New Outlander fully revealed

Alliance co-sharing means the gen four car is a Nis-subishi.

 REVEALED today and set to land locally later this year, the new generation of the popular Outlander sports utility is set to be the first Mitsubishi here with Nissan DNA.

The shared bloodline with a make that has historically been a corporate foe arises from Mitsubishi and Nissan being in an alliance that also involves Renault. 

For Outlander, one of the more popular SUVs with Kiwis with 2424 registrations last year and 2838 in 2019, it means an interesting blend for Kiwis to consider when the car arrives.

Which is when, exactly? “We’re very excited about the launch of the all-new Outlander, which is due to hit our shores later in the year,” says Reece Congdon, head of marketing and communications for Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand.

As for what variants we can expect to see? “Our local line-up will be announced in the coming months.”

Back to the car. External styling is by its actual maker, taking cues from a 2019 concept called the Engelberg Tourer. Likeswise, there’s continuation of core elements such as seven seats and the make’s Super Select all-wheel-drive system. However, the engine, transmission and platform are already used by the Nissan X-Trail.

The platform change to the first all-new Outlander in nine years, and the fourth generation to hold that nameplate, enhances the general dimension and likely will deliver dynamic and safety benefit.

Featuring ultra-high tensile steel for the first time, Mitsubishi claims the new platform offers greater body stiffness, while saving weight thanks to an aluminium bonnet and plastic front quarterpanels.

Measuring 4709mm long, 1862mm wide and 1748mm high, with a 2705mm wheelbase, the new family SUV is 15mm longer in overall length, 51mm wider, 38mm taller and 36mm longer in overall wheelbase – translating into 25mm of additional front and 28mm of rear legroom, and 35mm of additional shoulder room.

The only engine at launch is a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol, developing 135kW of power and 245Nm of torque – a lift of 9kW and 9Nm over cited outputs for the X-Trail version. The current Outlander makes 124kW and 220Nm.

A plug-in hybrid model is expected to debut later in 2021 or early in 2022, expected to mate a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an array of electric motors. No outputs are given, but the current one generates 94kW and 199Nm.

The new engine is mated to a CVT automatic transmission as standard – with eight stepped 'ratios' and a shift-by-wire set-up – sending drive to either the front or all four wheels.

The all-wheel-drive is Mitsubishi's latest Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC), with improved torque vectoring and a new clutch-based centre coupling.

Eco, Normal, Tarmac, Snow and Gravel modes feature with front- and AWD models, but the latter also has a Mud mode.

The styling delivers Mitsubishi's 'Dynamic Shield' corporate face with split LED headlights containing upper daytime-running lights plus LED tail-lights.

 The primary feature of the interior is a tablet-style 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and satellite navigation. This restricts to the high grades and overseas’ media say it’s identical to a display used by the Nissan. They also believe the 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and 10.8-inch head-up display – the latter pair both firsts for the Mitsubishi brand – are lifted from the X-Trail.

Lower grades lack the head-up display and have 8.0-inch infotainment and 7.0-inch instrument cluster screens.

Available active safety technologies include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, traffic-sign recognition, auto high-beam, forward and reverse autonomous emergency braking, hill descent control and driver attention alert.

There's also blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert – both capable of detecting and braking for obstacles – plus a 360-degree camera on higher grades. 

Upholstery options comprise fabric, suede, semi-aniline leather and quilted genuine leather depending on variant.

Equipment at flagship level includes a 10-speaker Bose premium sound system, heated seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic glass sunroof, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, 15-watt wireless smartphone charging, first- and second-row USB-A and USB-C ports, and rear window sun blinds.

The first market for Outlander is the United States.

Power games – the local EV rollout for 2021

More brands, more cars, more choice – expect plenty of action as the battery car charge intensifies all the more in NZ this year.

 LAST year brought some astounding introductions to the electric vehicle sector – not only brilliant new prestige models for those unrestricted by budget consideration.

We also witnessed the cheapest new electric car in the market getting even cheaper; a repricing of the MG ZS EV to $48,990 was a surprise bombshell – that sticker being  $7000 below a price first proposed that, in itself, would have positioned this model advantageously. 

As is, NZ motorists are now enjoying their first sub-$50,000 brand-new fully electric car, retailing for $1000 less than the ‘special introductory price’ that was offered to the first 50 orders, when that book was opened in 2019.

It’s hard to see that feat being bettered in 2021, but perhaps it might.

 Certainly, we’ll have even more electric cars to consider this year, several  from mainstream makers, including a market leader which is fully versed in the art of successful sales craft.

So, anyway, here in alphabetical order are the new EV models slated to arrive within the next 12 months.

 Audi RS e-Tron GT

AN electric fan blowing down a long metal cylinder … captured by specialists and further modified and built on was among a total of 32 individual audio elements that have gone in creating the special sound track that gives Audi’s performance EV rather special aural signature. It’s said to be something similar to a jet engine powering up, with the noise modulating based on the engine data, before it is projected from a loudspeaker at the front of the vehicle. Speed and throttle position change the tone.

Sounding a bit strange? Well, noise is important to cars, but for a different reason in respect to EVs. For sure, Audi would like to create a frisson of excitement, but also they’re having to bear in mind that the European Union and the United States have introduced regulations mandating all electric cars emit an external sound for the benefit of pedestrians – up to 20kmh and 32kmh respectively.

It’s doubtless an element of the first Audi RS model to go fully electric, skipping the plug-in hybrid stage altogether and beating hi-po rivals BMW M and Mercedes-AMG to market with emissions-free motoring, that will be a subject of some discussion when this hot shot lands around mid-year.

In terms of performance temperature, think an obvious barometer. The RS E-Tron GT is very closely related t the Porsche Taycan; they are not doppelgangers in styling nor in technology application, outputs alter as do even electric motor count (plus they’re built in different factories), but they do use a common platform.

The GT will deliver is two formats, the RS being the top dog. In the latter power comes from high-energy 83.7kWh (93kWh gross) battery that feeds two synchronous motors – a 175kW motor powers the front axle and is shared with the regular e-Tron GT, but the rear is larger and more powerful, at 335kW. Just like the Taycan, there’s a two-speed transmission on the rear axle, and a focus on coasting rather than recuperation to extend battery range. 

Charge times will also be equivalent to the Taycan, with a maximum DC charging capacity of 270kW, for a theoretical 100km of range in 5 minutes. A 50kW DC charger boosts the battery from five to 80 percent in around 1.5 hours, or 22kW AC charger from 0-100 percent in around 4.5 hours.  

As with Porsche, Audi is also about impressing how the GT’s seriousness by reminding that not only is it coming out of the same high-tech plant as the R8 supercar north of Stuttgart in Germany but (and take this as a thinly-disguised swipe at Tesla) the build quality will be superb. For instance, Audi is employing precision machines that can measure surface inaccuracies on the bodywork within 0.2 of a millimetre.

 BMW iX

BMW'S first electric SUV built from the ground up on a new EV platform shares exterior dimensions of an X5, is as tall as an X6 and has the wheelbase of an X7, with very high specification and plush appointments in two levels of bodywork, a standard look and a sport enhancement with more rakish styling elements.

The cockpit uses a lot of inspiration from the iNext concept, including a hexagonal steering wheel and a vast curved digital displays for the driver and front passenger to use.  

It also features BMW's new ‘fifth-generation’ electric powertrain tech. We are told that the car will be powered by two electric motors (with no rare earth elements), producing 'more than' 370kW, which comprehensively beats the 300kW EQC and e-tron 50 and 55 (respectively 230kW and 300kW).  

Apparently the iX will do 0-100kmh in under five seconds, but of greater importance is the efficiency and range between charges. BMW expects the car will average 21kWh per 100km on the WLTP cycle, resulting in a range of more than 600km from its 100kWh battery pack.

Recharging times are also impressive … when the right hardware is in place. The iX3 can be DC fast-charged at up to 200kW, allowing 10-80 percent charging in under 40 minutes, or 120km range for 10 minutes of charge.  

The car premieres a new aluminium space frame that supports an inner carbon cage fabricated from CFRP – for composite plastic and carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic – covered with a body made out of a combination of aluminium and CFRP. The latter is a material BMW has become accustomed to working with as it features intensively in the i3 and now discontinued i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

For the first time in a modern-day BMW model, the iX will feature a fixed clamshell style bonnet. A series of aerodynamic developments, including the blanked-off grille, minimal air ducting within the front bumper, flat underbody panelling, integrated door handles with an electronic opening mechanism and the tapered glasshouse, contribute to a claimed drag coefficient of 0.25.

Full LED main beams are standard, though buyers will also be able to specify BMW’s Laser lights as an option. At the rear, the iX’s narrow tail lamps receive LED functionality as standard.

Look for it in the second half of 2021.

BMW iX3

 Likely to be pitched as a competitor for three like-sorted models already on sale here - the Mercedes EQC, Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X – though differing from those in being more obviously based on an existing model.

The iX3 nonetheless represents an important step. It’s not just BMW’s first electric SUV, but also the first BMW to be available with either pure combustion, plug-in hybrid or pure electric power. 

 The X3’s platform has been adapted with a new rear sub-frame that houses a single electric motor and an 80Wh battery pack – yes, it’s exclusively rear-drive - that, BMW says, is 20 percent more energy dense than any battery it has used before.  

Output is to the tune of 210kW and 400Nm and a 6.8-second 0-100kmh sprint is claimed. BMW says it’ll provide an impressive 460km range, as determined on a WLTP test cycle. Using fast-charging, the iX3 is capable of receiving 80 percent charge in 34 minutes. 

BMW is talking up the car’s adaptive energy recuperation system, which it claims automatically enhances efficiency on longer drives. Using location data from BMW’s latest cloud-based navigation system, the iX3 can autonomously change the level of braking recuperation on the move and according to the road ahead. For instance, if the car recognises that a stop sign is ahead, full recuperation will be deployed without any need for the driver to select it. 

Alternately, the driver can take manual control of the regenerative braking, with three levels of resistance availed. A ‘B’ position on the Drive selector enables high enough energy recovery for one-pedal driving around town, a trick the brand appears to have nabbed from Toyota/Lexus.  

The iX3 gets a unique tune for its standard adaptive suspension system with electronically controlled dampers. Alternately, buyers will be able to specify a sportier Adaptive M suspension setup. 

The front grilles are closed off for aerodynamic purposes and the bumpers have been reprofiled and it gets set of aerodynamic wheels styled to reduce the drag coefficient by around five percent compared with regular X3 wheels. 

Arrival? We’re thinking it’ll time pretty much with iNext. 

Ford Mustang Mach E

Okay, so this one’s a bit of a punt. Ford New Zealand says the only electric car it can officially confirm as a definite 2021 starter here is the plug-in hybrid version of the Escape. And, of course, they’re looking at a fully battery-propelled Transit in 2022.

When asked about the Mach-E, spokesman Tom Clancy replied: “I would love to confirm Mach-E for New Zealand – from all reports it’s an excellent and exciting vehicle – but can’t at this time.”

So that’s not a no, and the reason why there’s a chance the electric Mustang (and yes, petrolheads, like it or not, that is what it officially is) sports utility could be coming is because it’s starting to reach the United Kingdom and, also, there’s growing conviction from Australia that they’ll achieve the car before next Christmas.

What is for sure is that, whether it’s a 2021 arrival or later, there’s every likelihood NZ will at some stage be down to take Ford’s first mass-market electric car in its 116-year history.

You should be excited.  Ford says this all-new car is a true pony express; the range-topping Mach-E GT will hit 100kmh in under four seconds, thanks to an all-wheel drive layout channelling the 342kW and 830Nm outputs of a 75.7kWh lithium-ion battery (a 98.8kWh extended range battery is available).

Ford is claiming a range of 480 kilometres from a full charge using its extended-range rear-wheel-drive car.

Hyundai Kona Electric 

This is the mid-life update version of the car that NZ has known for more than a year. The refresh delivers a cleaner front-end design, aerodynamic tweaks and a restocked safety suite that complements improved interior technology.

It retains the single 64kWh lithium-ion battery pack, but the charging port has moved to place asymmetrically between the front headlights, having previous been sited slightly to the passenger side. Charge time is claimed to take 47 minutes when done with a 100kW DC fast charger.

We’d expect to see this in the first half of 2021.  

Kia e-Niro

Where Hyundai goes, the subordinate marque generally follows.

Once again, this is a facelift. There’s not too much info around, but as with the original pitch, it’s likely to be outdone by its Hyundai Kona cousin for style but  

Chances are NZ will see only the more powerful of two battery options, which should see it travel 450kms between charges. 

Lexus UX300e

Built on Toyota’s GA-C platform, this version of the smallest Lexus crossover runs a front-mounted motor that produces 150kW and 300Nm of torque.

Energy comes from a 54.3kWh underfloor lithium ion battery offering a claimed range of around 315km on the official WLTP testing regime. It's capable of 0-100kmh in 7.5 seconds, has a top speed of 160kmh and an optimal range of 400km.

The model’s high-rate lithium ion battery is capable of DC replenishment and rapid-charging from zero to 80 percent takes 52 minutes. It features a number of driving modes so that the performance of the motor can be better managed, along with paddles to alter the strength of the regenerative braking.

 Lexus says the drivetrain has been developed with a focus on on-road performance and the goal of offering a quiet and refined driving experience. Extra bracing has been added over the regular UX hybrid and the dampers reworked to maintain optimum weight distribution.

Prioing has yet to be discussed, but the plan is for the UX300e to form a new “flagship” of this family range so expect to pay more than the $70,300 asked for the current line-topping UX250h AWD F-Sport.

Mazda MX-30

Two flavours for 2021 – mild hybrid and full-out electric – with a third, this delivering as a full electric but with a small petrol-fuelled engine (yes, a rotary) likely to follow perhaps next year. 

The Hybrid is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine paired to Mazda's M Hybrid system, producing maximum outputs of 114kW and 200Nm through a six-speed automatic transmission sending power to the front wheels only.

The addition of the mild-hybrid system means the model's official fuel consumption figure is reduced to a claimed 6.4L/100km on a combined cycle.

The MX-30 Electric, meanwhile, looks much the same as the mild hybrid car, save for some subtle electric badging on the exterior and a combined AC/DC charging point where the fuel cap would normally be – on the rear right-hand side of the vehicle.

 The electric model is powered by a 107kW/271Nm electric motor on the front axle and boasts a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack mounted beneath the floor. Range is modest, up to 200km on a single charge according to the World harmonised Light vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP). That’s less than some of the MX-30's key competitors, but Mazda’s not sweating it. A smaller battery means quick recharging; three hours to recharge on an AC socket, or roughly 36 minutes on a 50kWh DC fast charger 

In terms of sizing, at 4395mm long, 1795mm wide and 1555mm tall, the MX-30 is in the same category as the CX-30, with a 311-litre boot on both the electric and mild-hybrid variants.

The model’s most discussed design feature are pillar-less freestyle doors, inspired by those on the Mazda RX-8 sports coupe (and kinda like those on the BMW i3), which open outwards from the central B-pillar point, hinged at the rear. 

The MX-30 has won a 2020 five-star rating from Europe's New Car Assessment Programme. Standard safety kit includes 10 airbags – front, curtain, front-side, rear-side, front far-side (driver) and a driver’s knee – plus emergency lane keeping with blind-spot assist and something called road keep assist, which helps you stay on track even in the absence of lane markings.

There’s also ‘turn-across traffic functionality’ which can intervene in collisions at intersections by activating the smart-brake support system.  

The cabins of both variants are alike. An 8.8-inch screen that sits at the top of the dashboard controls the infotainment system via a rotary dial, while a second lower 7.0-inch touchscreen provides access to the climate controls.

The floating centre console has cork accents as a nod to the brand's history as a cork manufacturer.

The majority of materials used in the MX-30's interior are sustainably sourced or recycled, from the vegan leatherette upholstery om the seats, to the door trim materials which are made from recycled plastic bottles.

Nissan Leaf e Plus

The latest Leaf but featuring a 62kWh battery (up from 40kWh) that can propel the small five-door 384 kilometres on a single charge, representing a 110-kilometre improvement over the standard edition.

Skoda Enyaq iV

In addition to the ‘E’ also referencing ‘electric’ and the ‘q’ conforming to an in-house naming practice, the name also derives from the Gaelic girl’s name Enya (which means ‘fire’ and ‘kernel’). The iV part is less clear.

 Good background to chuck into the inevitable discussion owners of this five-seater medium crossover will enter into with those curious to know more about what will not only be the first fully electric Skoda to come on sale here but also the first of numerous cars utilising a Volkswagen Group underpinning that are set to hit New Zealand, not just as VWs but also as Audis and a SEAT.

Skoda’s status as the debutante for the MEB platform on local turf is a happenstance that hasn’t occurred in most places; but fact is VW New Zealand has resigned to not seeing the ID models that advance this tech until at least 2022, starting with the ID 4. Same goes for SEAT, with its car, the El Born.

Enyaq’s NZ release (and price) has yet to be shared, but the local distributor has already started the pre-launch build up. Insofar as specification goes? Well, there’s likely to be plenty to think about; the factory is prepping Enyaq with the options of three battery sizes, five power variants and a driving range of up to 500 kilometres. It also provisions in rear-drive in entry form and four-wheel-drive further up the range and a performance all-paw RS edition with 225kW is on the cards.

In size Skoda’s EV slots between the Karoq and the Kodiaq, being 4648mm long, 1877mm wide and 1618mm tall, on a 2765mm wheelbase.  It classes as an SUV, though realistically that’s just a convenience. There isn't a great deal of ground clearance so don't expect to go very far off-road in it.

However, it is designed to tow (if only up to 1200kg) and will is as roomy as the Kodiaq, with a big cabin – made all the more spacious by the lack of a transmission tunnel – and a 585-litre boot. Unlike some other electric SUVs, there isn't a storage area under the bonnet.

The line starts with the 109kW Enyaq iV 50, driven by a rear-mounted electric motor (so, rear-wheel drive) with a 55kWh battery pack and a maximum driving range of 340 kilometres.

Above this is the Enyaq iV 60, also rear-wheel drive but with a 62kWh battery and a 390km driving range, then the Enyaq iV 80, the highest choice in the rear-motored set. It has an 82kWh battery offering 150kW and up to 500 kilometres’ range.

Beyond this are dual-motor all-wheel-drive 80X and RS variants, also with the 82kWh battery pack, but with a second electric motor driving the front wheels. In this form the 80X has 195kW and the RS another 30kW more. The extra grunt comes at expense of range, but not greatly, with 460km claimed. The RS is the only variant that Skoda has announced a 0-100kmh time for; claiming it’ll smash that in 6.2 seconds. That’s 0.8s better than the fastest current Kodiaq, the RS.

Fast charging is also promised with an 80 percent 'fill' possible from 40 minutes at a 125kW DC-powered station … if talking about the 82kWh models. The onboard 11kW charging unit will enable users with a suitable domestic wallbox to replenish the battery charge in six to nine hours, depending on battery size.

The cabin eschews the usual Skoda instrument displays and instead takes a small digital display ahead of a two-spoke steering wheel plus an augmented head-up display that projects onto the windscreen, as in the Volkswagen ID.3 hatch (which isn’t being considered for NZ incidentally). A centrally mounted freestanding touchscreen sits atop the dashboard, and this will come in two sizes, 10- or 13-inch, depending on model.

Skoda’s bent for practicality reveals with decent interior storage, including a generous console between the front seats. It gets a large wireless charging pad that can charge two phones simultaneously. Oh yes, and it has the trad umbrella.

Skoda has a wide variety of specification grades, starting with Studio, available in the Enyaq 50 alone. Additional Loft, Lodge, Suite and Eco Suite trim levels will be available on the 60 and 80 models, and Eco Suite features more sustainably sourced materials. The 60 and 80 versions will gain the largest touchscreen display, a 13-incher.

Tesla Model Y

Again, a bit of a punt with this one, at least in respect to timing, as Tesla no longer bothers communicating with media about its cars.

The model, of course, is not secret; the Model Y is a five-seat crossover all-electric vehicle built on the same third-generation platform as the Model 3; think of it as being a more practical, higher-riding stablemate that stands as a smaller alternate to the Model X, albeit not as wacky – so a conventional set of doors here.

Volvo XC40 Recharge 

A dead-ringer to the fossil-fuelled XC40 from the kerbside, and from overseas’ reports, it’s not so different in driving feel, either.

Of course, it is a radical departure, in being the first Volvo to sell here – arriving mid-year or so, by the way – to forego hooking up to Big Oil.

Here two electric motors provide a very healthy 304kW and 660Nm to all four wheels. A 78kWh battery (that can charge to 80 percent on a fast charger in 40 minutes) should provide enough juice for the XC40 Recharge to travel between 350-400kms in the real world. 

The strength of the powertrain is sufficient for a claimed 0-100kmh time of 4.9 seconds.

When discussing Volvo, you’ll be wondering about the chances of seeing anything from Polestar, an offshoot which is all about passenger EVs with a performance twist.

Good news. Volvo NZ is in discussion with Polestar with intent to furnish the  Polestar 2 (below) which, unlike the preceding Polestar 1 is produced in right-hand drive.

It will feature 300kW of full electric power and boast a range of 560km. But it won’t be available before 2022, says Volvo NZ boss Coby Duggan.

Covid-19: Cut and paste (and colouring) motoring

How to keep in tune with the car world when driving is basically out of the question.

PABLO Picasso reckoned every child is an artist. We think every adult who is a kid-at-heart also deserves to be considered in the same light.

It’s not easy to buy a car during the Covid-19 crackdown but the world’s auto makers have been quick to cash in exploring the limits of our creativity, by piling out a ton of car-themed design activity to lift the spirits of anyone bubble-bound and stuck in a rut.

So, fire up the printer, curse at the lack of inkjet cartridges, then sharpen your pencils and pick your way through the following.

BMW

The Munich make’s New Zealand distributor has gone all out to bring home the joy of driving with a downloadable ‘do-it-yourself’ M-Town entertainment packs – one for building a race-track, and the second for building you’re a car – with handy instructional videos, filmed completely under lockdown at home (using high end lighting techniques like opening and closing curtains).

The beauty of this concept is that it goes big on stuff you’ll have readily at hand.

Gabrielle Byfield, Head of Marketing for BMW New Zealand, commented: “Kids may be short on new toys, but they aren’t short on creativity.  With regular household items like leftover cardboard boxes and depleted toilet rolls, and you can challenge your kids to create some BMW magic at home.”

It's not just for your entertainment, either. This is a sharing thing. So, ensuring your cars are in the appropriate livery, from the Race Track Decals pack, just share a share a snap / video of your racetrack in action, for uploading to BMW Instagram, make sure you #BMWDIY 

The downloadable ‘Play at Home’ pack includes flags, starter grids and car decals to decorate your own BMW  and M-Town track and are available here: https://www.bmw.co.nz/en/topics/offers-and-services/promotions/DIY-M-town.html.

Fiat

Just look up ‘Fiatforkids’ as internet images and you’ll discover heaps of drawings ready to colour-in.

Ford

Henry’s mob is another that has put a lot of effort into stopping you from feeling too blue.

The ‘Ford family fun hub’ has a heap of pictures to colour in – not just sweet racers the Focus ST, Mustang, and GT supercar but also the Kiwi favourite Ranger ute – and there are also challenges in dot-to-dot and maze formats. A spot the difference, too.

If they seem a bit lame, then try your skill at building the new Puma SUV in origami. This one has its own instruction sheet.

http://www.fordfamilyfunhub.com/

Isuzu

Japan’s ute specialist gives you opportunity to have early ownership (or at least allegiance) to the new D-Max set to launch later this year. There’s a selection of images to colour-in, dot-to-dots, a word search and spot-the-difference.

https://www.isuzu.co.uk/kids

Jaguar i-Pace Formula-e

If you fancy yourself as a budding talent at race car liveries, try your hand coming up with a cool scheme the i-Pace eTrophy VIP electric car.

https://media.jaguarracing.com/news/2020/03/design-your-own-jaguar-i-pace-etrophy-vip-car-0

Land Rover Defender

Have you already configured your dream Defender on the Land Rover site? If you can’t find the colour of your choice, how about making your own one here?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2deouwl73fxb7vd/AABBCxUZqmvXBtjsy2FY7jHja?dl=0

Lexus

No argument, Lexus LC 500 sports coupe is a sharp looker, all the more so in the motorsport version as raced by our own Nick Cassidy in Japan’s Super GT.

The deal here is that you can create your dream racing car livery for that car, remembering “to stay within the (racing) lines.” Good joke, right?

Generously, this illustration also includes rival brands’ racers. BMW, Audi and Aston Martin also feature because this scene commemorates the 2019 race when Super GT cars from Japan and cars from the German DTM series competed against each other for the first time.  The first of these so-called ‘Dream Races’ was held at Fuji Speedway, with a certain Kiwi taking victory.

Download the Lexus LC 500 colouring pages

Mazda

‘The world’s best budget sports car’ seems a heck of a hefty mantle, but assuredly it’s one this wee beauty has had no trouble carrying over four generations.

The MX-5’s popularity is such it’s hard to imagine anyone could turn down this opportunity to build your own. Yes, of course it’s out of paper, but still, what a little beauty, right?

https://mazda.co.nz/sites/default/files/papercrafts/Papercrafts/Papercrafts/Step1/2016papercraft_mx-5.pdf 

Mercedes-Benz

The world’s oldest car maker now has so many vehicles that choosing just one to feature for a colouring-in portrait was clearly just too hard. So, basically, if you go to their Covid-19 fun page you’ll find a subject to suit anyone here, with a comprehensive range of pages with all sorts of models, whether they’re classic or modern. Plus the current Formula One car.

https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/vehicles/passenger-cars/design-sketches/?shortener=true&csref=sm_fbk_pc

Nissan

 Another brand to add a neat twist to the colouring concept by virtue that, in addition to provisioning a range of images of current products, it also allows you to test your artistic skills of cars that might, or might not be, in this brand’s future. Some of these concepts are really cool.

Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan's senior vice president for global design, and Nissan designers across the world put this effort together and they’re truly keen to see how you get on with adding your influences, so is asking for finished images to be posted on social media with #drawdrawdraw. Albaisa says Nissan designers will be looking out for these drawings and interacting with the talents.

All is explained in the video.

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/transport/cars/nissan

Skoda

The Karoq is a cute compact crossover with heaps of charisma and no shortage of perky practicalty … and I’m not just saying that because I happen to be an owner. Well, okay, perhaps my view is a touch skewed. Still, it makes for a fun build project. Thanks to Skoda NZ.

https://www.skoda.co.nz/company/kids-activities 

Toyota Gazoo Racing

With Brendon Hartley now part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing effort, why not add some colour to his title-winning TS050 Hybrid, or perhaps one of the predecessor cars that ran at Le Mans? The link goes to a download that expires at the end of this month, so if you’re in for the challenge, make haste.

You can download the TS-series here 

Toyota.

 No need to use your drawing sticks on this one; the cars are already coloured in. Unfortunately, as a Toyota UK delivery, the selection doesn’t include the NZ racing series versions, but still.

https://media.toyota.co.uk/2020/04/make-your-own-retro-liveried-toyota-gt86/

Car brands’ favourite drive-time hit?

A car commercial song so effective it’ll likely never leave the fast lane.

Car companies use songs in their advertisements to brand their car to a particular demographic.

Up-and-comers looking to attract young professional buyers might choose a more obscure, hipper musical selection to accompany their ads in an effort to convey that their cars are more relevant and ‘in the know’ than other brands.

More established marques, on the other hand, might select a more straightforward song that reflects solid values their target customer will relate to.

A new trend started where music artists, responding to the rapidly changing music business, use car commercials as a medium to get their new songs into the mainstream. The use of songs in car commercials has a long history and is continually evolving.

And so to today’s story, triggered by being sent a link by a neighbourhood mate who thought I might have interest in this neat ad America’s retail giant, Walmart, had put together, apparently in tune with Covid-19.

Actually, that’s not quite true. For sure, the grocery pickup scheme it spruiks is certainly not a bad idea in these times of social distancing and in places – such as the US, where Level 2 and Level 3 practices are still being entertaining in some places.

Yet in fact the ad and the idea were conceived and actioned a year ago. So well before Wuhan and the viral nasty were in the headlines; very probably even before Covid-19 had transferred to humans.

Even so, the ad is still worth featuring, not least for the obvious reason that it’s highly-quirky, extremely humorous and features all these cool classic movie cars. The Batmobile, the DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future,’ Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine, the yellow VW Beetle from ‘Bumblebee,’ the Flintstone car …

Turns out Walmart worked with several Hollywood studios to gain access to the vehicles, which mostly are replicas but deemed by studios as most like the ones in the actual films.

So there’s that. The second angle arrived when we hit YouTube and used the name of the soundtrack as a search reference. 

The old label of ‘sellout’ often accompanies the use of a song in a car commercial, but it’s clearly one New Age (kids, ask your parents) pop figure Gary Webb is happy to shoulder, given the royalties he has received just from the song featured in this effort.

In fact not just this effort. Walmart was not alone is selecting this synth classic.

Turns out the discount hypermarket operator was by no means the first to see the potential of ‘Cars’, which was quite a hit for an English singer, songwriter, musician, composer and record producer who goes by the name of Gary Numan when he’s performing.

Evidence from a very cursory web check shows three other brands – Diehard Batteries, Nissan and Oldsmobile - beat Walmart to using this new wave hit of 1979 in an automotive association for America-centric ads.

Remarkably, in today’s lockdown reality, ‘Cars’ has an eerily prescient theme. Numan/Webb says his intent was to impress “about how people use technology and material goods to isolate themselves from human contact.”  Music to the ears of any Pet Goat II-level conspiracy theorists, right?

BTW, ‘Cars’ was Numan's only hit in the US, though he had many others in England, where he retains a large cult following and is recognised as an influence on artists like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, which does a nice cover of it.

Anyway, check out all four ads and decide which you like best. Hint: There’s no contest, really. Oh yeah, and as a bonus, also included is the Holden NZ ad that used Numan’s other big hit. Can you pick it? Clue: Volt.