Step one.
Stationary on an empty country road.
Step two.
Gently select S on the console gear lever.
Step three.
Floor the throttle.
The bonnet instantly lifts skywards, as 283 kilowatts and an 850 nm tidal wave of torque slams you back in the seat with ferocious G force.
In 4.7 seconds you've reached 100 kilometres an hour.
A true "oh my God" moment.
The thundering acceleration from Audi's brilliant A8 TDI,4.2 litre turbo diesel V8 is such a rush, you'll want to seek out places to repeat this procedure over and over again. It's simply jaw dropping and I guarantee you will have a grin a mile wide! I never tired of it during my week with the car.
Endowed with all of Audi's Le Mans race winning diesel technology, the diesel in the A8 is a tour de force ,enabling the 2.1 tonne A 8 to achieve its staggering performance in virtual silence.
Just a subdued meaty V8 burble from the tailpipes tells you there's something very special going on under the bonnet..
Remember this is a luxury limousine with every conceivable gadget, safety and convenience feature in Audi's arsenal.
My previous experience with such gigantic torque was with the original VW Touareg five litre V10 twin turbo diesel.
Audi has built in the same grunt with a smaller engine.
Not only does it go like a scalded cat, it will return an average of 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres.(If you have a gentle right foot. Good luck with that, once you've tasted the V8's torque avalanche.) The diesel also has idle stop /start technology.
On the highway at 100 kilometres an hour in eighth (top) gear, the big V8 is turning over at just 1100 rpm.
The speedo reads to 300kph. The engine is redlined at 4200 rpm.
The fully adjustable air suspension goes from Dynamic, for more instant revs and stiffer suspension, through to a cossetting Comfort, that seems to glide over most road surfaces.
In corners the Quattro AWD system gives the A8 tenacious grip, aided by 20 inch wheels and 40 series tyres.
You feel the weight of the car through the speed sensitive electronic steering, but it sits flat and unflustered, letting the torque do its job.
Of course you can't have a car like this without some exotic fruit to go with it.
This up-specced test car had a few options, such as a $14,500 Bang and Olufsen 16 speaker audio system linked to one of the best digital radios I have heard..(including tiny circular tweeters that rise from the dashtop,)
Dynamic Steering that helps keep you in your lane,$3,500) Infra red night vision screen,($5,960) and soft Alcantara headlining.($4,050) taking the base car from 249K to 277K..
Not bad however in this stratospheric market segment where competitors often charge extra for similar high end options.
The list of standard kit is exceptional and will satisfy most buyers.
It includes,heated and ventilated front seats with massage function, self parking, a sunroof,digital television, multiple camera views when reversing, a heads up speed display on the windscreen, blind spot warnings in exterior mirrors,indicators that don't just flash, they "travel" sequentially in a line along their LED lens,( similar to some American cars of the 60s and 70s,) three choices of colour for the ambient lighting features in the cabin, headlights that spread when stationary behind another car at night, so as not to dazzle the other driver,( the headlights will also flick to one side from high beam, when an oncoming car is detected.)
The bright Xenon beams are hidden behind unique reflectors and are a work of art in themselves.
There's plenty of head and leg room in the cabin, and rear seat passengers can set their own climate with a remote console of their own built into the central armrest.
The front door armrests have a flip up lid revealing a concealed flock lined cubby for odds and ends.
You can program your destination on the Sat-nav with the MMI dial, or if you wish, you can write the address with your finger on a console touchpad. Neat,
So....If you want to make a real automotive statement, then the Audi A8 could be the one for you.
It's big, bold and brash and even though the A8's been around a while, the shape is still classy.
The upgraded A8 4.2 TDI has a presence and stunning performance you won't be able to ignore.
Peter Sellen
Audi's model lineup continues to grow at a bewildering pace, covering all market segments .Smart, fresh, desirable cars, with seemingly infinite combinations of vehicles and engines on offer.
On test here is the latest A3 Cabriolet. It's a sleek looking well crafted four seater.
Judging by the admiring looks during my week with it, Audi is onto yet another winner.
Going against the recent trend of folding metal roofed convertibles, Audi has opted to continue with a traditional cloth top on the A3 and that's a good idea.
Less weight means better performance without sacrificing the interior ambience, comfort and weatherproofing.
The A3 Cabrio is an elegant looking car, top up or down.
The brushed aluminium windscreen surround, complements its overall smart look perfectly.
The roof retracts and closes in seconds at speeds of up to 50 kilometres an hour.
At highway speeds roof up, it's extremely well insulated from road and wind noise. It's almost as good as a hard top in this respect. You are cocooned in a quiet world of luxury.
When the weather suited, a few 100 kilometre an hour blasts through the hills with all windows down, produced very little wind buffeting.
Space in the boot is quite good. even with the roof down.
Roof up, the folding compartment that holds it can be pushed up out of the way to provide even more luggage capacity.
Rearward visibility is not too bad, thanks to the large heated glass back window, and relatively slim C pillars.
The interior is typical Audi quality.. plenty of soft touch surfaces, and easy to use controls make settling in a breeze. The central information screen raises and lowers silently from a slot in the upper dashboard. The same screen also displays images from a reversing camera.
The A3 Cabrio like many others these days has a self parking feature should you feel the need for it.
The heated seats are comfy and for those adventurous chilly winter drives with the roof down, you can select warm air to blow on the back of your neck from a vent below the front seat head restraints.
The front seats are manually adjusted for height and fore and aft movement, but with my seat set to a good driving position, there's no leg room behind.
The trailing edges of the wide opening doors each have a red light for better night time safety.
At night, with the roof up, LED down lights bathe the interior in a classy pale blue glow.
Ride comfort is outstanding; smooth and refined, the suspension deftly absorbs most bumps with exceptional, supple compliance.
There's also an absence of scuttle shake on rougher roads..testament to the Cabrio's rigidity.
The A3's handling is spot on through corners, sticking limpet-like to your chosen line with little fuss. Steering effort is light, but still has good feel, allowing you to know what the front wheels are doing..
The turbocharged engine is a mechanical masterpiece.
The A3 Cabrio's performance is incredible. It flies down the road under acceleration, belying its small capacity.
Just 1.4 litres and 103 kw and 250 nm. In Sport mode it goes even harder.
The silence from the engine bay across the entire rev range is astonishing. A credit to Audi's engineering skills.
Gear changes in the seven speed automatic box can be performed by steering wheel paddles or the central shifter.
Fuel consumption is a commendable, combined city/highway cycle of 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres. The headlights are bright on both low and high beam.
The sound system has eight speakers and excellent quality. (Some of the features on this car including the acoustic roof, heated seats and interior lighting package are options.)
Priced from 47K, the Audi A3 Cabriolet 1.4 TFSI is a refined, desirable piece of kit, destined to be very popular.
There's also a 1.8 litre version, and a quiet and powerful 2 litre turbo diesel,(which would be my choice,) but for others the 1.4 petrol version could be the pick of the litter.
If open air motoring is your thing, and you like to be noticed, the A3 Cabriolet should definitely be on your shopping list.
Peter Sellen
Subaru's WRX has been around for quite some time now, and it remains the vehicle of choice for many rally teams the world over, and for those wanting a real performance edge.
Earlier models went like the clappers but were comparatively quite crude, with a very harsh ride.
The latest top spec WRX STI Premium has all the grunt you could ever want and loads of creature comforts as well, and the bonus, a slightly improved ride comfort compared to previous models.
My back appreciated this minor development. The suspension is still quite firm but now not rock hard. However on broken surfaces the STI's composure is not so good. Smooth tarmac is its forte.
Despite its hairy chested persona, the STI's 2.5 litre flat four cylinder "boxer "turbo charged engine is very civilised. There's no loud woosh/bang from the turbo wastegate as you change gear, that you often hear on WRXs fitted with aftermarket turbo kits.
The engine in the latest STi is a thing of beauty..a masterpiece of performance and plumbing. Lift the bonnet(held up ably with a gas strut) and the engine is revealed in all its complicated technical glory. No hiding beneath plastic shrouds, like most of today's cars. The engine pumps out a very useful 221 KW and 407nm. There's not a lot of that torque available low in the rev range however and you'll need decent revs to get underway quickly. Peak torque kicks in above 4,000rpm. It's redlined at around 6,700 rpm and the speedo dial has a maximum indicated speed of 280 kilometres an hour.
On the open road at 100 kilometres an hour, in top gear of the manual box, (sixth) the engine is spinning at just 2,000 rpm, making for relaxed and economical cruising.
During my week with the car it averaged 10.8 litres per hundred k's, not too shabby considering the STi will rocket to 100 in under five seconds.
You have to be on the ball with gear changes however, the free revving engine will hit the limiter each time you swap cogs unless you are paying attention.
At idle there is no sign of lumpiness.. just a smooth tickover...quite a feat considering its power and performance.
There is some annoying exhaust harmonic/resonance and booming in the cabin at times which you'd probably get used to..it comes and goes depending on which gear you're in and engine load.
The steering, adjustable for reach and rake, is quite heavy. It still points to where you want to go, but it takes some effort to do it. The feel does get lighter with increased speed.
Plunging into tight corners is a real treat in the STi.. its all wheel drive grip is exceptional. There is so much power on tap you need only use a couple of the lower gears to get you through.
The rear wing on the STi has grown substantially over previous models, and it now stands almost as high as the roof line.. At least it doesn't cut across your rearward field of vision as much as before, when it appeared smack in the middle of the rear view mirror.
The large boot mounted aerodynamic aid has an unforseen bonus.
It stands out so much you will never lose the car in the supermarket car park. It can also double, (as one ill informed wag told me,) as a towel rail. Very funny.
So rearward visibility is quite good, even though the STi always looks like it's ready to take off.
Inside, the bright red highlighted instruments look good. There are switches that change the differential settings for even more grip and performance.
The heated front seats are comfortable if a little firm, but do a good job of holding you in place through bends.
The headlights have bi-xenons for low beam but high beam gets regular halogen lamps.. not too effective. They should be the other way around.
The nine speaker audio system is marvellous, with crisp and clear sound ...no complaints there.
The STI Premium comes with a sunroof,auto climate control and other niceties such as auto lights and wipers and electrically adjustable driver's seat.
T
he fake carbon fibre dashboard treatment doesn't look out of place and there's even an analogue clock on the dash top cowling.
Adjustments to find all the car settings, such as fuel consumption, range and suspension are quite complicated. It took a good 20 minutes of fiddling about and studying the handbook to work it all out. It's definitely not intuitive.
The screen for the reversing camera is quite small.
There's reasonable room in the cabin and the rear windows retract fully into the doors, but only the driver's glass is auto up/down. Keyless entry and start, another welcome feature.
The Subaru WRX STi remains one of the most sought after performance saloons on the planet and with good reason. It delivers all that it promises.
The STI WRX Premium sells for 55K, a real bargain.
Peter Sellen.
Honda has energised its model lineup of late, as the company battles a tide of competition from Korea and elsewhere.
Sales of the Jazz hatch remain constant, but with Australia's ongoing hatchback love affair, is there still a place for a light sedan?
Honda believes there is and this is it.
The latest City model, is now into its sixth generation.
On test here is the top spec VT-iL.
Honda has tweaked the City's styling, including new tail lights, transforming it into quite a sophisticated shape..modern and very pleasing to the eye.
There's an incredible amount of legroom inside. Even with the driver's seat all the way back, I could still fit comfortably and I am 6'2 " tall. Head room in the rear for taller passengers however, is a bit tight.
The amazing space continues in the boot.. a colossal 536 litre capacity.. more even than a Holden Commodore.
The seats themselves are supportive and quite comfortable but there's not a lot of side bolstering in the front pair.That's not a problem, as the City is not a sports car requiring body hugging pews.
Headlights are bright with good spread and penetration on high and low beam. Well done Honda. Other manufacturers take note..This level of illumination should be the light car standard.
The City is relatively narrow. I could almost touch the opposite door with an outstretched arm and you won't find too many soft touch surfaces. The driver's elbow rests on hard plastic...the door top coverings are also unyielding and so is the dashboard top.
The only padded comfort is on the console lid, which is good, as often cars in this class have no central armrest at all.
The touch screen for audio and other functions is easy to use and quite large.
The leather bound steering wheel has remote buttons for cruise, audio and other functions including Bluetooth. The large screen is a bonus when reversing, as the rear view camera's field of vision is excellent on the same screen.
It's pleasing to find a car in this class with remote entry and start.
The 1.5 litre engine has plenty of pep, despite it's modest output..88 kw and 145 nm.Average fuel consumption is a frugal 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres.
At cruising speeds and around town, the City is quiet, with little wind or road noise.Ride comfort is quite good. The tight turning circle is ideal for city use and steering effort is light, but still with plenty of feel. Again, top marks Honda.
The City has become a sophisticated, grown up light car.
I enjoyed my time with it and I'm pretty sure you will too.
The City VT-iL sells for just over 21K.
Peter Sellen
Volvo has long shaken off the once derided image of being driven by older men in hats.
Their cars are now among the most stylish available while still retaining the super safe mantle the company has always had.
Volvo's entry into the V8 supercar series with it's S60, is also drawing new fans, and it's already achieved stellar results in its first season.
An example of how far Volvo has come is this V60 T5 R-Design wagon.
Sleekly styled and fitted with just about every conceivable safety and driver aid, the S60 / V60 models have helped the company come of age in so many ways.
Let's start with the engine. A two litre turbo petrol powerplant developing 180 kw and 350nm, with a nought to 100 kmh time of 6.4 seconds.
And although it's front wheel drive there's no trace of torque steer even under maximum throttle. Punted hard through tight corners, the V60 sits flat and purposeful, with excellent steering response.
In Performance mode, the V60 leaps down the road with terrific urge, eagerly pressing you back into the seat. Volvo's new 8 speed automatic gearbox is a beaut.. you can select gears yourself with the shifter or steering wheel paddles.
And it's fuss free. There's no wild thrashing at the upper rev limits, just sheer grunt from a true performance engine, that will also return a combined fuel cycle average of 6.8 litres per 100 kilometres.
It also has the now common, fuel saving stop/start cut out when the car is stationary.(It can be overridden.)
Ride comfort is quite good, considering the sporty nature of the V60.. firm but not rock hard.
The heated R-Design seats with three memory positions, are superbly crafted; initially firm, but they do a great job in holding you in place when cornering.
You'll not be troubled by any road noise from either wind or tyres at urban or highway speeds.
I like the new dashboard layout, it's easy to read and there are three visual modes. Performance, lights up red,Eco a light blue, and Elegance a mid blue colour.
The V60 has Volvo's trademark floating console, which provides a hidden spot for odds and ends. In the rear, Volvo's inbuilt child booster seat will be welcomed by families, and the audio system is one of the best available. In this car you get 10 speakers, with Dolby surround sound and multi media connections including Bluetooth.
Legroom in the back is tight however if tall front seat occupants rack their seats right back.
Volvo's safety features are legendary.
Standard kit includes City Safety( which will brake the car itself at low speeds if an obstacle suddenly appears in front of the car,)
Advanced stability control, Emergency brake assist, and side impact protection.
There's also auto wipers and lights, active Bending Bi Xenon headlights with auto high beam, puddle lighting, LED daytime running lights and a host of other inbuilt crash mitigation and avoidance features, such as a rear view camera and parking sensors.
The V60 on test has even more. A swag of goodies from the options list that includes blind spot warnings, cross traffic alert, lane departure warnings, a lane keeping aid, adaptive cruise control with distance settings and automatic braking.
There's no remote entry and start however, a key fob has to be inserted into the dashboard slot to the left of the steering wheel. As in other Volvos, you get used to using your left hand for this task, even if you are right handed.
Visibility to the rear is good, and there's a large cargo area, above a temporary spare wheel and tyre repair kit.
Volvo seems to have thought of everything you could possibly want in a mid sized wagon.
The V60 T5 R-Design should be on your shopping list if for nothing else than it's terrific value for money, and it's simply a great drive. A split personality combo of boy racer and sedate(if you wish,) family wagon..
Volvo's S60 range starts at 55K.
The standard V60 T5 R-Design model will set you back around 65K.
The car on test with options, comes in at around 72K.
Peter Sellen
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