FACELIFT BMW X1 ON ITS WAY TO MZANSI

The new facelifted BMW X1 is headed for Mzansi in September 2012, and it will sport a new powerful engine for higher performance. According to BMW figures, 275 000 X1 models have been sold globally since the car was launched in 2010, making it one of the company’s biggest-selling cars.

NDEBELE WARNS AGAINST HIGH WORLD ACCIDENT RATE

SADC Road Safety Champion, and South Africa’s Transport Minister, Sibusiso Ndebele has called on the international community to ensure that road safety is part of the global development agenda.

JAGUAR XJ SUPERSPORT TAXI FOR NURBURGRING

The latest addition to Jaguar’s fleet at its Nürburgring Nordschleife engineering test centre is the marque’s very first taxi, albeit one with rather more ability than you may expect from a traditional cab; based on the latest all-aluminium long wheelbase XJ Supersport with Sport and Speed Pack options, Jaguar’s ‘Nürburgring taxi’ boasts 375kW from its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine and a top speed of 280km/h, but no fare meter…

SWEET AUDI Q3 LANDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

The new Audi Q3, its maker’s answer to the runaway BMW X1, can now be bought from your nearest Audi dealership. Compact and premium, the Q3 falls just under the bigger, more expensive Q5, but is nobody’s kid when it comes to features. From the reaction of some of the journalists invited for its launch in Cape Town, the Q3 will practically drive itself off the dealership floors.

SUBARU BRZ A SALES HIT

Subaru’s BRZ is screaming out of Japanese showrooms, driving enthusiasts literally queuing up to buy the brand’s compact coupe: in the seven weeks following its February domestic launch, over 3 500 cars were sold, demand outstripping sales forecasts by a ratio of four to one.

CHEVROLET SPARK. NOW MADE IN MZANSI

General Motors South Africa (GMSA) has announced that henceforth the popular little Chevrolet Spark will now be manufactured at its Port Elizabeth plant. That’s the same one that makes the Chevrolet Utility and used to handle the HUMMER too. The good news for end consumers is that as a result, prices have now dropped.

VD LINDE WINS AT ALDO SCRIBANTE

Back-to-back wins in both races of round three national championship Engen Volkswagen Cup at Port Elizabeth’s Aldo Scribante circuit on Saturday saw 15-year-old Kelvin van der Linde of Dainfern strengthen his grip on the national motor racing championship that would make him the youngest title holder in senior circuit racing.