Innehållsförteckning för May 2018 från CAR

THE NUMBERS GAME Despite the extensive use of lightweight materials, the C Two still tips the scales at 1 950 kg. Its all-wheel-drive powerplant, comprising four independent permanent-magnet electric motors with software-controlled torque-vectoring, fed by a 120 kWh lithium-manganese-nickel battery, spits out numbers you wouldn’t believe. BRAINS WITHIN THE BRAWN The C Two plays host to state-of-the-art technology, including: • Facial recognition instead of a key. • Three high-definition TFT displays, including passenger-side performance readouts. • Driving Coach, into which racetracks can be downloaded, providing audiovisual cues for driving lines and braking points when driving on a track. LEVEL-FOUR AUTONOMY The ADAS (advanced driver-assistance system) uses an NVIDIA processor and integrates eight cameras and two Lidar sensors to oversee level-four autonomy, including adaptive cruise control, collision-risk detection, automatic emergency braking…

TOYOTA’S DESIGN TEAM HAS GIVEN THE THIRD-GENERATION MODEL A SHARPER-LOOKING SHELL A OUT OF THE ORDINARY Although neat, the Auris has never had a commanding presence in the hatchback landscape but Toyota’s design team has given the third-generation model a sharper-looking shell. There’s a prominent front air dam, swept LED-equipped headlamps that flow into the grille apex, a more rakish roof profile and a sportier rear with crescent-shaped taillamps. B TNGA THE WAY Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) adds not only the low-and-wide stance that the firm views as an important aspect with which to take on the Europeans, but it also stretches the wheelbase by 40 mm over that of the spacious outgoing car and plays with a more sportily geared power-steering setup to make it more involving to…

THE NEW J-PACE WILL DRAW ON THE RANGE ROVER FOR MUCH OF ITS RUNNING GEAR JAGUAR is working at top speed on an all-new, premium-priced J-Pace SUV for 2021, designed to beat the Porsche Cayenne at its own game. The model will have a brand-new shape inspired by Jaguar design director Ian Callum and an obvious on-road bias, but it will draw on the flagship Range Rover for much of its running gear. It will be the brand’s fourth attention-grabbing entry into the gigantic global SUV market in just five years. Jaguar stands on the edge of a highly profitable, much higher-volume future, based on rapidly rising sales of an SUV family that started with the F-Pace just two years ago and will probably account for two-thirds of its total…

# 1 PORSCHE SOUNDS DIETER LANDENBERGER AND JURGEN GASSEBNER R681 Written by Porsche Museum directors, it comes with a CD of original engine sounds from Porsche’s most notable vehicles. Exclusive Books # 2 TRANS-AM ERA DANIEL LIPETZ R1 020 Take a nostalgic trip through the golden years of America’s thundering, no-holds barred sports-car formula. Raru.co.za # 3 MARIO ANDRETTI MARIO DONNINI R831 Packed with images, it documents the legendary F1, Indy, Nascar and World Endurance Championship winner’s career. Exclusive Books # 4 FAST FORWARD JAN BAEDEKER R935 Fascinated with concept cars? This catalogue features some of the most iconic designs ever to be put on display, with detailed insights into each creation. Exclusive Books # 5 AYRTON SENNA MAURICE HAMILTON R596 Regular CAR contributor and F1 expert, Maurice Hamilton, covers…

FERRARI PORTOFINO PRICE: R4 543 000 ETA: Now BY: Nicol Louw NicolL_CARmag WE ARE HERE TO impartially evaluate a car, a driver should not be influenced by the brand or the location. However, pocketing the key to a Rosso-hued Portofino at Ferrari’s Maranello HQ on a crisp, blue-sky morning, with the sat-nav tasked with guiding me along snaking roads to snow-covered mountaintops, objectivity is somewhat difficult. The Portofino replaces the California T as Ferrari’s entry-level GT and is an all-new car from the ground up, sharing no chassis or body components with its predecessor. The new aluminium-alloy platform accounts for 40% of the total mass saving of 80 kg and an engineer at the Scaglietti chassis plant in Modena pointed out that the lone steel parts on the platform…

RENAULT KWID 1,0 DYNAMIQUE AMT PRICE: R146 900 ETA: Now WE ARE HERE SINCE its introduction to the local market in 2016, the Kwid has been an unqualified sales success for the French manufacturer. Now, in addition to the trio of five-speed manual derivatives, there’s a new self-shifter that claims the title of South Africa’s cheapest automatic vehicle. At R146 900, it undercuts its closest rival – the Suzuki Celerio 1,0 GL auto – by R20 000 and features an auto-mated manual transmission (AMT). For those unfamiliar with this most cost-effective of self-shifters, it is similar in function to a manual but uses an electro-mechanical unit to effect the gear changes and clutch operation. Other than the Easy-R badge on its hatch, no other exterior features distinguish this auto derivative.…

 Price: R286 000 Rear legroom and boot space are among the best in the light-car class 0-100 km/h: 11,21 sec Power/Torque: 79 kW/140 N.m Top speed: 180 km/h CAR fuel index: 7,08 L/100 km CO2: 136 g/km TOYOTA has jumped aboard the automotive upsizing bandwagon, giving its Yaris a considerable stretch in all dimensions while adopting a sharper look that it hopes will draw a younger crowd. But with the increased space comes a marked increase in price. Therefore, does the new car possess the distinctiveness and virtues to meet the challenge presented by the capable, similarly priced rivals against which it will compete? Toyota’s stylists have moved away from the X-face design that’s a staple of many of its compact products, instead adopting a more purposeful look. There are…

Price: R649 000 0-100 km/h: 7,99 sec Power/Torque: 191 kW/350 N.m Top speed: 235 km/h CAR fuel index: 12,84 L/100 km CO2: 230 g/km WE last tested a Subaru Outback in January 2014 and heaped praise on the elevated wagon’s robust feel, spacious cabin and overall refinement. The fact that it could go off-road sealed the deal; we adored the big wagon. That vehicle, of course, was equipped with the Japanese brand’s unique flat-four turbodiesel engine at a time when the local distributor tested South Africans’ acceptance of oil-burners in its vehicles. It was a short-lived experiment, though, and Subaru Southern Africa has since reverted to offering only boxer petrol engines, some with turbocharging and others without. It’s part of a wider strategy that’s paying dividends; while the South African…

NOT quite. Ask me now if I consider the Q2 a crossover, hatchback or SUV and I’d still struggle to formulate a considered answer. I’m not the only one on the CAR team, either. Which raises the question: is that inability to be pigeonholed amid a sea of copycat cars one of the Q2’s triumphs; or does it confuse some buyers? Then again, the base price might have something to do with that confusion. Objectively, R529 500 for a vehicle with no larger a footprint than the platform-twin VW Polo is a lot of money. Subjectively, however, the Q2 feels worth that amount. After more than 20 000 km on the clock – 18 532 km in my care – the little Audi’s cockpit nary emitted a rattle. Aside from…

WHILE LEWIS HAMILTON ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 2018 FORMULA ONE SEASON, HIS TEAM-MATE VALTTERI BOTTAS CLIMBS INTO THE MERCEDES-AMG W07 RACECAR. THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS AND, AS THE LIGHTS GO OUT, HE REVS THE ENGINE TO A CHEERING CROWD. No, this isn’t the start of a race but the opening of the new Petronas research and development facility in Turin, Italy. The Malaysian energy giant, you may know, is a majority stakeholder in the South African fuel company, Engen. Since the firm partnered with the Mercedes-AMG F1 team six years ago, it has created 100 new oil and 200 new fuel formulations. That is rapid progress considering it takes 5 000 litres of oil and 30 000 km equivalent testing on an engine dyno to validate a new oil specification. The…

01 ASTON MARTIN VALKYRIE Generates more than 3G lateral acceleration Engine: 6,5-litre, V12, petrol Power: 820 kW 0-100 km/h: <3,0 sec Top speed: 360 km/h Mass: 1 000 kg Downforce: >1 000 kg 02 FERRARI 488 PISTA Features Ferrari’s most powerful V8 engine to date Engine: 3,9-litre, V8, twinturbo-petrol Power: 530 kW 0-100 km/h: 2,85 sec Top speed: 340 km/h Weight: 1 385 kg Downforce: 390 kg 03 LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN PERFORMANTE SPYDER Weighs 35 kg less than the Huracán Spyder Engine: 5,2-litre, V10, petrol Power: 470 kW 0-100 km/h: 3,1 sec Top speed: 360 km/h Weight: 1 507 kg Downforce: 349 kg 04 McLAREN SENNA GTR Just 75 track-focused examples to be built Engine: 4,0-litre, V8, twinturbo-petrol Power: 606 kW 0-100 km/h: <2,8 sec Top speed: >340 km/h Mass: <1…

This 3500GT’s owner uses it regularly and follows a practical rather than precious approach to its upkeep EVERY manufacturer has had a pivotal vehicle that would be its blueprint for future success. For Maserati, this 3500GT was that car. Like Ferrari, until the late-1950s Maserati was far more focused on racing than on series-production cars. However, this changed with the elegantly styled 3500GT, the Trident’s first series-production grand tourer. Two prototypes were initially unveiled at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show before the production car emerged later that same year. Fewer than 20 examples were produced in ’57, but production increased the next year. This example, chassis 68, came off the line in early 1958. It is believed to have been imported to South Africa in the same year – its original…

Price: R407 000 0-100 km/h: 12,53 sec Power/Torque: 81 kW/260 N.m Top speed: 182 km/h CAR fuel index: 5,04 L/100 km CO2: 109 g/km WHETHER for the fun-loving marketing campaigns that have traced its evolution, the middle ground it occupies between the audaciousness of a Juke and practicality of an X-Trail, or its raised-hatchback driving dynamics, the popularity of Nissan’s plucky midsize crossover has shown no sign of waning. In the 11 years since its introduction (it is currently in its second generation), more than 30 000 examples have found homes in South Africa. Aiming to build on this success, Nissan South Africa has used a midlife facelift to consolidate its Qashqai range with a focus on fewer drivetrain options, yet improved levels of standard specification. The first generation was…

Price: R949 300 0-100 km/h: 8,33 sec Power/Torque: 216 kW/358 N.m Top speed: 200 km/h CAR fuel index: 12,24 L/100 km CO2: 234 g/km LET’S start with what we know: the current-generation RX has been with us since early-2016 and, at least in terms of looks, represented a revolutionary departure from its predecessor. The recipient of a particularly angular version of Lexus’ bold L-Finesse styling approach, the RX stands out in any luxury SUV identity parade with its riot of acute angles and creases, signature L-shaped lighting elements and a super-sized version of the Lexus spindle grille. The inside, too, upped the ante over the previous generation, both in terms of its luxury appointments and interior décor, with swathes of high-grade leather, soft-touch rubber and a multi-tiered dash that borders…

IT’S like watching Björn Borg all over again. Yes, the Swedes are on a roll with a series of new Volvos that have made the world sit up and take notice in the same way that long-haired Swedish tennis genius did in the mid-‘70s. Our long-termer, the XC90, was the first in an artfully aimed salvo fired from the pen of then head designer Thomas Ingenlath (he is now the CEO of Volvo’s performance division, Polestar) and, following its launch in 2015, the XC90’s successors – the S90/ V90, XC60, XC40 and V60 – have all confidently arrived displaying various incarnations of that original DNA. So they look good – I doubt anyone would disagree with that statement – and, if you have read any of our road tests and…

MANUALAND-CVT HYBRID Continuously variable transmissions (CVT) remain divisive. Whereas conservative drivers praise their smoothness of operation, more spirited pilots loathe the system’s unresponsiveness. Toyota’s new Direct Shift CVT may just be the solution to all. It adds a mechanical-drive gear for operation at low speeds, with the pulley system taking over only at higher speeds. The result is similar acceleration from standstill than you would experience from the first gear of a manual transmission. This not only removes the CVT’s sluggishness, but improves the efficiency by 6%. The pulley diameters can be made smaller as the CVT range requirement is now less (although the overall range, including the launch gear, is actually wider). Belt forces at higher vehicle speeds are less and a reduction in belt angle, along with improved…

Age 19 Budget R90 000 Status student Vehicle type budget hatchback Suzuki Alto 1,0 GLX 0 to 100 km/h: 14,91 sec Top speed: 145 km/h Power: 50 kW Torque: 87 N.m CO2 : 136 g/km CAR fuel index: 6,84 L/100 km WHILE the mechanicals of the Suzuki alto city hatch are par for the course in this competitive segment, the styling is fun and standard spec is generous. Try and find a top-spec GLX version that will include dual airbags, ABS, central locking, an audio system and a neat rev counter mounted in a side pod. Seat belts are fitted for four occupants, so it is officially a four-seater, but unfortunately there isn’t much boot space (96 litres; although that won’t be a big concern for our student), mainly impeded by…

Audi The Glen was strategically placed in the heart of The Glen’s shopping suburbia as the Audi dealer for Unitrans Motors in the area. This prime location offers easy access off the N12 highway via the Camaro Street off ramp and is perfectly situated to offer you all their premium Audi products and services at one convenient location. Having built an exceptional reputation with their uncompromising service levels and approach to complete customer satisfaction, Audi The Glen has become a preferred Audi dealer in the market place. Audi The Glen gives you the opportunity to experience all your driving ambitions with an extensive selection of new, demo model and quality Pre-owned Audis residing on their showroom floors. Your demands for luxury, elegance, extravagance and performance will all be found in…

AUTO INDUSTRY ENTREPRENEUR As much as Volkswagen and Goodyear in Uitenhage are over-burdened with a big task of creating more jobs than they could ever come up with, there is a project that needs these companies’ influence and not necessarily the financing thereof. In a nutshell, Volkswagen and Goodyear should persuade its partners like Sasol and Hi-Q to build a mini complex on the corner of Algoa Road and Mel Brooks Avenue in De Mist, next to Volkswagen’s A-plant, and the Swartkops River/Bridge and Market Square dealership. This mini complex would have a Sasol garage, Hi-Q outlet, and conveniences like a laundromat, Internet café, pizzeria, Incredible Connection. A footbridge could be built over that miniature Swartkops River tributary in order to reach Peter Searle Drive on the other side of…

Officially unveiled at the 88th Geneva Motor Show, the big brother to the Mercedes-Benz X250d tested on page 50 is scheduled to launch in South Africa later this year. According to Mornhinweg, it will… …be the most powerful double cab in SA Fitted with the brand’s (OM642) 3,0-litre V6 turbodiesel, the range-topping X350d 4Matic will deliver its 190 kW and 550 N.m of torque to all four wheels (60% to the rear). …be auto only That power will be delivered exclusively via a 7G-tronic Plus automatic transmission. Having a manual option available in the X250d and X220d range caters for X-Class buyers keen to shift gears using a clutch pedal. …have an upgraded suspension To accommodate the slightly heavier V6 motor, Mercedes-Benz has reinforced the X-Class’s suspension, most notably at…

BMW X2 sDRIVE20i M SPORT X PRICE: R673 952 ETA: Now WE ARE HERE IF there was ever a gap in this niche-plugging Bavarian brand’s burgeoning crossover range just begging to be filled, it was the coupé-shaped cranny separating the X1 and X3. If you read our March issue, you’ll know that we drove the X2 xDrive20d at the vehicle’s launch to the world press in Lisbon. For those who didn’t, a quick recap of what you’re looking at. Lending a pleasing completeness to BMW’s alphanumeric crossover line-up ahead of the arrival of the flagship X7 and inevitable X8, the new X2 runs on the same UKL2 platform as the X1 and Mini siblings, the Countryman and Clubman. In the same way as the X4 is positioned as a…

Price: R791 315 0-100 km/h: 13,47 sec Power/Torque: 140 kW/450 N.m Top speed: 180 km/h CAR fuel index: 9,24 L/100 km CO2: 203 g/km IN the automotive sphere, the “X” prefix has sometimes proved to be an ominous portent; the best known being Jaguar’s X-Type, the narrative of which was a sort of rags-to-riches story without the happy ending. Touted as a riposte to the fast-selling midsize sedans from the German Big Three, the X-Type was spun off the platform – albeit a reworked version – of Ford’s venerable European rep-mobile, the Mondeo. It simply didn’t matter that what followed was actually a good car; that Mondeo-shaped birthmark cheapened its image and ultimately that particular cat slunk away with its tail tucked firmly between its legs. Now one of the…

Price: R229 990 0-100 km/h: 12,72 sec Power/Torque: 85 kW/148 N.m Top speed: 160 km/h CAR fuel index: 7,32 L/100 km CO2: 151 g/km NO doubt an unfamiliar brand to most South Africans, let’s start with some background. The BAIC (Beijing Automobile International Corporation) Group is the latest Chinese company to enter the South African market and is state-owned in its home market. In the automotive sphere, BAIC has joint ventures with both Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai, a result of Chinese trade agreements that require global companies entering the domestic Chinese market to partner with a local company. BAIC has also invested heavily in South Africa and, in 2016, signed a massive R11-billion investment deal with the Coega Development Corporation to include a completely-knocked-down assembly plant near Port Elizabeth, from which…

IN its long history, Harley-Davidson has used an interesting array of names, both official and unofficial. The engine descriptors – Pan head, Knuckle head and Flat head – may be the most famous, but the Softail name, too, has an interesting story. In the early years of the 20th century, the first Harleys were little more than a frame and an engine; apart from the tyres, there was no suspension. Even when they eventually gave it a front suspension, the rear remained rigid, hence the name Hardtail and a description still used today for mountain bikes without rear suspension. When owners demanded more comfort, the Milwaukee-based company decided to retain the appearance of the old bikes by fitting a mono-shock hidden inside the frame. This retained the rigid downwards slope…

VW AMAROK DC 3,0 V6 TDI 4MOTION EXTREME AT Our favourite leisure bakkie, the Amarok V6, enters the CAR fleet and, considering the price, this Extreme model has a lot to prove EXTREME… This latest addition to our fleet certainly lives up to the badge boldly chosen by its maker. A certain Mercedes-Benz may have just challenged some of its tenets but, at its launch here midway through 2017, VW’s V6-engined Amarok was certainly the most extreme production double cab this market had ever seen. And particularly so with this derivative; from its price to its spec and performance, the V6 Extreme is the reigning king of the hill by some margin. This Amarok’s big calling card is, of course, that V6 turbodiesel engine mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission.…

THE performance-focused Opel Kadetts of the late-1980s to mid-’90s have become the stuff of legend in South African automotive history. We’re focusing here on the various versions of 2,0-litre hot-hatch Kadetts, spanning two generations of the vehicle. First there was the “Boss”, the 200i GSi with its s-o-h-c, eight-valve-head naturally aspirated petrol engine developing 95 kW. Next came the 1989 twin-cam, 16 V, 115 kW 2,0 GSi 16V, earning the nickname “Big Boss” (mainly during 1991 to ‘92; its official nomenclature changed to 200i CD 16 V). Then arrived the 200 GSi S that received a power boost to 125 kW by tweaking of the cam profiles to give more lift and overlap. This was dubbed the “Superboss” and 500 were built for homologation for Group N racing. Lastly, there…

VETTEL may have beaten the reigning champion, Lewis Hamilton, by five seconds but such a reasonably comfortable margin over the Mercedes was more about a freak combination of circumstances than a much-needed performance edge from Ferrari. In fact, as if to emphasise the slightly bizarre nature of the season’s first race, Vettel found himself in a position to win because he had previously been comparatively slow. WHEN SLOW EQUALS QUICK The contradictions had begun during qualifying when Hamilton claimed his 73rd pole position by 0,6 seconds. After the guesswork of pre-season testing, having all the performance cards fully exposed on track for the first time suggested Mercedes was poised to carry on where it had left off at the end of last year. In fact, while the silver car may…