The team is down to two people this week, with Christo watching some Afrikaans rap star while Tuck works on a race car for the weekend of historics (or is that hysterics?) racing. Patrick Gearing and Trevor van de Ven, man the mics and mixing desk to bring you the one of the leanest ZACS episodes in a long time.

In this episode we talk about the South African launch of the Alfa MiTo MultiAir-engined models as well as the introduction of a new roadster from Nissan, the 370Z. Most notably, however is the review by Trevor on the Hyundai i30, a car which can [and should] change the motoring landscape of South Africa.

Episode 71 hi-fi download (28MB)
Episode 71 lo-fi download (16MB)

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Show notes and links after the jump.

New Jeep Grand Cherokee breaks cover in the US [link to the US microsite]

South Africa sees the introduction of the Nissan 370Z Convertible

Local launch: Alfa Mito Quadrifoglio Verde and Multiair [via: Times Live]

Spot the difference, er yes, the press car didn't have any options so you can't.

Driven: Hyundai i30

Pretty, but a bit bland

The design is distinctly European

So cushy in here, it's like being in bed

We’re back in full swing this week, joined by Russell Bennett from Drive Magazine online (link goes to magazine), South Africa’s free online motoring publication. It’s been a slow week on the international front, but we at two significant models introduced in South Africa, the BMW X1 and Mercedes Benz E-Class Cabriolet.

Nice chassis... apparently.

Episode 71 hi-fi download (28MB)
Episode 71 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.

Lexus GX 460 SUV has been pulled from sale in the US. The ZACS team discusses the lunacy of this idea and all the other recalls taking place in the US of A.  However, this is essentially the new Toyota Prado, which Toyota has remained very quiet about. [via: MSNBC]

Be careful, you might just get the tail to slide out in which case you will die says the US magazine Consumer Report

BMW X1 – Christo believes this SUV actually has a purpose, listen to find out why… it’s got nothing to do with the girl in the main post [images via Timeslive]

Mercedes Benz E-Class Cabriolet – the return of the elegant cabrio [images via Timeslive]

Nissan has facelifted the Qashqai for 2010, and the range now includes a model with a CVT ‘box – hopefully better than the dreary manual in the 1.6-litre. Also new to the range is a Qashqai+2, a seven-seater model of this class-leading crossover hatchback. Perhaps a ZACS road trip is in order to test out its new seating arrangement…

Volkswagen – perhaps in an attempt to remind us that it still makes this model – has revised its Transporter and Caravelle T5 minibuses. The lineup now includes a newer 2-litre turbodiesel mill, DSG gearboxes and about seventeen thousand different models, see below if you don’t believe us.

Caravelle and Transporter lineup

ZACS Cars of the Episode’s Year: The team chooses their most memorable cars from the year 1971

Fresh from the Easter break, Christo van Gemert and Trevor Tuck are joined in studio by Trevor van de Ven. Again. They bring us the announcement news for  the 2010 World Car of the Year, Renault, and a partnership that might give birth to a Mercedes-Benz Twingo or Smart NP200.

Tuck and Christo have also driven the Mistubishi Pajero Sport. Find out why it’s name lets it down a bit, and why Tuck derides it but also wants one so badly…

Letting the name down or holding the side up, that is the question.

Episode 70 hi-fi download (20MB)
Episode 70 lo-fi download (10MB)

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Show notes and links after the jump.In episode 70 we discuss:

World Car of the Year for 2010, and quite possibly South Africa’s next car of the year: the Volkswagen Polo [via: World Car of the Year]

Polo Wins

Renault, Nissan and Mercedes Benz join forces for the development of new small engines and platform sharing [via: New York Times] – great blog post on the partnership here

Renault launches the Laguna Coupé in South Africa [via Wheels24]

Think of it basically as a Nissan 350z...

...but much prettier.

Ford invests R3-billion in South Africa for exports  [via: Business Day]

Driven: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. Is it good enough to command a premium over the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest? What about it’s name, is the Pajero moniker enough?

ZACS Car of the year challenge: This episode we cover cars from 1970.

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.

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

In case you were wondering where the show was last week, we had such a good chat with Des Fenner of General Motors, we decided we could not let you hear it until all the top-secret stuff he mentioned to us has been officially announced. That’s our story anyway. The interview with GM will be broadcast towards the end of August right before it launches the Cruze (oops).

This week our hybrid expert is on leave which saves us from focussing too much on the environment and instead ponder about the stupidness of the evergreen Citi Golf from VW, some green BMWs, a pretty Merc station wagon and some Audi prices. We also go off-roading in a Jeep Wranger Rubicon and Land Rover Defender 110 SVX60.

Direct file download (23.9MB)

For links to news and more show notes click on the little ‘more’ under this sentence.

BMW Vision Concept [via Bimmerpost ]

Sleek profile, looks practical too. BMW marketers go WTF?

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon[via CNet Car Tech]

As far as wagons go, this is very pretty

You could fit a coffin in there without any conversions

Schumacher’s return to racing [Update: he's out again, Tuck sheds a tear]

Nissan GTRs set tyres on SA soil…er tarmac. South Africans only like silver it seems.

Silver's a popular colour; white, not so much.

Driven: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.8

The front view. 4x4 can be fun in one of these.

That's some articualtion and I dont mean the way Christo speaks

Driven: Land Rover Defender SVX 60

Rather than being a war hero, this should be charged with war crimes. It's just too old now.

Coming at you this week with the mad flavour of ZACS which is high in auto news insight an opinion and low in Christohydrates. The truth is Christo was swanning about on the Port Elizabeth Riviera, South Africa testing the new VW Passat CC (sorry we’re not allowed to call it a Passat anymore).

The team covers what turned out to be a very busy news week for the motor industry both locally and abroad. Hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come.

The pretty new SAAB 9-5. Trevor van de Ven has a thing for Swedes

The last time Christo tried to say "Sexy Ass" to a Mazda driver he got a blue eye.

Show notes and links to news stories after the jump.

Direct file download (31MB)

• Porsche tries to take over VW, raises too much debt and now gets taken over by the VW it wanted to control [via Autonews]
• SAAB unveils pictures of the new 9-5 [via Topgear]
• John Surtees’ son, Henry, dies in a freak accident [via GrandPrix.com] Link to YouTUBE clip of the incident
• New Volkswagen CC [More on ZA Car Twitter feed]
• New Mazda 3

We would have expected a little more excitement in here if the exterior is anything to go by

• Nissan GTR Prices for South Africa announced [via ZA Car Twitter feed]

Nissan GTR

R499 000 will buy you the new Nissan 370Z Manual with rev matching ...but for a bit less you could also get this - MINI Cooper JCW WC

More show notes and a video of the rev matching technology from Nissan after the jump…

Direct file download (27.1MB)

In Episode 38 we discuss:

• The new GM Chariman: “I know nothing about cars” — well there’s a good place for GM to start. – [Autoblog]
• Renault told by Chinese authorities its cars are not safe – [Bloomberg]
• Audi R8 V10 and Audi Q7 V12 TDI order books open in SA – [Wheels24]
• MINI JCW WC50 Edition – there’s a name to make RenaultSport naming conventions look silly
• Some other cool MINIs:
  • AC Schnitzer – [Top Gear]
  • Karmann MINI Convertible with Union Jack soft top – [mini2] via [Autoexpress]
• Driven: 2009 Nissan 370Z

• ZA Car Show opinion: What technology should all cars come standard with?

Is this the future of motoring? We hope not...

...this is more like it.

Direct file download (28.9MB)

Click here for some shownotes and extra links to some interresting news:

In this Episode  30 we discuss:

• GM and Segway partner to develop some ridiculous concept featured above; GM should rather be developing products that will help it through the slump
• First pictures of the Nissan 370Z Roadster
• BMW oficially unveil the BMW X6 and X5 M-models
• Tata Nano
• GM in South Africa cut a great deal of models from its price list; leave buyers with little choice in the Opel range
• South African launch: VW Scirocco
• Car gadgets reviewed by the team
  • http://tinyurl.com/H2Hbreath – breathalyser keychain
  • http://tinyurl.com/solarbt – Solar Bluetooth car kit
  • http://tinyurl.com/incarmp4 – in-car MP4 player
• Garmin  ecoRoute – free ecological route planning software for Garmin Nuvi 2(x)5 and 7(x)5 models www.garmin.com/ecoroute

Christo was dissapointed...listen to the show to find out more