CAR

EDITOR Ray Leathern ASSOCIATE EDITOR Gareth Dean WEB EDITOR Ryan Bubear ROAD-TEST ENGINEER Peter Palm FEATURES WRITER Wilhelm Lutjeharms JOURNALIST Nikesh Kooverjee JUNIOR JOURNALIST Marius Boonzaier ADMINISTRATION CO-ORDINATOR Malika Johnson

The slightly undersquare, 1,6-litre triple powering the GR Yaris isn’t only the most powerful three-cylinder road-car engine in the world right now. It meets the FIA’s technical regulations for admission to WRC 2, which suggests factory-built rally-r

Would you believe the base Mk II had a 1,3-litre engine? With just 48 kW, it managed 100 km/h in over 14 seconds but cost a mere R11 500. The bestseller in the mid-1980s was the next-up model 1,6 CSL with 60 kW. On the following rung, we find the GTi

Email: car@ramsaymedia.co.za Mail: CAR, PO Box 180, Howard Place, 7450 Please include your physical address and telephone number. Diverse ideas and opinions are welcome but publication of your letter doesn’t necessarily mean we agree. Please stick to

• The PRICES shown are the latest available at the time of going to press. Our deadline occurred on 10 December 2020. Readers should check with a dealer before making a decision. • The HP payment calculations are based on a 10% deposit, current prime

As we leave the new year’s Janu-worries behind and settle into 2021, the March issue places the emphasis squarely on family motoring, with first drives of the long-awaited Audi A3 Sportback, Subaru Forester and Peugeot 2008, to name but a few. We con

Bursting with character, the fleet-footed Swift is the most efficient and least expensive model here, even in top-spec GLX guise. It’s easily the best of the bunch to drive, too. price: R213 900 cyl/capac: 4/1 197 cm3 power: 61 kW/6 000 r/min torque:

08 cars tested (plus a long-termer) 09 additional cars driven 7 401 kilometres covered 8 699 litres of utility space measured 13 907 kilograms of vehicles weighed 80 100-0 km/h braking tests 24 0-100 km/h sprint tests 10 676 kilo

Greetings CAR readers. As is so often the case after our big Performance Shootout in December and January, the February issue tends to be a bit of a hodge-podge … like Christmas leftovers for Boxing Day lunch. Manufacturers shut down for the holidays

A South African staple and notably cheaper. Offers similar performance but isn’t as well specified and a service plan is optional. price: R230 900 cyl/capac: 4/1 398 cm3 power: 63 kW/5 000 r/min torque: 132 N.m/3 750 r/min gears/drive: 5/F 0-100 km/h

While Mercedes will claim the 1936 260D was the first production-series diesel-engined car, it was in fact pipped at the post by Citroën’s 1933 Traction-based 7U Rosalie and its optional 1,7-litre, four-cylinder unit. The first passenger car to featu

Power: 160 kW @ 5 700 r/min Torque: 310 N.m @ 3 000 r/min 0-100 km/h: 6,5 seconds Top speed: 240 km/h Fuel index: 10,84 L/100 km CAR test: February 2008 (Roadster) ■

R175 000 BUDGET BUYS After the heady performance (and prices) of January’s Shootout cars, we tackle the New Year with austerity in mind. Let’s seek out a couple of near-new cars that have depreciated enough to become affordable but still have a servi

The angle and depth of the cross-hatch honing grooves are critical. Sufficient oil needs to be retained for piston ring lubrication; however, excess oil retention will result in high oil consumption. SURFACE FINISH AFTER HONING  SURFACE FINISH AF

The 1980s: a decade defined by excess. Martin Scorsese’s film The Wolf of Wall Street encapsulates this era to a T. Based on infamous stockbroker Jordan Belfort’s (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) memoir of the same name, most of the events portrayed in

Creamy, punchy engine, expertly balanced dynamics, a superbly finished interior, and excellent relative value for money place the X5 M50i first. price: R1 690 084 cyl/capac: V8/4 395 cm3 power: 390 kW5 500-6 000 r/min torque: 750 N.m/1 800-4 600 r/mi

An accomplished, solidly built car with a respectable drivetrain makes this a top contender. A big plus is the deep boot where the third row of seats can be stashed. price: R722 995 cyl/capac: 4/2 199 cm3 power: 147 kW/3 800 r/min torque: 440 N.m/1 7

Please note some of these prices may have been updated in our road tests, which were signed off later. 1. All models currently available on the South African market, listed by manufacturer. 2. We also list the models in five separate categories in pr

2,3 seconds* 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) 4,5 seconds* 0-100 mph (0-161 km/h) 16,5 seconds* 0-200 mph (0-322 km/h) >370 km/h* Top speed *Claimed figures ■

2005, 124 000 km, blue, FSH, R95 000 2004, 137 000 km, red, FSH, R89 700 2005, 65 000 km, black, no service history, R135 000

A real joy to drive, with a wonderful V8, gorgeous cabin and one of the world’s most addictive exhaust notes in the business. The one we’d opt for. price: R2 654 862 cyl/capac: V8/5 000 cm3 power: 423 kW/6 000-6 500 r/min torque: 700 N.m/3 500-5 000