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Cars, Bikes & Boats

Yesterday

Will BMW’s Neue Klasse range be the game-changing EVs they promise?

The German manufacturer has made multiple claims of wide-ranging improvements on its currently available electric models, but they won’t roll out on Australian streets until at least 2026.

This Month

Polestar’s new SUV is a tech marvel – but is it worth the price tag?

This Swedish-designed, China-built EV is an impressive drive, but you’ll need deep pockets to experience it at its upgraded best.

Juliana Blasi, head of exterior design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Meet the woman who designs Rolls-Royces

Juliane Blasi is the head of exterior design at Rolls-Royce, and in a fiercely male-dominated sector, is almost certainly the first woman to hold such a role.

 Ex-F1 racing driver Jacky Ickx, in Chopard’s “basement,” which also serves as a display area for the mens watches.

He walked to his car as others sprinted. Then he won Le Mans

On the eve of the Australian F1 grand prix, we talk to Jacky Ickx, who struck a blow for safety in motorsport’s most dangerous era – and won several big races.

Aston Martin’s handsome new SUV is the best of both worlds

The DBX 707 is designed for the performance car aficionado who needs the space of an SUV.

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Lewis Hamilton in Monaco at the F1 Grand Prix in May last year.

Behind the business deals bringing new fans to Formula 1

Partnerships between high-speed motorsport and high-end fashion are bringing glamour – and a new wave of style-savvy fans – to the grand prix.

Jess Bala, chief executive of General Motors Australia.

How Jess Bala, 41, became the top woman in Australia’s car industry

The managing director of GM Australia and New Zealand is about to introduce Cadillacs to the local markets, but her ambitions are as big as a Chevrolet Silverado.

Lewis Hamilton makes his debut with Ferrari.

Your essential guide to the 2025 Formula 1 season

Everything you need to know about the top contenders, the wildcard outsiders and the young guns battling it out in motorsports’ biggest league.

February

Australian Grand Prix CEO Travis Auld at Albert Park. He says the Melbourne track is a blank canvas that keeps evolving.

The biggest worry for the Australian Grand Prix CEO

As the cost of hosting global events skyrockets, Travis Auld’s chief concern has become the challenge of keeping the race on the road.

McLaren bucks the trend with a droptop built for speed

Sophisticated materials alongside old-school engineering make the Spider 750S a supercar with a pure approach.

The last chance for Australians to buy a Jaguar V8. Ever

Only 60 SVR Ultimate Editions are being imported as the British carmaker looks to an all-electric future.

Bentley goes hybrid with a plush droptop take on its flagship coupe

The new Continental GTC Speed can run for up to 81 kilometres on electric power alone.

Rare cars arrive in Sydney as Concours season opens

A teardrop-style Alfa Romeo and a Porsche Can-Am racer are some of more than 40 collectible cars being exhibited this month.

Would you drive a car without a rear window?

The design team behind the Polestar 4 says its rear-facing camera provides a wider, unobstructed view. Does our test driver agree?

Can this EV newcomer tempt premium buyers to make the switch?

Chinese brand launches all-wheel drive with fresh styling and some Tesla-inspired tech.

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January

An Aston Martin you can customise to your heart’s desire

If the muscular, well-proportioned lines and bold colours you choose for the newest coupe don’t grab your neighbour’s attention, the noise of the engine certainly will.

Australia SailGP team sails during training.

Tom Slingsby sets his sights on home victory at Sydney SailGP

The 2024-25 season will be a gruelling test for the 12 national teams competing, up from 10 in Sydney last year, and the 450 people who circle the globe with them.

As tough as it gets, and more stylish than your average off-roader too

If there’s ever a second ‘Day of the Triffids’, the Defender 130 V8 will be up to the task. In the meantime, it’s a sleek, comfortable and good-looking ride.

Mercedes-Benz CLE300 4Matic.

Mercedes-Benz trims down range with new premium coupe

In a market dominated by SUVs, the German carmaker has rolled out a luxury low-slung coupe.

MG shows off its first electric convertible – and it costs just $115k

The fit and finish of the Cyberster, the quality of materials and the level of appointments all befit an upmarket sports car. But can the driving experience match up?

Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.

Want to turn heads? This hybrid sports machine is for you

Few vehicles on the road are as extrovert, or garner as much attention as Chevrolet’s first all-wheel Corvette, the fastest-accelerating model yet.

Sea-Doo GTR X 300 RS.

Swap the open road for the sea on this powerful watercraft

It’s a strange experience driving so fast on an ever-changing surface, and with so many variables at play there’s rarely a shortage of adrenalin.

Smart #3 Brabus.

The Smart car is back, but not as you know it

The German-designed cars, now built in China, are fun and funky, yet still manage to carry a strong Mercedes-Benz flavour.

Words

Rolls-Royce smooths ride for what might be last petrol Ghost

Nobody wants a standard Rolls-Royce, and the company is only too happy to oblige with an almost unlimited list of options on the Ghost Series II.

December 2024

Sailor Nick Smith died on board the yacht Bowline.

Two deaths and a remarkable survival in Sydney to Hobart yacht race

Two men died in similar circumstances while another was forced to unclip himself from a safety line and drifted more than a kilometre in cold water.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/cars-bikes-and-boats