CAR March 2022

Greetings CAR readers. Wow, 65 years of South Africa’s biggest and best automotive magazine. That is 781 magazines – and it would’ve been 782 if it weren’t for the combined April/May mag in 2020 owing to the coronavirus. It was the only time in our history that there has ever been a combined issue! That’s a whole lot of motoring, and it has me reflecting on everything the car industry has been through of late: COVID-19 restrictions, semi-conductor shortages, missed build slots and production delays. I wonder if previous editors like Robert Key or John Wright could’ve foreseen such an occurrence back then. Yet, somehow, the cogs in the machine have kept turning. Motoring folk are nothing if not industrious … and that’s why you’ve got to love ’em. Editorially, we’ve got…

Behold, the startling result of what happens when BMW X meets M with no limitations. To say BMW’s design department is not afraid to shake things up of late – with the new 4 Series, 2 Series and iX – would be the understatement of the decade. Versus this new Concept XM, however, the penmanship of the aforementioned comes across as positively tame. Even compared to its namesake, the controversial-forits-time Citroën XM (European Car of the Year in 1990 if you’re a French car anorak), the BMW XM looks like it hails from outer space. Aesthetics aside, what exactly is the BMW Concept XM? Broad strokes, it’s based on a BMW X7 that has been chiselled down with a low coupé-SUV roofline and splashed with extra design flair. The cherry on…

In response to what Toyota calls an “unexpected change” in demand for battery-electric vehicles (BEV), Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, has announced a fresh emphasis on carbon-neutral technology. This will come in the shape of 16 all-new BEVs to go on sale by 2030, bringing the firm’s total battery-electric car park to 30. Moreover, where Toyota currently sells two million BEVs per annum, it is aiming to almost double that figure to 3,5 million, for a global total of 10 million vehicle sales annually. Toyota also expects 100% of sales in Europe, North America and China to be BEV by 2030. Of course, for a company with such a large car park and such lofty ambitions, Toyoda believes combustion engines will still play a dominant role elsewhere in…

Tired of the same old sportscars? Meet the incredible-looking Radford Type 62-2, the first step in the British firm’s master plan. The name itself harks back to customised Minis of the ’50s and ’60s but, in 2021, Radford is a start-up focused on making a big impact in compact sportscars. The story begins with the Type 62-2 (pictured), a stunning retro-modern take on the Lotus’ 62 racer. Using a 447 kW supercharged 3,5-litre V6 from Lotus, it is all analogue … no hybrid-electric tech to see here, thank you very much, and the chassis and handling has been developed at Lotus’ Hethel test track with Jenson Button as the test pilot. Built from a blend of carbon fibre and aluminium, it weighs less than 1 000 kg. Radford chose to…

Q1 Audi e-tron Audi e-tron Sportback Audi e-tron GT/RS e-tron GT BMW i3 BMW i4 BMW 2 Series Coupé Bentley Continental GT Speed Fiat 500X Sport Cabriolet Hyundai Kona N Hyundai i30 N DCT Jeep Compass Isuzu D-Max Kia Sonet 1,0 T-GDi Kia Sorento Kia Carnival Lexus NX Maserati MC20 Mazda CX-5 Nissan Qashqai Opel Grandland Opel Mokka Porsche 911 GT3 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Renault Clio Subaru Forester Suzuki Jimny GL Suzuki Celerio Volvo XC60 Volkswagen Polo and Polo GTI Volkswagen Golf R Volkswagen Tiguan R Q2 Audi RS3 Sportback/Sedan Ferrari 296 GTB Hyundai Tucson Kia Sportage Lexus LX McLaren 765 LT Spider Mercedes-Benz EQA Mercedes-Benz EQB Mercedes-Benz EQS Range Rover Renault Captur Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Q3 Aston Martin Valhalla Ferrari 812 Competizione Honda HR-V Honda BR-V Maserati Grecale Subaru WRX Toyota GR 86 Volkswagen Taigo Q4 Alfa Romeo Tonale Ford Ranger Hyundai Alcazar Jeep Grand Cherokee Kia EV6 McLaren Artura Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Maybach Mitsubishi ASX Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Mitsubishi Triton Rolls-Royce Spectre Volkswagen Amarok *Please note this list is in no way exhaustive and dates may be impacted by production and delivery delays.…

Gillette Heated Razor Bugatti Limited Edition $139,99 (±R2 200) The chances of even the most well-to-do tenderpreneur owning a Bugatti are incredibly slim, with the multimillion-rand price tag and ridiculous ad valorem tax and import duties. Realistically, the closest any of us will get to owning anything sporting the word Bugatti is probably this limited edition razor from Gillette. It’s not just a narrow marketing exercise, mind you. According to Bugatti, “It combines the forces of two world-class innovators – one for luxury grooming and the other at the cutting-edge of automotive engineering – to make every shaving experience exceptional.” It is a superb gift for a car enthusiast. The award-winning, first-of-its-kind heated razor warms up in seconds to deliver a soothing hotto wel-like shaving experience from the comfort of your bathroom. It is…