IZARO GTE CLEAN SUPERCAR: SPANISH SALSA OR SPANISH FLY?

Spain, reigning World Cup Champions, aren’t necessarily known for manufacturing world-class sports cars. Fact is, the hottest salsa from Spain comes in the form of a SEAT Leon Cupra R with 198kW. Thanks to several factors, including overpricing, SEAT pulled out of South Africa.

The Izaro GTE of course, has nothing to do with SEAT or Volkswagen. It’s apparently a name resurrected from the 1920s by the Spanish grandson of a guy who

HARTGE TUNING KIT FOR BMW X1 DIESELS

Hartge, that other BMW tuner less known than AC Schnitzer, has presented a new turning programme for the BMW X1. The three models altered are the sDrive20d, xDrive20d and the sDrive18d. The exterior features Hartge emblems on the bonnet and the boot lid, Hartge insignia, and a stainless steel rear silencer with dual round exhaust pipes.

KIA POP ELECTRIC CONCEPT WAITS FOR PARIS 2010

Since the arrival of Peter Schreyer at Kia headquarters, things just ain’t never been the same. Schreyer is a German (born in Bavaria in 1953) who took over the design department at South Korea’s second biggest car brand four years ago at the right time; when the company was looking to expand quite rapidly internationally.

LEAKED! ALL-NEW 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS

Pictures of the brand new 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS have been leaked through a marketing brochure and are now all over the interweb! The car is to replace the current CLS four-door which has been on the market since 2004 in Europe and 2005 in South Africa. That’s car’s life is soon to be over, replaced by what you see here.

JAGUAR XJ GETS TIGHT VIP PROTECTION

Jaguar is launching an armoured version of its stunning new XJ luxury sports saloon at the 2010 Moscow International Motor Show.

The new XJ Sentinel offers the ultimate in discreet protection, being virtually indistinguishable from the standard XJ model, yet featuring a state-of-the-art armouring package which provides occupants with up to B7 levels of ballistic protection.

MECHANICAL FAILURES MAR ZAUGG LOTUS ONCE-OFF DRIVE

South African motor sport enthusiasts don’t often get a chance to see the country’s leading drivers who ply their trade on the international circuits.  So it was a rare opportunity for the fans who were at the Phakisa Freeway circuit near Welkom in the Free State last weekend to see former A1GP driver and current GP2 contender Adrian Zaugg in action in the Bridgestone South African Production Car Championship.
 

NEW PEGUEOT 207 COMES IN BELOW C02 TAX

The Peugeot 207 subcompact hatchback has become even more environmentally friendly than before. Peugeot South Africa has recently upgraded the locally available 207 model line-up with an array of new engines, all of which now comply to the latest Euro 5 emissions standard.

PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO GETS POWER BOOST

Porsche Panamera Turbo owners who felt a little short-changed by their new car’s 3.9 second capability on the 0 – 100km/h run will feel quite relieved at the announcement of a new Powerkit for the model. Said to boost power from the standard 368kW (500bhp) up to

AUDI R8 V1O SPYDER PRICED FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Audi South Africa will now offer its customers the choice of either going topless or hard top on their supercar. That’s because the new R8 V10 Spyder (Cabriolet) can be ordered immediately for something over R2 million.

I loved the R8 V10, its brawn and bravado, its easy-to-use everyday-car feel, and of course its fast wheels. The Spyder is not just a mere topless version, but it’s its own man, even though cynics will snort at the idea that

NEW 2011 DAKAR VW TOUAREG COMING THIS FRIDAY

The new Volkswagen Race Touareg 3, with which Volkswagen aims to win its third successive diesel victory in the Dakar Rally in South America in January 2011, has successfully completed three weeks of extensive testing in Spain and Morocco recently and will be officially introduced to the world in Trier (Germany) on Friday (August 20).  It will then make its competitive debut in the Silk Way Rally in Russia from September 11 to 18.

G-POWER KEEPS "WORLD'S FASTEST SEDAN" TITLE WITH M5 HURRICANE RR

G-POWER is once again claiming the title of “World’s fastest sedan” with the new BMW M5-based Hurricane RR. The car uses the same V10 engine found on the outgoing M5 but tweaks it to unrecognisable proportions.

From its “humble” 373kW beginnings, the G-POWER team

2011 INFINITI IPL G COUPE REVEALED FOR NORTH AMERICA

The 2011 Infiniti IPL G Coupe has been revealed and will be available at United States dealerships sometime in the month of December. The performance car will provide good competition to cars like the Nissan 370Z, BMW Z4 sDrive35i and the Audi TT RS, which unfortunately has not been confirmed for the US.

Anyway, this G Coupe features a 3.7-litre V6 engine making

PODIUM FINISH FOR DA CUNHA AT PHAKISA

A fighting third place in the feature race and a fourth in the opening sprint race moved Marco da Cunha (Tubular/Exa Motor Group Nissan 350Z) from seventh to sixth in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship’s round five at Phakisa Freeway in the Free State on Saturday.

Sam Racing, which runs Da Cunha’s car, was under new management in the shape of former national champion racer Grant van Schalkwyk and the team made a promising

DRIVEN: BRAND NEW JAGUAR XJ SET TO ASTONISH

Motoring scribes normally look at their calendars to see what’s coming up, what’s worth driving and what could be avoided, if possible. Last year I looked at 2010 and picked out five cars which in my mind would be worth waking up at 04:00 for to take for a drive. One of these was the all-new Jaguar XJ which was unveiled in London just over a year ago.

ROBERTSON HITS TWO POLES, MAKES PODIUM

The Ferodo racing team’s two young guns had contrasting weekends in the fifth round of the WesBank Super Series of national championships at Phakisa Freeway in the Free State.

While Engen Volkswagen Cup championship contender Devin Robertson celebrated his recent 18th birthday with

MORE SEVERE BUGATTI VEYRON SUPER SPORT WOWS AMERICA

An even faster Bugatti Veyron is now out on the streets and was last week unveiled at the Quail Motorsports Gathering in the US. The Veyron Super Sport features the same 8.0-litre, 16-cylinder four-turbo engine, but power is upped significantly.