The Car Guide

Unlawfully purchased and fraudulently registered vehicles are facing their demise in the Eastern Cape after the RTMC has commenced with crushing 520 illegal cars after being impounded in 2017.  Is it a Ford, is it a Toyota, is it a BMW? Who knows after the compactor has had its way with it. The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) conducted a joint operation in 2017 along with the SAPS Eastern Cape Anti-Corruption Unit, National Anti-Corruption Unit, Special Investigative Unit, SAPS Vehicle Safety Storage Unit, SAPS Crime Intelligence Unit and the National Prosecution Authority. The operation impounded 520 fraudulently registered vehicles from the public by the Komga Registering Authority, SAPS and roadworthy centres. A VW Jetta about to meet its demise. The operation also resulted in the arrest of 17 suspects, some of whom were members of the SAPS and Department of Transport. Other foreign nationals were also taken into custody and are believed to be kingpins of a ...

If two races in America weren’t enough for the ever growing fanbase of the pinnacle of motorsport then 2023 should do the trick as the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix has been announced bringing the total tally of three races to American soil. We’re not sure this is the best thing for the sport though.  Renders of the cars racing through the strip of Las Vegas. The announcement of the street circuit under the lights will occur towards the end of the season in November and feature 14 corners spanning through a 6,12 km loop in the sprawling city lit with neon lights. Drivers have expressed excitement for the latest announcement to the calendar but this isn’t the first time Formula 1 has performed their exploits in the gambling-capital of the world.  The last Formula 1 Grand Prix to happen in the opulent city was in the parking lot of Caesars Palace in the early 1980s. As you can expect, it was abysmal and the daytime conditions in the heat of the Nevada desert tested both m...

South Africans have been dealt a number of hard blows over the past months with the cost of fuel having steadily risen by 30% over the past year to its current inland price of R21,60 per litre of 95 Octane. Government has stepped in to curtail the rising cost of fuel by selling roughly R6 billion of the state’s strategic oil reserves, the funds being channelled to offset the general fuel levy which will be lowered by R1,50 per litre from Wednesday 6 th of April until the 31 st of May 2022, as announced on Thursday by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. What the sale of strategic oil reserves means is that this move will not impact government debt. Additionally, government has planned the following changes in fuel price from the 1 st of June: A 3c per litre reduction in the basic fuel price. The scrapping of The Demand Side Management Levy (DSML) of 10c per litre on 95 unleaded petrol sold inland. A price cap is to be introduced on 93 octane petrol, which will allow retailers t...

While the world is constantly ravaged by conflict, some have a more long lasting and global effect than others. The Russo-Ukrainian Conflict has been ongoing for a month now and we can expect higher new car prices in the future over and above the rising cost of fuel.    Just some of the components needed to put a car together. Many of the existing issues we are facing can be traced back to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, where lockdowns and curfews disrupted the automotive industry and their associated supply chains – particularly in China where the virus was rumoured to have originated from. Factories were temporarily shut down while ports and transport lines could not move vital cargo for production. As a subsequent result of the pandemic and once the world started to get back on its feet to battle the virus, microchip shortages further hindered vehicle production as the electronics that are crucial in every new car suffered a massive supply chain issue. One that, a...

After 50,000 km of testing, the limited edition $8.8M Bugatti Centodieci is now production ready and deliveries of the hypercar will begin later this year if all goes according to plan. 50,000 worth of mileage has been racked up on the prototype. 50,000 kilometres is a far distance to travel. To put it into context, it would be the equivalent of traversing the distance of the equator plus a little bit extra. That is the number Bugatti felt would determine if the 1,176 kW Centodieci was reliable enough to be delivered to the 10 wealthy buyers of the $8.8M hypercar. 10 wealthy owners have each paid $8.8M for their limited edition Centodieci. The $8.8M Bugatti Centodieci (or one hundred and ten) is a commemorative model based on the outlandishly fast 420 kmh Chiron. The overall silhouette still resembles that of its archetype but the details of the limited run hypercar allude to that of the EB-110 after the brand was revived by Italian businessman Romano Artioli in the 90s.  ...

In August 2021, the Sport Auto team set a blistering lap time around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a G82 BMW M4 Competition. The rear-wheel drive coupé set an impressive time of 7 minutes and 30,79 seconds. There was a general feeling amongst petrolheads, though, that the M4 could set a faster time around the legendary circuit… And so, eight months later, the Sport Auto team is back and this time with an xDrive variant of the M4 Competition. Channelling 375 kW and 650 N.m to all four wheels, is the added traction enough to offset the additional 75 kg of the AWD system, too? Having set a time of 7 minutes and 28,57 seconds, it most certainly is – a whopping two seconds faster than its RWD sibling. It’s worth noting, too, that both cars were wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, and of course naturally, the AWD model managed to keep things a little tidier in the corners. This time is in fact quicker than that of the monstrous BMW M5 CS which managed a time of 7 minutes an...

Kia has achieved another Red Dot Award for an architectural and innovative complex which showcases the EV6. The cultural space is titled ‘EV6 Unplugged Ground’ and allows for people to experience the EV model in imaginative ways. The display portrays the Kia brand ‘reborn’ in the EV era. The display which is located in one of the South Korean capital’s most popular districts, Seongsu portrays a refreshed brand which has firm commitments to a more sustainable and electric future. The locality of the Seoul display was crucial since Seongsu also known as ‘Brooklyn of Korea’, was a formerly industrial area that has morphed into a popular hub of creativity and fashion in recent years.  Seongsu is one of the South Korean capital’s most popular districts. Ji-Min Kim, Head of Korea Business Strategy Group at Kia stated “The purpose of ‘EV6 Unplugged Ground’ was to convey a message about a new life – recycling, sustainability, future mobility and electric vehicles. We chose Seongsu...

Since their inception, it would seem as though the Toyota Gazoo Racing division never sleeps, never takes its foot off the gas, and continues to impress us with astounding cars writes Ryan de Villiers. From the rally-bred 3-cylinder GR Yaris to the upcoming   GR86, as well the   controversial GR Supra, the next addition to the GR lineup has been a long time coming – it is of course a significantly beefed-up version of the   rather ordinary Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Brace yourselves for the Toyota GR Corolla….   The unveiling of the car will happen on the 1st of April at 15h30. To watch the live unveiling, click here.     The high-performance Corolla has been teased for quite some time and during an American promotional video for the GR86, a few students show off the front end of the upcoming performance Corolla. The second sighting happened after an image was posted on social media, lurking in the background the highly anticipated and mysterious T...

It’s often been said that a Citi Golf is the sort of car in which you really don’t want to have an accident – here’s why… In some CCTV footage dated the 27th of March 2022, a Citi Golf comes careening through the boundary wall between a private property and the highway, sending the driver flying through the windscreen and into the property’s swimming pool. The driver was presumably not wearing a seatbelt and it appears as though he lost consciousness at some point in the ordeal, as evidenced by the fact that he floats limp in the swimming pool for a good minute and a half before being pulled out of the pool. The driver is lucky that the car didn’t fall on top of him, as commented by someone in the video who was likely videoing the recording of the CCTV footage. When initially launched as the Golf 1, what later become known as the Citi Golf was not necessarily “unsafe” when compared with its contemporaries, however after having been in production for over thirty years, modern safet...

The North Wales leg of the Bowler Defender Challenge was won in style by Mark Higgins and co-driver Claire Williams in their Bowler Bond Defender which boasts a golden 007 livery with satin black paintwork underneath.  The North Wales leg of the 2022 Defender Bowler Challenge in Dolgellau. Higgins, proficient in rally and equally capable as a stunt driver in the James Bond franchise made a winning return to the rallying scene after he and co-driver Claire Williams won the North Wales leg of the 2022 Defender Bowler Challenge in Dolgellau. The rally spec Defender 90 includes mandatory safety bits and pieces. The pair completed the Bowler Defender Challenge leg with a time of 55 minutes and 12 seconds, 1 minute and 41 seconds ahead of the nearest rival. Other than the competition-rally spec Defender 90 with the standard 2.0-litre four-cylinder P300 Ingenium engine, the standout feature of the winning car was its James Bond Partnership theme.  Mark Higgins and co-driver...

It is no secret that Ford has debuted the new Ranger and Everest models internationally but that doesn’t mean the outgoing model isn’t worth its salt. We got to enjoy the Ford Ranger Raptor in the hilly terrains of Dullstroom while spectating the Mpumalanga 400.  The reason for the excursion to the neverending hills of Mpumalanga was for the season opening race of the South African Rally Raid Championship . The Mpumalanga 400 as it is also known had two factory backed Neil Woolridge Motorsport T1+ Rangers and a host of other privateer Rangers in the T1 category. View a gallery of the event here .  Of the FIA grade and Dakar ready T1+ Rangers, one finished on the podium while the other suffered irreparable damage after colliding with a tree in a slippery part of the stage. This all transpired after snatching the lead in the damp morning conditions as a result of a downpour overnight.  It is set to be a thrilling season between the Hilux and Ranger, where we can ex...

After much anticipation and an accidental leak, the spectacular Lotus Eletre has been unveiled during a swanky affair at the BBC Television Centre in London. Just a day before the official event, Lotus announced that their first-ever SUV, and what they are calling the first-ever hyper SUV, would be called the Lotus Eletre. This in keeping with a long line of Lotus models’ names beginning with the letter E, the first being the Lotus Eleven of 1956, their first production car. Lotus’ history in interpretive dance and a showcase of historic models from the brand’s illustrious history kept those in attendance and the 4 000-odd online viewers enthralled before the veil was lifted on the Lotus Eletre which has been floating down the River Thames for the past day or so, or at least a box with it’s name on it. Lotus’ charismatic and incredibly clever founder, Colin Chapman, was full of wisdom, ‘Simplify, then add lightness’ perhaps being his best-known mantra. An inter...

With electric cars being produced left, right and centre, its a breath of proverbial and not literal fresh air to hear that Jeep will be producing a new internal combustion engine.   The new engine, codenamed “Hurricane”, will be a twin-turbocharged 3,0-litre inline-six engine. More details with be provided at the New York International Auto Show in April this year, but basic information about the engine is already available. Sources claim that the Hurricane engine has a High Output (HO) variant and Standard Output (SO) variant. There are rumours of a third engine derivative but no concrete information has been released regarding that.   The Jeep Grand Wagoneer will most likely be the first recipient of this impressive engine. Speculations allude to the potential of upcoming Dodge Challengers and Chargers outfitted with the Hurricane engine, too, but this is just speculation for now.   The High Output variant will produce 368 kW and 780 N.m and Stellantis claims sugg...

Want that winning Ferrari red colour from the F1-75 Formula 1 2022 spec single seat challenger? Ferrari are now offering it as a colour option on their new road cars and have teased how the satin finish of Rosso F1-75 Opaco looks on the SF90 Stradale. The 2022 spec Ferrari single seater competing in Formula 1. The Scuderia is the most successful Formula 1 team of all time, with 16 Constructors Championships and 15 Drivers’ Championships on their tally. The 2022 season intended on ushering a new era of competitiveness and Ferrari is one of two teams who seems to have gotten the Formula right from the onset. Commencing with a win in Bahrain and closing the double header off in Saudi Arabia with two double podiums, they have enjoyed an almost perfect start to the season. Ferrari are now attempting to translate the stellar on-track performances with their range of commercial models. The road going division are now offering the same hue of red that adorns the single seaters of young...

A few weeks ago, Alfa Romeo models aboard a transport truck were spied wearing mild camouflage and an Estrema badge. The Stelvio and Giulia Estrema models have now been officially revealed by the Italian automaker and slot in between the Veloce and top spec Quadrifoglio models. The Estrema models are intended to slot between the Veloce and Quadrifoglio derivatives. The exterior may differ insubstantially from existing models in the range but the brand claims the new offering to be “the first globally available limited-edition series from Alfa Romeo.”  A few under-the-surface tweaks make the duo a more performance-orientated alternative to their Veloce spec counterparts.  Estrema – Italian for extreme. Standard adaptive suspension and a limited-slip differential provides both SUV and saloon with sharper and more engaging handling characteristics. Both models still employ the 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four petrol engine which churns out 206 kW and 415 N.m coupled t...

It was a Toyota and Ford showdown at the 2022 Mpumalanga 400 which was the season opener for the 2022 South African Rally-Raid Championship . Toyota triumphed in a dominant display with their Dakar proven Hilux T1+ while Ford showed good pace which should yield an entertaining season. The final corner of the first stage. The serene hills and valleys around the quaint town of Dullstroom were interrupted with the brutal and virile sound of petrol powered all-terrain machines that powered through the dirt tracks and off-road trails over the two day event. The first day consisted of an 20 kilometre Pirelli Qualifying Race which would set the order for the preceding stages. The NWM bivouac. The first of which was an 85 kilometre stage on the first day which ran on the dusty dirt roads adjacent to farmlands and through tree plantations in the region. The second stage the following morning utilised a 150 kilometre loop which drivers had to complete twice bringing the grand tally of mi...

Ryan O’Connor rides shotgun in the Bentley Continental GT V8 with entrepreneur and businesswoman, Rouchelle Liedemann. The post R.O.C. and Rouchelle Liedemann go for a drive in Bentley Continental GT V8 appeared first on CAR Magazine . The Car Guide

We joined team Toyota Gazoo Racing at the first round of the 2022 SA Rally-Raid Championship in Mpumalanga this past weekend. Rally drivers are arguably the helmsmen who command the most respect. The sheer skill, guts and bravery needed to cover vast distances of inhospitable terrain at blistering pace simply boggles the mind. When given the opportunity to spectate Mzansi’s premier off-road motorsport event with Toyota Gazoo Racing I simply couldn’t turn down the offer. This was the Mpumalanga 400 the season-opening race for the 2022 South African Rally-Raid Championship (previously the South African Cross-Country series) it’s not an event for half-hearted individuals. The racing is fierce, the rivalry is bitter and the landscape although spectacular is unforgiving and treacherous. We collected a Toyota Hilux Legend RS 4×4 double-cab at OR Tambo and hightailed the 250 km to Dullstroom for the racing. Upon entering the rain-soaked town thanks to a typical Highlands thunder storm, w...