South Africa’s total new vehicle sales were up by 2.6% year-on-year in July, with 47 881 units sold versus 46 671 in the corresponding month last year. According to data released today by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), the passenger vehicle segment, which contributed 67% of all new vehicle sales in July, was up 4.3% year-on-year with 32 108 units sold. * Sales figures are supplied by Naamsa and exclude non-reporting manufacturers. The dealer channel which accounted for 80% of July’s sales, is up…
Read More about this topicTag: debut
Koenigsegg Says Its Catalytic Converter Allows For an Increase of 300 HP
No, it doesn’t use magic. For a relatively small company, Koenigsegg employs an impressive amount of unique technology developed in-house. Its V8 engines may be based on an older Ford design, but calling them Mustang engines with turbochargers attached would be a vast understatement. Even its catalytic converters are unlike anything else used. Koenigsegg detailed its patented catalytic converter in a recent blog post about all the tech that goes into its engine for the 1160-hp Agera RS. The company claims that its catalytic converter technology allows an increase of…
Read More about this topicTen Car Performance Fads That Need to Go Away
Say no to phony performance badges. As long as there’s been a car culture in America, there have been trendy add-ons and gimmicky products meant to make cars look and sound racier than they really are. These are the worst of the worst. From: Popular Mechanics 1 Gauge Overload It’s smart to keep tabs on your engine. After all, the engine is the heart of the car. Honestly, though, most of the gauges needed to monitor the general workings of the car come straight from factory. If the engine has…
Read More about this topicLand Wing coming to South Africa
Is this a blatant copy? A car manufacturer in China has brought out a brand new model, the Landwing X7. Have a look, do you recognise it? Here at DSG HQ, we think it looks a lot like one of these; The Chinese manufacturer’s latest offering, is an SUV, it looked suspiciously familiar. The Landwing X7 has similar slim headlights, raised waistline the distinctive chunky front end and is even fitted with trendy black alloys. But priced at about R310 000, the X7 is a bargain compared with the Evoque’s…
Read More about this topicBMW M2 vs Ford Focus RS vs Audi RS3
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…
Read More about this topicAll-new 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia revealed – official pictures and details
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…
Read More about this topic2017 Jeep Wrangler Spy Photos: We Get a Peek Underneath
More of the same, and that’s good. What It Is: A current-generation, four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited—or at least that’s what the engineering team driving it wants you to think. Instead, this is in all likelihood an early test mule for the next-generation Wrangler, which is due out in a year or so as a 2017 model. This Wrangler’s bodywork might be unchanged from ordinary Wranglers’ duds, but it is hiding chassis, suspension, and possibly even body enhancements that will appear on the new model. Why It Matters: Few modern vehicles…
Read More about this topicMazda’s Confusing Plan to Resurrect the Famously Dirty Rotary Engine
The Wankel rotary engine is a wonderfully visceral thing. It clatters and sings and produces an absurd amount of power for its size. But it’s also archaic, in the way old cars often are, which makes it odd to think Mazda wants to bring it back. Rotaries are what made Mazda, in cars like the 1968 Sports Cosmo. The sleek two-seater I drove at Mazda’s top-secret Mine test track smelled of gasoline and weathered leather and wood. The houndstooth interior only added to the vintage vibe. No power steering, sticky…
Read More about this topicAudi’s New R18 Race Car Revamps an Incredible Design
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…
Read More about this topicVolkswagen Passat Launching Now in SA
The new Volkswagen Passat will make its way to South Africa in the next few weeks and will go up against the likes of the bmw 3 series and the Toyota Camry along with cars like the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Expect prices to start around the R300k mark and go all the way post the R500k mark for the larger engine versions. On the exterior front, the sloping bonnet, angular headlamps and wide grille running from end to end with prominent chrome slats give it a sense…
Read More about this topicImpreza Concept Looks Great and Teases All Future Subarus, Skin to Bones
And it will be made in the good ole U.S.A. Subaru revealed the Impreza sedan concept at the L.A. Auto Show, and we must say, it looks pretty good! The company had already released a concept of a hatchback version at the Tokyo Auto Show, but we’re glad to see that the four-door maintains the same styling. Of course, the production version will vary from the concept (door handles are nice to have, after all) and will likely be a bit boxier (it is a Subaru), but this sleeker Scoobie is at least a good indicator of the brand’s…
Read More about this topicWatch the LaFerrari, Porsche 918, and McLaren P1 Battle Flat Out on Track
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…
Read More about this topicTen Things You Learn Driving The New Turbo Porsche 911 Carrera
Much has changed, much has stayed the same. Does a turbo ruin the car? We drove the 2016 Porsche 911 Carrera last week on Tenerife, a Spanish island off the coast of Africa. Don’t ask why Porsche decided to launch the face-lift of its most important car on the rim of the western Atlantic. Do ask whether or not the base 911 needs to be turbocharged, and whether or not that serves the model’s character. Answers below. 1. Don’t call it the Porsche 911 Turbo. Because it’s not. Because that car is…
Read More about this topicWatch a 2000-HP Lamborgini Huracán Shatter the Half-Mile World Record
From zero to 238.6 MPH in a half mile. That’s scary fast The Lamborghini Huracán? is already quite fast. With all-wheel drive and more than 600 horsepower coming from a massive V10, it’s able to hit 60 miles per hour in well under 3 seconds. If the driver has room to keep his foot down long enough, the Huracán? has a top speed of more than 200 miles per hour. This Huracán? just hit 238.6 miles per hour. In a half mile. Obviously it’s not stock. With a twin-turbo setup from Underground Racing, it makes a…
Read More about this topicVolkswagen Can’t Keep Up With Huge Surge In Sales
Thanks to heavy incentives, bonus programs, and financing tools, Volkswagen dealers sold more cars in October than the car maker can replenish. It wouldn’t be crazy to assume Volkswagen dealers would be struggling to sell cars in the wake of the company’s diesel emissions scandal. It’s been several months since the news broke, millions of cars are affected, and it feels like every week we find out that it’s even worse than we initially thought. But in actuality, that would be a wrong assumption. As ?Automotive News? reports, many dealers are running…
Read More about this topicSuzuki reveals Swift Sport ahead of global debut
Another unveiling is scheduled for Frankfurt; this time it’s Suzuki’s highly anticipated Swift Sport The new model releases just keep on coming as the Frankfurt motor show approaches — and Suzuki’s Swift Sport is the latest to roll up. Unlike Subaru and Hyundai — releasing teaser sketches — Suzuki has revealed the new Swift Sport in all its glory, over a month ahead of its launch in Germany. According to press material issued by the company this morning, the Swift Sport is based on the Swift S Concept on display…
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