UG whipz

Audi R8

2011-08-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

The new Audi A8 is a superlative car in every sense. It’s a real shakeup for the large luxury segment at the $200k(SH526,000)-plus price point. In fairness, however, very few ordinary Australians will feel or notice that. For a very few people, there will be plenty to like about this practically unattainable car, but one thing’s certain: Mercedes-Benz and BMW are going to hate it but one Ugandan is comfortably cruising it with Sudanese registration plates. I could not help it but drool at the beauty as i spotted it in Bunga one of the upscale suburbs of the city.

Together, M-B and BMW have spent the first half of 2010 luxuriating in the lion’s share of this uber-elite market. There’s plenty of profit on tap here, even if the market annually for this kind of car struggles to better 1000 sales. Fast-lane flagships in Australia have of late boiled down to a two-horse race – the S Class or the 7 Series. In the first half of 2010, only 126 well-heeled Aussies forked over the big bucks for an S Class, closely followed by 116 of ‘us’ who are 7 Series customers. After that, it’s daylight to the high-priced also-rans. Just 34 Lexus LS sales happened over those six months, plus 19 of the ageing and outgoing A8, and just five XJ Jaguars.

If you look at the old A8 next to the new one, even in photographs, you’ll see how much has changed. This new car’s a real contender; time had already overtaken the predecessor, and the sales had basically evaporated. (The old A8 was rather the success before time did its thing, however. It managed 146,000 sales globally.)

Frankly, though, it’s not just the sales that are important to Audi. It’s also the gravitas – and the consequential sales lower down in the range – that flow from fronting a flagship that many aspire to, and which so few can in fact afford. You can generate demand for plenty of incremental A3s, 4s, 5s and 6s simply by fielding the right flagship. And luckily this is happening at a time when Audi’s new boss Down Under, Uwe Hagen, has committed to growing sales the grown-up way, by driving demand.

It really is only a very few people who buy cars in this upmarket segment, too: statistically, fewer than one in 20,000 Australians (and just over one in 1000 car buyers) jump into this rareified atmosphere. It’s really the difference between flying first class and slumming it in economy.

So, what’s the new A8 like to drive? We drove several 4.2 V8 FSI-powered A8s from Cairns up onto the Atherton Tablelands and back during the national media launch late in August. That road from the coast to the tablelands is a wonderful, linear racetrack. It’s a glorious drive in a glorious part of the country, and this is a glorious car to do it in. As a luxury flagship the A8 far sportier than you’d expect. It’s very satisfying to drive – which is almost perverse, seeing as in other markets than Australia, owning an A8 is almost exclusively a back-seat experience (because people that successful in, say, Singapore have a driver, which frees you up for, you know, getting high-level stuff done in the back seat). Getting the balance of engagement and luxury right must be tough act – but with this car, Audi’s engineers have got it right. You can enjoy punting this new A8 much harder than 99 per cent of owners ever will. However, if you do that with the ESP on you will probably be mildly frustrated that the incipient ESP intervention starts pulling power out of the engine. If you want to keep having fun, you can always switch it off. It’s also a car that’s quite rewarding to drive at sane speeds. It just eats the kays at legal highway speeds, and the seats are some of the best I’ve ever experienced, from both a support and comfort perspective.

The 4.2 FSI engine delivers 273kW and 445Nm – a moderate step up from the predecessor – and yet the A8 still returns an official 9.5L/100km in the official combined cycle fuel test. It’s also 0.4 seconds quicker to 100km/h, compared with its predecessor. This is all thanks in part to the aluminium body, plus a commitment to efficiency-based developments (lower friction, better thermal management, and even an on-demand oil pump, etc.) that Audi claims make the car 13 per cent more efficient overall. There’s even an eight – count ‘em; eight! – speed tiptronic with shift-by-wire technology rendering mechanical linkages obsolete. Then there’s the mind-bendingly slippery drag coefficient: 0.26.

It begs the obvious question: Why bother with all this efficiency guff? People with that much money to drop on a car can afford fuel at basically any price, and can afford to consume it in basically any quantity. The answer is simple – for a significant number of deep-pocketed consumers, efficiency is as much (or maybe more) a moral obligation as a financial one, which is why smart marketers can’t afford to field a car that’s beautiful but with the underlying eco credentials of a Hummer.

More evidence of the moral high ground is seen in the car’s wood trim. No less than four variants are available – walnut brown, fine grain ash velvet, fine grain birch, vavona wood – but no rainforests were harmed in their production, we’re told. It’s all plantation timber.

The A8 will go on sale in September with 4.2 FSI petrol V8. It will be followed by a 3.0-litre TDI, and a 4.2-litre V8 TDI (in that order) as well as a long-wheelbase variant. There’s no word yet on an S8, but if there is one in the wings, its launch would be an excellent time to dust off Bob DeNiro for a sequel to the cult classic movie, Ronin, which was one of the best advertisements of all time for the S8. Rent it if you haven’t seen it.

This new car is packed with technology – so packed, in fact, that six or even 12 months after buying it you will probably discover it can do things you hadn’t previously known. In this respect, it’s not unlike your laptop computer or iPad. You’ll probably discover stuff like that by accident. Either that or your 15-year-old son or daughter will do it and then look at you as if you are infinitely stupid if you are moved to ask how. Either way, the A8 has manifold hi-tech capability – including a touchpad for inputting data into the multimedia interface … by scrawling them there with the tip of your finger. Nobody needs that … but it’s nice to have.

Safety? You bet. This thing has more bags than Qantas, plus a raft of hi-tech features that blur the line between passive and active safety-tech. Audi calls it Pre Sense, an obvious swipe at Benz’s Pre Safe system, both of which take action – like shutting the windows and tensioning the seatbelts if they think you’re likely to crash. The Audi system, which is modular and depends on the options you select, can when fully optioned detect threat from in front, from behind and at the side. It also warns the driver, pre-fills the brakes and – if warnings are ignored – is capable of whipping up a textbook emergency stop. It has a four-stage intervention approach – predicated on usurping control from the driver only as a last resort.

There is also a really neat night vision option that employs technology previously used only in devices like Apache helicopters. Using a forward-looking infrared camera mounted near the centre rear-vision mirror the system displays the scene ahead on a high-rez screen between the tacho and the speedo. Animals and pedestrians are detected as far away as 300m – beyond the range of the headlights – and smart software even categorises the threat they pose to you by analysing their movement. Anything that’s detected gets a yellow box painted around it. Threats likely to move in front of the car are wrapped in a red box. It’s both useful and very, very cool. In a James Bond meets Black Hawk Down kind of way.

Speaking of options – hang onto your hat, because the A8 is structured in such a way that it can absorb basically whatever amount of money over and above the list price you would care to throw at it. If you like ticking boxes, best whip a new refill into your favourite Mont Blanc. Here goes:

Sports differential: $3000
Sports air suspension: $2200
20-inch alloys with 265/40 tyres: $3000
Adaptive cruise control with stop/go function plus lane and side assist: $9000
Dynamic steering: $3500
Full LED lighting package: $2700
Night vision with pedestrian detection: $5400
Double glazing with rear privacy glass: $5500
Sunroof with solar panel: $1100
Electric sun blinds for the rear: $2700
Sports front seats: $1100
Front seats with ventilation and massage function (I used this; you want it. Trust me on this.) $5500
Electric rear seats (makes the car a four-seater but, hey, the remaining two kids will be v-e-r-y comfy): $9400
19-speaker, 1400W Bang and Olufsen audio system: $14,400
Rear seat entertainment system: $9800

And if that’s not enough, how about the ‘works burger’ retrim? (Audi does not refer to it in these terms.) Audi calls it ‘Audi design selection Balao brown – a very tasty combination of Balao brown Valcona leather with accordion pleats and contrasting seams, plus fine grain ash inlays in balsamic brown and lower inlays in brushed aluminium. If you’re interested it’s a total of just over $46,000.

All up, if you’re a box-ticking kind of bloke (and it is overwhelmingly blokes who buy cars like this) you can spend more than $350,000 on a new A8. That’s more than $120,000 in options – enough to buy a TT S TFSI quattro roadster, a snappy wardrobe from Herringbone and an Omega Speedmaster Professional. Just to put things in perspective.
This review has only just scratched the surface. We haven’t even talked about the interior lighting package that allows you to specify the ambient lighting colour you want, or the servomotor-based door closing system that means you’ll never leave the door ajar again.

Bottom line – test driving an A8 is like this: It’s very easy to move forward in a commercial jet aeroplane. It’s easy to get up from economy, stride past the peasants in business class, and plonk your RS down in seat 1A. After that, all the way from Sydney to Heathrow, it’s just a blur of Veuve Cliquot and wagyu beef carpaccio. And would you like a manicure with that? It’s bloody difficult, however, to move the other way. Economy? Me? The jaws of life are usually required when the stark realisation hits that it’s time to hand the keys back, and that your own somewhat pedestrian car still awaits you at the airport.

The G55 AMG

2011-08-10T05:57:00.001-07:00

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been the ‘it’ car when it comes to off-roading ability and sheer cool-factor for the past three decades.

Models tested: Mercedes-Benz G 350 BlueTEC & G 55 AMG.

Perhaps that’s due to its rugged and extremely masculine looks? Perhaps it has something to do with being regarded as one of the world’s best off-road vehicles? Or maybe it’s because of its celebrity-owners list that includes the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Pitt and even the Pope? Whichever way you look at it, it’s an impressive car with credentials that no amount of marketing can ever buy.

Much to the delight of Australian fans it’s finally back and available for sale in our corner of the world.

There are a few things that need to be understood about the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It’s almost entirely hand-built, it’s a no compromise 4WD and it appeals to a specific type of buyer.

Its credentials need no arguing. In the past 32 years the G-Class has won countless awards, of which many have been consecutive “best off-roader of the year”. If you still doubt its abilities, just remember that the Australian Defence Force has already ordered 1200 G-Class vehicles and we can only imagine the amount of testing that was done to ensure the G-Class met the requirements of the army.

If you happen to have anywhere between $162,000 and $218,000 to spend on the ultimate off-road vehicle (or the manliest car on the road), then the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon is going to make you a happy customer.

There are two variants on sale in the Australian market: the G 350 BlueTEC ($161,680 MLP*) and the G 55 AMG ($217,230 MLP*), and not surprisingly, they are totally different vehicles.

The Mercedes-Benz G 350 BlueTEC is the one you’d go for if you actually intend to do some serious off-roading. Powered by a 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine mated to a 7G -TRONIC automatic transmission, it delivers 155kW (3400rpm) and 540Nm of torque (1600-2400rpm).

It accelerates from 0-100km/h in a respectable 9.1 seconds and goes up to a maximum speed of 175km/h.

The BlueTEC turbo-diesel engine is Mercedes-Benz’s new technology designed specifically to reduce vehicle emissions (Nitrogen Oxide – NOx – being its main target). By cleverly injecting an aqueous urea solution (known as AdBlue) into the exhaust-gas stream at a precise moment, the system converts around 80 percent of NOx into nitrogen and water.

Mercedes engineers have fitted the AdBlue filler cap right next to the fuel cap so refilling is simple and painless. It will only need an injection once per service (15,000km) and will warn the driver if AdBlue is running low (1600km from warning light till AdBlue runs out). The official AdBlue bottle for the G-Wagon can be bought from Mercedes-Benz dealers (cheaper than oil) but is the essentially the same as the stuff you can find at a truck shop.

The reason the G 350 BlueTEC is recommended for off-road is not because the G 55 AMG is incapable, far front it, but mainly because the G 55 AMG is the ultimate road-going 4WD and those looking at buying one would be far too busy being the envy of all car lovers to take it off-road.

The Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG is the sort of car that turns heads wherever it goes. You’d expect to see Colonel Gidaffi use one of these to take his kids to school (he does apparently own a few older G-Class vehicles).

Powered by a hand-built 5.5-litre supercharged AMG V8 engine, the G 55 AMG is the definition of having the best of both worlds. A serious off-roader with enough power to murder most sports cars.

Some may remember the ads that Ford ran for the Territory turbo, where it would go about eating sportscars ‘for breakfast’. Well, that would be most appropriate for the G 55 AMG. Its V8 heart beats out 373kW and a ridiculous 700Nm of torque. Match that to a five-speed automatic transmission borrowed from the SL Black series and it will go from 0-100km/h in just 5.5 seconds.

That’s more power than a Ferrari 360, only one second slower than a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and 0.7 seconds slower than an Aston Martin DB9. Yet it weighs more than 2.5 tonnes, figure that one out!

It’s not just the 0-100km/h time that makes it impressive, it’s the way it continues to accelerate past the 100km/h mark without hesitation that makes it a truly remarkable vehicle.

Facts and figures don’t do the G 55 AMG justice. Unless you happen to own a Leopard II tank (which coincidently came into service the same year at the original G-Class), the G55 is quite possibly the manliest vehicle you can own.

With a chrome-plated AMG exhaust system with twin side-venting tailpipes (similar to the SLR), on acceleration the G 55 sounds like a muscle car gone mad. The aural enjoyment from having one of these will result in many trips to the fuel station. At one stage I simply had to get out of our G 55 test vehicle and have my co-driver accelerate past me so that I could just listen to the exhaust note. An activity I could partake in all day long.

The G 350 BlueTEC uses around 11.2L of diesel per 100km and the G 55 AMG makes do with around 15.9L of 98 RON fuel per 100km (both figures are for combined cycle). Although if you happen to love the sound of the G 55 AMG, expect that figure to climb past the 20L/100km mark rather easily.

During our test drive we took a G 55 AMG and a G 350 BlueTEC out to Tasmania’s secluded roads outside of Launceston. One may suspect Mercedes-Benz would pick a route less twisty and challenging, but alas, we were driving on Targa Tasmania-style roads in what would appear to be a military-style vehicle.

The heavy steering will come as a bit of shock at first, but you quickly get used to it. It’s not the sort of vehicle you can push hard into a corner comfortably as its narrow and tall design doesn’t give it the best handling dynamics. Nonetheless, it’s not exactly built to be a sportscar (even though the G 55 AMG can accelerate faster than most).

Both variants use the same suspension set-up (coil springs with gas-pressure shock absorbers for both front and rear) and hence provide very similar ride and handling characteristics. If you’re looking to buy a G-Class to drive around town, it’s important to know that this isn’t your typical city-friendly 4WD. It will do perfectly fine as a city car (and the kids will love it) but it won’t be as easy to drive as an ML-Class. Then again, it will also attract a lot more looks.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is the only vehicle sold from the factory that comes with three selectable differential locks standard. That’s front, centre and rear. Low range can be selected by engaging neutral and selecting low with a button located near the gear stick. Once drive is reselected and the vehicle moves forward the transition from high to low will take place.

Once low-range is selected all electronic systems (ESP, ABS, etc.) are remapped for better off-road performance. To showcase the G-Class’ off-roading credentials, Mercedes-Benz Australia flew Erwin Wonisch all the way from Germany to give us a real life demonstration.

There really would be no better man than Mr Wonisch (pictured above in the driver’s seat) for this job, given he has been actively involved with the G-Class since it’s creation over 30 years ago. He is also the man that trains the many different militaries of the world on how to use the G-Class off-road.

The G-Class chosen for the demonstrations was a stock standard G 350 BlueTEC equipped with nothing special. In fact, it was using road tyres (or “dancing-shoes” as Mr Wonisch called them).

We jumped on-board and headed up what would seem a near impossible hill (pictures can’t do it justice), but the G-Class doesn’t seem to care where you point it. So long as the driver knows what he’s doing the G-Class will climb and climb and just when you think it can go no more, it will keep climbing. It does so without a single complaint. From there we turned around, engaged first low-gear and headed down the hill. In this condition the G-Class will not require any breaking as it will coast down slowly using just engine-braking.

Having experienced the G-Class climb a near-impossible hill with 18-inch wheels and road tyres, I can say with certainty that our defence forces made the right choice with the G-Class – and so will you, if you happen to buy a G 350 for off-road use. There is nothing quite like it.

During our time behind the wheel of a G 350 on the off-road track, it became rather obvious that the heavy steering and general heavy handling dynamics of the vehicle were made for these conditions. The G-Class feels more at home when off-road, it offers a perfect driving position with excellent visibility and its relatively narrow size means it can fit through a lot of tight spaces.

The G 55 AMG, although just as capable off-road, does have the limiting factor of its side exhaust-pipes being in the way if the track gets a little too rough, so if you do want to climb Mount Everest, perhaps it’s best to stick with the G 350.

If you’re looking at buying a G-Wagon for road use, I’d highly recommend that you take it four-wheel driving at least once. Even if you plan on never doing it again, it will give you an idea of just how remarkable your vehicle is when put in its native environment.

In some countries such as Germany and Hong Kong, Mercedes-Benz sells a bare-bone G-Class called the G.Professional which is essentially a military-style vehicle with an interior that you can use a hose to clean. Mercedes-Benz Australia says the G.Professional is currently under consideration for Australia although the Cabriolet and Short Wheelbase variants will not be offered.

Speaking of interiors, the two variants sold in Australia come with a very plush and typical Mercedes-Benz interior. That means comfortable seats, beautiful dials, latest in-car technology and the ability to customise minor details to your liking.

Standard across both variants is Bi-Xenon headlights, reversing camera, full leather upholstery (including for the instrument panel), five seat configuration, anthracite wood trim and a whole lot more. The COMAND APS system (also standard) uses a 6.5-inch colour display with a built-in hard drive for music and sat-nav. It offers iPod and Bluetooth capability and pumps the music through a Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system.

The G350 rides on 18-inch twin-five-spoke alloy wheels (available with off-road suited 16-inch wheels as a no cost option as well) whilst the G 55 AMG variants get bigger wheels (19-inch), better brakes and an AMG exhaust system. The interior is upgraded with luxury front seats, TV-tuner-enabled system and other AMG treatments throughout.

The G-Class range in Australia is available in 13 unique exterior colours which offer extremely good scratch protection (more than 90 percent of G-Class vehicles sold to private customers are black!) and available with a wide range of interior colours. Check out the pictures in the gallery for a basic before and after shot of just how scratch resistant the paint is.

Overall, it’s rather hard to fault the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Some may argue that it’s a little pricey but that’s a bit of nonsense given that it takes 11 full days to build one of these vehicles and nearly all the work is done by hand in Austria, where production has been running for over 30 years (the longest of any Mercedes-Benz model).
The Mercedes-Benz G 350 BlueTEC and G 55 AMG look good in almost all situations. You can take one to do your weekly shopping and drop the kids off at school plus If the world does happen to end in 2012, the G-Class is quite possibly best chance you’ve got of surviving in the outback.

Jeep Wrangler LTD

2011-08-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever seen the YouTube clip for the opening of a 1960s television series called The Rat Patrol, then it’s hard not to have a soft spot for the Jeep.

The series intro featured two WW2 Jeeps in full combat guise getting airborne as they came over a sand dune in North Africa. It’s truly heroic stuff as they head out into the desert to foil the enemy tanks. I need to keep reminding myself that it’s only a TV show, but still, ever since watching that series as a wee small boy, the Jeep brand has always meant the real deal when it comes to off road exploits.

The modern day Jeep Wrangler, or more specifically, the Wrangler Rubicon, carries that legendary off-road reputation of this iconic brand but in the most contemporary package possible, given the complex web of safety laws and requirements that car manufacturers need to comply with today. It’s not about causing havoc in North Africa any more, but about lifestyle and the ability to go anywhere in pursuit of demanding recreational activities.

That said, despite the fact that up to 70 percent of Jeep Wrangler owners do take their vehicles off road, most of their kilometres are spent firmly on the tarmac to and from the office, fighting peak hour battles.

So it’s entirely fitting that this review of the more family friendly four-door Wrangler Unlimited SUV is based entirely around suburban duties, while an off-road review is planned for the harder core Jeep Wrangler Rubicon further down the track, if you’ll excuse the pun.

Jeep has lifted its game big time under the leadership of Italian-Canadian CEO of Fiat S.p.A. and the Chrysler Group LLC, Sergio Marchionne, who is well known for demanding continuously higher benchmarks in terms quality. It’s paying off too, if the recently launched Jeep Grand Cherokee is anything to go by.
Here is a vehicle that is leaps and bounds ahead of the model it replaces in every conceivable aspect – from the car’s design, handling and performance, as well as quality levels never before seen on a Jeep-branded automobile.
After attending the launch of the Grand Cherokee, I came away with the realisation that this vehicle’s handling prowess alone is close to that of some of the premium European SUVs in both ride quality and its ability to feel thoroughly planted at speed through a corner.

While the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is a four-door, four-wheel drive SUV, it doesn’t provide quite the same level of on-road comfort or performance as its premium based Grand Cherokee sibling. There has been a good deal of attention paid to quality, fit and finish inside this Jeep, and that’s something that always taken a back seat with regards this model.

Mind you, the new Wrangler is all ‘Jeep’ and if you need to be reminded of its heroic origins, just look across at the passenger-side grab handle and you’ll notice the embossed “Jeep – Since 1941” – it’s reason enough why some folks keep buying the Wrangler.

It’s not just the extra creature comforts that make this cabin more civilian friendly, the materials and well laid-out switch gear have a premium or soft touch feel about them. The three-spoke leather-bound steering wheel, complete with remote audio and cruise control functions, looks to have been donated directly from the Grand Cherokee (good thing). Even the traditional round air-conditioning duct bezels have the same metallic look finish as the grab handle.

The seats are upholstered in a black fabric trim that’s both comfortable and durable and the level of seat and side bolster isn’t bad for a serious off-roader either.

There’s new front door trim too, with welcomed soft touch armrests and door handles that are nice to hold and large enough to get a good grip of.

That said, there’s still a level of rugged simplicity built into the Wrangler, such as the webbed door hinges that simply won’t hold the door open on their own long enough to be convenient.

While the test car wasn’t fitted with the optional Media Centre package, which includes the 16.5cm touchscreen with Sat Nav and 30GB hard drive, it did come with a better than average Infinity audio system, with six speakers and a 386 watt amplifier and subwoofer.

Cargo space isn’t bad at 495 litres with both rows of seats up, and that grows to 935 litres with the rear seats folded, and with plenty of ceiling height.

From the exterior however, the latest Wrangler is pretty much unchanged from the last iteration and there’s no complaint from me in that department. The more it looks like a 1941 ‘Willys’ the better, from where I sit. This is still very much a hard core off road trailblazer, but at least now there’s a few more creature comforts and you can listen to your iPod.

You’ve still got those classic Jeep traits like the seven slotted grille uprights (from nine on the original) like the industrial grade door hinges and manual bonnet latches, in exactly the same position as they were on the ’41 model, but thankfully, these are now plastic, not metal.

Of course the Jeep Wrangler is a far more practical vehicle nowadays with rear cargo access easily gained via a split tailgate system. It’s also the only SUV in its class that doubles as a convertible with both hardtop and softtop, complete with padded roll cage.

There are just two powertrains available in the Wrangler model range – one diesel, one petrol – and we’ve gone for the torque-rich diesel. It’s a Euro 5 compliant 2.8-litre turbo-diesel with a very decent 147kW and a whopping 460Nm of torque from as low as 1600 rpm. That’s why we like diesels for SUVs such as this four-door Wrangler, which weighs in at almost 2200kg.

It might be on the heavy side, but it’s certainly not slow for a vehicle in this class and with this off-road capability. 0-100km/h will arrive in just 10.7 seconds and its top speed is 172 km/h.
Give it a boot full of throttle and the Wrangler gets up and goes, like no tomorrow, and there’s a tonne of torque to prolong rapid progress up a steep incline.

Is it noisy? While there’s no chance that you’ll mistake this engine for anything other than a diesel, especially when accelerating away from a set of traffic lights, it’s clear that Jeep has gone to reasonable efforts to subdue the clatter inside the cabin. In fact, it’s probably louder outside than inside.

Like most single-turbo-driven diesels, if you jump on the throttle aggressively there’s a fair amount of turbo lag, so the best idea is to always feed in the power gradually, which all but disguises the unwelcome lag.
The five-speed transmission works well enough the torquey diesel and shifts are relatively smooth.

CO2 emissions are down to 194g/km due the standard fitment of a diesel particulate filter. The manual version also gets Stop-Start technology, which effectively shuts down the engine when the driver engages neutral, but then seamlessly restarts when the clutch is re-engaged.

What surprised me most about this family friendly Wrangler is how this chassis handles corners with minimal body roll. That’s the rather stiff five-link front and rear solid axles with heavy-duty shock absorbers at work, which provide extraordinary articulation in the deep ruts or when rock crawling. The price you pay for off road domination, however, can be a rather jittery ride over anything that isn’t billiard ball smooth, but there isn’t a rattle to be heard anywhere inside the cabin.

The four-wheel disc brakes haul this truck up with consummate ease and are nice and progressive with solid pedal feel.
Despite the rather low overall height of the Wrangler Unlimited, you sit atop the world and there’s still a sense that you’re driving a vehicle that feels unstoppable in every way, and that’s without ever venturing off the beaten path.

While it does seem odd to review a vehicle with such a prodigious off-road reputation in the city, the fact remains that almost all its working life will be spent on the tarmac. As such, there’s the usual suite of active and passive safety devices such as ABS, ESC, Electronic Roll Mitigation and Hill Decent Control.

That said we look forward to putting the Wrangler Rubicon through its paces on the formidable Lithgow trails in the next few weeks.

Range Rover 2012

2011-08-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

Project Kahn has developed a upgrade kit for the 2012 Range Rover Sport, called the Vesuvius Edition Sport 300. It features a two-tone colour scheme which spreads throughout the interior and exterior, and it also offers some performance enhancements.

The two-tone colour scheme starts with the black and matt orange bonnet and roof design. The theme is carried over to the sidesteps, which are painted orange and feature black rubber stripes, and to a prominent orange lower front chin on the Project Kahn-designed sporty front bumper bar.

Kahn fits the 2012 Range Rover with a completely fresh bodykit too. There are chunky side skirts which poke out above the sidesteps, and an equally chunky rear bumper bar with an integrated diffuser and roof-mounted tailgate spoiler.

Although there’s no mention of major performance upgrades, Kahn states that the Vesuvius Edition Sport 300 comes with a “twin-turbo supercharged engine” and a stainless steel exhaust system. The 22-inch Kahn RS wheels are also sure to attraction plenty of attention.

Inside, the Vesuvius Sport 300 is converted to represent the same black and orange colour scheme including some of Kahn’s highest quality touches and trimming revisions. It gets quilted door trims, new Kahn front and rear leather seats, various Vesuvius and Kahn badges throughout and a special Vesuvius steering wheel with orange stitching.
The 2012 Range Rover Vesuvius Edition Sport 300 by Project Kahn is available as a complete pack, with prices starting at £69,875 ($110,200), or as separate items.

Toyota V8 2010

2011-07-14T02:11:00.000-07:00

Toyota updated the LandCruiser 200 range late last year by making a 45-litre auxillary fuel tank standard on all models and adding crawl control for diesel models (it remains standard on the petrol).
Other changes included a reversing camera, auxillary audio input jacks, iPod connectivity and a rear 12-volt power outlet.
In the case of the VX model tested here, 18-inch alloys, a moonroof and dark grey privacy glass were also added to the standard equipment list for 2010.

Cruise control, a trip computer, a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, a power moonroof, foglamps and power windows are standard equipment on the LandCruiser VX.
Both front seats are electrically adjustable for slide and recline, and like all other LandCruiser 200s the VX is fitted with keyless entry and ignition.
The sound system in the VX is a basic AM/FM CD tuner, with both a 3.5mm audio input and a USB port for portable music players. Sound is piped to six speakers, and steering wheel-mounted audio controls are standard.

The interior of the v8 Landcruiser is customised to fit comfort and Preference.
The vehicle can only be compared to luxurious SUV's such as the VW Taureg.

Nowonder, the President rolls in one of these vehicle because of its comfort,speed,performance,elegance and Prestige.
All this comes at price.The 2010 Toyota LandCruiser 200 VX petrol retails for $88,500 before on-road costs, with driveaway pricing typically resting just under $100,000. The diesel costs $10,250 more at $98,750.Do the Math!!

The Tundra

2011-07-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

The Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup widely considered to be the first full-size import-brand truck built with an American look and feel and a refined V8 engine. The Tundra was eventually nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award and was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year in 2000 and 2008. Currently the Tundra is assembled in San Antonio, Texas where production was consolidated in 2008. This pick up has a mean look that when the big boy drives past,one cant help but turn to take a second glimpse just like that hot maama with a curvaceous behind.
The rich have already splashed them all over town and one cant help but wonder why anyone is crying of high fuel prices with such high end guzzlers riding on our dusty streets. This truck is surely built for the potholes of this flamboyant city and the middle class Ugandans still have a lot to save if they want to roll the big with leagues such as Pinnacle Security Proprietor who owns one of these mean trucks.

A new Tundra will go for a whooping shs.112Million and a used one with a mileage of say 4100km will cost about 56-72Million depending on ones burgaining power and understanding of basic economics other factors held constant.
The Truck boasts of atop-of-the-line 381-hp, 5.7-liter V-8. So to feel the thrill of this mean track, you have to cash out BIG, but believe me it worth every penny.

Toyota Prius 2011

2011-07-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

The interior of the Prius is also much improved with a more prominent, angled centre console and well laid out controls. Cabin space is generous for a car in the medium family class and the driving position is "airy" with good forward distance to the windscreen. Toyota have decided to drop the large multi function display of the Prius 2 and have integrated this function into the slim green digital instrument display tucked into the top of the dash. Information includes a 6 bar chart showing fuel consumption over the last 30 minutes, drive mode, speed, real-time mpg, fuel gauge and engine status.
The T3 version on test was not equipped with sat nav so below the instrument display is the CD player and the aircon controls (including automatic option). Below these, a very short and stubby drive-by-wire gear stick is set low on the console which extends out into the cabin. This is nicely in reach and allows the driver to easily select drive, reverse or brake modes. The latter is rarely used in normal driving and is designed for use on long descents to mimic the selection of a low-gear in a manual car.
Immediately above the gear stick are the 3 driving mode buttons (EV, ECO and Power) and the park lock. See the next section for more on driving modes.
The foot well is essentially unchanged with the quirky and intuitive foot-brake in the clutch position freeing up space between the front seats.
The adjustable HUD or "Head Up Display" is one of several useful driver aids in the new Prius. This projects key data such as speed, eco drive display and (where fitted) sat nav instructions as an image that appears to float in line of sight about half way down the bonnet. This really helps keep vision where it's most needed even if the main display speed indicator is just a short eye swivel to the left.
Another practical feature is the use of dial like touch tracer controls mounted on the steering wheel. These are also designed to help keep driver concentration on the road when performing functions such as tuning the radio or increasing the cabin temperature. A quick touch on one of these brings up an icon of the control near the digital speed display with an amber indicator on the particular function selected e.g. decrease temperature.