AUDI R8 - INGOLSTADT'S IDEAS REFINED by John Crawford

I am contemplating whether the term ‘supercar’ has credibility anymore.

Because of wealthy Australians’ penchant for having the latest, flashiest and most expensive toy cars we are well-served Down Under for high-performance sports cars.

We might only have one or two Paganis on the road but we’re a bit knee-deep in Ferraris, Lambos, Aston Martins, Porsches and McLarens. A dime a dozen? Not, quite, but they’re not exactly rare in Oz.

Then, of course, the Supercars title gets attached to a ridiculous motor racing series where we are expected to believe that everyday brand names - Ford and Holden - are lining up for victory laurels, when in fact it’s just a silly silhouette series where the only real differences between the cars are the engines, general shape and badges.

So, as I give back the Audi R8 – often referred to as a ‘supercar’ – the question springs to mind, what exactly is super about this expensive, rear-engined relative to the original Beetle?

That’s right, if you put the basic specs down on paper, there’s no difference between the R8 and the Peoples’ Car – except that the humble Volkswagen could at least carry four people.

Now that’s being churlish, and perhaps stretching the family connection through the Piëch and Porsche dynasty, but AUD$295,000 is not lunch money for a new car. However, there is some good news on the financial front, because for 2021 Audi dropped the price and made the RWD R8 a permanent member of its sports car catalogue.

Don’t bother yourself with specs and performance, because the R8 has everything you need to show off, go fast, and in this country get yourself a speeding ticket quick as dammit!

The forerunner to today’s R8 was the Audi Le Mans Quattro Concept, revealed at the Geneva Salon in 2003. Interesting that the press kit photos feature only one man with the concept car – then Audi CEO Martin Winterkorn.

The ‘real’ designers were Frank Lamberty and Julian Hoenig, but apparently when the press kit was being prepared Winterkorn said he wanted only photos of himself with the car! A Big Man? Maybe not.

The production car appeared in late 2005 (as a 2006 model) and, so far, Audi has sold 46,000 R8s of all types worldwide, which if you average it is about 3100 cars a year - a decent number. It has maintained its popularity with high performance sports car buyers because of the integrity of its design, performance and reliability. You can also buy an open-air model and an all-wheel drive version, and there is even a GT3 racing derivative.

Despite a 15-year model run it doesn’t share the longevity of Porsche’s legendary 911 – but it’s still a pretty impressive result.

I know a little about the gestation of the 5.2-litre V10 engine because, at one point in the planning stages of the Bentley Continental GT, we were vying for the right to use the power-plant.

However, Audi insisted the V10 would be used only by it, and its then-new Italian subsidiary – Lamborghini. Actually, there is another strong link to the cars from Sant’Agata Bolognese.

The R8’s platform was shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo, and it’s now also the baseplate for the Huracan. And that’s not a bad addition to the R8’s bloodline.

Okay, enough about the family tree and the bloody relatives, what do we get for the money? Close to 400kW at full song of 7800 revs, but the 340Nm of torque doesn’t kick in until 6500.

Still, that’s enough to knock off the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.7 seconds. When you’re behind the wheel with your foot flat it’s a bloody marvellous experience! As you’d expect, the throaty roar from the ten cylinders is impressive, and the changes from the 7-speed DSG transmission are snappy and slick.

 

So, what about the handling? Who could say this car was a ‘dud’ in this department? With its pin-sharp response from the brilliant electric steering, and its overall high adhesion levels, it’s easy to focus on the apex and power through with absolute confidence.

During my drive there was enough rain to make the aggregate road surface greasy and, given its power, the tail flicked out a couple of times. So it needed total concentration but, hey, it’s rear-wheel drive and not quattro. You have to expect it’s going to occasionally be a handful.

 

I have to say it’s not the most comfortable ‘supercar’ I’ve driven. Although the damping feels well controlled, it’s really too taut for comfort. I left the R8 with the feeling I’ll have to report to Les, my Mustang-owning dentist, to get my bridges glued back in – because they felt like they were chattering free from my jaw.

On a perfect surface, the R8 is – well, perfect. However, the secondary ride is rubbish and you begin to question just what the R8 is good for. Well, I had to counsel my good mate, Paul Gover – and we decided that probably this RWD version would make an ideal track day car.

So, only for weekends? Probably. Yep, although it potters about the traffic with little fuss, I could imagine it would be a very useful tool for a weekend track day warrior.

The cabin and general interior design and finish is excellent, and subtly tailored. The 550-watt Bowers and Wilkins sound system is superb, and the Napa leather-covered seats are very comfortable.

So, the R8 RWD offers supercar performance, an (apparently) good value pricetag, and the quality that goes with owning an Audi.

According to the registration data for 2020 and YTD 2021, sales are steady and in double digits, but remember this is not a shopping trolley – it’s only bought by people serious about performance, and maybe they got a good annual bonus.

Now, is the R8 profitable for Audi? A friend from the highest echelons of the VW Group says 'probably not' - it is merely the down payment on the cost of establishing Audi as a brand with sporting credentials.

The R8 has plenty of competition in the rarefied air of the high-performance sports segment, but it has the street cred to hold its head high anyway.

John Crawford

SUBARU FORESTER SPORT - KEEPING EYESIGHT ON THE ROAD by Paul Gover

Bathurst on a Supercars weekend is not the right time or place for a Subaru Forester.

The rolling pastoral land around Australia’s first major inland town, traced back to 1817, is fine and dandy for touring and visiting in one of the world’s very first crossovers, but Mount Panorama is still sacred ground for the people who worship homegrown Aussie V8 muscle.

 

Thankfully, even the sporty-ish Forester Sport - laden with bling and tech, despite sitting in the middle of the current Forester line-up - is so unremarkable that it’s easy to hide in any of the parking lots sprinkled around the circuit for the start of the 2021 touring car championship season.

 

Actually, finding it after the racing was one of the tougher jobs each day . . . 

 

The Forester was not in Bathurst to race, or even spectate at the racing, but at the end of a long-distance test of its suitability for a modern family that likes to drive.

The mid-sized Subaru sits in one of today’s SUV hotspots, without actually ticking the boxes for a lot of the families who are drawn to the class.

 

It’s more like an old-school station wagon than a big boxy 2021 SUV, although it has grown a lot since Subaru first realised there was a growing demand for an Impreza wagon that packed more space inside a bigger body without increasing the overall footprint.

 

The Forester has always been a sweet ride, and the new one is no different. And it still has Subaru’s signature all-wheel drive system, which means it is fine for bush tracks and the beach on weekends.

 

It’s easy to live with, ticks the right boxes for long-distance driving, has the right amount of space for a 2+2 family, and has all the traditional strengths - quality, quietness and comfort - that have allowed Subaru to over-perform in Australia, for decades - measured against its global sales.

 

The other good think about the Forester is the Eyesight safety system, which packages all of the latest driver-assist technologies - from auto safety braking to lane-keep assistance - under a single banner.

The stereo cameras at the heart of the system are a bit too prominent for my liking, set either side of the rear-view mirror, but I know from the smaller XV model that they will shrink and improve over time.

 

When I first came to the Forester Sport I liked the look of the black alloy wheels and the gold-painted accents in the cabin, as well as the level of standard equipment including Apple CarPlay, and the upscale interior trim.

But I was less than happy to return to a Japanese car with a CVT transmission instead of an old-school automatic. Apparently, they are good for emissions and economy - and I did average 6.7 litres/100km over more than 1000 kilometres of driving - but their response is sluggish and, to me, they make the driveline sound like old-fashioned clutch slip.

 

Still, you adjust, and there was plenty of other stuff to like. The seats are comfortable, the car is quiet on all road surfaces, it sits easily at the speed limit and has reasonable - but not great - overtaking ability.

 

The headlights are also great, with automatic control of the high beams that ’shape’ the beam to give maximum coverage without dazzling oncoming vehicles, and I like the overall dimensions, which provide plenty of space without creating a giant booming box to satisfy SUV buyers.

All-in-all, and after one of my longest test drives since the arrival of Covid-19, I’m happy and impressed by the latest Forester.

Paul Gover

KIA'S NEW BADGE. WHAT WILL IT ACHIEVE? by John Crawford

If you’re a cynic and reply “Nothing” then you could be right. However, if you’re tuned into the mysterious, and ethereal world of ‘branding’ – then there’s quite a lot to discuss.

 

We all know that ‘branding’ is an essential element of survival in today’s consumer-driven world of choice and identity. Those brands which invade our conscious thought are the most successful, and that applies not only to the ‘logo’ of the brand, but importantly the content that icon represents.

 

You can rebadge all you like, but if there’s a widely-held view that the product is rubbish, then it’s right back to basics to change the status quo.

 

However, let’s deal with KIA and it’s updated new logo/badge. Kia's original badge goes back 40 years, to the 1980s. In the 1990s Kia sold vehicles to Ford, which replaced the Kia badge with the blue oval. Then as the company took over its own distribution and sales the current logo, featuring a stylised ‘A”, without a cross-bar, was introduced.

 

That logo has survived 30+ years, and in that time (after being taken over by Hyundai in 1997), Kia has gone on to develop a significantly bold image with its own design themes, and a wide range of highly-respected vehicles – in all market segments.

 

I believe the timing for the launch of Kia’s new logo is ideal. It is seen in most markets as a strong, popular, stand-alone brand, because consumers rarely bother to look under-the-skin to appreciate Kia shares platforms and powertrains with Hyundai.

 

My personal opinion is that the design team has produced a contemporary, clean and dominant new concept, which will help strongly identify its new models as they are introduced.

I think it was time for an update, and I think the new look will be successful.

 

However, that brings me on to branding per se, and the importance it places on brand identity. In my own case, I will refer to Bentley’s ‘flying B’ badge, which first appeared in 1918 (top). It has undergone some very subtle changes over the years, which many will never notice (centre). When WO began Bentley’s racing campaigns the ‘feathers’ on the wing were 10 on one side, and 11 on the other – because having an asymmetric appearance was considered to be ‘good luck’.

 

The changes which began when Bentley was acquired by Volkswagen have merely reinforced some aesthetic aspects, and downplayed others, but the changes are very subtle. Nevertheless, the ‘flying B’ remains a strong element in the marque’s identity.

 

There have also been instances where big changes occurred, and one prominent example was when, in 1999 during Australian Jac Nasser’s time as CEO of Ford, he encouraged the Board to consider replacing the word FORD, on the top of the ‘glasshouse’ in Dearborn with the full name of the company .

This was meant to stress the status of Ford as an ‘umbrella’ for not only the Ford brand, but also brands linked together under the Premier Automotive Group, such as Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lincoln, Land Rover and Volvo.

 

In 2003, just prior to Ford’s centenary (and having disposed of the PAG marques), the then Board decided to remove the ‘Trustmark’ script and replace it with the blue Oval.

However, a Ford division is also at the heart of one of dumbest re-badging exercises I have ever witnessed.

 

In 2002 Ford Australia released a high-performance version of the Falcon, which had been created by its ‘performance division’ recently renamed ‘Ford Performance Vehicles’. In an act of almost unbelievable stupidity, and ignoring centuries of iconic imaging, the then Ford Australia Board approved replacing the famous blue Oval, with a similarly sized badge with the lettering FPV.

 

Despite the enthusiasm of the Australian car enthusiasts who purchased the FPV Falcons, Ford Australia willingly gave up the brand identity of the basic product, and no-one I have spoken to from the management team at that time is able to provide me with a coherent reason why the decision was made.

I mentioned this instance to my friend Jac Nasser, who replied succinctly: “That was a very short-sighted decision by Ford Australia.”

 

And Jac was very much a strong supporter and guardian of Ford’s long established and clearly defined image of the company.

 

Today, with the consolidation of many smaller companies into larger (existing) companies, it will soon appear commonplace for logos and brands to be re-badged, or discarded entirely.

 

However, in Ford’s case, since the blue oval was first used in 1907, it has changed little. The current oval is ‘flatter’ and slimmed-down from the original, introduced in 1957 – but it remains easily and strongly-identified with one of America’s oldest car companies.

John Crawford

LIVIN' IN THE 70s by John Crawford

In my job as Editor of MODERN MOTOR magazine I got to travel all over Australia, and all over the world for a good story.

In 1974 my magazine snatched a big scoop with the first pre-release drive of the new small Holden, the Gemini, at GM-Holden's high-security test track at Lang Lang, south-east of Melbourne.

My old friend, Ian Smith (below), probably the top automotive photographer of his day, recently dredged up a selection of old pix from a Kleber tyre test session.

 

It was a wet and rainy October day in 1975 at Calder Raceway as a small group of hacks gathered to hear the Kleber marketing manager, plus tyre retailer (and owner of Calder, Bob Jane) extol the virtues of the V12 tyre. 

Jane’s interest was commercial on two fronts – he made money selling Kleber tyres, plus the Kleber V12-Renault R12 race series was due to be run at Calder.

Yours truly (dig the posey, ill-fitting driving gloves) belted up for a few laps around the wet raceway, chasing my old friend Max Stahl in another Renault 12, and as you can imagine, letting a gang of testosterone-filled motoring writers out on a circuit for a free-for-all doesn’t bear thinking about.

We didn’t ding any cars, but a couple of the less-experienced scribes did manage a few 360s on the wet track.

Then, in May 1976, I was at Alfa Romeo’s famed test track, the ‘Old Farm’ at Balocco, with Australian journalists and Alfa Romeo dealers, to celebrate the global success of the nifty little Giugiaro-designed Alfasud.

What a brilliant little car it was, pity about its propensity to rust!

 

However, interviewing the Alfa Romeo CEO Gaetano Cortese, he delivered a scoop 'sound bite' about the still-secret Alfasud Coupe! Which he agreed we could get a look at, as long as we stayed on the bus and didn’t take any photos!

Sorry about that, but the devil made me do it!

In 1977 I resigned from MODERN MOTOR to take on my most adventurous story ever – the Singapore Airlines London-to-Sydney Car Rally.

 What an experience that was, and I lived to tell the tale! 

However, surviving the 30,000km rally was all down to my dear friend and partner in our Mini Moke, the irrepressible adventurer, Hans Tholstrup – who proudly told my wife on the steps of the Sydney Opera House: “There, you see, I got him back to you safe and sound.”

John Crawford

CHINA'S GREAT WALL QUALITY HASN'T PICKED-UP by John Crawford

It should not be assumed that the up-and-coming Chinese carmakers get everything right first time, or, even second time for that matter.

 

Take Great Wall Motors for example. In early 2008 I earned a day's consulting fee with Ateco in Sydney, participating in meetings about the prospects of importing a range of vehicles from Great Wall Motors in China.

 

From a business perspective, it looked like a pretty good deal. Vehicles with competitive specification, and a rock-bottom launch price, which almost guaranteed a quick uptake in a market that promised to grow quickly – and indeed it did. The pickup market took off like a Saturn rocket.

 

Only one thing wrong. The vehicle I drove was abysmally-primitive. The ride was dreadful, the handling uncontrolled, the interior looked like an early Japanese product from the 60s and the fit’n’finish was appalling.

 

By 2011, and to its credit, GWM reacted positively, and vehicle quality gradually improved, to a point where it was considered competitive, but still not the most refined of pickups.

 

Fast forward to this week, and I’m driving the crew-cab version of the latest model. To quote an old English proverb, it’s like the ‘curate’s egg’ – that is, good in parts.

The paint quality is outstanding, the styling is competitive, the fit and finish is vastly better than the first examples, and it bristles with a lot of the tech buyers appear to demand. The price remains competitive in a market segment that totally dominates the Australian market.

 

However, time has not seen the vehicle improve in very critical areas. Whilst GWM has made great strides in terms of quality and appeal for its Haval range of crossovers, the GWM crew cab pickup remains lost in a state of lagging behind the market leaders in most areas.

 

The seating is uncomfortable, the steering is like stirring treacle, the ride is truly awful and to top it all, some of the tech doesn’t work! It took four attempts to pair an iPhone; and at no time was it possible to connect to Apple CarPlay to listen to music. There are two digital clocks (one in the IP, and one in the centre screen) and the time display is not synchronised between the two!

It appears that in many cases in Australia, crew cab pickups are replacing family sedans, because of their four-door, five-seat configuration. However, after a couple of weekends talking to auction houses about the large numbers of crew cab pickups for sale on the used car market, it appears that while the men in the family think the GWM vehicles are a great buy; their spouses think otherwise.

 

And, it’s not just GWM pickups that are getting the thumbs-down from the fairer sex. The auction house managers tell me that it’s wives and partners who are forcing their menfolk to dump the pickups – because they are NOT a suitable replacement for a family car, or crossover.

 

Don’t get me wrong. Many of the big-selling pickups do offer excellent equipment, performance, ride/handling , comfort, tech and value-for-money.

But, not all of them – and I’d venture to say that the GWM models top that list of unloved pickups.

John Crawford

TOURING - SOUTH AFRICA - THE WINELAND CIRCUIT by John Crawford

Drive just 65km northeast from Capetown (below) and you’re in Paarl, a prosperous town, known widely as the gateway to the Cape’s winelands.

Paarl has several claims to fame. It was the birthplace of the Afrikaans language; the third oldest European settlement; and it is where Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years of imprisonment, in February 1990.

Mount Paarl (not exactly in K2's status)

Whilst there’s no shortage of 5-Star accommodation in and around Capetown, Paarl is the location for one of the best – The Grand Roche Hotel.

Originally a wine estate and farm, established in 1715 by Hermann Bosman, it remained in the family for almost 200 years, but in 1993 it was converted into the property it is now. 

Unlike most luxury hotels, this one comprises suites and cottages, developed from the farm’s many outbuildings, which surround the original Cape Dutch manor house. Yes, it carries 5-Star prices, but even a short stay will impress the most jaded tourist.

South Africa has a colourful history (probably putting it mildly), but ethnically the original inhabitants, the Khoisan, were dislodged 2000 years ago by a southern migration of Bantus, some from as far north as Zimbabwe. It wasn’t until the late 15^th century the first Europeans, Portuguese mariners, arrived. Today the dominant tribes are the Xhosa and Zulu.

 

The Cape weather is described as Mediterranean, which is ideal for wine growing, and this Great Drive encompasses most of the major wine districts in the Eastern Cape. Paarl is essentially the administrative city for wine growers, but departing Paarl to the south on Route 45, you will quickly reach the town of Franschhoek, a pretty village ideal for morning tea.

The road then snakes upwards into the Haweqwa mountain range, then drops down to a valley and the Theewaterskloof Dam, where the road (still R45) takes a left passing through Villersdorp, where you will then follow R43.

The previous section provides a glimpse of the driving ahead, as the route traverses and tracks over and around three significant mountain ranges – the Hottentots-Holland; Riviersonderend and Langeberg.

 

The route, following R43, passes the Brandvlei Dam, and just before the town of Worcester, take a right at Aan De Doorns, and cross over to the R60, at Over-Hex.

The next section of this highway crosses fairly barren country, with scattered vineyards on the slopes of the Langeberg mountain range. The next town to appear in your windscreen is Robertson – and then you’re in one of the area’s main wine-growing areas.

As you pass the town of Boesmanspad, the Langeberg range appears to hover over your left field of vision. It’s this cool mountain backdrop which produces excellent white wines. At the town of Swellendam, you meet Route 2, where you take a right, heading southwest on one of the Cape’s main highways.

 

Although this section is relatively easy highway driving, the views of the vineyards on your left, and the hills of the Riviersonderend range make a spectacular contrast.

 

Following Route 2, you will pass a dominant hilly section rising from the plains, and this is the Fynbosrand Private Nature Reserve. After that, the highway passes through the town of Caledon, which is the location of a very interesting museum.

 

The next major centre is the town of Bot River, and from here you can practically smell the salt air as you begin to approach the coast. In Bot River, divert to the R43, and then keep your eye on your GPS, or road map, because 8-10km later, you need to ensure you divert onto the R44, and as you head southwest, you get your first view of the coastline, at Kleinmond (below).

What follows is a complete contrast to the territory you’ve covered so far, but it is one of the most beautiful oceanside drives you will experience anywhere in the world. 

 

Here the Hottentots-Holland mountains fall sharply towards the sea, and the road sweeps around majestic corners to the town of Betty’s Bay, which is a great place to stop for lunch.

 

Betty’s Bay offers plenty to see, plus an excellent Penguin Nature reserve.

I don’t think words do justice to the next section, between Betty’s Bay and Gordon’s Bay. It is a spectacular drive, with spectacular scenery.

As the road veers away from the coast, at The Strand Golf Club, you’ll find a Big Cat preservation centre, called Cheetah Outreach, which if there are children on board, makes it an essential pit stop.

The R44 now crosses Route 2 again, however if you remain on R44, you can count on a long afternoon tea stop at the famous wine city of Stellenbosch.

 

If you’ve ever drunk wines from the Stellenbosch area, you will probably want to stop for a while to allow discovery of all the varietals which come from this world-famous district. Maybe after the tasting, you should stop overnight.

If you must return to Paarl, the most interesting drive is to follow R310 through Pniel, take a left when it joins the R45, and that will lead you back to your starting point at Paarl.

Whilst the most famous landmark is the Cape of Good Hope, it is actually Cape Point (around 15km south of Good Hope) that is the part of South Africa closest to the Antarctic.

Cape Point

This Great Drive rewards you with variety, great roads, usually not much traffic, and dining options that will meet with approval from the fussiest tourist. Oh, and by the way, there’s also the wines.

 

Also, when you are out in the country don’t be surprised if, as you approach a local driver from behind, the car pulls off to the side of the road and waits, while you go past. It can be unnerving, but it’s not unusual.

John Crawford

KIA K8 - WILL THE CADENZA CUT IT? by John Crawford

 In musical terms, the cadenza is where the orchestra stops playing, to allow a solo to flourish - a highlight if you will.

In the automotive concert hall, the Cadenza is a solo performance for the Kia range, in the Americas. 

Its alias, or product name, is Kia K7.

I must say I don't think it's the most sophisticated design from the sketch pads of Peter Schreyer and his team.

Here are iterations from 2010 through 2020 (right).

In fact I think the K7 has too many flourishes. Apparently it's a big hit in the Americas. Make of that what you will.

Up until now it has been built on a platform it shares with the Hyundai Grandeur, or Areza (below), depending on the market. 

And it looks like the new Kia version will follow the same path.

You may well ask, if there's a model which could potentially be exported to other global markets, then why not? Believe me, Chairman Euisun Chung is a pretty smart cookie.

He knows that passenger cars are pretty much 'on the nose' and while ever the 'Americas' need a big sedan, and the K8 can be built without huge investment, by borrowing underpinnings from the Hyundai Grandeur - then why not?

When it's finally time to drop the guillotine on the big sedans, they'll disappear without trace.

So this is the Kia K8, which is also being employed to show off Kia's new interpretation of its corporate logo.

Will it be sold in Europe, or Australia for that matter? The word from Korea, is a very definite NO. Hyundai-Kia right now needs a bigger car for the Americas, so K8, with lots of glitzy diamonds strewn about, is the new big thing.

John Crawford