Magwatch
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday September 29, 2000
Wheels
October
As night follows day, a new Holden Special Vehicles range follows the release of a new cooking-model Commodore. This suits the car makers - and the buff magazines. Both get a second bite of the cherry.
This week it's wall-to-wall testosterone, with all three mags having a lash at the hot-rod Holdens.
If the HSV coverage in Wheels is not enough, glued to the back of the mag is a 28-page "special project" (code for "fan mag") on the brand.
Not interested in the red-mist stuff? There's plenty more, including a great piece on car financing, an investigative story on NCAP crash testing and a drive of BMW's cars of the future.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser retro mobile is compared with the latest light 4WDs.
It finished third, with the tester noting it needed a "better engine, better transmission, better performance, better front seats, better price and better projected resale value".
Yet in the opening pages you can win Wheels' "fantastic" PT Cruiser?
Huh?
Motor
October
Full of hidden treasures. Tech-heads should not be fooled by the HSV on the cover. Only 11 pages have been dedicated to the hot Holdens. The balance of V8s versus tech cars falls the way of the Japanese stuff.
There is a detailed technical piece on the WRX Australia won't be getting and a feature with Subaru's Possum Bourne driving everything that begins with W and ends with X in a flat-out day at Eastern Creek to farewell the first generation of the cult car. Awesome photography.
The letters pages are always good viewing - watch Ford, Holden and Subaru fans fight over whose turn it is to be biased against whom.
Car News
Sept 29-Oct 12
The third issue of Australia's new fortnightly, on the stands today.
It too could not ignore the hype over HSV but has details of a 300 kW Commodore coupe and the Aussie Ford Mustang.
The magazine has the first photos of Mitsubishi's new
CR-V and RAV4 competitor, the latest on the new BMW M3, pics of new Ferrari 550 Barchetta and (spy scoop!) pics of an Australian-specification WRX on a trailer in Melbourne.
There is also some chat from Tickford's David Flint talking about future plans for Ford's fast car division; the head of HSV, John Crennan, does the same for his brand.
drive.com.au
Your online car supersite
On the edge
The sharp new
HSV range.
Grand Turismo
Ford plans to revive the GT nameplate.
Seton aftermath
Ford champ's Bathurst preparation takes a sickening slide.
© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald
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