80 GQ.COM.AU FEBRUARY 2017
M
MOTORBMW I8
SPYDER
EXPECTEDDELIVERY:
RUMOURED 2017
PRICE:EST. $300,000
SPECS:1.5-LITRE,
THREE-CYLINDER
PETROL ENGINE
PLUS ELECTRIC
MOTOR
The super hybrid with
ahardroofmadeits
debutin2014,andthe
Spyder variant, as we’re
assureditwillbecalled,
wasexpectedtofollow
soon after. Since then
we’vebeenteasedwith
concept versions at
motorshowsandgeek
festsliketheConsumer
ElectronicsShowin
Vegas, where the latest
i Future Interaction
concept was displayed.
Finally, though, 2017
shouldbetheyearthe
Spyder hits our roads,
withaslightlyshorter
wheelbase, more power
andafewvisualtweaks
tofreshenupthewhole
i8 brand. You can
expectazeroto
100km/hdashinthe
low four-second range,
a fuel-economy figure
that would embarrass a
Toyota Prius and the
kind of visual impact
you could otherwise
onlyachievebywearing
a zebra on your head.
FERRARI
GTC4LUSSO
EXPECTEDDELIVERY:
EARLY 2017
PRICE:$578,888
SPECS:6.2-LITRE
V12, 507kW, 697Nm,
0TO100km/h
IN 3.4 SECONDS
A Ferrari with four seats
seemsasunnecessary
as an outdoor toilet in
ahigh-riseapartment
block.Butthenthere’s
much that’s absurd
about the new Lusso,
fromthevastsizeofits
engine to its ‘passenger
screen’ – essentially
aspeedoforyour
partner, as if they need
to know how fast you’re
going.Yetwhenyou
drive the Lusso – as
closeathingFerrari
willevergettobuilding
an SUV, because its
all-wheel-drive system
does allow you to take
yourself and three
friendstotheskislopes- it suddenly makes
sense. Spacious and
stylish inside, it even
manages to look good
from the outside,
despite its shooting-
brake design, and
it somehow seems
muchsmallerthanit
is when you throw it
at tight, winding roads.
Something this big
and batshit mental
shouldn’t really feel
likeaproperFerrari,
but the Lusso nails it
on the head.
AUDI A8
EXPECTED
DELIVERY: 2017
PRICE:EST.
$200,000+
SPECS:TBA
Audi has announced
it will sell the new A8,
in countries where
regulators allow it, with
a‘hands-off,eyes-off’
autonomous driving
mode. What that
meansisatspeedsof
up to 65km/h you’ll be
abletositbackand
snooze,readabookor,
most likely, play with
your mobile phone,
while the car does
everything else. Audi
hasevensaiditwill
take legal responsibility
for the safety of the
driver, because it
accepts its software
will be responsible
for accidents in
autonomous mode.
Audi Australia knows
it’ll be a struggle to
get local authorities to
legislate such a system,
butsaysit’skeentoget
a car here as soon as
possibletoshowstate
governments what the
system is capable of.2017 CAR GUIDE