ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH TAKES TOP HONOURS AT CAR OF THE YEAR
A stellar field of performance cars was recognised at Robb Report’s annual event, with Citizen Kanebridge backing the experience alongside leading luxury partners.
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Aston Martin’s Vanquish has been crowned overall winner of Robb Report Australia & New Zealand’s 2025 Car of the Year, taking top honours at an exclusive event in Sydney.
Held at the Harbourside Residences Display Gallery by Mirvac, the evening brought together drivers, partners and industry figures for the long-awaited announcement of the 2025 Car of the Year.
Exclusive private member’s club Citizen Kanebridge was among the partners supporting the event, which has become a fixture on the luxury automotive calendar, showcasing the very best in performance, design and innovation across the global car market.
Across a tightly contested field, category winners reflected the breadth of today’s high-end automotive landscape, from traditional combustion engines to hybrid and fully electric performance models.
Among the standout winners, the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider took out Best Combustion Supercar, while the Aston Martin Vanquish was named Best Super-GT before ultimately securing the overall title.
Other notable winners included the Mercedes-Benz G580 as Best Off-Roader, the Audi RS Q8 Performance for Best SUV Coupe, and the Aston Martin DBX 707 for Best Super-SUV.
Electrification continued to shape the upper end of the market, with the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray named Best Hybrid Supercar and the Audi RS e-Tron GT Performance taking out Best Electric GT.
The Lamborghini Urus SE was recognised as Best Hybrid SUV and also placed third overall, while the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance secured second place overall in the coupe category.
Guests were also given a first look at a short film capturing the spirit of the two-day Car of the Year program, produced by SONDR, alongside photography that will feature in a dedicated 40-page portfolio in the upcoming issue.
Guests were welcomed alongside a curated group of Car of the Year partners, including Jacob & Co. and La Prairie, with Peter Lehmann Wines and Glenfiddich ensuring the evening unfolded in suitably polished fashion.
The broader program was supported by partners including Citizen Kanebridge, Msquared Capital, Hardy Brothers, Bell Helicopters, Saddles and Spicers Retreats, reflecting the wider luxury ecosystem that underpins the event.
With full results set to be published in the next issue of Robb Report Australia & New Zealand, attention now turns to the next instalment of the program, with this year’s Car of the Year drive scheduled for September.
For those in the room, however, the message was already clear. In a field defined by innovation and performance, the Vanquish still knows how to stand apart.
With full results published in the next issue of Robb Report Australia & New Zealand, attention now turns to the next instalment of the program, with this year’s Car of the Year drive scheduled for September.
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Tesla’s new Roadster used suction technology and SpaceX-derived thrusters to jump and flip—but production, price and road legality remain unresolved.
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Tesla has finally revealed its radically redesigned Roadster—and delivered the airborne spectacle Elon Musk has been promising for years.
Unveiled at a SpaceX testing facility near Waco, Texas, the new electric supercar drove onto a steeply curved ramp, used a suction system to cling to its underside and launched into the air. Cold-gas thrusters stabilised the vehicle as it rotated and returned to the ground.
In another demonstration, the Roadster cleared a line of Tesla vehicles that included a Semi, Cybertruck, Cybercab, Model Y and Model 3.
It was an extraordinary stunt. Whether it proved Tesla has created a genuine flying car is another matter.
The vehicle did not demonstrate sustained, controlled flight of the kind associated with an aircraft or electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle. Its thrusters instead produced brief powered leaps, rotation and landing control.
“We’re not talking about sustained flight,” Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum curator Roger Connor told CNN. “We are literally talking about hopping.”
How does it work?
Tesla has outlined three intended Roadster configurations.
The two-seat Performance model is the comparatively conventional version, although little about it sounds ordinary. It uses active aerodynamics and what Tesla calls a multi-mode suction system to increase downforce and allow the car to adhere to steep or inverted surfaces.
The two-seat Thrust adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters, designed to deliver acceleration from zero to 60mph—approximately 97km/h—in less than one second.
At the top is the single-seat Rocket, equipped with 10 thrusters positioned around the vehicle. This is the version intended to perform the airborne manoeuvres demonstrated in Texas.
Tesla engineering vice-president Lars Moravy said the system uses approximately 600 litres of compressed air. Carbon-fibre-wrapped pressure vessels occupy available spaces throughout the car, supplying the thrusters used for acceleration, lift and directional control.
The technology is more closely related to a rocket reaction-control system than a conventional flying-car powertrain. Rather than producing continuous lift through wings or propellers, it releases highly pressurised gas to generate short bursts of thrust.
Tesla says all three versions will offer approximately 300 miles—or 483 kilometres—of driving range and a top speed exceeding 230mph, equivalent to about 370km/h.
These remain company claims rather than independently verified production specifications.
Can buyers order one?
Reservations have reopened in selected markets. According to reporting from the launch, Tesla is seeking US$50,000 to reserve the Performance variant and US$250,000 for the Thrust. Access to the Rocket is described as invitation-only.
No final purchase price was announced, and Tesla has not confirmed Australian pricing, delivery timing or regulatory approval.
Musk said production would begin in 2028. That should be treated as an ambition rather than a settled delivery date.
The second-generation Roadster was originally unveiled in 2017 and was expected to reach customers within several years. The program was subsequently delayed in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. Some customers have consequently held substantial reservations for close to a decade.
There are also formidable regulatory questions. A road-registered vehicle capable of deliberately leaving the ground, rotating and landing among other traffic does not fit neatly within existing vehicle standards. Its compressed-air system, pressure vessels and unconventional manoeuvres would require extensive safety assessment.
The more plausible outcome is that Tesla produces the Performance and perhaps Thrust versions for road and track use, while tightly restricting the Rocket’s airborne functions—or reserving them for controlled environments.
Tesla has produced a genuine moving prototype capable of remarkable stunts. It has not yet demonstrated that customers will be permitted to repeat them on public roads.
For now, the Roadster is real enough to jump. Whether it becomes a car people can buy, register and use as demonstrated remains the more consequential test.
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