Wilhelm Lutjeharms

Cars (both new and classic) and motorcycles excite Wilhelm no end. He's usually found searching for a special car to drive or drooling over exotics in the classifieds and on auction websites. He's also currently restoring a motorcycle, with (thankfully) plenty of help from fellow enthusiasts!

DRIVEN: Peugeot 5008 1,6T Allure AT

JOHANNESBURG – There's no denying the fact that when it comes to family vehicles, South Africans generally prefer mainstream SUVs and crossovers – and often bakkie-based SUVs when a seven-seater is required. That makes things tricky for manufacturers offering very competent family cars that ...

DRIVEN: 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Vantage

There are few things more British than driving a Racing Green classic Aston Martin from the company’s original headquarters in Newport Pagnell. Disappointingly, I had forgotten my late father’s tweed jacket and cap in South Africa but the weather was playing along and I was nevertheless ...

DRIVEN: Suzuki Vitara 1,4 Turbo GLX

JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng – For several years, Suzuki Auto South Africa has offered the Vitara exclusively with a naturally aspirated 1,6-litre petrol engine. Although offering reliable performance, up at the reef you really needed to rev the engine to achieve any meaningful performance. But this has ...

We unearth a wonderful private collection of classics in Port Elizabeth

We found a wonderful private collection spanning more than a century hidden away in Port Elizabeth... The ages of the various vehicles in Jan Enslin’s collection span over a full century. He is a big fan of and owns some of the earliest Ford Model Ts, through to the glorious Mercedes-Benz and ...

New Porsche Taycan: we spend 16 minutes with the design boss...

Mr Michael Mauer is the chief designer at Porsche and the person ultimately responsible for the styling of all models in the Zuffenhausen-based firm's range. A day before the unveiling of the Taycan, we had a walk around the new all-electric model with him. Here are some highlights from our conversation. ...

DRIVEN: Mercedes-Benz GLE400d 4Matic 9G-tronic

JOHANNESBURG – Those of us in our 30s (and older) will no doubt remember the first instalment of Jurassic Park. If your interests extend into the automotive world, you'll probably also recall the Mercedes-Benz ML vehicles used in the film. Back then, of course, the “SUV” acronym wasn't ...

DRIVEN: Mercedes-Benz CLS400d 4Matic 9G-tronic

CAPE TOWN – The first-generation (W219) Mercedes-Benz CLS was arguably the start of the so-called modern "four-door coupé". It featured a unique design that certainly took some getting used to, but for a large chunk of the motoring fraternity it was a beautiful car (and it remains one). ...

DRIVEN: Suzuki Swift Sport

DELMAS, Mpumalanga – The third-generation Suzuki Swift Sport has finally arrived in South Africa and the local arm of the Japanese company decided to launch it on the twisty Red Star Raceway on the East Rand. Is this latest version of the warm hatch as exciting as its first two generations? What’s ...

DRIVEN: Rolls-Royce Phantom

FRANSCHHOEK, Western Cape – There are certain spheres of the automotive industry that are so far removed from the general players they can almost be viewed as separate trades. Think of hypercars from the likes of Koenigsegg, Pagani and Bugatti. These are more than merely dream cars; in terms of ...

DRIVEN: 1973 E9 BMW CSL 3.2

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of one of the most outlandish cars BMW has ever built. We headed to Munich’s autobahns and surrounding country lanes to drive the CSL... The moment I clap eyes on it as I walk through the beautiful arched entrance of BMW Classic, the parked CSL leaves an indelible ...