CAR

CAR is Southern Africa’s leading automotive-interest magazine – and has been since 1957. It’s aimed at petrol-heads of all ages looking for, expert reviews, road tests, driving impressions of the latest models available and great motoring content from the country’s leading motoring journalists.

from the editor • January 2023 | Vol 66.12 | Issue no 791

car

A COOL THING • Better known for its hypercars, Bugatti – in collaboration with Bytech International – recently turned its attention to affordable personal mobility

THE INNOVATORS • The cars we drive today were influenced by these pioneers

Stairway to heaven • The meek shall inherit the Earth. So it was with the surprising, but deserving winner of our annual Performance Shootout

Angels and demons

Day 1 Thursday, 27 October • Gordon’s Bay to Century City via Hermanus, Villiersdorp and Franschhoek

Day 2 Friday, 28 October • Century City to Ceres, Gydo Pass

Audi RS3 sedan quattro • That trick rear axle makes the RS3’s quattro system what it should have been all along

Ford Mustang 5,0 GT/CS • This limited-edition Pony served as a reminder of the deep character of the muscle car

Volkswagen Golf R • The GTI’s big brother maintains an air of sophistication but adds some welcome punch

Toyota GR Yaris 1,6 Rally • With a more level playing field this year, Toyota’s GR Yaris can truly shine

BMW M240i xDrive • It might not be a full-fat M car, but don’t let this mislead you

Subaru WRX tS ES CVT • In the right company, the true qualities of the CVT-equipped WRX came to the fore

Hyundai i30N • Hyundai’s hot hatch returns for another crack at the Performance Shootout crown … and it’s shifted up a gear or two

Land Rover Defender V8 • Not quite a lean, mean fighting machine, but two out of three will do nicely

Volkswagen Tiguan R • A crossover with a difference; this R mixes performance, space and sound in a special way

Audi e-tron GT quattro • Great looks, electrifying pace and a real sense of occasion. Perhaps the GT could stand for Great Tourer?

Trusty steeds • Performance Shootout’s roadgoing support came in the form of two high-riding turbodiesel 4x4s; the Isuzu MU-X and Ford Ranger Raptor SE workhorses ferried crew and gear and never missed a beat

The Stats

And the winner is… Hyundai i30N

Tales from the trip

ENDURANCE RACING’S EXCITING FUTURE • The next few years promise an exciting shake-up in the World Endurance Championship with the introduction of the LMH and LMHd categories

DOG RINGS, DSGS AND THE ART OF THE MANUAL • The torque-converter automatic transmission has consistently found favour with buyers, but let’s not ignore some notable alternatives

SIGN OF THE TIMES • The move from V8 to turbocharged ’fours in the latest crop of AMG-badged C-Classes may not sound great, but there’s no denying the performance benefits

Hyper hairdryer • Thanks to a diet of reinforced carbon fibre and strict weight-watching, Ferrari’s super-fast 296 drops its top, but barely gains a kilo. Sound appealing? Check with your hairstylist first

Sixth heaven • What happens when you shoehorn Porsche’s 4,0-litre flat six from the 911 GT3 into a Cayman? A cardiologist on speed dial is a good idea

The north, by way of nowhere • The breed of turbodiesel executive sedans may be falling out of favour; however, the Mercedes-Benz C220d exists to prove a point

Super-spacious fuel saver • Big on carrying ability, it approaches the efficiency of an EV

CREATING DAKAR WiNNERS • For the past 12 years, Toyota Hilux off-road racers – developed and built in South Africa by Hallspeed – have competed for top...