VIDEO: 5TH GEAR PUTS A LAMBORGHINI LP560-4 IN A TIFF

Tiff Needell of the TV motoring show 5^th Gear (DSTV 250) is regarded as one of the best drivers in motor journalism. Actually some think of him as a driving demigod. In this video he tames one hell of a raging Italian bull, the Lamborghini LP560-4. In snow and ice!

The Lamborghini LP560-4 was first unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. It’s powered by a 5.2-litre V10 engine with 410kW and 540Nm of torque. Audi (owner of Lamborghini) actually borrowed the same engine for its upcoming Audi R8 V10. They say the LP560-4 can dash from 0 – 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and top off at 325km/h.

I therefore imagine it to be quite a handful on dry tar but on ice? Can’t imagine that! Watch Tiff powerslide the car with traction control off. My apologies if your internet connection is too slow, but the 5 minute video is really worth the wait. Click HERE.

UK ANNOUNCES NEW BMW 730DL PRICE

BMW UK has announced prices for the new 730LD. This is the version with a longer wheel base, measuring 14cm more than the standard 730D. Prices will start at £56 790 (about US$80 300 or R803 000) On The Road (OTR). It’s powered by the same engine as the 730D which is a 3.0-litre turbo diesel producing 180kW (245hp) and a massive 540Nm of torque. Mated to it is a 6-speed automatic gearbox that helps it run from 0 – 62mph (99.8km/h) in just 7.3 seconds.

Customers willing to part with such amounts of money are not just demanding performance from the 7 but also comfort. To this end the extra 14cm of rear legroom is exactly what the doctor ordered. On top of that the car comes with optional packages that can include such features as rear DVD screens, seat-warmers, electrically-adjustable rear seats, an iDrive controller for the back passengers and a rear window sunblind to keep nosy fellow motorists from peeking in.

BMW expects 85% of all 7 Series cars sold to be diesel models in 2009. In contrast the South African market would probably expect at most 25% of 7 Series sales to be diesel. The new 7 launches in SA during the first week of March 2009.

ELECTRIC-POWERED OPEL AMPERA FOR GENEVA

The first “baby” born of the Chevrolet VOLT is to be born in Europe and it will go by the name of Opel Ampera. The concept car is set for a public reveal at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Using VOLT’s Voltec technology the Ampera is said to be able to go for up to 60km (37 miles) purely on its lithium-ion battery. That distance is about the same distance as what the average South African, American and German motorist covers on his/ her daily commute to and from work.

When traveling longer distances a small petrol engine is used to charge the battery while the Ampera is in motion. A static recharge can be performed from a normal 230V home/ office plug.

Motor manufacturers like Opel and Chevrolet (both owned by General Motors) are feverishly working battery-powered cars so that electricity eventually replaces petrol and diesel.

PEUGEOT 2008 DEALER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

PEUGEOT SAYS: The coveted 2008 Peugeot Dealer of the Year accolade has been awarded to Peugeot Vereeniging. A delighted Frans van der Linde, Dealer Principal of the facility, received the award at a glittering function held recently at WesBank in Fairlands.

Second place went to John Graham, Dealer Principal of Peugeot Cape Town, whilst Peugeot Tygervalley’s Dealer Principal, Dave Park Ross, took third.

The three top performers win an incentive trip to the exotic and luxurious Nosy Iranja Lodge in Madagascar for their efforts.

In what was a hotly contested programme, Peugeot dealers countrywide had to perform exceptionally across a broad spectrum, including new vehicle sales, used vehicle sales, quality assurance, customer satisfaction, financial services, part sales, marketing, training and profitability.

“Our dealers are a vital link in the chain between Peugeot and our customers,” says Kees Jan Boorsma, Managing Director of Peugeot Motors South Africa. “They are at the coalface, where delivering service excellence in every facet of their business is critical to both their success and to ours.

“For that very reason, rewarding our top dealers with incentives ensures that the efforts of those who perform beyond the norm in the interests of their customers are recognised, whilst also encouraging the entire dealer network to continuously improve.”

Dealers in fourth to seventh places were also rewarded, and will soon be winging their way to Inhaca Island in Mozambique. They are:

Fourth Place: Peugeot East London – Lindsay Bouchier
Fifth Place: Peugeot East Rand – Lyle Adriaanse
Sixth Place: Peugeot Umhlanga – Roger Jay
Seventh Place: Peugeot Durban – Justin Mangan

LEAKED! 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS COUPE (CLK)

Pictures of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe have been leaked courtesy of AutoBlog.nl. The E-Class Coupe replaces the CLK. These pictures show a car that’s ready for production but hasn’t been publicly unveiled yet.

Merc has obviously gone wider than ever with the E-Class Coupe in terms of design. The Germans are much more adventurous as we see sharper lines, concave and convex shapes running on the side of the car. In fact we see more Chris Bangle BMW in this new heap of Mercs than anything else. It takes a number of styling cues from the 2009 E-Class. LED lights are a feature in the front as well as the rear. The pictured car looks to be fitted with AMG wheels although it’s not an AMG itself. We know this because it only has two exhaust pipes instead of four.

Inside the 2009 E-Class Coupe retains the classic 2+2 seater configuration of a coupe. The seats are quite high but huggy as well while wood and leather are splashed all over the front interior.

The CLK comes with engines ranging from a CLK 200 K (not in SA), a 3.2-litre V6 CLK 320 - later replaced by the 3.5-litre CLK 350 -, CLK 500/ 550, CLK 55 AMG and the 354kW (481hp) CLK 63 AMG. Diesels are part of what is on offer. It follows that all or most of these will be retained but some will get power hikes.

We’ll wait for the E-Class Coupe to be officially unveiled at the 2009 Geneva International Motor Show in March.

PICTURE SOURCE: AutoBlog.nl