Year: 2017

New Honda CBR600RR image appears in Japan

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THERE’S nothing like a bit of wild speculation to start the week, so here’s the front cover of the latest issue of Japanese magazine Young Machine, which shows a new Honda CBR600RR. We can’t say for sure what’s going on here, but we’ll hazard a guess and say that it looks like Young Machine is claiming some inside knowledge about the future of Honda’s middleweight sports bike. It’s even created an image suggesting what the new CBR600RR might look like and as you can see, it’s heavily based on the…

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French company developing rotary-engined hybrid motorcycle

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Furion M1 will use rotary and electric power for up to 180hp FRENCH company Furion Motorcycles wants to make the bike of the future and is currently developing a hybrid motorcycle that it’s working to bring to market. Called the Furion M1, the naked machine will be powered by ‘the exotic interbreeding’ of a 654cc two-rotor rotary engine offering about 125hp and 40kw electric engine powered by lithium batteries, offering around 55hp. The M1’s two power sources are housed in a steel trellis frame. Power and consumption will depend on what mode…

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Yamaha ‘Tracer GT’ Coming to soon!

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YAMAHA has filed a trademarked application for the name ‘Tracer GT’, raising the prospect of a touring edition of the MT-10. The firm already produces the Tracer 700 and Tracer 900, touring spec versions of the MT-07 and MT-09, but has yet to give the MT-10 the same treatment. As the MT-10 uses the frame and engine from the current YZF-R1, a Tracer version would mean a tourer based on the same superbike platform. Yamaha currently offers a touring edition of the MT-10 (pictured above) using parts from the accessories range including…

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Toyota has unleashed its inner-child to create a real-life Tonka truck.

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The Japanese brand has converted one of its HiLux utes into a big, yellow, go-anywhere off-roader to celebrate the popularity of the dual-cab workhorse and celebrate Tonka’s 70th anniversary. The Tonka HiLux also serves a serious purpose, highlighting Toyota’s investment in its 150-strong product planning and development division that is still active in Australia despite the impending closure of its manufacturing facilities. Australian product design chief Nicolas Hogios was in charge of the project and explained it was about showing the brand’s fun side. “We have taken Tonka out of…

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New Hyundai baby SUV to be named Kona?

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Hyundai has revealed that its baby SUV will be named Kona. Set to arrive locally in the third quarter of 2017, the model will be based on Hyundai’s i30, which could make the car slightly larger than the Mazda2-based Mazda CX-3 that has proved popular locally. The Kona is expected to build on technology offered in the next-generation i30, offering advanced driver aids as well as a premium infotainment system. Following in the footsteps of the Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs named after geological locations, the new model takes inspiration…

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New KTM adventure bikes arriving in May

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The R versions of the 1090 and 1290 first, followed by the 1290 S KTM’s updated adventure fare will start going on sale locally in May 2017, with the 1090 R and 1290 R the first two slated to hit dealer floors, followed by the street-focussed 1290 S – in very limited numbers – a few weeks later. Prices are still to be announced, while KTM says the base model 1090 won’t be sold , nor will the 1290 Adventure T (as in touring). KTM unveiled its updated 1090 and…

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The South African Launch of the 2017 Alfa Romeo is a must-win event for the century-old Italian carmaker. So what’s it like?

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The global launch of the all new Alfa Romeo Giulia isn’t just a big deal, it’s quite possibly a make or break moment for the century-old Italian car manufacturer. None of Alfa’s top-line executives were prepared to put a precise figure on the investment in the model, suffice to say that billions have been invested in a completely new modular architecture dubbed ‘Giorgio’, which not only underpins the rear-wheel drive Giulia, but an entire Alfa Romeo family including a raft of new sedans, coupes, and SUVs that will soon follow.…

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Harley-Davidson swaps out chrome for black in 2017 Road King Special

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BOB WEBER SUPPLIED The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special. Harley-Davidson has gone to black with the 2017 Road King Special. Swapping out chrome for black on its most popular model, the new Road King Special motorcycle moves Harley-Davidson’s touring line in a new styling direction, with a more contemporary look. “By exchanging chrome surfaces for black and lowering the bike’s profile, we’ve moved the traditional Road King into a new space that’s very current in the custom bagger scene,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson vice president of styling and design. SUPPLIED…

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Triumph Thruxton R is a better way to race to the cafe

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TRIUMPH THRUXTON R Engine: 1200cc liquid-cooled eight-valve fuel-injected parallel twin, 72kW (96bhp) at 6750rpm and 112Nm at 4950rpm Transmission: Six-speed sequential gearbox, chain final drive. Frame: Steel-tube twin cradle frame and oval-section aluminium rear swingarm; 43mm Showa fully-adjustable BPF front forks with 120mm of travel, Twin fully-adjustable Ohlins rear shocks with 120mm of travel. Hot: The heritage-sportsbike comes of age with the Thruxton R, and never has history, performance, quality, ease-of-use, and design been so skilfully combined. Not: Pseudo-carburettors and pretend pre-unit crankcases will offend purists; brake set-up could have unleashed further stopping power; pillion accommodation optional. For most of last year,…

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Five fine lightweight motorcycle tourers you can buy in South Africa

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BY PAUL OWEN While riding the leviathan Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited the other day recently, I began to mentally compile a list of the five bikes that are today’s finest lightweight tourers. Now, the 400kg Ultra is quite possibly the greatest American touring bike ever made (review pending), but I’d find all that mass hard to live with over the long term. I prefer bikes that are easier to park up (and easier to pick up again if you have to). Getting to the digs du noir is awesome on bikes…

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2018 Jeep Compass

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Better than before, and that’s no backhanded compliment. For some, saying goodbye is easier said than done. Just ask Jeep. Despite the arrival of this all-new, second-generation 2017 Jeep Compass crossover SUV, the brand will keep selling the first-generation Compass also as a 2017 model before sending that decade-old ute to the great scrap heap in the sky. Consumers may be confused. We, however, are happy to bid adieu to the lackluster first-generation Compass, as well as its boxier twin, the Jeep Patriot. Like its predecessor and short-term stablemate, the…

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2017 Maserati Levante S Q4

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With the Levante SUV, Maserati looks the Porsche Cayenne in the eye. And blinks. By JOSH JACQUOT Photography By MARC URBANO Maserati has been here before. Preserving soul-stirring brand values while managing the balance-sheet realities of being a tiny carmaker has never been easy. The last time this Mo­­dena-based brand pulled it off, however, was long before Lamborghinis went from sharing farm fields with bulls to being named after bulls. In 1957, Maserati was a builder of low-volume sports cars and even lower-volume race cars. Back then, it was also…

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New Volvo S90 saloon 2017 review

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We put the new Volvo S90 executive saloon through its paces, but should BMW, Audi and Mercedes be worried? Volvo is right to deny SA buyers the T6, because a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol executive saloon of this size would sell in tiny numbers. However, there’s plenty of promise in the S90 package as a whole, and we’re not about to revise the view, gleaned from that winter drive a few months back, that you should give Volvo’s new flagship saloon serious consideration if you’re in the market for a 5…

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Volkswagen I.D. Buzz Concept First Look: Gratefully Undead

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Might the MEB Platform Finally Bring us a Modern Microbus? by Frank Markus Words We’ve been teased with the Microbus Concept 2001, Bulli (2011), and at last year’s CES, the BUDD-e—all were takes on Volkswagen’s iconic original air-cooled, rear-engine Type 2 bus. Each troweled on plenty of design cues to evoke the hippy original, but the first two were attempting to drape that monospace design over a conventional front-drive combustion powertrain, and even the BUDD-e, which was said to be electric, failed to eliminate the traditional hood and grille—two absolute…

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Audi Q8 Concept First Look: Getting in on the Fastback SUV Game

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Concept Closely Previews Production Model Erick Ayapana Words Audi had a lot of metal to show at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, but the Q8 e-tron concept was the debut that stole the spotlight. The coupe-inspired crossover closely previews a production model slated to arrive sometime next year, built on the same modular platform that underpins the Audi Q7. The automaker says the Audi Q8 concept is a mix of coupe-like styling with a few elements harkening back to the vintage Ur-quattro as well. For starters, the wide C-pillar is…

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Yamaha YZF-R15 V 3.0 launch still months away

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The Indonesian arm of Yamaha recently unveiled the YZF-R15 V3.0 and that got a lot of us excited. But it looks like this motorcycle won’t be launched in South Africa immediately. Car and bike spoke with a few Yamaha SA officials at the launch of the FZ25 regarding the YZF-R15 V2.0. The officials said that they were happy with the sales performance of the YZF-R15 V2.0, especially of the YZF-R15 S version. There’s enough demand for this entry-level fully-faired motorcycle from across the country. Due to this, the company isn’t really focusing on getting the YZF-R15 V3.0…

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2017 Benelli TNT15 unveiled

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Benelli has unveiled the 2017 TNT15. Sold in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, the TNT15 has been positioned between the TNT135 mini bike and the quarter-litre streetfighter – the TNT25. The TNT 15 is built around a new trestle frame like its siblings. Benelli has penned the TNT 15’s design along the lines of its bigger streetfighter siblings. The headlamp sports a familiar design with a pilot lamp at the bottom and a small visor on top. While the old instrument cluster was similar to the one on…

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2017 Volkswagen Amarok range revealed

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German brand details facelifted four-cylinder workhorse ute line-up. by Dom Tripolone Volkswagen rolls tweaked styling and fresh tech into its Amarok range. Following on from the arrival of the new range-topping V6-powered Amarok Ultimate late last year, the German car makers has extended the styling cues and in-car features to the rest of the range. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel remains unchanged, with two different tunes of the four-cylinder available. The TDI400 produces 132kW of power and 400Nm of torque while the more potent TDI420 version boasts 132kW and 420Nm. The former is…

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BMW i3 vs Nissan Leaf Battle of the EV’s in SA

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Battery-powered BMW i3 goes head-to-head with the Nissan Leaf in hi-tech electric car shoot-out The buzz surrounding electric cars is increasing all the time. More new models than ever are being launched, while lots of brave buyers are taking the plunge. So it’s no surprise that BMW has jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon with its bold i3 hatchback. We’ve already been impressed by the petrol-electric range-extending version, so expectations are high for the all-electric model. Boasting the same advanced carbon fibre-reinforced plastic structure, jaw-dropping looks and cleverly packaged interior as…

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Porsche’s Panamera will get a brother, and it will be a production version of the Sport Turismo Concept.

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by Sebastian Toma Those of you who are Porsche fans will remember that the German automaker unveiled a concept named Panamera Sport Turismo back in 2012. Since then, the project was slightly postponed, but we have seen spyshots of the future shooting break from Porsche last year. With that in mind, people were beginning to wonder when Porsche will reveal the second body style of the Panamera range. The Brits at Car Magazine have spoken to Dr. Stefan Utsch, the director of sales and marketing for the Panamera, who has…

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