James has been part of the digital publishing landscape in Australia since 2002 and has worked within the automotive industry since 2007. He joined CarAdvice in 2013, left in 2017 to work with BMW and then returned at the end of 2019 to spearhead the content direction of Drive.
Audi is celebrating 10 years of high-performance five-cylinder Q3 small SUVs with a new special edition, limited to 555 cars worldwide.
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The 2023 Audi RS Q3 Edition 10 Years has been revealed to mark a decade of RS-badged small SUVs – but Australian launch timing is yet to be confirmed.
Offered in RS Q3 ‘wagon’ and Sportback body styles, the Edition 10 Years celebrates 10 years since Audi’s original hot RS Q3 SUV went on sale in 2013, with a host of exterior and interior aesthetic tweaks, but no additional performance.
Only 555 will be built globally – but it’s unclear if any will come to Australia; Drive has contacted Audi Australia for comment. Pricing will be announced closer to launch; the standard RS Q3 range costs from $96,100 to $99,100 plus on-road costs locally.
Exterior touches include black exterior trim across the mirror caps, window surrounds, bumper inserts, grille and badges, darkened matrix LED headlight inserts, and unique 21-inch black alloy wheels (with 225/35 tyres).
Anthracite Grey brake calipers are standard – with red or blue optional – while buyers can option carbon-ceramic brake discs to replace the standard steel units.
Two exterior colours are available: Dew Silver matte, which is new for all RS Q3 models for 2023, and Chronos Grey metallic, which is exclusive to the special edition.
Inside, there’s a new set of RS front bucket seats with matte carbon-fibre shells and RS badges, leather and partly-recycled Dinamica microfibre upholstery, floor mats with copper-embroidered RS Q3 badging, and copper-coloured contrast stitching throughout the cabin.
There are also carbon-fibre trim inlays, new graphics for the 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen – with carbon-fibre-look wallpapers, and a ‘1 of 555’ logo on the home screen – and illuminated door sill plates which “project a red 3D diamond onto the ground when the doors are opened.”
There are no changes under the bonnet, where a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine with 294kW/480Nm remains, connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Audi claims a carry-over 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds, towards a top speed of 250km/h in the car’s base configuration, or up to 280km/h with the right option boxes ticked. A sports exhaust system is optional in Europe, but standard in Australia.
Orders for the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Edition 10 Years will open in Germany at the end of October, priced from €5990 ($AU8900) above the base price of €69,000 ($AU105,700) for the standard RS Q3, or €70,500 ($AU108,000) for the RS Q3 Sportback.
Drive is awaiting confirmation of Australian deliveries and launch timing.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
As Jaguar prepares to go electric in 2025, the supercharged V8 F-Type sports car is nearing the end of the road. Orders for the final model year are open now.
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Jaguar is preparing to close the curtain on 75 years of petrol-powered sports cars, confirming details of the final Model Year (MY) for the current V8-powered 2024 Jaguar F-Type sports car.
Available to order now ahead of first deliveries in April 2023, the 2024 model-year (MY24) F-Type range will be the last before the Jaguar brand goes all-electric and further upmarket in 2025, as a battery-powered rival for Bentley and Aston Martin.
The three V8 model grades currently available in Australia have been converted to special ’75’ editions, with unique exterior and interior styling touches designed to mark the milestone.
Jaguar does not explicitly say the new 75 editions will be the last F-Types to be built or introduced, only that they represent “the final Model Year update” – leaving the door open for one more special edition before production ends.
Prices start from $183,200 plus on-road costs for the F-Type 75 Coupe (replacing the P450 R-Dynamic Coupe), rising to $188,450 for the F-Type 75 Convertible (replacing the P450 R-Dynamic Convertible), and $284,550 for the F-Type R 75 Coupe (replacing the F-Type R).
The new prices represent increases of $14,285 to $17,302 over the Model Year 2023 variants the MY24 75 editions replace.
Standard on the outside of each F-Type 75 are unique 75 badges on the front wheel arches, 20-inch alloy wheels, matrix ‘Pixel’ LED headlights with scrolling indicators, and quad exhaust tips on the R.
The wheel centre caps and grille badge have changed from red to black for the special editions, and the R badge on the flagship variant is accented by black and grey, rather than red and green previously.
Four alloy wheel designs are offered – including a forged option for the R, which runs on wider tyres (265/35-profile front and 305/30 rear), and can be optioned with six-piston 398mm front and four-piston 380mm rear carbon-ceramic brakes with yellow calipers.
Inside, a carry-over 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster joins a unique badge on the centre console, stainless steel sill plates and an Interior Black Pack.
‘Performance’ sport bucket seats fitted to the 75 editions, trimmed in Windsor leather as standard, embroidered with Jaguar leaper or R logos in the headrests, and available with heating and cooling. A black suede headliner is standard, while an Extended Leather Upgrade can be optioned.
Highlights under the skin include aluminium suspension components, revised ball joints for the R, a standard electronic limited-slip rear differential, all-wheel drive in the R, adaptive suspension, and a range of configurable drive modes.
Powering the standard F-Type 75 is a 331kW/580Nm ‘P450’ version of Jaguar Land Rover’s 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8, driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission for a 4.6-second 0-100km/h time and 285km/h top speed.
Meanwhile, the R gains all-wheel drive and a 423kW/700Nm version of the supercharged V8, translating to a 3.7-second claimed 0-100km/h time and a 285km/h quoted top speed.
The 2024 Jaguar F-Type range is now available to order, ahead of first Australian deliveries in April 2023.
2024 Jaguar F-Type Australian pricing
F-Type 75 Coupe – $183,200
F-Type 75 Convertible – $188,450
F-Type R 75 Coupe – $284,550
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
Less than 200 special-edition Hyundai i30 Ns are due in showrooms by the end of the year, with bronze detailing and unique badges for $2500 more than the models they’re based on.
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11 October 2022, 12:00pm: Hyundai Australia has confirmed full details of the 2023 Hyundai i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition. We’ve updated yesterday’s story and brought it forward.
10 October 2022, 10:20am: The 2023 Hyundai i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition hot hatch is set to command a $3000 premium when it arrives in showrooms imminently.
Now arriving in Hyundai showrooms, the i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition will cost $53,200 plus on-road costs with a six-speed manual transmission, or $56,200 plus on-road costs with an eight-speed automatic.
These represent premiums of $2500 over the i30 N Premium with Sunroof variant they’re based on – or less than $2000 more when the cost of metallic paint, which is standard on the special edition but costs $595 more on the normal model, is included.
Hyundai Australia says the first shipments of cars have arrived in the country – though some customers on social media are reporting delivery dates next month, or at the start of December.
Only 180 examples will be available in Australia (build numbers 620 to 799 of the global 800-car production run) – split 70:30 (126 and 54 cars) between automatic and manual gearboxes, and 70:30 again between Serenity White Pearl and Phantom Black Pearl paint.
It’s unclear if all 180 cars have sold out, however if interest on social media is a guide, a high proportion of vehicles have been accounted for. Australia’s allocation of Drive-N editions is said to be the second largest by market in the world.
Distinguishing the limited-edition run on the outside will be 19-inch dark bronze alloy wheels, an exterior decal package, black Hyundai emblems, and dark bronze Drive-N badges on the front wheel arches, with the coordinates of Hyundai’s test centre at Germany’s Nurburgring circuit.
Additions inside include Alcantara trim across the steering wheel, centre armrest, shifter, and handbrake, red contrast stitching, red stripes on the N Light bucket seats, red seat belts, red N steering wheel buttons, branded floor mats with red edging, and a badge denoting each car’s number in the global 800-vehicle production run.
Drive-N buyers in Australia will receive a welcome box housing the two keys and a unique Drive-N keyring – while the special edition will also add a driver-controlled speed limiter, not fitted to the regular i30 N range.
Carry-over features from the standard i30 N Premium with Sunroof will include a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and satellite navigation, LED headlights, a panoramic glass sunroof, dual-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, keyless entry, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.
The performance brakes (with 360mm front discs), adaptive suspension, and sports exhaust will also carry over, while a suite of safety features including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert will be available.
Automatic variants will be able to brake for obstacles detected by the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, rather than simply detect them, as manual variants can.
The 206kW/392Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine will remain under the bonnet, powering the front wheels with the assistance of a limited-slip differential.
There are no mechanical changes for the i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition, with the standard hot hatch’s 206kW/392Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet to drive the front wheels through a limited-slip front differential.
The first shipments of 2023 Hyundai i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition hot hatches are en route to Australian showrooms.
2023 Hyundai i30 N hatch Australian pricing
i30 N manual – $46,200
i30 N auto – $49,200
i30 N Premium manual – $49,200
i30 N Premium with Sunroof manual – $50,700
i30 N Premium with Sunroof auto – $53,700
i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition manual – $53,200 (new)
i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition auto – $56,200 (new)
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
The GMC Hummer EV is controversial on account of its size and weight, but that hasn’t stunted its popularity. General Motors has received more than 90,000 reservations for the truck, which is great, though production is still at a crawl due to various supply constraints. To address this, the automaker has decided to close its books for every trim until it can start making the units it’s obliged to.
That means everything from the flagship Edition 1 pickup—the only model produced so far—to the lower trims and the SUV are now unavailable to reserve. For the nearly 100,000 people who already have deposits down, nothing has really changed. They’ll just be waiting a while to get their vehicles.
GMC
GMC spokesperson Mikhael Farah told the Detroit Free Press that reservations are split about 50-50 between the SUV and the pickup. He also noted that those who would like a Hummer EV can still be a “hand-raiser” and receive updates about the truck and its availability. They cannot, however, place a $100 refundable deposit on a Hummer until the banks re-open at an unspecified date down the road.
In early July, GMC built roughly a dozen Hummer EVs daily. At that rate, the company would’ve spent 17 years clearing the backlog, which stood at just 77,000 then. Battery cell supply was believed to be the primary bottleneck, a situation which has definitely improved as GM just opened its first American battery cell factory in Ohio with LG Chem. Two more American plants will be operational within a few years as well, but before they get rolling, things look a little constrained.
A Twitter user shared a photo with us, embedded below, ofG dozens of Hummer EVs sitting in a Flint, Michigan parking lot. It reminds us of the thousands of trucks Ford is stashing away, unfinished due to various supply shortages.
In some ways, the Hummer EV’s limited production run has helped GM keep everything under control. The truck has had one recall due to an issue with leaky roofs, but because it affected just 10 vehicles, the manufacturer was able to address the situation swiftly. There have been a few other minor issues affecting its electronics, though it seems like changes to the truck to address these problems have been rolled out quickly.
The small number of vehicles has also meant the trucks are flipped for incredible sums. The Edition 1 pickup starts at $110,295, and they’ve been auctioned for as much as $275,000.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: peter@thedrive.com
There’s a new Ford Super Duty in town with divisive styling, a reworked interior, and four engine options. The truck’s new standard power plant is a 6.8-liter gas V8, and in its most basic XL trim, you’ve got to pay extra for four-wheel drive. It’s included on every other trim, which most will agree is a good thing, but that means no other version can be spec’d with two-wheel drive.
Four-wheel drive is far and away the most popular as the majority of buyers would rather have a truck that’s more capable off-road. That said, some drivers prefer 4×2 for a few reasons. Those trucks cost less at the time of purchase, maintenance is typically less expensive, and fuel mileage is incrementally better. Plus, if they buy it with certain modifications in mind, a 4×2 might be better suited; not many low-riding Super Duty show trucks start life as a base model, either.
Additionally, the huge max tow and payload numbers that Ford and other OEMs advertise are usually achieved with 4×2 models. If you look at the 2022 F-450 pickup, for instance, the 4×2 has a gooseneck towing capacity of 37,000 pounds; meanwhile, the 4×4’s limit is a skosh lower at 36,400 pounds.
This mainly impacts Ford’s dual rear wheel offerings as they’re the dedicated workhorses. The Blue Oval hasn’t revealed towing or payload capacities yet for the 2023 Super Duty, but it says they’ll both be best in class. If Ford drivers want to brag that they have the most capable version of the most capable truck without a ton of disclaimers, then they apparently won’t be able to say that behind the wheel of a Limited, Platinum, King Ranch, Lariat, or even an XLT.
In reality, few trucks on the road are rated for the max capacities that automakers slap on billboards. So much of it has to do with gross vehicle weight rating and gross combined weight rating, and the more options a truck has on the inside, the more it weighs, therefore cutting into its rated limits. This really boils down to customer preference, then, and I’d bet that Ford is more than willing to cut lower-margin offerings in the name of higher profits.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
The 2023 Ram 2500 HD Rebel carves out a new slot in the automaker’s off-road truck lineup, and it’s noteworthy for its available 6.7-liter Cummins diesel. It’s not quite as capable off-road as a Ram Power Wagon but it can still tow up to 16,870 pounds, which is three tons more than its exclusively Hemi V8-powered stablemate can. Think of it more as a competitor to the Ford F-250 Tremor, then, with most of the four-wheeling goodies you love and even more of the work capability.
The 2500 HD Rebel borrows a lot of styling cues from its half-ton sibling. The black front fascia is especially familiar with an identical front grille, and the cladding carries to the fender flares and underbody. It also rides on 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires, which are the same size as what you’ll find on the other Rebel, just with thicker tread to handle the increased weight and work capacities.
While it comes standard with the 6.4-liter gas V8, it can be optioned with the Cummins diesel straight-six that makes 370 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque in this application. That’s arguably the biggest draw here as now you can get the compression-ignition lump in a truck that offers a locking rear differential and a ton of skid plates. Again, it doesn’t have all the 4×4 features that the Power Wagon does, but it’s a solid start.
Since it’s built on the Ram 2500 instead of the one-ton 3500, the HD Rebel makes use of a five-link coil spring rear suspension with optional air bags. That allows for solid articulation, although Ram hasn’t given specific numbers for suspension travel and the like. Importantly, the HD Rebel does not have a disconnecting sway bar up front, which is one of the Power Wagon’s greatest party tricks that’s actually useful, too. Likewise, it’s missing a front locking differential.
You can see why it’s more of a rival to the Ford F-250 Tremor than anything. This Ram model is its own trim rather than a package, however, and it slots between the Laramie and Power Wagon. It’s likely that the Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 will play in this same space when it drops next year, so expect to see yet another tightly contested truck segment occupied by Detroit’s Big Three.
Pricing for the 2023 Ram 2500 HD Rebel starts at $68,940 including destination; expect it to cost nearly $80,000 with the Cummins diesel as it’s currently a $9,595 option on 2022 models. Production will begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
It’s 2022 and Ram just rolled out a new tow mirror design. It might not seem like a huge deal—realistically, it isn’t—but to truck people, it matters. Maybe you haven’t noticed all the Rams running around with their mirrors out and no trailer behind them, but they’ve given internet forums and Facebook groups plenty of ammo for jokes and jabs over the years. These are the latest evolution.
It’s tough to say if older Chevy and Ford owners will adapt these mirrors to their trucks, but that’s been a fairly common mod for more than a decade. It started getting trickier when they added wires to the equation, though the aftermarket makes entire kits dedicated to the mirror swaps. I even bought a pair for my 1996 Ford F-250 back in high school.
The new ones are still pretty moosey. Truck design has changed a lot since Dodge first introduced extendable mirrors with the second-generation Ram, so these are made to match the rest of the pickup. There’s a bit of caricature to it all; Ford and Chevy aren’t excluded from that, either.
A classic…
There are plenty of reasons to buy a new Ram, from the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel to the new off-roading HD Rebel trim. You can be the judge if these mirrors count as a pro or con, but personally, I like them.
I’ll give $20 to the first person who slaps these on their clapped-out third-gen.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
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