Innehållsförteckning för January 2016 från CAR

For the last decade, time seems to have been in FFWD mode and my 40s have gone by in a flash. There is, however, an upside to the speedy return of the year’s 11th month … it means our Performance Shootout road trip comes around quicker. Our love of all things automotive requires that we apply the full force of our knowledge and experience when driving and analysing regular hatches, sedans, SUVs and bakkies, but it’s the opportunity to drive the cars on this issue’s cover that really gets us springing out of bed well before the sun has risen. For one week in November, the entire CAR team comes together for a road trip to drive the latest performance cars available in South Africa … all of which culminates…

MAKING its debut at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, Fiat’s rear-wheel-drive 124 Spider marks the return of the moniker to the motoring fold after a near-50-year absence. Although Mazda MX-5 DNA is clearly evident in its execution, the 124 Spider looks to add several new variables to the equation while retaining the Japanese car’s light weight, balanced construction and fun-to-drive manners. But there’ll be some serious performance punch. ETA: mid-2016 CLASSIC LINES Fiat went to great lengths to aesthetically distance the car from the MX-5 with cues such as a tapering nose with bisected grille, ovoid headlamps and rounded lower air intakes that recall the original 124 Spider. Other identifiable classic 124 traits include twin bonnet domes, a kicked-up character line mid-door at the shoulders and over the door…

This track-only Porsche is based on the Cayman GT4 and homologation is planned for a number of different series, including the VLN Long Distance Championship Nürburgring. Racing features on the GT4 Clubsport include a strut front axle and rear strut suspension sourced from the 911 GT3 Cup, as well as 12-stage adjustable ABS. Other highlights are a roll cage, racing seat with a six-point harness and 18-inch forged wheels with Michelin tyres. Power comes from a 3,8-litre flat-six engine developing 283 kW, coupled with a dual-clutch transmission and a racing-spec mechanical-locking rear differential.…

Volvo’s Concept 26, named to reflect the average daily Swedish commute to work of 26 minutes, showcases the firm’s latest autonomous driving technology. When a driver wishes to delegate driving duties to the car, the steering wheel retracts, the seat reclines and a large display emerges from the dashboard. The infotainment screen can be used to stream media or connect to the Internet, while the seat cradles the driver during the transformation phase into one of the three modes: drive, create or relax. AUTONOMOUS DRIVING - THE PROS AND CONS PROS More productive use of commuting time Removes the potential for human error Provides more transport options for the disabled and elderly Formation driving at speed reduces traffic congestion Reduces incidents of drunken driving Communication connectivity between autonomous cars can…

THERE has been no better automotive example of the “if it aint’ broke, don’t fix it” maxim than the 911. It may have grown in size and sophistication over the last six decades, but its silhouette and rear-engine configuration have remained steadfast. There was, of course, one famously short-lived alteration – those tear-duct-shape front headlamps in the 996 series. Like Mickey Mouse with square ears, it looked wrong. Messing with a beloved icon is always an ill-advised move. Which makes the car on these pages a somewhat ballsy gambit by the board members at Porsche. As part of the seventh-generation 991 series 911’s mid-life refresh, the beloved naturally aspirated flat-six engine has been binned in favour of an all-new biturbo 3,0-litre flat-six. You can practically hear the purists tut-tut. “First,…

Price: R181 900 0-100 km/h: 10,55 sec Power/Torque: 82 kW/136 N.m Top speed: 175 km/h CAR fuel index: 7,08 L/100 km CO 2  : 141 g/km THE original Ford Figo’s combination of impressive fit and finish, engaging dynamics, pliant ride and good standard specification saw it cause a stir among the CAR team when we tested the Ambiente model in our September 2010 issue. Then wearing a sticker price of just R109 990, it represented a serious foil to such established rivals as the Hyundai i10 and VW Polo Vivo. Five years later and, despite a weakening rand and stronger new rivals, the Figo’s appeal has shown no signs of waning. In 2014, it played a strong supporting role to the Ranger in the company’s best year for new-car…

A recent temporary change of residential postal code saw my round-trip commute increase from 16 to 100 km a day. While this daily drive has included a rather sobering taste of Cape Town’s N2 highway at rush hour, it has also provided the Fusion an opportunity to show off some of its stronger traits. With the traffic slow moving yet relatively free flowing, I was able to relax somewhat while relying on the Ford’s adaptive cruise control – locked onto the vehicle ahead – to dictate both my pace and a responsible following distance between the two cars. Even when this otherwise safe space is unceremoniously invaded, the Fusion’s various automated systems are able to seamlessly adjust my speed in order to re-establish this spacing. Thanks to this generally slow…

"I’M sure I could have rounded that bend at twice the speed,” boasted an enthusiastic driver. I have a surprise for him: many factors influence the maximum speed a vehicle can round a specific bend, not only driver skill. Yes, driving prowess is important in controlling a vehicle at the critical limit, but engineering theory helps us determine those limits long before vehicles (or egos) are dented. In keeping with this issue’s sporting flavour, I’ll highlight the cornering ability of some of the cars involved in this year’s Shootout in turn one of Killarney Racetrack to explain the factors at play. Luckily, we had racer Deon Joubert behind the wheel of each vehicle for consistency and to make such a comparison easy. THE THEORY TYRES Rubber is the primary influencer…

For more than 100 years Exxon-Mobil has offered unique lubrication solutions to its customers and developed technology leadership and application expertise across a vast global network.The firm co-operates with key equipment manufacturers and OEMs to ensure that it remains one of the leading energy and lubrication brands in the world. In fact, its products are developed in partnership with global industry partners, including the McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team, Volvo, Porsche and Bentley, to name but a few. At the recent Mobil Lubricant Experience event held in Pretoria, ExxonMobil celebrated the appointment of Centlube as its new authorised distributor in South Africa and the opening of its first dedicated lubricants office in South Africa in 10 years.The event, which showcased the Mobil brand and products, took place at Gerotek and was…

Mobil 1™ engine oils have long been the lubricants of choice for racing teams competing in the most demanding and popular motorsports series across the globe. The history of Mobil 1 in motorsports dates back to rallying in the early 1970s, but the firm became officially involved in racing in 1978 through sponsorship of the Williams Formula One team and the 1987 sponsorship of RustyWallace’s no. 27 entry in Nascar. Today, along with being the Official LubricantTechnology Partner and Official Motor Oil of NASCAR®, Mobil 1 enjoys a long association with many of world’s most popular and successful race teams, including the McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team and Stewart-Haas Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, Corvette Racing’s Tudor United Sportscar Championship team, Tony Stewart Racing’s USAC and World of Outlaws team…

ETA: mid-2016 (in China) UNVEILED at the Guangzhou Auto Show, the Compact Sedan Concept represents BMW’s vision for a four-door sedan for the compact segment. According to BMW Group design boss, Adrian van Hooydonk, “The BMW Concept Compact Sedan reveals the potential we see in a compact sedan. It not only gives the driver and passengers generous amounts of space within a compact area, but does so while providing the sporting ability you’d expect from BMW and an elegance otherwise available only in large BMW sedans." CHINA-FOCUSED, BUT GLOBALLY RELEVANT Although the concept is specifically aimed at younger Chinese clientele, it’s unlikely that the production model will be limited to that market, especially given that BMW is looking to aggressively grow its FWD line-up and presently doesn’t have a direct…

WE promised a shock, and here it is: Honda’s eagerly anticipated and subsequently lauded Civic Type R mega hatch finished a surprising eighth. Despite garnering praise for its limpet-like front-end grip and brutal speed – it needed just 5,91 seconds to break through the three-figure barrier in performance testing – some testers felt the Japanese vehicle was a little one-dimensional, resulting in an inability to heighten the senses. It feels exactly like the creation it is: one devised to pursue the lap record for front-wheel-driven cars at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, eschewing nuance in the process. Thanks to lavishly flared wheelarches, that in-your-face rear wing and ornate anthracite alloy wheels, the Civic drew the crowds wherever we went, despite often being parked next to far more exotic machinery. Unfortunately, the Honda’s…

THINK about Volvo for a second, especially its local product line-up: the words “performance” and “racing” don’t immediately spring to mind, do they? However, in the manufacturer’s home country of Sweden, the situation is quite different. Since 1996, specialist tuning company Polestar has turned otherwise sensible Volvos into race-winning machines – as a consequence, Volvo has dominated the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship for the last three years. Whereas in the past the Swedish carmaker worked closely with Polestar, it recently bought the latter outright and the first product of the new acquisition is the S60 Polestar. It incorporates 200 new parts and a total of more than 50 major upgrades that were carried out to the standard car, a S60 T6 R Design AWD. Its clear that a number of…

Price: R289 900 0-100 km/h: 12,28 sec Power/Torque: 81 kW/205 N.m Top speed: 190 km/h CAR fuel index: 5,16 L/100 km CO 2  : 104 g/km THE 208 has been a B-segment favourite of the CAR team since its introduction; it gained a positive review in our initial road test (August 2012) and won its category in the 2014 Top 12 Best Buys. It’s an affordable, refined hatchback with a dash of design flair that really only has one niggle – that controversial driving position. As part of the recent facelift, this latest derivative has received the GT Line treatment, which, in Peugeot-speak, means the installation of more premium trimming. It has also been given the PSA Group’s 1,2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which does duty in the Citroën C4…

THIS month, the Amarok double-cab bakkie was put to duty towing a trailer packed with furniture as well as taking a restored Volkswagen Beetle from the paint shop to an engine-overhaul workshop to have its refreshed flat-four refitted. Unlike the Thule roof racks fitted to our Peugeot 3008 long-termer some years ago, the product’s revised design means it now creates less wind rustle thanks to a lower drag coefficient. These new ones have therefore become a permanent fixture on the Amarok. We’ve yet to use the roof box or roof basket, but they’ll come in handy soon. The Blaupunkt audio and optional satellite navigation systems are very useful, but not without their quirks. When you adjust the climate control system, a neat screen appears showing all aspects related to ventilation.…

ALTHOUGH the gorgeous Maserati GranTurismo has two doors and looks like a two-seater or, at a push, a 2+2, it is actually a full four-seater. Designed by Pininfarina, it’s a bit shorter than the four-door Quattroporte but is still a large grand tourer. The 90-degree, 4,2-litre V8 develops 298 kW and 460 N.m, but if that’s not enough (and it might not be; the Gran-Turismo is unashamedly heavy – the first model we tested for the March 2008 issue weighed nearly two tonnes – which blunts performance to vulnerable-to-hot-hatches level), there’s always the S derivative. Its Ferrari F430-sourced 4,6-litre engine has 32 valves and delivers 323 kW and 490 N.m of torque from under its crackle-red rocker covers. ENGINES There is a small coolant hose under the engine that can…

WHILE the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans remains the pinnacle event on the World Endurance Championship (WEC) calendar, the final round of the nine-race season underscored the point that there’s more than enough on-track intrigue and drama in the whole series to get an increasingly jaded motor racing audience excited again. In its third full season, the WEC has not only managed to lure prestigious racing names like Aston Martin, Audi, Porsche and Ford back to the racetrack, but also reintroduced close-fought racing in four classes to enthusiastic markets otherwise starved of top-flight racing. For manufacturers, the specific appeal of this type of racing is that it provides a platform on which to develop, test and perfect technologies it can later adapt for use in production models. Porsche, for…

1983 Honda NR500 A product of Honda HRC’s New Racing programme, the NR500 had a four-stroke engine and was meant to take part in the 500 cm3 World Championship. It had the titanium and magnesium oval-piston layout made famous by the 1979 NR500, but the ’83 bike’s claim to fame was its carbon-fibre structure that also employed the lightweight material on the swing-arms, wheels, fork tubes and brakes. That made it expensive to produce and repair, and so Honda opted for a less advanced two-stroke bike to compete in that year’s championship. The result? Its first title in more than 20 years thanks to rider Freddie Spencer. 1984 ELF2 The ELF2 turned heads thanks to its revolutionary linear steering system, which meant the rider had to push and pull the…

to Riaan Pienaar, who wins a Luminox Sentry 0200 Series No. XL.0201.SL Sentry, worth more than R3 000, for writing this month’s winning letter. The Sentry has a black case with luminescent accents and a black rubber-band watch strap. It is driven by a Swiss quartz movement that is protected by a 43 mm carbon-reinforced case and features a durable mineral crystal. This timepiece is water resistant to 100 metres. Timex has been keeping track of time since 1854. There is a watch to suit every facet of your lifestyle, whether you’re into running, gymming or enjoying the great outdoors. For your nearest stockist, contact timex@tregerbrands.co.za or visit www.timex.com…

NOT only did this year’s line-up feature a smorgasbord of sportscars, from the R390 000 Mazda MX-5 roadster to the R1 991 670 Mercedes-AMG GT S, plus a triumvirate of steroidal SUVs, but we also tweaked the format. For 2016, we’ve adopted something akin to Formula One qualifying. Judging each vehicle on its ability to best deliver the breadth of driving enjoyment that it is purported to offer, irrespective of the class in which it competes, five cars were knocked out after day one, five more after day two … and then we picked our winner from the final three. As it always is, the decision-making involved much debate among the CAR team; after which, we each went away to cast our votes. You can see the results on page…

THIS could have been an awkward piece to pen. Trying to explain why a brawny SUV or a tiny Japanese ragtop had emerged as the winner of Shootout 2016 would have required journalistic gymnastics. Democracy would not fail us this time though. After the usual considered debate and trash talk, the CAR team’s votes revealed a top three with silhouettes you’d expect of performance car: low slung, aggressive and purposeful. In third place: BMW i8 If it were down to looks alone, the BMW i8 would have walked away with the trophy. No car came close to receiving as much attention during our road trip as BMW’s innovative hybrid. Never before has automotive form and function combined in such a harmonious and resolved way. Heads snapped, fingers pointed and eyes…

THE press presentation for the new Ferrari 488 Spider spans 58 brain-scramblingly detailed Power Point slides covering the V8 roadster’s heritage, under-the-skin trickery and the buyer profile. It’s the slides contextualising the latter that pique my interest. It turns out that more people buy the roadster version of Ferrari’s core V8 model range than the coupé (except in China, where the hard-top version is seen to be more prestigious). Purists will, of course, frown at this. Chopping the roof off a vehicle results in structural losses that have to be resolved with extra bracing, which in turn adds mass and so could dull the driving experience and outright performance. Ferrari has had to incorporate additional bracing both front and rear that, in combination with the mechanism that folds the solid…

THIS Mercedes-AMG is hardcore. It is an infantile notion, but that’s the impression of the Benz that lingers in my mind. Perhaps I was spoilt by the scalpel-like precision of the Mercedes-AMG GT S, with which the newcomer shares its powerplant (albeit in a different state of tune and with a bespoke installation)… Maybe the 26-corner, 5,4 km layout the track at the picturesque Ascari Race Resort on the outskirts of Ronda, which emulates some of the most notorious bends of the world’s legendary racetracks, was way too intricate for my journalist brain to process (in a matter of four laps, at any rate)… Whatever the reason, the C63 S Coupé ultimately pummelled the evocative ribbon of asphalt into submission with muscular belligerence. In terms of outputs, the differences between…

Price: R700 500 0-100 km/h: 4,93 sec Power/Torque: 210 kW/380 N.m Top speed: 250 km/h CAR fuel index: 8,28 L/100 km CO 2  : 159 g/km AUDI’s S range has been an unqualified success. These derivatives nimbly bridged the gap between models with broad appeal and the fearsome RS-badged incarnations. S models offer more performance and sportier styling than the standard cars, without blowing the budget or sacrificing comfort levels like full-blown performance-division vehicles are wont to do. Indeed, so successful has Audi been with the S versions that the carmaker’s approach has all but forced Mercedes-Benz and BMW to follow suit, introducing their AMG Sport and M Performance versions. The TTS, though, has proved a far more difficult model on which to apply this happy medium. Firstly, the…

THE i20 has been consistently unremarkable since its arrival seven months ago. This can of course be viewed as both a compliment and a criticism. See the i20 as a refined way of getting from point A to B and it delivers; expect excitement from the package and it disappoints. On the positive side, the i20 is a fuss-free commuter and the 1,4-litre four-cylinder engine does a game job at city speeds. However, it lacks character and sufficient motive force at higher speeds. What’s more, it appears the valve timing is quite lazy, which creates a frustrating flat spot when pulling-away or accelerating from low revs. As a result, taking narrow gaps in traffic needs perfect timing. Winning points for the drivetrain is the excellent six-speed manual transmission. The throws…

FCV TURBO? TURBOCHARGER technology will not only be integral to downsized internal-combustion engines of the future, but also play a part in fuel-cell vehicles (FCV). We covered the new Toyota Mirai hydrogen FCV extensively in the last issue, but to just to recap: a fuel cell generates electricity to power the electric motor of the vehicle by harnessing the reaction between hydrogen (from the fuel tanks) and oxygen (from the air). “The power output of a fuel cell is limited by the rate at which air can be supplied to sustain the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen,” says Aeristech CEO, Bryn Richards. “Hydrogen can be supplied at a high rate because of the high pressure in the fuel tanks, but the amount of oxygen is limited by the atmospheric air…

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FORD MUSTANG PRICES START AT R699 900 It’s difficult to believe this is the very first time Ford has produced the Mustang in right-hand-drive guise. But that also means the Blue Oval’s latest Pony car is now available for sale locally. Six derivatives will occupy showroom floors in two body styles: Fastback (R699 900 to R839 900) and Convertible (R779 900 to R899 900). In terms of powertrains, buyers have the option of a 5,0-litre V8 or an all-new, turbocharged 2,3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost motor. Both engines can be mated with either six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The V8 develops 306 kW and 530 N.m of torque. According to Ford, the 5,0 V8 GT Fastback manual can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4,8 seconds. For those who prefer…

AT its launch, the Harris Mann-designed TR7’s styling was trumpeted as the shape of the future. But not everyone was convinced. Many British sportscar fans lamented the disappearance of the elegant, flowing lines of earlier car designs such as the MGA, MGB and Triumph Spitfire. The TR7 was not warmly received and suffered such descriptions as the “the shape that came and went” and its fans counted as part of the “Triumph Wedge Owners Club”. PACKAGING The engine configuration also came under fire, with critics preferring the mid-engined layouts of the Fiat X-19 and Porsche 914 over the TR7’s front-engine configuration. In the March 1981 issue of CAR, we announced five special imports from Leyland UK: the Jaguar XJ-S and XJ-6 series 3; the MGB and GT; and the TR7.…