The New Generation C

sponsored by WESBANK (the Wheels bank) and TOTAL South Africa, announced their

Almost as if going along perfectly to a script of change, the more modern and completely transparent European Car of the Year (COTY) based scoring system, produced a tie for the first time in the competition’s 26 year history, with both BMW’s 530d and Volkswagen’s Polo 1.6 TDI scoring the exact same number of points and sharing top spot this year.
This historic announcement was made by the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) at a WesBank sponsored gala banquet, attended by the who’s who of the South African motoring industry, at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, on Tuesday 8 March.

As in the past the announcement of the winner still only comes after a stringent process of voting and physical testing of eligible cars, leisure vehicles, which now includes double cab bakkies that were launched locally into the SA market during the past year.

All the testing took place at the world renowned Gerotek vehicle test facility outside Pretoria once again, thus keeping the South African COTY competition unique because of the extensive evaluation opportunity given to the country’s top full time motoring journalists, which make up the COTY Jury, before these same judges can allocate their points to the finalists.
But the big difference this year though was that instead of making use of a complex and undisclosed judging and scoring system, the SAGMJ Jury members were given 25 points in total to allocate to no more than five of the finalists and no less than three as is done in Europe.
With all the scores and the judge’s comments being open for scrutiny from the moment the winners were announced, and with no more than ten points at a time being allowed to be allocated to any one vehicle by a judge, it was always going to be a close race, and the final audited scores showed this to be the case.

The WesBank / SAGMJ COTY competition is about automotive excellence and the winning vehicle must score highly in its own class, not against each other as is often thought, across a variety of categories including those which reflect value for money, safety, dynamics, technology and aesthetics to name but a few.
And this year’s competition winners have proved just that, as both vehicles, although separated by more than R400 000 in sticker price, were clearly well ahead of their peers in their already mentioned relevant classes, and ultimately could not be separated by a single point at the end of a long and thorough process.

Toyota Motor Sales in the USA unveiled the Prius family of vehicles at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday, 10 January 2011. In addition to the current third-generation Prius and Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV), the new Prius v midsize hybrid-electric vehicle and the Prius c Concept vehicle joined the iconic hybrid brand, broadening the appeal of Prius to all ages and lifestyles.
With the expansion of the Prius family a new evolution of vehicles will further increase the acceptance of hybrids with Prius’ same core values of high fuel economy, low emissions, proven technology and environmental stewardship.
“This is no ordinary family. It’s a modern family with a Prius for everyone,” said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager. “The Prius v is an all-new dedicated hybrid vehicle, and all future Prius family members will be as well. They will all share common Prius attributes but will be unique, with a special appeal to different buyers.”
The Prius has accounted for more than 955 000 sales in the US since it was introduced in 2000. The third-generation Prius, which reached US dealerships in June 2009, has become the third-best selling Toyota passenger car in the US.
The Prius has also been a technological flagship vehicle, offering new features to the Toyota brand like Touch Tracer Display, Solar Powered ventilation, Smart Key System with Push Button Start, Lane Keep Assist, an Advanced Parking Guidance System and LED headlamps.

Mazda MX-5 offers roadster driving at its best. Its original concept has been so successful that Mazda has never changed it: affordable to buy and use, lightweight, Jinba Ittai ‘one-with-the-car’ handling, and classic roadster looks.

The freshened version of the Mazda MX-5 Roaster Coupe is now available in South Africa. With the latest facelift, Mazda set out to cement the MX-5’s reputation as the most enjoyable light weight two-seat sports car in the world.

Since launching the first-generation MX-5 in 1989, Mazda has stuck to the concept that driving enjoyment is the key value offered by the MX-5. Through two full redesigns and numerous improvements, Mazda has continued to heighten and improve the MX-5’s function and purpose as a sports car.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Mazda MX-5, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling two seat sports car ever (currently at 850,000 units). The MX-5 has won a total of 178 major automotive awards in these two decades. The current third generation is no exception and carried home 58 awards – including Japan Car of the Year 2005-2006 and Top Gear magazine’s Roadster of the Year 2005. The facelifted model of the third generation Mazda MX-5 embodies refinements for an even purer experience of Jinba Ittai – the unique feeling of oneness between driver and car that distinguished the MX-5 since its inception.

SUZUKI ALTO ACHIEVES 1.67 LITRES PER 100KM IN CITY DRIVING
COMPLETES 3000KM AUSTRALIAN FUEL CONSUMPTION CHALLENGE AVERAGING 3.3 LITRES PER 100 KM

After a successful New Zealand North-South drive at an average of just over 3.5 litres/100 km last month, the highly fuel efficient Suzuki Alto has taken part in a further fuel efficiency marathon, this time down through Australia, managing to complete the journey at an average consumption of 3.2 litres per 100km overall, an 18.5 per cent improvement over the official Australian combined figure (+13 per cent over European figure) and a staggering 2.0 litres per 100km attained in City traffic – the lowest recorded of any entered vehicle.
The Global Green Challenge ran North-South from Darwin to Adelaide and placed conventional and alternative fuel cars against each other in a 3000km real world test. The winner of the challenge was the vehicle judged to have recorded the biggest improvement over its official fuel consumption figure.
Alto won the ‘Light’ and ‘Small’ car categories; ‘best urban cycle’ category and an overall CO2 emission of 89.9g/km, using just 123 litres of fuel for the seven day trip.
Despite some extremely trying conditions for drivers and cars alike, with most teams opting to turn off the air conditioning to save fuel even in temperatures soaring to 43 degrees centigrade, the 1.0-litre petrol engined Alto continued to defy expectations by showing some of the much more expensive diesel cars the true meaning of fuel economy.
Using a simple combination of lightweight design, aerodynamic efficiency and a small and efficient 1.0-litre petrol engine the Alto managed to outrank similar size diesel cars including the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic Turbo Diesel and MINI Cooper D which recorded an overall improvement in litres per 100km of 15.4 per cent and 12.2 per cent respectively.
The Alto GL and GLS models are retailed in South Africa at a recommended price of R104 900 and R119 900 respectively. A three-year/100 000 km warranty is included as standard.

DETROIT – Given an improving business environment for GM over the past few months, and the importance of Opel//Vauxhall to GM’s global strategy, the GM Board of Directors has decided to retain Opel and will initiate a restructuring of its European operations in earnest.
“GM will soon present its restructuring plan to Germany and other governments and hopes for its favorable consideration,” said Fritz Henderson, president and CEO. “We understand the complexity and length of this issue has been draining for all involved. However, from the outset, our goal has been to secure the best long term solution for our customers, employee, suppliers and dealers, which is reflected in the decision reached today. This was deemed to be the most stable and least costly approach for securing Opel/Vauxhall’s long-term future.”
On a preliminary basis, the GM plan entails total restructuring expenses of about ?3 billion, significantly lower than all bids submitted as part of the investor solicitation. GM will work with all European labor unions to develop a plan for meaningful contributions to Opel's restructuring. While Opel continues to outperform against its viability plan assumptions and immediate liquidity is stable, time is of the essence.
“While strained, the business environment in Europe has improved.” Henderson said. “At the same time, GM’s overall financial health and stability have improved significantly over the past few months, giving us confidence that the European business can be successfully restructured. We are grateful for the hard work of the German and other EU governments in navigating this difficult economic period. We’re also appreciative of the effort put forward by Magna and its partners in Russia in trying to reach an equitable agreement.”
Henderson added that GM also hopes to build on its already significant business in Russia and to resume work directly with GAZ to contribute to both the modernization of its operations and the joint development of the Russian vehicle market on a mutually attractive basis. More details on the next steps in the restructuring will be provided as the plans and developments warrant.

Zoe Z.E. Concept is evidence that an all-electric zero-emission vehicle can also boast smart, appealing looks.

Biotherm, the skin care company in L’Oréal’s Luxury Products division, has joined forces with Renault to develop an all-new 100% electric “spa” concept car, ZOE Z.E. Aimed at people making daily local trips and looking for a car that brings them health and well-being, ZOE Z.E. concept, with its premium and fully personalizable cabin, is a preview of the Renault production vehicle set for launch in 2012.

A great project will be launched at the 77th Geneva International Motor Show: the rebirth of one of the most prestigious brands in world motorsport courtesy of Fiat. Its symbol is a scorpion, and its name is Abarth. Abarth has always been synonymous with assertive cars, competitiveness, passion and excitement, and it now returns with a new range that will appeal to all lovers of motorsport. Abarth’s first interpretation of the Fiat Grande Punto will be on the “catwalk” at the Geneva Show, the first step in an initiative which will later involve other models. Following in the ‘tyre tracks’ of the Fiat Grande Punto Abarth S2000, a car that has been type-approved for racing and is proving to be highly successful, the Geneva Motor Show will be the first official outing for the Grande Punto Abarth Preview, a concept car making its world debut.
The car will be marketed in September in Europe in very similar guise to the show model. (It’s currently under evaluation for local launch, but no final decision has been made yet.) The car on show in Geneva is equipped with a 1.4 Turbo petrol engine that delivers 150 bhp (110 kW) at 5500 rpm, boosted to 155 bhp by the adoption of 98 RON petrol. What’s more, thanks to an optional booster kit, a version with twice as much power as the basic version (180 bhp) will soon be available. This is a revival of a tradition from the past: for example, the Fiat 500 of 1958 delivered 13 bhp at 4000 rpm with a top speed of 85 km/h, while the Fiat 500 Abarth of the same year delivered 26 bhp at 5000 rpm and a top speed of 118 km/h.... obviously the new Grande Punto Abarth is going to be slightly faster.

as soon as they're homologated, we should see some on our roads... errr... well maybe, if we're lucky.

Honda Motor Co has unveiled a key element of its global initiative to reduce CO₂ emissions, their next-generation power plant technologies.

Honda has developed a next-generation diesel engine that reduces exhaust gas emissions to a level equal to a gasoline engine. The new diesel engine employs a revolutionary NO_x catalytic converter that enables a reduction in NO_x emissions sufficient to meet stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier II Bin 5 emissions requirements (based on Honda calculations). Honda plans to introduce its next-generation diesel engine in the U.S. within three years.

Honda has held a demonstration drive of the next-generation FCX Concept fuel cell vehicle, an earlier version of which was shown at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. The FCX Concept now features a newly developed compact, high-efficiency Honda FC Stack. Limited marketing of a totally new fuel cell vehicle based on this concept model is to begin in 2008 in Japan and the U.S.

Honda has developed a new flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) system that enables gasoline engine-based power plants to operate on either 100% ethanol or a wide range of ethanol-gasoline fuel mixtures. In late 2006, Honda plans to begin sales of FFVs in Brazil, where bio-ethanol has gained popularity.

Honda has further improved its VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control System) technology with the development of the Advanced VTEC engine, which provides high performance along with outstanding fuel economy and lower emissions. The new engine combines continuously variable valve lift and timing control with the continuously variable phase control of VTC (VariableTiming Control) to achieve a world-leading level of performance and a 13%¹ improvement in fuel efficiency. Honda plans to release a production vehicle equipped with the new engine within three years.

¹ Engine only, as compared to production 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine (Honda calculations)

In a new application of Hyper VTEC technology, Honda has developed a variable cylinder management system (VCM) for motorcycles. This new VCM allows control of the number of active cylinders in three stages from 2 cylinders to all 4 cylinders, for both superior performance and low fuel consumption.

Honda has displayed a new motorcycle engine with dramatically reduced internal mechanical friction and twin-spark-plug ignition for increased combustion efficiency, achieving a world-leading ultra-low level of friction.

Honda has announced that it plans to expand its line-up of products featuring the electronic STR Governor technology first developed for the i-GX engine. All medium-to-large power product engines (GX160 and larger), generators, and snow blowers are to feature this technology by the end of 2010.

Honda has revealed the prototype of a revolutionary high-expansion-ratio engine featuring intake and expansion strokes of variable lengths.

In May 2006, Honda became first in the industry worldwide to announce voluntary global CO₂ reduction targets for its products and production activities. Today’s announcement of new power plant technologies indicates the direction the company is taking in efforts to reduce CO₂ through efficiency improvements. In addition to new advances in power plant technologies, Honda is engaged in CO₂reduction initiatives relating to fuel production, including research on the production of ethanol using new biotechnology, as well as solar cells and the Home Energy Station (HES), a comprehensive system designed to meet home energy needs by supplying electricity and heat in addition to hydrogen fuel for vehicles.

Dodge Challenger Concept Flexes Some Muscle

In creating the new Dodge Challenger concept car the designers at Chrysler Group’s West Coast Pacifica Studio knew they had a rich heritage to draw upon.

They also knew they had an obligation to “get it right.” Tasked with the enviable assignment of developing a hot-looking performance coupe using Chrysler Group’s advanced rear-wheel drive LX platform (300C) and its fabled HEMI engine, the designers explored a variety of options, eventually gravitating to “something” for the Dodge brand - appropriate given that brand’s bold performance image. The idea of reinventing the highly-collectible Challenger quickly came to mind. Eager to begin, the designers drew up a “short list” of the essential attributes of a muscle car: distinctly American; mega horsepower; pure, minimal, signature lines; aggressive air-grabbing grille; and bold colours and graphics. “Challenger draws upon the initial 1970 model as the icon of the series,” said Tom Tremont, Vice President- Advanced Vehicle Design. “The 1970 model is the most sought after by collectors. But instead of merely recreating that car, the designers endeavoured to build a Challenger most people see in their mind’s eye — a vehicle without the imperfections like the old car’s tucked-under wheels, long front overhang and imperfect fits. As with all pleasurable memories, you remember the good and screen out the bad. “We wanted the concept car to evoke all those sweet memories… everything you thought the Challenger was, and more.”

“During the development of the concept car,” says Micheal Castiglione, principal exterior designer, “we brought an actual 1970 Challenger into the studio. For me, that car symbolises the most passionate era of automotive design.” Being key to the image, getting the right proportions was critical. The Challenger concept sits on a 2 946 mm wheelbase, 152 mm longer than the original. But its width is 51 mm greater, giving the concept car a squat, tougher, more purposeful persona. The signature side view accent line – designers call it the “thrust” line—is higher up on the body, running horizontal through the fender and door and kicking up just forward of the rear wheel.

Both the hood and the deck lid of the Challenger concept vehicle are higher than the 1970 in order to lift and “present” the front and rear themes. The front-end features the signature Dodge crossbar grille and four headlamps deeply recessed into the iconic car-wide horizontal cavity. At the rear, a full-width neon-lit tail light. Both the grille and the front and rear lamps are set into carbon-fibre surrounds. Like the original, slim rectangular side marker lamps define the ends of the car. Bumpers are clean, body-colour and flush with the body.

The hood reprises the original Challenger “performance hood” and its twin diagonal scoops, now with functional butterfly-valve intakes. Designed to showcase the modern techniques used in fabricating the car, what look like painted racing stripes are actually the exposed carbon fibre of the bonnet material.

The Challenger concept is a genuine four-passenger car. Compared to the original, the greenhouse is longer, the windshield and backlite faster, and the side glass narrower. All glass is set flush with the body without mouldings. The car is a genuine two-door hardtop—no B-pillar-- with the belt line ramping up assertively at the quarter window just forward of the wide C-pillar.

Exterior details one might expect, like a racing-type petrol cap, hood tie-down pins, louvered backlite and bold body side striping, didn’t make the “cut,” the designers feeling such assorted bits would detract from the purity of the monochromatic body form. But tucked reassuringly under the rear bumper are the “gotta have” twin-rectangle pipes of the dual exhausts.

In contrast to the bright Orange Pearl exterior, the interior is a no-nonsense, let’s-get-in-and-go black relieved by satin silver accents and narrow orange bands on the seat backs. As with the original car, the instrumental panel pad sits high, intersected on the driver’s side by a sculpted trapezoidal cluster containing three circular in-line analogue gauge openings.

“We designed the in-your-face gauge holes to appear as if you are looking down into the engine cylinders with the head off,” relates Barrington. These are flanked outboard by a larger circular “gauge” that is actually a computer, allowing the driver to determine top overall speed, quarter-mile time and speed, and top speed for each of the gears.

With its thick, easy-grip rim, circular hub and pierced silver spokes, the leather-wrapped steering wheel evokes the original car’s “Tuff” wheel, as does the steering column “ribbing.” The floor console, its centre surface tipped toward the driver, is fitted with a proper “pistol grip” shifter shaped just right to master the quick, crisp shifts possible with the six-speed manual “transmission.”

In as much as the original Challenger was the first car to have injection-moulded door trim panels (now common practice), the doors received special attention.

Although the flat-section bucket seats of the original Challenger didn’t offer much support for aggressive driving, the front seats in the Challenger concept car boast hefty bolsters much like those found on Dodge’s famed SRT series cars. The trim covers’ horizontal pleats or “fales” provide just a hint of that “70’s” look.

Rethought, reworked, reproportioned and redesigned, the Challenger concept car offers iconic a HEMI-powered performance coupe derived from a classic American muscle car.

The new motoring craze of re-working old designs has been no less active than with Chevrolet, showing here their new Camaro Concept.

First generation Camaros are some of the most sought-after collector's cars, and as you can see here, they've excelled in design yet again.

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