Friday, December 30, 2011

SPECIAL 2-DOOR CHRYSLER 300C FOR SALE

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“Mr Padre”, or “Captain Video” Tony Gywnn is a legend in one of America’s favourite pastimes of baseball. The retired left-hander was even inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame, showing how special he was. This custom-built Chrysler 300C with 11 263km on the clock was his. And it’s pretty special too.


As you can see from these pictures, the car is based on arguably Chrysler’s most recognisable car of the past decade. The “gangsta” 300C – now replaced by the 300– never came in a coupe. Well this one does. An unnamed tuner cut out the rear doors, lowered the roof, installed flared wheel arches, and massive wheels among others. There’s good chunks of chrome all over too.

It recently came into the public fore after a US dealership called Beverly Hills Motor Cars in San Diego put it on its shop floor. It could be yours for the asking price of US$27 950 (about R225 000).


SOURCE: Carscoop via BH Motors via Jalopnik

RUMOUR: MAHINDRA WANTS SAAB OF THIS

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Only weeks after disapproving a Chinese-based takeover of SAAB, supplier General Motors and owner Spyker may be entertaining offers from India, and even Turkey. SUV specialist Mahindra & Mahindra is rumoured to be the main interest bearer. It wants at least some parts of SAAB if not the whole thing.


Automotive News Europe sources say Mahindra is planning to meet with SAAB officials soon, but has not made any official advance as yet. Should the deal eventually happen, India will have acquired its second global premium brand, following Tata’s acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.

Turkey on the other hand, is said to be keen on its own automotive brand, perhaps to position it more favourably in the eyes of European Union members.

CHINA LOCKS OUT FOREIGN AUTOMAKERS

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For the past seven years China has incentivised foreign car companies building plants in the country by giving them certain benefits, such as smaller tariffs on imported equipment. It now appears that the free ride is over, come 30 January 2012. Companies like BMW, General Motors, Honda and Volkswagen have factories in China.


An announcement by the National Reform and Development Commission (NRDC) and the Ministry of Commerce says those benefits will no longer apply from that date forward. State information bureau Xinhuasays this is “because of the need of the healthydevelopment of domestic auto making”. There were no specific details as to how this would be done, but some analysts reckon companies with plans to expand or build new sites, such as AudiAG, may end up paying more than before.

China became the world’s largest market for cars in 2009, taking over from the United States. Last month alone about 1.66 million were sold in China, compared to around 50 000 in South Africa. Of course there are 1.5 billion people living in mainland China, as opposed to 50 million in Mzansi. The Asian giant is the world’s most populous, while Mzansi is number 24 on the list, just ahead of South Korea and one behind Italy which has 60 million people.

I guess we are reverting towards more protectionism again, especially considering just a couple of weeks ago China announced it will be slapping extra import duties on cars coming from the United States.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

NEW UPGRADED BMW ENGINES FOR MZANSI

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A quick glance at the latest information lists from Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo reveals nothing particularly interesting. At least for everyone but BMW. The following models captured our interest because they are new in the market and have been priced, and therefore are available from your nearest dealership.


Starting with the 520i(F10) which gets the new upgraded 2.0-litre turbo engine and more power. It becomes the range base model, with 135kW and 270Nm of torque. The 528i name badge then caught our eye as it uses the very same 2.0-litre turbo, but for more effect, to the tune of 180kWand 350Nm. We think this car replaces the naturally aspirated 530ithat had a 3.0-litre straight sixsince that car is no longer listed. Most interesting on the 5 Series is the price of the brand new M5 which apparently costs R1 145 500 to buy. Remember it runs a 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 worth 412kW and 680Nm.

Z4 also gets upgraded engines in the form of the same 2.0-litre turbo, giving the sDrive20i 135kW and sDrive28i 180kW. Same story applies for the X1 (sDrive and xDrive), while the X3 only gets the 135kW version for now.

BRAND NEW CHEVROLET UTILITY DRIVEN

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Replacing a legendis always such a tough ask. For anyone. For General Motors, moving from the Opel Corsa Utility to the Chevrolet Corsa Utility could have turned ugly, seeing as how loved this little ute was. However, things stayed exactly the same, in fact in some cases they even improved, illustrating just how ingrainedthis worker ant has become in the minds of South Africans. Now GM SA is about to test these loyalties once again by launching the brand new Chevrolet Utility.


Notice the absence of the word “Corsa” from anywhere on the car. They’ve dropped it in favour of plain Utility. It might get some getting used to, but on the other hand some were already calling the old car Utility or Ute anyway. Smoothtransition is therefore expected on this front.

Speaking of front, the car looks quite fantastic when approaching. The high Chevrolet front grille is quite pronounced. Both it and the almost trapezoidal headlights dominate the front end and give the car a formidablepresence. The side area features a very useful stepper and three hooks on the load box. Hooks should always be outside, not inside this box as it makes tying things up much simpler. You’ll see the rear door has a lowered entry point which assists when glancing backwards via the mirror or rear glass.

Most of it was designed and developed by our BRICS friends over in Brazil, underlining just how important these markets have become in the world stage. Bakkies (pickups) in general are only popular in places like South Africa, Brazil and Malaysia so it makes sense to develop them there.

We got to take the little Samson on a short drive around the Port Elizabeth area where it is assembled. GM’s manufacturing plant in Struandalehas been preparing for its arrival for over two years, phasing out production of discontinued cars like the HUMMER H3. It was a R1 billion investment that has obviously boosted employment and economic opportunities in the area.

On the drive the car felt quite solid, with no apparent rattlesor leaks from any area. In total there are seven models from these trims; Base, Base AC, Club and Sport. And some of these models are fitted with really nice amenities such as electric windows, air conditioning and a front-loading CD player.

The engines that Chevrolet has chosen are the 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre, both naturally aspirated. For the 1.4 you get your 68kW of power from 6000rpm, and maximum torque of 120Nm at 3200rpm. GM says it averages 7.2 litres per 100km. the 1.8 bigger brother emits 77kW at 5400rpm and 161Nm of torque from 3000rpm, with a combined fuel average of 8.1 litres per 100km. Both are driven by a 5-speed manual gearbox with a typically long gear stick.

I was not too impressed with it though, because each time I had to engage 5th gear, it would knock on my left knee and make the journey that much more uncomfortable. A 6th gear would have made life a little more bearable in the cabin by resting the lever slightly on my thigh. However, I’m told a 6-speed is not an option because in Gauteng you need to stop on the high-revving 5th so you can access as much power as possible from the thinner air. The sacrifices.

Felt the opposite about its load box though, whose depth and width have increased by 13mm and 25mm respectively over the previous car. The payload capability of the 1.4-litre is 763kg, while the 1.8-litre can carry up to 733kg. Depending on the model spec you can get a Chevy Utility with either 14-inch steel rims and 185/65 R14 tyres, or 15-inch alloys with 185/60 R15 tyres. Either way there’s a full-sized spare in case you lose one of them.

For pretty much its entire lifespan the Corsa Utility was the class-leader, beating cars like the Nissan NP 200 and Ford Bantam (no longer produced from November 2011) to the punch. With the demise of Bantam and inability of NP 200 to find any meaningful market traction, the new Utility’s path to national domination is all but confirmed for the foreseeable future. A deserved domination it will be too.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

NEW BMW 1 SERIES 3-DOOR HATCH PATENT PICS LEAK

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A batch of photos showing the BMW 1 Series 3-door has surfaced. These photos are actually patent drawings filed in some country by BMW. The car is a derivative of the new 1 Series hatch, launched in Mzansi a couple of months ago. As you can see, it’s just basically two doors less than the 5-door hatch.


And just like the 5-door, expect to see the same engines, including the 1.6-litre turbo with 125kW(118i) and later a 2.0-litre turbo good for 180kW (128i). Direct competitorsare the Audi A3 (new shape arriving in 2012) and Volvo C30. Hopefully the next Mercedes-Benz A-Class will also come in 3-door.  It’s probably going to be revealed at the 2012 GenevaInternational Motor Show and then launch in South Africa in the fourth quarter.


2012 CHRYSLER 300 SHOWS IMPROVED QUALITY

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Upgrades afforded the brand new Chrysler 300 take it to another plane in the brand’s history and put it that much closer to the Germans. While it might not yet match the Huns, there are rivals who should be worried. In fact, from what we can see, it now looks like a very close competitor to the Lexus GS.


When the old 300 C first came out we loved how “gangsta” it looked; that massive front grille, big chrome wheels, relatively small side windows and deep boot. Unfortunately the interior did not meet our expectations as it only presented mostly what was left over from Mercedes-Benz’s old parts bin.

So when Chrysler ironed out the gangstaness, it also introduced new levels of luxury and perceived quality, especially inside. As you can see for yourself, this is a far cry from the previous-generationin terms of leathers used, colours, plastics, dials and so on. A Natural Pore Mocha wood trim in a matte finish is one of the highlights, alongside some really impressive stitching and well-designed bits like the rear seats.

You know Sergio Marchione’s influence is now supreme law when Chrysler’s press statement says “the 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series combines ultra-premium leather - once limited to some of the most exotic Italian luxury cars - with world-classrefinement and handling.”

Powertrain is spearheaded by two engines, a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 and a 5.7-litre HEMI V8. Both are naturally aspirated and available with a ZF-built 8-speed automatic gearbox. The V6 produces 215kWand is said to return an average of 10.2 litres per 100km in fuel. The big V8 on the other hand, delivers 267kW. Both send power to the rear wheels but can be offered in all-wheel-drive (AWD) in some markets.

AUDI ASSAULT CONTINUES WITH MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT

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When the world’s second-biggest seller of premium cars starts talking about investing billions of Euros in new equipment, workers and technology, you better believe a major shakeup is on its way. Audi has reported it plans on investing €13 billion (R139 billion) over the next four years in expanding plant presence around the world – especially the booming China market – employing new people, researching and developing new technologies.


As Audi puts it, “we will be hiring even more people and are planning to appoint a further 1 200 experts next year [in 2012]”. Many of these will be graduates who are already working for the company in internship and traineeprogrammes.

The €13 billion is Audi’s biggest single investment commitment in the company’s historyand represents a deep seriousness in becoming the number one premiumautomaker in the world by 2016. About €2 billion (R21 billion) will be spent every year on new products and technologies. That’s more or less what Hyundai/ Kia spends on its R&D every year, which is one of the main reasons they are on such a meteoricrise.

From a 2012 product launch point of view, this money will help deliver cars like the all-new A3 hatch and sedan, R8 e-tron, A4 facelift and others.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

MERCEDES-BENZ TO UP PRODUCTION IN 2012

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Mercedes-Benzwants to produce about 1.4 millioncars in 2012. Automotive News Europeclaims to have documents supporting this statement, but no one at Daimler (Mercedes-Benz’s parent company) was ready to corroboratethis find. Nevertheless if true it would be quite substantial indeed, representing a 13% rise from 2011.


By the end of this week Mercedes-Benz would have concluded production of 1.25 million passenger cars for its 125th year celebrations. The 1.4 million figure for 2011 will be excluding smart and Maybach (not that Maybach will make much of a difference anyway), and will rise to 1.52 million in 2012 and then 1.67 million in 2013.

To help this along will be “mass” products such as the new B-Class, next A-Class and facelift C-Class, as well as other smaller new cars and SUVs. 

DESIGNER ISMET ÇEVIK IMAGINES A BMW 8 SERIES

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Industrial designer Ismet Çevik who is from Turkey, has been working on two interesting projectsfor the past few months. One of them is a rendering of a BMW 8 Series. Of course BMW has nothing to do with this project, it’s just a dream design from Çevik who, like many I presume, wishes for the return of 8. Some people believe the i8 is the next 8 Series reincarnate.


As you can see from the pictures, the car evolved from being a two-door coupe to what are now final images showing a 4-doorversion. I suppose it is bigger than the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.

“It’s actually a real rival to the Mercedes CL,” says Çevik. “Because I think the 6-Series is not a full comparison to the CL-Class. I went a bit further from a CL, and also included Rolls-Royce and Bentley influences. It is definitely a 90′s legend 8-Series. High class, business, luxuryand supersport. Created to be new legend for BMW.”

Over 31 000 units of the 8 Series – designed by a man called Klaus Kapitza -were built between 1989 and 1999. South Africacertainly imported its fair share. 


* Thanks to Ismet Çevik and his FaceBook page for the images and quote.

Monday, December 26, 2011

R.I.P. DODGE CALIBER AND NITRO

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Chrysler Group has put the final nails on coffins made especially for two Dodge vehicles. The Caliberand Nitro sold their last examples over the past few days and will be replacedby two new Fiat/ Alfa Romeo-based modelsduring the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) that’s coming to Detroit in a couple of weeks.


Replacing the Caliber will be the new Dart, but the Nitro has yet to name a successor. It’s possible that Nitro will not be replaced at all as Chrysler/ Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionewas quoted as saying it should never have been made.

We had mixedfeelings about these two cars when we drove them here. Calibre was segment-busting, providing a family hatchbackwith a higher ride than competitors. Prices were also reasonable, but performance and build quality were not at all up to scratch. The Nitro we liked for its brave and unusual face, but again, ride quality and performance were just not competitive. As a result, we believe, neither car sold well since their Mzansi introduction either, although Caliber, just like Mazda3, somehow became very popular with black female consumers. 

VOLKSWAGEN BANS BLACKBERRY

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Just over 1100 workers at Volkswagen Germany have had their beloved Blackerrysblacklisted. Not in the way you might think. Apparently these workers, mostly management, have been complainingabout being overworked even to the point they cannot see a clear line between weekday and weekend. According to Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung daily newspaper, a solution has been found.


VW has respondedby stopping its servers from sending them work-related emails 30 minutes after their fixed work times, and resends them an hour before they begin work the next day or on Monday in the case of weekends. However, nothing was said about phone calls, SMSs/ texts, Tweets and Facebook messages, but it’s thought these are easily screenable since the worker can choose not to access them. 

Friday, December 23, 2011

NEW PEUGEOT 508 TAKES AIM AT GERMANS

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If Peugeot wants to play with the big boys, they need to continue making cars like the brand new 508 sedan. Not only will they push the unsuspecting public towards a more accepting attitude towards these fine cars, but they will also challenge the status quo. And you know what that is right?


Yap, that’s Audi’s A4, BMW’s3 Series and Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class. Lately Volvo has been trying to enter the fray with its S60 and V60 models. I say Peugeot must declare its intentions outright and prepare for a fist fight of Germanic proportions. For this time they have the product to properly challenge.

The 508 is a direct replacementfor the 407, which I genuinely liked, despite its obvious flaws (like an unbearable glare through the windscreenon models with the beige dashboard) and that oceanic ride. While the 508 is not so stiff as to mistake it with a piece of biltong, it does shift a little to the right more.

We drove two modelsat the launch in the Knysna area where roads went straight, then bent, then straight, then curved for two days whole. Just the kinda place to test these sort of things. The front suspension, a MacPherson strut type system, is ideal for such situations as it strikes a balance between hard and soft rides. Peugeot also reduced the weight of the front axle by 12kg compared to the 407’s, and anything that weighs less performs better on the road. For the GT model, a drop-link dual-wishbone suspension was chosen. Still, no jaw-jarring feelings here, just simple adaptationto the prevailing road. At the rear they fitted a multi-link solution. Quite an enjoyable drive this car is. In terms of pitch, it probably mimics the C-Class more than the others.

We will be familiar with two of the engines as they are already doing the rounds locally in cars like the 307 GTI. Two are turbo diesels and the one is a petrol turbo with four cylinders. Used in the 1.6 THPActive model, the petrol makes out a nice 115kWat 6000rpm, with peak torque of 240Nmbecoming available between 1400rpm and 4000rpm. Yes it’s a responsive motor despite its “baseline” tag, and it pulls quite strongly in every situation. You’d think a car this side would sport a bigger engine, but these days, small turbos are the way to go, especially in Gauteng where cars with no turbos suffer substantial power losses due to the thin high altitude air. An Allure trim makes use of a 6-speed automatic instead of the manual found in the Active.

HDi stands for High-Pressure Direct Injection, and in the case of the new 508 it also stands for efficiency, especially in the 2.0 HDi FAP. Utilising common-rail direct injection technology, the car pushes out 120kW at 3750rpm and maximum torque is 340Nm between 2000rpm and 3000rpm. With only a 6-speed manual available to it, the 2.0 HDi becomes like a little performance starter-pack with no desire for fuel. Peugeot claims a 4.9 litre per 100km average, or a tank range of 1470km! One could almost get to Cape Town from Jozi on that one tank.

The new 2.2-litre HDiis the supposed new star for Peugeot engines, and it replaces the 2.7-litre V6 turbo diesel. Only the 508 GT has it and the figures are very encouraging, even on the road. We drove the automatic-only GT and came away in awe of its thrust talents, coupled with impressive consumption. Maximum power is 150kW at 3500rpm with torque of 450Nm between 2000rpm and 2750rpm. Not a very wide band it must be said, but when acceleratingor overtaking one hardly notices. A range of 1250km is quite possible from official figures Peugeot has put down on paper.

Well-appointed and equipped are the 508s, from top to bottom. A range of impressive features such as CD players, Bluetooth connectivity, two-zone climate control, cruise control and automatic headlights are all standard from the baseline THP Active. Other higher models then add sweeteners like Head Up display, rear parking sensors, LED daytime running lights, leather seats and electronic parking brakes instead of the normal handbrake system we use.

We think the 508 looks very much its premium part and deserves to be on anyone who’s looking into the German trio’s shopping list for 2012. 

KIA LAUNCHES ALL-ELECTRIC RAY EV

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Kia has started selling the first ever Korean electric vehicle in the form of the Ray EV. The car, which emits no smoke because it doesn’t have a petrol or diesel engine, can go as far as 139km on a single charge of electricity. It’s based on something called Ray CUV, which was launched in South Korea last month.


The Ray EV is powered by a 50kW electric motor, which is run by a high-capacity 16.4 kWh lithium- ion polymer battery pack. These batteries are placed under the rear seat and beneath the cabin floor. While the range of 139km might not sound like much, consider that driving between Joziand Pretoria covers roughly 50km one way, which means one could go to work in the morning, charge up at work, return in the even and charge up at home.

Of course all this depends on a fairly reliable electricity grid, which, to be fair to Eskom, has been provided so far this year. In South Korea there are currently 500 slow/fast recharge stations, while their government plans to increase that figure to 3 100 stations by the end of 2012. 

Unlike regular petrol or diesel vehicles, Ray EV generates no engine noise, which can be a potential problem with pedestrians being unaware of the approaching car. To prevent accidents, Kia has fitted Ray EV with a VESS (Virtual Engine Sound System). When driven at speeds below 20km/h this system delivers a mixture of recorded petrol engine noises, which are also emitted whenever the car is reversing. 

 
//PART 2