BMW SET TO ANNOUNCE NEW "MEGACITY" ELECTRIC SUB-BRAND

Come Monday 21 February and BMW will reveal another automotive brand for its stable. Set to join BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce, the new brand will focus on electric-powered inter-city mobility solutions. There is no name attached to it yet, although this might change in the next two days as information creeps out. Nevertheless we expect the letter “i” to feature somewhere.

BERTONE B99 JAGUAR HINTS AT 3 SERIES RIVAL?

Italian design house Bertone has released a design study for Jaguar. It is called the B99 and measures about 4.5 metres long. What that means is that while it harks back to the old XJs and incorporates new design elements created by Ian Callum and his capable team, the B99 is a compact Jaguar. And compact means competition for Audi’s A4, BMW’s 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class and Volvo’s S60.

HYUNDAI I40 SHOWN BEFORE GENEVA DEBUT

Hyundai’s relentless rush towards the number One spot is apparently coming along quite nicely. To add momentum to the cause is the new i40 that’s pictured here. In South Africa the i40 is called the Sonata. It will be fully revealed at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show in March.

HERE'S THE ALL-NEW HONDA CIVIC SEDAN

The new Honda Civic has made its appearance in California where the governor has threatened to squeeze any car maker with no hybrids in its lineup. When it comes to fuel economy, Americans choose no other way than the part-petrol/ part-electric motor type. Good thing too, because Honda is a pioneer in this field and now even offers a Jazz hybrid. So then, the new Civic will also have a hybrid in the range, right? You damn skippy it will!

MG CARS BACK IN FULL EFFECT IN THE UK

MG, the old British brand which is now owned by Chinese company Nanjing Automobile Group, has relaunched itself in the United Kingdom. Quite strange that a marque which was started in the UK has now been sold to the Chinese and is now selling cars back to UK customers. Bygones.

AUDI XTREME TEAM GETTING READY FOR KHAYALAMI ACTION

With just over a week to go, the Engen Xtreme Team are extremely charged and looking forward to lining up at the start for the first round of the 2011 WesBank Super Series.  All of the action will be taking place on Saturday 5 March, 2011 at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand.

TRACKER CLIENTS NOW EARNING EBUCKS

eBucks, FNB’s multi-partner rewards programme, has announced that Tracker customers are now able to earn eBucks when signing up for a new eBucks Tracker motor vehicle recovery contract.

Members will earn eB250, worth R25, per month when signing a new 36-month eBucks Tracker Retrieve or eBucks Tracker SkyTrax contract through eBucks’ contact centre. 

BMW FOUR-DOOR 6 SERIES COUPE FOR 2012

Reliable sources have confirmed that BMW will start selling a 6 Series-based four-door sedan in 2012. The car, which may be called a 6 Series GT, is based on the Concept CS of 2007 (pictured here). That car featured four interior seats and a new design language for the BMW brand. On its crosshairs are other four-seat, four-door tourers like the new Audi A7 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz CLS, and to a lesser extent, Aston Martin’s Rapide and the Porsche Panamera.

"FAST AND FURIOUS" NOW "FAST FIVE"

Former cop Brian O'Conner partners with ex-con Dom Toretto on the opposite side of the law. Since Brian and Mia Toretto broke Dom out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARIS HILTON. HERE'S A LEXUS LFA!

Famous socialite (whatever that means) and one of the heiresses of the Hilton Hotel empire Paris Hilton, turned 30 years-old today. And being Paris that means adoring presents from friends and family. What better way to show adoration than a supercar? Well, her boyfriend Cy Waits surprised her with a brand spanking new Lexus LFA while she was shooting her reality TV show.

NISSAN "SOPRANO" UNCOVERED?

Nissan South Africa (Nissan SA) has uncovered a wealth of vocal talent at its Rosslyn-based car-making operation.  The brainchild of Makhalila Mwalie - responsible for the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects - Nissan SA’s choir was formed in June 2010 as an alternative to the traditional sports recreational activities on offer. Employees from a variety of departments immediately joined, after impressing Mwalie with a broad vocal range from alto and soprano to tenor and bass. 

RANGE_E HYBRID SET FOR GENEVA 2011 DEBUT

Land Rover's stand at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show will establish this year as one of the most exciting in the brand's history. Hybrid technology showcase, the new Range Rover Evoque with both coupé and 5-Door derivatives, and two exciting Limited Editions complete the line-up.

PORSCHE DETAILS NEW PANAMERA S HYBRID

Porsche has finally put paid to speculation that it would build a hybrid model of the hot Panamera model. Of course with Porsche making hybrids and hybrid concepts left right and centre, it was only a matter of time that the Pan also got some mixed treatment.

MORE ACCESSIBLE E-CLASS COUPE AND CABRIOLET WHOOSH IN

The beautiful Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, are now much more accessible, thanks to a new smaller, more efficient engine. Costing just over R600 000 for the Coupe, the new E 250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY petrol units are gunning for the volume market of this exclusive segment, if you’ve ever read a contradiction in terms.

PEUGEOT UPS ANTE ON 206 SERVICE

The Peugeot 206, lynchpin of the brand in South Africa from 2002 to 2007, has just been made a whole lot more appealing as an ownership proposition.
 

ONE&ONLY HOSTS BMW 6 SERIES WORLD LAUNCH

ONE&ONLY Cape Town, the brand’s first urban resort, is well positioned to take advantage of the expected upswing in global tourism this year. With a new managing director at the helm, and trading well above its competitor set in the last four months, this resort hotel looks forward to offering competitively priced accommodation and other innovatively priced package rates to locals in the winter months ahead.

SMART RANGE REVAMPED

Daimler South Africa has quietly introduced a new-generation smart for the trendy city dweller with enviro-consciousness. Improvements have been made inside and outside to give the cars a new look and feel. smart has never really cracked the sales charts in this country, but Mercedes-Benz hopes to do better with the new car.

BMW X6 GETS BENCH REAR SEAT, X5 NEW RIMS

Superior handling, commanding traction and characteristic styling are key contributors to the stand-out position the BMW X5 and BMW X6 models enjoy among the premium all-wheel-drive vehicles of their segment. Spring 2011 sees the introduction of specific additions to the range of special options to ratchet up the appeal even further.

MCLAREN MP4-12C: FURTHER DETAILS

Full details of the upcoming McLaren MP4-12C supercar have been released by the McLaren Automotive company, including the power figures, indicative pricing in UK pounds and all 35 dealers across 19 countries. One of these is Daytona Motors which is located in Sandton, close to landmarks like Sandton City. In fact there are some impressive links between the car and South Africa.