The Car Guide

ABT has taken the Urus to the operating table, and they’ve given it almost 100 kW more and a ton of carbon fibre bits too. This is all you need to know about the ABT Urus Scatenato. Looking for your next new or used performance SUV? Find it here with CARmag.  Image: ABT Only 99 examples of the Urus Scatenato will be produced. To achieve this significant increase in power, ABT has equipped the Urus with its ABT Power R technology, which includes an ABT turbocharger and intercooler. All of the added components result in an increase of more than 100 kW (490 kW to 596 kW). The efforts of the beefed-up 4,0-litre turbocharged V8, which is covered with a carbon fibre engine cover, are reported through ABT 105 mm quad-pipe titanium tailpipes. Related: The lumo green ABT RS3-R has a ring to it with 368 kW of power Image: ABT Aside from powertrain upgrades, the Urus Scatenato features a slew of carbon fibre elements from front to back. The nose of the Urus is curtailed by a gloss ...

Looking at some of Bavaria’s finest, Ryan de Villiers compiles a list of  five M-badged cars he’d add to his garage. The best new? All of these are available in South Africa through CARmag right now. Looking for your next new or used BMW? Find it here with CARmag. If I were to win the Lotto today, these are the M-badged cars that I’d consider adding to my garage. Click on the heading of each model to find one for sale locally. 1. BMW M4 GTS Fast Facts Engine : 3,0-litre turbocharged inline-six Power : 368 kW Torque:  600 N.m Transmission : 7-speed DCT Mileage : 550 km Price:  R1 999 900 Image: BMW Agile, power-ladened and uncompromising. Words that aptly describe the most potent version of the F82 M4, the M4 GTS. In 2019, BMW M’s engineers set to the grindstone and heightened the M4’s character by way of lightweight materials, removal of some of the “unnecessary” amenities and a slight change to the powertrain components. Powered by the same straight-six f...

Porsche’s new 911 GT3 R rennsport is the highest strung-rendition of the new 992 generation. With an eye-watering power increase and bespoke bodywork, it is a shame that only 77 race-ready examples will ever be made. Looking for your next new or used Porsche? Find it here with CARmag. Image: Porsche “The new Porsche 911 GT3 R rennsport offers the experience of driving a nine-eleven-based racing car in what is probably the most primal form.” – Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Motorsport The 911 GT3 R rennsport is lauded as the successor to the Porsche 935, however, its underpinnings are the skeleton of a 992-gen GT3. Only the bonnet and roof remain undisturbed, whereas the rest of the car, from engine to rear wing, has been altered. The 911 GT3 R rennsport features a slightly reworked front bumper, which houses new cooling air intakes and ducts. Related: Official: Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Pricing for South Africa The traditional wing mirrors were replaced by three came...

The Alfa Romeo 4C is one of the most eye-catching models to debut from the Italian automaker in the last decade. Bidding farewell to the ICE model in 2019, reports have surfaced suggesting that an all-electric successor may debut in 2028. Looking for your next new or used Alfa Romeo? Find it here with CARmag. Image: Alfa Romeo Colloquially referred to as the “4E” (“4” derived from the 4C and “E” representing the electric powertrain), plans regarding the production of the anticipated electric roadster appear to be shaping up. Official information regarding the inner workings of the 4E is few and far between. Speculation suggests that the roadster, which may adopt the “Spider” suffix, could be founded on the same platform as the upcoming electric Giulia. The STLA Medium platform allows for the use of a high-output battery and drivetrain. The 4E could have a high charging capacity, a two-second 0 to 100 km/h sprint time and a range greater than 800 km. Related: Take a Closer Look a...

Maserati MSG Racing announces the signing of Jehan Daruvala and the return of Maximilian Günther for Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.   Together, Max and Jehan will form one of the youngest driver pairings ever seen in Formula E, as the team blends race-winning experience with opportunity by putting its trust in the next generation of motor racing talent.   With a new race in Tokyo, Japan, Season 10 will be the series’ longest competition to date, as the Maserati brand continues its innovative journey in Formula E since announcing its return to World Championship single-seater motor racing in 2022.   Although a fresh face, Jehan Daruvala is well acquainted with Formula E, and after making two rookie test appearances in 2023, is set to take a seamless next step into a race seat for Season 10.   A breakthrough 2019 season, which saw him emerge as a key title protagonist in FIA Formula 3, facilitated Jehan’s progression to Formula One feede...

November 2023 will mark the 100th year since the Ford Motor Company of South Africa was founded in Gqeberha. Here is a brief look at the history of the brand in the country.  Looking for your next new or used Ford? Find it here with CARmag. Image: Ford The Ford Motor Company of South Africa began as a converted wool store located on Grahamstown Road. This was the 16th assembly plant constructed outside of the US and served as an auxiliary branch for Ford of Canada. The assembly plant began building Ford Models T’s on the 19th of January 1924 using knocked-down kits from Ford of Canada. These were essentially a medley of parts needed to assemble the Model T’s and, in the span of the plant’s first 12 months, managed to produce a total of 1 446 vehicles. Just two years after the maiden voyage of the brand in South Africa, Ford reported a total of 18 118 licensed Fords in the country, which at the time was triple that of the nearest competitor. In October 1930, the Ford Motor Com...

BMW’s Next-Gen X2 has been teased in a sultry video with illuminated grilles and it seems the Bavarian automaker has spared the crossover SUV the controversial gaping kidneys from some of its other stablemates. Have a look here. Image: BMW Looking for your next classic buy? Find it here with CARmag. BMW’s illuminated grilles seem to be making their way onto each new model the Bavarian automaker unveils. This time around the stylised kidney grille silhouette has been illuminated on the next-gen X2 teaser video that has just gone live. The video, collaboratively shared by Domagoj Dukec – head of BMW’s design department, on Instagram, showcases the X2 from various angles. Starting off with the side view, the X2 displays a coupe-like profile at the rear, featuring a sloping roofline and a more sharply angled rear hatch. A subtle static spoiler adds a finishing touch to the rear. Related: BMW M3 CSL E46 Sells For Whopping R2,3 Million at Auction In the animation sequence, the vehicl...

After the recently launched 4-Pot GLC AMG , Mercedes has now unveiled a familiar-looking coupe-style variant for its midsize sport SUV. Here’s all you need to know about the GLC63 and GLC43.  Image: Mercedes-AMG Looking for your next new or used Merc? Find it here with CARmag. Both models have undergone a significant transformation under the skin, with a shift from the previous twin-turbo V6 and V8 engines to 2,0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder powerplants borrowed from the A45 S hot hatch. These engines also come with varying levels of hybrid assistance. Let’s start with the GLC43 4Matic Coupe. Under its stylish exterior lies an M139 2,0-litre inline-four petrol engine, enhanced by larger turbochargers and further bolstered by a 48-volt mild hybrid system that incorporates a belt-driven starter generator (RSG). This model features the AMG Performance 4Matic all-wheel-drive system for added traction. On the other hand, the GLC63S E Performance Coupe boasts a more comple...

One of the country’s largest classic car auctions has closed and with it new owners of some impeccable motoring metal. Included is a M3 CSL E46 which exchanged hands for over R2,3 million! Here is what prices all of the other models sold for. Looking for your next classic buy? Find it here with CARmag. Four of the lots at the Creative Rides Classic & Collectibles Auctions sold for over R2 million, with the grand total spent at the event on collector cars, trucks and motorcycles being in excess of R100 million.  This according to CEO Kevin Derrick at the end of the two-day event at Montecasino in Johannesburg, which brought together car enthusiasts from across Gauteng and pitted them in fierce battles against national and international collectors bidding via digital live stream.  Related: Classic American Bakkies Part of Massive Auction at Montecasino This Weekend “On both Saturday and Sunday, we were witness to hotly contested bidding wars for incredible cars that cl...

YangWang is a subsidiary of the locally available BYD moniker. The latest offering from the Chinese brand is a luxury hybrid U8 SUV with more than a handful of party tricks to justify its almost R2,8 million price tag. Looking for your next hybrid SUV? Find it here with CARmag.  Image: YangWang The Herculean SUV is offered in two distinct trim levels namely, the Premium Edition and the Off-Road Master Edition and as the name would suggest, the latter is the more off-road inclined model in the range. The most notable visual detractors that distinguish the Premium Edition from the Off-Road Master are the additional features such as a bolder front bumper, adjustable/removable roof rails, and snorkel (among other things) affixed to the Off-Road Master variant. The YangWang U8 is a large SUV. It is 5 319 mm long, 2 050 mm wide, and 1 930 mm tall, which would make it almost the same size as a Land Rover Defender 130 P400 X, although the U8 is founded on a slightly larger wheelbase...

Minis, Beetles and wedge-shaped Ferraris. Alfa Romeos vying against BMWs from yesteryear for peak display real estate on the day. All were lined up at the start in Parkhurst ahead of the 2023 Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive in honour of the balls it takes to bring some of these priceless pieces of machinery out for a Sunday drive… Looking for your next new or used Classic? Find it here with CARmag.  Coinciding with South Africa’s long weekend celebrating Heritage Day, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive was the ideal platform to demonstrate the diversity that our country holds with classics from yesteryear. A feast for the eyes of crafted metalwork and meticulous machinery spanning the decades before the Second World War all the way up to some of the most ludicrous models of mobility to spawn from the auto industry up until the 1980s. This date being the loose cutoff for entrants wanting to bring their prized machinery to the event. Before continuing, let’s give some context to ...