Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2018 i Leisure Wheels

The first time I became aware of them was about 30km north of Lindi on the Tanzanian coast. I was on my way to Dar es Salaam from South Africa and took the Mozambique route to avoid the border crossings at Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia. But they got me: the Tanzanian Traffic Police. If they stop you and, even before greeting, demand your driver’s licence, you know you’re in trouble. All went well on the route north. In Mozambique I abide by the speed limits in every town. In the past I have had several run-ins with traffic officials. This happened especially for exceeding the speed limit in areas just outside the towns and villages, or at places where the speed limit is ‘uncertain’ for the traveller. Not this time.…

At the moment there is one engine option, available in two specification levels. The 2.3-litre Nissan-derived engine is available in both 220d and 250d guises, with the former producing 120kW and 400Nm of torque. It’s only available with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. The 250d develops 140kW and 450Nm of torque and is available as a 4x2 or 4x4. Interestingly, Mercedes offers the 250d as standard with a manual, with the seven-speed automatic gearbox being an optional extra. South Africa won’t get the base-spec Pure trim, but you can select from Progressive or Power. Think of the Progressive as more agricultural, while the Power is aimed at the more traditional Mercedes customer. It’s a bit more elegant and bling, but not overtly so. The pricing remains contentious, with the…

SY Symonds started it all in 1956. That’s when the former Spitfire fighter pilot-turned motoring journalist had the audacity to ‘drive’ a rear-wheel-drive VW Beetle up the rough Sani Pass. In the winter. With snow and ice. Mind you, back then the Beetle was carried more than it actually drove. And on the way down, the driver’s door was removed, and driver Ewold von Bergen sported a rope around his waist. Just in case the Beetle went over the edge on the slippery mud, snow and ice, you know, and Von Bergen could be yanked from the cabin and be spared certain death. In 2016, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Symonds’s achievement, we drove a modern VW Beetle 1.4T Dune up the pass. Thankfully, it had just been graded,…

You’re probably thinking that you can’t get much for R50 000, and you’d be 100% correct. You don’t get much of anything and what you do get is probably dented, rusted or hand-made by Frikkie in his state-of-the-art backyard garage. But, because you don’t get much, you don’t have to have any kind of sympathy. Remember that narrow, bush-infested pass you avoided because you didn’t want to scratch the family’s new Fortuner? Well, who cares if you scratch the paint on the dented door of a ratty old skedonk? For the low price of R50 000, you can buy the ultimate 4×4. An off-roader that will go further than most others, simply because one can overcome just about anything with enough momentum and no mechanical sympathy whatsoever. Also, you won’t…

THE late Oom Frikkie was quite the character. Growing up in the Kalahari, his friends claimed he used to jump off a fast-moving bakkie, tackling a kudu around the neck, wrestling the animal to the ground before letting it go again. Just for sport, you know. Thankfully, he never tried to do that with a bull, with those long horns. That may not have ended up with another round of Jagermeisters, but with his friends adding some dirt to his casket in the ground. Oom Frikkie loved really wild places. Like game farms in Botswana and Zimbabwe. There he would reputedly only sleep next to the fire. That’s while all his friends were in their rooftop tents. He was a lot of things, but scared was not one of them.…

THE Battlefields 400 route, based around the town of Dundee, was wet. So wet, in fact, that some spectators suggested a speedboat, rather than a 4×4, would stand a better chance of conquering the conditions. And although many competitors came undone in the wet, muddy conditions, at the front of the field it was business as usual for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy, in the Toyota Hilux V8. The pair won the Friday’s prologue race, so led the field out on race day. The defending champions had no mechanical issues in the actual race, and stopped only once to change a wheel. New Toyota factory driver Henk Lategan, partnered by Barry White for this event, had a far more eventful outing. After finishing third in…

As you might know, the Germans had an, uhm, disagreement with most of Europe, Russia and the USA back in the ’40s. As a result, they weren’t allowed to design and build anything military-related for a while, but after 10 years of taking it slow, the West German military decided it needed something new to drive around in. The design brief was fairly simple. We haven’t actually seen it, but we’re willing to bet one of our long-term vehicles that it went something along the lines of, “build something like the Jeep, because those things gave us a serious kicking 10 years ago”. DKW (Das Kleine Wunder) had been building motorcycles since World War I and moved over to cars in the ’20s. It decided to expand its portfolio by…

NOT PRETTY IN PINK Some tuning houses have been accused of taking things a step too far. Like this one. The G-Class G500 4×4² you see here is a cult classic in the making. It’s basically the result of taking one 6x6 and lopping one axle off the rear. It has portal axles, a twin turbo V8, three locking differentials and is three tons of sheer magnificence. If only it weren’t so… pink. This particular G was kitted by a company called Dale’s Wheels & Tires out of Fort Lauderdale in the USA. The customer chose the fancy alloys, 37-inch rubber and the brand-new hue, which, we kid you not, is called ‘Barbie Pink’. It belongs to an unnamed Floridian hairdresser (once again, not kidding) who prefers to stay nameless.…

“IT’S THE NEW TOYOTA RUSH,” said Cornelia Klopper over the phone. We had just arrived at Serendipity Eco Trails, near Modimolle in Limpopo, and Cornelia was speaking to her better half Johan on the phone, after meeting up with us. Johan is a bit of car nut; he follows all the latest news and trends. “There’s no such thing as a Toyota Rush,” answered Johan, apparently a bit miffed at his better half’s lack of motoring acumen. “It must be the new RAV4.” “No, it’s a Rush. A… Rush. I’m standing next to it,” insisted Cornelia. “I’ve never heard of a Rush before,” continued Johan. “But I’ll be there soon, then I can have a look for myself.” Cornelia was indeed standing next to the all-new Toyota Rush. Formerly known…

The 4×4 route is situated on a family-run game farm. It’s obvious that the owners are nature lovers because the activities on offer are aimed towards that market. They offer hunting, hiking, game drives, camping, mountain climbing and abseiling. As such, it’s the kind of place where you might want to spend a while. Luckily, there are camping spots available for you to pitch a tent, or if you’re feeling a little lazy after the drive, you can opt for one of the permanently erected tents. You won’t be able to spot the Big 5, but there is a decent selection of wildlife to look at from the back of a game viewer. These include kudu, impala, blue monkeys and leopards. Those who haven’t discovered the usefulness of internal combustion…

THESE days, motorists can choose between a selection of different gearbox options when acquiring a new vehicle. But what option is really better? Leisure Wheels spoke to ZF Services South Africa’s Reynier Snyman (manager: passenger car division) and Nico Eksteen (supervisor: passenger car vehicles) to find some answers. Firstly, how does a client choose which gearbox option is best for them? The client has to analyse their needs and expectations when buying a new car. If the client drives in heavy stop-and-go traffic every day, a continuously variable transmission (CVT), automated manual transmission (AMT), direct shift gearbox (DSG) or a modern torque converter automatic gearbox will be more comfortable than a manual gearbox. The client also has to decide what frustrates and what excites them when driving. The younger spirited…

IT’S often one of those hot topics around a braai: which transmission really is better. There will always be the diehard fanatics who believe that no transmission on Earth can offer as much efficiency and driving pleasure as a traditional manual set-up. A manual transmission is the reserve of the true motor head, the real enthusiast, they claim. You also get the followers of the dual clutch gearbox set-up. They normally drive a VW Golf GTI fitted with the brand’s direct-shift gearbox (DSG) system – without which the GTI would not produce the famous Vrrr Phaa exhaust sound every time it swaps gears. Other punters may like things more laid back, especially if they spend three hours stuck in traffic each day. Then a modern torque converter ‘box will be…

OPEL’S FUTURE IS LOOKING GRAND The Opel SUV line-up is looking spiffy this month thanks to the addition of the Grandland X. It joins its Opel Crossland X and Opel Mokka X counterparts. Not only does it look cool, but Opel says that Grandland is introducing a number of assistance and comfort features a car in this class has never seen before. These include advance park assist, 360° camera system, heated steering wheel and a boot that opens when you wave your foot under the rear bumper. The Grandland is equipped with Opel’s IntelliLink infotainment system, which we know from previous experience is a joy to use. Its long wheelbase of 2.68m ensures that the compact class SUV has plenty of space for up to five people. And the luggage…

CELEBRATIONS were taking place round the world to commemorate World Land Rover Day, exactly 70 years since the original Land Rover made its debut at a motor show in Holland. In the French Alps, a 250-metre outline of a Defender was imprinted on the snowy slopes of a mountain. The unique image was a tribute to the moment when the engineering director of Rover, Maurice Wilks, first sketched the shape for the original Land Rover in the sands of Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey, Wales. The Aghulas Land Rover Fraternity celebrated with a Tip of Africa 70th birthday bash at the end of March and the Australians had theirs over Easter in Cooma in New South Wales. But the actual anniversary day is 30 April. And on 30 April, Kingsley…

Many moons ago, we were at the international launch of the Chevrolet Trailblazer, which took place right here in South Africa. Chevy sat us down at the edge of a golf course, some dramatic music played and two Trailblazers came barrelling up and down the fairway until they were mere metres away. Two thoughts crossed our mind; the golf course manager must be crying into his pink-collared shirt, and why does it have a Chevy badge on the front? Surely, in a brand-obsessed South Africa, it would have gone off better wearing an Isuzu badge? We liked the Trailblazer: it was an interesting alternative and over the years we realised you can do some pretty crazy things in it. It never had a diff lock but with enough bravery, determination…

AS long as our species has been on this planet, man has been looking for a cozy place to lay down his head for a kip. Some of our earliest ancestors slept under the stars, some slept in the long grass while some opted for caves. Uninhabited caves, preferably. But for every civilisation, there’s always that one guy who thinks a little differently. As Neanderthal Clonk* watched his family and friends choose their sleeping spots, he decided to climb a tree and tie himself to the trunk. “Clonk crazy,” said his friends. “Clonk climb tree. Clonk monkey.” Oh, how they laughed. But later, as Clonk watched those same friends freeze in the rain, get bitten by snakes and be mauled by a bear (turns out the cave was inhabited), he,…

Change gears and shift out of your comfort zone. One of these guided self-drive safaris could be that once-in-a-lifetime adventure you’ve always dreamt about. For more information on any of these tours, or to book your trip: Email: lwtravel@ramsaymedia.co.za Website: leisurewheels.co.za/travel-packages/or phone Inshaaf Amos @ Tel: 021 530 3380 WILD SIDE OF THE DRAKENSBERG 14 – 18 JULY 2018 (CHANCE OF SNOW) 20 – 24 JULY 2018 (CHANCE OF SNOW) The Eastern Cape Highlands, also known as the ‘Wild side of the Drakensberg’ is growing in popularity as a safe and non-commercialised mountain destination with spectacular scenery. Tour members will meet in Lady Grey and then head to Lundin’s Nek and the Wartrail area. From there up to Volunteershoek Pass with lunch at the Tiffindell Ski Resort before zigzagging down…

TRANSPORTING a kayak is not exactly an easy thing. It may be relatively light, but it’s also big and bulky. And, except if your daily driver is a bus, it doesn’t fit so well into the cabin. Thank goodness then for Thule’s range of innovative water sports racks that can handle plenty of kayak. And do it safely and efficiently. The extensive range of products includes innovative solutions such as the Thule Hullavator Pro, a lift-assist rack that handles up to 18kg of the kayak’s weight and makes it possible for you to load and unload a kayak by yourself. There are also other options such as Thule’s K-Guard, Hull-a- Port, Hull-a-Port Pro, DockGlide saddles and DockGrip pads available. So that’s your kayak (or two) sorted. What about the space in…