ZA Car

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We’re two-up so there is just enough space for this week’s ZA Car Show crew of Christo and Trevor in the new MINI Roadster. It’s the sixth model in the MINI range and and looks better than the Coupe at least. Christo, however, disagrees.

It's actually quite a nice looking car, sleek and sporty. Some say it's there to lay the smack down to the Mazda MX5 brigade, but the reality lies firmly in the positioning of this car. A quick look at the press shots (which you can see by clicking on this image - right click and select open in new window/tab for best results) show it very much as an urban hipster runabout, which is not quite the same market that the MX5 attracts.

In Episode 139, we also get feedback on the local launch of the Nissan Juke, introduce ourselves to a facelifted friend, the Volkswagen Tiguan, and talk about one of the most significant models to be launched this year and it’s a pick-up truck, the Ford Ranger. Want to hear more about the Chevrolet Sonic? Well that’s in this episode too.

Handsome: check. Tastefully styled: check. Decent equipment levels: check. This Chevrolet Sonic seems to be a decent car entering into the Hyundai i20/Ford Fiesta/Mazda 2/Volkswagen Polo battle and it looks like a good alternative. Take a listen to find out what more. Click on the image for a full gallery.

The show is rounded off by two car reviews that surprise – good or bad – and delight. You’ll have to take a listen to find which and hear more about the Mazda 5 people mover and Renault’s Megane CC 1.4 tCe.

One of the best Mazdas bar none. No questions, no debate. To find out why take a listen to the show. Click on the image to view a full gallery.

Christo gives you the low-down on the local launch of the Nissan Juke. Click on the image to see a full comprehensive gallery of this car.

It seems to be a prevailing trend, but two-tone hard tops look quite daft. Have a listen to the review of the Megane CC in this episode to find out what we have to say or click on the image for a full gallery of images for this car.

Episode 139 hi-fi download (18MB) 
Episode 139 lo-fi download (9MB)

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We’re joined this week by our friend from TimesLIVE and Sunday Times motoring, Thomas Falkiner. Together he, John Beale and Trevor van de Ven go back to the future with the DeLorean EV; talk about the local launch of the BMW 1-Series (F20); South African launch of the Nissan Juke and Tom gives us the low-down on the brand new BMW ///M5 (F10) having been one of the select few to drive it in Spain earlier this month.

Finally, if you’ve always considered buying something outside of the mainstream models and have not been able to bring yourself to do so, you should probably take a listen to our review on the Volvo V60 and S60 T6 R-Design that the crazy three got to drive. Go on, take a listen, download the file to listen later, or better yet, subscribe on our iTunes page to get the new episode automatically each week.

Never mind going back, this IS the future. One of the coolest cars of our time has been reengineered to run on pure electric power. Click on the image to go to a full gallery of the DeLorean EV, including a picture of the Flux Capcitor, er, sort of.

Want some more information on this car? Click here.

Sport and Urban, good or strange looking, you decide. Click on the gallery to see a gallery or listen to the podcast to hear what the team thinks.

Looking for more information on this car? Click here.

Want the spec sheet in PDF? Click here. (3.6Mb)

Pricing you will find if you click here.

Weird photo? It's of the new M5's engine and rightfully so, this is the star of the show. Click on the image to see what the metal that wraps around this powerplant is all about.

Looking for more information on this car? Click here or here for the international website.

Care to download the brochure? Click here.

It's love or hate and there is an abundance of both in episode 138 of the podcast for the Nissan Juke. Click on the image to see a full comprehensive gallery of this car.

Looking for more info? Click here.

Other specs including the price can be found here.

There is no mistaking this car. It is pretty and agressive at the same time and if you want to hear about its performance, then take a listen to the podcast. For a full gallery of pictures, click on this image.

For more information on this car, click here.

Episode 138 hi-fi download (18MB) 
Episode 138 lo-fi download (9MB)

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A friend of ours, Jesse Adams from Star Motoring, once had an off. After seeing him at the side of the road – he collected it nicely and the car remained intact – he said, “There’s no ESP in the world that’ll save you when all four wheels are in the air”. Or something to that effect. The point is: when you’re going hell for leather in a car and airtime is achieved, your bum clenches and your heart jumps into your throat. Quite how rally drivers do it, with alarming regularity, is why we regard them as the ballsiest sportsmen in the world.

And this brings us to the theme for this Wallpaper Wednesday: maximum air. A selection of some stomach-in-throat photos where the drivers were, no doubt, relieved to reunite with mother earth, in one piece.

*All photos are property of their respective copyright holders. If you see a photo that is yours, please get in touch and we can credit you, or remove it from this posting.

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John Beale in a Lexus joins Christo in a Mercedes Benz and Trevor in a Suzuki to talk about new Lexus’, new Mercs and small VWs. We also tackle the eternal question “What to buy if you have R300 000.00″ to spend and the results are quite surprising.

Join the team this week for more fun, news and reviews of the 2011 Honda Jazz 1.3 Comfort and Citroen DS 1.6 THP. Go on, have a listen or better yet, subscribe by clicking here and you will have ZACS delivered to iTunes every week without the hassle for free.

Cute little car. For a complete gallery click on the image.

This is the angle that you'll mostly see but very magazines seem to show. Still awesome looking. Right click on the image and click "open link in new tab" for a full gallery of the SLK55 AMG

Cars don't get better than this when looking at practicality versus space versus price. Click on the image to be transported to a full gallery of images.

Trevor loved it, Christo not so much and John was on the fence. Find out why by listening to the podcast. There are few things prettier than this picture.

Episode 130 hi-fi download (25MB) 
Episode 130 lo-fi download (12MB)

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Sometimes a car has to bare it all for us to see what really makes it so appealing. That machine under the bonnet (or bootlid, in Porsche’s case) can be responsible for stomach-churning acceleration, hair-raising wails and many joyous victories. And sometimes – just sometimes – they can also be pretty spectacular to behold.

So here’s to the internal combustion engine. May its many thousands of explosions per second continue delivering thrills for the next few decades.

*All photos are property of their respective copyright holders. If you see a photo that is yours, please get in touch and we can credit you, or remove it from this posting.