay. You can spec LED headlights separately.
And finally, the $46,450 40TFSI. It’s a big jump, but it comes with 18-inch alloys, S-Line exterior pacakge, LED headlights and taillights, dual-zone climate control, sport suspension with dynamic damping, red brake calipers, interior lighting package, heated rear vision mirrors, sport front seats and the full-house 10.25-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit.
The MMI screen jumps to 10.1-inches and features Audi Connect Plus and navigation. Along with the wireless charging pad you also get wireless Apple CarPlay, which is awesome.
There is the usual long list of options. Special paint is $450, metallic is $990, the contrasting black roof is $890, the black package for $790, various cloth upgrades between $280 and $500 and whatever is in each package can, for the most part, come on its own for a price.
Safety
Audi has gone to town with safety on the A1. Like most cars at this level you get six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls. Audi has thrown in forward AEB and collision warning (which they call pre-sense front) and lane departure warning with lane keep assist.
Drivetrains
[table id=47 /]
The 30TFSI is Audi’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo, offering 85kW and a very respectable 200Nm. That delivers you a 0-100km/h time of 9.4 seconds, which isn’t bad for such a small engine. The official combined cycle figure is 5.4L/100km.
2020 Audi A1 35 TFSI
Stepping up to the 35TFSI nets you a fourth cylinder and another half a litre to bring the capacity to 1.5-litres. Power rises significantly to 110kW and torque jumps to 250Nm. That lops 1.7 seconds off the sprint to 100km/h and fuel use is only up to 5.8L/100km.
The 1.0-litre and 1.5 deliver power to the front wheels via a seven-speed twin clutch (Audi calls DSG S tronic).
2020 Audi A1 40 TFSI
The top of the range 40TFSI boasts a 2.0-litre TFSI packs 147kW and a nice chunky 320Nm. 0-100km/h comes up in 6.5 seconds, which is heading towards hot hatch territory. Instead of the seven-speed, the 40 loses a gear and ships with a six-speed twin clutch.
Look and Feel
2020 Audi A1 40 TFSI2020 Audi A1 35 TFSI2020 Audi A1 40 TFSI
The new A1 is bigger than before – Audi says it’s “one size up”, so think Volkswagen Polo rather than slightly bigger than a VW up!. It’s now 4.03m, up by 56mm, still 1.74m wide and 1.41m tall. The wheelbase is longer too, at 2.56mm.
It’s chunky boy and I like it. I really like the ur-Quattro reference in nose as well as the big grille. Everything is nicely proporitioned on the A1 and even in basic 30TFSI guise without all the bits, it looks good. The LED daytime running lights are especially cool and I like the way the light lenses are flush and shapely.
Ur-Quattro style snoutThe LED DRLs are a winnerOnly the 40 has visible exhausts
It’s new dash design is really different to the old car. The first A1 had those circular air vents that made the dash look like it was – and my wife said this – sporting a pair of breasts. It was a pretty interior.
The dash is dominated by big vents either side of the instrument cluster and in front of the passenger. The top of the dash is flat but if you look down on it, shaped a bit like the TT’s wing-inspired dash. A big touchscreen is built into the dash, too, instead of sticking out of it, which I much prefer. Like the A7 and A8, the screens go deep black when they’re off but look amazing when they’re on.
2020 Audi A1 Interior with 10.1-inch MMI screen2020 Audi A1 Interior with sport seatsLots of air outlets
Thing is, though, it feels like a design meant for a bigger car. I liked it at first, but a day behind the wheel did bring home its visual weight. No big deal, it’s not overpowering.
From some angles – and this might be colour sensitive – the S-Line package looks a little overwrought, but I’ve only seen it in that blue and yellow you can see in these pages.
Rear headroom rises by 7mm, shoulder room by 26mm and headroom by 29mm, meaning the back seat is a bit more comfortable for actual real humans.
It’s got a 335 litre boot. That’s…quite big.With Virtual Cockpit…and wireless charging…There’s a lot of the S-Line package…
There are cup holders front and rear and bottle holders in the front doors. The boot is a very impressive 335 litres and when you drop both sides of the 60/40 split rear seat, you’ll have 1090 litres.
When?
Now. Get on it.
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