ZA Car Show: Episode 85

Is there room for really expensive track machines in South Africa? Apparently so, otherwise KTM would not have launched the X-Bow here. Episode 85 also covers the new Chev Spark Heavy, Ford Figo and face-lifted BMW 3-series, in both coupe and convertible form. Also on the cards is the very frugal Fiat 500 TwinAir, and the not so frugal Ford Focus RS – both of which will be coming to our shores.

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Episode 85 hi-fi download (32MB)

Episode 85 lo-fi download (16MB)

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Show notes and links after the jump.

KTM, the motorcycle manufacturer, will be flogging is X-Bow track day special for just under a million bucks. Will it sell? At least one has, already.

A new hypercar from Mercedes-Benz in the form of the SLS (to replace its SLR) lights up Kyalami, in what must have been a very exclusive launch for every man and his dog except ZA Car Show. Boo, we say.

Probably the hottest car from "regular" brand, right now.

Ford re-enters the cheap and cheerful entry-level car space, after the demise of the Ka, with the Figo, a Polo Vivo / Fiat Punto / Renault Sandero competitor.

Chevrolet’s refreshed Spark Lite gets the urban offroader treatment a-la Rover Streetwise and VW Crosspolo, while the new Spark looks certain to throw the gauntlet to the Fiat Punto and Hyundai i20, after its awesome launch in Cape Town.

BMW’s face-lifted 3-series coupe/convertible; need we say more, apart from spot the difference?

Good news for us, bad news for Fiat (since it can’t seem to sell a glass of water to a dehydrated man in the desert): Fiat’s 500 TwinAir  will be in SA in 2011.

They had to add some plastic to make it look bigger.

Pic courtesy of AutoExpress – click to read more about the car.

Something that wont have a problem shifting the fifty units destined for SA: Ford’s 224kW/440Nm Focus RS. We want one in white.

Another spot the difference: Toyota’s New Corolla.