Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2019 i CAR

Automotive trends evolve at a dazzling rate and it can be a baffling exercise trying to keep up. Why, in this issue alone, we preview a Ferrari with a ferociously powerful plug-in hybrid drivetrain (page 12); BMW’s radical future plans (page 30); a performance SUV from the latter which tackles corners like a hot hatch (page 46); and two bakkies powerful enough to scare many of those hatchback drivers (page 60). The automotive landscape’s dizzying interlacing of genres meant it was a welcome respite sliding behind the wheel of Mazda’s new 3 (page 68). Here’s a recognisably conventional midsize five-door that doesn’t venture outside its design envelope (ahem, crossovers). It’s handsomely styled; drives pleasantly; and seats four in comfort in a solid cabin that’s easy to use and generously specced.…

The new M8, set to be offered in standard form and Competition guise, as well as in both Coupé and Convertible (with a Gran Coupé in the works), features what the Bavarian firm has touted as the “most powerful engine ever developed for an M car”. The 4,4-litre twin-turbo V8 has been tuned to develop a formidable 430 kW in the standard car and a whopping 460 kW in flagship Competition models. All derivatives are equipped with M-specific adaptive suspension, including electronically controlled dampers and electromechanical M Servotronic steering, along with 20-inch M light-alloy wheels in a twin spoke design. These are wrapped in high-performance tyres measuring 275/35 R20 at the front and 285/35 R20 at the rear. Both M compound and optional carbon-ceramic braking setups feature a two-preset system…

The Sterrato Concept is based on the Huracán Evo and its 470 kW V10 engine... Taking a leaf from the Paris-Dakar Rally-winning Rothmans Porsche 959, the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato Concept is a study the Italian supercar maker claims will potentially pave the way for a high-performance off-road racer. Based on the Huracán Evo (along with its 470 kW V10 engine), it features a ride height raised by 47 mm, balloon tyres and underbody bash plates that incorporate a rear diffuser.…

1936 MERCEDES-BENZ 260D In 1935, Daimler-Benz developed the first mass-produced oil-burner. One year later, the free-revving OM 138 was fitted to the 260D, making it the first production diesel car. 1986 BMW E28 524td The six-cylinder turbodiesel 5, introduced in 1983, was the Bavarian brand’s first diesel model. In 1986, the 524td became the first production car with an electronically controlled injection pump. 2006 AUDI R10 TDI Equipped with a common-rail 5,5-litre twin-turbo V12 mill producing 458 kW/1 100 N.m, Ingolstadt’s diesel-powered LMP1 racecar was the first of its kind to claim victory at Le Mans. 2008 AUDI Q7 V12 TDI Eight years into the millennium, Audi fitted the most-powerful production diesel engine ever to the Q7. The twin-turbo common-rail oil-burner churned out 368 kW and 1 000 N.m (the…

Invitingly reversed against the walls, the ages of Jan Enslin’s span over a full century. He is a big fan of and owns some of the earliest Ford Model Ts, through to the glorious Mercedes-Benz and Porsche models from the 1950 and ‘60s … and quite a few up to the Eighties, too. Jan’s garage also houses his horde of model cars, vintage signage and the compulsory vintage Shell fuel pump. “I recently went to a car show in Oudtshoorn and an auction in Beaufort West. I bought more memorabilia than I had intended to...” One of the highlights of Jan’s collection is a nuts-and-bolts restored Porsche 356 B concourse winner. In fact, there are four 356s in the collection: an A, two Bs and a C. “I recently sourced…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Cylinders: V6, longitudinal Fuel supply: electronic common-rail direct injection, turbocharged, intercooled, diesel Bore/stroke: 83,0/92,0 mm Cubic capacity: 2 987 cm3 Compression ratio: 15,5 to 1 Valvegear: d-o-h-c, four valves per cylinder ENGINE OUTPUT Max power ISO: 190 kW Power peak/Red line: 3 400/4 300 r/min Max torque: 550 N.m Torque peak: 1 400-3 200 r/min TRANSMISSION Type: seven-speed automatic 1st gear /2nd gear: 4,38/2,86 to 1 3rd gear/4th gear: 1,92/1,37 to 1 5th gear/6th gear: 1,00/0,82 to 1 Top gear: 0,73 to 1 Reverse gear: 3,42 to 1 Final drive: 3,38 to 1 Drive wheels: all Driver aids: ESC (Electronic Stability Control), hill start BRAKES Front: 320 mm ventilated discs Rear: 308 mm ventilated discs Hydraulics: ABS with EBD and EBA WHEELS AND TYRES Tyre make: Continental Premium…

Audi A3 Sportback 35 TFSI S tronic Pretty much sets the segment benchmark in terms of build quality, refinement and a balanced driving package. Huge brand cachet but looks conservative in this company. price: R469 000cyl/capac: 4/1 395 cm3power: 110 kW/5 000 r/mintorque: 250 N.m/1 500-3 500 r/mingears/drive: 7/F 0-100 km/h: 8,20 sec esttop speed: 220 km/hfuel index: 5,90 L/100 kmluggage capac: 280/928 Lserv/maint plan: M5/100 000 km Mercedes-Benz A200 7G-DCT Bristles with infotainment tech, and probably the only hatch at this price point to rival the Mazda in the design stakes. Standard spec is meagre by comparison, though. price: R500 012cyl/capac: 4/1 332 cm3power: 120 kW/5 500 r/mintorque: 250 N.m/1 620-4 000 r/mingears/drive: 7/F 0-100 km/h: 8,78 sectop speed: 225 km/hfuel index: 6,70 L/100 kmluggage capac: 272/976 Lserv/maint plan: M5/100 000…

Ford EcoSport 1,5 TDCi Ambiente A popular choice in our market, the recently facelifted EcoSport range offers a compelling blend of adventure and urban chic. Ambiente trim is a bit shy of nice-to-have spec, though. price: R271 000cyl/capac: 4/1 499 cm3power: 74 kW/3 750 r/mintorque: 205 N.m/1 750-3 250 r/mingears/drive: 5/F 0-100 km/h: 14,50 sec esttop speed: 160 km/hfuel index: 5,50 L/100 kmluggage capac: 280/1 032 Lserv/maint plan: S4/60 000 km Renault Captur 66 kW dCi Dynamique One of Renault’s best products, the Captur boasts impressive perceived build quality and, in Dynamique spec, a compelling list of standard equipment. Engine is very frugal. price: R320 900cyl/capac: 4/1 461 cm3power: 66 kW/4 000 r/mintorque: 220 N.m/1 750 r/mingears/drive: 5/F 0-100 km/h: 13,10 sectop speed: 171 km/hfuel index: 4,30 L/100 kmluggage capac:…

Volkswagen Tiguan 2,0 TDI Comfortline A multiple Top 12 Best Buys winner, the Tiguan combines comfort, quality and practicality in an unmatched package. Diesel engine is torquey in the mid-range and frugal, too. Service plan counts against it, though. price: R505 800cyl/capac: 4/1 968 cm3power: 81 kW/3 000 r/mintorque: 280 N.m/1 500-2 500 r/mingears/drive: 6/F 0-100 km/h: 11,20 sec esttop speed: 183 km/hfuel index: 6,20 L/100 kmluggage capac: 336/1 040 Lserv/maint plan: S5/90 000 km Volvo XC40 T3 R-Design One of the market’s best three-cylinder engines in a fun-to-drive boutique SUV. Loses out to the Volkswagen only because the German strikes a better overall balance. We’d opt for a Momentum model with auto. price: R570 350cyl/capac: 3/1 477 cm3power: 115 kW/5 000 r/mintorque: 265 N.m/1 850-3 850 r/mingears/drive: 6/F 0-100 km/h: 11,15…

Porsche 718 Boxster PDK It blows its rivals into the weeds. No longer considered the “poor person’s Porsche”, the Boxster’s cachet makes it a covetable car. Stellar resale ensures the price tag is palatable. price: R937 000cyl/capac: H4/1 988 cm3power: 220 kW/6 500 r/mintorque: 380 N.m/1 950 r/mingears/drive: 7/R 0-100 km/h: 4,90 sectop speed: 275 km/hfuel index: 8,30 L/100 kmluggage capac: 216 Lserv/maint plan: M3/100 000 km BMW Z4 sDrive20i Steptronic More balanced than the M40i and, despite the four-cylinder’s modest outputs, it’s a pacey car. Even so, it’s more of a poised GT than a sportscar, but the pricing is highly competitive. price: R759 442cyl/capac: 4/1 998 cm3power: 145 kW/4 500 r/mintorque: 320 N.m/1 450-4 200 r/mingears/drive: 8/R 0-100 km/h: 6,53 sectop speed: 240 km/hfuel index: 7,32 L/100 kmluggage capac: 224…

Mini Cooper Hatch 3-door It may not be considered a warm hatch but the Cooper offers plenty of poke, a great chassis and premium interior. Spec not as good as the Corsa’s but counters with a maintenance plan. price: R382 633cyl/capac: 3/1 499 cm3power: 100 kW/4 400r/mintorque: 220 N.m/1 250-4 300 r/mingears/drive: 6/F 0-100 km/h: 7,9 sec esttop speed: 210 km/hfuel index: 5,6 L/100 kmluggage capac: 136/632 Lserv/maint plan: M5/100 000 km Abarth 595 1,4T The Abarth is notably smaller than the Corsa GSi but it’s got the performance to back up its badge, not to mention it’s considerably cheaper than the Opel and quicker. price: R327 900cyl/capac: 4/1 386 cm3power: 107 kW/5 500 r/mintorque: 206 N.m/3 000 r/mingears/drive: 5/F 0-100 km/h: 7,8 sec esttop speed: 210 km/hfuel index: 7,2 L/100 kmluggage…

Built in Thailand SPECIFICATIONS Price: R79 995 Engine: 2-cyl, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled Displacement: 399 cm3 Power: 33 kW @ 10 000 r/min Torque: 38 N.m @ 8 000 r/min Transmission: 6-speed Tyre sizes: 110/70 R17 (f); 150/60 R17 (r) Frame: steel trellis Seat height: 785 mm Fuel tank: 14,0 L Fuel cons (on test): 5,8 L/100 km Mass (fuelled): 167 kg Warranty: 2 years/unlimited km Service: 6 000 km/12 months (first service at 1 000 km) TEST RESULTS ACCELERATION (seconds) 0-40 0-60 0-80 0-100 0-120 0-140 1,50 2,39 3,70 5,54 7,82 11,82…

JOINT TROUBLE “Vaaljapie” Oosthuizen is thankful the only vintage tractor in his shed is the Ferguson model known throughout our country as the Vaaljapie. Things could be a lot worse. He could possess one of the famous Rumely Oil-Pull tractors and then he would have had to live with such a peculiar name. The 1910 Oil-Pull ran on kerosene oil and employed a 30-litre twin-cylinder engine to deliver stump-pulling torque. If you find one today, you could sell it and buy a house. One of the vehicles on Vaaljapie’s farm is a 2007 Nissan Hardbody. It has served him well but recently developed a mysterious thump on pull-away. Once on the move, it made no more noise than usual. Vaaljapie jacked up the vehicle and had a look but could…

GEARED SPEEDS I am interested in purchasing a Suzuki Super Carry bakkie and would like to know how to calculate the engine revolutions at particular road speeds. CAR’s road tests show a graph listing maximum geared speeds versus engine speed. Can you explain how the geared speeds are calculated? GREG HAND East London To calculate the geared speeds, you need to know: • The individual gear ratios.; • Final drive (diff) ratio; • Wheel diameter to calculate wheel circumference; • Engine speed. For a given engine speed, we can calculate the road speed for a specific gear, as explained in this sample calculation for the maximum speed in first gear of a 2019 BMW 320d Steptronic: Tyre size: 225/40 R19 1st gear ratio: 5,25 to 1 Final drive: 2,81 to 1 Redline: 5 000…

I had the pleasure of interviewing Lauda several times when a racing driver and enjoying longer reflective conversations in his later years. The Austrian was always the go-to voice if an honest, PR-free (and often graphically humorous) opinion was required, journalists revelling in replies that were always laced with common sense and completely devoid of pretence. In March 1971, when a race fan and before becoming a professional writer, I took a photo of Lauda on his international debut in Formula Two at Mallory Park in Leicestershire. I have no idea why I took that photo; Lauda had no reputation at all. The opportunity just presented itself and I thought it was a nice shot of this young Austrian. I showed the image to Niki at the start of one…

“Tighten until the bolt thread strips and then loosen half a turn.” This old mechanic’s joke may attract a few giggles at a social gathering but the humour disappears quickly when a head bolt strips the thread in the soft aluminium-alloy, or a turbo-flange stud breaks off while attempting a DIY fix. We met up with Emile Rautenbach, owner of Peninsula Thread, to learn how they fix the mess on site caused by home (and professional) technicians. Emile’s mobile bakkie units are kitted out with all the tools to perform mechanical miracles. THEORY A vehicle’s workshop manual specifies torque settings for all critical bolts. Depending on the bolt’s material and the hole’s thread, a certain tensile load on the bolt is optimal and provides the ideal fastening force. The required…

Notes • The PRICES shown are the latest available at the time of going to press. Our deadline occurred before 28 June 2019. Readers should check with a dealer before making a decision. • The HP payment calculations are based on a 10% deposit, current prime interest rate and a 60-month repayment period with no residual at the end. • Under ENGINE we list the number of cylinders and the cubic capacity in cm3 . Here, V = V-shaped engine layout; H = horizontally-opposed engine layout; The absence of an initial symbol implies an in-line engine layout. • FUEL SUPPLY abbreviations are P = petrol-engined; D = diesel-engined; T = turbocharged, a compressor driven by exhaust gases; S = supercharged, a compressor driven by the engine; P/H = petrol-hybrid and…

Email: car@ramsaymedia.co.za Mail: CAR, PO Box 180, Howard Place, 7450 OVER TO YOU... Please include your physical address and telephone number. Diverse ideas and opinions are welcome but publication of your letter doesn’t necessarily mean we agree. Please stick to a maximum of 300 words. CAR reserves the right to edit and shorten letters owing to space constraints. WHAT’S NEXT? As an avid reader of CAR magazine, I often wonder what gimmick manufacturers will come up with next (waving your arms at a screen to change radio stations comes to mind). I wonder how many owners of cars less of than 10 years old can run through all the features available in their cars. My guess is none, unless it’s a basic vehicle. The dashboard of the Lamborghini 350 GT…

XKSS 1:8 Amalgam Collectors Scale Replica Price: R118 531 lifestyle.jaguar.co.za If you have, oh, about R120 000 lying around and want to invest your money in a Jaguar, you could buy a late 1980s XJS … or you could splurge on this, a 1:8-replica of the 1957 XKSS. Thanks to three-dimensional scanning technology employed by Amalgam, this collector’s item perfectly recreates the intricate engine and interior design of the original.…

Price: TBA Engine: 3,0-litre, 6-cyl, twinturbo-petrol Transmission: 8-speed automatic Power: 375 kW @ 6 250 r/min Torque: 600 N.m @ 2 600-5 950 r/min 0-100 km/h: 4,1 seconds* Top speed: 250 km/h* Fuel consumption: 10,5 L/100 km* CO2 : 239 g/km Rivals: Jaguar F-Pace SVR; Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S + fantastic handling; performance; engine response - firm ride; nondescript styling The ribbon of tarmac ahead snakes left, then right, before upstate New York’s lush greenery engulfs it in the far distance. We might have found the US’ most bendy road … and the speed limit is a miserable 45 mph. That crawl pace is made more frustrating when the engine ahead pumps out 375 kW and will power the next-generation M3. I’m at the helm of the new X3 M Competition and…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Cylinders: V6, longitudinal Fuel supply: electronic common-rail direct injection, turbocharged, intercooled, diesel Bore/stroke: 83,0/91,4 mm Cubic capacity: 2 967 cm3 Compression ratio: 16,0 to 1 Valvegear: d-o-h-c, four valves per cylinder ENGINE OUTPUT Max power ISO: 165 kW Power peak/Red line: 3 000-4 500/4 500 r/min Max torque: 550 N.m Torque peak: 1 400-1 750 r/min TRANSMISSION Type: eight-speed automatic 1st gear /2nd gear: 4,71/3,14 to 1 3rd gear/4th gear: 2,11/1,67 to 1 5th gear/6th gear: 1,29/1,00 to 1 7th gear/8th gear: 0,84/0,67 to 1 Reverse gear: 3,32 to 1 Final drive: 3,70 to 1 Drive wheels: all Driver aids: ESC (Electronic Stability Control), hill start BRAKES Front: 332 mm ventilated discs Rear: 300 mm ventilated discs Hydraulics: ABS with EBD WHEELS AND TYRES Tyre make: Continental CrossContact…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Cylinders: four, inline, transverse Fuel supply: electronic direct fuel injection, petrol Bore/stroke: 83,5/91,2 mm Cubic capacity: 1 998 cm3 Compression ratio: 13 to 1 Valvegear: d-o-h-c, four valves per cylinder ENGINE OUTPUT Max power ISO: 114 kW Power peak/Red line: 6 000/6 600 r/min Max torque: 200 N.m Torque peak: 4 000 r/min TRANSMISSION Type: six-speed automatic 1st gear /2nd gear: 3,55/2,02 to 1 3rd gear/4th gear: 1,35/1,00 to 1 5th gear/Top gear: 0,74/0,59 to 1 Reverse gear: 3,05 to 1 Final drive: 3,85 to 1 Drive wheels: front Driver aids: ESC (electronic stability control), hill start BRAKES Front: 295 mm ventilated discs Rear: 265 mm solid discs Hydraulics: ABS with EBD and EBA WHEELS AND TYRES Tyre make: Bridgestone Turanza T005 A Tyre size: 215/45 R18 Spare…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Cylinders: four, inline, transverse Fuel supply: electronic common-rail direct injection, turbocharged, intercooled, diesel Bore/stroke: 76,0/82,5 mm Cubic capacity: 1 497 cm3 Compression ratio: 16,1 to 1 Valvegear: d-o-h-c, four valves per cylinder ENGINE OUTPUT Max power ISO: 86 kW Power peak/Red line: 3 750/4 500 r/min Max torque: 300 N.m Torque peak: 1 500-2 500 r/min TRANSMISSION Type: six-speed manual 1st gear /2nd gear: 4,15/2,30 to 1 3rd gear/4th gear: 1,46/1,03 to 1 5th gear/Top gear: 0,76/0,66 to 1 Reverse gear: 3,57 to 1 Final drive: 3,71 to 1 Drive wheels: front Driver aids: ESC (Electronic Stability Control), hill start BRAKES Front: ventilated discs Rear: solid discs Hydraulics: ABS with EBD WHEELS AND TYRES Tyre make: Bridgestone Turanza T001 Tyre size: 215/55 R17 Spare – type and location:…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Cylinders: three, inline, transverse Fuel supply: electronic direct fuel injection, turbocharged, intercooled, petrol Bore/stroke: 82,0/93,2 mm Cubic capacity: 1 477 cm3 Compression ratio: 10,5 to 1 Valvegear: d-o-h-c, four valves per cylinder ENGINE OUTPUT Max power ISO: 115 kW Power peak/Red line: 5 000/6 500 Max torque: 265 N.m Torque peak: 1 850-3 850 r/min TRANSMISSION Type: six-speed manual 1st gear /2nd gear: 3,58/2,05 to 1 3rd gear/4th gear: 1,31/0,92 to 1 5th gear/Top gear: 0,69/0,58 to 1 Reverse gear: 3,33 to 1 Final drive: 4,56 to 1 Drive wheels: front Driver aids: ESC (Electronic Stability Control), hill start BRAKES Front: 345 mm ventilated discs Rear: 302 mm solid discs Hydraulics: ABS with EBD and EBA WHEELS AND TYRES Tyre make: Pirelli P Zero Tyre size: 245/45 R20…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Cylinders: four, inline, longitudinal Fuel supply: electronic direct fuel injection, turbocharged, intercooled, petrol Bore/stroke: 82,0/94,6 mm Cubic capacity: 1 998 cm3 Compression ratio: 10,2 to 1 Valvegear: d-o-h-c, four valves per cylinder ENGINE OUTPUT Max power ISO: 145 kW Power peak/Red line: 4 500-6 500/ 6 000 r/min Max torque: 320 N.m Torque peak: 1 450-4 200 r/min TRANSMISSION Type: eight-speed automatic 1st gear /2nd gear: 5,25/3,36 to 1 3rd gear/4th gear: 2,17/1,72 to 1 5th gear/6th gear: 1,31/1,00 to 1 7th gear/Top gear: 0,82/0,64 to 1 Reverse gear: 3,71 to 1 Final drive: 3,15 to 1 Drive wheels: rear Driver aids: ESC (Electronic Stability Control), hill start BRAKES Front: ventilated discs Rear: solid discs Hydraulics: ABS with EBD and EBA WHEELS AND TYRES Tyre make: Michelin Pilot…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Cylinders: four, inline, transverse Fuel supply: multipoint electronic fuel injection, turbocharged, intercooled, petrol Bore/stroke: 72,5/82,6 mm Cubic capacity: 1 364 cm3 Compression ratio: 9,5 to 1 Valvegear: d-o-h-c, four valves per cylinder ENGINE OUTPUT Max power ISO: 110 kW Power peak/Red line: 5 000/6 500 r/min Max torque: 220 N.m Torque peak: 3 000-4 500 r/min TRANSMISSION Type: six-speed manual 1st gear /2nd gear: 3,82/2,16 to 1 3rd gear/4th gear: 1,48/1,07 to 1 5th gear/Top gear: 0,88/0,74 to 1 Reverse gear: 3,55 to 1 Final drive: 3,83 to 1 Drive wheels: front Driver aids: ESC (Electronic Stability Control), hill start BRAKES Front: 308 mm ventilated discs Rear: 264 mm solid discs Hydraulics: ABS with EBD and EBA WHEELS AND TYRES Tyre make: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Tyre size:…

Driver: Nikesh Kooverjee NikeshKooverjee 2 045 km 6,61 L/100 km + great standard features nowhere to safely store big smartphones While driving home in traffic one afternoon, I had a unique occurrence that I’d never experienced in a test car before: a fellow Ignis driver in the oncoming lane smiled at me in a manner indicating camaraderie and approval. It shows the possibility of the Ignis developing a following that could morph into a close-knit community in the coming years. Of course, only time will tell. In the greater scheme of South African car sales, the Ignis is a solid but not spectacular performer, moving 120 to 160 units a month. However, it’s been on sale long enough to have become a commonly seen car, especially in Cape Town where…

We’ve covered a few concept airless tyres on these pages but none have been as close to production as the Uptis concept from Michelin. Uptis is short for “unique puncture-proof tyre system” and it is the key advantage over pneumatic tyres. According to Michelin, more than 200 million tyres are scrapped each year because of puncture-related damage, which is obviously bad for the environment. The Uptis would also mean tyre-monitoring systems would be a thing of the past because they’re almost-zero-maintenance items. The load of the vehicle is carried in the special fibreglass-composite spokes. Interestingly, the load is supported by the top spokes, resulting in a tensile force, as is the case with spoked bicycle wheels. GM is testing these tyres on its Bolt electric vehicle and early results are…

LUMPY IDLE I purchased my Ford Ranger Supercab 3,0 TDCi 4x4 in August 2007. As a land surveyor, I’ve used the vehicle on many long trips and driven on some extremely poor sand roads. The vehicle is powerful, relatively fuel efficient and I have never had to top up the oil between services. At about 180 000 km, the engine started idling slightly roughly and, over time, this has become more pronounced. At 200 000 km, a major service was conducted at the Ford dealer including a cambelt change, and they said it was nothing to worry about. At a later stage, the dealer decided to change the engine mountings which appeared to briefly address the issue but the lumpy idle soon returned. I recently spoke to a Ford technician…

Way back, in February 1959, we tested a very different Saab with a similar name, the 93B. This had a water-cooled, three-cylinder, two-stroke engine of just 750 cm3 capacity and produced 25 kW at 5 000 r/min. It had a three-speed manual gearbox and took 32,4 seconds to reach 100 km/h before topping out at 119,7 km/h. If you're interested in the bigger 9-5, we tested an SE Turbo in August 1998 and the wagon variant exactly two years later. Both used a 2,3-litre turbopetrol developing 125 kW and 280 N.m.…

Zukunft, the German word for future, seemed a fitting moniker when BMW’s advanced oddball Z1 emerged 30 years ago. Two years and 8 000 units later, BMW put a pin in the model from which its Z car range would evolve. I have a particular soft spot for cars offering an impractical but enticing look at a future far brighter than the overly conservative landscape the car world has sadly become. Much as the recyclable plastic body panels could be stripped from the car, its designers pulled away and discarded most practical considerations when penning the Z1. It boasted the bones of BMW’s rewarding E30 325i coupé, doors that sunk theatrically into those deep side sills instead of opening outwards, pin-sharp styling and a demise reportedly brought about by Gordon…

A 12-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION TO CAR, WORTH R539 Reader M MNGADI JR wins a 12-month subscription to CAR magazine, SA’s leading motoring title, for their emotive letter. Never stop dreaming! FOUR GREAT ADVANTAGES OF A CAR SUBSCRIPTION: 1. Stay current by never missing an issue of your favourite magazine. 2. A free digital subscription is included. 3. Enjoy the luxury of home delivery. 4. You get the magazine before it goes on sale. A subscriber already? Extend yours by a further 12 months, or give it to a friend or relative.…

Having soldiered on largely unchanged for five years, the Discovery Sport has undergone a raft of updates, including electrified engines, innovative off-road tech and an overhauled platform. The three-row cabin incorporates up to 24 seating configurations and an all-new infotainment system which plays host to such innovations as the brand’s smart rear-view mirror (it transforms the surface into a video screen at the flick of a switch) and the ground view system, which projects camera imagery offering a virtual 180-degree view beneath the vehicle onto the touchscreen. The thoroughly updated bodywork sits atop a Premium Transverse Architecture chassis that’s 13% stiffer than that of its predecessor. While other markets will see both petrol and diesel models adopt 48 V mild hybrid-assisted powerplants, South Africa will initially persevere with a 2,0-litre…

In only a decade’s time, the proportion of electric cars sold in, for example, Europe will have to make up a significant slice of the market, certainly beyond 30%, according to Zetsche. And he insists the figure is neither an option nor a nice-to-have. “It’s our task to make it happen,” he says. “We’re supposed to be replacing the entire car parc by 2050, which means nearly every car we sell by 2040 will be electric. And 2030 is in the middle of the time we have available. It’s a very tough task because right now we don’t have 30% of our customers asking for electric models. It won’t happen automatically.” What’s the way forward? For Zetsche, it’s almost alarmingly simple: “Our task is to make these new cars so…

Driver: Terence Steenkamp Terence_CARmag 4 911 km 7,39 L/100 km + steadily improving consumption; fantastic front seats… - …that are set slightly too high; short final gear Every short-term test vehicle subjected to our road-test programme undertakes a 100 km fuel route incorporating a mixture of highway and urban driving. To ensure the results are fair and comparable to rival vehicles, the driving method is exacting: the tester is conservative with throttle and braking without aiming to shatter an economy-run record; and the test takes place roughly at the same time of day to replicate traffic conditions. Our long-termers, however, aren’t tested on the fuel route because, well, they complete a far more strenuous and in-depth assessment: three or six months to give an accurate, representative average fuel figure. However,…

+ fun without being intimidating to novices tinny exhaust note at low engine speeds Remember the time when 400 cm3 used to imply a big bike? Well, not anymore; the world has gone power crazy. Open-class motorcycles are now exceeding 1 000 cm3 and cresting 200 hp (149 kW). This is quite intimidating for young riders honing their skills on a limited budget, which is where Kawasaki comes in with its Z400 naked machine. Visually, the Z400 accurately mimics the design of its stylish bigger brother, the Z900, and it’s only when up close that the smaller dimensions are obvious. The sharp styling is eye-catching and the red-and-black colour scheme lends the Z400 an upmarket appearance (the iconic Kawasaki green is also available). Swinging a leg over is simple owing…