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MORGAN WILSONFEBRUARY 7, 2017CAMBERCAR FEATURESFLUSHSLAMMEDPhotos By: Yuuko Kuono // Words By: Morgan Wilson

One of the most interesting aspects of automotive journalism would have to be the interview process required when gathering information about a particular car that is to be featured. A parts list or build sheet definitely helps to get the ball rolling, but actually talking to the owner about his or her creation is the most rewarding part. Enter Shoi Matsuzaki and his static GTR.

It seems that recently, we in the US, have been more exposed to Australian car culture than ever before. Working in the automotive aftermarket industry for a while, I’ve actually seen more than I had ever dreamed of. But, recently, it’s been the strong presence of JDM imports into Australia that have popped up on my radar. The car culture in Australia sure seems to be filled with major go-getters, people that are not afraid to break out of the mold. Whether it’s 2000hp burnout monsters, track prepped Skylines, or some seriously stylish drift builds. They’re on top of their game down under. Jake Markuse’s 2006 Evo shown here is proof positive. I mentioned in a recent article that I’m not a huge Evo guy, but, if I had to pick one, it’s always going to be the Evo 9. Even in stock form, they’re such an aggressive looking car, bold lines, big vents, and that factory wide body that we all drool over. It’s a tall task to give a car with this kind of racing pedigree a classy look. But, I think Jake has done an excellent job blending the style into something perfectly fit to his own interpretation of this car.

Like so many of these builds, Jake’s story with this car begins with a childhood love of all things Mitsubishi Evo. He simply knew that he would build one some day. When his chance came up, he sprung into action. Firstly, commissioning Peter from Bodyform Motorsports in NSW, whom he credits as being the brains behind the build. He credits Peter with making the majority of the styling choices here. Sometimes, it truly pays off to let masters create and execute their own vision. This is a prime example of that strategy working out perfectly.

Audi’s choice to replace its petrol V8 with a diesel V6 in performance S variants of the A6and A7 looks uniformly negative on paper. This new car is less powerful and slower than the one it replaces and, while the economy has improved marginally, you won’t find Toyota engineers getting on the next plane to Ingolstadt to gain learnings for the new Prius.

But the German marque has form in this area – the first (and now current) SQ5 used a diesel engine and was all the more likable for it, likewise the current SQ7, which remains one of our favourite undercover performance cars on the market.

In fact we reckon the S7 TDI has been given a new character all of its own – a long-legged but rapid grand tourer that’s easier and cheaper to live with than the RS model. No longer just a less good version, then.

Is it an eight-cylinder diesel at least?

No. Powering the S7 is the 3.0-litre V6 shared with the new S6 and SQ5 – ostensibly the same unit as you’ll find in Audi cars badged 50 TDI, albeit with reinforcements to the pistons, crank, cylinder and cooling, plus a more powerful oil pump and injectors.

The 48v mild-hybrid system charges up a lithium ion battery in the boot – up to 8kW can be regenerated under braking – and allows for 40 seconds engine free coasting before firing up the engine again.

What we’re really interested in however is the little 7kW electric supercharger this subsystem powers. It accelerates to 70,000rpm in 250 milliseconds, aiding responsiveness and filling in the torque gap at low revs where there isn’t enough exhaust gas to stir the larger turbocharger.

Head-to-head, Audi says from a standing start this car will open up a 2.9 metre lead after 1.3 seconds of acceleration over an S7 without the tech. Tangible. It works in the real world too – the S7 doesn’t just feel fast but effortlessly so – you hardly sense any friction in the drivetrain after a press of the throttle as 516lb ft of torque is knocking on the door from 2500rpm. Consequently, it goes like a dropped anvil.

A diesel that responds like a petrol. Why not just use a petrol?

That’s a fair question and things get murkier still when you look at the figures on paper – the old S7 with its 4.0-litre V8 was 100bhp more powerful and half a second quicker from 0-62mph – new performance models are not normally slower than those they replace.

Thing is, while that sounds important in principal, in reality those numbers are largely irrelevant. Bear in mind this is the subtly fast S7, not the top-performance RS7, so it needs to be good at thundering down a motorway first and foremost, not impressing on an Alp. To that end the new engine’s torque figure trumps the old car’s 406lb ft, and the 35.8mpg it promises will mean a greater range and longer between fill ups. It’s less evocative than a hairy V8, but no less effective.

The 2019 BMW 7 Series has been revealed, and behind that enormous grille lie many new developments for the model in terms of driving dynamics, with the aim of making this generation “the ultimate vehicle for luxurious driving pleasure”.

As many would expect, the 2019 model continues the trend of being larger than its predecessor, being 22mm longer. This makes the long-wheelbase version, with a further 14cm again, some 3,210mm long. However, the potential weight penalty of the extra size has been tempered through some clever materials engineering..

The body structure comprises a material mix of high-strength steels, aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). These materials have been combined in the passenger cell of the vehicle – to create what BMW describes as the ‘Carbon Core’ – which the company’s engineers say makes a major contribution not only to safety levels, but also to handling capabilities.

So what else in the car’s setup will benefit handling? Well, all models, from the entry-level six-cylinder petrol and diesel models, to the new plug-in hybrid drive variant, to the 6.6-liter 585hp V12 M760Li xDrive flagship, feature an improved version of the xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system.