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As we wind down into the end of the year we start to get a little more festive, we mock Patrick about his new car a bit, give John a hard time and Trevor gets things wrong again.  The trio also bring you the latest from the Tokyo Auto Show, and reviews of Chevrolet Orlando 1.8 LS and Alfa Romeo 159 1750TBi.

The ZACS team agrees that most people could benefit from these types of cars rather than SUVs, but the rest of the market tends to disagree. It's a Passat with raised-ride-height, go anywhere looks and the comfort of a car. In a market that once featured the Audi Allroad Quattro and Volvo XC70, is VW crazy to suggest something like this even though it will be the better choice against an SUV. Click on the image to see a full gallery of the VW (you will be redirected away from the page. Alternatively right click and select "open in new tab")

in our opinion far more successful as a design execution than the BMW X6. VW's Cross Coupe Concept will likely become a reality and also shows of the changing corporate face that we're likely to see in future VW model facelifts. Click on the image to view a full gallery. (You will be redirected away from this page. Alternatively right click on the image and select 'open in new tab')

Trevor loves the Honda NBox. Yes, we know that it's just plain weird, but we;ve come to expect such lunacy from someone with his car history. What do you think? Click on the image to view a full gallery. (You will be redirected away from this page. Alternatively right click on the image and select 'open in new tab')

This is not a Toyota. It is not a Scion either. It is a Subaru, the new BRZ to be precise and you will notice that it has very little to differentiate itself from the other two. Time will tell whether the Scooby will get a turbo and four wheel drive in the future, leaving the other two in the current rea wheel drive, naturally aspirated guise.

Spot something different? Yes, it's the addition of two extra doors. And in this case it actually works at retaining the funky proportions of the A1. Click on the image to view a complete gallery of the A1 Sportback in various trim levels and in its exclusive Sportback colour, Samoa Orange.

Volvos with little blue Polestar stickers = not to be buggered around with.

Part crossover, part MPV. Click on the image to see the full gallery. Listen to the podcast for the full review.

A real beauty, this much we cannot deny. Even late on in its model-life this is a magnificent looking car that should outsell the BMW 320 and Merc C200. It won't, though, mainly because people think it will break, but probably won't. Ever. Click on the image to see a fully gallery of what you are missing out on if you dont consider a 159. Shame.

Episode 143 hi-fi download (18MB) 
Episode 143 lo-fi download (9MB)

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Our friend and contributor John Beale needs a new car so Thomas Falkiner, Christo van Gemert, Trevor van de Ven, Patrick Gearing and journalism student Dean Venter put their collective heads together to show what sensible options can be thought up if you crowd source.  The team, without Mr Beale who was eating sushi without us, also review the new Honda Accord 2.4 automatic and give you the low down on the motoring news from the past week.

The rebirth of the exciting Toyota. This flat four developed in conjunction with Subaru looks as if it has all the right ingredients to steal customers from the hot-hatch market. Click on the image to see a full gallery (you will be redirected away from this page).

Machbach is dead, Merc is pulling the plug. They are not the most handsome or striking cars but Trevor van de Ven still gets a bit teary eyed knowing that he will not see another all-white Landaulet again.

Patrick and Trevor love wagons. They also love Jaaaaags, so this car should put them both in a flat love-induced coma.

The new Honda Accord sports a dramatically revised front-end even if it's only the hawk-eyed that will spot the changes. Under the skin, this car is phenomenal. Take a listen to the show to find out what we think. Click on the image to view a full gallery (you will be redirected away from this page).

Episode 142 hi-fi download (18MB) 
Episode 142 lo-fi download (9MB)

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Alright peeps we’ll kick the week in the teeth with brand new Jeep to make Otto Diesel proud. Stepping out from the crowd is most certainly allowed in the new Peugeot 508 while you’ll not be late in the great Nissan that the GTR badge ate. We round this bad rhyme up with a review of the new BMW (640i) and give a shout out to the dudes at Su-bar-u. Yup it’s true, you might find that the Outback Diesel and Forester Diesel might just be the cars for you.

Bad rhyming aside, we must abide to bring you some great pictures and fun, so go ahead, take a listen to what craziness you might have been missin’

Quite a handsome little tyke

Trevor van de Ven is weak at the knees just looking at this picture. The chances of it being released in South Africa are slim, though, but for a full gallery of the very pretty sedan, click on the image. It will redirect this page to another website, so consider right clicking on the image and selecting 'open in new tab.'

It's not handsome, but it's not exactly pretty either. The 640i has the 3.0 Twinpower Turbo engine too which leaves the team with some mixed opinions. Take a listen to find out why.

Episode 140 hi-fi download (18MB) 
Episode 140 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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131 is an iconic FIAT that both Trevor and Patrick would love to have in their garages one day in Ralaye form. It also had a Spanish twin in the form of the SEAT 131. But of course it’s also the latest episode of ZA Car Show.

What a week of beautiful cars it was too. We talk about the Ferrari 458 Spider, KTM X-Bow with a hardtop kit, the Porsche 911 (991), the Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG, Toyota FT86′s twin the Subaru BRZ, New Mercedes-Benz SLK and Hyundai Elantra. You can’t disagree with that that, or can you? Hmmm, have a listen to find out.

If you’re considering a new SUV, something like an BMW X5, then do yourself a favour and take in the review of the 2011 BMW X3 2.0d before you make your choice. We might just sway your decision.

Not quite as pretty as an Alfa 8C Spider, but still in the ZA Car Show team's top three most beautiful convertibles. For a full gallery of the Ferrari click on the image.

Very sleek, very sexy, very Porsche. What do you think of the new 911 (991). Click on the image for a full gallery of this car.

The Subaru collaboration with Toyota on this car has spawned a model for each manufacturer, the Subaru has been quite shy though. At least we know it will be called the BRZ, but click on the picture and you can see what the Toyota looks like.

"The best SLK to-date" is what a lot of motoring journalists are calling it. It's certainly the most beautiful. Click on the image for a full 50+ image gallery showcasing many of the new technologies in this car.

In the compact sedan segment we're used to boring or awkward, rarely ever beautiful, have a look at the gallery by clicking on the picture and let us know what you think, we think it's a bit OMG jaw on the floor stuff!

Episode 131 hi-fi download (19MB) 
Episode 131 lo-fi download (9.5MB)

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Since it’s getting a bit colder, here in Johannesburg (where all of the ZA Car Show team is based), we figured it only made sense to have a winter-themed Wallpaper Wednesday. And since snow is the most obvious visual component of winter, we’ve gone and selected a few of the web’s photographers’ finest snowy photos.

We’ve got it all: from rally cars drifting in the  white stuff, to yellow Volvos just parked on it. No doubt, this selection is bound to have a winter warmer that’ll make your desktop a bit more exciting.

Just click to enlarge, and drag the photo to your desktop to save it.

*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.

Here’s a new bit of petrol head goodness for our fans and listeners: Wallpaper Wednesday.

Every Wednesday, from here on, we’ll post a handful of photos* that celebrate all things automotive. Pretty cars, ugly cars, powersliding cars, flying cars and even fantasy cars. If you’d like to submit a photo you’ve found or taken, please send a mail to info [at] zacar [dot] co [dot] za.

Some might not be full wallpaper resolution – sorry – but remember that you can click on these, while on the site, to expand them!

*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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This week, Patrick, Christo and John Beale sit down and talk about cars. Old cars, like the series 113 Super Beetle, and new cars like the Lexus LF-Gh concept.

To be unveiled officially at the Shanghai Auto Show, the LF-Gh is a big departure from traditional Lexus styling – take a look at the pics below and see for yourself. It’s the concept study for the new GS, which should be introduced later next year or early in 2013.

All angular and raked. We like it.

Audi’s also had its Q3 pics leak onto the web. The small SUV will, predictably, slot in below the Q5. But Christo thinks it looks a lot like the Audi A1 – at least in side profile.

Perhaps a little bit of A1 in there, with that roofline and rear pillar?

Rolls-Royce has teamed up with another British brand owned by BMW – MINI. This is in commemoration of Goodwood – the place where speed is celebrated each year – and fittingly the special edition MINI will be called the Goodwood. It’s gonna be expensive, too…

Not your average, run-of-the-mill MINI.

Locally, a few new models were introduced. Well, new is relative in this case because the 30-year-old Mercedes Benz G-class – or Gelandewagen – has made a return to local shores. Three models are on offer: a G300 CDI, a G350 BlueTEC and a G55 AMG. The latter, quite pointlessly, has a supercharged 5.4-litre engine producing 500hp (373kW) and 700Nm. In a car that can actually go off road.

Not where you'd usually find a Mercedes, right?

Audi launched its new A8 – probably the most executive and luxurious of the German saloons, right now. The ZACS crew joke about the A8′s mediocre sales, but admit it is probably a formidable automobile. We’ll have to reserve our verdict until we get one on test.

No, it's not a bigger A4. Or a big A6, either.

And Volkswagen, not to be outdone in the “most underrated car” stakes, quietly snuck the new Passat into local showrooms. At under R300 000 for the 1.8T with a manual gearbox, this looks to be great value. Spacious and comfortable, with a ton of kit as standard. Just what we like to see.

It looks bland, sure, but sometimes that's a good thing.

We wrap up episode 113 with a review of a very red Subaru. Christo explains why Scooby has dropped the Impreza nameplate, and then tells us why he thinks R380 000 is a pretty good price for a performance car – even though this one has some undeniable shortcomings.

Flared arches, big nostrils and a turbo motor: Subaru's gone back to what it does best.

Episode 113 hi-fi download (20MB)
Episode 113 lo-fi download (10MB)

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In 2004, Petter Solberg famously took the stage record on one of the stages in WRC Finland. As you can see, we’re trying to skirt around mentioning the name of the stage because it’s kinda unpronounceable: Ouninpohja.

Anyway, Solberg wasn’t in contention for any prizes but any record set on the stage would’ve counted. So that’s what he did: went balls-to-the-wall. The result of this magnificent bit of driving is a lovely in-car video – today’s video of the day.

Tips or suggestions for the ZA Car Video of the day? E-mail us, catch us on Twitter or leave a message on our Facebook page!