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News.com.au
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Australian Year 12 formal trend stuns the world
A Year 12 formal is the equivalent of the Oscars or Grammy's for school leavers. It's all about the expensive dress, sitting in salons getting your hair, nails and makeup done and taking as many photos as possible. But, a new trend has emerged in the last decade where students (and let's face it, their parents) are forking out hundreds to be in on it. Suddenly, it's all about hiring a really cool or classic car to arrive to the formal in so that everyone stops and stares. It's all about making an extravagant entrance, while everyone snaps your photo. I am reliably told by a colleague from Western Australia, who did this exact thing in 2010, that it is the epitome of bogan chic that has finally taken hold on the East Coast. Video footage taken from outside a school formal in Cairns on June 14 showed male students leaping over the edge of Mustangs while the girls, dressed in incredibly elegant dresses, stood in front of the luxury cars and posed for the perfect shot. Engines revved and there were screams and applause from fellow students. There were all kinds of cars, including a 2021 Ford Mustang, a 1971 XY GT Falcon, a R34 Nissan Skyline and a 1966 Fastback Mustang. It's a world away from my friends and I being driven to the formal in my mum's Toyota Aurion. Christen Puckett and Jordan Carlyle, two Americans who took the footage, were stunned by what they were watching unfold. 'We have never seen anything like this in our lives,' the women, who go by @wheretonextyall on social media, told 'One of our Australian friends we were travelling with told us this is how some places in Australia celebrate their formals and we were shocked. We put a video together because we were like 'well we cannot be the only ones who have never seen something like this' and bam it went viral. 'In the States, we don't get dropped off in crazy hot rods, and to be quite frank, we don't even dress up nearly as much as what we saw! We absolutely loved how it is celebrated in Australia. It is not nearly as big of an 'event' back home as it is in Aus.' Todd Richardson owns Dream Rides, a chauffer-driven car hire company for vintage and unique cars that started post-Covid. He joked that it was 'Airbnb for cool cars', where people get qualified to drive their cars in a chauffer capacity like a ride share company and list the vehicle on Dream Rides. Mr Richardson said his company is commonly used for photo shoots and weddings — but school formals have been his biggest market. Mustangs are always popular — new and old — Kombi vans and stretch Ferarris are just some of the vehicles the company has on offer in Queensland, NSW, ACT and Victoria. 'I don't know if it's recent but it's gaining popularity, probably in the TikTok and Instagram era,' he said. He isn't wrong. Facebook is filled with call outs from parents and students finishing up school, all looking for cool cars they've seen in the area to drive them to the formal. Mr Richardson said he gets countless calls and emails with inquiries, revealing November — when formals are typically held — is booked months in advance. He said it's gotten to the point where schools will assign arrival times for students in order for them to get the whole experience, and for no one to miss out. 'They say it's the most exciting part of the formal, where all the parents stand around and watch the kids get dropped off in the cool cars,' he said. 'They'll often have a red carpet, so the car will pull up and there will be photographers to capture all the moments. A lot of the focus is around the arrivals in the cars.' Mr Richardson said while formals happen year-round, in November his fleet can't even get close to filling all the inquiries they receive. 'We've had a school book a car — a 1920s car — and had it parked in the venue and it was run like a photo booth,' he said. 'We have a lambo, and we got some pretty cool footage of the boy going to his formal in that. It's only got two seats so he rocked up and thought he was the coolest thing.' Themed cars — like the iconic Impala from Supernatural and a John Wick-inspired Mustang have also been used for formals. There are also groups in Kombi vans or stretch vehicles. 'For the kids who have left it last minute they will book whatever you've got left, because they don't want to be rocking up in their parents' car,' he said. Mr Richardson said it's been a huge thing in Queensland, with New South Wales and Victoria catching on. He also revealed it's becoming a big trend for Year Six formals, booking a Kombi with one parent jumping in with six kids.
Bloomberg
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Porsche Warns of Challenging Second Half After 6% Sales Decline
Porsche AG warned of a tough road ahead for sales this year after a slowdown in the lucrative US market and persistent weakness in China. The sportscar maker's global deliveries fell 6% in the first half of the year, an improvement on the sharper decline recorded in the first quarter. In North America, where Porsche relies solely on imports, growth slowed to 10%, from a 37% surge in the three months through March.
Car and Driver
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2026 Porsche 911 4S Variants Bring AWD Back into the Mix
The 2026 Porsche 911 is reviving the all-wheel-drive 4S trim for the Carrera coupe and cabriolet as well as the Targa models. The new 4S models sport the same 473-hp twin-turbo flat-six as the Carrera S, making them 30 horsepower more powerful than their predecessors. Preliminary pricing puts the Carrera 4S at around $156K, the Carrera 4S Cabriolet at about $170K, and the Targa 4S at roughly $171K. Porsche is famous for splitting hairs—and rightly so. It shouldn't be scientifically possible to produce so many variations of the same car that continue to feel distinct, and yet here we are. Starting with the 2026 model year, Porsche is reviving the all-wheel-drive 4S trim for the 911 Carrera coupe, Carrera cabriolet, and Targa models. The new 4S models house the same 473-hp version of the twin-turbo flat-six found in the rest of the Carrera S lineup. The engine pairs with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (PDK); there's no manual available. When using the Sport Chrono package's launch-control system, Porsche claims the new 4S sprints from zero to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. We haven't yet had the chance to test the current Carrera S, but considering we managed to get the 388-hp base Carrera to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds in our testing, we expect the 4S will be even quicker. Porsche Porsche As with every other model equipped with Porsche's traction-management (PTM) system, the torque split on the 4S models is rear-biased by default but sends extra power to the front axle if required. As with their predecessors, the front differential on the new 4S models is water-cooled and uses an electromechanically controlled clutch. Along with the rest of the Carrera S lineup, the new 4S models borrow from the previous GTS generation's parts bin. That includes pilfering that model's upgraded brakes, sport-tuned exhaust, and improved dampers. Porsche As could be expected, preliminary pricing slots the 4S models between the Carrera S models and the more expensive GTS models. The Carrera 4S coupe will start at around $156K, the Carrera 4S cabriolet at about $170K, and the Targa 4S should come in at around $171K. Porsche said it hasn't yet confirmed those prices, so they could change before deliveries start later this year. Jack Fitzgerald Associate News Editor Jack Fitzgerald's love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn't afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. Read full bio
Car and Driver
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2027 Ferrari Amalfi Replaces the Roma but Remains Beautiful
After a five-year run, the Ferrari Roma is no more, replaced by the new 2027 Ferrari Amalfi. The front-mid-engine Amalfi gets a 631-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 that can send the beautiful coupe to a claimed 199-mph top speed. Prices start at around $283,000, and production begins early next year. When Ferrari's model names reference a particular place, that locale can tell you a lot about the car itself. The company's recent front-mid-engine V-8 cars aren't supposed to be all-out track monsters, and their names say as much: California, Portofino, Roma. Think balmy days or urban sophistication rather than Fiorano-dominating lap times. The latest car in the lineup, the 2027 Ferrari Amalfi, fits right into this dolce vita mind space, especially when wearing its signature Verde Costiera paint—an azure green you might expect to see in, well, Amalfi. While it's difficult to drive very fast on the actual Amalfi coast, with its narrow roads draped over cliffs that plunge to the Mediterranean, the namesake car has the goods for a serious turn of speed. Like the Roma before it, the Amalfi is front-mid-engined but now ekes out a bit of extra oomph from its twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter flat-plane-crank V-8 that makes 631 horsepower, a gain of 19 horsepower over the Roma. Ferrari also lightened the camshafts—by 2.9 pounds!—with the goal of increasing the V-8's propensity for rev-happy zing. Claimed performance is what you'd expect out of a Ferrari, even one with back seats, with zero-to-60-mph times in the low three-second range and a top speed of 199 mph. View Exterior Photos Ferrari Rejoice! The Red Start Button Is Back The cabin is handsome, with a slab of anodized aluminum topping the center console and featuring a cutout for the rectangular key fob. There's a passenger-side screen that offers a tachometer and controls for items such as the seat heaters or massage functions, and both sides can access a discreet central infotainment screen. But Ferrari fans will be most delighted (or possibly, relieved) when they see the steering wheel, which regains physical buttons, including a prominent start button. Ferrari explained that when it went big on capacitive touch controls (first in the SF90) that the move was made in the name of futurism. But Ferrari's customers—"clients," in Ferrari lingo—let them know that they wanted their buttons back, and Ferrari obliged. From now on, the Amalfi's more traditional (and usable) wheel will be the norm rather than the exception. At first glance, the Amalfi's interior looks like a two-seater because the rear seats are black, even if the front ones are a lighter hue. And you wouldn't call the Amalfi a family car, but you can fit adults in the back for short journeys, after signing a legroom-sharing treaty with the people up front. Mostly, the back seats will probably serve as a handy place to throw groceries or a gym bag, but the trunk also offers enough room for a couple of carry-ons or, notably, a bag of golf clubs—there's a scooped-out space back by the driver's side bumper that'll accommodate your 1 wood without breaking it in half. View Interior Photos Ferrari Roma Becomes Amalfi Outside, the Amalfi retains the Roma's wheelbase and basic proportions, with the front end being the most immediate tell that this is a new model. The Amalfi adopts the F80's consciously non-anthropomorphic style, with no grille and the bodywork between the headlights blacked out to avoid the "two eyes and a mouth" visual. The spokes of the wheels appear solid from the front, but the back side of each spoke is hollowed out, which saves some weight, sure, but also looks cool. The Amalfi's short rear decklid conceals a motorized spoiler that operates in three positions: down for low drag, medium, and high downforce. In the last position, the spoiler makes 243 pounds of downforce at 155 mph. It's fully automatic, so you can't just raise it for profiling at the Spago valet line. View Exterior Photos Ferrari The Amalfi's base price is €240,000, or about $283,000, depending on the exchange rate. The Amalfi's natural competitors are the Aston Martin Vanquish and, less directly but still in the same psychological sphere, the Bentley Continental GT. Will there be a convertible? Ferrari won't say, but they didn't name the car the Ferrari Summit of Mount Washington, so we'd guess a droptop is forthcoming. The Amalfi goes on sale in Europe at the beginning of 2026, with U.S. deliveries soon thereafter. Ezra Dyer Senior Editor Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He's now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.
Auto Express
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Driver Power Award 2025: Mercedes GLE
Chosen not by us but by you, the large and luxurious Mercedes GLE has been rated the best car to own in this year's Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. It topped half of the 10 main categories and reached the podium places in several others, while it was the elegant interior and exterior design that impressed owners the most. The model is offered with petrol, hybrid and diesel engines, making it one of the very few cars on sale available with the latter fuel type. Our case study, Norman Eaton, loves the smooth and prodigious power delivery from his GLE 450 d's 3.0-litre diesel. He even returns 40mpg on the motorway, where the GLE thrives given its cushioned ride, slushy nine-speed automatic gearbox and fine sound deadening. Advertisement - Article continues below On the inside, owners love the Merc's superb quality, with plush leather, wood veneer and metal wrapping almost everything you touch. Even in its most basic form, the GLE is fully loaded with equipment and luxurious materials, negating the need for buyers to climb up the range and spend more. All cars get dual-screen displays as standard, with owners – including Norman – saying they like the GLE's balance of digital and physical controls. It's not often a premium car does well in Driver Power – having spent extra, customers usually expect a lot more from a car with a posh badge – but in this case, the GLE has fulfilled buyers' expectations commendably, even managing to wiggle its way onto the podium for the value section – no mean feat for a car starting from almost £80,000. Configure your perfect Mercedes GLE through our Find A Car service now. Alternatively, check out the best deals out there on a new Mercedes GLE from stock or top prices on used Mercedes GLE models... Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: 717bhp BMW M5 Touring super-estate on a tasty lease deal Car Deal of the Day: 717bhp BMW M5 Touring super-estate on a tasty lease deal The BMW M5 Touring is M car royalty, with a thoroughly impressive PHEV powertrain. It's our Deal of the Day for 29 June Electric car appeal is at its lowest since 2019 Electric car appeal is at its lowest since 2019 From poor electric car sales to crashes in F1, Mike Rutherford thinks its been a crazy few weeks in the automotive world New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught Every future Skoda will get the go-faster treatment, with the brand also working on making cars sharper and more engaging
