By Karl Peskett.
For the last week we’ve been behind the wheel of the Nissan 370Z, a two-door, six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive sports car which harks back to the good old days of long bonnets, short cabs and powerful engines.
With its short throw manual gearbox and bum-on-the-ground stance, it feels like a Zed should be. We still prefer the raw sound of the old 350Z with its slightly rattly engine and heavier steering, but the 370Z is still about as pure as you can get in 2018 for the $60K-odd pricetag.
There’s some good news, though – the Zed nameplate won’t conclude with the 370Z. According to Nissan’s global design chief, there will be a new Z-car for the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. That’s fitting because the Datsun 240Z – the original Z-car – turns 50 next year.
Alfonso Albaisa told Wheels Magazine: “You can imagine I’m completely excited that I am in the position to work on that.” But don’t get too excited just yet. Apparently, it’s only going to be a concept. But if history is anything to go by (and customer demand certainly plays a role), there will likely be a production announcement shortly after that.
Merc and Audi battle for electric SUV dominance
Mercedes-Benz and Audi are in a race to win the hearts of electric vehicle (EV) aficionados everywhere. Both companies this week announced production commencing of their versions of the full electric SUV.
Mercedes-Benz fired the first shot with its EQC, showing it in full production trim. With 300kW and 765Nm on tap, it’s able to hit 100kmh in just 5.1 seconds. Not bad for a car that runs off batteries. Charging time is said to be around 40 minutes to get it from 10-80 per cent of charge. This is a maximum charge output of 110kW.
Compare that with the Audi e-tron which is said to charge at 150kW, enabling the Audi SUV to cover what it calls “the next long stage of its journey” in 30 mins. Audi’s a bit more coy with its official figures, but most companies talk about 80 per cent charge, so we’ll assume it’s around that.
The e-tron also has some pretty cool features like cameras for wing mirrors, which streamline the profile of the car, adding several kilometres of range. There are also louvres which shut in the grille, creating a more slippery shape overall, again adding range.
With the Merc having an 80kWh battery pack and the Audi a 95kWh battery, things will certainly be hotting up between the two German brands. And with decades of build experience, you can be sure that the quality will surpass Tesla’s offering.
Now it just comes down to price. We’ll keep you updated.
Jaguar’s F-Pace has been upgraded by Lister
Speaking of quick SUVs, this one is as far from electric power as you can get. The company behind this creation is called Lister, and it has a history of creating quick Jaguars. Except this one will be the quickest F-Pace you can get.
In fact, Lister reckons it will be the world’s fastest SUV. Given that title was claimed by a Nissan Qashqai with a GT-R engine shoved under the bonnet, we think the title should perhaps be world’s fastest road-licenced SUV.
The supercharged V8 has been tuned to produce 500kW which doesn’t quite eclipse the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (which makes 527kW), but its top speed of 322kmh certainly does. In fact, the Lister LFP (as it’s known) has a higher top speed than even the Lamborghini Urus.
And at 3.5 seconds to get to triple digits, it’s not just the top speed that’s impressive. Lister says its incredible turn of speed is thanks to extensive use of carbon-fibre. And that means the LFP isn’t going to be cheap. At today’s exchange rates, it’s around AU$255,000.
Even if you have the cash lying around (and you haven’t been spending it on smashed avo breakfasts), it’s doubtful we’ll even see it down under. Looks like the Lambo SUV will have to do…
