The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS has been revealed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
It features an aluminium body along with a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic hood and magnesium roof. These lightweight materials have helped the Porsche 911 GT3 RS lose 10kg in comparison to the standard GT3. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS now weighs 1 420kg, which is about the same as a normal Volkswagen Golf 7.
The body also gains some extra vents to help keep things cool as well as a massive spoiler to help provide valuable downforce at high speed. You will also notice the updated front wings with air ducts and a prominent splitter.
The big news is the engine of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It’s a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat six which pushes out 368kW and Nm. This translates into 3.3 seconds for the 0-100kph run, and 10.9 seconds for the 0-200kph dash. Top speed is rated at 322kph with the power reaching the rear wheels through Porsche’s brilliant PDK 7-speed dual clutch gearbox. There’s also a fully variable locking differential benefiting from torque vectoring, meaning this is a proper driving machine.
The interior of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS still retains many elements from the GT3, but there’s now a white rev counter, body-coloured upholstery and stitching, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel as well as some carbon fiber details on the dash and door panels.
For those who are interested, the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS lapped the Nurburgring in 7:20, making it one of the fastest road-legal cars. It’ll go on sale in a few months time and its European price is £131,296 in the UK and 181,690 in Germany, meaning you’re looking at around R3-million.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS Video
Suzuki Celerio (2015) Review
Just when you thought Suzuki couldnt cram another vehicle into the entry-level hatchback market its gone and done it with the new Celerio. This now means that if you want a small Suzuki you have a choice between the Celerio, Splash and Swift, all of which you can buy for around R130 000. So should you save a bit of money and buy the Celerio instead of the other two? We spent a week with it to find out.
What is a Celerio?
The Suzuki Celerio falls in under the Splash as a slightly smaller four-door hatch at a slightly lower price point. The Celerio gets a smaller engine, the proportions are marginally smaller and the boot size is pretty much the same size as other Suzukis.
One-Litre Three-Cylinders
As mentioned the Celerio has a smaller engine and that comes in at one-litre with 50 kW and 90 Nm, which is quite similar to what German rival the VW up puts out. Despite the lack of power the Celerio hasnt got much weight to lug around, the gear ratios are quite tight so the Celerio stays on the boil the whole way to fifth gear. On the freeway the short ratios dont really help as it sits at 4000rpm at 120kph, thats not good for fuel economy or your ears as the Celerio plays quite a noisy tune at that rpm.
Whats Inside?
Suzuki has done a good job of getting all the modern day essentials packed into the Celerio. For starters front airbags for driver and passenger are standard, so is ABS and EBD making it a pretty safe car for this segment. Moving on to the nicer things to have in your car, theres electric windows, CD player, a USB and Aux port, steering wheel mounted controls for the radio and Bluetooth. So youre pretty well catered for inside, but everything feels a bit low rent. The plastics are scratchy and hard and the seats dont offer great lateral support.
The soundproofing isnt great either as the three-cylinder growl intrudes into the cabin in more of an irritating manner than an inspiring or exciting way. While the price point is lower than many of its rivals, it shows it in the quality of the materials used. Space inside is particularly generous for front and rear passengers, and the boot is quite large for an entry-level hatch at 235-Litres.
On the Go
While its a bit noisy to drive around in the Celerio is relatively comfortable on the road, theres a bit of lean in the corners but nothing too scary. The springs are quite soft in the suspension so it deals with potholes and bumps in a soft cushiony way rather than ironing them out. The steering is made for city driving where turns are abundant as the wheel is super light and can be swung with the lightest of touches. Out on the open road though it could do with more weight to it, in strong winds the Celerio gets buffeted around a bit and the light steering doesnt inspire much confidence.
Verdict
The Suzuki Celerio offers good value at its price point, its equipped with reasonable safety features and ticks the right boxes on the gadgets list for a modern city driver. It lacks the build quality and refinement of its sibling the Swift and the new Volkswagen up! If you can stretch your budget just a little bit the Swift is the vehicle you want from Suzuki.
Suzuki Celerio – Price
Pricing for the Suzuki Celerio starts at R109 900. Our model on test was the GL spec that comes in at R124 900. There is also the option of an automatic GL that costs R135 900.
Second Opinion
The Suzuki Celerio is a car that’s jam-packed with specification, gadgets and offers generous interior space. However its lacking a little refinement and I suspect the engine may be slightly underpowered with four people onboard. Still, for the price and value, it’s fair. – David Taylor
We Like: Interior space, safety and value
We Don’t Like: Not great build quality, noisy, lacks fun factor
Also Consider: Volkswagen up! Kia Picanto, Chev Spark
The 2015 Geneva Motor Show is underway and the first model to reach us is this Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept. Claimed to be the British interpretation of a high performance two-seat sportscar which uses modern car design, skilled craftsmanship using the finest materials as well as offering advanced performance technology.
Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 details
Bentley has massive motorsport heritage and the company claims its inspired by this history in the design of the EXP 10 Speed 6. There’s no mistaking its a Bentley as it has the stereotypical big grille and round headlights.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said: “EXP 10 Speed 6 is one vision for Bentley’s future – a powerful, exquisite and individual concept. The showcar has the potential to be the new pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car. It offers thrilling, driver-oriented performance, complete with trademark modern Bentley luxury and effortlessness.”
The interior is excessively elegant and features two quilted sports seats which are positioned either side of the narrow centre console which houses driver controls and an intuitive 12-inch touch screen. Through extensive use of copper, leather and wood, the cabin of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 is very unique and extremely luxurious. The Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 still retains some practicality in the form of two compartments which are designed to house Bentley-branded four-piece luggage set.
It remains a concept for now, but lets keep tabs on this design as I’m sure elements of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 will appear on future models. We reviewed the flagship Bentley Continental GT Speed 12, read about it here.
Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 details video
Ferrari California T Goes On Sale in SA
The new California T is Ferraris first turbo model since the immortal F40 and it launched to the South African market this week. Stuart Johnston was there.
Ferraristi who have signed up for the dramatic new California T will have bragging rights that few other Ferrari owners can lay claim to. This new Ferrari was announced to the media officially at the new Scuderia South Africa facility facing onto William Nichol, Bryanston, Jhb on Friday last week.
All New Engine in the California T
The new engine in the best-selling Ferrari model is the first turbocharged production powerplant the company has released for general consumption since the immortal F40 which was produced between 1987 to 1990. And like that engine, the new unit is also a downsized V8.
The new turbocharged engine in the California is mounted ahead of the driver, unlike in the F40 where it was a mid-engined device. But this is no hardship, as many fans feel that front-engined Ferraris are still the real deal. And indeed, the styling upgrades to the new California T have made the car more svelte, and yet edgier than before.
The new turbocharged powerplant has no doubt already increased demand for the California. The T now boasts a smaller-capacity direct-injection V8, down from 4.3-litres to 3.8-litres. Thanks to turbos, power has increased from 360 to 412kW and torque is up to an impressive 755Nm. This will mean a 0-100 kph time of just 3.6 seconds using the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to its optimum and a top speed of 316 kph. Yet fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are down by around 15% , which of course is generally the whole idea behind downsizing in capacity and going the turbo route.
Ferrari were concerned that the turbocharging system would muffle the exhaust note and consequently much work was done to ensure that the distinctive V8 sound is retained.
Dimensionally the car is almost identical to the California that was introduced in 2008, but it is ever-so-slightly wider and longer by a few mm either way. Despite having extra turbo hardware, dry weight has been reduced ever so slightly, to 1 625 kg. However that figure remains impressive as the California T retains its folding-metal roof coupe-convertible configuration.
What Else is New?
Initially, the T is recognised by a new bolder, sleeker grill and new headlight clusters, as well as detailed styling refinements all around the car. There have also been small, but significant updates to the interior of the car.
The suspension too, has been revised, the California T employing new springs and the latest-generation Magnaride dampers, which vary compression and rebound rates by electronically manipulating traffic of minute metal particles in the damping system. There are also body-attitude sensors which varies suspension settings to reduce pitch and roll, and the new car has a revised, quicker steering system.
On the braking front, the latest carbon-ceramic CCM3 braking, and 100 kph to standstill is said to be achievable in just 34 metres.
Scuderia Dealership
Seeing the car pull up into a cleared space in a banquet era of the new multi-story Scuderia showroom and workshop facility for its media unveil, perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of the car was the brilliantly short space of time (apparently 14 seconds) it took to convert the car from coupe to convertible, in a totally slick manner no clanking or electric motor whirring, or hydraulic moaning, just an exercise in efficiency of which Maranello can be proud.
Talking of Maranello, the factory in Italy was expanded especially for the initial California production, and output levels have been as high as 27 cars per day, or 6 000 units a year, making the California the best-selling Ferrari of its era.
The Scuderia South Africa company has been formed with new investors,and the existing branches in Durban and Cape Town will now also be known as Scuderia South Africa. However, in a surprise move, it was announced at the function that Scuderia South Africa would no longer be associated with the Maserati brand in South Africa. However, in the immediate future, Scuderia South Africa would continue the servicing of Maserati product.
Ferrari California T Price in South Africa
Price of the new California T (for now) is set at R3.68-million. Scuderia South Africa has replaced the Viglietti Motors name as the official distributor in South Africa. CEO Mervin Eagles paid tribute to the Viglietti name in his speech at the media launch. For the past few decades, Viglietti was the official Ferrari distributor here, succeeding TAK Motors, which imported Ferraris and Lancias in the 1970s, 1980s and the early part of the 1990s.
Jaguar F-Type R Coupe Breaks SA Land Speed Record
The Jaguar F-Type R Coupe has been revealed as the fastest production car in South Africa.
Jaguar F-Type R Coupe the fastest production vehicle in South Africa
The record, which has stood for 13 years, was broken by the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe. The 405 kW supercharged V8 coupe came very close to speeds in excess of 300kph on the 4900 metre runway at Upington Airport.
Driven by Dawie Olivier, National Aftersales Manger at Jaguar Land Rover, the coupe completed two runs in both directions for the record to be official. On the uphill section of the F-Types record-setting run it achieved a speed of 288.33kph, while the returning downhill run saw it reach 300kph mark with an officially-measured speed of 301.03kph.
The official land speed record now sits at 294.68kph, beating the previous record of 287.63kph set in 2002 by Mike Griffiths driving the Porsche 911 GT2.
The F-Type R Coupe is limited to 300kph, but we chose not to remove the speed limiter, even though the regulations make provision for us to legally do so. The car that we used is exactly as customers can buy it off the showroom floor, said Richard Gouverneur, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa.
Ultimately, we ran out of space to go even faster however this was the safest venue to illustrate the potential of this vehicle.
New Renault Megane RS 265 LUX Ushers Into SA
Following the launch of standard Megane range in August 2014, Renault South Africa has announced the local introduction of the new Megane RS 265 LUX 2.0 Turbo.
New design for the latest addition to the RS line-up
Keeping to the bold new design identity from Renault, the new Megane RS 265 LUX features an “F1-style” blade insert in the front bumper and daytime running LED integrated into the lower segment, while the rear has a centre-mounted exhaust with a chrome tailpiece integrated into the diffuser. The model also benefits from 18-inch anthracite grey RS alloys.
Inside, the car is furnished with RS clusters and a logo on the dashboard, as well as the trademark stitching centred on the steering wheel rim. Theres also drilled aluminium sports pedals, RS door sills, and RS leather seats which are both electrically adjustable and heated.
Engine
Under the hood of the Megane RS 265 LUX is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine delivering 195 kW at 5500 rpm and 360 Nm at 3800 rpm and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. This setup allows the car to sprint from 0- 100 km/h in six seconds while top speed is rated at 250 kph.
Safety features
Standard fitments include TomTom navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, a hands-free key card, and cruise control (with a speed limiter). Safety features comprise of ABS with EBD, emergency brake assist, an electronic stability programme, anti-slip regulation, and eight airbags.
Renault Megane RS 265 LUX price in South Africa
Renault Megane RS 265 LUX R389 900
Options
Fixed Glass Roof R8000
Rear Camera Park Assist R5000
Metallic Paint R2500
Special Metallic Paint (Sirius Yellow) R20 000
The price includes a five-year or 150 000km warranty and five-year or 90 000km service plan (intervals of 10 000km).
In addition, Renault is including with the purchase price, an advanced driver training course which it says “provides a broad and comprehensive range of advanced driver training that includes not only the high-performance racetrack and skid-pan courses, but also training that assists in the day-to-day hazards that face drivers on our public roads”.
Lexus LF-SA Concept Leaked
The first official images of the three-door Lexus LF-SA have been leaked on the web ahead of its premiere at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show this week.
Lexus LF-SA Concept minor details revealed
The sub compact sized city car features aggressive looks with the brands trademark pinched spindle grille that is flanked by slender LED headlights. The cars dimensions have been reduced and it benefits from muscular fenders, big wheels and a unique tailgate with an integrated rear spoiler.
Some more angular styling comes across inside where theres a unique dashboard and centre console, as well as a heads-up display and metallic accents.
There’s no word on performance specifications but its been rumoured that the Lexus LF-SA concept previews a new entry-level model that will slot beneath the CT 200h.
According to the automaker, the concept reflects “passion for new design trends and explores unexpected territories for the brand” adding that it was “conceived as a luxurious, driver-focused vehicle, designed to address a future world that is more influenced by technology and virtual experiences.
More details to follow once the car debuts later this week.
Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf Headed To SA
Aston Martin has announced the new Lagonda Taraf will be made available to more customers around the world, including the South African market.
Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf will be available in South Africa
Drawing inspiration from the highly sought-after William Towns-designed Lagonda of 1976, the car was hand-built at Aston Martins state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Gaydon, Warwickshire and is based on the brands VH architecture.
Dubbed as the finest of the fast cars, the Taraf is fitted with a 6.0-litre V12 engine delivering 410 kW sent to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox. This power allows the Lagonda Taraf to reach a top speed of 281 kph.
As a result of todays announcement we anticipate very quick expressions of interest from customers around the world, many of whom will want to add Lagonda to their luxury and sports car collections, said CEO, Dr Andy Palmer.
Aside from its confident style, many buyers will also recognise this Lagonda Taraf as a piece of automotive history, following in the tracks of its distinguished predecessor the William Towns Lagonda.
Mazda2 (2015) First Drive
The re-launch of Mazda into South Africa has come just at the right time for the brand. Since it decided to go it alone, new product has arrived thick and fast from Japan. Mazda3, Mazda5 andCX-3were immediately available to help with the re-introduction and now, just a few months after those, we have the all-new Mazda2 on our doorstep. We were at the launch in Knysna to see how Japans current Car of the Year looks, feels and drives.
Two Engine Lineup
Petrol and diesel are available from launch, with the diesel being the top-spec model that gets kitted with all the stuff they can cram into a Mazda2. The petrol is a naturally aspirated 1.5-Litre four-cylinder unit featuring the now familiar SKYACTIV technology that in its most simple terms means it has quite a high compression ratio 12:1. This is said to improve power delivery, torque and fuel efficiency. It’s rated at 82 kW and 145 Nm of torque and claims to consume 5.5L/100km in manual and 5.7L/100km in auto guise. Theres a choice of a six-speed auto or manual but unless you sit in a lot of traffic or really hate changing gears I would recommend the slick-shifting manual. The auto is capable, but just seems to diminish the power delivery slightly.
The diesel motor is a 1.5-Litre turbodiesel and turns out 77 kW and 250 Nm of torque. I drove it with the auto gearbox and felt it was better suited to the auto than the petrol is. Torque delivery is quite linear for a small diesel and its especially quiet at idle. From our story on petrol vs diesel however, we know that it will be cheaper to run the petrol over the long term than the diesel. Fuel economy for the diesel sits at 4.4L/100km.
Clean and Smooth Interior
The Mazda2 has an impressive interior. It looks like it has been designed to feel spacious and stylish. Even with the cloth seats in the lower spec models it still feels like a high quality product. The plastics feel quite soft and the look of the buttons and dials are all very modern. Theres a centre-dash mounted screen that works in similar fashion to Audi and BMWs multimedia systems with a rotary dial behind the gear lever. It can also be controlled by touching the screen and is an intuitive system that responds quickly.
Decent Spec
In a like-for-like comparison, the Mazda2 fairs up quite well against the competition, especially the VW Polo and the Ford Fiesta. Standard across the range is ABS, EBD with EBA, Air Conditioning, power windows, USB and an AUX port. The spec gets continuously better through the range and the top spec diesel comes with Sat Nav and half leather trim that actually looks and feels plush. For a full spec list check out our specs and pricing story.
Ride and Drive
After a short blast through the forest roads around Geroge and Knysna, the Mazda2 proved very capable for a small hatchback. The roads were wet and slimy but the Mazda2 showed good grip and stands upright well in the corners. The steering is initially a little light but once you dial in a bit more, it weights up nicely and provides good confidence for you to push on. Both engines perform well and the petrol engine seems quite happy to rev and gets a good move on when doing so. The diesel is a nice cruising engine that develops plenty of torque low down and never feels stressed.
Mazda2 Price in South Africa
The Mazda2 pricing starts from R188 000 and tops out at R259 900. The Renault Clio still seems to offer more spec for your buck but with Mazdas new offering they could certainly mix it with the bunch of B-segment hatches and rake in some sales. Its a good looking car with an extremely well turned out interior and two good engines, we wait anxiously for the first sales report at the end of March 2015.
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 Revealed
The Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 has been officially revealed, designed as a high-performance race car to meet FIA GT3 specifications.
The new Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 detailed
Based on the Mercedes-AMG GT, the GT3 features an updated version of the same naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V8 engine that powered the previous SLS GT3. The unit is mated to a six-speed sequential transmission which is mounted in a transaxle configuration to optimise weight balance for improved performance.
The aggressive changes to the body are said to help improve output and offer aerodynamic performance. In order to reduce the vehicle weight further, the engine cover, doors, front wing, front and rear aprons, sidewalls, side skirts, diffuser, boot lid and rear aerofoil are all made from particularly lightweight yet high-strength carbon-fibre. The car also has a ventilated hood, carbon fiber flics, a rear diffuser and a prominent rear wing.
Inside, the car boasts a steel roll cage, digital racing dash, a Formula One inspired steering wheel and new carbon fibre racing seats
The Mercedes-AMG GT3 will make its debut next week at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show before going on sale at the end of the year. We don’t often feature race cars, but when we do, they look hardcore!
