Imagine, then, if they walked away from the event holding the winner’s trophy. An absurd flight of fancy, right? Well, that’s exactly what Jari-Matti Latvala did this weekend in the 2026 Rally Finland.

It’s not a perfect analogy, as while Brown is a very good amateur driver and Wolff was a semi-professional, Latvala is the most experienced driver in WRC history with 213 starts and 18 wins to his name.

However, he retired from full-time competition in 2020 and subsequently took up the role of Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Principal for 2021, a role he now shares with four-time WRC champion and fellow Finnish legend Juha Kankkunen.

The reason Latvala now shares the role is it allows him to compete in the European Historic Rally Championship in his ST185 Toyota Celica GT-Four, where he typically wins by minutes.

But fun events in 35-year-old cars are a very different proposition to the cut-and-thrust of the sport’s highest level, so there was plenty of curiosity when Latvala lined up for the 2025 Rally Finland in the WRC2 category against the sport’s brightest young prospects – how would the old master stack up?

Old is a relative term, as even now Latvala is only 41, but he would be competing against drivers half his age on packed programs with eyes on a seat at the top level, drivers like Roope Korhonen and Robert Virves.

What followed was one of the sport’s greatest battles, with Latvala and Korhonen swapping stage wins all rally long, the youngster taking victory by just 1.1sec.

Twelve months on, Latvala returned but the task was even tougher. Korhonen had another 12 months’ experience and Virves had won every WRC2 round he’d entered this year, while the field was further strengthened by the likes of former Rally1 driver Teemu Suninen.

A seventh-fastest WRC2 time on the first proper forest stage of the event seeemed to confirm the pre-event expectations – the pace had ramped up to a level that was impossible to achieve without constant competition. Rally Finland was Suninen’s fourth rally in four weekends!

However, on the next stage Latvala was third fastest and so began his inexorable climb up the leaderboard. By lunchtime he was leading, though then dropped back to third by day’s end, 20 seconds behind Virves.

While Virves and Suninen hit small issues, Latvala was relentless and it’s important to note the context here. The young guns are fighting for wins and championships to secure their future career; the elder statesman is competing for fun thanks to the goodwill of Akio Toyoda – the team principal cannot under any circumstances roll the car up into a ball.

When the dust settled, Latvala took victory by 21.4sec over Virves with Suninen a further 16.1sec back. Even without his 30sec penalty, he wouldn’t have beaten Latvala.

Personally, this is fantastic to see as being a JML fan during his professional career could be a frustrating pastime. In full flight there’s a strong argument he is the fastest rally driver we’ve ever seen, but as one of his contemporaries once told me, you never worried about his speed because he was never going to finish the rally.

Time and again there would be silly mistakes early in an event or a good result thrown away on the final stage, but there were few more exciting drivers to watch.

What’s more, he’s a walking rallying encyclopedia and his frequent forays into historic rallying are evidence that he has a burning desire to drive that must be satiated. YouTube ‘Latvala Escort Mk2’ if you want to have your mind rearranged as to what’s possible behind the wheel.

With the WRC reverting to Rally2-based rules from 2027 onward, perhaps when Latvala is casting an eye around for the best available young drivers he should just hire himself?

I’ll go into more detail about this later in the piece, but one of the avenues I have explored in attempting to revive it is paying $20 to become ‘Meta Verified’ and gain access to personalised support.

My initial attempt at contacting this was met with “Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again later” which fills one with confidence, but last night I got through and after some fruitless discussions with an AI bot I asked to speak to a human.

It duly complied and I was introduced to ‘Taylor’. To be honest, I’m not sure Taylor wasn’t just another layer of AI bot and in general the conversation was useless, essentially a corporate shrugging of the shoulders and “too bad, so sad”, but one tidbit of information raised my eyebrows.

My accounts were disabled for an alleged breach of community standards, which Taylor informed me could be content or comments or messages. The latter piqued my interest, so I clarified that what is said in private messages can be used as grounds for a ban and was told that was correct.

Perhaps I was naïve to think otherwise and in one sense this is a positive. Undoubtedly, there are those that use the DM function on social media for nefarious purposes, so keeping an eye on such goings-on is helpful.

Then again, does anyone reading this really want what they say in their group chats being recorded and stored? I don’t think this is necessarily what happened in my case, but it’s interesting that a throwaway comment made in jest to your mates could trigger the mighty AI overlord.

Because without sounding like Winston Smith, this is what’s happening here. In May, Meta announced it was culling 8000 jobs (more than 10 per cent of its workforce) and replacing them with AI, while reassigning another 7000 to AI-focused roles.

During this process I have discovered that this arbitrary banning is rampant, cutting people off from customers, family, friends and support services. To be fair, this has been occurring before the great AI switch, but it appears to be accelerating.

In a recent New York Times article, a Meta spokesperson said (I am paraphrasing) “AI is better at this process; the accuracy has improved since we handed the keys to AI.” I say b******t.

In my case, whatever triggered the suspension happened at 10:51pm while I was asleep and at 10:53pm my accounts were disabled permanently without the possibility of review. This was the crux of my conversation with Taylor; the process has been followed, the case is closed. End of.

I am pursuing other avenues, submitting a case with the Small Business Ombudsman, but I am not optimistic of a satisfactory outcome. I would like the Addicted to Sliding pages back, as I’ve spent a lot of time and effort building a community of ~10,000 across Facebook and Instagram and it is my primary source of contact with quite a few people in the industry, as well as being a shopfront for my work, but I can’t be bothered starting again.

The real reason I am pursuing this, however, is to see if a reliable pathway can be established for dispute resolution. If this happened to certain people I know it would have a catastrophic impact on their business and livelihood and the fact Meta can effectively operate without accountability is deeply concerning.

If a human looked at my accounts and said “Yep, you’re banned because of XYZ” then no matter how ridiculous the rationale, you would accept the decision, but when the rug is pulled because some lines of code got offended, it’s a difficult pill to swallow.

Hopefully, those with the power to affect change can pressure Meta to have some sort of public-facing presence, as currently it’s just the Ministry of Truth, protected by an almost impenetrable army of AI chatbots.

In the meantime, let this act as a warning. If you enjoy success on social media – whether that be financial or simply the warm glow of sharing your favourite photo – be aware that it can all disappear in an instant.

Being heavily based on the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, I expected it to be fast, polished and entertaining; what I didn’t expect was for it to do a near-as-dammit imitation of a Porsche 911 GT3 when I activated the ‘Virtual Gearshift’. Hence the outburst of mirth.

The core components are shared between the two cars: the same 84kWh battery, the same dual-motor powertrain, the same power (448kW/740Nm, or 478kW/790Nm in boost mode), the same giant brakes (400mm discs front, 360mm rear) and 275/35 tyres on 21-inch rims at each corner.

However, while the IONIQ 5 N is the groundbreaking debut album, let’s say Metallica’s Kill ’Em All, the GV60 Magma feels like Ride The Lightning – it’s tighter, more cohesive, everything is just that bit better.

To be blunt, it’s going to need every bit of help it can get to make an impact. GV60 sales have been virtually non-existent in Australia since its introduction – though even the standard dual-motor car (now discontinued) was quick and entertaining – and giving it a $130,000 price tag, boy-racer bodykit and strange name isn’t going to improve matters.

First impressions aren’t great, either. There’s a nearly overwhelming number of buttons in the interior, a quirky circle design theme going on (though some nice materials), the range says just 350km despite a full battery and once underway the usual Hyundai/Kia active safety nannies need quick deactivation.

Closer inspection, however, reveals a relatively roomy back seat, decent boot and it’s loaded with kit, including heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, head-up display, power tailgate, wireless charging and smartphone mirroring and a 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo.

It also immediately feels quite serious. The ride is taut; even in GT mode the adaptive dampers keep a firm grip on proceedings but it’s not tiresome or uncomfortable. Instead of unnecessary heft, the weight to the steering makes it feel like its connected to the sizeable front tyres, while the brakes are solid underfoot and easily modulated. Otherwise, it feels like your typical electric crossover: quiet, quick and responsive.

This all changes when you activate its party tricks and attack a good road. Selecting Sprint puts everything on full alert, but My Mode allows you to back off the stability control and keep the steering in its lighter setting should you prefer, as I do.

Initially, it seemed a right pain to dig through the various menus required to activate the virtual gearshift, but it can be assigned to one of the shortcut buttons on the steering wheel to be called up at a moment’s notice.

There are those for whom this digital imitation of mechanical engineering is a bridge too far (are you reading this, Mr Robson?). And that’s ok, because unless you’re in a Mercedes-AMG, you’re not forced to use it. Personally, the end more than justifies the means.

Genesis has effectively made the GV60 Magma feel like it’s powered by a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six. At low rpm the noise is obviously synthetic, but as you reach the business end – yes, I know it’s not actually revving etc. – it does more than a passable imitation and the mapping of a Porsche’s power delivery is spot-on.

The inverted commas are working hard here, but chasing ‘9000rpm’ is genuinely exciting and the higher ‘rev ceiling’ allows for more aggressive downshifts. Braking is possibly the GV60’s weakest point, or rather where its substantial kerb weight is most apparent, but they don’t wilt and pedal feel remains very good.

Compared to the already excellent IONIQ 5 N, the centre of gravity feels lower, there’s more grip and better communication, but the biggest improvement is in regard to power deployment.

The Hyundai can be handful, partly because the car seems to sometimes respond differently to what feel like identical inputs – a trait shared with most other hi-po EVs – but the GV60 is more trustworthy.

You can lean harder on the front end, even driving it beyond its grip threshold, safe in the knowledge that the rear will rotate either a little or a lot depending on road surface, camber and your level of aggression.

Simply put, you can push in the Magma and it feels on your side and up for the challenge. In ICE terms it’s reminiscent of an A45 AMG or even an R35 GT-R, a comparison I’ve used for the IONIQ 5 N, but the Genesis is closer.

Possibly its greatest shortcoming is how long you can drive it hard for. Depending on the type of road, you’re looking at between 100-150km at full noise and while that in itself is a reasonable distance – as I’ve written about before – you have to actually get to the appropriate road and home again with 350kW fast chargers being few and far between.

The other challenge for Genesis will be finding buyers, but the easiest way to do that might be simply putting bums on seats, because as a showcase of what its new performance offshoot can do, the GV60 Magma is hilariously good.

2026 Genesis GV60 Magma Specs

Price: $130,000 plus on-road costs
Powertrain: Front and rear electric motors
Battery: 84kWh
Outputs: 448kW/740Nm (478kW/790Nm Boost mode)
Weight: 2270kg (tare)
0-100km/h: 3.6sec (claimed)
Top speed: 264km/h (claimed)
Range: 425km (claimed)

Though the future isn’t as dark for internal combustion as it perhaps was a few years ago, the odds are slim that any manufacturer will commit to a mass-produced V10 engine.

To honour the passing of this unique and characterful configuration, this is an attempt to tick every box in a hypothetical fantasy garage with only 10-cylinder vehicles.

The Family Car – BMW E61 M5 Touring

It couldn’t really be any other choice, could it? The sheer lunacy of a family wagon with a genuine supercar engine, developing 373kW at 8250rpm.

Given the model’s reputation for reliability (or lack thereof), you could also say choosing one as family transport is also lunacy.

However, there are at least specialists that know this car inside and out and a swap to the later dual-clutch ’box is also eminently doable.

The Off-Roader – VW Touareg V10 TDI

It’s often forgotten now that the first-generation Touareg had genuine off-road chops thanks to its dual-range transfer case.

There’s a substantial community taking advantage of this by building Overlander versions of the closely related Porsche Cayenne, but Touareg builds aren’t as common.

To be honest, even the V6 TDI would work as well, but you aren’t going to find anyone else on the trails with 10 cylinders, are you?

The Limousine – Audi S8

I considered the VW Phaeton for this spot, but decided to limit myself to one car per manufacturer. This created some difficult decisions later.

However, like the E60 M5, there’s a certain incongruity to a refined, luxury sedan being fitted with a high-revving, naturally aspirated engine.

I’d have it in black with a dark tint and drive it everywhere like I’m in a Ronin car chase.

The Tow Vehicle – Ford F-650

The bad news is that the petrol Ford F-650 can’t tow as much as its diesel counterpart. Sadly, this means that it can only lug up to around 9500kg.

I love the absurdity of this vehicle and would have it in three-row, six-door configuration just for the sake of it. With a Gross Combined Mass of around 16,500kg, you’re not worried about payload.

The Track Car – Dodge Viper ACR

This is the one category where there’s actually plenty of choice, but it’s oft-forgotten just what a weapon the most extreme iteration of the Dodge Viper was. After its release, it went on to set lap records at 13 circuits across the United States.

Its Nurburgring best of 7:01.30 is particularly impressive given it was a private, crowd-funded effort rather than an all-out manufacturer assault, and don’t forget its multiple Targa victories in the hands of John and Jason White, too.

Having recently driven this generation of Viper, it’s also a pretty raucous, uncouth thing on the road, so why not keep it in an environment where refinement means nothing?

The Modern Classic – Lamborghini Gallardo

It wasn’t exactly an ugly duckling when it first appeared, but the first-generation Gallardo looks prettier with every passing year. It’s so small, too, but somehow a 375kW/510Nm 5.0-litre V10 is wedged in the middle.

Prices are beginning to head northwards rapidly, but with good reason, as the original Gallardo sits in the sweet spot of modern performance and reliability while retaining a relatively analogue driving experience. You could have an Audi R8 V10 here, but a Lambo is a Lambo.

The Muscle Car – Bristol Fighter

A Viper with scones and jam and cream, the Fighter uses the drivetrain from the Dodge – albeit rebuilt – in an aerodynamic shape designed by an ex-Formula 1 engineer (Max Boxstrom) with a price tag (in today’s money) of more than $800,000.

It’s an absurd car from an absurd company but for some reason it’s always fascinated me and apparently they are not only very well engineered but hardy, too. One of the 13 completed production cars was sold in 2022 showing 40,000 miles.

The Weekend Cruiser – ARES Design Project1

Honestly, I wanted to put Ford’s ‘Project Daisy’ here, but it was only a concept and I’ve already got a Ford, so I’ll write about it another time. A modern interpretation of the De Tomaso Pantera isn’t a bad runner-up though, is it?

The ARES Design Project1 rebodied a Lamborghini Huracan with gorgeous carbon fibre panels and increased outputs to 478kW/600Nm. Just 21 were built and while, yes, it’s just basically a Huracan, just look at it.

The Supercar – Porsche Carrera GT

Those who know me know that my favourite car of all time is the Porsche Carrera GT, so of course it was going to make this list. Though the fact they have more than doubled in price in the past 12 months and now require about $5,000,000 is a bit of a headache.

Nevertheless, it’s widely regarded as one of – if not THE – greatest driver’s cars ever produced. More than that, however, it’s just one of the cars that you form a connection with, a poster car that you dream about. One day...

The Other Supercar – Lexus LFA

I’m breaking my own rules by having two of the same type of car on this list, but the Lexus LFA is a very different supercar to the Porsche Carrera GT and, having been lucky enough to have driven one quite extensively, cannot be left off.

The engine is a masterpiece, the whole car is a love letter to engineering, a car built almost without financial restraint and without compromise. It still has the best brake feel of any car I’ve ever driven, steering that makes a mockery of any complaints about electronic assistance, but most of all, that screaming engine that is almost a living entity.

It probably doesn’t think of Audi, but when it comes to mimicking the experience of the latest Rally1 rocketships on the public road, the latest RS3 is about as close as you can get.

This is appropriate, as it was Audi that revolutionised the WRC – and by extension performance cars – 45 years ago with the introduction of quattro and the hissing, spitting, steaming S1 E2 remains the definitive image when people think of the ultimate rally car.

Further strengthening the RS3’s case is that, mechanically, it mirrors its groundbreaking grandfather. If you look at the S1 E2 Walter Rohrl drove in the 1985 RAC Rally, you’ll notice a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive and a dual-clutch gearbox, exactly the same setup as the RS3.

There are differences. Whereas Rohrl had between 370-410kW and 550-590Nm to play with, depending on boost level, the current RS3 makes do with 294kW/500Nm. Then again, you don’t have to stick a screwdriver in the top of the RS3’s transmission in an effort to get it to change gear after it’s failed, which Rohrl and co frequently had to do with the troublesome early ‘PDK’.

The unstressed nature of the 2.5-litre five-pot is illustrated by the fact those 294kW are available from 5600-7000rpm and the 500Nm stick around from 2250-5600rpm – this is not an engine that’s working particularly hard.

Nevertheless, it will jet the RS3 from 0-100km/h in 3.8sec and on to a limited top speed of 250km/h. It also emits one of the best noises in the automotive world, a deep, off-beat growl that sounds like a baby Lamborghini.

In fact, painted in vivid Kyalami Green (one of seven no-cost paint options), there’s a strong My First Lambo vibe to the RS3, like it’s the offspring of a Huracan and a Urus. You could buy it in a different colour, of course, but I’m not sure why you would.

Speaking of choice, you can have the RS3 as a hatchback, which is more traditional, but I’d pick the sedan tested here. I think it looks better and, at 321 litres, it has the bigger boot. It’s not a hugely practical car, but it’s j-u-s-t big enough for family duties like ferrying the kids in the back.

There’s plenty of equipment, including a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, triple-zone climate control, 15-speaker stereo and wireless smartphone mirroring and charging, and the interior feels like a quality place with plenty of last-gen buttons that work absolutely perfectly, thank you very much.

The interior is lifted by the $2150 RS design package plus, that adds a Dinamica (suede) steering wheel and lots of green highlights, while on the outside there’s $1200 for the 10-spoke Audi Sport wheels.

You can spend lots more, including $10,800 for carbon-ceramic brakes and $6300 for the exterior carbon package, but $113,050 plus on-road costs as-tested (from a base price of $107,800 +ORCs) is quite enough. It’s a big number, but it does undercut its main rival, the $123,927 (+ORCs) Mercedes-AMG A45 S by a significant amount.

The AMG is excellent, but the Audi more than matches it. In fact, compared to its characterful but rather staid predecessor, it’s difficult to think of a car that had a bigger generation-to-generation improvement than the RS3.

Key to its talents is the torque-splitter rear diff, which can overpower the outside rear wheel to promote oversteer. It works better than in the S3, as the five-cylinder has the grunt to properly get the rear end moving, so there’s less of the hopping sensation as grip fights slip.

Combine this more exuberant character with 20mm-wider front tyres to improve turn-in and you have a car that gives the driver plenty of options. Where previous RS3s required a frustrating wait for the front to bite before the throttle could be reapplied, now you can just keep the power in, safe in the knowledge the rear will come around as long as you’re committed.

It’s this dynamic flexibility – along with short gear ratios and that extremely potent, beautifully progressive engine – that allows this small sedan to do such a good Rally1 impersonation.

On a tight, twisty, bumpy road it’s an enormously exciting and frenetic experience that has the palms sweating, heart racing and supercars struggling to keep up, but in Comfort the adaptive dampers provide a compliant ride and the dual-clutch ’box does a decent job of being an automatic.

The Audi RS3 – sedan or hatch – is a brilliantly characterful machine, the combination of a powerful five-cylinder engine in a relatively compact body proving just as beguiling a combination as it was 45 years ago.

2026 Audi RS3 Sedan Specs

Price: $107,800 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder
Outputs: 294kW/500Nm
Gearbox: 7-speed dual-clutch
Weight: 1565kg
0-100km/h: 3.8sec
Top speed: 250km/h (limited)
Fuel consumption: 8.2/100km

Then there’s the third child. They are different. Athletically gifted, they love loud music and letting their hair down and might even, heaven forbid, have their shirt untucked. They’re certainly not a delinquent, but definitely the black sheep of the family.

The family in this somewhat tortured metaphor is Lexus. Primarily, it produces well-built, reliable and utterly sensible premium cars while every now and then offering something bats***-crazy, like a bespoke V10-powered supercar, sticking a V8 in everything possible or, in the case of the LBX Morizo RR, a small, luxury rally car.

In essence, this stuffs the 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive system from the Toyota GR Yaris and Corolla into the LBX compact SUV. It sits between them in size (though at 1485kg is roughly on-par with the larger Corolla), has a more premium interior and a higher price tag at $76,490 plus on-road costs.

It’s a little less powerful than the updated Toyota twins at 206kW/390Nm (rather than 221kW/400Nm) and is only available in Australia with an eight-speed automatic. A six-speed manual is available overseas, but you could presumably count the number of manual Lexus customers locally on one hand. With all your fingers cut off.

The interior is appropriately Lexus swish with plenty of leather and Alcantara with contrast stitching, heated seats and steering wheel, head-up display, wireless smartphone mirroring and the like, though the passenger seat is manually adjustable, which seems a bit mean at this price point.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given its dimensions, it’s not the most spacious car inside, with a relatively small boot and a tight back seat. Smaller adults will fit at a squeeze, but adding a child seat will require the front passenger to be heavily compromised.

To be honest, nothing about the LBX Morizo makes sense. The typical Lexus customer wants something refined, relaxing and economical, yet that three-cylinder feeds plenty of vibration back into the car and doesn’t mind a drink, either.

So we’re left with a fairly cramped, expensive and thirsty small SUV that also happens to be fantastic. The LBX Morizo has character to burn, from the way it looks – squat and wide like a four-wheeled pug – to the noise it makes to its sheer irreverence. Mostly, however, it’s because of the way it drives.

It’ll surprise no one to hear that its similar to the GR Corolla, but that’s no bad thing. The G16E-GTS engine remains remarkable in the power and response it can muster from just three cylinders and while the Morizo won’t blow anyone’s socks off with its pace, it’s still a very quick car.

The automatic works better than most will expect, with well-chosen ratios and decent response to manual inputs, the brakes are excellent and obviously all-wheel drive imbues it with plenty of traction.

What will really put a smile on your face, though, is the chassis. The steering is fantastic, with perfect weighting and a beautifully natural feel in its response, while the softer chassis not only makes the ride tolerable but allows the car’s weight to shift around in corners.

There’s roll and pitch and heave, not in an unruly manner, but enough to give you a sense of the car working beneath you, which means you don’t have to drive it like your hair is on fire to feel involved in the process. This is particularly the case on gravel, where the Morizo will happily do its best rally car impersonation.

I have no idea who the intended customer is for this car, for as mentioned in many ways it appears to be the antithesis of what the typical Lexus customer is after, but I do know that I enjoyed every minute of my time behind the wheel. Put it this way, it’s the one member of that family of five you would invite to a party.

2026 Lexus LBX Morizo Specs

Price: $76,490 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder
Outputs: 206kW/390Nm
Gearbox: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 1485kg
0-100km/h: 5.2sec
Top speed: 230km/h
Fuel consumption: 9.2/100km

Simply put, the venerable 911 is going to have to do the heavy lifting in the short-to-medium term with regards to profitability if not volume. As such, I think it’s fair to say that if you can think of a 911 derivative, chances are we’ll see it during the 992.2 life cycle.

While product lead times means it’s not a direct response, we’ve already seen this with the GT3 S/C. A convertible GT3 would’ve been anathema in the not-too-distant past, but in the current environment, if Porsche has customers clamouring to hand over $600-700K for a new variant, it would be foolish not to meet that need.

With this in mind, here are the top five Porsche 911 variants that I think would both find customers and deliver the requisite margin to keep the coffers topped up.

Porsche 911 Turbo GT

Mr Preuninger and his merry men and women have never put their hands on the 911 Turbo. The GT2 is a turbocharged GT product, but I think there’s room for a Turbo GT, the badge introduced on the Cayenne and subsequently applied to the Taycan.

This isn’t a GT2. Rather, it’s a more focused Turbo and I think there’s plenty of scope for the GT department to make significant performance gains without losing too much of the grand touring ability that makes the car so great.

A 992.2 Turbo S now weighs 1725kg, but a two-seat interior, bucket seats, lightweight wheels and plenty of carbon body panels should easily get that to 1650kg, with the now seemingly obligatory Weissach pack dropping that further.

Combine this with GT geometry, stickier tyres and more downforce (without going silly) and watch that Nurburgring time fall. Possibly the biggest change would be the inclusion of the double-wishbone front end from the GT3, which makes a big difference to the front end bite of a 911.

More power is the last thing the current Turbo S needs, but given it now uses smaller turbos and actually makes less ICE power than its predecessor, I’m sure boosting hybrid-assisted outputs to 550kW/850Nm isn’t impossible.

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

This is a no-brainer and is almost certain to happen, though someone with a deposit down told me a while back it’s been delayed to 2029. This would tally with the fact that the GT2 (and RS) typically appears right at the end of a lifecycle.

I don’t think it’s a huge stretch to imagine what it’s going to be like. Take a 992 GT3 RS, add even more downforce – the folks at Manthey can no doubt assist here – and install the new twin-turbo hybrid engine in the back.

There will be a weight penalty, but as mentioned the current engine uses smaller turbos than the old 3.8, so letting it off the leash should easily realise 600kW, which is 85kW more than the already absurd 991 managed. New Nurburging lap record, here we come.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Leichtbau

This one is super-niche and by far the least likely of this list to happen, but I think it would be very cool. I won’t hold it against you if you’ve never heard of a Carrera 4 Leichtbau, as just 22 964-generation cars were built.

It was intended to become a one-make race car, but Porsche went with the two-wheel drive Carrera RS instead. You could think of it as an all-wheel drive Carrera T, with a manual gearbox and the regular 3.0-litre twin-turbo six, though given the name, ideally we’d go a bit further with the weight savings.

Carrera 4s no longer use a wider bodyshell, but lightweight 19-/20-inch wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, a titanium exhaust and similar would deliver an appropriately ‘pure’ car. The other option would be to go all-in and install the GT3 engine, which would be quite interesting allied to all-wheel drive.

Porsche 911 Dakar

Speaking of all-wheel drive, another Dakar is almost certain to appear given the popularity of the last one. In a case of “ain’t broke, don’t fix” a repeat would be fine, with a raised ride height, all-terrain tyres and all-wheel drive, though odds are it’ll have the new T-Hybrid powertrain from the GTS this time.

It also provides the opportunity to dig up more excellent retro rally liveries to offer as options, the one you see here being the Belgian Rally Team Bastos, which campaigned 911s all through the 1980s.

Porsche 901

In 2028 the 911 will celebrate its 65th birthday, which seems as good an excuse as any to go right back to the start. The 901 wouldn’t just be a badge exercise, though, instead offering a 911 experience unlike any other.

A manual gearbox and the GT3’s naturally aspirated engine would certainly appear, but in a standard Carrera bodyshell and with a suspension setup focused on grand touring comfort rather than track or even road performance.

Limit it to 901 examples worldwide and open up the complete Sonderwunsch program to allow Porsche’s VIP customers to go completely crazy building one-off personalised examples to really lean into the retro vibe.

Firstly, I don’t have any such expertise and secondly, if I did, I’d be charging a million bucks hard currency in consultancy fees and not giving it away for free on Substack.

However, one of the few things I can comment on in this world with some authority is the requirements for automotive content and this is where I see many brands – some new, some old enough to know better – fall down.

Let me outline the scenario: you’ve established a new brand, allocated some cars for a press fleet and now want to lend them to media to increase consumer awareness and garner some (hopefully) glowing reviews.

This is a good start, but as the adage goes, a picture tells a thousand words and it doesn’t matter how good the car is or how exceptional the words are, nothing is getting published without supporting imagery.

Few outlets have dedicated photographers these days, having sadly – but accurately – realised the investment isn’t rewarded by extra traffic.

As such, without press photography it’s often left in the hands of the journalists to create those images. There are some very good amateur photographers among the journo fraternity, but I’ve yet to meet any that can drive a car and photograph it at the same time, though I guess with drones it’s theoretically possible.

Therefore, at best you’re left with a nice static shoot, at worst you have poorly lit images shot on grass or in a car park – is this really how you want your product displayed?

As an example of how not to do it, until recently the only available press shot for the BYD Shark 6 – a vehicle that has rocketed up the sales charts since its release – was a nondescript image that might even have been computer-generated. Unsurprisingly, with one of the industry’s most experienced PR operators at the helm, Paul Ellis, this has now been rectified.

The gold standard at the moment is Audi. All my recent loans have been supported by comprehensive imagery AND video B-roll of not just the car in question, but even in the same colour! As a ‘content creator’ it makes creating that content so much easier and higher quality, too.

I understand that budgets are not infinite and having full shoots of every variant may be prohibitive in some instances, but though I obviously have a strong bias here, I believe it’s a worthwhile investment in your product. If you are reading this and don’t know who to turn to, send me a note – I’m fortunate enough to know many A+ automotive photographers who will provide exactly what you need.

Sadly, this is almost irrelevant these days, but back when I worked at MOTOR we absolutely extended features or gave more coverage to cars that had excellent photography. In 2026, having a high-quality B-roll package would certainly tempt some – including myself – into making videos when they might otherwise not.

Having made the case for providing press photography, may I be so bold as to offer a couple of dos and don’ts.

DO provide a comprehensive set of images. I recently reviewed a car under embargo but at the time of writing it’s still unpublished as there were only four or five press shots, so the publication is waiting until it can shoot the car properly. Ask yourself, “What are people going to realistically want to mention about this car?”.

DON’T provide marketing shots. People posing with surfboards or the car attending a family picnic is great for your website or social media, not for press. Likewise, a few spectacular shots can be useful, but keep the ‘art’ sensible – there’s no point having a press photo where most of the car is obscured by foreground interest.

DO provide plenty of dynamic shots. Cars aren’t generally static objects, so even if it’s just a family SUV, some tracking and cornering and panning shots go a long way to giving a review some life.

There are probably plenty of others, but use the right photographer and they’ll answer all these questions for you.

I’ve been fortunate in recent times to have sampled most of Ferrari’s current range, specifically the 849 Testarossa, 12Cilindri and Amalfi, in addition to driving the 296 GTB a couple of years ago. I’d like to tick the Purosangue off, too, though I won’t hold my breath for the F80.

Content on these drives can be found all over the place now and in the future (including some below), but it got me thinking about what I’d like from my ideal Ferrari.

Put simply, all these cars are now arguably too fast and too powerful. Like most other manufacturers - in fact, probably more so than almost any other manufacturer - Ferrari is forced to constantly one-up itself with each successive model when it comes to power and performance.

As a result, even the Amalfi, the ‘everyday’ grand tourer that effectively opens the brand’s range, offers 471kW/760Nm and is claimed to reach 200km/h in nine seconds. It is head-spinningly fast, yet consider the 12Cilindri has another 140kW and the Testarossa is more than 2.5sec quicker to 200km/h. It’s all rather absurd.

What is common to each car, however, is an incredibly high level of mechanical and electrical engineering. Whether it’s the ride comfort on big wheels, the delicacy of the stability control intervention or the mapping of the powertrains (naturally aspirated, turbo or hybrid), the clever folk at Maranello who make these cars are some of the best in the business.

This got me thinking: what if they were freed from the constraints of headline figures? What if the only KPI was driver enjoyment? What would the result be?

Unsurprisingly, my ideal Ferrari would be a mid-engined sports car, but what might be surprising is that it would have just six cylinders. The 296 GTB sounds absolutely beautiful, quite literally like a baby V12, but I’d be pulling the turbos off and using the trickery that allows the 12C’s F140 6.5-litre V12 to rev to 9500rpm.

Ferrari proved more than a decade ago that it can extract 100kW/litre out of an atmo engine with the 458 Speciale, so even with the latest emissions regulations I’m betting it can do so again for 300kW from the 3.0-litre V6.

Would I keep the hybrid system? I’m on the fence. On the one hand, there’s the ~100kg weight saving; on the other, there’s the regulatory pressure, the ability to leave home silently and, most importantly, the low-end torque fill that - as with the LaFerrari - allows the engine specification to be totally focused on top-end fireworks. I think I’ll keep it.

Part of the reason is that while performance isn’t the priority here, asking buyers to shell out mega-bucks for a 300kW car is a tough sell. The 296’s tiny axial flux electric motor adds 122kW and 400kW-odd is a much more palatable figure.

Having removed the turbos (and therefore intercoolers and related plumbing) and by perhaps downsizing the battery pack slightly, we should still be able to get to a kerb weight of around 1500kg. Possibly less, as this vehicle could be a lightweight study in the manner of Lamborghini’s Sesto Elemento - why not aim for 1350kg?

As for the gearbox, I’m more than happy to keep the eight-speed dual-clutch, though given it’s pitched more as a purist car perhaps a six-speed manual could be made available? Or maybe there’s a way of somehow combining the two, Koenigsegg-style?

In terms of the way it looks, I like the P3/4-inspired AI render that heads this article very much, though if that’s too retro, these renders from Sugar Design on Instagram - ironically envisioning a different Luce - struck me as also being appropriate if a more modern language is desired.

The crucial part of this whole experiment, however, is that so much can remain the same: the manettino settings, the electronic support systems including ABS Evo and FIVE (Ferrari Integrated Vehicle Estimator), the dynamic capability, it all just needs to be applied to a car that doesn’t try and tear your head off every time you hit the accelerator pedal.

I also don’t envision this being a cheap car or a volume play; if anything, the opposite. Ferrari doesn’t want volume, it wants margin, so limit it to 999 units, charge accordingly and watch the VIPs fight over the allocation.

More importantly, this car could very well be the greatest driver’s machine ever built. For my money, a ~1350kg sports car with a 9500rpm, 400kW naturally-aspirated engine (albeit hybrid-assisted) sounds like a pretty ideal state of affairs.

The catalyst for this piece was a feature in Octane about a 1927 Mercedes-Benz 680S. A spectacular machine with coachbuilt bodywork and a 135kW supercharged straight-six, it was a reminder that at the time Mercedes was mentioned in the same breath as Cadillac and Rolls-Royce as makers of the finest automobiles in the world.

I’d argue that despite now being very much a volume manufacturer, it still has the brand cachet to create a super-luxury competitor to rival vehicles like the Rolls-Royce Spectre and Cadilliac Celestiq.

The Maybach sub-brand is the perfect home for such a car, but it’s had a tumultuous time since its relaunch in 2002. For those unaware, Wilhelm Maybach co-founded Daimler with Gottlieb Daimler and the began producing cars under the Mercedes name in 1902 before merging with Carl Benz in 1926.

Ergo, he’s a hugely important figure in the company’s history who deserves to have the cars that bear his name reflect this standing.

The relaunch of Maybach was a complete flop. It turns out there weren’t many people keen on spending seven figures (in Australian dollars, at least) on an uglier, elongated S-Class that was based on the previous-generation model.

A rethink made Maybach a trim level and the W222 Mercedes-Maybach S600 was a lovely, lovely machine, with restrained styling, beautifully refined operation and a first-rate interior. However, it seemed almost a waste of the name to limit it to a mere variant.

Today, in my opinion Maybach has completely lost its way. The GLS and EQS SUVs are appropriately posh and very polished, albeit a little gaudy, but the SL is – again, to these subjective eyes – the most tasteless vehicle on-sale today. Festooned with dozens of Maybach badges and logos and ladled with chrome, it is the very antithesis of class and elegance.

You might be reading this thinking “Who cares?” But there are a few sound reasons why I think a successful Maybach is important. Firstly, it would be a statement of intent from Mercedes-Benz that it is still one of the world’s preeminent auto makers; secondly, it would give new design director Bastian Baudy an opportunity to establish his vision and styling language for the brand after three decades under Gordon Wagener.

However, the most important factor is money. Lots of money. The super high-end car market has grown enormously in recent years and it appears that there is no ceiling to what enthusiasts will pay if the product is right – witness the $40m+ Rolls’ one-offs are rumoured to cost.

A successful Maybach would deliver a high-margin revenue stream at a time when cash is very hard to come by in the automotive world. As an extreme example, the 799 Ferrari F80s will deliver more than US$3bn to the P&L.

At the heart of the strategy is the relaunch of the S-Class Coupe and Convertible, though probably just called Mercedes-Maybach Coupe and Cabriolet. Underpinning them would be the next-generation W224 S-Class platform for development cost amortization and economies of scale, but they would go substantially upmarket from previous offerings.

Crucially, they would be V12 only – there are no ‘lesser’ variants. For now, at least, millionaires have made it abundantly clear they have no interest in electric cars and with BMW and Bentley no longer offering 12-cylinder cars, an opportunity exists to take advantage.

It’s also the perfect vehicle to showcase the recently launched Manufaktur Made to Measure program, offering buyers almost limitless personalisation options.

In terms of design, they need to be sleek, imposing and elegant. These AI-generated examples may not be your cup of tea (or even appropriate), but that’s for Mr Baudy to figure out. Inside, ditch the screens Mercedes has fallen in love with; analogue dials, one central infotainment display, gadgetry is not synonymous with luxury.

There is also an opportunity for Mercedes to limit availability. Even Bentley and Aston Martin have certain volume pressures due to the need to utilise plant capacity, but the fact Mercedes is a much larger business – and can share Maybach costs with S-Class – could allow it to limit production to 1000 units per year? Five-hundred units per year?

With this being the core strategy, I also think there’s an opportunity to create limited-run models that really push the boundaries of what a Mercedes can be. Cars that blow up social media and have the general public stopping and staring as the billionaire owner rolls past.

If the regular Mercedes-Maybach Coupe retails for US$400K and has 522kW/900Nm (700bhp/665 lb ft), these extreme models would be limited to 25 examples, cost US$2m and produce 746kW/1100Nm (1000bhp/812 lb ft).

Again, these AI models may not be right, but the intent would be make vehicles that will end up on the lawns at the Pebble Beach Concours, a modern-day Bugatti Type 57.

Of course, these are probably the delusional ramblings of a motoring journalist dabbling in arts he doesn’t understand, but it’s a fun thought experiment regardless.

What made the race particularly difficult wasn’t the rain but the track continually shifting between wet and dry, requiring constant assessment of the weather conditions to in order change tyres at the appropriate moments.

The golden rule of motor racing is to be on the right tyres at the right time, but in highly changeable conditions sometimes you just have to take the pain. Whereas the victorious Senna made four stops, second-placed Damon Hill made six and Alain Prost made seven – in an attempt to always be on the right rubber, Williams ended up chasing its tail (there were actually mitigating circumstances, but the point stands).

So what does all this have to do with EVs? In the last six months or so we have seen many manufacturers write off 10s of billions of dollars in EV investment, a consequence of going all-in years prior in an attempt to get a jump on the competition.

In defence of the executives involved, at the time 2030 internal combustion bans were looming, so quickly developing a portfolio of pure-electric cars seemed prudent. Trouble is, that timeline was only achievable in the fevered dreams of the politicians who thought up the regulations, so car makers were left peddling immature products to reticent customers while the goal posts continually moved.

With internal combustion bans being delayed and emissions regulations being softened (or eliminated in the US), many of those manufacturers that bet big on pure-electric have announced renewed investments in internal combustion: General Motors, Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz to name just a few.

This is another attempt to be on the right tyres at the right time, yet comes just as pure-electric demand is soaring thanks to an international oil crisis. For all the billions of dollars that have been torn up, it’s possible that the only thing sillier than having gone head-first into EVs at the outset would be to step back from them now.

Manufacturers that have weathered the storm best – including but not limited to Toyota and BMW, though the likes of BYD and GWM have capitalized brilliantly – are those that have bided their time and kept as many options open as possible. In effect, they stayed out on worn wets on a drying track or attempted to survive a quick downpour on slicks.

On the face of it this is poor governance; you’re spreading your R&D capital more thinly on products that are compromised by not focusing on one powertrain. The new BMW X5 will offer petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, pure-electric and hydrogen variants and this flexibility will inevitability come at a cost in terms of packaging. However, the guiding light in all this has been “Give the customer what they want”, as they’ve proved in many cases they’re willing to pay a premium for it.

The market is finding its equilibrium and what I hope will happen is we’ll get to a 95:5 model. For the vast majority of people an electric car is great and they will replace the ICE car in the same way the car replaced the horse, by being quicker, more comfortable and less hassle.

This will allow enthusiast cars – whether that be performance, utility or off-road – to continue as the horse. Outdated, perhaps, but fit for purpose and, more importantly, very enjoyable. I would like to see the regulations reflect this. Perhaps manufacturers could be allowed a certain number of vehicles – say 50,000/year or five per cent of production or whatever it might be – to not necessarily be exempt from noise and emissions regulations, but not strangled to the point of undesirability.

EV Macan? Fine. EV 911? No. EV GLC? Great. EV C63. Definitely not. And so on and so forth. Perhaps the manufacturer that manages it best can get a giant Sega trophy with Sonic the Hedgehog on it (Google it).

A few weeks ago an extremely well-connected friend told me in no uncertain terms that F1 would be reverting to V8s in the very near future. “Oh yes”, I said, “the twin-turbo V8 hybrids that have been mooted for years.” No, no turbos. “Oh, huge batteries then?” No, no batteries.

What?

Were it not the person in question, I flat out wouldn’t have believed it but A) they would know B) have no skin in the game to make anything up and C) wouldn’t make anything up regardless.

Even so, for a sport that has just had an enormous rules upheaval in order to radically increase its level of electrification and attract manufacturers to turn back the clock do dramatically is difficult to countenance.

However, in an interview with Reuters over the weekend, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said that V8s with “very, very minor electrification” are set in stone for 2031, though he hopes with team support it will be introduced in 2030.

It will be music to the ears of many traditional F1 fans, though I’ve written before that some many need to be careful what they wish for. This would effectively return F1 to the powertrain rules of 2006-2013, with naturally aspirated V8s and KERS electrical assistance.

It’ll be very interesting to see how these plays out amongst the current F1 teams and a lot can play out in five years, but the real takeaway here is that I’m a terrible news journalist who should have published this as soon as I heard it.

Let me know what you think of F1 returning to atmo V8s in the comments below.

Unlike most of my colleagues, I’ve never done the motor show thing. I’ve never attended an international one and my only local visit was the final running of the prior Melbourne show in 2011.

Having missed last year, I was quite excited to get amongst it and it didn’t disappoint. I won’t pretend it rivalled the pomp of Geneva or Detroit in their heyday, but there were plenty of local reveals, lots of new metal on display and plenty of important people to talk to.

However, with some notable exceptions, legacy automakers were conspicuous in their absence, Chinese brands like BYD/Denza, GWM, MG and Geely having the largest stands, while even newcomers like GAC, JAC and Farizon had significant presences.

The non-Chinese exceptions were Honda, Kia, Renault, Polestar, Skoda, Volkswagen and Isuzu and after the dust had settled, many were left wondering - where was everyone else?

I understand that a motor show stand doesn’t happen by itself and requires significant resource in terms of time, staff and money.

I can also understand many brands’ reticence in 2025, with an unproven format and unknown public appetite. However, with tickets selling out and 45,000 attendees over the two days, those questions were more than answered.

This year, the show expanded to three days and while attendance numbers aren’t out at the time of writing, I wouldn’t be surprised if expectations of 100,000 visitors were met. I was there all Friday and after the doors opened to the public at midday the place was RAMMED.

All this strikes me as a massive missed opportunity for the majority of the mainstream brands to get their metal and message in front of an engaged audience. Not so much the dominant Toyota and enthusiast-focused Ford, but Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Subaru to name a few.

One anecdote from a colleague illustrates the point: he was talking to a man who had his heart basically set on the new Mazda CX-6e, but just wanted to check it out in person before committing and was shocked to discover he couldn’t do so.

He may very well still buy a CX-6e, but what chance he ends up in a BYD Sealion 7 or Zeekr X or one of the other cars he could touch and experience?

Again, I know such things don’t happen without a significant investment but this was a captive audience, tens of thousands of people who were eager to know more - a lot of them asked me questions, presumably on account of the lanyard.

So for the brands that read this and didn’t attend, my question (off the record, of course) is, why not? What am I missing? Answers on a postcard (or a DM, email or phone call), because from what I witnessed this year, I see no reason why the 2027 Melbourne Motor Show won’t be just as big.

This isn’t to suggest we can’t do things better, of course. At the very least, a travel-style disclaimer stating that the journalist typically flew/stayed/was fed at the expense of the manufacturer when attending launches probably wouldn’t go astray.

However, having given this some thought I came to the conclusion that the greatest threat to objectivity - at least for me - isn’t the flights and the hotels and the cars and the dinners, nice though some of that might be (I’ll do a piece on some of the best/more extravagant events I’ve attended another time).

Nor is it advertising dollars. Those who “tell it how it is” love to tell you how corrupt motoring journalism is and I’m not naive enough to say a verdict has never been altered for money, but it’s far less prevalent than most believe.

If I had a dollar for every time I’d been accused of taking money in exchange for a good review/comparison test win I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this, I’d be driving a rally or race car somewhere. A gold-plated one powered by Bitcoin.

Personally, the greatest threat to objectivity comes from people in the industry, specifically the relationships developed over time.

Having done this a while now, I’m fortunate that there are people who have graduated from colleagues to acquaintances to friends. Dear friends, in some cases, and nothing tempers criticism like knowing it’ll cause distress - whether personal or professional - to a dear friend.

As an example, some of the folks involved in the final Ford Falcons are now close friends, yet some of those cars had a pretty rough time.

I wrote of the Falcon XR8 after it finished 11th and last in MOTOR’s 2016 Performance Car of the Year: “Sadly, like many farewell tours, it quickly became clear that it might’ve been best if the fast Falcon had retired a little earlier” and “What it’s not, however, is a competitive contemporary performance car.” Ouch.

Would I have been so blunt had I had then the relationships I have now? The fact that we have become such good friends suggest I should’ve; it hasn’t hurt the situation and the reader/viewer would’ve still received the unvarnished truth as best I could deliver it at the time.

To be honest, though, I doubt it. Hopefully, the verdict would be more or less the same but it would probably be delivered in a softer manner. Is that tainting the outcome? Is the reader being shortchanged? Perhaps. I’m not sure.

On the plus side, the advantage of a closer or stronger relationship is typically a more open dialogue. In general, no one is more aware of a product’s shortcomings than the engineers and by extension public relations people tasked with developing and launching it - or at least the good ones are.

Criticism will rarely catch them by surprise and, again in my experience, as long as that criticism is fair and contextual, typically there is no issue.

I once rang a veteran PR representative to warn him that his latest product didn’t fare particularly well in a comparison test, to which he replied “We’ll cop it on the chin.” I suspect he knew that the company’s latest wasn’t exactly its greatest.

After all, a bad product doesn’t necessarily mean people have done a bad job. Insufficient resources, unforeseen delays, management changes and many other factors could explain why a car isn’t what it should be, even if those involved have done their utmost.

Those final Falcons are a good example of this. I know how hard the people involved worked on those cars, but they also developed them with the equivalent of $3.50 and a packet of Smarties.

Perhaps the easiest way to level the playing field and assuage my guilty conscience is to offer those on the other side of the fence the chance to critique my work, in which case the comments are open below.

Bitterly cold temperatures around -20C and crisp, clear days created perfect winter rally conditions and allowed the drivers to push, even though the extreme cold meant the customary snowbanks were smaller than usual.

Heroes

Elfyn Evans

It’s always boring choosing the winner of the rally as a hero, but Elfyn did no wrong. He effectively led from start to finish and though the winning margin was only 14.3sec, he was never seriously under threat.

Combine this with five points for being fastest on Sunday and four points from the Power Stage and Evans remains in imperious form. He remains the title favourite.

Takamoto Katsuta

Katsuta always shines in the snow and like last year he was Evans’ closest challenger. While he briefly took the lead early in the rally, in general he didn’t push his teammate as hard as 2025, but instead of being a disappointment this is even more impressive in my eyes.

When the car stopped working quite so well, rather than push too hard and throw it off he consolidated, drove to his limits and kept Pajari and Solberg at bay to earn a well deserved second place. Next up is another Katsuta favourite, the Safari Rally.

Sami Pajari

Another driver who needed a strong result after a disastrous Monte but he delivered just that. Pajari looked far more comfortable on the Swedish stages and successfully answered a charging Solberg to secure his second career podium.

Esapekka Lappi

Two years ago, Esapekka Lappi won Rally Sweden in a Hyundai, so sixth place might not seem like something to celebrate, but he couldn’t have done much more to impress.

That win was his last successful Rally1 outing, but despite the break Lappi was the quickest Hyundai driver yet played the perfect team game by letting Fourmaux through on the last day without the need for team orders to maximise the regular driver’s points.

I’m not a fan of Hyundai’s rotation system as a general rule, but it’s refreshing to see some great characters of the sport – EP, Paddon and Sordo – enjoying their driving without the pressure of driving for their careers.

Taylor Gill

Another parochial choice, but after the way Gill’s 2025 season ended – losing the JWRC championship he’d dominated on the final stage of the double-points decider and with it a fully funded 2026 WRC2 campaign – few would’ve held it against him if he walked away from motorsport forever.

Instead, he worked his tail off to secure the funds for three rounds of WRC2 of which Rally Sweden was the first. He didn’t challenge for the win, but a solid fourth place in a brand new car was a great way to display his talent.

We don’t yet know how good Taylor ultimately is, but he’s already proven he’s good enough to deserve a shot. Hopefully, funding can be found for as many rallies as possible in 2026 as seat time is king.

Zeroes

Hyundai

Oh dear. There was reason for optimism after Monte, for while the Hyundai i20 WRC Evo was a handful on the slush, it showed genuine pace in the full snow and ice, so surely Sweden would be better?

Nope. Once again, Hyundai’s drivers had no confidence in what was beneath them, at which point it doesn’t matter how fast the car ultimately is for time will be ebbing away with every lift and hesitation.

Hyundai says it continues to improve its understanding of the car, but it’s currently a long way behind Toyota.

M-Sport

M-Sport’s issues in Sweden weren’t performance-related, as all three drivers drove relatively well, but operational errors cost them all dearly.

A mistake in setting the base tyre pressures led to Martin Sesks retiring on Friday due to multiple blowouts, but on at least two occasions the drivers left the radiator blanking in prior to the stage start, resulting in overheating engines and bulk time loss by having to complete those stages in road mode.

It’s up to the crews to do this, but there should be procedures in place – and no doubt there are, but they weren’t followed – to ensure this doesn’t happen. You can lack experience and even some speed, but giving up so much time over silly errors isn’t appropriate at this level.

Rally Sweden stages

Rally Sweden looked incredible this year. The helicopter footage of the cars arcing through the frosted trees at high speed was the perfect advertisement for snow rallying.

However, time and time again the drivers were separated by tiny margins. In one sense, this speaks to the quality of the driving, but onboard footage regularly showed the cars flat-out in fifth gear on the rev limiter for long stretches.

This is impressive in itself – I’m not sure I’d fancy driving at 185km/h on ice – but the lack of technicality in many of the stages meant there weren’t many opportunities for drivers to make mistakes or a difference.

2026 WRC calendar

Simply put, the surfaces are all clumped together. If you include Monte Carlo as a tarmac round, four of the first seven rallies are held on the black stuff, while eight of the final nine rounds of the season are on gravel.

This means whoever is leading the championship is going to need an enormous points advantage to survive sweeping the road on rally after rally after rally.

A similar clumping of gravel rallies – seven in a row – played a key role in Ogier being able to wrestle the title from Evans in 2025. While Evans should have been faster when opening the road, by missing two of the first three rounds Ogier used his favourable road position to consistently close the gap.

That said, if he stays as championship leader Evans will have the best of the road conditions in the early tarmac rounds, but a more even mix of surfaces would be an improvement.

Nevertheless, Audi has been listening, as for this latest iteration it’s installed the torque-splitter rear differential from the RS3 as well as a new Dynamic Plus mode to have the S3’s tail wagging like a friendly dog’s.

I’ll get to that later, but first the basics. As usual, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder sends power to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

It produces 245kW/420Nm, which seems like a lot for an S3, though it shouldn’t as that’s exactly the same as the latest Golf R, with which it shares its powertrain.

Mind you, $82,700 plus on-road costs seems a lot for an S3, too, but this is primarily due to me getting older and remembering when these things were <$65K.

It’s cheaper than both its main rivals, the $84,100 (+ORCs) BMW M135 and $89,700 (+ORCs) Mercedes-AMG A35 and more powerful, too.

While quite a small car, there’s pretty decent room, with my 180cm frame able to sit behind myself (though I do sit close to the wheel) and my three-year-old’s car seat fit easily enough.

The boot is impressive for a car this size, though this is largely due to the absence of any sort of spare wheel allowing for a much lower floor.

The dash is a good mix of digital and analogue with plenty of physical switches remaining, while there’s heated seats and wireless charging and smartphone mirroring, though a sunroof and head-up display are extra. Dual-zone climate control rather than triple-zone also feels a bit mean when it’s standard in a mid-spec Golf.

It’s an amenable and enjoyable car to drive every day in every facet bar the ride. This is often an S-series Achilles’ heel and while the S3 isn’t as bad as the old TT S, the wheels clatter over poor surfaces and occupants feel plenty of jolts from bumps. Backing off the dampers to Comfort does improve things but the ride is still noisy; it’s livable but unpleasant.

Happily, it’s also extremely fast, the all-weather, all-surface kind of fast that small-ish, light-ish all-wheel drive cars excel at. There is tenacious grip, the steering is well weighted even in Dynamic – though ‘Balanced’ is still my preference – the brakes feel a little numb but have plenty of stamina and the firm ride at least results in excellent body control.

Ample power from the lower reaches of the tachometer all the way to redline is accompanied by a clearly synthetic but reasonably entertaining soundtrack, though the dual-clutch gearbox will automatically upshift for you when it wants to even if you have it in manual mode.

So far, so Audi S3 – quick, capable and classy. However, stick it in Dynamic Plus and relax the stability control and there is certainly another string to its handling bow.

The effects of the torque splitter diff are readily apparent when you hit the throttle, the rear end helping rotate the car and point the nose towards the corner exit, with power oversteer available if you have enough space and commitment.

This isn’t easily found on dry tarmac, the movement feeling a little contrived and causing the rear end to hop in the process, but a quick foray onto gravel (in the name of science, you understand) reveals a car that would be an immense amount of fun with some rally tyres on it.

More realistically, this might be the first S-badged Audi you’d take on a wet skidpan for the fun of it, the diff giving you oversteer options on-throttle as well as off.

It’s not transformative to the driving experience, but it does provide more handling options and a greater level of enjoyment for those who are fans of opposite lock.

The fly in the ointment for the Audi S3 is that the Volkswagen Golf R offers exactly the same drivetrain for $70,990 (+ORCs). The Audi has a more user-friendly interior and the USP of a sedan bodyshell, but that’s a big premium when the two are so similar to drive.

What the Audi really needs is a hefty helping of power and attitude to set itself apart, which is something it just happens to offer, but stay tuned for a future review on that front.

Audi S3 Sedan specs

Price: $82,700 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Outputs: 245kW/420Nm

Gearbox: 7-speed dual-clutch

Weight: 1535kg

0-100km/h: 4.7sec (claimed)

Top speed: 250km/h

Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km (claimed)

While Australia was enjoying a sunny long weekend, the WRC was beginning its 2026 season in the freezing mountains above Monaco.

The action was incredible, with some of the most difficult conditions seen in many years, but not everyone enjoyed the experience.

Heroes

Oliver Solberg

That’s two-from-two for Oliver Solberg’s Toyota Rally1 career. Having sensationally won Rally Estonia last year in a one-off outing, Solberg achieved what many – perhaps even himself – thought impossible by dominating Rallye Monte Carlo.

Solberg demolished his vastly more experienced teammates – who finished 1-2 in the championship standings last year – including being 31.1sec faster than anyone else on SS2, establishing a lead he would never relinquish.

It was a nervous watch at times, Solberg looking to live on the edge, using his supernatural car control to attack when others showed caution, but the consistency of his pace proved that all was (mostly) in hand. He was lucky to get away with an excursion into a field, but he still went fastest on that stage.

What’s more, the WRC has a star on its hands, Solberg’s end-of-stage interviews bursting with the sort of unguarded effervescence that made his father such a fan favourite.

I still don’t think he will be an outright factor in the championship – he finished the rally after his Estonia win in the trees – but then on the strength of this result anything is possible.

Elfyn Evans

On the face of it Monte Carlo wasn’t a good result for Evans. Not only was he second once again but the gap was three times that of 2025. However, the Welshman vowed to show more speed this year and compared to everyone else bar Solberg he undoubtedly did.

Not only that, he was fast in all conditions and on every tyre without sacrificing his incredible consistency. Only he and Ogier could claim to have completed Monte without a mistake but this time it was Evans with the pace advantage. It’s a good start to his championship campaign.

Jon Armstrong

Zero finishers and zero points means Monte Carlo was a disaster for M-Sport, but the pace of its newest signing was a definite high point. Given he had no experience of Monte Carlo and no event mileage in a Rally1 car Jon Armstrong’s performance was very impressive.

He bounced off plenty of scenery – and was not alone in that – until he finally hit a bank at the wrong angle on the final morning, but his pace was typically in the ballpark of much more experienced rivals.

His tarmac pace should be strong – he won the Croatia Rally as part of the ERC last year – and hopefully he can find his feet on gravel, too, as M-Sport needs all the good news it can get right now.

Matteo Fontana

Who? A valid question. The 22-year-old Italian is the reigning WRC3 champion but first rose eyebrows with a third-fastest outright time on SS11 in a Rally3 car (production-based with 160kW).

There was plenty of commentary that this was due to the snow and ice melting by the time he came through which is true, but that doesn’t explain how he was 1min15sec quicker than the next Rally3 car.

It was a similar story the following day when he won SS14 and SS15 OUTRIGHT. I don’t care how good your road position is, when you’re 1min35sec quicker than your nearest class competitor over those two stages, you are something special. A driver to watch for the future.

Hayden Paddon

There’s an element of Antipodean bias in this selection, as an 11th-place finish, almost 19 minutes behind the winner and with four Rally2 cars ahead is not exactly a competitive result.

Having one day of testing and some pre-rally media runs is somewhat a mitigating factor, as is the fact that Paddon was under instructions to finish at all costs to score manufacturer points (which he did) in extremely difficult conditions.

But it was clear from almost every stage-end interview that the events of 2017 – when sadly a spectator was killed by being in the path of Paddon’s crashing car on the opening night – were weighing heavily on his mind.

Simply showing up to the rally, let alone completing it, was a huge task. Hopefully, the next outing will be on his favoured gravel with a decent test prior.

Zeroes

Hyundai

There’s no two ways about it, Hyundai was soundly thrashed by Toyota once again. Forget the rally, Hyundai only won two of the 17 stages, Fourmaux both times, one of which was the Mickey Mouse Monaco street stage.

Decent pace on the pure snow was little solace when the drivers universally had no feel and no confidence in the slush and mud that compromised most of the rally. Hyundai vowed to be a much bigger thorn in Toyota’s side this year, but at the moment the Japanese giant isn’t feeling so much as a pinprick.

Sebastien Ogier

It’s a measure of his ability and success that Sebastien Ogier had a terrible weekend and still finished on the podium in the rally and the Power Stage, but the nine-time champion cut a frustrated figure at his home event.

Ogier being genuinely outpaced by one teammate – let alone both – is a rare occurrence and it seemed to have sapped his fighting spirit. While he was complaining about the “shit tyre” on SS2 his teammate was using that same car and tyre to go 3sec/km quicker.

Still, at this point in his career Ogier is driving for fun with absolutely nothing to prove and you can bet he will still figure prominently in every rally he does this year.

Josh McErlean

More than anything this year the likable McErlean needs to start getting consistent results so to throw it off the road on SS2 was not the start he needed to his 2026 campaign.

While far from ideal, the fact he followed this up with a further crash on SS9 before ending his rally in a barrier on the final morning was the real blot on his copybook. Anyone can make a mistake in such difficult conditions, but three crashes in four days is unacceptable at this level.

There were some impressive split times at least, but with a season under his belt the goal should be the occasional top-five finish at the very least. Hopefully this is as bad as it gets.

Takamoto Katsuta

When your teammates finish 1-2-3, ending the rally seventh over 13 minutes behind the winner isn’t a satisfactory result. Excuses (not from Katsuta it must be said) about experience are no longer valid. This was his seventh Monte and his 91 WRC starts are five more than Kalle Rovanpera.

He’s undoubtedly fast with fantastic car control but at some point you have to stay on the road. In all conditions and on all surfaces. Rally Sweden is a happy hunting ground, where he finished second last year by just 3.8sec, so perhaps that elusive first win is only a few weeks away.

Whereas the original Porsche 911 was a lissome and delicate thing, its 1040kg motivated by a 97kW/161Nm 2.0-litre flat-six, this latest iteration is the Goliath to its David. It tips the scales at 1745kg not only thanks to its swollen proportions, but all-wheel drive and an engine that’s almost twice as big, enhanced by turbocharging and electrification.

Yes, after years of speculation and conjecture about how and when, the Porsche 911 has now gone hybrid, the latest chapter in a story that includes G50 gearboxes, water-cooled engines and electrically assisted power steering, but is there a different ending this time?

Let’s deal with the how. GTS variants of the 992.2 now use a 3.6-litre engine – the larger displacement helping meet the latest emissions regulations – that’s boosted by a single but very clever turbocharger. An electric motor installed between the exhaust and compressor wheels allows for the instant production of boost pressure and the fine control eliminates the need for a wastegate.

It can also generate electricity, which it feeds to either the 40kW/150Nm electric motor sandwiched into the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox or the 1.9kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack that now lives above the front axle in a 992.2 GTS.

The engine itself produces 357kW/570Nm but electrification increases this to 398kW/610Nm, which somewhat explains the incredible 3.1sec 0-100km/h acceleration claim. Weight has increased by 50kg, though that’s a very slender penalty by hybrid standards. 

What has increased is the price. The Targa 4 GTS now starts at $449,000 and a slew of options lift the test car’s price to a fairly eye-watering $489,650 plus on-road costs. In Porsche’s defence, accounting for inflation its cars are no more expensive than they’ve always been, but when many competitors are cheaper in real terms it stands out. After all, five years ago this outlay would’ve scored you a Turbo S or GT3 RS.

However, on to business. The hybrid system wastes no time in making its presence felt, the engine firing up the instant the start button is pressed as the gearbox-mounted e-motor replaces the starter motor and alternator. Likewise, prodding the throttle with purpose leaving the lights is rewarded with a serious shove of electric power rather than the drag of revs that usually occurs as the clutches within the PDK gearbox take up. 

Once on the move the perfectly weighted controls that are a Porsche hallmark make the driver instantly feel at ease. The ride is quite terse, like the spring and damper rates have had to increase in concert with the kerb weight to provide the requisite level of dynamic control, though this is brought into sharper focus in the Targa than it would be in the sportier Carrera.

It looks and feels quite special, the increased sticker price somewhat justified by a level of interior presentation that’s beyond 911s of old. On a personal note, I mourn the loss of the iconic central analogue tachometer that’s been replaced by a large single screen, but equally I didn’t really think twice about it during my time with the car.

Speaking of preconceptions, while I do my best not to have any and I was excited to sample the new hybrid powertrain, I was skeptical that a 911 of this size and weight could deliver a driving experience worthy of a $500,000+ price tag. After all, this is ‘just’ a GTS.

How silly of me. With Sport+ engaged, each passing kilometre swatted away my cynicism with the ease of a bored elephant batting away a bothersome fly. 

The powertrain is simply extraordinary, its torque curve not so much shaped as drawn with a ruler. As cliche as it sounds, the new 3.6 really does feel like a giant naturally aspirated engine as there is zero lag and a perfectly linear relationship between revs and power production. The outputs might not garner too many headlines in this day and age, but the 0-100 time is a much better indication of the performance available.

Such is the power on tap that I would be interested to sample the rear-wheel drive Carrera GTS. Their rear weight bias tends to make traction an absolute in any 911 bar a GT2, but given this Targa 4 GTS would easily overwhelm its rear tyres into power oversteer, removing the front assistance must make for quite an exciting drive.

As has been the case with other performance cars, adding electrification has just made the 911 engine better. The response, the breadth of power, the thirst for revs – reduced weight aside, I can’t think of an instance in which the non-hybrid engine has the upper hand. Oh, except for perhaps its compatibility with the manual gearbox.

Possibly the new powertrain’s greatest ‘shortcoming’ is offering too much of a good thing. This experience in a package that doesn’t transport you into interstellar space in a handful of heartbeats would be welcomed, not least by licences everywhere; a 3.0- or even 2.7-litre version with 280-300kW/500Nm in a base Carrera or the new-generation Boxster/Cayman is a mouthwatering prospect. 

Moving on from the straights to the corners, Targa 4 GTS’s handling ability defies logic. This is the ‘lifestyle’ 911, built for touring and burdened with all-wheel drive, but it’s possessed with otherworldly levels of capability. It’s clearly a bigger car than its forebears, but can be placed with absolute precision and never, ever feels flustered. 

Its performance reserves are extraordinary and inexhaustible and, if anything, all-wheel drive enhances rather than dilutes the experience. There’s still all the throttle adjustability you could desire, but the added traction – and a superbly calibrated Sports ESP setting – allows the driver to lean on the car harder and with greater confidence than you’d believe possible. 

Suddenly, the price tag makes more sense – what other car can do what the Targa 4 GTS can? A Bentley is more luxurious but wouldn’t see which way the 911 went on any road you care to choose; the Porsche has supercar levels of performance – equal to a McLaren or Ferrari – but a much greater bandwidth. This one can put the wind in your hair, would happily drive to the snow, is easier to get in and out of and even has back seats. 

It’s inarguable that the Porsche 911 remains on an unsavory trajectory from an enthusiast’s point of view. Its size and weight continue to increase and at some point this will need to be curbed, or does the ‘994’ – or whatever the next model code is – just hit 1800kg?

However, judged as an experience, the latest chapter of the story is as exciting as all the ones that preceded it. The 992.2 Targa 4 GTS is about as far from the purists’ ideal spec as it’s possible to get, but you will find few more impressive performance cars.

Porsche’s dedication to driving purity and its ability to enhance that using the latest technology while mitigating any negative effects is remarkable. The 911’s new hybrid powertrain is the best illustration of this in some time, but do you think this will quell the consternation the next time the winds of change start to blow? Unlikely.

2026 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS Specs

Price: $449,000 ($489,650 as-tested) plus on-road costs
Engine: 3.6-litre turbocharged flat-six hybrid
Outputs: 398kW/610Nm
Gearbox: 8-speed dual-clutch
Weight: 1745kg
0-100km/h: 3.1sec (claimed)
Top speed: 312km/h
Fuel consumption: 10.8L/100km (combined claim)

I used to write a column for my good friend Adam Davis called '“Heroes & Zeroes” after each F1 and WRC round and if you’d like me to do that, let me know in the comments and if more than one person says yes, I’ll probably do it.

Before the season gets underway in Monte Carlo On January 22, however, I thought I would have a stab at some predictions, which in all likelihood will make me look very silly come November.

This is finally Elfyn’s year

Toyota’s technical director tom Fowler had it right when he told DirtFish that Elfyn Evans needs to change “almost nothing” in his approach to 2026.

After all, he was only beaten to the 2025 title by four points after a nearly perfect Ogier season, in which he scored six wins and four podiums from his 11 events.

It’s damning in a way that Ogier won without contesting a full season, but by skipping the early events he ensured he never had to open the road at any point during the year.

While Evans was struggling with loose gravel by dint of his strong start to the season, Ogier was racking up major points courtesy of his lower starting position.

With Tanak and Rovanpera gone and Ogier unlikely to contest a full season (or even as many events again), the door remains open for the likeable and talented Welshman to finally lift the title after finishing the bridesmaid five of the past six years.

Hyundai will be stronger

Hyundai was soundly smashed by Toyota in 2025. It was only really the sheer bloody-minded brilliance of Tanak that dragged the car to respectable results in the mid-year, though Neuville’s inherited win in Saudi Arabia was a just reward for his season-long struggles.

With new technical leadership in place, a more experienced driver roster and seemingly some extra investment, it should be able to challenge Toyota more regularly in 2026.

I’m not a huge fan of the driver rotation system as, simply put, I don’t think it’s ever really worked compared to backing a driver with a full season, but Esapekka Lappi, Dani Sordo and Hayden Paddon are all previous WRC winners and may well do so again given the road order advantages their part-time programs will give them at certain events.

I would back Neuville to bounce back and Fourmaux to become stronger and hopefully Hyundai digs into the piggy bank and runs four or even five cars on select rounds. Go Paddon.

It’s now or never for Katsuta

By all accounts Takamoto Katsuta is the nicest guy in the WRC paddock and he’s undoubtedly become an incredibly fast driver. His two 2025 podiums came in Sweden and Finland and his speed in the monsoonal conditions on day two in Kenya (while being awfully ill) was staggering.

But there are still too many mistakes and the excuses about experience are no longer valid, not with 91 WRC rallies under his belt. This year will be his seventh year in a top-class car and there were four years of regular outings in an R5 before that.

In the same machinery Ogier, Evans and Rovanpera (admittedly all elite drivers) managed 293, 289 and 256 points respectively in 2025, whereas Katsuta scored 122.

With Oliver Solberg joining the team and Toyota’s junior rally programs full to the brim, the Japanese driver needs regular podiums to justify his place at the table.

M-Sport will continue to struggle

It’s tough times at M-Sport; has been for a while. The glory years of 2017-2018 when Sebastien Ogier took back-to-back world titles and Ott Tanak was snapping at his heels in the second car feel a long time ago.

Young Josh McErlean was always going to struggle in his first year; mistakes were inevitable but flashes of speed were few and far between, too. His teammate Gregoire Munster, who has been replaced for 2026, at least showed glimpses with a couple of fastest stage times and two top-five finishes.

His new teammate Jon Armstrong is five years older and has shown impressive pace for a number of years now, finishing second in last year’s European Rally Championship, but with very limited experience of WRC events and the Rally1 car it would be optimistic to expect strong results.

M-Sport’s best bet would appear to be Martins Sesks, who while somewhat wild has absolutely shown himself capable of front-running WRC pace. While there are no doubt commercial realities at play and he is likely to run a part-program once again, if a Ford Puma is going to appear on the podium this year it’s almost certainly going to be Sesks.

Solberg may be a dark horse

It could have gone very differently for Oliver Solberg. Having been promoted too quickly to the top level he was dropped from Hyundai after two seasons, despite a number of top five results.

For young drivers in this situation it’s all too easy for their confidence to be shattered beyond repair, but Solberg took a step back to Rally2 machinery and did what needed to be done - he dominated.

In 2023 there were two WRC2 wins and two further podiums, plus an ERC victory in Sweden. A year later there were three WRC2 wins and two podiums, plus more ERC success in Sweden, but in 2025 he swept all before him, five WRC2 wins securing him the world championship.

Arguably even more impressive was his start-to-finish win in his sole Rally1 outing in Estonia, holding off even local hero Ott Tanak for three straight days.

His reward was the departing Rovanpera’s seat in the main team and he now has the talent, speed, experience and, at just 24, time on his side. A title tilt may be beyond him at this stage, but he may well be a podium regular this year.

It was said innocently, but it’s quite galling to hear your profession described as a hobby. Of course, motoring journalism is somewhat unique in that it’s a vocation people are happy to do for free – you won’t find many accountants or IT professionals or dentists voluntarily offering their services.

On the one hand, if individuals want to produce content for fun and have a large enough audience for PRs to justify press car loans and launch invites, then it’s a free – pardon the pun – country.

On the other hand, it does drag the industry down. I don’t mean that to be critical; it’s simply a fact. Imagine I’m a hard-working baker and a baking enthusiast opens a store nearby offering pastries and bread for free because they don’t need the money and it’s just a bit of fun. It’s not a perfect analogy, but you get the point.

Perhaps the most galling fact about these auto journalism hobbyists is that – upon reflection – I’m one of them…

The changing nature of automotive media would be a valid PhD topic, but I’ll try to be succinct. There have always been one or two hobbyists floating around while I’ve been doing this job, but it’s become a lot more prevalent in recent times, primarily because the digital revolution has eliminated the barriers to entry.

Let’s take Harry Metcalfe as an example. To launch evo he needed plenty of capital and a £300,000 loan; to launch his very successful Harry’s Garage video channel he needed a GoPro and a YouTube account.

As such anyone with content nous, plenty of time and work ethic and some social media accounts can build a sizeable audience, though sadly the easiest way to do this is with stolen (ie copyrighted) content.

A few local examples that have done it the hard way are Matt Campbell’s The Right Car YouTube channel, which focuses on everyday car reviews – though Matt is a veteran pro journo – the Melbourne Car Spotters Instagram page, which does what it says on the tin and Pat James’ 2PJZ IG page, which produces enthusiast content.

These examples are why I don’t use hobbyist as a pejorative term. It takes a huge amount of work to build a following with original content and that’s without the challenge of monetizing it; even if it does become a revenue stream, there’s going to be a lot of unpaid hard graft prior to ever seeing a dollar.

Another reason for the rise of the hobbyist is the increasing homogenization of mainstream automotive content. The level to which this has occurred was made apparent when I was doing some media monitoring-type work early in my freelancing.

Cast an eye across the main automotive media outlets on any given day and as a general rule you’ll find the same stories with the same imagery published at more or less the same time.

This is not a coincidence. With content provided for free, these larger automotive outlets are slaves to the Google machine, attempting to attract enough traffic to meet ad campaign targets.

And this brings me to the crux of this article. I’ve spent most of my 15-odd years in this game either producing car reviews (originally written and now video, too) or long-form features, but since I’ve gone freelance such work has accounted for less than 10 per cent of my income.

Feature stories are why I fell in love with motoring journalism and I suspect it’s a similar story in 99 per cent of other cases. I don’t care if it’s written by J.R.R Tolkien, no one will remember a formulaic, SEO-templated review for 24 hours, let alone 24 years, whereas stories like Mel Nichols’ Lamborghinis across Europe in CAR, evo’s The Incredibles supercar comparison, MOTOR’s round-Australia epic or Wheels taking an XR6 Turbo to Europe (I could list 100 more) remain in people’s memories for decades.

No one publishes feature content online because it’s completely ignored by Google. It means we’ve lost some incredible creative talent from this industry, both locally and internationally. I’ve had recent conversations with journalists from the US, UK, Europe, Middle East and Australia – including some of the best writers there are – who have either left the industry or been forced to take other jobs because the sums no longer add up.

Feature content is ideally suited to video but unfortunately if you want decent production values automotive video is as good as motorsport at making its creators a small fortune – but only by starting with a large one.

YouTube’s RPM (revenue per 1000 views) is around $7. In other words, if you wanted to make $100,000 on YouTube in a year, you’d need more than 14,285,000 views, assuming your costs were zero.

There has been plenty of commentary about users’ increasing preference for lower production quality, ‘authentic’ content and while there is an element of truth in that, the bigger truth is that incurring any significant overheads makes video an enormous financial black hole.

Look at the view counts on Jason Cammisa’s Hagerty videos and tell me people don’t want beautiful films. The trouble is, unless you’re someone like Hagerty and view it purely as a marketing expense, it rarely makes economic sense.

I make videos for my YouTube channel and it’s a terrible idea. Even streamlining the process to make filming and editing as easy and quick as possible, it’s time-consuming and there’s little reward other than providing an ROI on the loan (not unimportant!). I enjoy it, though, so you could say it’s a bit of a hobby…

As the media landscape changes you have to adapt and change with it. It seems many PRs are placing a greater emphasis on social media and perhaps the best way forward is to abandon long-form video in favour of a number of reels – it would certainly be a lot less work. Thoughts welcome.

Happily, it looks like this year I’ll have pretty regular work producing reviews and comparisons, taking me back to my bread and butter, so to speak. I’m very much looking forward to it, but the business case is marginal.

From what I’ve seen, most sites pay $700-750 for a review, some maybe a little more. When you consider the car needs to be picked up, returned, driven properly and then ~2000 words written you’re looking at a solid two days’ work, so it’s not exactly lucrative. And that’s before you take out super and tax.

Though it sounds like it, I’m not complaining about the pay rate; that’s what’s offered and it’s up to me (or others) to accept it or not. But it’s a rate that requires subsidizing with other work.

And it’s worth noting that a former editor of a major Australian motoring publication recently told me the rates when he was in charge (this being the early-2000s) were $0.70-1/word plus a day rate plus expenses. Is it any wonder that content deals are being established with manufacturers, much to the chagrin of Media Watch?

I’m aware that those with ‘regular’ jobs might be reading this and thinking “Cry me a river, mate, so you don’t get to have fun at work every day” and that’s a very fair cop. I (and others) have been very fortunate to be paid to do what we enjoy for a long time; it may be that the automotive feature writer is simply the modern-day chimney sweep, a relic of a bygone era.

But I hope not, because while the fact that journos aren’t being paid to make cool content may be accompanied by the smallest of violins, for manufacturers it also means their stories aren’t being told and consumers aren’t getting content that will resonate for years to come.

So if it’s all such a drama, why do it? Because we love it. We love creating content, crafting a story, and vehicles are, well, the vehicle for that. If we can make a living from it, all the better.