Articles by Stephen Corby

A luxury, three-row, six-seat SUV that packs more punch than a Porsche 911? It must be an EV, and one with quite the battery and aggressive dual motors - meet the very large, very impressive-looking Cadillac Vistiq, coming to Australia in early 2026. We flew to Detroit for a preview drive.

Only 22 journalists in the entire universe were given a chance to drive the new and entirely insane Ferrari F80 - a car with 20 per cent more power than the Ferrari Lewis Hamilton drives for work. And none of them will ever drive one again, because they don't have the $7 million to buy one. CarsGuide was lucky enough to score the only Australian ticket to the Misano circuit in Italy.

Much like one of those tricky mathematical equations that always comes up with the same result, or Pi, no matter which numbers you enter, all personalised number plates somehow dissolve and dissemble into the same sentiment: 'LKATME'.The fact so many people are so willing to spend money on allegedly funny license plates that they will sell their vehicles separately to their hilarious number plates is an enduring mystery.And yet, for a great many people putting 'MYWRX' on their Subaru WRX, which is clearly, their WRX, somehow increases the value, to them personally, of the ownership experience.There are, of course funny number plates in Australia, and indeed the world is full of funny number plate ideas. Where can you find funny custom plate ideas? Right here, of course, or splattered all over the internet.And what justifies the description of funny custom number plates is very much a personal thing.'D3FEKT' is a weird clever number plate, because it reminds us that some of these funny personalised plates feel like they are crying out for police attention, along with 'BOOKME'.On the other hand 'OVAWRK' is a simple, effective creative number plate idea, particularly on an adventure vehicle, like the large SUV that was seen carrying this plate in Queensland.Someone just wants to get away from it all, and thought it would be worth investing in a funny custom number plate to tell other people.Funny personalised plates obviously amuse a lot of people, however, with special Facebook pages set up to recognise their comic genius, including Stupid Australian Number Plates, which has more than 46,000 followers. One particular favourite from that site is “I (heart emoji) Self”, which is simply a more colourful way of saying w****r.I also enjoyed 'FAH Q' on a classic Ferrari, 'NOB' on a Bentley and 'SEXSUS' on a Lexus. Just wow.There are, of course, general or mainstream funny number plates for sale, all over the internet, but then there are many more specific examples as well.Funny Tesla number plates, for one, take a particular approach, in line with Tesla values and tropes, like 'BYBYGAS' (clearly an American example), 'CHARGEME', which could be a cry for help, 'CO2FREE' and 'IMGRNRU'.'POWERUP' is another funny Tesla number plate that’s quite appropriate on a Tesla Model 3 Performance or similarly wild example.I do also like the 'look at me, I’m saving the world' vibes of 'R3VOLT', which is at least a bit clever.The winner for funny private number plates, however, goes to the self-aware Tesla owner in WA who went with 'TOSLA'.Another rich vein of specific private number plates is funny 4WD number plates, which include simple offerings like 'MUDDY1' and '4WDRIV', along with my favourite, 'BAABAA' on a black Jeep.Remarkably, this love of funny customer number plates is not uniquely Australian, or even western.For example, there are plenty of funny Punjabi number plates out there, some of which might not make a lot of sense if you don’t get the context.Many Punjabi number plates incorporate words or phrases from Punjabi culture, like 'Jatt' (which is a term for a Punjabi man) or 'Dhillon' (which is a common Punjabi surname). Punjabi plates also quite often use numbers to stand in for letters, so for instance '12' might take the place of the latter 'R'. Watch out for examples like 'JATTMOOD' and 'FRESHYDILLON'.You might be wondering how much does a custom number plate cost?The answer varies greatly depending on where you live, and if you’ve ever been to Queensland, where personalised number plates seem colossally common, you’re not be surprised to learn that personalised plates are cheaper there than in some states, at a costs of $165.In South Australia, personalised plates have a one-off fee of $212.In Victoria, prices for your personal plate start from $395, which is a lot more than Queensland.In Tasmania, a custom number plate will set you back from $299. Western Australia is another place that loves a personalised plate, at least partly thanks to the fact that you can get from from just $104.60.In NSW, you see customised number plates a lot less often, because getting one will cost you as much as $499. Ouch.And in the ACT, you can be paying even more for variations of a personalised number plate, with non-standard plates ranging from $573.30 to $797.40.So, very few LKATMEs in Canberra, then, clearly.

American giant GM, which is in the midst of launching Cadillac as an EV-only brand in Australia, is determined to take on China, and win, when it comes to battery technology, announcing a new way of “layering” its batteries, which can reduce the number of cells by as much as 75 per cent, reducing both weight and cost.

Financing a used car in Australia often comes with more strings attached than financing a new one and usually a higher interest rate to match. That’s not to say you can’t get a good deal on a used car loan, just that you need to be prepared for lenders to reduce their exposure by tacking on an extra premium to cover their risks.And really, you’re all in this together. You might well be buying used rather than new to save some money, but in doing that you’re obviously accepting a level of risk yourself.Used car loans usually run anywhere from one to seven years, so you can stretch your repayments well past the point where the car still smells like someone else’s dog. A longer loan term does mean smaller monthly repayments, but it also means paying a lot more in interest over time (you up the back, prepare for a math lesson).For instance, borrowing $10,000 at 6.5 per cent over three years will set you back about $306 a month, with $1003 in total interest. Stretch it to seven years and your monthly repayment will drop to $148, but you'll pay more than double the interest ($2398).That’s because interest has more time to accumulate the longer the loan drags on, even if the rate stays the same. The devil is in the retail detail with insurance companies.Current used car loan interest rates average between six per cent and 10 per cent, depending largely on your credit history and the age and condition of the vehicle you’re buying.Unsecured personal loans tend to have even higher rates (around 10 per cent), while financing through a credit card can attract rates as high as 20 per cent (I’ll let you do the interest math yourself there, but here’s a tip, it hurts).As tempting as it might be, it's important to remember the lowest advertised interest rate might not be the best deal overall, as it could involve hidden fees or restrictive conditions, like balloon payments (unlike real balloons, these are not fun and hit with a more physical bang).The best way to cover yourself is to refer to the comparison rate, which includes most fees and charges, for an accurate cost assessment.Here’s a breakdown of popular used car financing options.Secured car loans from banks or credit unions usually have the most favourable terms for used car financing. Because these loans use the vehicle as collateral, lenders feel more secure and usually provide better interest rates.However, there are often age and condition restrictions for eligible vehicles. Most lenders want a car that will still be less than 12 to 15 years old by the loan's end, and many cap it at seven years old. That’s partly because many vehicles are out of warranty by then, which increases the risk of major repairs during the loan term.While many loans allow early repayments to reduce interest costs, some fixed-rate options come with exit fees. And finally, if the car is written off or stolen, you’re still liable for any remaining loan balance, even if insurance doesn’t fully cover it.Just let that sink in for a moment - paying interest on a loan for a car you don’t even drive any more.Dealer finance can seem like a no-brainer due to the convenience and quicker approval times. However, that convenience can come with a markup. Dealer-arranged loans can have variable interest rates, which are sometimes competitive with bank loans but often higher, due to dealer margins or hidden fees.Always compare dealer finance carefully against independent lending options and check the comparison rate to avoid unexpected costs. This is why we have an internet.Unsecured personal loans can be a real lifesaver when your dream car is too old, too cheap, or listed as a private sale. These loans don’t use the car as collateral, which means you duck all the age and value limits, and you can also spend the money however you like.But the cost of that extra freedom is that interest rates for unsecured loans typically sit between seven per cent and 12 per cent, and can climb much higher for lower-credit borrowers.Lenders will also scrutinise your credit history and income more closely, since they can’t fall back on selling the car if things go pear-shaped. Make sure you compare comparison rates, not just advertised interest, to get the full picture of what you’ll owe.Using a credit card for vehicle financing is usually a terrible idea unless you have extraordinary financial discipline, but under very specific conditions, it can work.Most credit cards carry interest rates of 18–22 per cent, but some offer zero per cent introductory rates for a short period. If you close the balance before that window closes and avoid any credit card surcharges on repayments, you’re in the clear.But if you have any leftover balance once the introductory period ends, it’ll incur interest backdated to day one, and you’ll be paying through the nose.Leasing – usually via a novated lease with your employer – can be a tax-savvy way to finance a used car. Payments are deducted pre-tax, which can reduce your taxable income, cut GST on running costs, and even exempt you from FBT if you're leasing a qualifying electric vehicle (EV).That said, most providers won’t touch a car older than seven to 10 years at lease start (or 12–15 years by lease end). And while bundled servicing, rego and insurance can simplify budgeting, you’re often locked into approved providers and may face higher costs for maintaining older cars. Plus, if you leave your job, you’ll need to take over the lease, transfer it or sell the car.Ultimately, your best second-hand car finance option and repayment plan will come down to several factors, starting with your credit score. Stronger credit opens the door to better rates, particularly with secured loans.It’s also important to consider your budget and cash flow realistically. Shorter loan terms cost less overall but require higher monthly payments, while longer terms are easier monthly but costlier in total. The vehicle’s age could also limit your options to unsecured personal loans or dealer finance.If you want to improve your chance of approval, start by checking your credit report and fixing any errors before applying. A saved deposit is another great tool to have in your negotiation arsenal, and can lead to lower interest rates.You can also shop around and get pre-approvals from multiple lenders, so you’ve got some bargaining power. Finally, if your credit score is a bit shaky, bringing a co-signer or guarantor could strengthen your application.This material has been prepared for information purposes only. It should not be taken as constituting professional advice and you should consider seeking independent legal, financial, taxation or other advice to check how the information relates to your unique circumstances.

Before I talk about how Super Cruise — the hands-off self-driving system that’s being used by hundreds of thousands of Americans every day in GM and Cadillac vehicles — almost killed me, I’d like to say how impressed I was by its work.

If you’re a man - particularly a married one with kids and decades between you and your single days - hearing “bachelor pad” might be ever so slightly bittersweet, but there’s also every chance those words make you remember a time in your life when you were so footloose and fancy free you were basically Kevin Bacon.

Cadillac has created a hand-made luxury EV with proportions that it admitted “look impossible to achieve”, a price tag that can run well north of $1 million, and an Active Roll Control system it claims can deliver “zero degrees of roll, which is better than any sports car out there”.

It’s a chilling thought, but what if the tin-foil-hat wearing China conspiracy churners are right?

How long does a Tesla battery last? According to official Tesla-sourced data, Tesla batteries lose between 12 and 15 per cent of their capacity, on average, after approximately 321,868km (200,000 miles in American speak) of usage.If this data is correct, the average Australian driver won’t need to consider replacing their Tesla battery until 26 years into ownership, because the national average driver travels a touch over 12,000km a year.I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest people who buy Teslas, or electric vehicles in general, travel fewer kilometres than the average driver.Tesla battery lifespan is the kind of thing EV shoppers consider carefully, because they’ve all owned Apple iPhones, or Microsoft laptops, and noticed that battery life seems definitively finite. It’s important to realise, of course, that the batteries in an EV are vastly bigger.Elon Musk is aware, of course, that Tesla battery life is something buyers worry about, and it provides an eight-year/192,000km warranty with the purchase of all Australian-delivered vehicles, except the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, which come with a similar eight-year/160,000km warranty.The terms of these warranties are as follows; if the Tesla battery drops below 70 per cent capacity in less than the aforementioned time period or distance, Tesla covers the cost of a replacement battery.Replacement batteries for a Tesla can cost anywhere from $15,000 up to $20,000 across all models.A study in April 2024 by British motoring insurance company NimbleFins - which examined nine years of Tesla battery lifetime data - found the batteries should deteriorate by around one per cent of their range per year.In terms of how you can look after your battery, there are multiple factors that affect Tesla battery lifespan.For any electric vehicle, you want to avoid fully charging the battery to 100 pre cent regularly, to preserve maximum battery capacity.Canadian lithium-ion battery researcher Jeff Dahn claims that, treated properly and kept in the right “voltage window”, a Tesla battery can stay fully operational for 100 years, or 1.6 million kilometres.Dr Adam Best (just call him Dr Best), Principal Battery Researcher at our own CSIRO, claims that, if owners employ the appropriate maintenance techniques to prolong battery health, Tesla batteries can achieve a “pretty impressive life cycle”.But what are these maintenance techniques? Dr Best suggests you try to keep the charge level always between 20 per cent and 80 per cent, as opposed to running the battery from zero to 100 and back again, which will “help to extend the life of your EV”, regardless of battery chemistry and composition.Teslas predominantly run on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or nickel cobalt aluminium (NCA) chemically composed batteries, while other brands like Polestar use nickel manganese cobalt (NMC).Both NCA and NMC batteries thrive in conditions where they aren’t being charged to maximum capacity and drained to empty.So if you are a responsible and battery-conscious EV driver, who can you know if your EV is responding well to your gentle treatment? What are the signs that your battery is dying, or that it’s functioning properly?Other than the most obvious indicator of declining battery capacity - getting less mileage out of each charge - other signs that your EV’s battery might be suffering are slower charging times, a change in the driving sensation (sluggishness, lack of responsiveness), strange smells or noises while charging or driving, and, of course, the Tesla multimedia system telling you that your battery may be in decline.In terms of real-world results, it’s also worth pointing to a test conducted by a Tesla Model S 70D owner, Branden Flasch. Branden's vehicle had reportedly travelled 234,964km when he put his Tesla battery to the test, and the results were very impressive.The Model S in question was purchased in 2015, and its owner charged it to 99 per cent before the test, and then drove it until the batteries were completely depleted, measuring its kWh usage to check the battery's depletion.The reported results have the Model S using 58.5kWh, roughly 83 per cent of their original 70kWh capacity.