Category: Popular Brands

Audi A4 used review | 2005 – 2016

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What we like Excellent build quality Available in many body styles An engine for every taste What we don’t Small inside Understeer on earlier models Repairs can be expensive Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2014 Audi A4 as a used buy. A major player in the trio of prestigious German cars Audi has become very strong in South Africa in recent times. The Audi A4 is a midrange model that’s sold as a sedan, a two-door cabriolet and an Avant station wagon. A further…

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Meet the world’s strangest Ferrari 458

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This will never be a standard Ferrari 458 Italia again. The wheel arches and wings are cut, bashed and pulled to accommodate the ultra-wide 20-inch wheels. It has a (very) wide arch body kit screwed on. Yep. Screwed on. There’s an aftermarket exhaust. Essentially, it’s been modified the same way da yoof customise 80,000-mile Golfs. But it’s a Ferrari 458 Italia. An Italian thoroughbred that cost someone £178,526 (assuming they didn’t get jiggy with the options list), gets from 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds, tops out at 202mph, and has a 4.5-litre V8…

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Meet the woman in charge of designing the Honda NSX supercar

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It’s hard to imagine any job more trustingly phallic or back-slappingly blokey than designing super cars. If you had to picture the process it would be a room full of men with beards and expensive pencils making “grrr” and “yeah” sounds in caveman voices, which is why it’s such a revelation to discover that the newest super car on the block, Honda’s reimagined NSX, was largely the work of a woman whose first design job was sketching prom dresses. Michelle Christensen the exterior design project leader for the fast and…

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2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country revealed

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Raised V90 wagon set for Australian debut in the first half of 2017. As far as crossover models go, the jumped-up wagon is as niche of a model as it is rare. Only a handful of car makers such as Subaru, Peugeot, and the Volkswagen Group produces such models that offer a particular blend of SUV-like ground clearance and capability, without the typical bulkiness and high seating position. Even so crossover wagons have become a constant fixture to Volvo’s model line-up with their ‘Cross Country’ derivatives, and their new V90…

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This Aston Martin DB11 Prototype Has an AMG V8 Under Its Hood

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Is this a testbed for the next V8 Vantage? Almost certainly. We’ve known for quite some time that the next-generation Aston Martin V8 Vantage would recieve its heart from the engine wizards over at Mercedes-AMG. With the V12-powered DB11 done and soon reaching customer hands, Aston has to get to work on its sports car companion. That’s why this DB11 prototype is running around the Nürburgring with what is almost assuredly an AMG V8 under the hood. Since the DB11 is probably not getting a V8 in the future, all…

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BMW z4 for Kia Picanto money

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The BMW Z4, is currently very much undervalued in terms of bang for buck, you get a sleek German roadster with quality engineering and great reliability, an early 2006-2007 model will set you back in the region for 120-140k and for the higher end you’ll get a neat lower Km car with some neat extras like sat Nav and 18″ wheels and tyres, the folding tops on these cars are bullet proof and give very little to no issues, the 2.5 and 3.0L models are lots of fun to drive…

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New Jaguar XF coming….

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OverviewTata-owned luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is all geared up to showcase all-new reworked Jaguar XF at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo in February and will be launched in SA market in the early 2016.  The reworked Jaguar XF sedan will compete against the likes of Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Volvo S90 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Exterior and Interiors In terms of design, the new Jaguar XF will be very much similar to the outgoing model but will feature quite a few upgrades as well. The external look of Jaguar…

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BMW M2 vs Ford Focus RS vs Audi RS3

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Absolute power: In one of the most eagerly awaited performance car clashes of 2016, BMW’s M2 faces two scorching rivals from Ford and Audi If you’re after speed without breaking the bank, then 2016 has been a brilliant year so far. Ford’s Focus RS has already seen off its four-wheel-drive rivals in a showdown on Spanish roads, so it’s now the hardcore hot hatchback to beat. But there’s now a new driver-focused model prowling Britain’s B-roads. The BMW M2 has the Focus squarely in its sights, and while it doesn’t boast as tempting a price tag…

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All-new 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia revealed – official pictures and details

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Alfa Romeo’s new family saloon has been revealed, and will go on sale in SA this September – The Alfa Romeo Giulia is the company’s long-awaited replacement for the 159 saloon and heralds the brand’s return to the family saloon segment. It will go on sale in SA this September. What is it? The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a rear-wheel drive saloon that will take on the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. It features a carbon and aluminum construction, which aims to keep weight down to improve performance…

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Audi’s New R18 Race Car Revamps an Incredible Design

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You don’t hear Audi talking much about diesels lately, what with the EPA accusing it (and corporate parent VW) of programming cars to cheat on emissions tests. Such tests don’t apply in auto racing though, and Audi wants everyone to know diesels still dominate when it comes to endurance contests like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This weekend, the company showed off the R18 racer that will compete in the World Endurance Championship series that includes the grueling race at Le Mans. Endurance racing is all about covering the…

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Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio: A Million Rand, 375KW, Italian Super Sedan

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 And the base Giulia will be R550 000 and have 203 KW. We’ve been waiting for Alfa Romeo to return in earnest to South Africa with a Super car for what feels like an eternity. Yes, they sent a few of the 8C Competizione here a couple years back, and you can now buy the 4C, but neither one of those cars are a volume proposition. The Giulia totally changes that. And it’s the first car Alfa is bringing to the SA that is actually an Alfa Romeo. What I mean…

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Watch the LaFerrari, Porsche 918, and McLaren P1 Battle Flat Out on Track

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After two teasers and months of anticipation, Chris Harris has finally released his near-hour-long comparison between a Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918. Here it is, the video enthusiasts have all been waiting for—a 52-minute celebration of the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and the Porsche 918. We’ve already shown you the results from a couple match ups of these ridiculously-powerful hyper cars, but they were all quick and to the point. They wanted to know which one was the fastest, and that was it. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten a chance to put…

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FIAT 124 SPIDER REVEALED – FIRST PICTURES AND DETAILS

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While Fiat has yet to confirm performance figures, sources suggest that the 0-62mph time could well match that of the more powerful 2.0-litre MX-5 (7.3sec), since the 124 Spider trumps that car’s torque but is said to match the kerbweight of the lighter 1.5-litre Mazda. The Fiat 124 Spider is a new rear-wheel drive, two-door, two-seat sports vehicle which is based on the Mazda MX-5. Fiat says that positioning the engine far back in the engine bay has improved the car’s handling. Paying homage to the original 124 Spider almost…

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Fiat Abarth 695 Biposto – Mad, Stupid-Mad… And Irresistible

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It is nuts in every way, the Abarth 695 BiPosto. Stupidly expensive, ridiculously small, and absolutely bonkers to drive. To drive it, you have to punch it in the mouth on every gear-change. And it responds by thumping you in the back. And if you were to buy one – but you’ll have to be quick, there are less than 20 ear-marked for Australia – your friends will wonder quietly if you are totally “out-of-your-flakey-tiny-microscopic-mind”. That’s what they’ll think. This is Abarth’s 695 BiPosto: “the world’s smallest supercar”. Engine/transmission: 1.4 litre…

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The Shoe Inspired FIAT 500L-Vans Design Concept by Angela White

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Fiat has long had a firm foothold in the market of small, fuel efficient and cool looking cars. The Fiat 500 has been a staple throughout Europe for years and the sexy little car company has made quite a splash in America as well. Eager to expand their markets, Fiat has come up with an exciting new concept vehicle sure to appeal to car enthusiasts around the world, especially those with surfer hearts. In July at the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing in California, Fiat unveiled a new version of…

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Mitsubishi’s highly-distinctive GR-HEV diesel-hybrid pick-up concept

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By Mike Hanlon Mitsubishi’s distinctive GR-HEV diesel-hybrid pick-up concept Mitsubishi’s Concept GR-HEV combination a sedan interior and comfort levels with a diesel-hybrid pickup truck with an exterior quite unlike anything we’ve previously seen. The hybrid drivetrain is billed as a next generation drive system that combines the company’s Super Select 4WD (SS4) and S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) systems, a 2.5L diesel engine and an electric motor of unspecified power to achieve CO2 emissions of 149 g/km The SS4 drive mode system allows the driver to select four drive modes…

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