MAHINDRA MAKES HISTORY WITH MOTOGP ENTRY

The USD7.1 billion (R51 billion) Mahindra Group will become the first Indian motorcycle manufacturer to enter a team into the prestigious FIM Road Racing World Championship (MotoGP). Riders Danny Webb from the UK and Marcel Schrötter from Germany, already well known in MotoGP, will ride for Mahindra Racing in the 125cc category for the 2011 season. The company today introduced the two riders to the Indian media on their visit to the Mahindra headquarters in Mumbai.

NEW AUDI A1 HATCH DRIVEN IN MPUMALANGA

We miss the concrete pillar by what seems to me only half a centimetre, yet racing ace Phillip Kekana appear unperturbed. Only now is he getting into the second half of his story, a story he started telling me just before this mini underground gymkana. While it could be the set of Italian Job 2, this is the Mzansi launch of the new Audi A1 premium hatch.

ON THE ROAD: AUDI TT RS COUPE

Can ordinary folk tell this car apart from lesser models?

Not so much. We see a different front end with a new grille, headlights, a front splitter, aluminium side mirrors, and that permanent rear spoiler. Mainly you see the RS badges on the front and rear ends, plus the typically-RS oval tailpipes snuck in between the rear diffuser. To the non-fan it really does not stand out far enough.

TOYOTA'S BIG PERFORMANCE AT TOKYO AUTO SALON

Small in size but big in attitude, a pumped-up, track-ready interpretation of the super-smart iQ city car leads a posse of tuned and tweaked Toyota concept and production cars at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The world’s largest annual aftermarket parts show that took place from 14 to 16 January, gives leading tuning firms and custom car specialists the chance to demonstrate their engineering and design skills, from mild sports accoutrements to the wilder fringes of auto design.

JD POWER AWARDS VOLVO XC60

The Volvo XC60 has ranked highest in the medium SUV segment in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates quality survey.

2011 has started on an exhilarating note for Volvo Car South Africa. With the superb all-new Volvo S60 now on sale countrywide, the gorgeous new V60 due for launch in February, brand-new VCSA offices in Irene, and now yet another award for the Volvo XC60  - the J.D. Power and Associates Quality Survey award - VCSA is looking forward to an extremely successful year.

UPCOMING 2012 CITROEN DS4 VOTED "MOST BEAUTIFUL"

The Citroën DS4, the second model in the DS line, has been voted “Most Beautiful Car of the Year” by more than 60,000 web users in 62 countries! The award was presented to Frédéric Banzet, Managing Director of Citroën, at the official ceremony of the 26th International Automobile Festival on 27 January.
 

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 78 WAGON: TO BOLDLY TAKE YOU WHERE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE!

The Land Cruiser 70 range, well known as one of the most capable off road vehicles available, have been bolstered with the introduction of the Land Cruiser 78 Wagon.

The new Land Cruiser 78 Wagon is available immediately and will compliment the popular Land Cruiser 79 Pick-Up and the Land Cruiser 76 Station Wagon. It arrives on the eve of international celebrations to celebrate 60 years of the Land Cruiser’s go-anywhere capabilities.

SAFE, FRUGAL HONDA CR-Z

The Honda CR-Z hybrid sports coupé, launched in South Africa last year, has emerged as one of the brightest stars in the latest round of stringent safety tests conducted by the authoritative Euro NCAP safety testing authority.

The CR-Z not only came out tops in the Supermini category, but was also one of the five safest cars in overall terms tested.
 

PAGANI UNVEILS MAD HUAYRA

 Pagani has pulled the covers off its brand new supercar, the Huayra, just weeks before it appears at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The Huayra (please don’t ask, we don’t know how to pronounce it either!) replaces the very successful Zonda, which not only challenged the more established names in the game, but beat some of them too. From what we understand it has to do with a very powerful ancient god whose name was Aymara Huayra Tata.

BRAND NEW ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE S REVEALED

Aston Martin has released details of the new V8 Vantage S, a car that looks just like other Astons, but different. The differences are not immediately apparent to the untrained eye, so to that eye, here they follow. It features carbon fibre on the front bumper, a different front splitter, larger air intake for the brakes and the engine and 19-inch V spoke wheels.