TOYOTA TOPS AT SUN CITY RALLY

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Former national off road champion Duncan Vos and co-driver Rob Howie, driving a Super Production class Castrol Team Toyota Hilux, this afternoon won the Sun City 400 in North West Province.  Second, 4,48 minutes in arrears, was the BMW X3 of former champion Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege, with Malcolm Kock and Johan Burger third in a privateer Toyota Hilux a further 4 min 48 sec behind.

It was Vos and Howie’s second victory in the first five rounds of the Absa South African Off Road Car Championship (they also won the Atlas Copco Battlefields 400 in KwaZulu-Natal in round three in May) and they now lead the championship with 67 points from Thomas Rundle/Juan Mohr (61,5) and Terence Marsh/George Smalberger (56).

Castrol Toyota team-mates Anthony Taylor and Chris Birkin in the second factory Toyota Hilux overcame considerable odds to be among the 17 finishers, completing the course in hot and dusty conditions in 12th place after losing over an hour on the second loop when they were forced to stop and replace a broken front drive shaft while lying sixth.

Toyota, with four Hilux bakkies and two Land Cruisers in the top 10, won the manufacturers’ challenge for the event and consolidated its lead in the prestigious overall manufacturers’ championship.

Saturday’s 340-km route, over two identical loops with a compulsory service stop at the halfway point, was a very tough combination of tight, rocky tracks and fast grassland sections dotted with trees that took its toll of the strong field of production vehicles, with two championship front-runners among the 12 that failed to finish.

Vos and Howie had started the day in second place, a single second behind the privateer Toyota Hilux of Friday’s Donaldson Prologue winners Gary Bertholdt and Andre Vermeulen.  Vos took an early lead after out-dragging Bertholdt off the start line, but dropped back to fifth place after 93 km when he had to stop to change a flat wheel.

By the time the field reached the compulsory service stop at the halfway stage, Vos had recovered to third behind the privateer Toyota Hilux bakkies of Pikkie Labuschagne/Rickus Erasmus and brothers Hugo and Jaap de Bruyn.  Soon after the start of the second 170-km loop they were second, 1 min 30 sec behind Labuschagne, and they regained a lead they were not to lose again at around the 85 km mark.

“We’re right back in the championship,” said the four-times previous champion and twice before a winner of this event.  “Apart from our puncture, we had a trouble-free run and the Hilux didn’t miss a beat.  It was a tough event and we had to push hard to make up for the lost time.  The dust was a big problem.”

Taylor’s weekend started off badly when he punctured both right-hand side tyres after hitting a rock in long grass at speed on Friday’s 55-km prologue that determines the start order for Saturday’s race.  He lost more than eight minutes and finished 17th.

He started Saturday’s race 8 min 21 sec behind leader Bertholdt and, after a storming drive that’s saw him record the fastest time for the opening loop, he arrived at the halfway service stop in sixth place and just 3 min 38 sec behind the leading Hilux of Labuschagne.  It was a typically tigerish performance by the former track racing star, who passed 11 bakkies in the heavy dust and remarkably made up nearly five minutes on the leaders.

He was challenging Grobler in the BMW at around the 20-km mark on the second and final loop when the drive shaft broke.  “We battled to get the new shaft in and lost a lot more time than we should have,” reported Taylor, whose oil-stained racing overalls bore testimony to his and co-driver Birkin’s roadside repair job.

“It was tough break.  I reckon we could have finished second today, but we’re happy to have scored some valuable championship points and are only 16 behind the leaders with three rounds remaining.  There are a total of 75 points still to be fought for and we’re still in with a good chance,” he added.

Team principal Glyn Hall commented, “Both drivers did a superb job today.  The two Castrol Toyota Hilux bakkies are now setting the pace and improving with every outing.  We need to maintain the pressure and push hard in the remaining three events for a championship victory.”

The next round of the Absa Off Road Car Championship is the Carnival City 400 in Gauteng on September 10.

STORY BY TOYOTA

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UNVEILED: BMW I8 CONCEPT AMAZES, HEADS TO JOZI

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The BMW i8 Concept car was officially launched last Friday at a glitzy ceremony where the company and its bosses unveiled the upcoming hybrid sports car to the world. The 2+2 seater (2 front , 2 at the back) will be the second of BMW’s new i cars, following the smaller i3.

i8’s measurements are as follows: length is 4.6 metres, height 1.3m, width 1.95m and wheelbase is 2.8m. That makes it overall more or less the same size as the current 3 Series Coupe (E90). Of course it will be notably lighter than that, coming in at about 1500kg, thanks to advanced construction and weight-saving methods. Full LED lights will be standard, complimented by taut surfaces, precise edges and sweeping lines.

Sharing power provision duties will be a petrol engine and an electric motor, unlike the first Vision EfficientDynamics Concept car which used a turbo diesel engine instead. Total system output is expected to be 260kW and 550Nm, of which the petrol engine will provide 164kW and 300Nm respectively.

BMW sees the i8 running from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds, with top whack limited to 250km/h. For a car of this nature, average fuel consumption of 2.7 litres per 100km is nothing short of incredible, if it can be replicated in real life. Even if it can’t, real life driving could possibly return 4 to 5 litres per 100km at worst, still bloody amazing given what the car’s performance.

Advanced navigation will be one of the car’s big attractions. The two navigation modes "Last Mile Navigation" and "Intermodal Route Planning" are designed particularly with urban environments in mind. Last Mile Navigation continues to navigate the driver even after he gets out of the vehicle, by sending instructions to his smartphone which will direct him quickly and reliably on the "last lap", for example from the car park to the museum entrance. And when the driver is ready to head back, he can quickly locate his parked vehicle using the CarFinder function.

An example of the BMW i8 is expected to appear at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show in October, alongside its smaller i3 sibling and the new M5, among others.

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MASERATI GRANCABRIO SPORT BREAKS COVER

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Maserati has introduced the new GranCabrio Sport to customers in Europe. The drop-top Maser was first unveiled at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show and features, among others, a new black colour, red accents on the Maserati Trident and new headlights with white reflectors.

The new wheels are 20-inch types shod with 245/35 ZR20 front and 285/35 ZR20 rear tyres. It’s those tyres that have the unenviable task of handle the car’s 331kW and 510Nm of torque, all pumped out by the naturally aspirated 4.7-litre V8 that’s mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The ‘box itself has something called MC Auto Shift mode which provides fast gearshift times, an automatic blip on downshifts and launch control.

As such Maserati claims a 0 – 100km/h time of 5.2 seconds and top speed of 285km/h for the car. Average fuel consumption is said to be 9.8 litres per 100km, matched by C02 emissions of 337 g/km. expect to see the sexy but undoubtedly overpriced GC Sport at the 2011 JIMS in Nasrec this October.

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MERCEDES-BENZ BUILDING X6 KILLER CALLED MLC IN THE US?

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A story published by Automotive News Europe says that Mercedes-Benz really is developing a BMW X6 competitor. If true this piece of news would confirm an earlier rumour concerning the same issue. The vehicle would be built at Daimler’s US plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and feature a coupe-like rear profile.

The platform would of course be the same as the new ML-Class. Speculation is that the vehicle will be badged MLC-Class. Engines would be exactly the same as the ML, including a 4.7-litre twin turbo petrol with 320kW and the 5.5-litre twin turbo V8 making 400kW for a supposed MLC 63 AMG.

* Picture used is a sketch of the all-new 2012 ML-Class.

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FORD FIESTA POPS BUBBLY CORK ON 35TH ANNIVERSARY

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The Ford Fiesta reached two important milestones in July, celebrating its 35th birthday with a total of 15 million cars produced worldwide.

The Ford Fiesta reached the 15 million production landmark this month, a figure boosted by the popularity of the latest generation model. Ford has built a million of the current model since it debuted 28 months ago.

The Fiesta is one of Ford’s greatest success stories – appealing to several generations of drivers with its attractive styling, practicality, efficiency and performance. South Africa got its first taste of the popular Fiesta in 2007, with an incredible 83 323 models sold since introduction. The Fiesta brand has an illustrious history having walked away with the 1998 South African Car of the Year title.

“The Fiesta is an important model in the Ford line-up,” said FMCSA’s Vice President Marketing, Sales and Service, Dean Stoneley. “The new generation Fiesta was the first product to be introduced under the ‘One Ford’ vision of a single, global company building and designing cars for a single global audience and has been described as Ford's most significant project since the Model T.”

 The very first Fiesta was produced in Valencia, Spain, in 1976 as Ford’s practical and economical response to a fuel crisis that was gripping the world, and it immediately tapped into a small car demand in Europe and around the world.

Valencia continues to build the current Fiesta along with Nanjing, China, Rayong, Thailand, and Cuautitlàn, Mexico but Ford’s manufacturing plant in Cologne, Germany, now produces the majority of new Fiestas.

Thirty-five years, six generations and 15 million cars after its debut, the Fiesta continues to offer practicality, style and efficiency to car buyers of all ages.

“With 15 million sales worldwide, the Fiesta has proven to be a phenomenal sales success to date and will continue to be an integral player in Ford’s future plans,” concludes Stoneley.

STORY BY FORD

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NEW 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS INTERIOR SHOWN

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Mercedes-Benz is quickly learning the tease game from rival BMW. First they teased us with outlines of the new upcoming B-Class unit, and now they are showing us full colour pictures of the interior. All this before we even see what the exterior looks like. It appears the B has moved upmarket quite significantly in terms of quality and build.

The dashboard for one, is characterised by circular vents, just like those found in the sportier Mercedes-Benz models like the SLS AMG. A new 3-spoke steering wheel, similar to that of the CLS-Class, features. Stitched, man-made Artico leather covers the strong-looking dashboard.

The all-new B-Class will have its public introduction at the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show. Hopefully Daimler SA will then follow up with its own unveiling at JIMS 2011.

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SA-BOUND BMW I3 CONCEPT DETAILED

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BMW unveiled the i3 Concept car today, a small city transporter that runs entirely on electricity or electric power. The i3 is one of two futuristic cars being introduced by the Bavarians in the next couple of years. Good news is that South Africans will be able to buy the i3 at local dealerships within the next 3 years.

i3 comes fitted with a large battery located under the car’s floor, and powers the electric motor to the tune of 125kW and 250Nm of torque made at idle speeds. A 1-speed (yes, the car only has one forward gear) gearbox facilitates for power to go to the rear wheels. It is said the i3 will go from 0 – 100km/h in less than 8 seconds. Top speed is 150km/h and an everyday range of between 130km and 160km is claimed.

BMW’s so-called LifeDrive concept of construction means the i3 is designed as an electric car from the ground up, meaning every component is optimised to this right from conception. Kinetic energy is converted into electricity as soon as the driver eases up on the accelerator.

Inside there is a 16.5cm instrument cluster that emerges out of the steering column directly in front of the driver, while a bigger, 22.4cm information display curves out of the black technical layer of the instrument panel’s upper section towards the passengers.

The i3 measures 3.8 metres long, 1.5m high, 2 metres wide and has a wheelbase of 2.6m. In essence the i3 is a little bigger than the current MINI hatch, although both cars sit four passengers.

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CHEVROLET SUCKS SOLAR POWER AT US DEALERSHIPS

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Chevrolet is harnessing the power of the sun to install solar-powered electric charging stations for its Volts at dealerships in North America. The Green Zone initiative will generate electricity equivalent to 12 full vehicle charges per day and excess electricity created will help supplement the dealership’s power needs.

“The Chevrolet Green Zone will provide our U.S. dealers with added flexibility when it comes to charging their vehicles, while also reinforcing GM’s commitment to renewable energy projects,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Global Chevrolet Marketing and Strategy.

American Chevrolet in Modesto, Calif., and Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc, Michigan, are the first U.S. dealerships to complete their solar charging capability by installing Green Zones on their property.

“The question isn’t whether to install a solar canopy, it’s where and how many,” said Joe Serra, president of Serra Automotive. “It’s a win for us because the electricity generated will help reduce operating costs, and it’s a win for the environment since solar power helps reduce our carbon footprint.”

Each canopy generates enough electricity for up to 4 500 charges per vehicle annually. The proof of concept for the Green Zone project is housed at the Detroit Hamtramck assembly plant, manufacturing home of the Volt.

“The beauty of this program is that there is no capital cost required from the dealership,” said Dave Halvorson, president of American Chevrolet in Modesto. “Not only do we generate the solar energy to increase our reliance on renewable electricity, but the Green Zone is a billboard of our commitment to the environment.”

The Chevy Green Zone Initiative is part of GM Ventures’ recent announcement to invest US$7.5 million in Sunlogics, a solar panel manufacturing and development company that will supply the panels and install the dealer charging stations. Both American Chevrolet and Al Serra Chevrolet partnered with Sunlogics for installation of their Green Zones.

“Just one of these canopies provides enough renewable energy to power two to three homes per year, or more than 25 percent of a dealership’s energy consumption,” said Perry. “Collectively, that will be a lot of power we are putting back into the grid.”

As part of the GM Ventures investment announcement in Sunlogics, General Motors committed to double its solar output globally – from 30 megawatts to 60 megawatts by 2015. The company derives 1.4% of its U.S. energy consumption from renewable resources.

GM is the leading user of renewable energy in automotive manufacturing. It has three of the largest automotive rooftop solar power installations in the United States, and the world’s largest rooftop solar installation at its car assembly plant in Zaragoza, Spain. Additionally, GM has started construction on a new solar field at its Detroit-Hamtramck facility and completed construction on a solar array on top of its Baltimore Operations facility.

STORY BY CHEVROLET

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LAND ROVER COULD DUMP DEFENDER

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Land Rover could ditch the hard-core, long-serving Defender model, 64 years after it came to market. Company bosses who spoke to the UK’s AutoExpress hinted to the publication about several challenges facing the icon, including one relating to fading sales and market share.

Change is certain, however, it is the type of change that could be of concern. The major issue is how to change the Defender and make it relevant to today’s buyers, while at the same time keeping its core values and assets in check. Additionally how does the brand attract new buyers to the vehicle without pissing off the traditionalists?

Options on the table include updating the current vehicle with Euro 6 engine technology, which would please the greenies. A last-resort option is to completely abandon this market segment by ditching the Defender altogether, leaving the Jeep Wrangler range and to a lesser extent, the Mahindra Thar on their own.

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BMW INVADES COCKPITS WITH HEADPHONE DESIGN

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A pilot’s headset needs to combine high functionality with a well-thought-out design, as it is a key contributor to the safety of the pilot and passengers. Audio specialist Sennheiser therefore collaborated with DesignworksUSA, a design consultancy and subsidiary of the BMW Group to develop their new S1 Digital general aviation headset which will launch at AirVenture 2011 in Oshkosh on July 25th.

“Safety, excellent speech intelligibility and comfort for fatigue-free listening were our top priorities,” explains Jörg Buchberger, Sennheiser Business Segment Manager Aviation. “We had a lot of completely new ideas for the headset which we wanted to implement together with an experienced partner. We found the perfect one in BMW Group DesignworksUSA.” 

DesignworksUSA specializes in providing strategic design solutions and creative consulting services to partners across diverse industries ranging from consumer electronics, medical devices and transportation to sustainability consulting. The company´s projects in the aviation industry span from commercial airlines to business jets.

“We are designing entire cabin solutions as well as cockpits and equipment which provide an excellent backdrop of knowledge and expertise that also translated into the functional and aesthetic expressions of the S1 Digital headset,” said Laurenz Schaffer, President BMW Group DesignworksUSA. 

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MEET HENNESSEY’S LATEST SLEDGE HAMMER

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Hennessey is not messing around. Not like they ever do, but this time they have gone the extra mile. Taking the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe as a basis for their madness, the tuner then went off to extract more power than is necessary. Necessary and desirable are two different things of course, and we like the latter. How does a 7-litre twin turbo V8 grab you?

Those twin turbos churn out a sizable chunk of grunt, actually 746kW at 6400rpm and maximum torque of 1286Nm from 4000rpm. Hennessey says it will take off from 0 – 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds, hit the quarter mile in 10.9 seconds and achieve a top whack of 370km/h. Lots of work was done to make it happen, including dual wastegates, forged steel connecting rods, and upgraded fuel injectors among others.

Wheels are 20-inch special Hennessey Monoblock types with 275/30YR-20 front tyres and 345/30YR-20 rubber at the back. Both front and rear suspension was lowered by 2.54cm and body kit includes a carbon fibre front splitter, front fenders, rear diffuser and a carbon fibre extractor hood.

Only 12 lucky US customers will be able to experience exactly what this laser gun can do.

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BENTLEY WORKING ON AN SUV TO ATTACK RANGE ROVER

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Bentley is apparently mulling over going into the SUV space and taking aim against such expensive high-riders as the Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class. Reports coming out Germany and England say it is so. Very interesting, since IN4RIDE had a conversation with a high-ranking Bentley executive a few weeks ago and he was quite coy on the issue.

You know when you ask someone a question, they smile, and offer “no comment” as the answer? Well, that is what we go when we asked if there was any SUV in the future of Bentley. We of course, took that as a yes, but one with tight strings attached. But now that more sources are coming out to confirm it, perhaps it is time we reported it as fact too.

Bentley is known for large, R3 million-plus rolling lounges like the Continental Flying Spur and Mulsanne, as well as the feistier 2-door GT. However, with SUVs still selling well, especially in emerging economies like China, India, Brazil and South Africa, such a strategy could bear seriously fat fruit. 

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HINO AIMING FOR HIGHER SALES

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Hino Motors Ltd, the leading Japanese medium-heavy and heavy truck manufacturer, is targeting to increase its annual global sales to 230 000 units by 2015, while also improving the company’s profitability. This objective is double the worldwide sales for the past financial year.

The ambitious target was announced at the recent presentation of Hino’s financial statements for the 2010/2011 financial year, which ended on March 31.

There are a number of reasons that Hino believes this target is achievable.

Firstly, the company is well on track to be back at full production in the near future after losing output while the damage caused by the tsunami and earthquake that hit Japan on March 11 was repaired. Most of the facilities are already able to operate at near maximum capacity.

An important strategy for the future is to move more Hino production off-shore and to this end Hino is building a new plant in the city of Koga in central Japan. This plant will produce knocked-down kits for overseas assembly.

Hino is also reviewing its manufacturing systems to improve efficiencies and this will involve more use of modular concepts. There are also important new model launches in the near future which use localised models for the various world markets. Hybrid models will be included in the line-up for certain markets, including the United States.

Hino was once again the sales leader in the Japanese domestic category for heavy and medium-heavy trucks. This was the 38th consecutive year that it has been the top-selling brand and for the 2010/2011 financial year the market share was a record 34.9%. Hino also recorded its best-ever share in the light duty truck market with a penetration figure of 17.8%.

Hino’s overseas sales were at an all-time high at 82 888 units. The company is very aware that sales growth is mainly found in emerging markets and is making a big effort to increase sales in these regions, particularly Asia and Latin America.

Total sales for the period under review were 112 896 units sold in the past financial year, compared to 87 251 units a year previously. Domestic sales were up by 4 105 units (15.8%), while overseas sales jumped by 21 540 units (35.1%).

Hino’s sales were up by at least 20% in all segments of the truck market in Japan, but bus sales were well down on the previous financial year for both Hino and the total domestic bus market. Hino experienced 15.8% growth in its sales in the total Japanese truck and bus market, compared to an increase of 13.9% for the overall domestic truck and bus market.

The biggest global growth in terms of percentage came in the Europe/Africa region, with an improvement of 72%. Asia was not only the largest market, with 54 088 units sold out of a total of 82 888 units retailed overseas, but this region also showed the second highest growth at 43.5%.
Hino’s operating income increased significantly in the 2010/2011 financial year due to profitability improvement measures that were actioned as well as increased sales, but the earthquake disaster nevertheless had a big negative effect on net income as did increased taxation.

Income from sales at 1 242 billion yen was 21.4% up on the previous year, while operating income of 28,9 billion yen was more than 25 times better than the 1,1 billion yen of the 2009/2010 financial year. However, net income amounted to a loss of 10 billion yen, but the company is confident it will be turned around in the 2011/2012 financial year.

STORY BY HINO

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SA DESIGNERS GIVE VOLVO AFRICAN FLAIR

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The Volvo Cars campaign around fashion and design, nicknamed Volvo Possible, which kicked off on 1 June and runs until mid-October, has succeeded in capturing the imagination of South Africa’s public with its appealing combination of fashion, style, design and motoring functionality.

The partnership of three of South Africa’s most successful and prominent fashion designers with Volvo Car SA is part of an innovative creative alliance aimed at fostering a unique affiliation between fashion and motoring that is both authentic and original.

The three designers, Gert-Johan Coetzee, David Tlale and Nkhensani Nkosi, were given the challenge of revealing exactly what is possible in a Volvo by designing fashionable items that would make life in their Volvo easier, more fun, sexier or safer. Inspired by their respective models, the sporty and playful C30, the sleek and sexy S60 and the safe and luxurious XC60, the designers have already been hard at work ahead of the final big reveal on 18 August. 

The work they have done up to now is captured in style with snippet videos and photographs on www.volvopossible.co.za and is anything from a beautiful trench coat to laptop bags and a portable braai, medical kits, handbags and CD holders and then some…. But the designers are being very secretive about the items for the final reveal – but claim that bold, stylish, and fashionable has never quite looked like this.

One of the driving forces behind the campaign is to illustrate the fact that every Volvo is ‘Designed around You’. 

People are at the core of everything we do at Volvo - each Volvo is not only designed with the individuals’ need for style, safety and comfort in mind but shows that we understand people and how they use cars.

During the current campaign, the three fashion authorities will be designing interior, exterior, consumer and couture accessories for their respective Volvo models, bringing Volvo and fashion together in an inspiring and fresh way.

Not only is this campaign bringing fashion and motoring together in a unique way, but it's also mixing Scandinavian design with African flair which promises to deliver some inspiring creations.

According to Volvo Car SA’s Marketing and PR Director Michelle Naudé, “the thrilling fashion challenge posed to the three designers is aimed at revealing the creative, inspirational, fun yet functional side of Volvo. With the final big reveal just around the corner, we are immensely excited to see the ideas and accessories that the designers have produced so far. Volvo prides itself as being at the forefront of innovation in the motoring industry, and we hope to reinforce this reputation with our attempts to combine motoring and fashion”.

STORY BY VOLVO

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KICK ASS MERCEDES-BENZ C 63 AMG BLACK SERIES REVEALED

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The most powerful Mercedes-Benz C-Class ever created has been revealed over the weekend. The C 63 AMG Coupe Black Series follows on a recent AMG tradition of not only creating bad ass sports cars, but to create even badder assed sports cars out of those. The last Black Series car presented in Mzansi was the 493kW SL 65 Black Series which cost R4 million to buy and only a few, including Patrice Motsepe, are claimed to own one.

Now we have the all-new C 63 AMG Black Series, and boy does it look beautifully scary. This thing doesn’t just demand respect, it commands it, thanks to those looks plus the powertrain. Because the rest of the C 63 AMG range has also kept it, Merc decided to use the 6.2-litre V8 naturally aspirated. For the Black Series it is rated at 380kW, with peak torque stated as 620Nm. It is of course, sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed MCT gearbox. Additionally the standard rear axle differential is utilised to improve traction (a notorious AMG problem). Merc claims a provisional 0 – 100km/h time of 4.2 seconds.

As far as exterior kit, the car features a black front splitter, a boastful radiator grille, a wider track width, special air inlets, 6.3 logos on either side, 255/35 R 19 front tyres and 285/30 R 19 rear tyres, AMG light alloy wheels, a rear diffuser and four chromed tailpipes among others. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity, USB interface, automatic climate control and two sports bucket seats. There are no rear seats here. Notice that we haven’t said anything about drastic chopping off excess weight etc, meaning the car is not really geared towards that route.

No plans to bring the car to South Africa, although the country did receive allocations of the last two AMG Black Series models in the SL 65 and CLK 63. If it does come we think it will cost around R1.6 million.

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BAFANA STAR, COMRADES KING, TO RACE AUDI Q7 TO CAPE TOWN

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Audi South Africa and Audi Driving Experience will be partnering with Continental Tyres for the 2011 Run2Stop Challenge. The challenge pits man against machine where athletes will race against the Audi Q7 from Cape Town to Johannesburg. The race commences on the 23rd July and concludes on the 3rd August 2011.

The running team will be taking the 1 300 km direct route from Cape Town to Johannesburg while the driving team will be involved in various challenges along the route making it a gruelling 6 000km journey.

The driving team will be captained by ex-Bafana Bafana player, Mark Fish. The lead vehicle is the Audi Q7 3.0T FSI quattro triptronic and is supported by an Audi A4 2.0T FSI quattro. The driving team will head off from Goodwood in the Cape through the Garden Route and via Kimberley eventually heading toward the finish in Johannesburg.

The running team will be captained by radio DJ and Comrades marathon runner Brad Brown; the team includes Lindsey Parry a renowned Comrades coach and ex-Bafana Bafana star and Comrades marathon athlete Helman Mkhalele as well as Andre Kleinhans, Elias mabane, Gantanus Gantsi, Peter Ramathoka, Jacob Mazibuko, Jabulani Nkosi and Justin Sher.

South African ultra-marathoner, Bruce Fordyce, will be joining the athletes during the last 7.5km of the race towards the finish line. All proceeds raised from the race will be donated to the Sports Trust for sporting development in schools. 

STORY BY AUDI

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CHEVROLET SONIC COMING TO SOUTH AFRICA (UPDATE)

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The Chevrolet Sonic sub hatch is definitely headed for Mzansi this year, according to official documents received from General Motors. Sonic will sell alongside the Aveo, and will compete in features and prices with names like Mazda2, Volkswagen Polo, Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris. Sonic was first shown at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

In terms of engine technology, the US Sonic is one of the most advanced in its class with its  1.4-litre turbo engine that makes a nice 103kW and 200Nm of torque. Said motor is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. A second engine is produced, displacing 1.8-litres but remaining naturally aspirated. It produces 101kW and 168Nm and comes with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. These two engines are not necessarily the same ones Mzansi will get though.

Two body styles are being produced, a 5-door hatch and a 4-door sedan. The hatchback is 4 metres long, while the sedan is notably longer at 4.4m in length. In South Africa we aren’t sure which of the two will be brought in, although it may very well be both. As stated before, we are also not sure which engine(s) is/are coming either. 

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