RENAULT BAGS GOVERNMENT TENDER

Government fleet orders awarded to Renault South Africa saw the delivery during the first quarter of this year of over 200 Renault vehicles cars to national and local governmental departments including the Department of Defence, South African Police Services (SAPS) and KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Department of Health.

NEW KIA RIO SEDAN LAUNCHES IN MZANSI

The Kia Rio hatchback launched in Mzansi last year seems to be doing ok. Because Kia SA doesn’t report its sales figures, we don’t know exactly how well, but it is estimated that over 400 units have been leaving the dealership floors since then. Now a second barrel in the ammo, in the mould of a sedan, is on sale. Oh boy, rivals better watch their backs!

ETERNITI ARTEMIS SUV IMPRESSES CHINESE, RUSSIANS, AUSSIES

Eterniti Motors, a new car company based in London, UK, specialises in the manufacturing of super SUVs. And yes, the cars you see here are called Artemis and are based on the Porsche Cayenne. According to Eterniti, so far a total of five of these SUVs have been sold in China so far, with strong interest from other countries.

PORSCHE 918 SPYDER: DETAILS EMERGE

The Porsche 918 Spyder, set for launch in 2013 sometime, looks like it will set some very impressive benchmarks for the entire motor industry. Porsche has just released the plug-in hybrid car’s performance figures and they are looking like real ground-breaking stuff.

NEW ENGINES AND DERIVATIVES FOR BMW 3, 5 SERIES

There seems to be a flurry of activity in the life of BMW these days. Not that this is new, but lately it appears only full throttle is the order of the day. Because there’s so much to talk about, we’ll just try and highlight on a few items, the ones we believe are the most relevant and important for the South African market.

BREAKING: NEW FERRARI ENZO TO BOAST HYBRID POWER

Ferrari will unveil the brand new Enzo supercar at the end of 2012. And it will be the most powerful Ferrari of all time. Even more interesting, hybrid is a word that’s been thrown about before. Well, Enzo will be a hybrid. According to company chairman Luca di Montezemolo, the new supercar will come as a limited series.

REVEALED: 2012 BMW 1 SERIES 3-DOOR HATCH

BMW has told us that the new 1 Series 3-door will begin selling in Mzansi by September. It follows the launch of the 5-door model in 2011. Apart from the obvious lack of two rear doors, the 1 Series 3-door will introduce new engines to the range, including an entry-level 114i.

LAST MZANSI-BUILT BEETLE RESTORED

Volkswagen has restored the last Beetle ever built in its manufacturing plant in Uitenhage. The Beetle was practically destroyed in a vehicle carrier accident in 2006. The metallic bronze Beetle represents the last of 288 353 Beetles built in Uitenhage from 31 August 1951 to 18 January 1979. It was never used and lived in the Volkswagen museum – now the AutoPavilion.

MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP BREAKS LOOSE!

MINI South Africa has announced that the sportiest production MINI ever is on its way, and will be in Mzansi by March 2013. The MINI John Cooper Works GP will be limited to only 2000 units worldwide, so we think Mzansi might only get an allocation of around 30 or so. The lucky 30 will no doubt be quite pleased with the package.