Audi Unleashes New Clean Diesel Engine

Audi has introduced its latest generation 3.0-litre V6 TDI Clean Diesel Engine in Austria at the 35^th International Vienna Motor Symposium.

New generation of the Audi V6 TDI

The new 3.0 TDI substantiates our claim as the leader in diesel technology, said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, Technical Development. We have led the competition ever since the first TDI engine 25 years ago, and are constantly extending this lead with new ideas.

The engine features a displacement of 2967 cc and a 90-degree cylinder bank angle and is said to be offered in two versions. One with 160 kW and the other with 200 kW and depending on the model, torque can reach up to 600 Nm.

Apart from being more powerful than its predecessor, the updated six-cylinder clean diesel engine reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 15 g/100 km which is up to 13 percent more fuel efficient, hence Audis earning the “clean diesel” suffix.

Additionally, the engine is equipped with new piston rings and pins that have been optimised for minimal friction. The crankcase and the newly designed cylinder heads have separate coolant loops, while the updated thermal management system improves efficiency. And for the first time, a NOx storage catalytic converter has been combined with a diesel particulate filter and SCR injection in a single assembly.

BMW 30 Jahre M5 Special Edition Officially Revealed (Gallery)

Following a leak earlier this week, BMW has fully revealed the “30 Jahre M5” special edition which has been limited to 300 units worldwide. For more details on the car click here, and you can view the complete galley below.

BMW 30 Jahre M5 Special Edition gallery

Ferrari Plans To Launch New Model Every Year

Ferrari has revealed plans about their future product line-up, and launching a new model each year with the hope of increasing value in sales.

As part of their five year plan, Ferrari will launch a “full line” of high-performance models with V8 and V12 engines, with each new model each having a four-year lifecycle.

Each model will then be followed by updated and refined “M versions,” which will carry on for another four years. Besides the standard models, Ferrari will occasionally offer a “special series” that targets “high-end individuals.” The transition from the California to the Califonia T is the latest example of this mid-cycle refresh the company calls modificato.

The company further announced that it plans to keep production limited at 7000 units annually, to “preserve the brand’s uniqueness,” however, that number might increase to 10 000 units as the number of high net-worth individuals grows, especially in developing markets.

2014 Honda Civic Tourer Arrives In SA Specs and Prices

Honda has officially released South African pricing details for the 2014 Civic Tourer, following its preview at the 2013 Johannesburg International Motor Show.

Performance details

Under the hood, the models boasts a 1.8-litre i-VTEC engine rated at 104 kW at 6500rpm and 174Nm at 4300rpm. The engine can work with both six-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearboxes, enabling the Civic to return a claimed combined fuel consumption of 6.6-litres/100 km (6.7 on auto). The manual model completes the 0-100km/h run in 9.5 seconds (auto 11.3), reaching a top speed of 210km/h.

The Tourer is 235 mm longer than the regular Civic hatch, and Honda says the Civic Tourer has the largest trunk in its category, managing to provide a massive 573 litres of luggage space up to tonneau cover level with the rear bench seat in position.

Folding the rear seat down extends the cargo area to 1 065 litres. These rear seats are additionally fitted with Hondas Magic Seat system which enables an easy one-motion folding manoeuvre. The rear bench seat is split 60:40, so that seating and cargo space can be combined in different configurations when required.

Rear adaptive suspension

The Tourer also features a rear adaptive damping system, which automatically adjusts the rear suspension damping depending on the load and the driving conditions. The result, is a suspension that is claimed to offer smooth ride refinement during open-road cruising, yet can tackle twisty roads with taut, controlled confidence.

The system additionally offers three settings comfort, normal and dynamic all of which have been developed to enhance stability and comfort under varying load and driving conditions.

Comprehensive list of features

The 2014 Honda Civic Tourer features leather upholstery, reversing camera, a multifunction steering wheel, six-speaker sound system (CD/MP3/USB/auxiliary), Bluetooth, full colour display, cruise control, electric windows, electric side-mirrors, remote central locking, automatic headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, and rides on 17-inch alloys shod with 225/45 R17 low-profile tyres.

2014 Honda Civic Tourer price in South Africa

Honda Civic Tourer 1.8 i-VTEC Manual R360 000

Honda Civic Tourer 1.8 i-VTEC Automatic R374 000

The pricing includes a three-year or 100 000 km warranty, a five-year or 90 000 km service plan, and a one-year roadside assistance package, as well as service intervals of 15 000 km.

2014 Honda Civic Tourer gallery

BMW M5 30th Anniversary Edition Leaked

A dealer presentation brochure of the BMW M5 30th anniversary edition has leaked on the web ahead of the cars official debut.

Special edition features

Visually, the 30th anniversary edition BMW M5 will be distinguished by a Frozen Dark Silver Metallic paint job with dark chrome accents on the radiator grille, door handles, the fender-mounted air vents and the exhaust pipes. It will also be fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels with a jet black finish.

Inside, the M5 will feature Merino leather and Alcantara seats, with 30 Years M5 stitched into the front seatbacks, an Alcantara-wrapped multifunction steering wheel and dark aluminium trim, as well as an upgraded sound system and a number of electronic driving systems.

Powertrain

The car will be equipped with a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine that will generate 441 kW and 700 Nm of torque – an increase of 29 kW and 20 Nm. It will reportedly be connected to a seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission that will enable the sedan to sprint from 0-100 km/h in less than 4.4 seconds.

Additional performance will come from the Competition package that includes a sportier suspension, a revised M Dynamic mode and black chrome tailpipes.

The BMW M5 30th anniversary edition will most likely be shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and could debut at the M Festival next month. More details will follow then.

Renault Captur Helly Hansen Special Edition Revealed

The Renault Captur has been expanded by the introduction of a new limited-edition Helly Hansen version available in a new shade of Flamme red paint and extended grip system.

Exclusive standard features

The limited edition Helly Hansen Captur can be ordered in an exclusive Flamme Red paint with a black or ivory roof, along with three other combinations: Etoile Black with ivory roof, Cassiopee Grey with black roof and Ivory with black roof.

The crossover is also the first Renault Captur to feature the Extended Grip system designed to optimise traction performance on difficult terrains covered in sand, mud, snow, etc.

Special leather upholstery comes standard on the Captur Helly Hansen, as are 17-inch diamond-effect black alloys as well as Platine Grey front & rear skid plates. Theres also an R-Link multimedia system, automatic climate control, electric folding mirrors, fog lights with cornering function and heated front seats.

The limited-edition Helly Hansen version can be specified with any of the engines available for the regular Captur: Energy TCe90, TCe120 with EDC automatic transmission, or Energy dCi90 with manual gearbox or automatic EDC transmission.

Renault will start selling the Captur Helly Hansen in Europe this June, followed by other markets in September 2014.

Renault SA is yet to confirm whether the Captur will make its way to SA.

Renault Captur Helly Hansen special edition gallery

DeLorean DMC-12 Walk Around (Video)

Ciro De Siena recently was fortunate enough to spend time to the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 sportscar. If you’re a movie buff, you’ll instantly recognise the car from the Back To the Future movie franchise.

While he wasn’t able to get behind the wheel, let’s check out this fantastic piece of automotive history as Ciro walks us around the DeLorean DMC-12C.

DeLorean DMC-12C Video

BMW M2 Confirmed For Production (Video)

The BMW Blog has confirmed rumours about a BMW M2 going into production. Citing company insiders, the website says the highly-anticipated model will go into production in November 2015 with sales beginning in March 2016.

Although BMW is yet to comment on this report, its suggested that the M2 will be equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine that delivers approximately 272-279 kW of power. This means that the 1M Coupe successor will be much more powerful with 32-39 kW extra power, while not attacking BMW M3 and M4 sales.

Not much is known about the upcoming M2, however, BMW is rumoured to have codenamed the new car ‘Pyrat2’ after the M1 Coupes ‘pyrat’ codename. The post also suggests that BMW might not limit production with the new car as it did previously.

*Pictured is a BMW 2-Series with M Performance parts, which gives you some idea regarding the looks of the BMW M2.

2016 BMW M2 (F87) Spied Track Testing – Nurburgring

Weekly News Wrap 02/05/2014

Despite the public holidays, motoring news from around the world continues to pour in. Catch up now!

Renault Nurburgring hunter teased (Video)

Check out this video from RenaultSport who is determined to take the Nurburgring front-wheel drive record back from Seat. This video details a new car, which hopefully will become a production version.

Jeep Wrangler Conservation Edition launched in South Africa

A bit of a new look and some Mopar accessories give this Jeep Wrangler a new look. There’s also a nice charity angle as Jeep SA will donate R10 000 to a nature organisation for each vehicle sold.

Volvo S60 T5 (2014) Review

Volvo’s S60 T5 was delivered to our Cape Town offices and David Taylor got behind the wheel of this executive Swedish sedan.

Volvo Self Driving Cars Tested on Public Roads

Volvo has confirmed its autonomous Drive Me project is underway in Gothenburg, Sweden, with 100 autonomous prototypes already in use under real driving conditions on public roads.

R-Line Package for Volkswagen Golf Variant and Scirocco

Volkswagen has announced the range for the Golf Variant and the new facelifted Scirocco will be expanded with new R-Line packages which are claimed to underline the dynamism and sporty appearance of the models.

2014 Honda Civic Tourer Arrives In SA

Honda has officially released South African pricing details for the 2014 Civic Tourer, following its preview at the 2013 Johannesburg International Motor Show.

Trident Iceni Takes Fastest Diesel Sports Car Crown

British sports car brand Trident, has announced its flagship Iceni sports car as the world’s fastest and most fuel efficient diesel sports car. That’s quite a claim!

MSO 650S Coupe Concept Shown In China

McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has released images of a unique MSO 650S Coupe Concept which combines optimised aerodynamic performance with a more dramatic appearance, as well as a range of new styling options.

MINI Paceman Adventure Concept Revealed

The MINI Paceman Adventure concept was a creative collaboration involving young apprentices and their instructors at the BMWs plant in Munich and Dingolfing, to create a completely unique vision for the MINI brand.

2015 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG European Pricing Announced

Last year Mercedes-Benz unveiled the monstrous 6×6 G63 AMG which was originally meant to have a single year of a limited run 20-30 unit production. However due to high demand, Mercedes-Benz has announced the model will be produced for the 2015 model year.

It has been priced at 456 900 Euros (R 6 624 090.51) which is 5900 Euros (R 85 613.38) more than the outgoing model.

The additional 5900 Euros gets customers an extended list of standard equipment which now includes a heated windscreen as well as folded & heated exterior mirrors together with an auto-dimming rear view mirror.

The 2015MY G63 AMG 6×6 will continue to be powered by the same twin turbo V8 5.5-litre engine delivering 400 kW and 758 Nm with power going to all six wheels through the 7G tronic automatic gearbox.

Production of the 2015MY G63 AMG 6×6 will also be limited at around 20-30 units. It may be ridiculously expensive and is unlikely to ever come to South Africa, but you can’t help but like this monstrosity.