Subaru WRX STi in SA on pre-order

Only a month after we drove the WRX at launch, Subaru has opened the doors on the new STi, allowing pre-orders on its top performance model.

The new Subaru WRX STi features the same popular 2.5-litre flat-four turbocharged power unit as before, with 221 kW and 407 Nm available. It still has Symmetrical all-wheel drive and the DCCD differential that allows you to manually shift how much power goes to the back and front wheels.

Active Torque Vectoring

The main new feature for this STi is the active torque vectoring system which, its smaller brother the WRX also has. The system reduces cornering understeer that tends to occur due to the influence of the front-rear vehicle weight imbalance when cornering. When this occurs the system applies the brake to the front inner wheel to help pull the front of the vehicle into the corner for a more neutral steering effect.

Subaru STI Price in SA

Only 30 of them are available for 2014 and will certainly be scooped up pretty quickly. Subaru is offering a special pre-order price of R599 000 which is the same as the outgoing model.

Mercedes-Benz CLS facelift for 2014

Mercedes-Benz has just announced its facelifted CLS and the CLS Shooting Brake. Whilst visually the car has not undergone an entire revamp, there are a few small changes that Merc says make it look even more dynamic. The bigger changes to the Mercedes-Benz CLS facelift come in the form of two new engine versions, a ground-breaking lighting system and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Exterior Changes

The new MULTIBEAM LED headlights dominate the changes to the front end of the Mercedes-Benz CLS facelift, but Merc has also added larger air intakes around the new front bumper. The diamond radiator grille is also new to the facelift. The rear end sees only a modest change to the light cluster, which are slightly darkened and have a multi-level function.

New Lighting System

Using all of the technologies on other Merc products the new MULTIBEAM LED basically lights the road as best as possible without dazzling oncoming drivers. Theres a bit more to it than just that though as the headlamps are camera operated and able to detect oncoming objects and dim sections of the lights where it sees oncoming objects.

The camera also allows the lights to see around corners before you get to them, lighting them up before you turn the steering wheel. It will do the same for roundabouts as well.

New Engines for Mercedes-Benz CLS facelift

All the engines in the CLS and CLS Shooting Brake meet Euro 6 standards so are super-efficient and green or blue in the case of Mercs naming philosophy. A new turbodiesel does work in the CLS 220 BlueTEC putting out 125 kW and 400 Nm of torque from its four-cylinder unit.

The same engine in a higher state of tune is put to work in the CLS 250 BlueTEC with 150 kW and 500 Nm. Topping off the diesel range is the CLS 350 BlueTEC, a V6 with 190 kW and 620 Nm.

Theres a new petrol unit for the Mercedes-Benz CLS facelift as well a 3.5-litre V6 with a turbocharger that replaces the previous naturally aspirated engine and that will punch out 245 kW and 480 Nm. Before you get to the AMG version there is a CLS 500 with 300 kW and 600 Nm to play with.

Merc has also opted to increase its AWD offerings with the CLS 250 and CLS 400 being offered in 4MATIC option in the future.

The AMG models gross anywhere between 410 kW and 430 kW depending on whether you get rear-wheel drive (410 kW) or go for the 4MATIC S-Model (430 kW). They are powered by the same 5.5-litre V8 biturbo as the previous generation was.

Nine Speed Transmission

Yep, were now up to nine forward gears for the Mercedes-Benz CLS facelift. The new box is used in the CLS 220 BlueTEC, CLS 250 BlueTEC, CLS 350 BlueTEC and CLS 500. They say it helps improve fuel economy by keeping the revs nice and low between shifts.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLS facelift should make its way to South Africa. We’ll keep you posted on an expected arrival date.

Peugeot 208 GTI Special edition teased

30 Years on from the original and iconic Peugeot 205 GTi, the French manufacturer plans to release a special edition 208 GTi 30^th Anniversary. It will reveal the pocket rocket at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (27-29 June 2014).

From the teaser image sent out, the only thing we can see different is the Union Jack flag emblem underneath the front grille. Peugeot has hinted that the 30^th anniversary model may come with a little extra power than the 147 kW its currently endowed with.

Peugeot has quite a stand at this years festival as the awesome looking 2008 DKR LINK will be there alongside concept cars the Exalt LINK and 308 R study LINK. For the Hillclimb itself Peugeot is sending the 1988 405 T16 GR Pikes Peak car as well as the Loeb-driven 2013 208 T16 Pikes Peak LINK record destroyer.

We reviewed the Peugeot 208 GTI earlier in 2014 and were impressed with its levels of comfort and performance.

Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars in SA for 2014

Yep, were at it again here, coming up with a list of SAs most economical cars for 2014. You may think that its unlikely to have changed very much since the 2013 Most Fuel Efficient Cars, but there are a few new entries. You see not only do new cars come onto the market, but manufacturers also remove certain cars from their listings because they get too old or theyre not selling very well.

Early in 2014 we saw fuel get close to R14 per litre, thanks to what the government say is a weak rand and rising oil price. I check that rand/dollar price everyday now as a hit of R14 per litre isnt taken well by my wallet, its like watching Gio Aplon getting crunched by Bismark du Plessis.

Thankfully the price has subsided a little and were in the mid 13s per litre as I write this. Still though, you can save a few bucks by getting yourself a car that sips fuel like your granny at a tea party instead of chugging it like a varsity downing competition.

*Update – if you want to see only the top 10 most fuel efficient petrol cars in SA then check out this link.

Without further ado heres the 2014 top 10 most fuel efficient cars in SA, which are currently on sale:

Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars in SA

1. Nissan Leaf

You probably werent expecting that? At 0.0l/100km the Nissan Leaf proves tough to beat since it doesnt actually use fuel, but runs on an electric motor. The catch is though, currently the car is only available in Johannesburg but according to Nissan there are plans to open up dealerships in Cape Town and Durban that can sell and charge your car. The other catch is that itll set you back R450 600, which is a pity since its actually quite cool and fun to drive despite the 190 km range.

2.Porsche Panamera S e-hybrid

306 kW and 500 Nm at a guilt free 3.1l/100km? That feels a lot like cheating if you ask us, but well still take it. An electric motor allows the Panamera to drive around 35km in an all-electric mode at speeds of up to 135km/h whilst the petrol motor is an Audi-based supercharged V6. Its a bit costly at R1.38million, but its by far and away the fastest and luxurious car on this list.

3. Volkswagen Polo 1.2TDI Bluemotion

Last years winner has to settle for the bottom step of the podium but you cant complain at 3.4l/100km. The small capacity of the engine makes it a great fuel saver in town, but you might be stretched to keep the consumption down while cruising at 120km/h. The Polo has a classy and well put together interior that always makes it feel a little better than the competition, even when its not. The price is now R222 000.

4. Volvo V40 D2

A great looking Golf-sized hatchback kicking it amongst the tiny toddler hatches for fuel economy bragging rights is great for Volvo. This is still one of the most underrated cars out there, it drives really well, looks sexy and sips a claimed figure of 3.6l/100km from its 1.6 turbodiesel. Not badly priced either at R296 100.

5. Ford Fiesta 1.6TDCi

With an equally efficient diesel as the Volvo V40 the Fiesta TDCi beats out its 1.0 ecoboost stable mate by nearly a litre per 100km. Ford claims 3.6l/100km for the diesel-powered Fiesta. The Fiesta has always proved fun to drive and the facelifted versions Aston Martin grille seems to have gone down well aesthetically. The cheapest car here at R194 900

6. Citroen C3 eHDI and DS3 eHDI

Yet another 1.6 turbodiesel makes the list as the first French manufacturer joins the list. Whilst the C3 may be a bit bland for a French car the DS3 turns the dial right back up to what we expect to see in a French design. The C3 and DS3 are coming to the end of their life cycles so we should see some interesting replacements from Citroen soon. R236 900 for the C3 and R260 900 for the DS3 at 3.7l/100km. *pictured is the next generation Citroen DS3*

7. Toyota Yaris XS HSD and Auris XS HSD

The Hybrid Toyota comes on strong down the list with Yaris and Auris both getting 3.8l/100km thanks to a combination of hybrid and petrol power. You get a good amount of power out of the Auris at 100kW but the lack of turbo torque you get from most of the competition here means you end up having to mash the throttle more often. If you dont want to have everyone behind you hating you for driving so slow youre probably not quite going to get the 3.8l/100km figure. R252 400 for the Yaris and R319 500 for the Auris is what you’ll have to pay.

8. Audi A1 1.6TDI and A3 TDI

With the Polo 1.6TDI scrapped from the price listings the Audi now pulls rank as the 1.6TDI of choice in the VW/Audi group. Last year though you couldnt get an A3 doing 3.8l/100km, so now you have to have another price battle with yourself. R262 500 for the A1 or R348 000 for the A3, or maybe that wont be a hard choice after all.

9. Renault Megane 1.6dci

Still churning out those miles the now quite old Megane can still match the fuel figures of the young techno-wizards and all their neat electronic tricks to save fuel. At 4.0l/100km the Megane sneaks onto the list, but does it with a spacious and family-capable hatchback that you wont need a crowbar to wedge everyone in. Yours for R279 900.

10. Mercedes-Benz A200 CDI

Now there are a few cars that match the 4.1l/100km of the Merc but youve probably had enough of tiny hatchbacks with small turbodiesels. Heres a 2.1l turbodiesel that matches the smaller capacity engines on fuel economy and has 300Nm of torque to get you up the hills as well. Its not cheap though at R381 100.

Mazda RX-8 Rumoured To Return In 2017

Reports suggest that Mazda is working on bringing back the RX-8 model completely redeveloped with a new rotary engine.

The Mazda RX-8 first appeared at the North American International Auto Show in 2001 powered by the companys Wankel engine, and began sales in the 2004 model year.

It was on August 23, 2011, that Mazda announced the RX-8 will be discontinued from production, citing the 2011 model as the last line of production. Later in 2010, the model was removed from the European market, apparently due to failure to meet emissions standards. It was sold in South Africa and had some successes, thanks to its funky design and rev-happy motor.

Now it seems Mazda is ready to launch a successor to the model, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cosmo Sport which was Mazda’s first model powered by a rotary engine. The Mazda Cosmo is the world’s first mass produced rotary powered sportscar with about 1500 units made between 1967 and 1972.

Its rumoured that Mazda Engineers are working to fix the Wankel engines problems relating to high fuel and oil consumption. Rumours also suggest that the new engine will have increased stroke and reduced rotor width for improved thermal efficiency and more torque without resorting to turbocharging. Mazda will also use its SkyActiv engine technology on the Wankel to give it higher compression ratios.

The Mazda RX-8 is expected to ride on an extended platform of the new MX-5 and will be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox and an optional five-speed automatic.

Bentley Continental GT3-R unveiled

Bentley took its first win on home soil for 84 years at the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Championship at the Silverstone GP Circuit during May 2014. In honour of the GT3 victory, the Bentley Continental GT3-R has been developed for the road.

Bentley Continental GT3-R race engineering for the road

First off, the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 punches out 426 kW matched with 700 Nm of torque. From there the chassis engineers took shaved 100 kg of weight from the Continental GT. This GT3-R now holds the record for the fastest accelerating Bentley as thanks to shorter gearing, it will ramp up to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

More raciness comes in the form of a reworked all-wheel drive system that, for the first time features torque vectoring allowing the power to be transferred to the wheel with the most traction available. This with a modified ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and a chassis tuned distinctly for cornering, make this Bentleys most agile Grand Tourer ever.

The Bentley Continental GT3-R even has its own unique soundtrack as an all-new titanium exhaust has been fitted that not only saves 7kg but also gives the GT3-R its own distinct roar.

Its not a race car once you step inside as Bentley has made sure the driver and passenger are bathed in the highest levels of luxury available. The interior is blessed with Alcantara seats and on the steering wheel trim. Bentley has also given the interior the full carbon fibre treatment as the dashboard and panels are crafted from the lightweight material.

Just 300 Bentley Continental GT3-Rs will be available and will only be available in the Glacier white paint you see here.

Aston Martin Plans New DB9

A rejuvenated Aston Martin will begin penning an all-new lineup to be released early in 2017.

We should start seeing concepts at motor shows in 2016 with the first car on the agenda being the Aston Martin DB9. The current platform Aston Martin uses has been around since the early 2000s so the least we should expect is a brand new chassis for the icon.

Aston Martin – powered by AMG

Future Astons will now be powered by AMG-developed engines specifically for the British marque. If the rumours are anything to go by there is a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 on the cards as well as a naturally-aspirated V12. After much criticism about it being difficult to differentiate between current Aston Martin models, it has promised the future cars will adopt a fresh design for each model.

After the introduction of the new DB9, Aston will look to introduce a new model every year starting with a new Vantage followed by a Vanquish.

Aston is staying tight lipped about a replacement Rapide and whether well see the much hyped Lagonda SUV at all. We quite liked the four-door Aston Martin – watch Ciro’s video of the Rapide here.

It was not so long ago that Lotus made similarly bold claims about introducing an entirely new model lineup that all ended in tears. Hopefully Aston Martin doesnt fall into the same trap of promising so much and not delivering as the world would be a worse place for the loss of Aston Martin.

Range Rover Sport Stealth Pack to Debut at Goodwood

Land Rover has announced plans to introduce a new Stealth Pack at the Goodwood festival of Speed next week. According to the automaker, this is to extend the appeal of the Range Rover Sport and offer more choices to customers.

To be offered only with the HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic versions, the Range Rover Stealth Pack features a number of exterior design enhancements including satin black look for the front grille and grille surround, fog lamp bezels, bonnet and fender vents, upper mirror caps and tailgate finisher.

Designers also added a Stealth finish on the non-reflective headlamp and tail lamp surfaces along with a choice of 21-inch nine-spoke, or 22-inch five-spoke wheels. Both wheel choices come with a satin black finish, while the wheel nuts are offered in gloss black.

The model will further be available in a choice of 18 exterior colours, designed specifically to complement the huge range of interior leathers, wood veneers and metallic detailing.

The Range Rover Sport Stealth Pack will make its debut in Goodwood next week, however the company says the order books are scheduled to open next month, with deliveries set to the end of the year.

Renault RS 275-R Steals Back Nurburgring Record (Video)

Whilst the likes of Porsche, McLaren and Ferrari silently fight for overall fastest production car lap time on the hallowed Nurburgring track, there has been an increasing battle for front-wheel drive supremacy.

Renault has been front-wheel drive kings of the ring for the best part of five years since the previous generation Megane R26-R took top spot on the FWD leaderboard. The current Megane held the record with Megane RS Trophy right up until a couple of months ago when the Seat Leon Cupra stole the title.

Now with probably the last special edition model in the Meganes life cycle, the Renault RS 275-R has regained top spot at the Ring, setting a 7m54.36 and chopping four seconds off the Seats time.

In order to set the time, the Renault RS 275-R had to go through some serious race-style changes. The rear seats were removed, a titanium Akrapovic exhaust system was fitted, special adjustable dampers added and custom-made Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres were designed for the car. The overall weight loss to Megane is close to 100kg and resulted in a large portion of the performance gain over the lap.

The special edition Renault RS 275-R also comes with its own exclusive exterior design package so you get add-ons like the two-tone colour scheme, where the roof is black and the rest of the car white. A chequered flag sticker at the bottom of the front door also denotes the Trophy R’s prestige.

Just 250 of the Renault RS 275-R models will go on sale in select countries soon. If you miss out, don’t worry as the standard 275 is coming to South Africa. Check out the road-going Renault Megane 275 here. Now lets see if Seat or any of the other major hot hatch players take up the challenge set by Renault. We think the new Honda Civic Type R may be up for the challenge.

Watch the Renault RS 275-R’s blistering lap

Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo Hints At Future Supercar

Nissan has unveiled its Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo created to celebrate the 15^th anniversary of the legendary Gran Turismo driving franchise.

Created by a team of young designers at Nissan Design Europe, in London, England, the model was considered to have so much potential that it has benefited from input from an advanced engineering team based at Nissan Technical Centre in Atsugi, Japan.

Sporting some design features of the Nissan GT-R, the model is further described as a “vision of what a high performance Nissan could look like in the future.

Nissan has said very little about the car, however from the images provided you can see the model features a V-motion front fascia which is flanked by slim LED headlights, as well a carbon fibre front splitter and circular taillights. The 2+2 virtual supercar further features a ventilated hood, an aggressive rear diffuser and a carbon fibre rear wing.

The Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo will be available to download in Gran Turismo 6 starting in July.