One liners:
- Nissan X-Trail is officially the best-selling SUV in the world.
- Yet another Ford Kuga has succumbed to a fire, oh dear.
- The Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series are all outsold in Europe by the Tesla Model S. Woah.
- Toyota will be showing off their brand new Toyota Aygo at the Geneva International Car Show.
1) Ferrari Portofino lands in SA
Meet Ferrari’s V8-powered GT, a car we reckon is designed to eradicate any and all memories of the lesser loved California. It’s no secret that when the California was released the looks were underwhelming, necessitating an early midlife face-lift to sharpen up its aesthetic to match the rest of the Ferrari lineup. This then, the Portofino will run into no such issues, with its sleek, predatory jowls and a cab-back fastback profile rather than an all-out coupe. R4.5mil gets you a turbocharged 3.8l V8 with 441kW, 760Nm and a 7500rpm redline, good for a 3.5 second 0-100kph. A soft Ferrari this is not.
2) Peugeot 508 saloon revealed
We want to say watch out BMW 3 Series, but the fact is that this is South Africa where Peugeot struggles to sell large quantities of even their best cars. A great pity as the 308 was a brilliant little hatchback and the RCZ a bona fide Audi TT rival. Here for example, is a stunning saloon car with five doors, much like a 3 Series GT or Audi A5 Sportback. The exterior is a great departure from the car it replaces which is not something you could accuse the Germans of doing, is it? The interior is dramatic and elegant, just like the sultry profile but none of this matters until Peugeot South Africa confirms it for Mzansi. And they haven’t yet.
3) First look at Porsche’s next gen 911, the 992
And as you can already tell, it’s a real hit with the Men In Black. “We know where we’re from and where we want to go,” says August Achleitner, director of the 911 model line, who promised that the new 911 would be “the best 911 of all time”, “The decisive factor is that the 911 generates a driving feeling that no other car can impart.” So, just like all the other 911s then. And speaking of Porsche…
4) They lied. They’re still making diesels
Remember when we told you Porsche said they’re cancelling their diesel engines? They fibbed – a new diesel-powered 3rd-gen Cayenne is in fact on its way so, do with that what you like.
5) More AMG four-door GT spy pics
It’s no secret that Mercedes-AMG is building a Porsche Panamera rival in its Affalterbach . Here it is again, still wearing a camo suit albeit less hidden than before. Speculation suggestions a 450kW 4l V8 bolstered by a pair of turbochargers. There’s even rumours of a hybridized version to make you forget about looming Porsche’s Mission E concept car.
