Innholdsfortegnelse for #311 22-02 i Just Cars

Subaru’s WRX, nee Impreza WRX, reached a milestone on 23 June, with the 50,000th sale in Australia. Despite being deep into its fourth generation, with the fifth due for release later this year, the ‘Rex’ continues to find buyers. The purchaser of the milestone 50,000th car sold locally was a Queenslander, who received a free five-year service plan and Subaru accessories to the value of $5,000. “We often talk in the automotive industry about ‘halo’ cars - those that attract off-the-scale interest. WRX is a prime example and played no small part in Subaru’s massive Australian growth in the 1990s,” said Subaru Australia General Manager, Blair Read. “Its early, relatively unassuming appearance - but for the giveaway ‘letter box’ on the bonnet - belied a package that won converts at…

The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled for the second successive year due to ongoing complications with logistics, travel restrictions and quarantining related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Confirming months of speculation that the Australian round of the 2021 F1 World Championship would not go ahead on its rescheduled November date, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), in conjunction with the Victorian Government and Formula 1, made the cancellation official in a statement released on 6 July. At the same time, the AGPC confirmed that the 2021 Red Bull Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island would also be cancelled. “We’re deeply disappointed that for a second consecutive year, both MotoGP and Formula 1 fans won’t be able to see the world’s best riders and drivers compete at the…

Though only a toy, the GT Ride-On takes inspiration from the real thing with dihedral doors, matching wheel design and six colour options from the real car; Burnished Copper, Silica White, Onyx Black, McLaren Orange, Amaranth Red and Burton Blue. There’s even a cost-option extra to channel the real car buying experience with the infotainment screen that plays music from an SD card or USB. Standard, it comes with a bucket seat and seat belt, working lights and switches, engine sounds on acceleration and pop-open boot for storing lunch. The real McLaren costs hundreds of thousands more than the GT Ride-On, and is powered by the familiar 4-litre twin-turbocharged flat-plane-crank V8, albeit with a higher compression ratio (9.4:1, up from 8.7:1) for improved torque and a bit less of that…

GOT A HOT NEW PRODUCT FOR JUST CARS READERS? SEND DETAILS, ALONG WITH A SELECTION OF GOOD QUALITY, HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS, TO: EDITORIAL@JUSTAUTO.COM.AU AND PUT ‘JUST CARS WHAT’S HOT’ IN THE SUBJECT LINE. HARD-COPY PHOTOS AND PRODUCT DETAILS CAN BE POSTED TO: ‘JUST CARS WHAT’S HOT’, LOCKED BAG 34, GEELONG, VIC, 3220. NOTE: PROVIDED INFORMATION MUST INCLUDE RETAIL PRICE, AVAILABILITY/PURCHASE DETAILS, SIZING (WHERE RELEVANT), VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL SUITABILITY (WHERE RELEVANT) AND COMPANY CONTACT DETAILS (FULL BUSINESS NAME, CONTACT PHONE, EMAIL AND WEB ADDRESS). SUBMISSION OF PRODUCT DETAILS DOES NOT GUARANTEE PUBLICATION. 1 MORGAN 4/4 ESSENTIAL BUYER’S GUIDE Veloce Publishing veloce.co.uk Arm yourself with knowledge before plunging into Morgan 4/4 ownership with this buyer’s guide. Covering all models from 1968 to 2020, marque specialist Phil Benfield details how to buy a 4/4, key…

The Ford GT40 is the latest classic car to get the EV treatment, with UK-based electric conversion company Everrati joining forces with US-headquartered continuation car specialists Superformance to bring an electric version of the endurance racing icon to low-volume production. Electrifying the GT40 is part of Everrati and Superformance’s mission to ‘future-proof’ automotive icons for existing and upcoming zero-emissions legislation, suggesting more classics – at least from the Superformance stable - are likely to get the EV treatment after the GT40. The joint venture, announced on 15 July, continues a history of Anglo-American collaboration that not only produced the original GT40 and AC/Shelby Cobra, but also several American-engined British cars, like the Sunbeam Tiger, Jensen Interceptor and various TVRs and Bristols, to name a few. NEW ENERGY FOR AN ICON…

Toyota Gazoo Racing are expanding their reproduction parts programme for the third (A70) and fourth (A80) generation Supra, following on from the initial release under the GR Heritage Parts programme more than two years ago. Available globally, products released under this programme are classified as genuine Toyota parts and will carry a factory warranty, but production will be limited. Toyota don’t clarify how many units of each item will be made, but once each batch of reproduction parts are sold, new batches will not be made. Announced on 29 June, the new additions for the A70 Supra include clutch master and release cylinders, brake and heater hoses and an air conditioner control panel knob initially. In August, a new front badge will be available, followed by rear badging, front door…

The final round of the 2021 Supercars Championship will be a “last stand for the Kelly Gang,” with Todd and Rick Kelly to step away from the Kelly Racing team they founded in 2009. Earlier this year, a 50-per cent stake in Kelly Racing was sold to the Grove Group, with the team rebranded as Kelly Grove Racing. While Todd Kelly remained as co-owner and team principal, Stephen Grove and son Brenton took an active role in team duties, bringing experience from Porsche and GT racing programmes they’ve run in the past. More importantly, the Groves brought extra funding to allow Kelly Racing to compete more evenly with the bigger teams on the Supercars grid. “Although we have achieved quite a lot through sheer hard work, the biggest challenge we…

But there’s a much easier way to deal with the dilemma and making sure you won’t be left without the right Torx, Star, hex or or other bolt driver you need: a multibit set. These usually come with a screwdriver handle, plus a range of quick-change bits covering common fastener types and sizes. The bits can often be used with power tools, too. But with so many fasteners and a range of sizes, there’s a big choice: from tools with a few bits stored in the handle to comprehensive kits in their own carry cases. The best option is to get a kit or two with everything you need.…

It’s ironic that the Dodge Challenger is a favourite with Mopar fans today, as that certainly wasn’t the case when it was new. Debuting as a 1970 model, the Challenger was a late entry into the ‘pony car’ market started by Ford’s Mustang. It lasted five years in its original form, suffered the indignity of having its nameplate applied to Japanese imports in the 1980s, then lay dormant for more than two decades before being revived, first as a concept, then an all-American production model in 2008. The modern Challenger is a bolder and arguably better take on the original in both its styling and drivetrain, but there’s always room to make an original Challenger bolder and better, too – as shown in the car featured. DELAYED START When it…

The benefits that Victorian car club members have enjoyed under the Club Permit Scheme (CPS) for limited use of older vehicles, including reduced registration fees and no stamp duty on transfers, may be under threat if proposed changes to CPS regulations go ahead. According to VicRoads, who put forward the proposals on 11 June and asked for community submissions by 8 July, the proposed changes are aimed to “better reflect the intent” of the Club Permit Scheme by reducing red tape and better aligning the CPS with the broader registration scheme. The reason they were put forward in June is that regulations automatically expire every ten years under Victorian legislation and the current ‘Road Safety (Vehicles) Interim’ regulations from the past decade are due to be revoked in October, 2021.…

E-Legend, a new electric carmaker from Germany, has revealed plans to build a limited-edition, road legal supercar that combines modern tech with a distinctly retro look. Dubbed the ‘EL1’ and described as “a supercar with a focus on curves,” E-Legend’s creation shows clear influence of Audi’s Sport quattro in its styling, but unlike that Group B rallying homologation special from the 1980s, the EL1 is powered by three electric motors – one on the front axle, two on the rear axle - that produce a combined 600kW, claimed 0-100km/h acceleration of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 255km/h. Powering the electric motors is a 90kWh battery with a sophisticated liquid-cooling system and charging speeds of up to 150kW with a DC fast charger. Apparently, the battery pack and 800V…

The Repco Supercars Championship has had to change this year’s calendar yet again in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with a new date for the Bathurst 1000 and the return of a round at Winton. Perth and New Zealand miss out in this latest calendar update, with both the Perth SuperNight and Auckland SuperSprint rounds deleted, while the proposed fill-in round at Queensland Raceway will not go ahead either. Sydney’s worsening coronavirus outbreak forced upcoming rounds scheduled for NSW – the Sydney SuperNight on 20-22 August and the Bathurst 1000 on 7-10 October – to be rescheduled. The Sydney SuperNight round will now take place on 19-21 November, with the Bathurst 1000 moved to 4-7 November in the hope the race can go ahead with at least some fans. “With…

Burns & Co are gearing up for a big end to 2021, with a massive two-day collectors’ auction to be held in their Bayswater, Melbourne, facility this coming 9 and 10 October. Previous Collectors Auctions conducted by Burns & Co, in March and June, were big, but the October auction will be even bigger. Entries in the October catalogue have been received from South Australia, NSW, Victoria and Queensland, with over 1,000 lots consigned, including many rare and highly-desirable pieces of petroliana and garagenalia. Items consigned so far include a varied range of enamel signs - from Shell, Neptune, Texaco, Caltex, Olympic, Castrol, Mobiloil, Atlantic, General Motors, Plume and Goodyear. There are some desirable embossed signs amongst the consignments, as well as some more recent plastic signs, including from decommissioned…

The Dodge Coronet and Dick Landy are names that wouldn’t be familiar to a lot of Aussie car aficionados, even amongst the Mopar crowd. On the other side of the Pacific, recognition for both the Coronet and Landy is far greater. So, how did the car featured here come to be in Australia and what’s its connection to Dick Landy? Read on and find out! IN AND OUT In the interwar years, Dodge cars were prominent in Australia, thanks to a range that was tough and reliable. Most Dodges from this period featured locally-made bodies on imported chassis and running gear. More often than not, those bodies came from T.J. Richards & Sons in SA, which was Holden Motor Body Builders’ main rival and would go on to be a…