Ford Mustang R-Spec vs Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the Bathurst 1000: Wheels December 2019 magazine preview

What do you bring to the biggest party in town? When the party’s the Bathurst 1000 and the star guest’s the locally assembled 2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec – all 522kW/827Nm of it – there’s only one answer: the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, re-engineered here by HSV for Aussie buyers.

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It couldn’t be scripted better: Scott McLaughlin powering his way to the first victory for a Mustang in Australia’s premier endurance race as fans lap up the spectacular pre-production R-Spec on the sidelines.

We poke the bear that is Holden vs Ford rivalry and live to tell the tale. And we get down to details with Herrod Performance boss Rob Herrod on his project to crank out 500 right-hand-drive manual R-Specs for the Australian market at Ford’s Broadmeadows plant. It’s car production back in Oz, Jim, but not as we know it…

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Also on the Mountain, we catch up with Ford Australia boss Kay Hart for her take on the future of the Blue Oval down under, and it’s a lot more involved than just flogging more Rangers. Although she’ll take that too, thanks very much.

On a different note, Alex Inwood buckles up near Berlin for a serious hitout in the Porsche Taycan EV, and asks the question: Can Porsche’s scythinigly quick yet quiet electric offering really embody the spirit of Stuttgart? He has answers, too, but hey, it’s not our job to spoonfeed you.

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It’s 100 years since Captain Walter Owen Bentley formed his eponymous car company just weeks after the armistice that ended World War I. Mel Nichols embarks on a personal quest to the battlefields of Europe, his tour in a Bentley Continental GT Convertible making for a poignant tribute to the fallen.

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In those dark days, tanks fought decisive battles, and today it’s Yank tanks of a different nature on the move as Australia shapes as the new frontier for some of the beefiest dual-cabs from the US and Japan. We’ve got the lowdown on what’s heading our way, and when.

Andy Enright hits the track in Lamborghini’s new Huracan Evo, and we put the cutting-edge tech that’s powering the Sant’Agata Bull’s hybrid Sian supercar under the microscope. If that doesn’t slake your thirst for Lambo’s, Enright also gets up close and personal with the LM002 (and no, that 42L/100km fuel figure’s not a typo!)

We spread our net wide with drives including Hyundai’s funky four-door fun machine the Hyundai Veloster, and the Lexus RX range, Mercedes’ new A250e hybrid, the second-gen Audi Q3 35 TFSI and Koreas’s promising Kia Seltos.

If it’s SUVs that float your boat, we’ve got you covered with reviews of VW’s T-Cross three-pot and T-Roc SUVs, and not one but two comparison tests. Citroen C3 Aircross and Skoda Karoq fly the flag for small SUVs while Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson face off in a contest of entry-level mid-sizers.

As year’s end approaches, we look ahead to 2020 Wheels Car of the Year and lift the lid on changes that will keep Australia’s most prestigious motoring award as leader of the pack.

Strap in for a great read!