You'd think the Mercedes-AMG GT sportscar range was complete, but it appears that a hardcore Black Series is on its way.
The video below shows what appears to be a normal Mercedes-AMG GT R belting along the Nurburgring, but on closer inspection, this vehicle does not have the usual exhaust, some camouflage and is covered in testing equipment. Rumours are rife that the ultimate AMG badge will be making a comeback. Many are suggesting that this is actually a Mercedes-AMG GT R Black Series, undergoing testing.
Given how potent the AMG GT R is, we're wondering how much faster the Black Series will be. The 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 is already pushing 430 kW and 700 Nm, so we can't see much more power extracted. We suspect that there'll be some clever aerodynamics thrown into the mix, bigger brakes and the car will potentially go on diet and shed some weight.
Nissan Navara vs Ford Ranger (2017) Comparative Review Video Part 2
We put the new Nissan Navara to the test against the new Ford Ranger Fx4! Watch the video to see how these double-cab bakkies fare in Part 2 of our test.
The bakkie market is truly thriving in South Africa and motorists have never had so much choice. The Ranger Fx4 is a new edition to the leisure bakkie market and South Africans had to wait a good while for the new Nissan Navara to arrive in local showrooms, but it is finally here and Nissan is confident that this is the bakkie to set new standards in the segment.
In Part 1 of this head-to-head test, we reviewed the on-road comfort of the Navara and Ranger Fx4 and took a detailed look at the interiors. In Part 2, and with both bakkies loaded with half a ton of water, we set off into the hills of Backsberg Estate to test their 4×4 capability. Watch the video to find out which one of these bakkies performed better in this comparative test.
We couldn't have made this video without the generous help of the people at the beautiful Backsberg Estate. With a top-notch restaurant, wine tasting and cellar store on the property, the winery is leading the way in terms of modern farming practices – it was the first carbon neutral wine farm in South Africa. Visit them at www.backsberg.co.za
BMW will be showcasing its new luxury X7 iPerformance plug-in hybrid concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The X7 iPerformance concept previews the production model which is expected to make its debut in 2018. Featuring bold exterior styling, the 7-seater X7 iPerformance concept is equipped with high-quality finishes and the latest infotainment technology from BMW. The concept makes use of BMW’s eDrive technology coupled with a twin turbo petrol engine.
The new X7 forms part of BMW’s NUMBER ONE > NEXT strategy that aims to increase its sales and revenue in the luxury SUV segment, or Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV), as BMW likes to call it.
The forthcoming X7 will form part of BMW's luxury vehicle offensive and is due to be revealed in 2018.
"Since BMW founded the Sports Activity Vehicle segment with the first X5 back in 1999, every subsequent X vehicle has broken new ground. The BMW X7 continues this tradition: the X family's new top model extends BMW's offering in the luxury class and redefines the concept of luxury for the BMW brand and beyond. It also embodies one of the most important elements of our corporate strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT, to grow our presence in the luxury class. Furthermore, the BMW Concept X7 demonstrates it's perfectly possible to combine a large sports activity vehicle with an electrified drivetrain" says Ian Robertson, Member of the BMW AG Management Board.
Key features
The interior design of the X7 concept gives us a glimpse of what the production model might look like and it looks impressive.
The concept features BMW’s latest design language that culminates in a vehicle that has significant presence, both in terms of size and execution. Classic BMW elements have been reinterpreted for this X7 concept and the most striking element is the large, vertical kidney grille with a solid, single-piece frame and bars. The grille is complemented with slim, elongated laser light headlights with a blue X lighting signature. A prominent bar stretches across the lower front apron and rises vertically to frame the air intakes.
For the first time on an X vehicle, the wheel arches are circular cut, giving the X7 concept a striking look when viewed from the side. The rear taillights are connected with a chrome bar and feature a 3-dimensional L-shaped motif.
As for interior, BMW says its very spacious with 3 rows of seats with 4 individual design seats. As you would expect, the X7 concept’s interior is both luxurious and sophisticated. A large panoramic roof creates a spacious, airy feel and leather abounds in the X7 Concept.
Rest assured, rear passengers will be well catered for in the new X7 thanks to a spacious and technologically equipped cabin.
The cockpit is focussed around the driver with a wrap-around effect. A 12.3 inch screen makes up the instrument cluster while a central touchscreen infotainment display combines to from what appears to be a continuous display. Rear-seat touchscreen entertainment is also offered for second-row passengers, who can engage with their personal digital life, including work or play via BMW Connect.
We will keep you informed as more details regarding the new BMW X7 are released.
Ford has shown off an ST-Line Ecosport, which will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week
This new Ford EcoSport ST-Line features a sportier trim, the latest connectivity as well as an all-new diesel engine. Interestingly, all-wheel drive makes its debut too. The new engine in question is a 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel engine, with 92 kW and 300 Nm. Power goes to all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. It's marketed as a cleaner engine, with a claim of 4.5 L/100 km and emissions of just 119 g/km. The Intelligent All Wheel Drive is able to adjust torque delivery up to 50/50 in as little as 20 milliseconds, which will aid grip in slippery conditions.
The new Ford EcoSport line-up will for the first time include the sporty new EcoSport ST-Line variant. It features unique Ford Performance-inspired bumpers and side skirts, black-finish roof rails and headlight bezels, 17-inch Dark Tarnish alloy wheels, ST-Line badging and extended painted roof and door mirrors as standard. The interior has a unique ST-Line leather-trimmed flat-bottomed steering wheel; unique partial leather seats with red stitching; leather handbrake lever and gear knob; ST-Line branded scuff plates; and stainless steel sports pedals.
As the new EcoSport is aimed at young buyers, the newcomer will be jammed with connectivity options. A brace of fast-charging USB ports up front, 12V power outlets front and rear, and even a 110V power outlet (for the rear passengers) will be available as an option. Ford's SYNC3 infotainment/connectivity system has been made fitted and there's a smart-looking 8-inch touchscreen. Ford is also boasting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in its new EcoSport.
"Ford has sold 150,000 EcoSport compact SUVs in Europe since we first introduced the model to the region in 2014, and last year sales grew 40 per cent," said Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president, Europe Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company. "The new Ford EcoSport offers customers even more style, comfort, capability and choice – blending rugged SUV functionality with city car practicality." The new Ford EcoSport for Europe will be built at Ford's manufacturing facility in Craiova, Romania, while the rest of the world's production comes from India.
Range Rover Velar (2017) Launch Review [with Video]
Regular Cars.co.za contributor, Calvin Fisher, recently found himself lapping Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit at the helm of the newest, sleekest Range Rover of them all – the Velar. Revel in his experience below…
Remember when your flavours of Range Rover extended to just two, ye olde original and then the footballer de rigueur, the Sport? Since then, Land Rover have seen fit to install a stylish junior into the fray with the (footballers wives' de rigueur) Evoque, as well as giving its larger siblings a successor each. But if your Evoque is too compact, the full-fat Range Rover too utilitarian and the Sport too… sportsy, then perhaps you're in need of something a bit more luxurious. Because apparently that's been lacking across the Range Rover catalogue?
Enter the Velar
Luxurious and capable, the Range Rover Velar is a stylish SUV that will be available in SA late in 2017.
This is it, achingly posh and slipperier than you'd have thought possible in an SUV, an embodiment of Range Rover's next generation of technology and indeed aesthetic. It is, in a word, elegant. Big. But elegant. And with great lashings of road presence too – a mish-mash of modernism and minimalism, a polished gem with an all-terrain stance. The Velar has been designed on a blank canvas, and by blank canvas I mean lightweight aluminium used almost exclusively to keep the kerb weight down. That makes for a more efficient SUV with car-like dynamics. And that’s good because I’m at South Africa’s premier racing circuit, Kyalami.
In a fashion similar to the rest of the range, you can get your new Range Rover Velar in S, SR and HSE and for as cheaply as sub-million with the base car's R947 700 sticker price. The one we were sat in hovered around R1.4 million, an HSE unit that came standard with four-corner air suspension. It also came blessed with a Meridian Surround Sound entertainment system, adaptive cruise control and queue assist, Navigation Pro and a raft of other features and systems. Yet despite the barrage of technology on board, what was shocking to note was the Velar's defiance of them all to deliver the cleanest, most devoid of buttonry and switchgear cabin we've seen in years.
The Velar's interior is modern and mostly devoid of buttons and switches and a Touch Pro Duo infotainment system controls most functions.
Forget rocker dials, knobs, rollers and switches – you'll barely use a thumb in the Velar. Instead, the bulk of the controls have been relegated to a digital plane (Touch Pro Duo infotainment system) across two 10-inch high-definition screens, and the only remaining analogue-alike experience is the HVAC controls, a futuristic ring that seems to hover over the glass beneath it, on which the temperatures are displayed. Cabin materials include suede cloth, and in Dapple Grey, it's a premium alternative to leather. I have no idea what that means if I’m honest but it sure resembled cow hide, so job well done! Every surface in the Velar is a tactile pleasure. It is pure artistry. As is what lies under that clamshell bonnet.
Having a go in it
This Velar 3.0 V6 HSE offers up 280 kW and 450 Nm of torque, enough to sprint to 100 kph in 5.7 seconds.
I pointed the red hood down the pit straight, my aspirations aimed at several laps of Kyalami’s pristine asphalt powered by the R-Dynamic Velar HSE’s supercharged 3.0-litre V6 and its full reserves of 280kW and 450Nm at the disposal of my right foot. I bury it into the footwell which promises a zero to 100 kph sprint in a sprightly 5.7 seconds and should I keep my foot there, the brochure says I’ll eventually run out of puff at around 257kph. Not bad for a heavy SUV, albeit the sleekest one I can remember ever seeing.
You know that old saying, a big car that shrinks around you and feels small? That doesn’t happen here, the Velar feels burly, substantial and meaty, so naturally, it gets a soundtrack to match – rorty and booming, a noise developed alongside the sister marque’s Jaguar F-Types I’m sure. In fact, much of its DNA is shared with the larger F-Pace but don’t get stuck on that detail, they’re very different machines inside and out. Remember, Donald Trump shares DNA with his daughter Ivanka, and they’re not too similar either, are they?
The Velar tamed Kyalami with confidence and poise.
I blasted my way onto the main straight, straddled the centre line of the circuit and spied turn one. There’s quite a bit of elevation here as I make my way to the right of the track to line myself up for the left-hander, scrub off some speed with the pedal on the left, roll on half an armful of steering then climb back on the throttle. It’s a fairly stiff chassis with double wishbones up front and a multi-link at the rear, you feel the weight shift but far less than you’d expect from a Rangie. Progress is linear, both laterally and of course in a straight line, as I flatten the throttle and begin the next climb, followed by a left, right, left. Kyalami is a demanding circuit and the Velar is making a doddle of it.
It’s no race car and has no pretence of the sort, so I enjoy the rest of my lap time, well aware that this is just an example of what it’s capable of on an ideal stretch of tarmac. With a cool-down lap completed, I park it in the garages and afford myself a moment to reflect on the Velar. I can’t help but be reminded of the genesis of the Evoque all over again, but minus all the drama. When that car was birthed, it was immediately praised for its style but spurned by 4×4 purists for being little more than a fashion accessory, despite its gravelly capabilities. This is different – no less a stylistic high-water mark but also quietly confident in its pedigree as a Range Rover. A real Range Rover. Not a junior. This feels unanimous. The Velar is nothing less than the Range Rover brand refined to a resplendent glow. And nothing more than a potential future icon.
Watch the Velar tackle Kyalami in the video below!
Ford South Africa has done it! Confirmation of a high-performance Raptor Ranger bakkie landed this morning and there's a teaser video
The announcement came from Ford South Africa's social media channels and other than this video, we don't have much to go on. We can speculate, of course, and given how hard the test mule is being pushed in the video, we predict that it'll have beefier suspension and be just as capable in an off-road environment. There's no word on the powerplant, but if we go by the audio in this video, we suspect a V6 is under the bonnet. Sadly it's not the V8 we were all secretly praying for, but let's wait for the official details. Officially it has been confirmed for SA.
Officially, Ford SA had this to say: "Building on the success of the class-leading Ford Ranger, one of the best-selling bakkies in a number of markets, Ranger Raptor brings the thrilling off-road performance capabilities of the ‘Raptor’ to the Ranger for the first time ever. With its bold appearance and extreme, off-road performance features, Ranger Raptor represents a new and distinctive breed of bakkie."
Lamborghini has announced a roadster version of its Aventador S hypercar, which will be publically revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The key changes for the Roadster include sleek, removable hardtop panels which weigh just under 6kg. These removable panels can be quickly removed and stowed in the front boot. Mechanically, it is powered by the same 6.5-litre screaming V12 engine and it weighs just 50 kg more than its coupe sibling. In terms of power, there's a whopping 544 kW and 690 Nm on tap, and all that grunt goes to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Lamborghini claims a 0-100 kph sprint time of 3.0 seconds, which is fractionally slower than the coupe. Top speed is a claimed 350 kph, but we can't imagine wanting to go that fast with the roof down.
"The new Aventador S Roadster sets new benchmarks in technology and performance on both road and track, with the roadster version adding a new dimension in driving enjoyment," says Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Stefano Domenicali. "The Aventador S Roadster offers the thrill of open air driving without compromising on driving dynamics or the occupants' comfort, and adds a further luxurious dimension through the personalization options available."
The removable roof weighs under 6kg and folds away neatly into the front trunk
Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster Price
If you have to ask the price… For interest, Lamborghini attached global pricing to its marketing material. The vehicle will reach its customers in February 2018.
Facelifted Kia Sorento announced ahead of Frankfurt Show
Kia Motors Europe has announced a range of upgrades to the Kia Sorento, the company's 7-seat executive SUV. The facelifted Kia Sorento will be shown at the 2017 Frankfurt International Motor Show and will go on sale towards the end of 2017
The facelifted Kia Sorento features changes inside and out, including updated technology and a new 8-speed automatic transmission.
Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Europe, commented: "The Sorento accounted for 15 769 sales across Europe in 2016, and it remains an important contributor to the company's sustained sales growth. The current model has a broad appeal among buyers, with a combination of high practicality, handsome design, and good value. Upgrades to the car's exterior and interior design, safety, and in-car technology all add to the appeal of the car and will ensure sales remain strong."
In terms of design, there are revised front and rear bumpers, new LED head- and taillamps, and a new dark metallic finish to the grille. There are also new designs for the Sorento's 17-, 18- and 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels. The cabin gets a newly-designed steering wheel and driver instrument cluster, as well as a new climate control LCD display. The dashboard also features a new Audio Visual Navigation system. To coincide with the facelift, Kia has introduced a new GT Line version, which includes sportier visual changes both inside and out.
The new Kia Sorento is the first SUV from Kia available with the company's new eight-speed automatic transmission. The 'box goes straight into the 2.2-litre turbodiesel Sorento models and replaces the older six-speed automatic gearbox. The benefits range from improved CO2 emissions to quicker in-gear acceleration. The new transmission offers four different drive modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart.
Kia's Sorento also features an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with navigation and Kia Connected Services powered by TomTom. The new system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the car has a wireless smartphone charger to keep you connected.
We'll have more details as the Frankfurt Auto Show unfolds.
Hillclimb Shootout: Volkswagen Golf GTI vs Toyota 86
In one of our most ambitious video projects yet, we worked with the city of Cape Town to close an incredible road in the farmlands beyond the city. It's always been one of our favourite pieces of tarmac to test cars and now we had it all to ourselves.
We lined up 8 high-performance cars, fired up our very own race-ace Ashley Oldfield and staged three races – this is the second head-to-head featuring the new VW Golf 7.5 GTI and the newly facelifted Toyota 86. For a recap of the first race – The Fiesta ST200 vs Renault Clio RS Lux, Click here.
The new Golf 7.5 GTI features a small power upgrade to 169 kW and a few exterior tweaks to the bumpers and lights. The inside has been revamped to feel more premium and it exudes a sense of luxury that's hard to match. We hadn't brought it to the hill to look at it though, we wanted to see how fast it could get to the top of our up and downhill climb.
The Toyota 86 is on a hiding to nothing, it can't match the GTI for power and lack more than 150 Nm of torque – critical for climbing hills. But, it's arguably more fun to drive and represents what you could get yourself for R50k less than a GTI.
Look out for the next 2 videos in our #CarsRaceDay series, which will be released exclusively on our YouTube channel over the next few weeks. Subscribe and be the first to see the videos as they drop.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will showcase 2 special edition Amaroks at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, and they look great…
The Frankfurt Motor Show is almost upon us and although there are numerous vehicles of interest expected to be shown in the metal, a special edition Amarok, or two, makes for fine eye candy.
The introduction of the Amarok V6 in South Africa earlier this year has left local bakkie fans frothing for the new Amarok. Despite its lofty price tag or whether you are are a Hilux, Ranger or Navara fan, or any bakkie for that matter, the allure of the Amarok V6 is strong.
Take a moment to feast your eyes on 2 special Edition Amaroks that will be shown at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.
These good-looking Amarok A6's will be shown in Frankfurt and sold in Germany, but don't expect to see them in SA.
The first is called the Amarok Aventura Exclusive concept and it features Turmeric Yellow Metallic paintwork with chrome accents and rides on 19-inch alloy wheels. Other features include bi-xenon headlights, aluminium skid plates and a cargo cover. On the inside, the special edition model is fitted with black leather seats with Curcuma Yellow contrast stitching. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather too and a black roof liner further defines the interior ambiance. An infotainment system with navigation is also fitted.
The Amarok Aventura Exclusive's interior features subtle details to lift what is already an attractive interior.
Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre TDI V6 engine that produces 190 kW and it’s paired with Volkswagen’s 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system.
The second Amarok to be shown is the Amarok Dark Label featuring a Indium grey matte exterior colour with a striking black bar over the load bay. This model rides on 18-inch wheels and the grille has been revised to feature lacquered chrome accents. Inside, the model follows the execution of the Amarok Comfortline but adds a black roof liner and Dark Label embroidered floor mats.
The Amarok Dark Label is powered by two versions of the 3.0-litre V6 engine. The first offers 120 kW and a 6-speed transmission while the second offers 150 kW with either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission.
The 2 models will be sold in Germany and sadly, we are not likely to see them in South Africa. Bring them Volkswagen…
We will be attending the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, so stay tuned to our social channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for more details.
Watch our video review of the Volkswagen Amarok V6 below!
