WhichCar weekly wrap: automotive news recapped

It’s that time of year again when the nation bickers over what the upcoming public holiday should be called and what it needs to represent to be fair to all Australians, whether they are indigenous, settlers or more recently adopted.

So perhaps the day would be a little less divisive if we renamed it after something that unites all true Australians? On January 26 this year, raise a stubbie with us at WhichCar for V8 Day.

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The last time we checked, V8s were not part of the Australian constitution but they absolutely should be and, if you agree, there was plenty of bent-eight news to absorb from the WhichCar pages this week.

Not only did we reveal just how many Australians are lining up to grab their example of a V8-powered Ford Ranger Raptor, we helpfully encouraged Toyota to join the potent one-tonner party with a V8 version of the Hilux.

And there was more good news to celebrate V8 Day with, this time coming from overseas and the imminent Chevrolet Corvette. While Australians won’t be paying as much as previously anticipated for the monstrous mid-engined ‘Vette, one well-heeled fan has already bagged the very first Stingray for an eye-watering price.

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We also found out more fascinating Corvette news this week, learning that not only is the right-hand drive version of the car to be sold in Australia is a bit of a gamble for its maker, one particularly significant Australian will be snapping up the first example to roll off the line.

You can always rely on a massive dose of V8 joy from the Street Machine team throughout the whole year not just V8 Day, with this week bringing a look at the best hot rod movies, this manic LS1 Hilux, and a look back at the highlights of both the 33rd Summernats and the 34th Motorvation in Perth.

But don’t even get us started about this guy and his V8. He’s just plain un-Australian..

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Not only does the start of the year mark V8 Day, it also means everyone at WhichCar will be getting ready for the biggest night on the Australian motoring calendar. In the run up to the Australian Motoring Awards, you can keep track of all the contenders in the running to take out Wheels Car of the Year, the WhichCar Style Award, Motor’s Performance Car of the Year and 4x4 Australia’s 4x4 of the Year.

Over the next week, you’ll see all the news emerging from the glitz and glamour of our awards night, and maybe a few typos as we try to get out circadian rhythms back in order.

It’s also been a great week for some seriously rare and fast hardware. Not only did we discover that a one-off version of the hugely exclusive Mercedes CLK GTR Roadster is now calling Melbourne home, but an incredibly unusual version of Porsche’s iconic 930 911 Turbo also surfaced for sale on home turf (both have engines with multiples of six, sorry).

It follows the news that the late Paul Walker’s extensive car collection went up for grabs netting more than $3m with the proceeds from five BMW M3 lightweights and a fleet of significant Japanese and American machines some of which have V8s.

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And as if that wasn’t enough, WhichCar will be marking the inaugural V8 Day with the launch of WhichCar season two. Don’t miss the first episode that goes to air on Channel Ten at 4pm this Sunday and get ready for a massive 30-episode series packed full of even more action and entertainment.

Don’t forget to catch up with all the latest bits between the bits and the WhichCar Weekly podcast – perhaps you can pop it on as you expertly grill a snag on Sunday and, however you chose to celebrate, have a fantastic V8 Day.