EOFY fast car deals: 7 tempting buys

It’s same-bang-for-fewer-bucks time. The months of May and June herald the time of year when manufacturers and dealers start getting twitchy about sales targets to be nailed by June 30th.

It’s the day that signals the end of the current financial year, and it’s a great time to be shopping for a brand-spanking-new motor.

The bad news is that performance car deals can be thin on the vast ground of enticing offers published either in print classifieds or on official manufacturer/dealer websites.

Yet while most deals centre on higher-volume models that need a bigger nudge out of showroom doors, the good news is that there are still a number of tempting deals for 2015/2016. Here’s Motor’s guide to the key bargains to be found for private buyers by the end of June:

Audi quattro models – including S and RS variants

Those generous people from Ingolstadt are offering the most expansive EOFY offer – under the fancier banner of ‘The Audi quattro drive sale event’. Basically, if it’s all-wheel drive – and that means about 50 models and variants – then not only can you save between a few grand and five figures with complimentary rego, stamp duty and compulsory third party insurance (CTP), but also bundled in are a factory warranty extended from three to five years plus three years or 45,000km of free scheduled servicing. The soon-to-launch R8 supercar is the only exception, but you can otherwise go crazy with the likes of the S1, RS3, TT, RSQ3 and SQ5.

Most tempting: There’s up to nearly $12,000 in stamp duty savings on the RS6 Avant alone, though if a $250K figure is still too much of a stretch then how about a saving of circa-$5K on the RS3 and all its turbocharged five-cylinder goodness?

BMW M Performance and six-cylinder models

BMW’s End of Financial Year Sale is aiming to lure buyers with savings equal to the 10 per cent GST applied to a particular model (though GST is still included in final price). Full-blown M cars are excluded alas, though there are still plenty of M-badged cars that aren’t. These include the M135i hot-hatch, M235i coupe and convertible, and the X5 and X6 M50d tri-turbo SUVs. V8 power is accessible with variants such as the 550i sedan and 650i coupe, or, if your wallet’s a bit sparser, there’s always six-cylinder performance tempters with nameplates such as the 340i, 435i, and Z4 35is. The biggest saving is more than $20,000 on the i8 hybrid supercar, though your accountant is likely to make more of a din than the low-slung model’s electric motor as it will still cost more than $275K.

Most tempting: M135i – Cops the $5839 saving that would normally be the GST component to dip into the $50K bracket, at $59,091 (plus on-road costs).

Holden Astra GTC and VXR (Until 31 May unless extended)

Strong deals are currently in place for 2015 builds of the sporty, three-door Astras. The GTC is running with both a driveaway pricing and free auto upgrade (if wanted). Switching from stick-shift to self-shitter saves $2200 alone, then there’s the bonus of either $25,990 or $28,990 no-more-to-pay stickers for the base GTC or GTC Sport. Respectively, their RRPs are $26,990 and $29,990. The hotter VXR variant is manual only so its savings come in the form of a $37,990 driveaway price that saves thousands based on an RRP that is already two-grand higher before on-roads are then removed.

Most tempting: The feisty, 206kW VXR is where compact Holdens get serious from a performance perspective.

Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo

Koreans’ sportiest model – until the arrival of the brand’s N-badged performance models in 2017 – is available exclusive of 12-month rego, CTP and stamp duty charges until June 30.

Most tempting: Lighter the better, so SR Turbo manual that’s $29,990 before being trimmed by those on-road savings.

Mini Cooper S and JCW models

Premium-priced British compacts are being offered with free on-roads – with the exception of the dealer delivery charge – in the Mini Garage Sale. That still means cutting a few grand from high-performance models such as the John Cooper Works hatch and Countryman. Cooper S models are also in the deal mix, though the new Convertible is excluded.

Most tempting: Mini’s EOFY deal pushes three-door JCW hatch below $50,000 driveaway.

Renault Clio RS

Renault Sport’s petite hot-hatch is being offered with varying driveaway deals across its lie-up, ranging from the entry Sport to the newer, flagship 220 Trophy. Best savings are found on 2015 builds.

Most tempting: A 2015 build of the Renault Clio RS Sport, which at $29,990 driveaway saves several grand on a model that carries a $30,000 RRP.

Subaru WRX and WRX STI

Japanese brand is extending its factory warranty from three to five years (unlimited kilometres) until June 30 – and is polite enough not to exclude its pair of Rexes from the offer.

Most tempting: Subaru Tecnica International version, please.

Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz are among the brands not currently offering any nationally advertised EOFY offer, though it’s always worth checking for deals advertised by individual dealers.