Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2016 i topCar

AFTER MORE DELAYS Renault’s reborn Alpine sports car is finally upon us. Almost. This is the Alpine Vision show car, yet another in a long line of warm-up concepts for the Alpine brand’s protracted rebirth, but the retro-styled, two-seater, really rather pretty machine you’re looking at is near-as-dammit the real deal. It’s essentially a preview of the production Alpine, which gets its proper reveal by the end of this year and goes on sale in the second quarter of 2017. Ending Alpine’s back catalogue of exclusively rear-engined road cars, it’s driven by a mid-mounted turbocharged four-cylinder and paddleshift transmission. Renault won’t talk power figures, saying its new creation values weight-saving and agility above kW, but does quote a sub-4.5sec 0-100kph time, so it can’t be short of poke. Company insiders…

BMW Z5 (2018) Here comes BMW’s Z4 replacement, whose architecture will be shared with Toyota. The Z5 is switching back to a weight-saving fabric roof and more compact dimensions – unless the engineers are giants, this car appears to be little bigger than an MX-5, good for nimble dynamics. Capable of accommodating four- and six-cylinder engines, the new modular rear-wheel drive platform will underpin Toyota’s Mk2 86 and potentially a larger, reborn Supra. The Z4’s folding hardtop has been binned for less complex and lighter fabric; 4 Series will go canvas too Early days, so there is a lot of cladding on this Z5, masking the styling. But the proportions have shifted, lessening the Z4’s long-bonnet stance Audi A5 Cabriolet (2016) Audi A5 Mk2 is well on the way, with…

REMEMBER THE FANFARE about Formula 1 going all macho for 2017; about 750kW engines, ground-effects chassis, bigger wings and wider wheels? How lap times would drop by six seconds, taking the sport back to speeds last seen in 2004 before Max Mosley’s FIA emasculated F1 in the name of safety? Or was it to put one over the manufacturers, who had increasingly wagged the dog? Two seconds each were to be gained from engines, aerodynamics and tyres, and a series of Technical Regulations Meetings were convened between July and December. A concept was agreed upon, and all was set for approval in early January, well ahead of the end-February deadline for regulatory changes for the incoming season. For F1 fans across the globe, disillusioned by what they had seen as…

VOLKSWAGEN’S CADDY concept has proven pretty successful for the brand here in South Africa with the line-up now comprising four distinct models: the Trendline, Alltrack, Panel Van and Crew Bus. The Caddy is based on an adapted version of the Golf 5/6 platform and can be optioned in the choice of long- or short-wheel base as well as in tailgate or wing-door configuration. As a practical offering the Caddy has its benefits – the sliding doors means entry and exit is simple and the seat arrangement can be tweaked according to your preferences. Not only is it as a - or - benches can also be completely removed increasing the cargo volume even further. Add to that a glut of on-board hidey holes and other storage solutions and the Caddy…

THERE’S NO DENYING these days that downsizing and turbocharging makes it easier for manufacturers to increase performance while simultaneously lowering fuel consumption and emissions. For heaven’s sake even Ferrari decided to move in that direction, much to the disdain of those who believe a turbocharger brings with it a loss of throttle response and driver involvement. But perhaps in the case of a less sporting conveyance like the GS it will be an ideal fit. The wheelbase and body dimensions for new GS are unchanged but the new car benefits from what Lexus believes are key enhancements in the production process. An additional 188 spot welds and an extra 22.5 metres of adhesive are applied throughout the body. Moreover, the front bumper has been restyled to optimise underbody air flow.…

As much as the little Mazda is a real hoot to drive, it is not quite so full-pants in the practicality stakes THREE, TWO, ONE, green. Floor the throttle, there’s that regulation Japanese drone and then the CX-3 fairly leaps off the mark. Wait, leaps? This is a high hatch, given to vet visits and floral deliveries. Leaps? Indeed. For lurking under the long, heavily sculpted bonnet is nothing less than a two-litre mill. In these days of triple cylinder turbos hefting around large sedans (think Ford Focus), it seems inconceivable that a hatch, albeit it a high one, should be awarded so many cubic centimetres. But there you go, thank the Americans, the CX-3’s most important market, where anything less than two litres is a Segway under a mall…

FERRARI 488 GTE Ferrari’s first turbocharged GT racer since the F40. ‘It’s an all-new car – everything is different,’ says Scuderia Corse’s Roberto Amorosi. ‘The twin-turbo engine, the suspension, the aero – not a single part is shared.’ V8 de-tuned from the road car’s; revs to 7800rpm. Chassis kind on tyres. CORVETTE C7.R ‘We’ve got a new wing, skirts and splitter,’ explains Chevy’s motorsport honcho Jim Campbell. ‘We’ve done a lot of work on the engine mapping and the traction control. The team’s been with us for years, as have the core drivers, and it’s a good, durable car.’ BMW M6 GTLM New for 2016. More stable than the Z4-based racer it supercedes, with a longer wheelbase and increased downforce. Naturally-aspirated power makes way for a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8. A…

> MARK FIELDS: We’re kicking off the next transformation of Ford, from being an auto company to being an auto and mobility company. We’ve been working on something to transform the automotive customer experience. > BILL FORD: Mobility is about making people’s lives better. Around the world, city traffic is a mess and it’s going to get worse. If we don’t fix it, the economy, environment and people’s health and safety will be affected. We have an amazing opportunity to help solve these issues. > MF: PEOPLE keep talking about how auto industry is going to be disrupted by the tech companies, we’re going to disrupt ourselves. Ford plans to lead in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience, data and analytics. > BF: IF YOU look at our heritage, my…

MONTH 6 VW TOUAREG LUXURY 3.0 V6 TDI 4MOTION R-LINE I’M WORKING OFF a high base here. I don’t refer to the ride height of my numerously voweled long-term test car, rather the fact that at just north of R800000, the Touareg is a very polished people mover, has to be in fact. I’ve reached the halfway mark of our test period and any memories of the similarly-priced Prado that preceded it on my driveway have long been replaced. Where the burly Toyota focused on a more utilitarian formula, I’ve often compared the Touareg to a posh jumbo Golf R, partly because mine is covered in the same metallic blue with nearly identical Talladega alloy wheels, but largely because of its premium demeanour. It’s the kind of car that complements…

KEY INDICATORS – JANUARY 2016 (% change vs Jan 2015) INDUSTRY TOTAL 48 615 (-6.9) | PASSENGER CARS 34 936 (-6.1) | LCV 12074 (-8.3) | EXPORTS 13 057 (-21.9) | YEAR-TO-DATE 48 615 (-6.9) A GIANT CRAB HAS emerged from the economic deep, squeezing the car-buying public between one pincer of rising interest rates and another of rapidly swelling new car prices as the rand is crushed by the major trading currencies. GDP has been pegged back to 0.5% by most analysts, and interest rates are set to increase further as monetary policy seeks to haul back the rand’s worth. And while new car price inflation, as measured by the TransUnion Vehicle Price Index (VPI) slowed in the year from 7.18% in Q4 2014 to 6.18% in the equivalent…

That front end Concept’s droopy snout mimics original Opel GT, but it’s not retro, says design chief Mark Adams Those red tyres They’re meant to look spontaneous. In fact they look silly. Not helped by ‘rollerskate’ wheels That smooth look ‘Transitioning glass’ simplifies shape. 1.0-litre turbo vents through integrated exhausts Those instruments They feature back-projection to simplify design and avoid ‘rectangular blocks of regular screens’ Those strange doors Doors pivot on a fulcrum, hiding the front shut line. Looks cool, but is it practical? THE INSPIRATION CAME from the Experimental GT, a mid-1960s concept that looked part Corvette, part Miura, which Opel blew the dust off to mark the 50th anniversary of its Rüsselsheim design centre. ‘As a design team, it was great to pull all that stuff out and…

THINK SUBARU and motorsport, and we bet your mind’s eye conjures images of McRae, Burns, forests and flying Imprezas. This season the starry-badged brand returns to frontline motorsport, only this time in circuit racing, and without a blue ’n’ fluoro-liveried WRX to be seen. Instead, the oddball Levorg estate will do battle in the notoriously nasty British Touring Car Championship. And on paper, it’s got every chance of grabbing some real glory. Four cars will be developed and run by Team BMR, winners of last season’s constructors’ championship, with two of them driven by former champions Jason Plato and Colin Turkington. ‘It was Jason who began the communications with Subaru, bringing the BTCC to their attention and vice versa,’ says BMR boss Warren Scott. ‘We could see from the outset…

Kia Niro hybrid The new Kia Niro is a hybrid utility vehicle or HUV. It’s clear the Toyota Prius is the car in Kia’s crosshairs – and it’s tackling it by packaging its new hybrid-only model in a more attractive and appealing crossover body. The Niro is a pretty important car for the Korean brand, adding to the plan to triple the number of eco-friendly models by 2020 and head towards a total of 22 ‘green’ models shared between both Kia and Hyundai. The Niro employs an impressively efficient hybrid system comprising an all-new 1.6-litre four-cylinder mill that produces 76kW. A 31kW electric motor is mounted on the transmission for a total combined power output of 107kW and 264Nm of torque. Power is harnessed through a new six-speed dual-clutch gearbox,…

EVER WANTED TO get cured of this crazy addiction we call cars? Then come to Miami Beach, where you can get the antidote by way of over-exposure. Walking around Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive, I think I saw more supercars in the space of an hour than I did in all of last year – the locals must surely be totally immune. Yet, 24 hours later, driving the same roads in the new Huracan Spyder, the reaction from bystanders remains exactly as it’s ever been: eyes go wide, mouths fall open, camera phones come out, and there are catcalls that might be propositions from the cafes and restaurants on the sidewalks. Presumably the razzmatazz is one of the main reasons people buy Lamborghinis. For if you are reading this magazine…

MOTORING HAS ITS archaeological periods, as confirmed by the infotainment setup of the latest Lexus RX. The era of Pong is over, though Lexus has not cottoned on yet. If you’ve an aversion to tech that goes bloink and cursors that fly randomly across screens, think carefully before investing your R1 million. Not here the crisp Modernism of Audi’s minimalism or the intriguing chaos of PSA-Peugeot’s Cubist confusion. No, here is Pong, complete with paddle effect sounds (bloink bloink, there goes the star-shaped cursor) and infuriating hit-and-miss accuracy. Add to that a certifiably lunatic sat-nav voice (po-faced Post Office dim, my mother would have said) and a demonstrable inability to get you unlost in the great wilderness and you have the makings of a thoroughly stressful interactive experience. Which is…

WITH THE OPEL Corsa OPC looking unlikely (thank the rand for that), South African small Opel fans will have to make do with a warmer version of the Adam to satisfy their go-faster urges. Warmer the S is; the 110kW 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, borrowed from the Corsa Sport, shoehorns into the tiny car and gives it a 0-100kph time of around eight seconds. Not blitzkrieg quick, but the essence of the car is rather in the nature of the delivery and in-gear acceleration, both of which are fun and underline its positioning as a boutique hatch rather than a serious racer. That said, the previous generation OPC-inspired chassis, brakes and substantial 18-inch wheels on fat 225/40 Yokohama rubber means it’s unlikely to run out of grip, no matter how stupid…

Roof down, you’ll not only garner the attention of beautiful trust-funders but vagrants at the next set of traffic lights too CAPE TOWN AND its inhabitants have their quirks: most drivers can’t adhere to simple ‘keep left, pass right’ etiquette on the highway, every request for directions references ‘the mountain’ and the howling South Easter has pedestrians hanging onto traffic lights to avoid getting horizontal. But all is easily forgiven when the weather’s perfect. Accolades such as a spot on the New York Times top 50 places to visit list, or the world’s ten most loved cities by CNN are commonplace, but the endorsement most pertinent here came in 2012 when BMW held the world launch of its 6 Series Convertible in Cape Town. If it was good enough for…

‘CAR NUMBER TWO, you were nowhere near that apex!’ Regrettably, I am car number two, and that Brazilian accent crackling over the walkietalkie belongs to BMW works driver, Augusto Farfus, who leads in the pace car. It’s my debut on Laguna Seca, ditto in the M2, and the reason I missed the very first apex, Augusto, is that when I exited the pit lane and joined the circuit proper I did so with about two armfuls of accidental opposite lock and have been dutifully unwinding them while simultaneously spot checking the leathery bucket seats to make sure I haven’t made mine browner than before. Welcome to the BMW M2. Let’s pretend that you don’t know what it is for a moment while I rattle off some numbers. There’s the headliner:…

WHEN YOUR NEW Boxster arrives later this year, spare a thought for the winter test team. These are the only guys we know who, when the thermometer reads minus six, complain that it’s too warm. But their work is crucial to the Boxster’s chassis DNA. At a time when the swapping of two cylinders for one charger will been seen by some purists as a deal with the devil, woe betide them if they drop the dynamic ball at the same time. I join the Boxster team in Yellowknife, a thriving town within spitting distance of the Arctic Circle, where frozen lakes provide ideal proving conditions for a pre-production shakedown. Except they don’t, because of the balmy temperature. The ice is 30cm thick at its sturdiest – 20cm too thin…

1 CONCEPT LINES Bespoke multi-link ‘raft’ front suspension created to save concept’s low bonnet. Two cast aluminium upper mounts double up as anchors for engine bay braces. Double ball joints on upper/lower control arms manage steering inputs and road feedback, while isolating spring/ damper feedback 2 JUST THE TEN GEARS... World’s first 10-speed auto sticks with torque convertor: dual-clutch not deemed smooth enough at low speeds. Said to be lighter, smaller and more efficient than current eight-speeders; employs ‘fuzzy’ logic to tailor gearshifts depending on whether driver is a gran or a hooligan 3 SORTED CHASSIS 52:48 weight distribution from front/mid-engine layout, with 5.0-litre V8 aft of the front axle line and the battery relocated to the boot. Driver’s hip-point engineered to be as close as physically possible to the…

Audi’s going to the moon? Yep. It’s joined forces with German group the Part-Time Scientists to develop the Audi Lunar Quattro, an automated, solar-powered four-wheel-drive buggy. Opening up alien markets? Not quite. This is an effort to win the Google Lunar Xprize for the first privately funded moon rover that manages 500m while doing the tourist picture and video thing. First place scoops $20m, and there are prizes for distance covered and sharing images of the Apollo landing sites. A lucrative way to quash conspiracy theories then? They wish. The Part-Time Scientists reckon it will cost €24m (or R410m) to launch the Lunar Quattro. The only profit in this enterprise is the kudos. And perhaps getting first dibs on prime lunar dealership locations. What’s Audi’s actual contribution? Electrical systems, ensuring…

1 What the FF? – Ferrari has renamed its R5.1m four-seater, four-wheel drive estate car as part of a mid-life overhaul, so now we get to call it the GTC4 Lusso. Which just trips off the tongue. The new moniker references a number of historic Ferraris, including 330 GTC and 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso. 2 More fours – keeping the 4WD company in the GTC4 Lusso is a new four-wheel steering system. Collectively called ‘4RM-S’, this combo features adaptive dampers, an E-diff and ‘side slip control’ (v4.0 – natch). 3 More power – the 6.2-litre V12 also gets a tickle. Power is up from 485 to 508kW, while torque rises from 683 to 697Nm, 80% of which is available at just 1750rpm. 0-100kph drops 0.3sec to 3.4, while top speed…

1 The double-ton – it used to require something exotic to crack 200mph (322kph). Now you can do it in an F-Type. And while this new SVR isn’t just any F-Type, it is Jaguar’s first Special Vehicle Operations car, so production isn’t limited and it won’t require you to sacrifice a kidney to get one. 2 Oi to the world – power comes from Jag’s punchiest V8, the 423kW/700Nm supercharged 5.0 that first appeared in the Project 7 F-Type. Fitted to a titanium exhaust that could really upset neighbours. 3 Draught steer – the SVR will be offered as both roadster and coupe. However, the drop-top stalls at a mere 312kph, so if speed (or keeping the toupée) matters, you’d best stick to the fixed-head. So to speak. Both, however,…

DR GILL PRATT, Toyota’s Executive Technical Advisor, stood up at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and said, ‘It is entirely possible that robots will become, for today’s Toyota, what the car industry was when Toyota made looms.’ That single sentence sums up the profound, existential threat now facing the car industry; a revolution happening right now, in our lifetimes, under our noses. If you’re a spectator it’s fascinating; if you’re a car enthusiast it’s depressing, frankly; but if you’re an ambitious executive for a car manufacturer, it must be a cry-yourself-to-sleep-at-night horror story. Because while Pratt is right about companies re-inventing themselves, the scale is different this time. Yes, 100 years ago Toyota made looms, Peugeot made coffee grinders and Mazda started out as a cork manufacturer;…

IN AN AUSTRIAN ski lift station temporarily brought to corporate heel in the interests of trespassing Mercedes’ new GLS a scant few kilometres across the sub-zero grounds of a kindergarten, pride of place goes to an art deco display of the company’s 37-strong SUV model range. That’s right: thirty seven. Granted, five specimens still lurk under artfully slung sheets, awaiting stiletto-abetted reveal at some future motor show, but the remainder already constitute compelling evidence that those of us suffering increasingly from SUV compassion fatigue appear not in any way to represent the global groundswell. All of which leaves me somewhat surprised to report that, rather than instantly dismissing it as an expensive, five-metre plus, two-and-a-half-tonne redundancy – a whale shark amidst a substantial shoal of pilot fish siblings – I…

SMARTPHONE companies upgrade handset operating systems seemingly every fortnight to ensure that your iPhone6, Samsung S6, or similar, is still the must-have item it was when you first bought it. Upgrade regularly enough and it’s possible your device may never get the chance to feel outdated. It’s the type of thing we as end users take largely for granted, letting it happen in the background. And you wonder why we never get tired of all our apps and social media? What if you could do the same with a car? Hook it up to the nearest WiFi network and download a new front apron, rear bumper, refreshed interior trim, and throw in a smidge more power while you’re at it. True, to a certain degree, cars are starting to live…

Muscly double-faceted wheel arches, stretched bonnet, raked windscreen and roof rails point more to sports wagon than traditional SUV IT HAS TAKEN Volvo 12 years to deliver the newest interpretation of its Nordic SUV recipe but it’s been well worth the wait. The new XC90 has a lot resting on its broad shoulders considering its platform and 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine blueprint will underpin a string of next-generation Volvos. The premium XC90 channels a large portion of its focus on practicality and safety employing a seven-seat arrangement as standard, four-wheel drive and a handsome list of advanced driver aids Volvo calls Intellisafe. But this wouldn’t really be a Volvo if it didn’t represent the cutting-edge of vehicle safety now would it? These new safety mechanisms together with a mix of progressive…

IN TERMS OF automotive market sweet spots, the roughly 4m-long high-riding hatch/SUV/crossover is saccharine on wheels right now. It wasn’t always this way. When small-car specialist Suzuki launched its Vitara 28 years ago, the genre was decidedly niche. Conquering world markets required a larger car and the Grand Vitara was born. Now, with wallets being squeezed, smaller SUVs are topping many buyers’ shortlists everywhere. Great timing then to dust off the standalone Vitara nameplate, stick it onto an all-new, more compact vehicle and launch it into a burgeoning battle. Instant hit or cannon fodder? We assess its chances in mid-range GL+ specification. Zen vibes As with most of Suzuki’s automobiles, the Vitara’s design has a function over fashion bias. It’s all about balance – very Japanese. So yes, there’s a…

IN THE RUNNING once again for the title of the world’s best-selling passenger car, the Focus has already proven its mass appeal. But that’s nothing new, after all, Henry’s Model T first democratised the car. Now Ford’s bringing serious power to the people. Sure, that’s also nothing new, the Blue Oval’s back catalogue is littered with Fast Fords, but never on this scale, and never this focused. The new RS is armed with 257kW, up to 470Nm, very trick four-wheel drive, launch control, and track and drift – yes drift – modes… all in a five-door family hatchback! How did we get here? It’s tempting to put the blame squarely on the Mercedes-AMG A45 when really it is Volkswagen – that other great champion of people’s motoring – and its…

CAMOUFLAGE, SECRET TEST locations, PR denials in the face of overwhelming evidence… Mostly, car manufacturers conceal new-model testing, so it’s unusual that Ford commissioned a documentary to chronicle Focus RS development. There’s marketing puff, but proper fly-on-the-wall moments too: a car breaking, engines failing, deadlines missed, all of it on YouTube. Towards the end of the series of shorts, chief technical officer Raj Nair drives the RS. ‘That’s Normal mode?’ he asks. ‘That’s terrible!’ His parting shot is a You’re Fired-style ‘it’s not signed off yet, guys’. Brave, but it underlines the effort Ford has put into making the third-generation Focus RS the best it can be. Of course, it ends happily when the crack team don’t sleep for weeks and give the RS a final polish, and maybe they…

The conversion from coupe to pickup reportedly cost $6500 – more than a new Shelby GT350 MUSTANG PICK-UP? Yes, and not a one-off back yard cut-and-weld job, but what is seemingly an officially approved, limited edition customised version that made Ford’s traditional pick-up, the Ranchero, look decidedly agricultural by comparison. The pony car pick-up (pony cart?) was named Mustero – MUSTang RanchERO – and the work was carried out by US West Coast custom shop Beverly Hills Mustang, situated on 9280 Alden Drive, Beverly Hills, California. But just how many were made is a matter of debate, the popular belief being that Ford commissioned the custom shop to an initial build of 50 Musteros, all of which were to be based on a base-spec 1966 model year Mustang fastback supplied…

THE 24 HOURs of Daytona is brutal. Combining a tight infield with flat-out running on the NASCAR banking, it hammers engines. 67 per cent of the lap is spent at full throttle, exhausts smashing the barely-silenced din of high-compression combustion against unyielding concrete. Le Mans is 65 per cent full throttle. At the American classic traffic is ever-present too the shorter lap leaving each runner with a nominal 100m of track to itself. At Le Mans it’s a spacious 240m. Daytona is also darker for longer – there’s are just ten hours of daylight running – and while the surface is generally smooth, the transitions on and off the banking are anything but. Twenty minutes into the 2016 race, another facet of the event’s brutality is making itself known. Already…

HACK YOUR CAR FOR INFO BLUETOOTH iODB2 The Xtool iOBD2 MFI is a wireless Bluetooth 3.0 scan tool for your car’s diagnostics and it works on iPhone & Android. Find your own fault codes and call out dealerships on their dodgy diagnoses. Become a car boffin and possibly save money too. $99 (+/-R1515) www.amazon.com SAFELY SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION IN TRAFFIC LIKE FOAM HAND SA traffic is, well – dodgy. One look can end in a road rage incident, especially if the other driver reads you wrong, like nodding in appreciation of a hot car. This giant foam finger eliminates confusion – a giant thumbs up with the now universal Facebook thumb sends a clear message. Reversible for dislikes too. R120 www.yuppiegadgets.com NO MORE GARAGE BUMPS &…

MONTH 3 RENAULT CLIO 1.2 EDC QUIET PARKING lots can be very revealing, as I discovered in Valencia recently while attempting some tyre-frying doughnuts in a new hyper hatch. Apparently I have work to do in this regard. But parking lots have also revealed something else to me. Have you seen the Facebook meme about how people turn down the music as they approach their destination so that they can (what?) see the buildings better? Well, that’s me when I enter a car park. If you’ve been following the story of our Clio’s noisy steering you’ll know that’s how it first came to my attention. If not, here’s a quick recap: turn off music to park; hear loud friction clacks; report problem; still unidentified noise somehow reduced by service agent;…