Road Tester's Notebook: Ford’s Big Motorsport Flex, Volvo’s Range Play, and Aussie News You’ll Actually Use

I started the day the way I always do: espresso, inbox, and a note that Ford just made the Coyote V8 the most important engine in the room again. By lunch, Volvo was claiming range bragging rights in Australia, BMW teased a quad-motor iX3 M, and Waymo’s driverless pods were whispering about a Southern Hemisphere holiday. It’s one of those days when your pencil scribbles faster than your brain.

Ford’s New Two-Front War: F1 x WEC

Let’s start with the Blue Oval, because their motorsport calendar just went all bold font:

F1: Back Where It Belongs

• Ford and Red Bull have rolled out a refreshed 2026 F1 livery in Detroit. Spoiler: it still looks unapologetically Red Bull—angular, dark, familiar—but with Ford’s return stamped clearly in the narrative.
• Red Bull also swatted away “noise” about a supposed engine trick, maintaining confidence it’s fully legal under the new regs. Nothing like a pre-season rules skirmish to set the tone.
• Racing Bulls stays white for 2026—clean canvas, sponsor-friendly, a little old-school paddock chic.
• Big picture: as a few Ford voices and analysts noted, the value Ford brings to Red Bull isn’t just money or badges; it’s a deep technical bench and decades of go-racing muscle memory. The kind that helps in the grind between wind-tunnel runs and supplier meetings.

Le Mans: Coyote Goes Global

• Ford’s 2027 hypercar program is tapping a Coyote-based V8. Yes, that Coyote—the 5.0-liter architecture that’s been singing in Mustangs. The race version is being developed in-house, and you can bet your pit pass it won’t be shy on noise.
• Logan Sargeant is among the first drivers signed. Smart: a known quantity in the Ford orbit, hungry for a reset, and quick enough when the lights go out.
• If you’re connecting dots: F1 collaboration sharpens process and tech flow, WEC races prove durability and strategy under 24-hour pressure. Ford’s doing both. That’s not a press release; that’s a plan.

EVs: Range, Motors, and a Hint of Mayhem

Volvo EX60 eyes Australia’s “range king” crown

According to fresh reporting, Volvo’s upcoming EX60 is set to beat the Tesla Model 3 for overall range in Australia. The devil will be in the test cycle (WLTP versus local figures), but the gist is clear: Volvo wants the long-haul bragging rights, the kind that matters on the Pacific Highway and beyond. I’m curious how it holds steady at 110 km/h into a headwind—real range is often made or broken between Newcastle and Coffs.

BMW iX3 M: Quad-motor mischief

A quad-motor iX3 M is coming. Four motors means wild, per-wheel torque-vectored agility—physics-bending on a wet roundabout and hilariously tidy on a tight backroad. When I’ve driven quad-motor prototypes in the past, the feeling is less “EV heft” and more “slot car with a gym membership.” Expect real M-level personality—quietly loud.

Quick EV comparison, today’s headlines edition

Australia Watch: Robots, Ranges, and a Supercharged Pony

Waymo on Aussie roads (report)

Waymo is reportedly preparing to run autonomous vehicles in Australia. Expect tightly geofenced pilots, lots of high-res mapping, and a cautious rollout with safety drivers before anyone’s riding hands-off to the footy. When I rode in an early Waymo in the States, the eeriest part wasn’t the silence—it was how obsessively the system obeyed unspoken human rules, like inching at four-way stops. If they crack that in Sydney traffic, I’ll buy the engineers a Tim Tam.

2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC: The factory supercharger arrives

• New supercharged flagship for the Blue Oval pony car.
• Think track-day intent baked into a streetable package—cooler, louder, stickier, and likely angrier on throttle than the standard Dark Horse.
• If the intake whine matches the exhaust, consider your tunnel runs sorted.

What Aussies bought in 2025

Fresh sales data by state and territory paints a familiar picture: utes and SUVs still rule the roost, with urban buyers leaning toward efficient crossovers and regional buyers sticking with tough dual-cabs. Different postcodes, different priorities, same love for practicality.

GAC confirms compact EV hatch

Another challenger steps into Australia’s value EV ring. GAC’s fourth model will be an electric hatch aiming at the MG 4 and BYD Dolphin crowd—urban-friendly dimensions, simple charging life, and a price tag that doesn’t trigger a family meeting.

Honda Jazz facelift (but not for us)

A funky update lands overseas with a quirkier face and cabin tweaks, but Australia isn’t on the guest list. Shame—there’s still a quiet cult for the Jazz’s cleverly boxed practicality.

Range Rover Evoque and Velar get London-inspired specials

Local specials add some Savile Row to the school run: unique palettes, trims, and tasteful badges. The sort of edition that looks right under a city streetlamp and better under a country club portico.

Garage Gossip and Car Culture Bits

• Mazda Autozam AZ-1 finally gets the rotary heart enthusiasts dreamed about. Gullwing kei car, widebody swagger, high-rev ping—Tokyo Auto Salon at its most deliciously unhinged.
• Kevin Hart’s brand-new Bronco, restomodded backwards in time: modern bones, vintage looks. It’s the automotive equivalent of a bespoke tux with sneakers—and it works.
• Also trending: a factory-floor human-interest story swirling around Ford that veered into politics. We’re here for the cars, so we’ll leave that one to the news desks.

Quick Take: What Stood Out When I Dug Deeper

• The Coyote V8’s second act is the story. One architecture feeding a road car legend and a 24-hour monster—engine nerd poetry.
• Volvo playing range chess is good for everyone; it pushes Tesla and keeps BMW honest as it readies that quad-motor iX3 M.
• Waymo in Australia could fast-track public trust if it nails the little things—merging manners, roundabout etiquette, and wet tram tracks.

Conclusion

Some days feel like a single narrative: today’s is about ambition. Ford’s is measured in races and lap charts, Volvo’s in kilometres between charges, BMW’s in corner exit grip. Australia, meanwhile, gets a fresh batch of toys—some fast, some efficient, one with a supercharger the size of your lunchbox—and a whisper that driverless rides are closer than we think.

FAQ

When will Ford’s Le Mans hypercar race?

Ford is targeting a 2027 campaign with a Coyote-based V8 at the heart of its hypercar program.

Is Volvo’s EX60 really set to beat Tesla Model 3 on range in Australia?

That’s the claim. Final figures will depend on test cycles and local certification, but Volvo is clearly aiming for the headline.

What’s special about the BMW iX3 M?

A quad-motor layout promises serious torque vectoring and genuine M-grade handling character in an EV SUV package.

Is Waymo actually coming to Australia?

A report says preparations are underway for local trials. Expect geofenced pilots and a very conservative rollout to start.

What is the 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC?

A new, factory-supercharged hero model that turns the already serious Dark Horse into a louder, angrier, track-friendlier flagship.