Episode 78 the whole team is back and firing on all four cylinders. 1978 is also a significant in Trevor van de Ven’s car history with the launch of the SAAB 99. In this episode the team also reviews the Daihatsu Terios, one of the only cars that every member of the team has driven and not because it’s so  good.

Episode 78 hi-fi download (28MB)
Episode 78 lo-fi download (16MB)

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Show notes and links after the jump.

Renault announces its advanced service technology which will change the way cars are serviced in the future

The recession has not affected some South Africans as Lexus announces its LFA Super-GT, Aston Martin launches its four-door Rapide and hyper-expensive One77.

ZA Car Show Launch Drive: Alfa Romeo MiTo  MultiAir and Quarifoglio Verde

Sales are up in South Africa according to NAAMSA, is that good or bad?

VW announces its new CrossPolo range

Bugatti Galibier: Eight exhausts for your supersaloon.

And lots of shiny chrome bits, too!

Click “more”, and get more pics, plus a wrap-up of other news in this episode.

Direct file download (28MB)

Frankfurt roundup:

Bugatti Galibier

Aston Martin Rapide

Audi R8 V10 Spyder

Bentley Continental GT Series 51

BMW X1

BMW EfficientDynamics Concept

BMW 5-series Gran Turismo

Ferrari 458 Italia

Forza 3

Ford CMAX

Lamborghini Reventon Roadster

Volkswagen Golf R

Mini Coupé

Mini Roadster

… and a few others.

More of Bugatti's new grand tourer...

Audi's electric R8 concept, the E-Tron

So hot. Obviously, because the sun is beating down on you.

The Continental GT Series 51. Looks sorta plain, doesn't it?

The Rapide, from the outside...

... and a less-boring interior than you'd expect.

The maddest car in the whole wide world.

A Mini with a bigger boot.

BMW's answer to Audi's A5 Sportback.

A baby off-roader. Will no doubt be bested by a Jimny.

The hottest hatch of all? Who knows?

A game... about cars.

Local launch:

Chevrolet Cruze

The new Cruze, from Chevrolet. A bold choice for people in the Corolla segment.

It has a sexy interior to match the striking exterior.

Reviewed:

BMW 323i

The facelifted E90 3-series. This time, in 323 guise.

Lexus GS450h

Lexus' full-hybrid luxury saloon.

This is the nice BMW press shot... (click the 'more' link for the one we were talking about)

Some more pretty BMWs. This one looks particualrly good for some reason, click 'more' to see er, more.

Subtlety's the key, new 308 at a quick glance is not very different to outgoing 307cc...

Show notes and more pretty pictures after the ‘jump’

Direct file download (28.1MB)

In Episode 41 we discuss:

BMW’s gloabl picture unveiling of the X1

Tight

The BMW 7 Series M

The baby Aston

Did you know a baby swan is called a cygnet...? (Christo didn't)

• Audi’s R8 V10 Pricing (PDF File)
• New Model: Peugeot 308CC [Wheels 24]

• Driven: Renault Koleos – something which feels a lot like a Nissan, but decent inside like a Renault. Trevor likes, Christo hates, why?

• Driven: Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0TSI DSG

Christo gets excited about the new Chevrolet Spark, and the team reviews the Renault Twingo 1.2 Dynamique+

"Pah, you peasants! I needed something smaller to get to work and back in; a city car if you will." The new small Rolls Royce is diminutive -- it's only about the size of a BMW 7-Series

The furthest looking thing to a aeroplane wing, but nevertheless unmistakably Spyker

The raging bull just got more...er...enraged.

In the spirit of fast cars... Wait, this is apprently new. New in the way that your grandmother might be young for a 76 year-old.

Direct file download (22.2MB)

More news, links and stories after the jump…

South African Launches:

Audi Q5

Audi has launched that it calls “the sportscar of the SUV landscape” in the Q5 (don’t they all call their SUVs that?), the smaller companion to the bigger Audi Q7 which seems to be selling okay in SA. Summary of press release: its another way for Audi to  secure sales in a segment which seems to be growing as consumers downsize without necessarilly downgrading. Our verdict: the Audi Q5 prettier than most big SUVs but also the BMW X3, VW Tiguan and new Nissan Murano. It’s never going to do any serious offroading anyway, so you may as well buy the one that looks the prettiest, no?

Pretty little microsite

Prices:

2.0 TDI – R407 000
2.0 T FSI – R460 500
3.2 FSI – R515 000
3.0 TDI – R533 500

BMW 7-series

Better looking, mostly while moving

One of the world’s oddest cars got more handsome. The predecessor which has been an unprecedented sales success was never one of the good looking kids. The new 7-series from BMW combines a design that’s easier on the eye, which upset the Ophthalmologists out there, but nevertheless will more than likely be able to steal some sales from the typical luxo-barge leaders Mercedes-Benz. 54-Page press releases summary: Despite sales, we are sorry for subjecting you to the last generation BMW 7-series. To say sorry, we have given you one that with just blend in at the golf club and offer nothing remarkable to make it stand out. “At BMW we talk with our engines;”  this is no different with the new 740i, 750i which are not 4.ol and 5.0l as you might expect and 730d.

Pretty. New i-Drive and normal gear lever.

Another pretty microsite

We also discuss:

• Like that old dog that might just be better off euthanaised but then shows you puppy dog eyes, VW releases yet another version of the VW Citi (Golf 1 circa 1974).
• BMW are pretty poor at keeping secrets – click here to see the X6 M and X5 M – yup, fast SUVs. We don’t know what to say.
• The Geneva Motor Show2009  is in full swing. Click here to see some of the cars we talk about in the show.

Test Driven: Renault Twingo Dynamic+

Looks sporty, feels sporty.

A pretty little super mini from the Frenchies. Not all of us agree and opnions are very different. We can only agree that it offers better value than the Hyndai i10 1.2 High spec.

Vital Stats

• Engine: 1.2; 4-cyl 16 valve (56kW/107Nm)
• Gearbox: 5-Speed
• 0-100km/h: 12 sec
• Max speed: 170km/h
• Fuel Consumption l/100km (Combined/urban/extra-urban): 5.7/7.5/4.7
• CO2 emissions: 132g/km
• Safety: 4-airbags (driver/passenger/sides), ABS, EBD, EBA, auto-lock doors, ISOFIX child restraints
• Comfort: MP3 cabable single CD player, satellite audio controls on steering column, auto-headlights, auto-wipers
• Price: R133 500

Individual Seats. You will not fit more than two in here.

Funky dash you can even buy plasic grass for it

Getting better at this podcasting thing, the regular team of Christo, Patrick and Trevors squared are talking about the loads of motoring news to his the South African shores this week.  We drive the Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG and pour over some lovely exotica released at the Paris Auto Show 2008. 

In this week’s show we discuss…

Nissan’s solution to the long in the tooth Nissan Champ with the announcement of the replacement the Nissan NP 200, drag racers hang their heads in shame…

We talk the about the down turn in the local motoring industry, GM lays of workers and Ford stops exporting ROCAM engines from SA: costs jobs  

South Africa announces the Joule, South Africa’s first locally designed car in a long time. It’s electric too…

New Car Launch: Lexus Hybrids, the RX400h SUV and GS450h executive saloon.  A fight ensues and we almost pull out the gloves, if you’ve been wondering about this ‘performance hybrid’ tag line from Lexus, listen to this.

Four door supercars, we talk about the Lamborghini Estoque, Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera 

Abarth 500 Essesse, 147kw in a small car, fast Fiats are back

Test Driven: The Audi A5 3.2FSI, Trevor van de Ven offers his opinion and comes back quite surprised  most surprising is the Bang&Olufsen sound option

Test Driven: Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG, the gentleman assassin. The car that people who bail out the American Financial Services industry drive.

And more…

Direct file download (32.5MB)

• The world’s prettiest cars according to a top 10 list provided by Jalopnik, including Alfas, Astons, Audis and others.
• Audi’s new A4 Avant arrives.
• Car-buying costs – how dealers are shafting us.
• Ridiculous option lists and how they bite you in the ass when selling.
• Audi – again – with the RS6. Who’d pay a million bucks for an Audi? (R8 excluded)
• The big three from Germany. How are Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz stacking up, today?
• Some talk about the 2006 Auto Africa Expo, and tips from us for the next expo…
• Speaking of Auto Africa -  we mention a little surprise for Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS, ex Auto Africa).
• Power! We think some cars have way to much power. What do you think?
• We ponder whether hot hatches have lost the plot. We talk about the Civic Type-R, Focus ST, Golf GTI and more.
• Tuckie shares some Opel love. And Trevor van de Ven admits to lusting after a BMW.
• Trevor and Christo talk about the SEAT Leon Cupra, which they’ve driven, and we talk about the SEAT range overall.
• Trevor spotted the face lifted Focus ST in traffic, which leads us onto the Focus RS and LSDs in front-wheel drive cars.
• Tuckie laments the demise of Subaru’s Impreza sedan, which they’ve now replaced with a hatch. He compares its shape to a potato, and mentions how the new Evo X looks a lot hotter.
• Patrick tells us about his atrocious service experience at a certain Alfa dealership. We might make this a regular spot. Not because his car’s always at the dealership, but because there’s always some clutchplate messing things up for motorists.

And more…

Direct file download (29MB)