Tag Archives: automotive

New car review – Leapmotor C10

We’re being bombarded by many new Chinese brands, vying for buyers’ attention. Most are relatively new names from the hundreds of start-ups supported by the Chinese government.

Lots of new Australian companies have been set up to distribute new Chinese brands, some with little experience, tantalized by how cheaply they can buy these vehicles…

The majority of Australian buyers have an approximate type of vehicle in mind – these days usually a 4-wheel-drive 4-door ute or an SUV… There’s plenty to choose from. An over-riding purchasing factor is price.

Long warranties sweeten the deals – to give buyers confidence. If you’re buying a Xpeng, Zeekr, Jaecoo, Skyworth, Farizon, GAC, or Leapmotor you want to know it’s more than the shape you had in mind and cheap. All cars have lots of tech these days to meet the ANCAP safety requirements, so if your last car was a few years old, any new car seems high tech. Don’t fall for the trap of buying the first new car you drive because “it’s got everything in it” – they all have.

Online ‘research’ will tell you any new car is “the best car I’ve ever owned”, often from a low bar.

But what happens as the market develops? Not every company importing new brands will succeed. Every month a new brand arrives. Discounting and even longer warranties get offered. Then other incentives and ultimately a discounting war… Not all importers have the experience, backing or product to survive.

If an importer fails, what happens with the cars they sold? The long warranty will be useless. Parts availability will dry up (and often was poor anyway). Values plummet. The cars head to the grave and the owner regrets the purchase.

The Leapmotor I tested for a week is from a brand half-owned by Stellantis (makers of Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Opel, Peugeot and more). In Australia the Fiat Chrysler distribution company handles the brand. Neither are fly-by-nighters likely to leave Leapmotor buyers high and dry.

So it deserves attention. How good is the C10? It looks pretty good, not aggressively ugly like so many of its competitors. Inside is sparse in a modern way and impressively spacious, with excellent back seat room. The test car was fully electric, with decent performance, handling and braking. The calibration of the electronic driving aids is pretty well-resolved. So far, so good.

On the downside, an ex-BMW engineer obviously designed the counter-intuitive indicator stalk. It’s an almost button-free car. You need to explore screens to make simple adjustments such as the external mirrors and direction of vent airflow. To get in, you tap a credit card size key on the driver’s mirror (only) and the car unlocks and awakens. Unless there’s rain on the mirror which you need to wipe off… Place the card flat in the centre console and it’s ready to go upon gear selection. When you leave the car, it’s all active until you tap the mirror. Trying to be a bit too clever hasn’t really worked.

The seats initially feel plush, but offer little support and all too quickly lead to a numb bum. I liked the huge panoramic glass roof.

At $45,888 for the fully electric and $49,888 for a more sensible hybrid, the pricing is competitive. However, to boost sales, lower pricing in drive-away deals for old stock are being offered.

For the money you could get a worse design, a worse driving car, one from a dodgy importer or a manufacturer which ultimately may not support the brand. Yes, you could do a lot worse – and there’s plenty worse out there.

1985 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit – $24,900

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The Silver Spirit model brought Rolls-Royce into the 1980s with its smooth 6750cc V8 engine, a very high level of engineering and Rolls-Royce’s famous build quality.

Luxury and comfort were the hallmarks of these cars. Beautifully finished, the interiors had lovely polished woodwork, comfortable, electrically-adjustable leather seats and plush carpet. The climate control system could be controlled by zone. Of course there were power windows, central locking, rear make-up mirrors and other comfort features.

This car was delivered new in Adelaide, finished in metallic Cotswald Beige. It moved to Melbourne and later the Gold Coast. The car can be traced by details in its service booklet – stamped through to when it moved to Perth.

Sadly about a year and a half ago the owner passed away. His family held on to the car, but it was not being used, so the decision has been made to sell. In preparation for sale quite a bit of work has been done on the car.

The car drives particularly well and exhibits notably good acceleration and smooth gearchanges. It starts immediately from cold.

A few items could be attended to, such as the air conditioning not working and some of the chromework on the car has deteriorated which would benefit from being refinished.

Inside the car presents very well, with good leather and hardware. The woodwork is in fine shape.

This Silver Spirit is not a car show queen, but a decent, Australian-delivered car with fine driving characteristics. Its realistic price takes into account some work a new owner may wish to do.

Please request an email with full description and more photos from paul@classicrally.com.au

Paul Blank Classic Car Broker MD28143

1GGN242. Whilst every effort to ensure accuracy is made when preparing the description of a car, much of the information is provided by the owner and cannot be guaranteed to be accurate and complete.

Some errors and omissions occur occasionally and we cannot be held liable for any loss or damage arising from incorrect or incomplete information or any reliance which might be placed on information provided.

Any potential purchaser is advised to make his or her own independent investigations or inspections to determine title and whether a vehicle is suitable for purchase.

New car review – Nissan 400Z

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One of the all-time great sports cars – and for a time, the biggest seller, was the original Datsun 240Z. Built from 1969 to 1973, the 240Z is still highly sought after by collectors today due to its tremendous combination of style and performance.

Datsun’s parent company Nissan steadily developed their sports model over the years, with a continuous series of models. The latest model, the 400Z sticks to the tried and true formula which pleases enthusiast drivers well. It’s front-engined, with a 6-cylinder motor, rear wheel drive and in strictly 2-seater configuration.

To look at, there are styling cues taken from the original Z, but reinterpreted in a modern way rather than clumsily copying the earlier style. The rear is reminiscent of the 300ZX. And it works well – the 400Z I had to review for a week got positive comments everywhere I went.

The engine is a highlight of the 400Z – a 3-litre twin-turbocharged V6, it provides plenty of grunt – 298kW (which equals 400 horsepower). In the relatively light body, this gives ample acceleration, even in the higher gears… of which it has six in the manual gearbox, or 9 in the automatic.

Inside is where the compromises of sports cars are most apparent. It’s just two seats with a small storage space behind. There are shallow central storage spots and the boot doesn’t hold a lot. Pretty much the story of most 2-seater sports cars…

The view out to the rear three quarters is very restricted, which many modern cars of all types suffer from. The answer car makers give is to fit cameras and a screen (which I find frustratingly inadequate for this form-over-function problem). However in the 400Z, the screen is angled out at the bottom, and not set back enough to be shaded – at many times of the day, the sun shines directly onto the screen making it virtually unreadable.

As a sports car the bar is set high for driving expectations and the 400Z doesn’t disappoint. While it’s an easy car to cruise around town in, when the Sports mode button is pressed, it takes on a more aggressive feel and provides very strong performance.

The low-set car handles very nicely, taking curves in its stride – and notably, the ride has finesse, compliance and comfort. The harshness in other cars can be wearing, especially on a long run, so the 400Zs suspension setup works very much in its favour.

In a time when SUVs dominate the catalogues of almost every car maker’s offerings, it is very pleasing that a car like the 400Z is available. Any sports car sells to a niche market, and uptake in Australia is traditionally smaller than many other parts of the world.

Nissan had a launch price for 400Z at $73,300 in manual or automatic form. Its natural competitors are the Toyota Supra ($87,000) and Ford Mustang 5.0 ($65,290), so it fits nicely in that range. As Nissan Australia’s only non SUV or 4WD model, the 400Z has a lot of appeal.

Paul Blank

New car review – Jeep Avenger

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The new Avenger is a most unusual Jeep. First, it’s not available in the USA. Second, it’s not four-wheel-drive. Third, it’s electric.

The Avenger’s story is one of the complexity of the modern car industry. The huge Stellantis group is a merging of the Fiat Chrysler group of companies (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Maserati, Lancia, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM) with the Peugeot group PSA (Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall). Plus there’s a slice of some Chinese brands involved too – Dongfeng and Leapmotor…

The Fiat Chrysler group of companies were in enormous trouble, having had terrible management making poor decisions. Only Jeep was making money for the group. And very little of that was outside the US market.

A small Jeep Renegade model which shared its platform and Italian manufacture with a Fiat model had been moderately successful in Europe. So when the decision to replace it with a new electric model came about – it’s one that just about every one of the Stellantis brand names has a car based-on, a Jeep was obvious. So far, only Abarth, Maserati and RAM have not got a car on this platform.

Each has its own characteristics, styling inside and out, but shared technology and much of the structure and running gear. The Jeep model, built in the Polish factory which used to build the incredibly popular 500 (which unbelievably Fiat somehow managed not to have a direct replacement for), the Avenger is aimed primarily at the European market. There a Jeep doesn’t have to be as big as a truck or have the capability to climb Mt Rushmore.

So the electric Jeep is a compact, front wheel drive model – and Australia gets the Avenger as its smallest Jeep. It’s quite a tidy design, harnessing the Jeep look without appearing unnecessarily aggressive or utilitarian.

Inside, it’s clear some of the systems and tech are familiar from other Stellantis brands, it mostly comes together pretty well. It handles nicely, with sure-footedness, and has decent performance.

It’s just as well the Avenger isn’t aimed for rough work and long country drives, because that’s where electric vehicles are at their most inept. As an around town compact family car, it does quite well. Electronic aids are nicely calibrated and unobtrusive – other makers could learn from this…

There are three versions starting at $49,990 for the Longitude, but the base model is lacking in features. The Limited is set at $54,990 and the Summit $60,990. All are comfortable and fit five easily despite the compact exterior dimensions.

If we got the all-wheel-drive and engine-driven versions that Europeans car buy, sales of the Avenger would undoubtedly be stronger, given the Australian market for EVs has yet to get to ten percent.

Paul Blank

New Car Review – Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy

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This week I’m testing the Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy – a 7-seater luxury EV. It’s certainly big, plush, quiet and well equipped. At a smidge under $120,000, it’s pushing well into Genesis territory, but that can probably work for the company.

There’s strong acceleration – 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds, with much less intrusive electronic nannying than many other recent models from Hyundai – seems they’ve been taking the feedback on board.

The Ioniq 9 feels well planted on the road, handles well for a 2.5 tonne SUV. The WLTP claim is a 600km range.

The top of the line Calligraphy has everything they can throw at it. Except Australia doesn’t get the option of swivelling centre row seats that other markets do. There are special finishes, heated and cooled front and rear seats, dozens of cup holders, 21-ich wheels (of a rather dated, fussy design), triple zone climate control, panoramic glass roof, lovely feeling suede-like roof lining and many more details.

But the $3000 option gimmick cameras and screens in place of door mirrors is frustrating at best – dangerous at worst. You have to focus on the screen, not using the depth of field as with a normal mirrors or looking through the windows. Loses a fraction of a second. Terrible for anyone who needs glasses. And hard to judge gaps (when reverse parking for example). The image doesn’t give the additional information a brain can take on board by moving your head a bit. I’ve used this in several cars now. More car makers will use this expensive gimmick to seem high tech. It’s a retrograde step.

The boot floor is crazy high, like almost every new SUV, especially EVs. And it’s not concealing a spare wheel. Boot space with seats up is not generous. There is a small frunk.

Space in the front two rows is excellent – almost limousine-like for the centre row passengers.

There’s an 8-year warranty – and unlike sone of the unknown new brands, Hyundai will still be around to honour it – while parts availability and servicing will be to their usual good standard.

And I don’t mind the styling, especially the back end.

Paul Blank

1973 Holden Torana GTR XU-1 – Withdrawn from sale

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One of the greatest of Australian muscle cars, the GTR XU-1 built its reputation with motorsport wins and quickly became a favourite with collectors.

This car came into the family selling it now, over 20 years ago, spending much of that time garaged, awaiting attention. The owner has had the car carefully checked over and is confident that it’s the real deal, not a replica XU-1. A well-known and respected expert has verified this for him. The numbers show the car was assembled in GMH’s Queensland plant. Other early history is unknown. The car has its original build plates.

Its original engine was sold many years ago and another, period correct motor (verified 1973) has been fitted, with the triple carburettors and other correct fitments.

The XU-1 was registered until 2009, then deregistered and has passed inspection this year, being re-licensed on club registration.

The car was repainted to a high standard over twenty years ago, but it has not been on the road for most of that time, so presents very well. The bright yellow suits the car particularly well.

Inside the car presents very well throughout. A modern sound system has been installed recently, with no holes cut in the rear parcel shelf for speakers. The original AM radio will be sold with the car also.

Under the bonnet, in the boot and underneath the car also present very well. New tyres are on correct alloy wheels which show no kerb damage.

Considerable work has been undertaken recently to bring the car up to its excellent standard. Almost $30,000 has been spent doing this work. Much of the work done by a highly regarded expert workshop in these cars. The car has been serviced and dyno tuned – it starts instantly and runs very well.

It’s not going to be a concours winner, but is a very impressive example, which gets a great deal of positive attention when out and about. And it’s realistically priced.

If sold to a Western Australian buyer, the number plates MUSTARD can go with the car.

Please request an email with full description and more photos from paul@classicrally.com.au

Paul Blank Classic Car Broker MD28143

Whilst every effort to ensure accuracy is made when preparing the description of a car, much of the information is provided by the owner and cannot be guaranteed to be accurate and complete.

Any potential purchaser is advised to make his or her own independent investigations or inspections to determine title and whether a vehicle is suitable for purchase.

1988 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 – $19,500

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Recognized as one of the all-time-great hot hatches, the later version of the 205 GTi featured a 1.9-litre, fuel injected motor. This car’s from the sweet-spot in GTi production, with the most powerful (130bhp) motor. From 1992, the power output was reduced.

Genuine, original cars are very sought after. An Australian-delivered example, finished in Alpine White with cloth upholstery and the GTi’s signature red carpet, plus optional sunroof, this car recently arrived in Perth from Victoria.

The previous owner in Melbourne had spent over $6000 between 2023 and 2025 on maintenance and repair work on the car. This included the cam belt, and since this was changed, the car has just covered 100km. The odometer shows 313,000km.

On purchasing the car in August and having it shipped to Western Australia, and underwent a license inspectoin. Fortunately very little was required – and the car sailed through its registration inspection. The owner has also replaced the battery.

The GTi presents well, though there are a few blemishes and a couple of scratches. Inside, the upholstery is excellent. The car has the original Peugeot stereo and power windows. The owner advises that the sunroof does not work and he has not investigated why it doesn’t operate.

Under the bonnet, everything is as it should be. The car starts instantly and performs well showing the fun driving characteristics that this model is renowned for.

The car is registered (1IST538) to March 2026. It is eligible for club license.

This 205 GTi is very realistically priced, this is an honest, neat example which retains tremendous 1980s fun factor.

Please request an email with full description and more photos from paul@classicrally.com.au

Paul Blank Classic Car Broker MD28143

Whilst every effort to ensure accuracy is made when preparing the description of a car, much of the information is provided by the owner and cannot be guaranteed to be accurate and complete.

Any potential purchaser is advised to make his or her own independent investigations or inspections to determine title and whether a vehicle is suitable for purchase.

1927 Studebaker Dictator – $24,900

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The Dictator was a new model for 1927, with a 242 cubic inch (4-litre) straight-six engine and was the second from top model in the range. It was a large, spacious car on a 113-inch wheelbase. Steel disc wheels were standardised for 1927 as were 4-wheel brakes.

This car was purchased, as a project in need of complete restoration in 1987 by the previous owner… and a total restoration was undertaken so the car could be used in the Bicentennial Rally.

The car drove to Canberra and back with tremendous reliability along with several others. It was a 17-day drive from Perth, the furthest start point. 1150 vehicles took part, with entries from all over the world. The Studebaker still proudly wears its rally plates and stickers.

One of the special features of this car is the California Hardtop, a separate, but fixed hardtop roof which was a popular, and expensive accessory. This makes the car a much more habitable vehicle for long drives – and also features retractable spring-loaded, roll-up side curtains. Other nice details include cowl-mounted sidelights and a high-quality stainless steel radiator mascot – which cost the owner $500.

The Dictator is a comfortable car to ride in and is especially spacious in the back, making it a great family car for club runs and rallies. The large engine provides good performance with plenty of torque. This car has always been known to be exceptionally reliable.

The car changed hands in 2022 and has required little beyond servicing in that time. A new hi-crank battery was fitted a couple of years ago. The roof fabric sustained a small scratch, more recently than these photos.

If sold to a WA buyer, the VAA 1927 number plates can go with the car. The Studebaker is realistically priced and ready to provide many more years of reliable service for its next custodian.

Please request an email with more details and photos, from paul@classicrally.com.au

Whilst every effort to ensure accuracy is made when preparing the description of a car, much of the information is provided by the owner and cannot be guaranteed to be accurate and complete. Some errors and omissions occur occasionally and we cannot be held liable for any loss or damage arising from incorrect or incomplete information or any reliance which might be placed on information provided. Any potential purchaser is advised to make his or her own independent investigations or inspections to determine title and whether a vehicle is suitable for purchase. MD28143

Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire

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by Paul Blank

The Outlander has been a popular seller for Mitsubishi and it’s been through a few generational updates. I’ve just had a week with the 2025 Aspire version.

This is a mid-level version, which starts the range at around $41,000. The Aspire costs a fraction over $48,000.

There are three levels of equipment, 5 or 5+2 seating versions, front or all-wheel drive and petrol or PHEV powerplants. The petrol powerplant in the car I drove is a 135kW 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder, with a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission.

It’s significant that the Outlander scored in the top 5 sellers in Australia most months last year.

In announcing the latest updates, Mitsubishi said: “As a core market for Mitsubishi Motors globally, Australian market feedback played a significant role in further improving the updated Outlander’s steering, ride and handling, tuning it to further suit Australian conditions and buyer requirements with a new tyre specification.

“There’s also an incredible new suite of Yamaha audio systems that further enhance the driving experience, while the refreshed exterior, new alloy wheel designs, interior and improved infotainment systems add further presence and sophistication.”

In many respects, it’s an innocuous vehicle. It blends in with everyday modern traffic… Not huge, but decently spacious. Well appointed without being pretentious.

What I did note, was that it is very well built. The fit and finish inside and out is excellent. I’m pretty critical about this and can say that in this respect, the Outlander far outshines the Chinese offerings in the same price range.

The same with on-road dynamics. While it might not be important to all drivers (and clearly isn’t to many who find cheap Chinese vehicles adequate) the Outlander drives nicely, handles well, brakes competently and manoeuvres confidently without being overtly sporty or weak. That gives confidence.

The electronics are well resolved too. While every new car is laden with tech needed to achieve their ANCAP 5 points for safety, some brands have annoying, badly calibrated and intrusive systems, Mitsubishi have developed a good, mature usability in this respect.

Mitsubishi has been around a long time, which explains some of the above – but should also give buyers confidence that they’ll still be here well after the long warranty has expired.

1996 JBA Tourer

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JBA was a British designed component car which met with more success than most – from 1982 to 2004. Fraser Auto Sports began marketing JBAs in Australia with an interesting process, whereby buyers could attend sessions with Fraser to build their cars together.

This car was owned and built by Murray Fraser for his wife Sue. As a demonstrator for the possibilities with a JBA, great lengths were taken to ensure the best build and specs. It was fitted with a Toyota Supra V6 engine, giving excellent performance. This car features red leather interior, polished woodwork, chrome wire wheels and more. It’s not an amateur build.

Fraser sold the car after a while to a buyer who kept it until May 2003 when the present owner’s husband purchased the car. He passed away ten years later and the car has seen limited use since.

The car starts instantly, runs as smoothly as the well-respected Supra motor is famous for and the car has the Toyota 5-speed gearbox. With relatively light weight, it offers excellent performance.

It has covered just 27,000km since being built. This is clearly a very well-built car, which offers a lot of fun along with practicality of modern running gear. It gets a lot of positive attention when out and about… and represents tremendous value for money.

Fully registered 1BJB430.

Please request an email with full details and more photos, from paul@classicrally.com.au