Innehållsförteckning för April 2016 från CAR

Not all cars make you smile. Some make your heart beat faster, requiring heightened levels of focus and concentration to pilot. Some induce unashamed admiration for their advancement of automotive technology, and some require you to doff your cap at fit-for-purpose pragmatic design. One car, however, most certainly made me smile this month… By rights, it shouldn’t exist. The design has remained pretty much unaltered from the day it first rolled off the production line in 1948. It’s noisy, it wobbles, it has the aerodynamics of a shipping container and it is patently unsafe by modern standards. Yes, it has one of those newfangled CDradio things, but it’s a pointless accessory – you can’t hear anything when travelling faster than 100 km/h. And the driver’s seat is so close to…

THIS rendering gives a strong indication of what Land Rover's fifth-generation Discovery will look like, blending radical technology with the ruggedness for which the marque is famed. The Discovery has been with us since 1989 and has embodied Land Rover’s tenets of go-anywhere ability, practicality and, more recently, luxury in a package that has perennially gained the respect of adventurers and the fashion-conscious alike. But, since the current car’s arrival in 2009, technologically advanced rivals such as BMW’s X5 and Mercedes-Benz’s GLE, not to mention more rugged opponents from the Toyota stable, have moved the game on. How will the sixth-generation Disco rise to the challenge when it arrives next year? MORE RANGE IN THIS ROVER According to the company’s design boss, Gerry McGovern, the new Disco’s more luxurious interior…

RENAULT KWID RACER & CLIMBER Renault spun two appealing concepts off its Kwid compact crossover in the guises of the Racer and Climber. The Racer sports a pumped-up kit, 18-inch alloys and red pin-striping against a metallic blue paintjob, while the interior loses the rear seats and gains a roll cage. The Climber equips the Kwid with rugged lower body cladding, chunky tyres and bash plates fore and aft. HYUNDAI CARLINO Measuring less than four metres long, the compact Carlino previews a possible rival to the likes of Ford’s EcoSport and the Nissan Juke. A production version based on the i20 platform and featuring 1,2-litre petrol and 1,4-litre diesel engines could slot into Hyundai’s model range beneath the upcoming Creta crossover. MAHINDRA XUV AERO Mahindra’s concept envisages a coupé-crossover model…

BULGARI SAND RED HORNS Horn-rimmed frames to bring out your inner hipster ... or accompany your classic 1950s roadster. R3 690 DOLCE & GABBANA AVIATORS High-end Italian sunglasses for your high-end luxury car. R3 650 GIORGIO ARMANI AVIATORS Perfect for that back-of-the-limo corporate look. R3 190 GIORGIO ARMANI SUNGLASSES Enzo Ferrari would’ve worn these. R2 690 OAKLEY SLIVER To bring out your inner Ken Block. R 1 750 PERSOL RESINA E SALE Handmade and Italian, perfect for your classic car. R2 790 PRADA SPORTS PS 54QS Polarised and practical to improve visibility. R2 490 PRADA SPORTS PS 55QS A stylish take on the classic, casual aviator. R3 150 RAY-BAN OUTDOORSMAN II For the rugged outdoor lifestyle. R1 790 RAY-BAN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE Practical and hardwearing, like a double-cab bakkie. R2 190…

The loss of traction is progressive and amply communicated COMPARING notes on the virtues of the M2’s predecessor, the 1 Series M Coupé, with one of the top brass of BMW’s M performance division, it’s clear from his bemused reaction to my wide-eyed expressions and flailing arm gestures that he’s heard this story before. The “1M” remains a car as revered as it is feared for the fact that it is not easily tamed. Its squat stance aside, the combination of a relatively compact wheelbase and taut ride mated with a twin-turbocharged 250 kW inline-six engine means that it remains a car brutally quick in the right (preferably dry) conditions and with a skilled hand behind the wheel. In inexperienced hands, the word “edgy” springs to mind… Fast-forward four years…

Compared with the XE, it offers more traditional Jaguar qualities such as space, tech and comfort THE first-generation XF generated massive interest when it was launched internationally in 2007. It was quite clearly the opening salvo in Jaguar’s renaissance and set the company up for the success it currently experiences globally. Eight years later, the all-new XF has been launched – is it again a watershed moment for Jaguar? The XF is now built on an extended version of the XE platform, which increases the length of its wheelbase compared with that of the previous version, but body length has shrunk by 7 mm. This enhances the interior space (there’s an additional 24 mm in rear kneeroom) and the sleek appearance, as the wheels are closer to the corners. The…

DESPITE the month-to-month shrinkage in the number of executive family sedans sold in South Africa, these traditionally shaped cars continue to find favour with buyers who eschew SUVs in favour of vehicles that offer supreme refinement and stellar dynamics. It’s these affluent customers that Lexus will be hoping to entice with its revised – and slimlined – GS range. The Japanese carmaker has ditched the expensive GS450h model, consolidated the GS350 offerings into a single F-Sport iteration and installed its new 2,0-litre turbopetrol into the new entry-level version, the GS200t. Alongside these changes, the GS has undergone a facelift and now sports a bolder but fussier spindle grille, bi-LED headlamps and revised detailing in the taillamps and rear bumper. In terms of trim quality and build integrity, the GS continues…

I’VE always had a soft spot for station wagons. When I was young, my mother had a VW 412 Variant and, when I became a dad, I was tasked with two important family-mobility purchases – a pram and a bigger car. Only marginally more expensive than the former was a used Volvo V40. The V60 is two generations on in the same lineage and, with this Cross Country version, Volvo again targets a small slice of the SUV-dominated market. The standard V60 body gets roof rails, front, side and rear scuff plates, increased ride height (by 65 mm) and an all-wheel-drive system. There are two derivatives: this 140 kW/420 N.m D4 turbo-diesel and a 187 kW/360 N.m turbopetrol in two spec levels: Momentum and the pricier Inscription. My Osmium Grey…

HAVING just passed the 10 000 km mark, I thought it an appropriate time to take the i20 in for a wheel alignment. That was especially necessary because it felt like the vehicle was pulling to the left. However, according to the tyre centre where I had the procedure done, the alignment was barely out and the sensitive electric-power steering may be the cause of the problem. This issue is present on a variety of road surfaces and the constant correction that’s needed can become tiresome. This is a characteristic we also noticed on the Hyundai Accent when we tested that vehicle. Perhaps a bit more heft to the i20’s system wouldn’t go amiss at the vehicle’s mid-term update. Otherwise, the i20 has been doing an excellent commuting job, seamlessly…

HANDLING SIMULATOR WITH modern engineering-software packages, it is possible to predict, alter and test a vehicle’s dynamic behaviour early on in a new-vehicle programme without building a single prototype. Running powerful computer simulations means engineers can simulate a complex matrix of spring, damper, anti-roll bar and suspension geometry variations, thereby saving development time and cost. The problem with software simulations is that they are devoid of human input. A specialist software company for vehicle dynamics applications, rFpro, believes it has the solution. Its “driver-in-the-loop simulator” mimics a vehicle’s driver environment and is able to respond in real time according to driver input and current suspension settings. Following tests on a commercial-vehicle application for Hyundai at the IDIADA testing facility in Spain, the three-dimensional movement of the cabin compared favourably with…

WHEN the SX4 was launched locally in 2008, the CAR team was immediately impressed with the ride comfort and solid quality of this easy-going crossover. Designed by Italdesign Giugiaro, the looks have aged well and the vehicle appears well proportioned. Don’t be fooled by the compact external dimensions, however; inside, it has enough space for four burly adults. That comes at the cost of boot capacity, which measures 264 dm3 with the rear seats upright and 1 000 dm3 when they’re tumbled. Initially launched with a 107 kW 2,0-litre engine mated to a manual or CVT transmission, that engine was given a boost in 2010 that upped power to 112 kW. The manual gearbox gained an extra (sixth) ratio. Suzuki also added an all-wheel-drive version. A mild facelift was introduced…

1 119 kW. 1 600 N.m. 0-100 km/h in less than 2,5 seconds. 0-300 km/h in 13,5 seconds. For the privilege of experiencing the Bugatti Chiron's stratospheric performance potential, buyers will need to shell out €2,4 million, which is a staggering R39 million in local terms. There's little doubt the Chiron will retake the hypercar crown... Exclusivity Only 500 will be made. Carbon-fibre everywhere The tub and body panels are made of it and the Chiron is marginally longer, wider and higher than the Veyron. The chassis, says Bugatti, is as stiff as that of a Le Mans LMP1 racer. More horsepower The newly developed 8,0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine produces 1 119 kW, 224 kW more than the Veyron. The Chiron has the same mass as its predecessor and the…

1 The M2 is the purest M car that we have recently developed I think the M2 falls into a different segment than the likes of the M3 and M4. That said, the M2 represents the purest incarnation of an M car. As a modern reinterpretation of the likes of the 2002 turbo and 1 Series M Coupé, the M2 offers the performance of the M4 within the compact 2 Series body. 2 We might look to integrate technologies developed for i cars into future M models Although there is no final decision, technologies like electrification or hybrid units could still play a role in terms of increased performance. That said, it’s important that such technologies are able to be adapted to suit the lightweight, agile character of a true…

Up Viljoen’s Pass, the Convertible displayed almost no scuttle shake IN the market for a small, premium convertible? If you are, the car you’re looking at is your only option … and as options go, it’s certainly proved a popular one around the globe. The previous-generation Mini Convertible sold some 165 700 units worldwide between 2009 and 2015 (echoing the generation before’s sales performance) and, of those, 1 015 found homes in South Africa. True to the successful formula, the Convertible is essentially a ragtop version of the three-door hatch. The drivetrain options are identical and there are two engine choices: the three-cylinder 1,5-litre turbopetrol that puts out 100 kW and 220 N.m, and the four-cylinder 2,0-litre turbopetrol that’s good for 141 kW and 280 N.m. A six-speed manual transmission…

Onlookers – even those in more expensive cars – were not immune to its arresting good looks THE ever-present threat of climate change was evident as I stepped out of the arrivals hall at Miami International Airport during wintertime. There, I was greeted by a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity, a far cry from the bitterly cold, snowy conditions experienced a few states further up the US’ Eastern Seaboard. Glancing at the sunny sky, it was immediately obvious why Lamborghini chose to bring the world’s motoring media to Florida even in the midst of winter. Late last year, the Italian supercar maker doubled the size of the Huracán family by adding a rear-wheel-drive variant to the mix. And now there is a third sibling, the Spyder. As…

1973 THE 43-year-old Porsche Carrera RS fires up instantly before its legendary 2,7-litre flat-six engine patiently ticks over. It’s finally time to see what this most desirable of the early Porsche 911s is made of. Gear lever left and up. Clutch out. Turn left on to the mountain pass. Dip the throttle pedal. Short shift down into second gear and watch as the needle passes 3 000 r/min. I’m doing this one by the numbers. This is way too valuable and important a car and I’m being as mechanically sympathetic as my slightly twitchy hands and feet allow. Short shift again, but even below 3 000 r/min there is an impressive abundance of torque. Of course, it helps that Porsche’s very first Carrera RS weighs just 1 075 kg. And…

THE Amarok double cab is among the top leisure-style bakkie offerings in the market thanks to its plush interior and comfortable ride. However, I have also been testing its workhorse ability to the full in the last couple of months and it’s performing very well, thank you. We took the Volkswagen to Klipbokkop near Villiersdorp on our shootout between the Ranger and new Hilux (see last month’s issue) and the Amarok took all the obstacles in its stride using the permanent all-wheel drive and sport mode to restrict the transmission to first gear. This is low enough for most purposes and the Pirelli Scorpion tyres had no trouble on the steep slopes. This month, the bakkie also carted 2,4-m long poles to a mountain farm near Robertson in stages, loading…

I was a passenger in a 2,0-litre turbopetrol, all-wheel-drive Nissan Pulsar GTI-R in Milton Keynes, England, when my boss at the time, a principal engine-calibration engineer, stopped talking and focused on the intimidating sight of a Dakar Yellow BMW M3 (E36) stuck to his rear bumper. With the words “we will need this”, he pressed the red button next to the gearlever. It was an aftermarket boost controller that upped the boost to 1,5 bar for “emergency situations”. With a loud turbo whoosh, the M3 disappeared as if it had selected reverse gear. A fitting anecdote that perfectly illustrates this month’s feature … we investigate increasing the performance of a forced-induction engine. THE THEORY BEHIND POWER PRODUCTION The general theory (as well as CAR’s stance on tuning) was covered in…

As time passes and the vehicle becomes more collectable, originality becomes key WE first tested Toyota’s hot new sedan in 1997 and the RSi caused quite a stir thanks to a high specific power output of 115 kW, tackling Honda’s screaming 1,6-litre V-TEC head-on. Counting in the Toyota’s favour were keen pricing and a light mass that made the most of the screaming engine. PACKAGING In 1999, some luxuries were added to the spartan RSi to create the RXi. The engine was retained and performance suffered slightly. By then, prices had risen; the RSi now cost R108 612 and the RXi was pegged at R120 343. We published a 20 000 km long-term test of the RXi in November 1999. The RSi has four-wheel disc brakes with ABS for decent…

THE Birkin relishes racetrack driving. It tips the scales at just 650 kg, making the most of the rev-hungry Ford engine under its slender bonnet. We were therefore eager to see what it would do in the hands of track tester, Deon Joubert. This particular Birkin S3 180 XS doesn’t have enough power to make it seriously quick on the straights, but to compensate you can brake later and get earlier on the power than in most road cars. The result was a lap time of 1:28,50, the same as that posted by the 2008 BMW 135i, but quicker than both the 2013 Audi S3 hatch (1:28,71) and 2015 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 AMG Coupé (1:29,06). As expected, Deon drove into the pit lane with a huge smile on his face. “You…

Opel’s compact crossover has gone under the knife, gaining a new engine and sporting a raft of updated technical features for 2016. The current model’s friendly facia has made way for a more pronounced grille and headlamp combination – the latter featuring an optional adaptive full-LED array – while the rear sports revised brakelamps and a restyled bumper. Inside, the X has lifted a number of cues from the new Astra, including a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Along with a new six-speed automatic transmission and a torque-apportioning all-wheel-drive system, the X also features an Astra-sourced 1,4-litre turbopetrol engine with 112 kW on tap. A pair of 1,6-litre turbodiesels in 81 and 100 kW states of tune round out the engine line-up. ETA: under consideration…

The FF's 6,2-litre V12 powerplant has received a shot in the arm to the tune of 21 kW and 14 N.m for its application in the GTC4 Lusso It’s fair to say that the brows of died-in-the-wool Ferrari purists were furrowed a treat when the wraps first came off the FF back in 2011. Being the first all-wheel-drive member of an illustrious and, until then, purely rear-wheel-driven stable was challenging enough for most of these folks to digest. But it was probably the car’s somewhat gawky styling that drew considerable ire when compared with its far shapelier stablemates. With a tasteful cosmetic overhaul, a new name and even more power, Ferrari hopes to give its all-wheel-drive oddity a new lease of life. GIFT HORSE MOUTH While the visual updates are…

Renault’s Alpine Vision Concept represents the company’s clearest indication of what we can expect from its mid-engined, two-seater sportscar. Breathing new life into a retro racecar design, the Vision combines lightweight construction and pin-sharp handling in a package that’s set to take on the likes of the Porsche Cayman and Alfa Romeo 4C in 2017. PAST FORWARD The Renault Alpine Vision concept sports a low, sleek silhouette with sculpted sides and muscular-looking rear haunches that, along with rally car foglamp-aping light nacelles, carries with it a good deal of design DNA from the iconic Alpine A110 of the 1960s. Both standard and more aggressively body-kitted performance variants are expected to emerge from the Vision’s shell. PULLING THE PIN WITHIN Inside, Renault has utilised a mixture of racing-inspired materials such as…

IF YOU’RE in the market for a boutique hatch, there are now more options than ever before. Traditionally, Mini has led the segment, but over the past few years other manufacturers have entered the fray, including Citroën, Fiat and most recently Opel with the Adam. The small car from Rüsselsheim has proven a hit, with good spec levels and keen pricing. Until now, there has not been an Adam contender to fight the likes of the 500 Abarth and DS3 Sport, but that has changed with the launch of the Adam S. In keeping with its sporty persona, there are several bespoke design cues, among them a front spoiler, rear wing and 18-inch alloys wheels that announce this as the tar-burning member of the family. The Adam S is available…

THE SUV has become the dominant family vehicle in the market over the past 15 years and, for two-thirds of that time, this version of the Captiva has been around. Now worthy of “venerable” status, Chevrolet’s SUV is a decade old. And at a time when just about everyone else would be sending in an all-new model, General Motors has given the Captiva a second facelift and pushed it back into the fray. It’s not much of a change, either. The nose of the car has been refreshed, with daytime-running lights, new headlamps and a revised bumper design. Climb inside and the dashboard and instrument cluster have also been updated. Most notably, the infotainment system now consists of GM’s MyLink 2.0 version connected to a seven-inch touchscreen. And that’s about…

AS he passes, the driver of the other Defender waves. Dammit. It’s the second time it’s happened in the same day and again I am too slow to react. Fortunately, there would be more than enough opportunities to correct my error in Defender etiquette and subsequent cheery faces were all acknowledged with a mutual wave. There are not many 4x4s that generate this kind of automotive camaraderie. IN FRANSKRAAL WE MEET UP WITH 1981 LAND ROVER SERIES III OWNER, OOM WESSEL, AND HE INVITES US TO GO FISHING WITH HIM It’s also a camaraderie that has only been heightened after the very last Defender rolled off the production line in Solihull, England, on 29 January. To mark the end of this illustrious production run and to pay homage to a…

HAVING spent the past nine months getting acquainted with the Fusion, I was especially interested to closely compare the Ford with one of its strongest market rivals, the all-new Volkswagen Passat (which we tested in the February 2016 issue). Although in a South African context it’s still relatively new, the current Fusion range (badged Mondeo in the UK) is essentially three years old and its mid-life facelift was announced at the recent Detroit Auto Show. As such, the brand-new B8-generation Passat, armed with a 2015 European Car of the Year award, was always going to shake up this otherwise sluggish segment. Parked alongside the VW, it’s the larger exterior dimensions of the Fusion (in every respect) that hold true to the car’s American roots. While clever packaging allows the Passat…

CLEARLY, 05h30 is the right time to arrive at Dubai International Airport. We sailed through passport and visa control, collected our bags in minutes and we were out. Any other time of the day and you’re stuck with thousands of travellers from every corner of our Third Rock fishing out the right documents to appease stern-faced customs officials. The day had indeed started well. And so it continued. A 50-minute taxi ride took us through shifting sand dunes that had turned the tar into a serious off-road adventure and ended at the tucked-away Banyan Tree Al Wadi Resort – a beautiful desert oasis of peace, quiet, lots of birdlife and the odd oryx roaming among the villas. I was the sole South African representative who joined a small group from…

FORMULA ONE people and pundits will tell you that it’s impossible to make predictions off the back of pre-season testing. Even if a car sets a quick lap time, you won’t know crucial detail such as fuel load, engine mode, precise track conditions, tyres and how often the DRS (drag-reduction system) was being used. 1. MERCEDES. AGAIN But the one thing that could not be ignored during the first of two test sessions in Barcelona was the performance of reigning champion, Mercedes. It wasn’t so much the lap time – it was not fastest by some way – but the amount of time spent on the track. It was relentless. In one day alone, the silver car covered a staggering 800 km; that’s the equivalent of an entire Grand Prix…