Wheels March 2018: New edition out this week

THE March 2018 edition of Wheels goes on sale this week, featuring the Yank metal that will one day reignite our rear-drive, V8-fuelled passion.

Headlining this month’s 164-page magazine, Daniel Gardner travels Stateside to get a taste of how the shiny-for-2018 Mustang, due here later this year, and the big-block Chevrolet Camaro, landing here mid-year as a HSV-fettled right-hand-drive conversion with full factory support, handle the Californian heat. We can confidently say this is the first time the good ole boys of traditional US muscle duke it out in Wheels magazine for line honours. They will face an entirely different heat once they both land here, though …

We continue our deep-dive with the Holden ZB Commodore, this time pitching the flagship V6-engined, all-wheel-drive VXR up against what we consider to be its main rivals: the Kia Stinger GT, the Volkswagen Golf R-engined Skoda Superb Sportline, and something of a wildcard, the Jaguar XE 25t Portfolio. Deputy ed Andy Enright makes the call, and courts controversy. There’s also a Redline special on the new Commodore’s darkest secrets.

Features run strong this month. We ride shotgun with rally and race ace Walter Rohrl behind the wheel of what is shaping up to be the last of Porsche’s 991-series 911s, the GT3 RS – and then immediately take a deep-dive into the next-gen 992-series due for a global reveal in October. Continuing the strong Porsche theme, Enright pitches the GT3 against the wildlife surrounding Victoria’s Grampians. We then head to Spain for the first global experience of the Renaultsport Megane RS, the latest advance on a hot hatch we’ve previously loved in RS265 guise. It’ll land here, initially in Sport spec, in September with both dual-clutch and manual options – and, as you’ll read, Ponch can’t wait.

We look at the power players in the Australian car landscape; the people who will shape our automotive future in a post-manufacturing world. We investigate Volvo’s options for Polestar, the company’s standalone performance hybrid brand that will one day spawn a pair of SUVs alongside its debut 2+2 coupe.

In Redline, we also look at what’s new in the world of Formula 1 – including that polarising ‘halo’ – rate our stars of the Geneva motor show, and scrutinise the ethics of European emissions testing.

Our list of First Drives is headlined by the Ferrari Portofino, a new entry-level model to the Prancing Horse’s stable. There’s Peugeot’s new 5008 family wagon, a redesigned Jeep Compass, Mitsubishi’s edgy Eclipse Cross, retuned Nissan Navara, and the Holden Commodore faces judgement day. We also test BMW’s newly minted BMW X2, and the sporty version of its i3 electric car, the up-spec and limited edition Mazda MX-5 RF and three-row version of Lexus’ strong-selling RX350.

Also in this issue:

• Stephen Corby on the Swiss Army car
• The Insider on the power of nostalgia
• Head to head: Ford Escape versus Holden Equinox
• Our Garage: Volvo XC60 T8 arrives; Renault Megane GT wagon hits the dirt; Honda Civic, Subaru Impreza and Ford Mustang say goodbye
• Classic Wheels: The most sought-after invitation in motoring journalism is …
• Retro: The inspiration behind James Bond’s “Wet Nellie”
• Wheelstories: A veteran of the industry gains recognition in this year’s Australia Day honours

Join us for the ride in this action- and adventure-packed March edition. To subscribe, go to magshop.com.au/wheels, the iPad via the iTunes Store or on Android devices via Google Play.