Episode 82 is packed with fun, featuring cars both fast and slow. With speed and lap records were being broken, it provided a bit of solace for those of us who thought that the era of big engines and crazy horsepower is nearly dead. Happily, it’s quite far from that.

Mercedes Benz SA: If you're listening, we want one of these...

Instead, we see Mercedes Benz’s C63 DR520, and the Mercedes-powered Pagani Zonda which broke smashed the Nurburgring lap record. The team also takes a look at (probably) the slowest cars to ever tackle the task, measuring the time in months rather than minutes. Trevor van de Ven reviews the Polo Vivo and comes away with some fresh, new views on the budget hatch segment. Listen to the show to find out more.

Episode 82 hi-fi download (29MB)
Episode 82 lo-fi download (16MB)

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Join the ZA Car Show fan page on Facebook, here.

Show notes and links after the jump.

The standard C63 AMG has 450 horsepower, so nobody was accusing it of being slow. Not content with having the most powerful sedan in its class, the Mercedes Specialist Products Division, headquartered at the Brooklands race track in England, has released the new limited-production DR 520, complete with matte paintwork [via Autoblog]

Wagon please!

Pagani’s Zonda R smashes the ‘Ring record recently set by the Ferrari 599XX; not by miliseconds, but by 11 full seconds. Do you think Ferrari will take this lying down? Probably not…[via Evo]

So fast even the picture blurred

Slowest Ring cars

Audi A7 spied [via World Car Fans]

ZACS Test Drive: 2010 Polo Vivo 1.4 5-door

Plain... yet perfect.

Familiar, in a few ways.

Click here for prices and options or here for a worthy competitor

1980 heralded in an exciting era for the motor car. For most of us listening to ZACS, its the era of motoring that we grew up with. 2010, 30 years later, is no less exciting. This week we discuss the Gautrain, new technology from BMW and the leaking of the new Volkwagen Jetta images.

Have a quick dose of boring. Sure to stir the greys just a little.

We also review the BMW 530d GT and discuss the cars that changed the motoring landscape for 1980′s. Trevor van de Ven, of course, chose the most sensible option while the rest battled it out with mediocre to rubbish cars.

Google's clever street view technology is enabled by these clever Toyota Prius Hybrids

Episode 80 hi-fi download (28MB)
Episode 80 lo-fi download (16MB)

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Join the ZA Car Show fan page on Facebook, here.

Show notes and links after the jump.

The Gautrain, how will it transform the motoring landscape in South Africa.

BMW develops and showcases MicroNavigation – a technology which just wowed Tuck and Gearbox so that they were speechless for half the show checking out Google Maps which recently launched Street View in South Africa.  [Via AutoBlog and BMW]

Secret Jetta VI pics leaked to the motoring press. Looks like a Polo/AudiA4 mixture [via Autoblog]

2011 VW Jetta

VW announces new engines for its local Jetta V lineup

Hyundai looks set to launch an i30-based MPV – probably to replace the horridly named TraJet [via: World Car Fans]

Range Rover plumps the new diesel engines from the Land Rover Discovery into its Bag-Daddy Vogue [via: World Car Fans]

Driven: BMW 530d GT

Just in case you thought the R8 was for poseurs, Autoblog shows us the GT

Volvos definitely ARE sexy these days

Episode 74 hi-fi download (28MB)
Episode 74 lo-fi download (16MB)

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Join the ZA Car Show fan group on Facebook, here.

Show notes and links after the jump.

The Audi R8 GT throws down its soft leather driving gloves in favour of a gauntlet. [Via Autoblog]

Nissan should be quivering with the new VW Amarok on the horizon; it will be revealed at an agricultural show, the NAMPO Harvest Day soon. Farmers, get out your cheque books…

Fiat Punto 1.2 – Budget gets sexy too

Probably the best 'cheap' car on sale in South Africa today...

The Ranger Wildtrak brings added style and exclusivity to the already popular line-up of Ford Ranger models.

New Cars: Hyundai IX35 – flip it and this is what you might see. Certainly is a sexi car.

Sex! or Sexi - you decide.

Driven: Volvo C30 1.6

Click here for specs

…and here for more pics

Now with that out of the way, the fourth podcast of the year sees a team reunited. With all the seats filled the show is packed with more comment on Toyota’s recall in South Africa, a fresh onslaught of new vehicles expected at Geneva in a couple of weeks and ZA Car Show bring you the pricing of the BMW F10, BMW’s new 5-series. This came about as a glitch in the online virtual dealer on the local BMW ‘site revealed the pricing and spec-options ahead of the vehicle’s local launch.

MINI-rival will probably be better have fewer rattles and drive better

Episode 65 direct download (28MB) – or subscribe via iTunes here

For news and show notes click ‘more’

Audi A1 officially revealed ahead of the Geneva Auto Salon. The MINI-competitor was officially unveiled as a concept in 2007 and Audi has had the following showcase on its website for some time now. Click here for the Audi site. [News via EVO]

Renault revealed its Twingo-based coupe/convertible, the Renault Wind. Stop making jokes about  farts. Click here to go to the official Renault Microsite 12-seconds open to coupe to convertible makes this one of the fastest folding roofs in the business. [via Topspeed]

MX5-competitor: this Twingo based coupe will be a cracker if it's even half as good as the Twingo RS.

Renault reveals that the Megane will become available at the end of 2010 in South Africa.

Nissan Juke is not a Joke. Baby sister to the Qashqai and more than likely a MINI Countryman competitor [via: Automotorblog].

Ugly Stick: This was hit by it.

Porsche GT3 R-hybrid [via: Auto123]

KERS for a Porsche, don't let the Hybrid tag fool you.

GM strikes a deal with NASA to build a humanoid robot for space adventures. Perhaps it should strike a deal which will see it build cars that people want before committing to pie in the sky ideas.

BMW 5-series pricing leaked by accident. Listen to the show to find out more.

Rolls Royce Ghost officially unveiled in SA to exclusive customers (I guess all Rolls Royce customers are exclusive anyway).

Competition prize, courtesy of Have2Have.

ZA Car Show Challenge: New cars for R200 000 or less. Each member of the crew picks a car they’d most likely spend their money on. Just for interest’s sake, some rough numbers:

• R200 000 financed, with a R30 000 deposit: 60 repayments of about R4 000 each. Insurance should cost around R900 – R1 200, depending on the relationship with your broker.
• R160 000 financed, with a R30 000 deposit: 54 repayments of about R3 300 each. Insurance is slightly less, at about R600 – R900.
• The average price for a cheap 16-inch tyre? R1 000 or so.
• Prices for 15-inch tyres: R500 – R1 300.
• Service costs: Thankfully most of the cars we look at have service plans, but bank on between R1 100 and R2 000 for a regular service.

This show kicks off with a brief summary of the North American International Auto Show which jump starts the motoring calendar each year in Detroit. The flavour was electrifying, which is interesting since South Africa might be pushed along that route sooner than we might think with Government’s proposal impose emissions taxes on new imported vehicles.

Another pretty VW in the same mould as the Passat CC

The handsome concept...

Direct file download (18MB)

Click ‘more’ for news links and stories…

• Click here for a photo tour of the Detroit Auto Show – NAIAS
• Autoblog’s summary of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show
• Volkswagen Coupe Concept unveiled – a Jetta Coupé. Pretty. [via AutoBlog]
• South Africa proposes a ‘green tax’ on imported cars. [via Fin24]
• The TT-RS arrives locally [via Audi]

Patrick has a point...listen to find out

Links, pictures and more after the jump.

Direct file download (26MB)

Driven: BMW Z4

Driven: Hyundai H1

Driven: Audi S4

The ZA Car Show – Cars of the year

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.

Jeep kindly gave ZACS a Jeep J8 for a bit of a comparative test…with a Suzuki Jimny, we’re still trying to work out of we are surprised about the Jimny or the Jeep  both of which equally thrilled when thrown into ridiculous off-road situations.

Jeep J8 and some of its siblings.

For more show notes, pictures of the Suzuki and Jeep excursion and other interesting news  clickerize ‘more’ under this post.

Direct file download (31.6MB)

• Under new VW ownership Porsche plans to kill off non-core models like the Panamera and Cayenne to focus on sports cars [via World Car Fans]
• Porsche then promptly announces the 911 Sport Classic – a model which harks backs to the early 70′s Porsche Carrera RS [via Carscoop]

Arguably better looking than the original

• Fiat Punto Evo: as its name implies it is the next generation Punto with a little more obvious FIAT 500 DNA and FIAT’s Multiair engine [via Eurocarblog]

Still good looking, but many people prefer the original

• Volvo C70 undergoes a bit of a controversial nip and tuck [via Autoblog]

The Volvo corporate styling comes to the C70

• Lexus models also go under the knife and get minor spec changes[via: World Car Fans]
• BMW Vision Concept,  a truly fast hybrid car from BMW with proper hybrid credentials [via: Wired.com]

Remember the orange BMW M1 "Concept"? This bares more than a striking resemblance

• Audi A5 Cabriolet, not yet officially launched in SA, but ZACS breaks the news [Audi A5 Microsite]
• FIAT’s budget saloon car the Linea is officially launched to local press, ZACS drives it

It's good looking, more stylised than the Ford Ikon. Poor choice of engine Christo says though.

• The Nissan Murano’s shows its ugly face in South Africa

Looks like it fell out of a dow and got smacked by the ugly samurai...

The Qashqai DNA runs strong in this one

• Google starts mapping SA, more importantly in Toyota Prius Hybrids

Poles sticking out of Prius roofs became a problem...

• Driven: Suzuki Jimny and non-civilian Jeep J8

Looking a little our of place amongst the Jeeps...

The little Jimny that thought it could...could

Who needs a Jeep for this stuff...

Unless, of course, it's a Jeep J8.

What a pretty car. This is what good car design is about...

Ooh la la

For more images, links to news stories and useful info click the ‘more’ tag underneath this here line…

Direct file download (26.8MB)

IIHS Roof strength test results: Small cars [via: Autoblog]

Super strong thanks to the Tridion cell

World Health Organisation release results on primary fatalities in different age bands, guess what, cars kill quite a number of people – number one global killer of 15-29 year-olds [via: TTAC]

Seat releases its hottest Cupra yet. We predicted green will be the next performance car colour; we were right [via: Topgear]

One hot Spaniard and it's not Fernando Alonso

Lexus CT drawings leaked. Small Lexus is set to compete with mid-sized hatchbacks and expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show [via Topgear]

Porsche reveals its new GT3RS track monster, little boys will have wet dreams about this car

Perhaps there’s a bit of Arab influence in the colour and design themes? [via: Auto News Europe]

Bentley shows us its latest model. This is a proper Bentley

Click on the coloured and underlined words for the link to the Bentley microsite for the Mulsanne

Audi launches its new S4 in South Africa, will the BMW 335i competitor have the boost to compete on power and price?

Suzuki’s pocket-sized Alto launched in South Africa. The 3-cylinder mini-car will hopefully woo some customers to the brand which seems to be gaining in popularity

Renault launches its newest revisons of the Clio 3; cuts the model line to two from ten

Driven: Nissan 370Z [click for link to Nissan site for specs and details]

Great looking exterior and fantastic performing engine

...is let down by a bit of a low-rent interior

The 3-point seatbelt turn 50, saves many lives.

The space wheel shows what is used on the moon, but will it be the tyre of the future on earth?

Show notes, cool pictures and links to news after the jump…

Direct file download (27.2MB)

Good Year Spring Tyre [via Designboom]

3 point safety belt turns 50 [via Volvo Safety Microsite]

BMW X6 and 7-series ActiveHybrid

ActiveHybrid system mated to a clunking huge engine

Good to see BMW's taken the step, but others seem to do hybrid technology better

• Speculation Audi A5 pricing
• FIAT Strada 1.4
• Toyota Prius

Driven: Golf 6 TSI

This 90kw/200Nm engine powers....

...this car, and it does so brilliantly!

Driven: Opel Corsa Sport 1.6

The little devil car

Long term update: FIAT Grande Punto 1.4 T-Jet