Tabla de contenidos para March 2016 en topCar

5 00 WORDS TO share some insight as a member of the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team that took part in this year’s Dakar? That’s too many. I can sum the entire thing up in just one line: There’s a lot more to the Dakar than you saw every evening on SuperSport. Trust me, this is a race with so much lore and legend that it makes Lord of the Rings look dull. Yet it is also a race that is so accessible that a veritable mass of South Africans descend upon it each year, including the outfit I worked for in 2016. Not that it is cheap or easy to take part, mind you. The Dakar is, essentially, a business rather than a race. And as such it is…

CONCEPT IAA is a one-off prototype, a show car, but it is also a proper runner. Under the mildly outrageous bodywork – a CAD/CAM-generated, milled-from-solid, big-money styling statement – the drivetrain is straight out of the C350e plug-in hybrid, the chassis an improvised parts bin compilation. Why does it exist? To showcase Mercedes’ latest design (interior and exterior), propulsion and aero thinking, and in some style. This is a futuristic yet strangely mature family car, one that leaves a lasting impression, not least because, unmissable extending rump aside (preposterous, you might think, until you consider the benefits, and even then…) there’s much here that will see production, and that we’re now impatient for. The most spectacular function of the car’s body is the extending Kamm tail rear end, which grows…

LOOK DEAR PURIST, times are changing. Large capacity naturally aspirated sports cars have unfortunately become an obsolete notion with manufacturers having to employ the dark art of forced induction to compensate for reduced cubic capacity as well as comply with emission regulations. While the turbocharger is nothing particularly new to the Porsche ethos (think 911 Turbo) the company has had no choice but to roll out an entirely new range of twin-turbocharged engines for the facelifted 911. Despite now employing ‘smaller’ engines Porsche likes to refer to its new blueprint as rightsized rather than downsized as the displacement is still fairly large at 3.0-litres. This means power and torque figures are better than ever while improvements to economy and emissions come from clever ECU trickery. Sacrilege you say but the…

WHO COULD EVER forget Rickard Rydell and Jan Lammers heroically campaigning Volvo 850 Estates in the 1994 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)? Tom Walkinshawdeveloped and rarely seen on all four wheels, those nutty, five-cylinder, kerb-hungry leviathans snarled and hopped their way into people’s hearts despite not actually winning any races. (Those would follow in ’95 when Volvo switched to a sedan bodystyle.) That mattered little though as the whole thing was a marketing exercise par excellence: a ploy to inject some sportiness into Volvo’s safe but demure image. The Estates even did a parade lap at one of the races with a large stuffed toy Collie in the boot. Now more than two decades on, with a bright blue Polestar Volvo staring me in the face, this sentiment seems wildly…

> ‘We didn’t even think of LR during this project. F-Pace needed to drive like a Jag: connected, intuitive steering; agile and fun to drive at all speeds; a compliant, controlled ride; great engine refinement with an absence of percussive diesel noise, but some power signature from engine; harmonious control weights and an absence of free play’ > ‘The challenge was to make a taller car feel smaller; balancing roll stiffness with roll damping, delivering a linear ride and avoiding head-toss’ > ‘The F-Pace never feels like it has momentum, or inertia; it changes direction quickly, then stops. It’s got low phase-lag: front and rear suspension work in phase’ > ‘It had to be capable and competent off-road, but it was never intended to be marketed as an off-roader’ >…

T’S IRONIC THAT the still-born USF1 operation spawned F1’s newest team – Haas F1, which debuts in Australia in March. But the reality is that without that brave, ill-fated 2009/10 project, the progenitor of ex-FIA president Max Mosley’s doomed ‘budget cap scheme’, it is doubtful whether the first all-American Formula 1 programme in 40 years would exist, let alone be on-target with debut preparations. Haas F1, the brainchild of Italian-US émigré Guenther Steiner, whose long technical career in international motorsport in categories as diverse as F1, NASCAR, WRC and DTM includes a stint as technical director of Jaguar Racing, is even based in the same town as was USF1, namely Charlotte, North Carolina. Indeed, Steiner drew his inspiration for the team from USF1 after studying the reasons for its demise.…

MONTH 7 MAZDA6 THE GOOD PEOPLE at Mazda will probably not be best pleased, because in the preparations for our annual touring shindig, we may have neglected to mention the particulars of the route. Essentially, given the 6’s 9/10 scorecard thus far, we thought we’d give it a more muscular test – and spend much of the time on dirt for the great trek inland. That may sound fairly tame, but remember, this is essentially an executive sedan, clad in (pretty) 225/45 R19 rubber. Still, Mazda have made no bones about wanting to claim prime spot as a Loved-By-All-South-Africa brand, and as such, it needs to be all things to all people. And part of South Africa’s reality is luxury cars finding favour on dodgy roads – just ask any…

MONTH 2 RENAULT CLIO 1.2 EDC IT HAPPENED during one of those epic Christmas shopping trips. In between the store that sells iPads and the one that stocks gammon I momentarily hit pause on the Clio’s vastly improved Bluetooth audio streaming function. Instead of the usual mix of old Nirvana and New Americana I heard a disconcertingly loud click-click-click from the steering column as I manoeuvred slowly around a congested parking lot. Having run the three-cylinder Clio GT-Line for a few months before the swap without any odd steering noise at all I assumed something was amiss and called it in. (After all, you don’t want to be the motoring hack who drives a broken car for a year without noticing, do you?) At first I reckoned it might have…

MONTH 5 VW TOUAREG LUXURY 3.0 V6 TDI 4MOTION R-LINE I’VE SPENT A substantial amount of the festive season aboard the good ship Touareg. Lots and lots of time, lots and lots of mileage, and not just the usual December grind with family trips and visits, Christmas shopping runs, re-shopping emergency runs typical onslaught of errands you come to expect over the merry-to-death period. See, on top of the chaos, for reasons that now escape me, I chose this particular time of the year to do nothing less traumatic than move homes. Yep, on New Year’s Day no less, I was faced with the unenviable task of transporting all my belongings from one house to another, albeit just four roads away. You know what you can’t do on New Year’s…

New E-Class: dripping with tech This smart Merc is taking over, helping drivers to see, steer, change lane and, in this case, brake. Automatic Active Brake Assist now gets a cross-traffic function: it widens the sensor array’s scope to prevent you pulling out in front of other traffic at junctions, and slows you down when closing on stationary traffic. Pre-Safe blows up ‘Pre-Safe’ is Mercedes’ term for the tech that tries to save you beyond the point of no return – bracing the car and occupants for impact. Even this gets a fluffing for the new E, though. ‘Pre-Safe impulse side’ instantly inflates the front seat bolster closest to the impact, pushing the passenger further away from the smash. ‘Pre-Safe Sound’ meanwhile emits a specific sound through the hi-fi, not…

CITROËN NEEDS TO be different, and of our three brands, has the widest scope for innovation. The C4 Cactus is not a mainstream car. It’s fresh, polarising and rewarded for being different. It’s successful and profitable. Citroën is a smart, humanistic and optimistic brand. I need to let them do what they feel is good. They’re going in the right direction. > Peugeot is quite a German brand – well engineered, well manufactured, elegant, not showing off. They are at the upper end of the generalist brands. We shouldn’t forget that Peugeot was born in eastern France – near the German border. > We want to make PSA less reliant on Europe and more international. Ironically, we now see Western Europe growing [last year it was the world’s fastest growing…

Audi A4 Allroad Audi’s new A4 Allroad quattro has bowed in at Detroit – giving the regular A4 Avant a butch look and an extra 23mm hike in ride height to make it look like it’s on its tippy-toes for all-important soft-roader cred. There are the usual Allroad bolt-ons: flared and plastic-clad wheelarches to give an SUV vibe, Allroad badges liberally applied and quattro four-wheel drive is standard across the range. 2.0 TFSI and TDI models will be available at international launch, with 3.0 TDI available in two states of tune: 162kW and 202kW, the latter capable of a 0-100kph gallop in just 5.5sec. In line with the new A4 saloon range, the Allroad is around 90kg lighter than its predecessor – all the better for performance, emissions and handling.…

THE BEST THING on the DS Automobiles stand at any motor show is, invariably, the old DS. It was true at the Frankfurt show last year and it will be true at Geneva next month. It is also true of the grand DS World emporium that lures passers-by – like a glitzy Louis Vuitton store – just off the Champs-Élysées. The 50-year old DS reposing elegantly on the upper floor is like a Picasso canvas alongside a C4 Picasso: one a work of genius, the other a nicely executed marketing opportunity. While the new DSs that tempt car buyers at shows and stores may be finely finished, sharply styled, nicely trimmed and available with myriad paint and upholstery combinations, the old DS stands as a symbol of a grander belle…

LIKE MANY race tracks before it Kyalami quickly disappeared from the global motorsport calendar owing to escalating costs and modern safety regulations, its last headlining show being that of the 1993 South African Grand Prix. While it remained a popular destination for enthusiasts and local motorsport events it and its facilities soon began to fade like old photographs as the general upkeep and maintenance took a backseat to politics and rumours of potential buyouts. Was this the end? Was the once powerhouse of South African motorsport about to become a remnant of days gone by? Enter the protagonist in this story – Toby Venter Jukskei, Barbeque and Leeukop make a return. New names include the Crocodiles, Cheetah and Ingwe while Mineshaft, Sunset and the Esses remain unchanged. and Porsche South…

Circa 1996 Nasty detachable radio an unwelcome throwback to the days of oblong boxes forgotten in dark cinemas Stir here Well located and just as well - shifter will see a lot of use getting the best out of the 50kW triple THANKS TO A tanking rand and a grim economic outlook, South Africans are increasingly being forced to consider less car for more money. What then does a growing family choose if the criteria is that their car needs to be not only new (for security and warranty reasons), but also able to accommodate four or five in reasonable comfort? Here we shine the comparative test spotlight on three possible contenders for a small family car, Tata’s new Bolt, FAW’s V2 and South Africa’s cheapest new car, the Datsun…

Press the pedal, live for the moment – you can worry about the roadblock when you get there WHEN YOU DRIVE A Lamborghini Aventador SV the world stops – five hundred and forty kilowatts and a sound like a Lexus LFA and a Shelby Cobra duetting on a Black Keys cover can do that. Drive an SV slowly and little boys with messy hair and much older ones with none at all will freeze, rooted to the spot, and stare open-mouthed. Drive an SV fast and cars heading in the same direction but obediently kowtowing to the 120kph speed limit smear past the window like a streak of raindrops. And you do drive it fast; it’s impossible not to. Think you’ll be able to keep it under 160kph and avoid…

THE RAIN’S STOPPED now, but the narrow road’s still glistening, its fractured surface triggering the Porsche’s ABS on bigger stops. Worse, the GT3 RS’s steering is telegraphing mixed messages; sometimes I can feel the huge tread blocks bite, sometimes they threaten to wash right over the weathered tarmac and rust-coloured pine needles – a little extra peril on an already heart-in-mouth drive. You don’t want to understeer on the Col de Turini: one mistake and there’s a fairly inconsequential knee-high wall between you, lots of fresh air and some spiky stuff far below. So I hold back through the twistier sections, accelerating hard where the road opens, revs snarling past 8000rpm in second, punching to third, squeezing the brakes before the next bend, downshifting, mouth drying, hands fixed to the…

1 BATTERY TECHNOLOGY Current 28kWh batteries will have to double in capacity to allow the cars to run the entire length of the 50-minute event at racing speeds without stopping in season five. At present drivers swap cars half way through the race when the lithium-ion batteries are depleted 2 BATTERY MANAGEMENT Keeping temperatures below 60deg C is vital if the battery isn’t going to overheat. Critical in harvesting energy under braking and deploying it for maximum acceleration, while eking it out to ensure the racing driver doesn’t suffer the ignominy of coasting to a halt with a drained battery 3 TECH TO GET AN EDGE As race regulations free up, bespoke transmissions will be allowed, and Jaguar/Williams will be permitted to develop E-motors and inverters that will cross into…

CONTINENTAL HAS DEVELOPED new tyre technology that promises to revolutionise Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Currently, tyres are the only part of the car that grips the road surface, but also one of few relevant components that have no input into ESP algorithms. ‘Existing sensors respond quickly, but they’re still waiting to react to the onset of slip,’ points out Continental automotive engineering manager Richard Durance ‘If the tyre itself could feed into the ESC, the limits would be detected earlier and the vehicle’s systems could adjust to better maximise the friction and grip potential.’ And that’s just what Continental has in mind… 1 ESC: it’s a life-saver Mandatory on all cars sold in the EU since 2014, ESC is a proven life-saver: a study by the UK’s Department for Transport…

JAGUAR LAND ROVER has been surfing a wave of growth and positivity these past few years. Nonetheless, 2015 looks like a stepchange year. The company announced plans for two new factories, cranked up serious production in two more, invested to double engine production and revealed plans to return to racing. While a slowdown in its key market – China – hit earnings and sales, record US, European and UK registrations propelled JLR to an unprecedented volume of 487065 vehicles. While officials are cautious to avoid saying so publicly, JLR has laid the foundations to break the 1m car barrier by 2020. That would see the company doubling in size, for the second time in a decade. Here’s the blueprint underpinning a potentially huge success story. THE GROWTH NUMBERS NEW CARS…

It drives for you The BMW i Future Vision concept at CES 2016 explores what it might mean to balance future automotive tech against the primary directive of driving machine, showing off a high-res head-up display and a minimalist interior that changes depending on the driving mode. We aren’t talking Eco and Sport here – rather the difference between the driver being in control and fully autonomous motoring. In the latter, the steering wheel shrinks away to give occupants more space and the seats change profile to make viewing the 21in panoramic display screen more comfortable; in the former what’s shown on that screen is reduced to the essentials for getting your back-road groove on. Meanwhile the head-up display is so comprehensive it’s approaching true augmented reality. Not only will…

Ever fancied a classic Volkswagen campervan but not been able to stomach the thought of dealing with that archaic flat-four and ever-present threat of rust and spontaneous combustion? Fear not, Volkswagen may have the answer. The new BUDD-e, revealed at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, is likely a look at the new ‘Microbus’, set to go on sale in 2017. VW’s retro-styled BUDD-e concept is underpinned by the company’s new Modular Electric Toolkit platform, dubbed MEB. It’s got two motors, four-wheel drive and packs a 101kWh battery that gives it a claimed range of around 500km. The BUDD-e is the first concept to utilise the new platform, which offers a host of benefits. It also boasts a range of advanced gubbins, including seat-specific voice controls. The MEB platform is a…

DURING A RECENT interview with FIA president Jean Todt this column popped the question as to whether he was confident motorsport’s governing body could not be tarred with the same brush that recently tainted FIFA, the IAAF and world tennis. ‘Unfortunately some global sporting organisations have been facing some problems, and I can only [feel] sorry for them,’ the Frenchman said after reflection. ‘Am I comfortable about the way our organisation is structured and run? Yes, I am, and I’m very proud of all the people involved with it.’ His critics – and he has many, particularly amongst the non-French contingent – could say ‘He would say that, wouldn’t he,’ but, before that thought could crystalise, he continued: ‘Saying that, I feel if you are aiming for excellence, then you…

If it’s like this in the dunes, ‘we’re proper screwed out there’ AN UNREMARKABLE arrival at Windhoek airport feels immediately at odds with the mammoth six day trek across 560km of arid land, rocky ‘moonscapes’ and towering sand dunes that lies ahead. A boy’s own adventure, all the way from the capital, across the scorching Namib, and up the coast to Walvis Bay with no one asking questions such as: Where are we going to stay? Are there Wi-Fi hotspots in the desert? What do you mean bos-k*k!? With the 30-strong motley crew of first-time desert adventurers assembled, I guess we’d better crack on. Monday – Windhoek to Solitaire Apart from journos, also along for the ride are half a dozen Toyota dealer principals and an equal helping of Toyota…

THERE ARE TWO kinds of Honda, right? You know what I’m talking about. First, the screaming, revving and now recently boosting Type-R models that have transformed everything from hatchbacks to front-wheel-drive coupes into fiery performance cars, a sporty spark seen elsewhere in the evocative S2000 roadster and culminating at the very zenith in the NSX. But then there’s the other kind of Honda, let’s call them Type 2 as opposed to the Type 1 class of vehicle I mentioned earlier. It’s this sort I find myself trundling behind at speeds a snail would scoff at as I make my way through Pinelands each morning, a suburb renowned for its multitude of retirement villages. I mean Jazzes, I mean CR-Vs. I refer to Civics and Ballades. Well this is the new…

THE OFF-ROAD route weaves in and out, over and under The Fosse Way somewhere between Gloucester and Leicester, England. After morning rain, meadows peppered with spidery Klimt trees glisten like large ponds sprayed with green stardust. This is no slog through the mud and ruts of Land Rover’s Eastnor Castle facility, but then we’re not driving a Defender; this is the new F-Pace, sister brand Jaguar’s first ever SUV. Time has softened the initially peculiar-sounding name, and indeed the jarring idea of an all-terrain Jaguar. It’s a similar story inside, where seemingly contradictory sports- and off-road cues gel to create a coherent whole. The Big-Foot stance might afford great visibility, but the driver’s seat feels positioned low down, the XE steering wheel strikingly small when presented on this broader canvas.…

‘F1 would change without Ferrari, it would be something else. Nobody would be interested in F1 without Ferrari, not even Mercedes’ A FRIENDLY WARNING from the president of Ferrari is a bit like a friendly warning from Don Corleone. Best to heed it, especially as this isn’t Sergio Marchionne’s first expression of dissatisfaction at his team’s performance. Patience may be wearing a bit thin. In his first address to the Scuderia in November 2014, he described Ferrari’s first win-less season since 1993 as damaging to the Ferrari brand. ‘If we don’t improve quickly,’ he said, ‘we will have to consider our long-term future in F1 because this level of performance is affecting our credibility in the road car market.’ One year on and Marchionne states his view even more strongly.…

MONTH 8 CITROËN C4 CACTUS I REMEMBER IT like it was yesterday. My first ever interview at a car magazine almost a decade ago. The task to prove my worth? Spend 10 minutes nosing around the then new second-gen Audi TT and write a synopsis so precise and to-the-point that the bigwigs would have no choice but to start grooming me for editorship right there and then. I knew the now defunct 3.2-litre V6 quattro may have been the tip of the spear but the lighter 2.0T front-wheel drive was the one all the overseas reviewers were crowing about. Surely not!? The six-cylinder sounded like it had a bonnet full of snow tigers and surely that’s all that mattered? Nevertheless, I’m glad the concept of power-to-weight ratio was introduced to…

MONTH 9 BMW 335i GT BMW’S CONNECTEDDRIVE catchphrase is very clever. Not only does it refer to the vehicle’s onboard connection to the outside world it also references a number of other qualities, one of which is the link between car and driver. While Hunchy is not your typical 3 Series (instead based on the Chinese-spec 3 Series Long) he still manages to relay a substantial amount of feedback and telepathy through the helm despite the longer wheelbase. In fact a few hundred metres is all you need to realise how composed and dynamically sound the GT really is. Selecting Sport turns it into a veritable asphalt eater, the 3 Series needing little encouragement to attack the road when it begins to snake from left to right. Perhaps I’m a…