The next generation of the powerful Bentley Continental GT Speed has been launched internationally. The aim is simple and that’s to provide near-supercar performance without compromise. Refinement and high build quality standards are a given too.
Bentley Continental GT Speed engine
At the heart of the Bentley Continental GT Speed is the tried-and-test 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 motor. Thanks to some tweaks, it now pushes out 467 kW as well as an eye watering 820 Nm of torque. It has a top speed of 331km/h, meaning it is the fastest production Bentley in history.
Subtle Speed touches
Visually the flagship Continental GT Speed is different to lesser Bentleys through the use of a sharp front splitter, discrete side skirts and elegant rear diffuser which are finished to match the exterior paint colour. The new Bentley Continental GT Speed’s wheels are given a dark tint finish. Red-painted brake callipers and a stylish chrome “Speed” badge fitted to the front fenders round off a subtle, yet powerful look. There’s also a new signature Speed paint colour of Candy Red.
Having driven a Bentley Continental GT in 2006, I can attest to how brutal, refined and beautiful these machines are. They’re also rather thirsty when it comes to petrol. That said, if you can afford to buy a Bentley, you can afford to feed her.
Bentley Continental GT Speed 2015 Gallery
Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition Now In SA
The new specially customised Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition model has just been introduced to the South African market.
Exclusive styling cues
Available in two- and four-door variants, the Polar Edition models are based on the architecture of the Jeep Wrangler Sahara models.
The front grille gets the gloss black treatment, while the 18-inch aluminium wheels get painted pockets and polished outer edges.
There is also a body-coloured hard-top with tinted glass, the Mopar “Moab” bonnet with mountain motif and the Mopar fuel-filler door. The rear of the model is finished off with a new hard spare-wheel cover.
The exclusive cabin of the Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition features heated leather seats with embroidered logos, while the leather steering wheel gets pearl accent stitching and high-gloss white-painted treatments on steering wheel spokes.
Additional features include ventilation bezels, passenger grab-handles and instrument cluster dials. The entire look is completed with Mopar slush mats and the in-car entertainment is provided by the Uconnect navigation radio as standard.
The Jeep Wrangler Polar Editions will be available in three colours: Hydro Blue, Billet Metallic and Bright White.
Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition price in South Africa
Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition 3.6 V6 Auto R482 990
Prices include a three-year or 100 000km warranty and maintenance plan.
Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition gallery
Volvo Concept Estate Leaks Ahead Of Geneva Debut
Images of the Volvo Concept Estate have leaked ahead of the vehicles official debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
Showcasing Volvos new SPA scalable platform, the Concept Estate builds on the Coupe Concept and Coupe XC Concept that preceded it, and is essentially a shooting brake version of the two-door Coupe Concept shown at Frankfurt last year.
Advanced styling features
The Concept Estate has an elegant exterior with flowing lines and gently curved surfaces. It also features a prominent grille flanked by distinctive headlights with T-shaped LED daytime running lights, a tailgate mounted spoiler, a dual exhaust system, as well as attractive alloy wheels.
Not much has been revealed about the concept but reports suggests the car will be equipped with leather upholstery, grey wood trim and numerous metallic accents.
Theres also a digital instrument cluster, a slim centre console, an infotainment system with a large display and a three-spoke steering wheel, orange seat belts and plaid covered seat backs.
Check back for more details on the concept when it is launched next week at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
Volvo Concept Estate gallery
Opel Astra OPC Extreme Ready For Geneva
An even madder version of the hot hatchback from Opel will be shown off at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show. It’s called the Opel Astra OPC Extreme and it fully lives up to its name.
We at Cars.co.za loved the Opel Astra OPC during its week-long stay and the prospect of a more hardcore version is very exciting. The Opel Astra OPC Extreme was developed and refined on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which means it’s very capable at carving through corners. Mechannically it’s rather similar to its out-and-out racing sibling, the Opel Astra OPC Cup. This car however aims to bring that touring car race experience to the road.
Upgraded power in the OPC Extreme
It’s all racer when it comes to the Opel Astra OPC Extreme details. It’s 2.0-litre turbocharged motor has been tuned and is good for no less than 225 kW according to Opel. This engine is now the most powerful four-pot unit ever made by the manufacturer. It’s interesting to note that tuners have been getting big power out of these motors for awhile, and 225 kW really isn’t that big a number. However the car has been put on a diet and is 100kg lighter than its normal counterpart, which gives it a dynamic edge.
Carbon composite details
Carbon composite is used extensively in the Opel Astra OPC Extreme. The material is used for the aerodynamically-optimized rear wing, the diffuser, front spoiler, hood, suspension cross-bracing, the engine cover, complete wheels, rear wheelhouse ventilation and roof. The carbon wheels are 20kg lighter than their aluminum counterparts. Gone is the steel roof and in its place is a carbon fiber version. That alone saves just over 6.5kg. As Lotus cars demonstrate on a regular basis, light weight equals high performance.
The Opel Astra OPC Extreme will be shown off at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show and if it proves to be popular with the masses, we may see a small run of Extreme models hitting the road.
Opel Astra OPC Extreme Gallery
Jaguar XFR S Sportbrake Announced For Geneva
The luxury British manufacturer has announced plans to introduce the 2015 Jaguar XFR S Sportbrake at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
Engine capability
The Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake joins its XFR-S saloon sibling in the exclusive 300km/h club and is a vivid expression of Jaguar’s longstanding and legendary sports saloon lineage.
Its equipped with the same 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine as the Sedan version and delivers 405 kW of power and 680 Nm of torque and is mated to an eight speed automatic gearbox fitted with Quickshift technology which is also found in the F-Type.
With that technology, the increase in engine output allows the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 300km/h.
Exterior features
On the styling front, the model is distinguished by a flowing rear window graphic, rising waist and estate roofline, broad-shouldered stance, while the extended roofline affords rear-seat passengers an additional 48mm of headroom and the seats offer both a 60:40 split fold function and integral ski hatch.
It also boasts all the same aggressive cladding as its four-door counterpart and rides on 20-inch lightweight Varuna forged alloy wheels and has received a new roof spoiler, carbon fibre inserts on both bumpers, along with bespoke 265/35 front and 295/30 rear Pirelli tyres.
Customers can choose from an exterior palette comprising five colours: Ultra Blue, Ultimate Black, Stratus Grey, Polaris White and Italian Racing Red.
Interior features
Exclusive interior materials include carbon leather and contrasting highlight micro-piping and stitching on the seats and doors. The seats are further embossed with the R-S logo and finished with a choice of contrast colour micro-piping and stitching in either red, blue or ivory.
The same subtle enhancement runs across the top of the dashboard, the fascia of which is finished in a Dark Aluminium unique to the R-S, complete with badging.
Jaguar XFR S Sportbrake gallery
2014 Citroen C1 Revealed
Images and minor details about the new 2014 Citroen C1 have been released ahead of the cars official debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
New model lines
The new Citroen C1 looks a lot different than its previous model with its compact exterior dimensions. The model measures 3.46m long, 1.62m wide and 1.45m tall and a turning circle of 4.80m. Boot space is rated at 196 litres and when the rear seats are folded, boot capacity increases to 780 litres.
The French model will be sold in three- and five-door body styles as well as an open-top with the “Airscape” nameplate and a roll-back fabric roof.
There are eight body colours including black, grey, brown white, blue and red says the automaker. It also comes with 14-inch or 15-inch wheel covers and 15-inch alloys.
Brightly coloured interiors underline the cars dynamic character, such as on the dashboard, the multimedia panel, air vent trim and gear lever base, while the door panels include body-coloured inserts.
The Citroen C1 will also be available with a seven-inch Touch Drive Interface, together with Mirror Screen technology which allows the motorist to copy smartphone content onto the interface for easy display and control. Optional features include keyless entry and drive, reversing camera and hill-start assist.
Engine line-up
A choice of two petrol engines will be available from launch. One of them is the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol VTi 82 unit makes 61 kW/118 Nm with a claimed fuel consumption of 4.3-litres/100km and 99g/km CO2 emissions.
According to the French automaker, weighing just 840 kg, and shipping with new-generation petrol engines, the new 2014 Citroen C1 ranks among the best in class for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Citroen will unveil its new C1 at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show in March, and will apparently arrive here in South Africa in September 2014 with both new engines.
2014 Citroen C1 gallery
Production-Ready MINI Clubman Concept Revealed
The MINI Clubman Concept has just been revealed just before its auto show debut in Geneva next week.
The near production ready concept is said to be the largest model MINI has ever made. It measures over 4000 mm longer that the current model. It is also 1844 mm wide and 1450 mm tall and features four frameless front-hinged doors along the side panels while the split rear doors have been retained.
Even with larger exterior dimensions, the MINI Clubman Concept is still recognizable as a typical MINI. It is further equipped with a pair of recessed headlights with daytime running lights, large 19-inch alloy wheels and bigger horizontally positioned taillights to emphasize the added width (+170mm) of the car.
The Clubman concept additionally comes withhexagonal radiator grille, side scuttles, the black band, short overhangs and elliptical front and rear headlights which ensure high recognition value from every angle, as well as ‘air curtains’ which are positioned on the outer section of the front apron providing the wheel arches with an ‘aerodynamically optimised closure.’
Interior features
The interior of the MINI Clubman Concept has also grown larger in dimensions as its fitted with five fully fledged seats, and also large circular centre screen in the middle of the dashboard.
The design further incorporates typical MINI shapes and colours and has combined premium materials like wood trims and leather with chrome touches on the controls to give the concept an effortless and elegant combination of high-end quality and functionality.
MINI hasnt given any other technical details aside from the dimensions, although the production version is expected to use the same engines and transmission as the new Hardtop model.
The new MINI Clubman will probably reach showrooms before the end of the year so chances are the production model will be shown in October at the Paris Motor Show.
MINI Clubman Concept gallery
Hennessey Venom GT Sets Top Speed Record
The sleek and super-expensive Hennessey Venom GT has just set a new speed record of 436 km/h at the Kennedy Space Centre.
The road car world speed record was previously held by the unrestricted Bugatti Veyron, which set its top speed of 435 km/h back in July 2010 at Volkswagen Groups Ehra-Lessien track near Wolfsburg, Germany.
However, because the Venom GT uses a modified chassis and other components from the Lotus Exige and it didnt do two runs, one in either direction, and also because only 11 have been produced so far the Guinness Book of Records has not recognised the Venom as ‘the fastest production car.’
An official Guinness record is established by doing an average of the top speeds achieved in those two runs. So since the Venom GT did only one run, the Veyron SS still holds the official top speed record for a production car.
The Hennessey Venom GT attained a maximum speed of 435 km/h as measured by our VBOX 3i GPS system, said Racelogic engineer Joe Lachovsky.
The VBOX GPS data showed that the Venom GT was still accelerating at an average rate of 1 km/h per second as it took just 10.1 seconds to go from 418 to 435 km/h. The record run was made over a distance of 3.8 km, which allowed the Venom just eight-tenths of a mile to stop. Thankfully, its Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes were able to haul the car down from 435 km/h well before the end of the runways 304.8m threshold.
Watch the world’s fastest car hit 435 km/h
Hennessey Venom GT gallery
Suzuki Swift Dzire Launched In SA
The Suzuki Swift Dzire has touched down in South Africa. The Dzire is essentially the sedan version of the Swift and looks to be a budget-friendly offering from the Japanese manufacturer.
The Suzuki Swift Dzire makes an interesting case for itself. I was on a trip to India not so long ago (check out the Suzukis from the Delhi Auto show here) and Suzuki as a brand is massive. When I say massive, I mean massive. How does 23 ooo units a month for the Suzuki Alto sound? Out of the top ten vehicles sold in India, six are Suzuki including the top four. Clearly, Suzuki South Africa wants to replicate that sort of success and is embarking on a massive product offensive in 2014.
I attended the launch of the Suzuki Swift Dzire in Cape Town. The launch also gave me a chance to drive the Suzuki Swift 1.2 – an affordable addition to the Suzuki Swift range. You can read my impressions of the Suzuki Swift 1.2 here.
The Swift Dzire is a booted version of the Swift and the boot offers a credible 300 litres of carrying capacity. Visually, I think the Swift Dzire looks quite cute and my launch unit was in the same colour you see here. Unlike most little sedans which are quite bland, I think the little Dzire is bit more pleasant.
Like the new Suzuki Swift 1.2, there are two specification levels with the choice of an automatic gearbox.
Suzuki Swift Dzire engine
The engine is the same as the new Swift, with a 1.2-litre four-pot motor doing duty. With 63 kW and 113 Nm, the Suzuki Swift Dzire has just enough power to be acceptable. However, with a 17% power loss at Jhb altitude and passengers, I’m not sure a fully-laden Swift Dzire would have enough to power to climb hills.
At sea level, the 1.2 motor has enough poke and overtaking trucks on the open road to Malmesbury only required a downshift from fifth to fourth gear. Fuel economy is pretty good, with Suzuki claiming a commendable 5.7l/100km.
The best thing about the Dzire is that it has a higher than normal ground clearance as well as high profile tyres. This means its capable of handling poor road conditions and potholes are dealt with easily. Now that’s forward thinking.
Practicality
When I wasn’t driving, I chose to spend my time in the back of the Suzuki Swift Dzire sedan. I’m a tall person and I found the rear legroom adequate, with the headroom being decent. Suzuki is to be commended for thinking like this and I can think of many sedans which are a little cramped in the back. The boot looks decently sized enough to hold two seats of golf clubs.
Summary
The Suzuki Swift Dzire is a worthy addition to the Suzuki Swift range. The Swift has always been criticised for having an impractical boot and now the critics have one less thing to moan about. The engine has more than enough poke to get around at sea level and the car still retains that fun-to-drive attitude which Suzuki is known for.
Suzuki Swift Dzire price in South Africa
Model
Price
Suzuki Swift Dzire 1.2
R128 900
Suzuki Swift Dzire 1.2 GL
R138 900
Suzuki Swift Dzire 1.2 GL Auto
R153 900
* A two-year/30 000 km service plan and a three-year/100 000 km warranty is included. There’s also a three-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance package thrown in.
Suzuki Swift Dzire Gallery
Suzuki Swift 1.2 Launched Locally
Japanese car maker Suzuki has launched the Swift 1.2 at a launch in the Western Cape this week.
The Suzuki Swift 1.2 comes in under the popular 1.4 model and is meant to be a cheaper, more affordable offering. Sadly as good as the Swift is, market forces have pushed the price beyond the reach of the lower income earners. This new 1.2 model is the answer and despite being marketed as a cheaper model, still retains the great characteristics of its 1.4 brother.
Two spec levels available
There are two specification levels on offer, as well as the option of a four-speed automatic gearbox. Powering the new Swift 1.2 is a 1.2-litre engine. This little 16V four cylinder motor still feels like a Suzuki and while its tuned for efficiency, still feels more than adequate. Power is rated at 63 kW, while torque comes in at 113 Nm. The fuel consumption figure is claimed to be 5.7l/100km for the manual, with the automatic being a little thirstier at 6.3l/100km.
Despite being marketed as a budget model, the Suzuki Swift 1.2 has a lot of kit as standard. The base GA trim offers manual air-conditioning with pollen filter, front head restraints, a remote tailgate release, sun visors with a vanity mirror for the front passenger occupants, a parcel shelf behind the rear bench seat, and four loudspeakers. You best be heading to HiFi Corporation for an aftermarket radio as the four speakers aren’t connected to anything. It may seem sparse, but you’re saving quite a lot of money.
Swift 1.2 GL – the one to have
My advice is to go for the 1.2 GL manual, which is the one to have in this range. It’s mechanically the same, but adds in some nice-to-haves like colour-coded mirrors and door handles, as well as front fog lights. The seats are nicer, and there’s a rev counter. There’s a CD player with USB/aux inputs and there are radio satellite controls on the steering wheel. All round electric windows, remote centrol locking, keyless entry, and decent safety features (front airbags, ABS) round off a surprisingly well-specced entry level offering.
Our launch route took us from CT airport to Malmesbury, then we dashed through the Cape Winelands. After a lunch stop at one of the wine farms, we headed to Stellenbosch and onto Somerset West. A quick driver change later and we powered through to Gordon’s Bay and onto the breathtaking R44 coastal road. It’s easily a personal favourite driving road and combined amazing views as well as a terrific stretch of tarmac where you can have great fun, regardless of engine size. We also drove the new Suzuki Swift Dzire sedan as part of the launch.
I’m happy to say the Suzuki Swift performed admirably in the high-performance stretch, with the engine providing more than enough power. Torque may be a little lacking, but to overtake simply change down a gear or two. With a five-speed gearbox that sweet, you’ll relish the experience.
The Suzuki Swift 1.2 is an impressive offering. So impressive that Cars.co.za writer Gero Lilleike purchased one for himself!
Suzuki Swift 1.2 Price in South Africa
Model
Price
Suzuki Swift 1.2 GA
R126 900
Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL
R136 900
Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL Auto
R151 900
* A two-year/30 000 km service plan and a three-year/100 000 km warranty is included. There’s also a three-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance package thrown in.
