MORE BMW M SECRETS SPILLED

BMW is about to descend upon us all with a bucket full of new M cars. Dr Friedrich Nitschke, boss of M Division, spoke to Auto Express and told them a few secrets. One of these regards the next M3, which will focus quite a bit on saving fuel. Therefore, according to AE, the new car will be utilising the services of three turbos. That’s one more than any other production car out there except the Bugatti Veyron which spins four turbines.

CHEAPEST MINI ONE PRICED FOR MZANSI

MINI South Africa has listed the MINI One on its official website, and the price is quoted at R197 401, making the One the cheapest new MINI in the land. The car has not been launched in the country yet, so we cannot say exactly when it will be available. The assumption is, since it’s on the site, it’s at the dealer. Of course we may be wrong but check with your dealer anyway.

ASTON MARTIN ZAGATO V12 TO COST OVER R4 MILLION

Aston Martin has made a decision to produce the V12 Zagato super car, thanks to positive customer, media and public reaction. The car is a collaboration between AM and Zagato and was first unveiled as a concept car at the prestigious Villa D’ Este Concours on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. Only 150 of these cars will ever be produced.

TOMTOM LIVE GIVES RENAULT DRIVERS EDGE

Renault South Africa has confirmed the introduction of the latest TomTom satellite navigation system in a growing number of its model ranges. Known as TomTom Live, the system offers several key new features.

TOYOTA MOVES INTO SOWETO WITH MAPONYA FAMILY

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) will soon celebrate the opening of dealership number 197 when it delivers the first new vehicles to its brand new facility in Soweto, Johannesburg.

BMW M2 CONFIRMED FOR 2015?

UK giant publication Auto Express has the lowdown on the upcoming BMW M2. The rag spoke to BMW’s new M Division Managing Director Dr Friedrich Nitschke who pretty much admitted to AE that an M2 was in the works. The rest of the details came from an unnamed source who seems to know all about the new M.

RANGE ROVER SPORT UPDATED WITH NEW TECH

Land Rover has updated the Range Rover Sport by giving it new mechanicals in order to keep it fresh in the face of ever-increasing competition. On top of a more powerful turbo diesel, the cars will also get a new, more fuel-friendly gearbox, as well as additional exterior colours. We hope to see these changes in South Africa before the year is up.

PROJECT KAHN KICKS OUT MIYAGI RANGE ROVER

UK-based tuning house Project Kahn presents this new customisation programme for the Range Rover Sport. It’s called the Miyagi Edition, but we don’t think there’s any relation to the original Karate Kid movies. It’s also the last Project Kahn model to feature Land Rover’s Bali Blue colour.

PERFORMANCE BABY AUDI Q3 RS ON THE CARDS?

Auto Motor und Sport magazine’s latest issue suggests that Audi is gearing up for more RS performance models. This time it’s not on the sedan, coupe or Sportback side, but on the SUV. Apparently the new Q3 is going RS as early as 2012. Indeed, so says the respected German publication which claims a baby Q3 RS is on the cards.

NOW FOR THE BMW X5 BAKKIE!

Automotive artists sure have a sense humour. This one, named Theophilus Chin, is taking the mickey out of BMW’s successful X5 SUV by turning it into a bakkie (pickup). Of course BMW does not produce any bakkie X5s, or any other type of bakkie for that matter – apart from that April Fools joke of an M3 bakkie. And they have no plans at all to do such. Or at least as far as we know.

SAAB PLANNING BIG SPLASH OF 3 NEW CARS

SAAB says it will start developing brand new models with new names. The 9-1, 9-6 and 9-7 models are said to be in the pipeline, thanks to a new financial investment in the cash-strapped Swedish automaker by its new Chinese partners Pang Da Automobile and Youngman Lotus Automobile.

FIAT ANNOUNCES PUNTO ESSENCE

Fiat continues on its road to recovery with the release of this new Punto Essence edition which is packed with “big car” features. The car is supposed to be a value proposition for Fiat, something that gives buyers plenty of features at a reasonably low price. It is hoped this strategy will bear fruit.

RENAULT F1 RENEWS 1980S MARRIAGE TO WILLIAMS F1

Renault Sport F1, the F1 division of Renault, will supply AT&T Williams with its championship-winning V8 power units for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In addition to the supply of its Formula One engines, the newly-formed co-operation includes several other exciting business and marketing opportunities, with a view to continuing after the introduction of the new, energy efficient, turbocharged V6 engines in 2014. 

M SPORT PACKAGE FOR BMW 6 SERIES

BMW has announced an M Sport package for the 6 Series which appears at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) in October. At the same time the company said the 6 will, for the first time ever, also be offered with xDrive all-wheel-drive (AWD) instead of its traditional rear-wheel-drive (RWD) system.

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE PRODUCTION STARTS

Production of the upcoming Range Rover Evoque has already started at Land Rover’s Halewood manufacturing plant in Liverpool, UK. Word from LR is that its executives, union representatives as well as employees, were just some of the attendees to the celebration ceremony. The car has apparently been pre-ordered 18 000 times globally. The Evoque will be at hand at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show in October.

NEW REGAL AUDI A6 IS HERE!

Audi’s all-new, brand out of the box A6 sedan is now at your nearest Audi dealership. The A6 is one of two cars Audi of South Africa really needs to work, the other being the A8. Without convincing sales in their segments, Audi cannot claim legitimate leadership in the premium sector. What you want to know is, is it as good as the previous model? Better yet, is it as good as the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class?

JUNE 2011 SALES SHOW GROWTH

The Ford Figo stayed in the top 3 sales position as the market grew sales by 12.6% over the same period last year. Figo pushed out a total of 1474 units in June, placing it behind the leading Volkswagen Polo (1 664) and Polo Vivo (2 200). It seems we are on track to achieve over 500 000 in sales this year in what would be a remarkable recovery from 2010’s figure of 492 956.

PETROL PRICE DROP ON WEDNESDAY

Motorists may breathe a rare sigh of relief this coming Wednesday when the prices of petrol and diesel drop. Unleaded petrol goes down by 33 cents a litre, while diesel 50 PPM will users will be happy to pay 11c less per litre for their juice. Diesel 500 PPM can look forward to paying 12 a litre less. Diesel prices are of course wholesale since they are not regulated.