There’s a new 5-Series and it’s looking good. BMW has finally taken all the covers off the new 5 Series after yesterday giving us a peak of what it’s been testing the last few months.

The new 5 is codenamed the F10 and unlike the E60 that went before it, the new one looks good. Let’s face it – when the previous one was launched everybody was appalled shocked by those freakishly long eyebrows and the design were sadly not Chris Bangles best moment. An indication that you shouldn’t be smoking what he was smoking when you design a car.

Lesson learnt.

The new 5 is a much more graceful, completely uncontroversial design and there is a lot of the 7 series’ design language integrated in the new 5, but you’ll see that for yourselves in the photos and the video.

The new 5 series will be launched during the first quarter of 2010 in Europe, but we’ll have to wait and see when it comes to SA.

See the press release below for additional details.

The world debut of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan once again marks the epitome of aesthetic design and supreme driving pleasure in the upper midrange segment. Through its sporting and elegant looks, driving dynamics typical of the brand, outstanding efficiency as well as innovative comfort and safety features, the sixth generation of BMW’s executive express convincingly reflects the supreme standard of the world’s most successful manufacturer of premium cars throughout the entire process of development. (more…)

How to pay your traffic fines online

It’s no fun being caught speeding or getting a parking fine. It’s even less fun being summoned to go to court after ignoring the notices! There is a new service available that you can use to view and pay your fines online. In case you want to dispute the fine they also provide the traffic camera photo for your convenience – there is quite a few of myself sitting cozy in the drivers seat.

I just logged in and saw a few outstanding fines on my name. All you need is your ID number. There are two sites depending on your area – Payfines.co.za for Jozi and viewfines.co.za for Cape Town. C’mon be a good citizen and pay your fines!

The Bugatti Veyron driver has been identified being Andy House, the owner of Performance Auto Sales in Lufkin, a company that restores wrecked exotics.

Couldn’t spot the pelican he claimed causing him to swerve as he said earlier. The man’s handphone had slipped out of the car’s centre console and he reached to retrieve it from the floorboard, Houston Chronicle reported.

When he sat up, he was startled by a pelican flying low alongside the Bugatti and the front tyre subsequently strayed onto the shoulder of the road.

The man couldn’t regain control, the police told Houston Chronicle. There were no indications that the driver was speeding. (He should still be arrested)

After the crash – trying to fish the Bugatti out of the lake

Subaru have done a bit of work on their new range of Impreza’s. Initially there was just a hatch version, but now there is a sedan version available too.

Subaru Impreza WRX

Sadly, the sedan doesn’t come in an STI version, but the WRX with 195kW should keep you busy around the corners. The WRX comes standard with a scoop on the front, while the standard 110kW Impreza looks more like the car you’ll see Grandad driving.

The price is a bit on the steep side too. The WRX comes in at a hefty R360k, but that’s nothing compared to the R520k for the STI hatch. I’d be hard pressed between the STI hatch and a 2 year old M3.

Subaru Impreza

I’d suggest giving them a drive anyway, well worth the fun, which really is what sets the Subaru’s apart. They seem to capture a level of excitement and fun in the diving experience that few cars have manged to really capture properly.

One of the best example of this, is what Ken Block manages to do with his STI Hatch. He’s got tons of clips on YouTube, but few of them really capture what he’s able to do. It’s one of my all time favorite clips, and just goes to show what the car is really capable of.

by Shawn Jooste

“It’s the sports car of the future, the way BMW imagines it.” – Adrian van Hooydonk

BMW have unveiled what they think the future is. More in this post, and some pics below.

Of course BMW’s vision is a super economical car that does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and runs at 63 miles to the gallon. The best part though is all this fuel saving technology still produces 356 horsepower. Bring on the future of motoring.

I recently took the new VW Golf VI for a ride to see how much has really changed since the Mk5. After the success of the Mk5, it was clear that the Mk6 had much to live up to.

The moment I left the driveway I could tell the ride is much softer than it was which made me a bit concerned as to whether it would have any effect on handling. I am happy to report that is not the case. The Mk6 now features VW’s EDL (Electronic Differential Lock) which works by applying pressure to front inner wheel exactly where it is needed on fast cornering to prevent spinning. This maximizes traction, reduces under steer and improves response.

The Mk6 manages to achieve a perfect and subtle blend between performance handling and comfort driving. Under intense driving the GTi has a steering pulse which alerts you that the limit of traction is about to be reached, so you don’t end up sliding into a ditch.

So handling wise the car hits the nail on the head once again, but performance was the one area where the Mk5 needed attention since it was outperformed by the other hot hatches. VW’s answer was to make the engine 3kg lighter and adding on a supercharger to the turbocharged 2.0l engine increasing the power output to 155kw and 280Nm torque, with the torque kicking in at 1800rpm. This launches the GTi from 0 – 100km/h in 6.9 seconds and takes it to a top speed of 240km/h. In the DSG model, which is the same one I drove, you get a dual clutch semi-auto gearbox, so the one clutch is leading while the other preselects the next gear, making gear changes smoother and quicker.

As both a family and performance car the Golf GTi is an absolute pleasure. With a 275 liter boot, loads of legroom and an impressive 6.1 liters per 100km, it’s a perfect blend of the two. You can really point its nose in the direction you want to go and shoot at it. Safety features include ABS, EBD, ESP, adjustable whiplash optimized head restraints and 7 airbags, making the GTi one of the safest cars ever built and giving it 5-star Euro NCAP rating.

There are a couple of other cars to choose from in the same price class as the Mk6 GTi, but for a balanced combination of speed, luxury, reliability and practicality I’d say the GTi is certainly one of the best.

Article by Dewildt Smith

Finally a straight challenge for the Mini has been released; it’s called the Citroen DS3, and its Citroen’s version of the legendary Mini. Unfortunately Citroen SA has not yet approved the car for import, so for now we can only hope it will reach our shores soon.

The new DS line will have three versions to choose from, although the other two will only be released at a later stage. For now the DS3 will be available in one of five CO2-efficient Euro V engines, two of them diesel and three will be petrol, with the latter being co-developed by BMW. The two HDi diesel engines will produce 90bhp and 110bhp and will have Citroen’s DPFS, which stands for diesel particulate filter system. The three petrol engines will produce from the VTi 95bhp and 110bhp, and the THP will produce 150bhp. (more…)

You don’t need a stick to show you the correct following distance. Rather use the 2 Second Rule as described on the Arrive Alive road safety website:

The 2 Second Rule

Most International road safety campaigns refer to the “2 Second Rule” as a guideline for safe following distances. A point on the road is noted, two seconds are counted, and if that point is still visible then there’s probably enough following distance.

The 2 Second Rule is applied as follows:

•Watch the vehicle in front of you pass a landmark – such as a sign, tree, or power pole – at the side of the road.
•As it passes the landmark, start counting “one thousand and one, one thousand and two”.
•If you pass the landmark before you finish saying all eight words, you are following too closely. Slow down, pick another landmark and repeat the words, to make sure you have increased your following distance.

This rule will ensure that you keep the correct following distance, no matter what speed you are traveling at.

Adjusting Following Distance

The 2 Second Rule is only the advised measure when driving conditions are ideal. This should be seen as a bare minimum and should be adjusted to at least 4 Seconds in the following situations:

•In adverse weather conditions
•Driving on slippery roads
•Driving at night
•When following vehicles with different characteristics, i.e. motorcycles & trucks
•When towing a trailer or other object