Car reviews

You can now get the full-fat 228 kW Volkswagen Golf R. Is there merit in choosing it over the superb GTI? When you think Volkswagen Golf, the first thing which generally comes to mind is “GTI” and not the flagship R. Despite the latter being the ultimate Golf, it’s never quite been ...

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 ...

FRANKFURT, Germany – Accommodating a new 2,0-litre turbopetrol motor that propels its metabolism 55 kW beyond its already punchy predecessor, the new John Cooper Works Clubman shares the mantle of Mini’s most powerful production model to date. But it’s a surprisingly subtle package. ...

MADRID, Spain - Any discussion on the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is inevitably peppered with hot hatch superlatives: its new 2,0-litre powertrain is the world’s most powerful series-production four-cylinder engine; its claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time dips under four seconds; it could cost more than a million ...

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 ...

PORT ELIZABETH, Eastern Cape – My memory of the Toyota Supra is a pretty standard one: using a grey PlayStation controller to pilot a pixelated Mk4 (with very little skill) round the simplest tracks I could find in 1997’s Gran Turismo. My fascination with this particular car was deepened ...

The Auris is no more but don’t despair. Its replacement is an impressive midsize challenger... Toyota South Africa Motors should feel bullish its new midsize hatchback will recapture the attention of buyers who loved the RunX before cooling to two generations of Auris. There’s a confidence ...

You can now order your favourite RS derivative with a choice of rear-ends. Which version offers the broadest appeal? 1994 was an auspicious year for the humble station wagon. While many car enthusiasts might attribute an overnight interest in these traditionally family-friendly forms of transportation ...

CAPE TOWN – Vanilla-flavoured ice-cream is always a conservative but safe choice. My mom had a confectionary shop that also sold ice-cream. I used to sample all the flavours, including chocolate (sprinkled with nuts), rum 'n' raisin, peppermint and strawberry, to name but a few. After a couple ...