Wilhelm Lutjeharms

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

At one of South Africa’s most prized private Ferrari collections, the owner guides us through his passionate affair with the Prancing Horse. Hidden away in the sugarcane fields south of Durban, I’m shown inside a building which appears a bit dilapidated from the outside. The inside is the ...

MUNICH, Germany - In 2010, a now regularly cited study revealed 80% of BMW 1 Series owners thought their cars were driven by their front wheels. This may have played a role in BMW deciding to switch from rear- to front-wheel drive for its new entry-level range. The more likely reasons are cost considerations, ...

We’ve recently driven the new F40-generation BMW 1 Series in Germany. But, since a pesky embargo means we’re not allowed to publish our driving impression of the M135i xDrive variant just yet (check back on July 17), here are 10 things you should know about Munich’s newest hatchback... ...

PORT ELIZABETH – This is undoubtedly a very exciting time for bakkie enthusiasts in South Africa. Indeed, never before has there been such a wide variety of pick-up models in our market. There are turbocharged V6 derivatives (watch VW's Amarok V6 take on the Mercedes-Benz X350d in a drag race here) ...

We pore over the fascinating car collection of the father of South African drag racing... I’ve never seen anything like it. As I walk into the large workshop, there are no fewer than three extreme dragsters: two are equipped with jet engines and the other is a top-fuel racer. Since 1972, the ...

FRANSCHHOEK – “You drive,” I tell my co-pilot, pulling over next to the road. He's a little surprised, as this is not where the scheduled driver change should take place. But I need a short break. It might seem I didn't want to spend as much time as possible savouring every moment behind ...