Human Fiat 500 Abarth comes alive

Fiat is bringing sexy back with their latest unconventional print advertisement featuring more than a dozen muscular and flexible artists/performers/models to who recreated the 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio in an image. The brand unveiled its ‘Body Paint’ print ad in this year’s annual ESPN magazine body issue. The print ad will fit in with the special issue of the magazine, which focuses on athletes baring it all.

Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio shows muscle

Abarth is to Fiat what AMG is to Mercedes Benz, or Motorsport (M) is to BMW. And the idea of the more muscular Fiat being shown off by a whole bunch of nearly nude muscles is genuinely quite clever

According to the agency, nothing of this scale had ever been attempted in the body painting world, a fact that made the whole project quite daunting when Fiat, their client, actually agreed to fund it.

The painting and photo shoot took over 5 days, working 12-14 hours a day with the performers to try and get the bodies shaped into something that resembled a car.

Using body artist Craig Tracy, Fiat has developed an interesting ad that is, according to the head of Fiat Brand North America, Jason Stoicevich, “as visually unique as the Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio.”

Jaguar XJ Review

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for as long as I can remember, has been driven around in a Jaguar XJ. This is the first little piece of trivia that pops into my mind when I see I’m scheduled for a test drive.

The Jaguar XJ is a handsome beast, a good looking brute in a playground dominated by Germans. The Mercedes Benz S-Class, the BMW 7-Series, the Audi A8 – all formidable competition. But there is something that sets the Jag apart, and I’ve been trying to work out what it is.

Jaguar XJ Review by Ciro De Siena

Exterior Styling

For decades, Jaguar as a brand seemed to wander a bit. The brand tried to bring antiquity to the modern era with the S-Type, which looked frankly dull. Then it tried to play in the compact executive sedan segment with the X-Type, which was a bit of a flop.

Then Tata stepped in and injected some desperately needed cash, and all of a sudden the Big Cat could stretch its claws and show what it was capable of. And it was capable of one of the most striking executive limos the world had ever seen.

The Jaguar XJ is bold, has bucketloads of presence and managed to even look sporting. While BMW was playing with something called the Bangle Butt – a sort of melted boot arrangement – the Jaguar XJ arrived with a very sexy rear indeed. For the latest model year, the lines haven’t changed at all.

Interior Styling

The leatherwork in the Jag is remarkable, if not for the stitching, then for the sheer quantity of hide making up the cabin. Smooth black leather stretches all the way up to the windscreen, and meets an amphitheatre design which connects the doors with a large Jaguar logo in the centre of the dash. The now quite-famous Jaguar gear knob, which is literally a knob, rises out of the centre console on start up. This is very entertaining.

Piano black inserts in the doors and surrounding the touch screen and switchgear are pure class. It’s quite straightforward in here, but very elegant. There isn’t as much rear leg room as I would have expected in such a big car, so make sure you hire a short chauffer. But all four passengers will nonetheless be very comfortable indeed.

The centre screen has a neat party trick, which debuted a little while ago on the Range Rover. Clever pixel arrangements meant that at the touch of a button, the passenger and driver can look at the same physical screen, while seeing two completely different displays. This never grows old and will have your passengers leaning over to check, because they won’t believe you. But the benefits are that as the driver you can have the SatNav running, while the passenger can change the radio station, for instance.

It’s very quiet in the cabin, something which is a combination of sound deadening materials and an excellent suspension system.

Ride and Handling

A few friends wanted to visit a wine farm yesterday, and I said I would happily drive them out in the Jaguar XJ. Immediately this became more of an event. It would have been equally fun in say, a Mercedes or Audi, but now it was…an event. We were going to Franschhoek in a Jag.

But before we knew it, we had arrived, without really feeling like we had driven anywhere at all. And that, I suppose, is almost entirely the point of a luxury car. To cosset its passengers so quietly and so comfortably to their destination, that they almost feel like they’ve had a nice nap.

The ride is incredibly smooth and handles road imperfections by perhaps just flattening them with its bulk. Flick it into Sport mode and the Jaguar XJ can hustle, but then you almost feel guilty. It’s just not that sort of car.

Engine Specs and Power

The test unit had a brand new supercharged three litre V6 – an engine Jaguar is very proud of indeed. It draws on many technologies from their award winning 5.0 litre supercharged V8, including direct injection, variable valve timing and aluminium construction.

The Jaguar XJ is a big car, but this engine is more than up to the task of hauling it around. In fact, in some situations it almost feels too quick as in gear with a few revs on the dial, the engine response is immediate. At 120km/h in normal drive mode, overtaking is easy as the 8 speed transmission drops a few cogs, the engine takes a deep breath and the big cat makes a leap forward. Not a dramatic leap, not a V8 leap perhaps, but a very noticeable leap indeed.

With 250kW on tap, the Jaguar XJ reaches 0 – 100km/h in just 5.9 seconds (claimed), very quick for a car this size. The vehicles top speed is limited to 250km/h, while returning claimed fuel consumption of 9.4litres/100km.

Summary

While the Germans might offer a whack more tech in their luxo limos, the Jag offers something intangible, almost undefinable. There is a sense of occasion with this vehicle. Its good looks don’t shout “look at me” but when the car arrives, heads turn. It’s a pretty rare sight on our roads too.

The new engine is a peach and delivers incredible performance efficiently and smoothly. There’s perhaps not as much boot space as its rivals due to that tapered rear end, but other than that, I don’t think you’ll miss the Germans too much.

In fact, for character, looks and appeal, you might have to look to Italy and wait for the new Maserati Quattroporte.

Jaguar XJ – Price

2013 Jaguar XJ –  Starting from R1,081,900,00

View the vehicle: New Jaguar XJ / Used Jaguar XJ

Rivals

The BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S Class and Audi A8 are all worth a look. Bear in mind the new S Class will only be here next year. I do like the A8 very much, but it still looks a bit too much like the S6. The 7 Series is a solid contender, but is a bit humourless in its execution.

  • BMW 740i (3.0litre turbocharged inline 6 cylinder) –
    Starting from R1,016,066
  • Mercedes Benz S350 (outgoing model) – Starting from R1,045,957
  • Audi A8 3.0T Quattro – Starting from R976,500,00

Smiles and Frowns

Smile: Those handsome looks
Smile: Leather-lined luxury interior
Smile: Superb new supercharged engine
Frown: Infotainment system feeling a bit dated
Frown: Not as much rear leg room as expected, especially behind tall drivers
Frown: Would love to hear that engine a little more

2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG breaks cover

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG has been officially revealed following a number of teasers – those cheeky merchants of motoring mayhem.

Set to officially debut at the Frankfort Motor Show this September, the high-performance S63 adopts AMG tweaks such as new side skits, larger front air damps, a lower stance, 19-inch AMG spec wheels and more aggressive bumpers.

2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG is big on power

Engine Capability

Power comes from the brand’s updated 5.5-liter biturbo V8 engine that delivers 436kW of power and 900Nm of torque. The direct-injected petrol engine has Piezo injectors and an all-aluminium crankcase with four valves per cylinder (with camshaft adjustment).

Using a multi-clutch seven speed transmission, the car can sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds for both Short Wheelbase and Long Wheelbase versions, while the all-wheel drive 4MATIC long-wheelbase model is faster than the other two, accomplishing the sprint in just 4 seconds. All three versions are electronically-limited to a top speed of 250 km/h.

Exterior Styling Features

A string of dynamic and exclusive changes improve the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG over its predecessor. These include the saloon’s classic architecture and sleek silhouette design, a large, upright and distinctly three-dimensional radiator grille that underlines the special status of the S-Class – with an exciting contrast provided by the front apron with three large air dams.

The front apron features a grille painted in high-gloss black, the flicks on the side air intakes are also in high gloss black and optimise the flow of air to the cooling modules, while the three-dimensional front splitter in silver chrome reduces lift.

The large AMG light-alloy wheels based on systematic lightweight construction also add to the dynamic and powerful stance of the car. The design is drawn to a powerful conclusion by the black diffuser insert with trim in silver chrome and the two chromed twin tailpipes of the AMG sports exhaust system with exhaust flaps.

Interior styling features

Like the powerful and exclusive design of the exterior, the interior also comes across with a beguiling combination of the sporty atmosphere of a classic AMG Mercedes Benz car. It is fitted with improved interior dimensions, new control logic, new ergonomic touches, newly developed AMG sports seats with electrical adjustment, memory function and seat heating. Nappa leather in AMG V8 design with lavish perforations and AMG badges in the front and rear seat backrests create an exquisite and luxurious atmosphere on board.

The interior is further clothed with special touches, including the embossed emblem on the armrest of the front centre console and the high-quality analogue clock in IWC design, an AMG leather perforated sports steering wheel, and aluminium shift paddles. There is also a high-resolution TFT colour display, an AMG instrument cluster with two animated round dials, an AMG logo in the speedometer and ‘V8 BITURBO’ lettering in the rev counter.

Standard and optional features

Standard equipment for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG includes, AMG door sill panels, AMG floor mats, AMG sports pedals in brushed stainless steel with rubber studs ambient lighting, Attention Assist, Collision Prevention Assist, 10 loudspeakers with Frontbass, Metallic paintwork, tyre pressure loss warning system and LED High Performance headlamps.

Individualisation options will include, AMG Exterior Carbon-Fibre package, AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system, AMG carbon-fibre engine cover, AMG performance steering wheel in Nappa leather/Dinamica, black
AMG trim in carbon fibre/black piano lacquer and red painted brake callipers.

The new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG will celebrate its world premiere in September 2013 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.

Subaru BRZ Review in South Africa

I like to think that after many arguments, the heads of Toyota finally gave in and accepted that their company needed some help. They called up Subaru and said look, we’ve forgotten how to build exciting cars, can you help. We have money.

Subaru BRZ Review by Ciro De Siena

And so the 86/BRZ project was born. I’ve driven and reviewed the 86 before, but because the Subaru BRZ is made in such small numbers, and has literally sold out across the world, it’s been damn hard to get my hands on what I think is the origin of the species.

So what makes it different?

The differences between the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ are at first subtle. Again, I like to think the Subaru engineers got their own back by signing off the 86 while giggling like schoolboys at the back of maths. Because it feels like they then spent another year finishing the car.

The suspension is stiffer up front and a little softer at the back, which has worked wonders. Where the Toyota feels twitchy, nervous even, this feels planted and neutral. You can attack corners with more confidence, and the backend feels much more manageable.

The exhaust is completely different and sounds marvellous. Very Subaru indeed. There is delightful bark on start-up that will put a smile on your face, guaranteed.

At the front, the bumper is unique to Subaru, as is this very cool front splitter from the STI parts bin. At the rear, the massive exhaust tail pipes, leading off the uniquely Subaru exhaust system, are standard, as is this very cool rear wing. And of course this rally blue is Subaru only.

Should we start her up?

Making that wonderful noise is a 2.0 litre boxer engine. Boxer engines are very interesting, I promise. They’re so called because the pistons punch at each other – the engine is completely flat. The benefit of this design is a very low engine profile, allowing the designers to make the front of the car very squat indeed. It also lends the car a lower centre of gravity, which has a huge effect on handling.

Because the crank shaft runs straight into the box, straight down the propshaft and into the rear diff without deviating at all, the car is perfectly balanced. And you can feel it, the Subaru BRZ is one of the most exceptionally poised sportscars on the road.

However, with 147kW and just 205Nm, it isn’t a very powerful engine. In fact, when you are next to a GTI or Focus ST at the lights, just wave and smile, because you don’t really have a hope. The Subaru BRZ is best at high revs and in tight corners; in a straight line the current model is left wanting.

So then why buy this sportscar if hot hatches are faster?

Because it is a sportscar. Hot hatches are compromised by their very nature. They are heavy, front wheel drive turbocharged shopping carts compared to this thing.

This is the purest driving experience I’ve felt in a very long time. Lightweight, rear wheel drive. A notchy, short throw gearbox, great sound and low seating position.

It is fantastic fun to drive. You feel like you’re driving the car, not the computers. If you drive this car on a twisty road and don’t have fun, you should just give up on motoring and try cycling. Or perhaps take a bus.

How much? Subaru BRZ – Price

At R389 900, the Subaru BRZ is a fair whack more than the Toyota, which comes in at around R340,000 for the top end model. But it really does feel like a premium product. Touch screen satnav and Bluetooth are standard.

As is a 105 000km, 5 year maintenance plan, which you don’t get with the Toyota 86. Subaru will look after everything except the tyres.

What’s next for the Subaru BRZ?

I think Subaru/Toyota will listen to the buying public and motoring muppets like me, and give that 2.0 litre boxer some forced induction. Either in the form of a supercharger or turbocharger (rumour is the former), the car deserves, needs and would be just plain awesome with about another 40kW.

Smiles and Frowns

  • Smile: Low slung sports car feel
  • Smile: Short throw, notchy gear shift action. So satisfying
  • Smile: Oversteer happy dynamics. Fun, fun, fun, fun.
  • Frown: A bit pricey for the power/performance
  • Frown: Infotainment system feels dated
  • Frown: You have to wait a terribly long time to get one

Subaru BRZ – South African Quick Specs

View the vehicle: New Subaru BRZ
Price: R389,900,00
Fuel consumption: 7.8 litres/100km
CO2 emissions: 181 g/km
Power: 147kW
Torque: 205Nm
Acceleration: 0 – 100km/h in 7.6 seconds
Top Speed: 226km/h
Transmission: 6 speed manual or automatic

Rivals

If all you want is a Subaru BRZ/86, Toyota can probably get you one quite quickly. But the 86 does feel a bit agricultural compared to the BRZ. It does come in at under R300 000 for the very base model, but with no maintenance plan, which is about another R30,000.

The Mazda MX5 is a perennial favourite. Front engine, rear wheel drive. It perhaps lacks the purity of chassis and drivetrain layout, and certainly looks less muscular (read: hair-salon-ish), but it is a fun little car indeed. Prices start at R366,000

Honda Brio Sedan Launches In South Africa

Just more than six months after the Honda Brio entry-level hatchback was launched, the Japanese manufacturer is extending the range with a contemporary sedan version featuring an extended wheelbase to provide a more spacious interior and large boot space, which is a healthy 405 litres.

Starting at R128,900 and aimed to compete with cars like the Toyota Etios Sedan and Renault Logan, the Honda Brio will be a welcome new competitor in the budget end of the segment.

The Honda Brio sedan will be offered in a choice of two trim levels – the base Trend model with five-speed gearbox and the Comfort with either manual or auto transmission.

Honda Brio Sedan offers space and comfort

Engine Options

Only one engine is available; the sedan makes use of the Brio hatchback’s powerplant which is a 1.2-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder, delivering 65kW of power at 6000 pm and 109Nm of torque at 4500rpm.

Drive is to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, while a five-speed auto is also available in the range-topping Comfort model, and a 0-100 km/h acceleration time in the mid-12 second bracket for the manual models.

Combined fuel consumption is claimed at 6.1-litres/100 km for the manual-gearbox Trend 1.2 model.

More space, more practicality

The Honda Brio sedan is based on the same platform as the hatchback. It shares the same distinctively styled front end, which combines large tapered headlight clusters with a trapezoidal grille and bold chrome-accented Honda branding.

The cabin boasts a front layout (instrument panel and dashboard) identical to that of the hatch, while new, wider-opening rear door ensure easier access to a wider, more comfortable rear bench seat with ample legroom. The deep-set analogue instruments are placed in a binnacle directly ahead of the driver, and framed by a thick-rimmed steering wheel.

The interior is further fitted with an array of storage compartments and binnacles, including a glove compartment, and open compartments in the centre console. Both models also feature driver adjustable seats, and the large and deep luggage compartment made possible by the car’s three-box shape.

Safety features

The Honda Brio sedan features both active and passive safety features including ABS brakes, dual front airbags and Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, to ensure occupant safety.

Honda Brio Sedan – Price

View the new Honda Brio

Honda Brio 1.2 i-VTEC Trend Manual R128 900
Honda Brio 1.2 i-VTEC Comfort Manual R136 900
Honda Brio 1.2 i-VTEC Comfort Automatic R146 900

The prices include a two-year/30 000 km service plan, and a three-year/100 000 km warranty, while services are at 15 000 km intervals.

Nelson Mandela and his Mercedes-Benz S500

It is 1990, and word of the imminent release of Nelson Mandela is spreading through the factory at the Mercedes-Benz plant in East London, South Africa. One can only imagine that the excitement is overwhelming, and the idea of a gift for Madiba is decided. The gift is perhaps less of a surprise when the company’s culture is better understood.

In the late 80s, Mercedes-Benz South Africa was the first of the local automotive companies to formally recognise a black labour organisation. The union later became the now formidable NUMSA – National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa. When Nelson Mandela’s release was announced, the story goes that the NUMSA heads sat down and tried to find a way to honour him. They decided to build a top of the range Mercedes-Benz, built in their spare time for no pay. The union bosses approached the company who donated the parts, and the workers put in extra hours to put the car together quickly, over just four days.

The Nelson Mandela Mercedes-Benz comes to life

The chassis was inscribed with the South African flag (I assume it would have been the old flag) and Nelson Mandela’s name. According to those there at the time, the attention given to this particular car was unparalleled. The car left the factory “blemish free” – many agree that this was the best Mercedes-Benz S Class ever built by the plant. The car is a Mercedes Benz S500, the W126 model of the late ‘80s, early ‘90s. I’m almost stunned to say I can’t be sure whether it was a V8 or straight-six, but I’m pretty sure that for Nelson Mandela they would have fitted the V8, either the 5.0 litre or bigger 5.6 litre. The W126 was a groundbreaking car, as so many generations of S Classes have become. The model introduced the modern airbag, patented by Mercedes Benz in 1971. This particular model had passenger side airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and traction control and heated seats. A car fit for a future icon.

The Handover and the friendship

The Madiba car was presented to then Dr Nelson Mandela on 22 July 1990 at the Sisa Dukasha Stadium in Mdantsane, near East London. Mercedes Benz employee to this day, Philip Groom, recalls how he was asked to hand over the key to Mr Mandela. He says he was so nervous, he asked his father to help with the speech. He was of course to meet the newly free struggle leader, and handover the car in front of 30 000 people. The car sparked a friendship between Nelson Mandela and Mercedes Benz South Africa. In 1998, when then DaimlerChrysler AG chairman Prof Jurgen Shrempp announced a billion-rand investment in the plant, Nelson Mandela was standing next to him. At that ceremony, a brand new S Class was given to Mandela, and the red S500 was retired to take up a proud spot in the Mercedes-Benz collection in East London.

On display today

Excitingly, the car is publically viewable today. The red Mercedes-Benz S500 is on display at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, as part of a larger exhibition on the life of Nelson Mandela. The car has been registered with a brilliant personalised number plate: 999 NRM GP – standing for Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

Jaguar F-Type V6S Driving Impression

We’re in an art gallery. A large white space, filled with large televisions and a Jaguar F-Type concealed beneath a luxurious red blanket. A quintessentially British CEO, Mr. Kevin Flynn of Jaguar/LandRover SA remarks that the F-Type, the successor to the C, D & E-Type “are critical for Jaguar”, and that it is in fact “a very exciting time to be in the organization”. I must agree, especially if you get to drive the Jaguar F-Type home every night … then it’s an exhilarating time to be in the organization.

It’s especially exciting considering the fact that Jaguar F-type has, after much deliberation, really occupied a “white space” in the market, with no direct competitors, but rather many that attack from above and below. Something Jag is actually quite used to, as seen in past product positioning.

The launch of the Jaguar F-Type V6S by John Beale

The Second New Jaguar, from Jaguar

The F-Type is Jag’s next big engineering masterpiece and one of two models produced under Jaguar/Land Rover’s own steam and significant investment backing from Tata. (The other being the 2013 Range Rover). It all seems to be paying off, with two recent top JD Power rankings, and a 31% increase in local sales to just over 1400 units. Things are looking up for the four-paw brand here in SA.

The Jaguar F-Type slots in “under” the XK as a front engine, rear-wheel drive convertible sports car. It boasts three engine derivatives, but one body style. The launch route took us through some of the most beautiful roads our country has to offer in the lowveld of Mpumalanga. Long straights, sweeping bends and roads that carved through the hills and forests made for a perfect setting of one of the most beautiful modern Jaguars’ on offer.

On arrival at Hoedspruit airport, Ciro De Siena (my driving partner) chose us the V8 S, the most powerful unit in the lineup (good man!) Of the two other derivatives, only the middle of the range, F-Type S, was on offer to drive, and I’ll be focusing on that model as Ciro has pretty much covered the V8 S.

The Engine, The Applause

The V6 S is powered by 3.0 litre supercharged V6 delivering 280kW and 410NM at 7000RPM, ensuring the rear-wheel drive beast leaps to 100km/h in 4.9 econds (0.6 seconds off the V8 S time). What that does not come close to explaining is the machine-gun-fire-fighter-jet-engine-pop-bursting-bubbling cacophony of sound from the active sports exhausts. A button, just under the pistol grip gear lever (thank goodness the silky rotary knob was retired here) switches an already explosive exhaust to “run for cover” levels of noise.

It is the most charismatic part of the vehicle, and gives it character and drama no other Jag, or competitor really has. The V6 is lighter up front, so there’s less tramlining as in the V8, but also just under 100kW less power. It does an excellent job of hauling the 1770kg Jaguar F-Type around, but the V6 needs to work harder, and makes the 8-speed quickshift gearbox work to hunt for power at the top. Where the V8 has instantaneous shove-in-the-gut, the V6 drops down a few cogs for a whoosh-howl of exhaust note and power that then ensues. It is however a spectacle, and leaves kids on the side of the road smiling, cheering and, as we also saw; slow-clap applauding.

Stiffer, Quicker Chassis

What bystanders won’t know, is that you don’t just have a noise making machine, but one that handles like it could be all wheel drive. 50:50 weight distribution and an all aluminum construction using rivets instead of welded joints, means it’s lighter, and much much stiffer. Jag hasn’t effed around here, and all this engineering effort is felt on the road.

Not only does the F-Type get Jaguar’s fastest (not electric, rejoice!) steering, but also biggest brakes ever fitted to a Jag, and the fastest 8speed transmission. Bronzed flappy paddles on the steering wheel were perfect for keeping the engine up high, howling and sputtering on the overrun like an errant automatic rifle firing away. It’s not as fast as the German units, but quick enough with exceptional ability to double or triple downshift, and hold gears in corners.

The Difference in Differentials

The Jaguar F-Type S has a limited slip differential, unlike the electronic differential in the V8 S, which is activated by sensors just before slippage would occur, the limited slip differential needs some slip before it activates. It’s a bit more intrusive and mechanical in the way it goes about sorting power between the wheels, and you could definitely feel it and the stability control reigning things in heavily when the car carried too much speed into corners. The occasional logging truck, had me jumping on the brakes which were confidence inducing and had excellent feel. They showed no sign of fade.

Sweeping through bends and long winding roads and the S never felt unsettled, or even uncomfortable. The adjustable suspension did an incredible job of balancing ride comfort and keeping the 20-inchers glued to the road. The nose tracked exactly where you pointed it no matter how much throttle was thrown down at the same time. Over bad pieces of corrugated tarmac, of which there was quite a bit, the Jag wasn’t unsettled, but rather seemed to hunker down and the more power that was fed to the wheels, the better it coped.

A truly impressive chassis and drivetrain. It’s actually so unlike Jaguar, it’s surprising. I say this because it’s so much more focused and less brute than the XKR-S, with a sense of occasion and drama fit for a mid-century ball.

The Interior of the new Jaguar F-Type

The occasion and drama continues when you step close to the Jaguar F-Type, the door handles pop out to great you, the entire top of the dash raises with the vents (Jag has a thing with mechanized vents) and greetings abound on screens in the car. The optional Performance seats are a must, (same ones fitted in the XKR). You sit lower than you do in any other Jag, and you can feel it, but you never feel like there’s too much car around you. It’s a drive-able every day car from that perspective.

Where it isn’t, is the ridiculous excuse for a boot. Literally only a laptop bag and maybe a pair of shoes will fit in where the space saver spare takes up most of the… ‘space’. This severely hampers those weekends away, or even roadtrips with a partner, but I guess the R500K saving from buying the V6 S instead of the V8 means you now have the money to buy whatever you intend to wear at your destination.

The interior has touches of jet fighter in its switchgear, combined with the luxury class only Jaguar can bring. With the roof off you can hear all the spluttering and induction noises channeled into the cabin, but talking is a bit of a shouting affair at speed. We found that you can actually hear more of what you really want to hear with the roof up, which is class-leading closing time of 12seconds at speeds up to 50km/h.

New Jaguar F-Type in South Africa – Summary

For a little over R975 000 you get one of the most beautiful, unique sports cars on the road today. With just over 110 confirmed orders on launch day, it’s certainly looking good for Jag. I can honestly say that the S is all you need. If money is no object, the V8 is your car, but the S will do everything you want it to do and more.

Why the Jag above an R8 / Cayman / Carrera 4S? Well, they don’t really compete. Not in performance or handling, sure the competitors may be better or lighter or quicker, but the Jaguar F-Type is truly different. It’s a spectacle in sound, sight and feel. It’s something else with genuine occasion, drama and Jaguar soul, which when the top end competitors become more and more refined and sterile, is a refreshing and alluring proposition indeed. I would quite like to have MY turn again.

Jaguar F-Type Driving Impression

It’s 6am somewhere in Mpumalanga and I’m trying to make a decent cup of coffee in my hotel room. A Jaguar F-Type V8S has just been started outside my door, and the resulting bark scares the willies out of me. I knew the launch fleet had been sleeping not too far away, but my goodness that car is loud. Wonderfully loud. Of the three models on offer in South Africa, if you enjoy waking up your neighbours, that would be the one for you then.

Driving impression of the Jaguar F-Type by Ciro De Siena

The Jaguar F-Type has been highly anticipated. For Jaguar to lend that nomenclature to a new model is a big deal; the E-Type was such a beautiful, game-changing car, that this newcomer had to be good. It had to earn its name. As car journalists, we knew that, but we all secretly hoped that the stunning new British sports car, arguably the first proper one in decades, would fall in line somewhere amongst the high-end BMW Z4’s and Porsche Boxsters of this world.

What you get for the price

And then we heard the news. The most affordable F-Type, the V6, would go on sale locally for R838,000. And the only V8 available would require over 1.3million of your hard earned Rands. What had they done, we wondered, as we circled the stunning cars outside an airport I’d never heard of, to justify that kind of price tag.

Well the answer is quite a lot. In fact, after a few hundred kilometres in the V8S yesterday, it’s very easy to understand what Jaguar was thinking. This car has been built to chase two things. The hearts and minds of everyone it drives past, and the Italians.

The drama

No one does drama like the Italians. But give the British some money and they’re pretty damn good at it themselves. Firing up the V8 Jaguar F-Type is an event. It howls into life and then every blip of the throttle produces cracks and bellows that would make a World War 2 pilot run for cover. It’s bloody marvellous. And you haven’t even put the thing into drive yet.

Get moving and the noise only gets better, and more intense. This could quite possibly be the most exciting sounding car I’ve driven, besides the Ferrari 458 Spider. And that is high praise indeed. You’re going to think I’m just another car journo, waxing lyrical about a fruity exhaust note. Fine, I don’t mind, I read the reviews as well. But when you take this thing for a drive, I guarantee that you’ll think I didn’t say enough.

Power under the hood

We know it’s a beautiful machine. We know it sounds spectacular. But by now I suppose you’d like to know how it drives. The V8 is harnessed brutality. 364kW are available at 6500rpm, with 625Nm available from 2500rpm. That is vast power in a relatively light car, which weighs in at around 1700kgs. Obviously all of the power goes to the back, where it should.

Putting your foot flat in the Jaguar F-Type V8 is an activity not to be taken lightly. You will need a lot of clear road in front of you. When the power arrives at the rear wheels, you can sense a committee of electronic aids, getting together 1000 times a second no doubt to try keep the whole show in a straight line. The car squirms under the power, the exhaust goes ballistic and very quickly you are at risk of spending time with people called Constable. Get off the accelerator, and breathe.

The drive and driver assistance

The Jaguar F-Type has perfect 50/50 weight distribution and is also the shortest, widest and lowest Jaguar ever. It feels very poised in corners and inspires confidence. There is a great deal of grip at the rear, especially over imperfect roads. However, you can feel the car’s brains working very hard sometimes, and there were a few corners where I felt it wasn’t telling me what the car was doing, it was telling the computers who were making decisions for me.

Part of me wishes the experience was more pure. More stripped down. Less nannying from a car built in a nanny state. But then I think that my name is not Lewis Hamilton and I quite like being alive. If you want that brutal power at your disposal, it really is best to have the driving aids watching over your shoulder.

Inside the Jaguar F-Type

The interior is superb. Leather-lined luxury is the order of the day. The designers spent some time in the Eurofighter, which is a jet, to nail down some of the F-Type’s detailing. So the switch that controls the dynamic modes is finished in a very unique copper alloy, as is the starter button, and looks and feels like it’s been borrowed from the jet.

The centre airvents are totally hidden until you ask the aircon to wake up. Then they rise slowly out of the dash. I don’t think you’d tire of that. The seats are firm but comfortable, and offer enough support for the cornering you’ll be doing. The grab handle that “closes off” the cockpit to the passenger is actually very useful indeed for when you are a passenger. I appreciated the anchor point.

About the boot

And now we come to the car’s Achilles Heel. It has no boot. There is no other way of saying this, it really has no boot. You can fit 1 x coat, 1 x laptop bag, and 2 x peak caps in the boot. That’s it. Between the driver and passenger, there is a storage bin. It looks promising, until you open it and realise that it could only swallow a small to medium size hamster.

As an Italian, I like to think the people who built this car spent quite a bit of time in Italy. Because in many ways, this is a stupid car. But like so many things that are born from that shoe-shaped country, it is absolutely dripping with passion, and it most certainly has soul. Yes, it doesn’t have a boot, yes it’s expensive and yes it’s thirsty when you’re in a hurry.

But we were literally screamed at everywhere we went. We caused chaos by revving outside a school. The Jaguar F-Type is a rolling theatre. And it’s very difficult to put a price on that.

 Jaguar F-Type Price in South Africa

Jaguar F-Type V6 R845 000
Jaguar F-Type V6 S R975 000
Jaguar F-Type V8S R1 385 000

Most expensive car ever sold

A rare racing 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 which was driven by Formula One Legend Juan Manuel Fangio has just smashed the record for the most expensive car ever auctioned. The car was bought by an anonymous bidder for $29.6 million (about R295 million) at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed. I mean that is equivalent to buying 1456 Toyota Yaris's on Cars.co.za and you can throw in a closet full of Louboutin’s and Jimmy Choo’s for your lady, assuming she’s a shoe fanatic of course. The previous world record was set by a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype which went for $16.4 million in 2011.

Most expensive car has big history to boot

The steep price tag for the almost 60 year old race car might seem ludicrous to others but if you’re a very well dressed, cigar smoking older man with a very large bank balance and not much use for it, your purchase might be justified. I would also like to assume that this racing car did not go for so much because of it ‘beautiful looks’ but because the W196 was the Mercedes-Benz Formula One entry in the 1954 and 1955 Formula One seasons, winning 9 of 12 races entered in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.

The German single-seater race car is powered by a 2.5-litre straight-eight fuel-injected engine and features an all-independent suspension and a tubular space-frame chassis design, all of which were considered innovative back in the 1950s. The 2.5-litre vehicle – chassis number 00006/54 – was also driven by Fangio's team mate Karl Kling in the 1955 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, but suffered defeat at its second race at Silverstone because the streamlined Monza body was not suitable for twister tracks. Either way, it's still amazing to think that what you are looking at here is the most expensive car ever sold, ever!

Toyota Sales Summary for June 2013

Toyota sales accounted for 10 087 of this month’s new car sales, even though it was outsold by Volkswagen in June, Toyota continues to lead the way with vehicle exports.

In June the company exported 6 462 units to 58 countries across the globe, which represents more than 25% of all vehicle exports from South Africa.

The Hilux is still popular among South African buyers, with sales of 3070 units, while the Corolla is the brands best selling used car vehicle. Here is a breakdown of Toyota sales including Top 5 model sales and the most popular Toyota used cars for June 2013.

Toyota sales summary – June 2013

  • Total new car sales: 10 087 units
  • Total market share: 18.8%
  • Total passenger vehicle sales: 5514 units
  • Total Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales: 4208 units

Top 5 Toyota new passenger car sales – June 2013 (compared to May 2013)

  1. Toyota Hilux – 3070 units (3076)
  2. Toyota Corolla/Auris – 1655 units (1458)
  3. Toyota Etios – 1644 units (1507)
  4. Toyota Fortuner – 915 units (940)
  5. Toyota Quantum – 903 units (1210)

Most popular used Toyota cars in South Africa – June 2013

  1. Toyota Corolla
  2. Toyota Hilux
  3. Toyota Yaris
  4. Toyota Fortuner
  5. Toyota RunX

Toyota in the news

The Stunning Next-Generation Toyota Corolla Sedan revealed

The refined Toyota Etios celebrates one year milestone