Banzai! Three cars put the toy back into Toyota: Wheels magazine preview – August 2018

A CRACKING Corolla, sizzling Supra and a sensational supercar will be the trifecta that will put the passion back into Toyota’s conservative showroom. In this month’s Wheels magazine we look at the three-pronged attack that will awaken the sleeping dragon and inject some spice back into one of Australia’s favourite brands.

A first drive in the new Corolla reveals the once benign car now has plenty of driver appeal to offer, while we also spend some time with the new Supra and chat to the man that created it to unearth some mouth-watering details ahead of its 2019 arrival. Meanwhile, a Le Mans racer-derived road car could rekindle a heat not felt since the Lexus LFA.

8

Deputy editor Enright gets behind the wheel of the eagerly anticipated Ford Ranger Raptor and manages to put some air between its rubber and red dirt, while Andrew Frankel heads to the Nurburgring to watch the mental Porsche 919 Evo smash the outright lap record. Unlike Enright, Timo Bernhard kept his car firmly in contact with the earth.

8

As if that wasn’t enough downforce, Editor Inwood hopped on the bomber to Estoril for a first blast in McLarens hyperbolic Senna - and returns a changed man.

8

Too much octane? Are you all V-maxed out or do you just yearn for something a little more attainable? We’ve got you covered with a seven-seat large SUV comparison, where we put five under the microscope to find that you don’t necessarily need to sacrifice the joy of driving just because you’ve decided to procreate.

8

Back overseas, Stephen Corby connects the Big Apple to one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most incredible houses with a Mazda6, for a road trip that takes him from bustling metropolis to Arcadian bliss. Along the way he manages to fit in Intercourse and meets a man open-carrying a gun with a big truck. Because America.

8

Closing the mag this month (before the comprehensive Showroom and our Garage regulars, of course) is the annual Wheels tyre test. This year, 11 boots are pitched against each other in a gruelling test of safety, performance and value for a result that might surprise you.

If you haven’t grabbed your August copy of Wheels keep an eye out for the Japanese-inspired cover on sale now, and if you’re a subscriber, you should already have the super-cool Manga-tribute special edition in your letterbox.

If you don’t want to miss out on future subscriber’s covers, get online and order 13 editions for under $100. And as if that wasn’t irresistible enough, you’ll also be in with a chance of winning an HSV Colorado Sportscat!