My Top Motoring Moments of 2016

2016 was no walk in the park, but as it draws to a close, I would like to reflect on its fantastic cars (and the cool stuff I did in them), in no specific order.

1. Lexus RX

Maybe it’s because the launch was at Ulusaba, Sir Richard Branson’s private game reserve in the Kruger National Park, or maybe it was because the standard ventilated seats cooled me so nicely in the humid Limpopo heat. Either way, the aggressively styled Lexus RX proves that you don’t to buy German to buy supreme luxury and quality. Boasting a standard specification list that will put Bavaria and Ingolstadt to shame, the Lexus RX is one sweet ride. (From R 907 700)

2. Land Rover Defender 110 Station Wagon Heritage Edition

Have you ever felt indestructible? Despite not having any airbags, I did, driving this Celebration Edition model - I felt like the undisputed king of the off-road!
The trusty Defender has been discontinued, so Land Rover built 3 special Celebration Edition models as a last hurrah. In its Grasmere Green coat, the Defender was the envy of everyone I encountered. Now I want to buy one!  On AutoTrader there are a few of these cars for sale, but you can click here for my review if you just want to read about it. (From R668 200)

3. Audi R8 V10 Plus

My motoring dreams were realised when I got the opportunity to drive this magnificent beast from Cape Town to Hermanus on a breakfast run namely the Go Rally, which ended at the Whales and Wheels Motor Show in Hermanus. Clarence Drive, my favourite testing ground between Gordon’s Bay and Rooi-Els, was deserted, and I could really open her up, and it was blissful! I nearly overdosed on adrenaline.

Turns out, however, that owning a supercar does have it’s downside, but if you own a helicopter too it shouldn’t be a problem. Read here about my experience in the Audi of my fantasies. (From R 3 089 000)

4. Mercedes-Benz E-Class

I was simply blown away (and also temporarily bamboozled) by the technology in this car - from the almost fully virtual cockpit to Mercedes-Benz Parking Pilot that really does it all on its own, the E-Class is pretty astounding - in Nevada, they are licensed to drive around autonomously. We needed a number of tech demonstrations on the local launch to learn about the advanced features in the E-Class. (From 709 608)

5. Ferrari California T

There are sports cars, then there are Ferraris.

Somewhere, in a parallel universe, the head designer/engineer at Ferrari must be a close friend, because he penned a sports car to my exact specifications and whims, including a decently sized boot, even when the roof is stowed. Sharp as a whip and quick as a bolt of lightening, the California T’s turbocharged 8-cylinder 3.8-litre engine is capable of 412 kW and 755 Nm of torque! The only thing wrong with the California T, is that it will always be out of my price range...it retails for R 4 335 000.  I only spent a morning driving it, but the memory will last me well into Alzheimer’s.

6. Maserati GranTurismo Sport

Nothing quite like the sound of a 4.7-litre V8 Maserati engine, and the black GranTurismo Sport roared like a ravenous werewolf when I exited the showroom just a little overzealously. In celebration of the new Maserati showroom in Cape Town, we spent the day driving around the Cape Winelands, and being dined (but not wined) at the gorgeous Cavalli Estate thereafter. Even though the soon-to-be facelifted dash is slightly dated, there’s nothing wrong with the sensuously aggressive shape of its sheetmetal. (From 2 256 000)

7. Mazda MX-5

The car that demands you to pay attention to your driving, the MX-5 is beautifully designed, thoroughly modern safety and technology wise, yet old-school cool. Nope, there’s no button or switch to drop the roof either, it’s all manual, baby, and so is the gearbox. This spritely little critter is remarkably light on fuel too, using only 5.4 litres per 100 km on the combined cycle. Zooming topless around the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on a sunny autumn day: frivolous driving fun! No wonder it was crowned World Car of the Year for 2016. (R 437 300)

8. Jaguar F-PACE

The Jaguar of SUV’s turns out to be Mr Dynamism, just as we had hoped. Even though I didn’t have the insanely powerful V6-derivative, it made no difference at how swimmingly the F-PACE handled the curves. We took it all across the Overberg region around every mountain pass we could find, driving it as if it were a low-slung hatch. The F-PACE is also a hit with the ladies, winning the coveted title of Women’s World Car of the Year for 2016. (From R 776 800)


9. BMW M140i Sports hatch 5-dr  

It looks like an innocent little hatchback, but do not be misled: the six-cylinder 250 kW M140i has a scorching 0 - 100 km/h acceleration time of a mere 4.7 seconds. Even though the over-assisted steering is a bit of a letdown, the fiery M140i is remarkably practical, even allowing me to put a rather long coffee table upside-down in the boot, thanks to the load-through feature. This Valencia Orange Metallic paint also takes forever to show dirt ! The Franschhoek Pass turned out to be rather exhilarating in the M140i - all yours if you have R647 326 and upwards to spend. Read more about it when we review it next year.