The performance cars being lost to new ADR regulations

Australian Design Regulations are, for the most part, a rather benign collection of legislation that ensures cars which are sold and driven on local roads are appropriate and safe.

However, a recent change to ADRs (as they are more commonly referred to) means a handful of performance car icons will no longer be available to Australian customers by the end of the year.

The headline victims of the subtle ADR tweak are the Nissan GT-R, Alpine A110, and Lexus’ IS and RC models – including the 5.0-litre V8-powered RC F.

Other passenger cars are being caught up in the bureaucratic maelstrom – like the Mitsubishi Mirage – but it is the performance heroes that will surely be sad news to MOTOR readers.

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So, what is happening? Well, it has to do with something called ‘Australian Design Rule 85/00 – Pole Side Impact Performance’ – or ADR 85 for short.

ADR 85 has a simple and singular focus – reduced serious injuries and fatalities from side-impact crashes using improved passive safety systems. Put simply, lower the danger posed by crashes involving impacts with poles and trees by increasing built-in safety structures.

In fact, ADR 85 isn’t actually all that new in the industry. Manufacturers have been complying with ADR 85 for passenger vehicles since November 2017, so why are cars only being affected now?

Well, when the regulations were first introduced, vehicles that were already homologated were given an exemption. This included the GT-R, which was first introduced to Australia in 2009, as well as the Lexus IS and RC variants.

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Now, that grandfathering clause is coming to an end and car manufacturers are forced to choose between continuing to sell niche performance products by investing in new crash structures, or stopping their import altogether.

A deadline has been set of November 1. Following that date, all passenger vehicles imported and certified for road use must meet ADR 85. Cars brought into the country before November 1 that don’t meet ADR 85 will need to be registered before July 1 2022.

Unlike the GT-R and Lexus models, the Alpine A110 didn’t go on sale in Australia until late 2018, well after the November 2017 cut-off for ADR 85’s enforcement. However, the French sports car was able to still go on sale by having its paperwork approved and signed-off ahead of the deadline, even if its eventual launch wasn’t for another 10 months.

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This is a uniquely Australian problem, and has been in the pipeline for more than a decade. The first draft of what we now call ADR 85 was proposed by Australia at the United Nations' World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations all the way back in 2010.

Locally there is industry consternation about the fact that Australia is enforcing the rules ahead of global market adoption.

With the Australian car market being a relatively small player internationally, the added complexity of meeting ADR requirements means some manufacturers are opting to stop selling certain vehicles here altogether – rather than sink costs into implementing the necessary changes.

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Not is all lost though. While the A110 – as brilliant as it is – will be lost, MOTOR expects the Alpine brand to return to Australia once its future models are revealed.

Similarly, while the GT-R will be absent from November onwards, it’s not a permanent farewell.

“This isn’t the end of the GT-R story in Australia, but it will mark the closure of this chapter for this generation vehicle,” Nissan Australia managing director Adam Peterson said.

A heavily updated GT-R is expected to be revealed circa 2026, using the current cars architecture and powertrain but with significant advancements. This will be a stop gap to the true next generation GT-R, which is due to be revealed at the start of the next decade.

Think of the impacts of ADR 85 as a short term hurt for long term gain. While we are losing a handful of icons, their replacements will be safer for performance enthusiasts – and that’s no bad thing.

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