Driving Impressions

UPINGTON, Northern Cape – Does the average South African bakkie-buyer really need the ability to blast along off-road terrain at breakneck speeds? Or string together drift after dirt-flinging drift? Or, indeed, jump the vehicle off a gravel-road crest at 120+ km/h without fear of the underpinnings ...

KYALAMI, Gauteng – You always have to question the logic behind hosting the launch of a new performance car at a racetrack. Sure, it looks like a perfect match but in the case of plying Mercedes-AMG’s new CLS53 on the Kyalami circuit, there’s the definite feeling that only half 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 ...

SARDINIA, Italy – There's a straight section of asphalt ahead. Roof down, second gear and throttle pinned. The rev needle rises urgently, building to an almighty crescendo at 9 000 r/min. I depress the heavy clutch and slot the next ratio home to repeat the performance. The island scenery ...

CAPE TOWN – Think what you will of the contradiction in terms that is the coupé-crossover, but buyers adore their combination of style and decent dose of practicality. BMW and Mercedes-Benz do a roaring trade in lowered versions of their stock SUVs (nearly half a million X6s have been sold ...

NELSPRUIT – “Can the Amarok V6 cut it in the rough stuff?” This has become a common question from 4x4 enthusiasts when it comes to Volkswagen's double-cab bakkie. In my opinion, the Amarok V6 is the most competent leisure bakkie in our market (read the road test here). It's powerful, ...

SPAIN – Granted, eight minutes is not exactly a lot of time to evaluate a new vehicle, but these particular eight minutes were spent on the limit at the famous Ascari race track. At the Goodyear Eagle F1 tyre launch, the Alpine A110 was fitted with the new SuperSport rubber to give us a chance ...

CAPE TOWN – Is the Mercedes-AMG C43 a mere marketing ploy designed to boost C-Class sales volumes? Or is it a well-considered addition to the Affalterbach-based performance division's ever-expanding product line-up? Exterior design In terms of its aesthetic execution, the V6-engined AMG’s ...

We drive not only the oldest Lamborghini in South Africa but also the very first Raging Bull imported here... It’s strikingly sleek and elegant. The glass area is large, allowing for an abundance of light to stream into the cabin. On a fine summer’s morning like today, life is beautiful. ...