DAIMLER FINALLY KILLS MAYBACH FOR S-CLASS

Previous rumours of Daimler’s plan to get rid of the super luxury Maybach brand seem to have been confirmed. An interview in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung quotes Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche as saying that the company has come to the conclusion that Maybach is not as viable as previously thought. That really spells the second death of Maybach.

MORE PREMIUM 2012 BMW 1 SERIES HATCH LAUNCHED IN SA

BMW designer Nico Huet is French by origin. And the French are well-known for their chic style, less brash, more detail. He’s the guy who designed the exterior of the all-new 1 Series. While I personally liked the previous car – penned by American Chris Chapman, some criticised it for its loud personality. Whatever your preference, the new 1 Series looks set to be universally liked. What that means is that BMW has another winner at the dealership.

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT ALLTRACK GOES ANYWHERE

Audi has the allroad range, and now Volkswagen has the Alltrack. Based on the Passat Estate, the Alltrack stands taller than a normal wagon and features a number of rugged parts in order to cope with light off-road situations. VW says it is for people who require something spacious with bits of non-too-serious bundu bashing.

PORSCHE REVEALS, PRICES NEW 911 CARRERA CABRIOLET

Porsche’s new 911 range, internally codenamed 991, has produced a new derivative in the form of a canvass top Cabriolet. These are the Carrera and Carrera S version which has now been unveiled and detailed, including engine and powertrain details.

VOLKSWAGEN R CARS TO LOSE WEIGHT

Volkswagen brand has the R Division, a performance side that produces cars like the heavy Golf R and the scintillating Scirocco R. From recent spy pictures also, it appears there will be a Polo R too, probably delivering about the same amount of power as a Golf GTI (155kW).

BMW COULD PRODUCE 280KW DIESEL 5 SERIES

BMW is apparently going full steam ahead with a higher-performance diesel engine. Word is, there was a dealer presentation in the Netherlands during which Bavaria revealed some specifications on the car. Based on a 5 Series, the car could be considered the M5 of the diesel world.

FORD KUGA NOW IN MZANSI

Unveiled at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS 2011), the facelift Kuga is now available in Mzansi. First launched in Europe in 2008, the Kuga is Ford’s answer to cars like the Chevrolet Captiva, Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage and Hyundai ix35. Featuring a turbo petrol engine and all-wheel-drive (AWD), Kuga seems able to go at least halfway into the bundu.

AUDI A1 SPORTBACK UNVEILED

While it was as inevitable as an A1 Cabriolet, we didn’t really know when exactly Audi would unveil the A1 Sportback 5-door. Until now. The first different body style of the A1 compact premium car has come out and adds practicality to the successful little Audi.

VOLKSWAGEN SA REACHES RECORD PRODUCTION

Last Thursday, Volkswagen Group South Africa surpassed its previous highest production year. The company has built 128 535 Polo Vivos, new Polos and Cross Polos at its Uitenhage facility year-to-date. This surpasses the previous total of 128 123 vehicles built in 2006.

WE ARE SELLING OUR VW STAKE: SUZUKI

Osamu Suzuki is not mincing his words. The relationship between Suzuki, the company he runs, and its “associate” Volkswagen, is truly over. According to him. But VW says this is not so at all. The two auto giants began bickering a few weeks ago after accusing each other of violating their agreement.

CAPE BABE ANDREA BATE MAKES FIA DRIVER ACADEMY

Andrea Bate (22) has done Mzansi quite proud by being chosen as one of the 18 drivers for the 2012 FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy. Bate, from Cape Town, was chosen from a group of 30 from across the globe. Her countryman Ashley Haig-Smith unfortunately didn’t make it.