ZA Car

For those who’re unfamiliar with the infamous sound of a VTEC (yo) cam changeover, here’s a short clip. It’s a Civic fitted with Honda’s B16A motor – a 185hp (137kW) 1.6-litre, with quite an aggressive VTEC cam profile. Notice how the mundane engine note changes to a shriller, more-urgent howl as it passes the 5 000RPM mark.

Now, with an example of what VTEC sounds like, imagine what it would be like if humans were fitted with this Jekyll-and-Hyde camshaft system. We think this guy knows quite well.

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The fine folks at Autocar took an Audi R8 V10 and the UK-only Honda Civic Type-R Mugen (the big, bad 177kW version) around some mountain passes. At speed. While the R8 is a fine piece of kit, we think the Civic is the more special car in this case.

So, to help settle the debate we’re inviting you to vote in our poll, or just sound off in the comments on which of these cars would be your choice. Fight!

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Ariel’s fabled superlight track car, the Atom, has many admirers the world over. But the built-from-scaffolding-and-horsepower go-kart, famous for turning Jeremy Clarkson’s face into putty, now has a new version.

It's just a cartoony rendering - but expect the real car to be way more serious.

While the original was available with a supercharged, 300-horsepower (224kW) Honda Civic Type-R motor, its new Mugen special has an engine tuned by the British arm of Honda’s racing specialists. The limited edition Atom Mugen boasts a bespoke 270-horsepower (201kW), naturally aspirated motor. It’s 25-horsepower (19kW) more than the regular engine in the Atom 3, with power coming from strengthened internals and the like.

Ariel says this raises the light little car’s power-to-weight ratio to a whopping 549-horsepower per ton: more than even a Veyron. This helps the Ariel race to 100km/h in about 3 seconds and on to a top speed of a 245km/h. More than you’ll need to kick ass on the straights and bends at most of the world’s famous race tracks.

Only ten Atom Mugens will be built, with each one having a plaque signed by the Ariel and Mugen engineers who worked on the car.

Of course, the announcement of one track car isn’t enough. We want more. And Caterham – famous for its certified Lotus 7-based kit cars – this week also unveiled its new SP/300R racer. It’s a mini LMP, of sorts, similar to the Radical SR3 and Lotus 2-Eleven.

The SP, Caterham’s first new car in more than 20 years, is purely track focused with obvious race bits like exhaust ducted and adjustable aero, and pushrod dampers. Motivation comes courtesy of a 300-horsepower (224kW) supercharged version of the 2-litre Ford Duratec engine (previously seen in the Fiesta ST and, amusingly, built in Chihuahua, Mexico). Stopping power comes courtesy of an AP Racing brake system and grip from bespoke Cooper racing slicks.

Caterham will only make 25 of them this year, for a one-make series starting in 2012, while there are no plans for a road-going version just yet. Then again, why bother posing on a stylish boulevard when you could be carving corners at Killarney or Kyalami?

(Photo credits: Caterham and Ariel).

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Is the performance car dead? We wave goodbye to the iconic Civic Type R because its 2-litre four-pot puts out too many carbons. It seems rather ridiculous, but coming from a manufacturer that has positioned itself as the leading ‘green’ auto supplier, it was bound to happen.

That said, some people throw caution to the wind and flip the bird to such trivial regulations. Some people are like successful businessman Michael Stoschek, and his son Maximilian, who commissioned the Lancia Stratos from Pininfarina. The new Stratos is based on the guts of a Ferrari F430 while the bodywork is crafted completely from carbon fiber providing an awesome power to weight ratio and weight distribution.

Despite how much it sounds like a TV actress, the Morgan EvaGT is a four seater from British sportscar builder, Morgan. It uses a turbo inline V6 from BMW and has some pretty healthy credentials to help it reach 100km/h in 4.5 seconds. It’s still a plasticine model, but will likely be in the coming year and it will be very, very expensive.

Criticised for looking too old, now it looks too modern. Will Morgan ever get it right?

Did Audi go X-R8[ed] with its new Spyder? In SA we only get the V10, which is probably better.  Does it look as good as its hard-topped brother?

We'll take it, even in this chocolate-box brown.

Launch Drive: Christo van Gemert joined a bunch of other journalists who go on car launches, drink lots of alcohol and eat for a living to experience the Honda CRZ – a new hybrid from Honda and the first in the first for the brand in SA. Is is a R300 000 car?

ZACS Test: FIAT 500C. A write-up on this magnificent little convertible coming soon.

Episode 88 hi-fi download (29MB)
Episode 88 lo-fi download (16MB)

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Our dear Trevor van de Ven, fan of strange cars and unofficial economy run champion, decided not to join the team this week. Instead, he took the early train home, to see if this is the future of commuting in Johannesburg. That left the  remaining three hosts of your favourite motoring podcast to take to the microphones and be concise about the motoring news for the week that was. Except, the waffle on. Like right now.

Old and new - hard to believe it's been ten years with the X5.

This past week marked the production of the one millionth BMW X5. It’s been ten years since the first X5 rolled off the production line in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and now number 1 000 000 (a black one xDrive35i, with tan leather) has been delivered to its happy owner in Beijing, China.

The terrible trio also talk about some local arrivals, spying VW’s Amarok, a sporting weekend and review a big, fat diesel monster from Audi.

Episode 79 hi-fi download (28MB)
Episode 79 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.

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