IWC Schaffhausen, the official timekeeper for the ocean yacht race sponsoring team Abu Dhabi, gave us a glimpse into the pain, pleasure and prestige of this remarkable sailing event. By Jacqueline Cochrane

Given its extreme nature, the physical and mental strength it requires from participants and the technology and money involved in making it happen, it’s easy to see why so many people draw parallels between the Volvo Ocean Race and Formula 1. But upon meeting two-time British Olympic medallist Ian Walker, skipper of the Abu Dhabi entry, I am reminded less of Michael Schumacher and more of British landscape painter, JMW Turner (1775 – 1851).

See, Turner was fascinated by the violence of the ocean. Many other artists and wordsmiths have been inspired by nature, but where the likes of Wordsworth would wax lyrical about a field of daffodils, for Turner nature was something sublimely powerful, a force of profound rawness expressed in phenomena such as storms, snow and fire. Above all, it was the ocean that fascinated him; its unconquerable vastness and brutal apathy to the mortals who try traversing inspired him to create works such as “Slave Ship” and “Fishermen at Sea”. Turner was known to be an eccentric man; an introvert prone to bouts of depression, and a controversial fellow in his day. But for all his social awkwardness and intensely private lifestyle, I have a feeling that he’d have felt right at home in the company of Walker and the other sailors who participate in the Volvo Ocean Race. Like Turner, these men respond to the ocean’s lure in a way that, to the rest of us, often seems downright insane.

“It’s the only extreme team sport there is,” explains David Hassett, Commercial Director at Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. It is a fine, bright afternoon at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, and Hassett is showing me and a handful of other journalists around the Azzam; a gleaming black racing yacht and arguably the most breathtaking of the six competing boats. These vessels arrived in Cape Town not long before our visit, after almost three weeks at sea. They’d covered 6 500 nautical miles from the Spanish port city of Alicante, through the Straits of Gibraltar, into the Atlantic, southwest toward the equator and the infamous Doldrums belt, picking up the trade winds near the Brazilian coast and then eastwards again and straight to the Mother City. It was gruelling, and two yachts suffered snapped masts, but that was only the first of nine legs of this race. With the globe’s oceans as its vast racing track, this mammoth competition will only come to end in July this year.

Each of the six vessels has an 11-strong crew, made up of a skipper, navigator, two teams of four who take turns sleeping for four hours and then working for four, and a media crew member whose duties include sending real-time audio, video and written updates via sophisticated satellite technology.

This is the first time Abu Dhabi entered a team. Watching their boat, the Azzam, peacefully moored at the V&A Waterfront is like looking at a racehorse grazing in a paddock – it’s all power, just waiting to be unleashed. The state-of-the-art yacht was developed by Farr Yacht Design in the USA, and required an impressive 49 000 construction hours. The result is a 14-tonne, carbon-fibre masterpiece capable of reaching a top speed of around 70km/h.

“You’re going to spend anywhere between US$5 million and US$8 million to build one of these things,” Hassett tells us. “But the amount of stories they generate in the period while they’re in the water is absolutely amazing. It’s a live show going around the world.”

Everything about the Azzam impresses; but there’s nothing here that spells comfort.

On board, what most of us think of as necessities are deemed excesses, and these are trimmed to a point that ordinary people struggle to fathom. There are no beds, as such. There is no bathroom. One sink caters for cooking, rinsing things, brushing teeth, and a water-maker that desalinates sea water is where the crew gets their supply of precious H20 from. It is as Hassett takes us downstairs to peek into the belly of this boat that we literally bump into Walker… bumping into things seems to be inevitable in these cramped spaces.

“We divide the space by the number of people, and we get about two square metres each,” Walker, a legend in sailing circles, explains. “But the travesty of the whole thing is we don’t actually get to use much of the space, we only ever live in half the boat,” he adds, explaining that everything in the boat is usually moved to one side of the vessel. “We spend half our time carting gear around.” Stern but chipper, he tells us about their diet of freeze-dried food, which could ultimately be described as flavoured mush.

“The biggest thing about freeze-dried food is you can eat it all through a straw – it’s good to have things like biltong and stuff, where you can use your teeth.”

The relationship between the Abu Dhabi entry and its official sponsor, IWC Schaffhausen, seems a natural fit – and not only because IWC Schaffhausen is the Official Timekeeper of the Volvo Ocean Race. “IWC Schaffhausen and the Volvo Ocean Race share the same spirit: unique brands, known for inventiveness, technical excellence, outstanding craftsmanship, masculinity and adventure,” says Georges Kern, CEO IWC Schaffhausen. In celebration of the event and with a clear nod to the pioneering spirit and courage of the crews who are participating in it, IWC has unveiled the special edition Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition. A highly reliable and elegant sports watch made of titanium, it has all the precision of nautical instruments in its make-up.

Portuguese Yacht Club Edition

Lifestyle back Portuguese Yacht Club Edition

IWC

Photographer - AINHOA SANCHEZ

Yachts in competition

Photographer - DAVE KNEALE

Yacht close up view

Photographer - AINHOA SANCHEZ

Yacht helicopter view

Photographer - AINHOA SANCHEZ

Team in action

Photographer - NICK DANA

13_ADOR-and-IWC_CREDIT_NICK-DANA

Photographer - NICK DANA

Visit www.iwc.com for more information or witness the action via www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com

Rich in natural resources, Nigeria is set to become a big economic player on the world stage. Big business interest naturally follows economic booming regions which foster the demand for private air travel and private aircraft charters.

Between 2004 and 2008 the private aviation industry in South Africa saw impressive annual growth. Then came the 2009 global recession, when the very existence of the industry was fundamentally threatened. Kevin Taylor discovers a recovering Nigerian niche market where the sky is no longer the limit for South African entrepreneurs

It is no secret the global economic collapse of financial markets and subsequent worldwide recession hit the luxury market where it hurts. Nearly three years since the start of the meltdown, thousands of jobs have been cut and billions of dollars lost. The once thriving industry of private aviation in Africa, along with the rest of the world, descended into oblivion amidst the worldwide economic meltdown. Orders for new, private planes not only slowed down but were cancelled in perpetuity as the industry saw a two-year global shrinkage on a monumental scale.

However, in 2011 things began to change, with African countries seeming more resilient to the financial crisis and ricocheting from their slump surprisingly quicker than their Western counterparts. Rich in natural resources and largely commercially untapped, Nigeria is set to become a big economic player on the world’s stage… and where there is black gold, investment follows – bringing direct foreign investment, and lots of it. Where money flows, South Africa has learned to reap the rewards of playing a mass-scale middleman between the First and Third World. Big business interest naturally follows economic booming regions, which when combined with a bureaucratic state ultimately fosters the demand for private, convenient and exclusive air travel.

Closely following South Africa as the continent’s biggest market for both business jet sales and charter frequency, Nigeria has a total of 70 private aircraft operating within its borders with numbers increasing steadily, and very cleverly, this is the pinnacle on which South Africa has capitalised.

Olumide Ohunayo, Head of Research and Statistics for Nigerian based Zenith Travel says: “With so much red tape attached to the registering of private aircraft in Nigeria, many businesses and individuals have made the decision to register and maintain their aircraft in South Africa to bypass the laborious Nigerian process.” This directly translates into an injection into South Africa’s coffers for Nigeria’s booming aviation industry. “Private jet owners in Nigeria are spending on average $52.3 million annually on maintenance of aircraft, expatriate pilots and technical crew,” claims CEO for Belujane Konzult, Chris Aligbe. “Currently, approximately 443 expatriate pilots and engineers are working on private jets in Nigeria, and with the majority of these resources coming from the southern tip of Africa, South Africa is lucratively piggybacking on Nigeria’s quick economic recovery.”

Whether or not Nigeria is set to overtake South Africa as holding the largest market capitalisation on the continent will determine just how big and how fast the oil-rich nation grows, and whether such growth will be sustainable to facilitate the need for an even bigger private aviation industry. With the positive direction in which West Africa is heading at the moment, it certainly looks like it will be an industry set to enjoy positive growth for the foreseeable future.

From a career as a racing driver, Ben Collins now includes the title of international bestselling author to his repertoire. Kevin Taylor spoke to this stunt-driving phenomenon about every man’s dream job to becoming one of the 21st Century’s most credible motoring authorities

The first time I met Ben Collins was in 2011 during an event that our sister company LIVEOUTLOUD Events was hosting. They had brought him to South Africa to endorse a new luxury vehicle launch and speak at four elaborate gala dinners about his life as a racing prodigy. I got the chance to travel with Ben across South Africa, and spending time with him on the road it struck me what a genuine person he is. Although reserved in demeanour, his ability to converse about anything and everything struck me as something very impressive and it was this approachability of his nature that in my opinion completely overshadowed his celebrity status.

Ben Collins was born in Bristol in the United Kingdom but lived in California during his early childhood. After school he studied law and served in the British Army for four years, with a significant part of this term devoted to working as a Special Forces driving instructor. It is here, Ben tells me, where his love for both cars and driving grew – ultimately leading him to become the stunt driver he is today.

In amongst an impressive career on the racetrack beginning in 1994, including racing in Formula Three, test driving Formula One cars and racing in the gruelling 24-hour Le Mans Series, finishing fourth in the 2010 Hungaroring 1 000km race, Ben was approached by the BBC to appear as The White Stig on a fast-growing motoring series called Top Gear. The concept was unoriginal, as the producers were essentially working off a model used in previous seasons with an elusive character called The Black Stig setting various lap times in a reasonably priced car. However, on Ben’s acceptance of the role, The White Stig would become more of an all-encompassing part of the show, featuring in many of the quirky off-track segments which ultimately led to an overall increase in the popularity of the character and the show itself. The identity of The Stig became so fiercely protected, Ben was shrouded most of the time in either his signature white helmet or a balaclava to avoid identification on set.

The evolution of the show, Ben says, enabled him to travel Europe and the rest of the globe extensively as The Stig, from touring the French Alps to racing exotic sports cars around the Nürburgring in Germany. Not only this, Ben featured as a stunt driver in the American blockbuster National Treasure: Book of Secrets and in James Bond films Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale. His television career continued throughout his alternate racing career, and the BBC and producers of Top Gear managed very successfully to keep the identity of The Stig a secret. Then came January 2009, when the elusive reputation of Top Gear’s most enigmatic characters was threatened by the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. PR and spin-doctors went into overdrive, vehemently denying Ben was the man behind the mask claiming seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher to be the ‘scapegoat Stig’. Straight off the mark, Ben tells me, the media did not buy the BBC’s attempt at masking The Stig’s true identity, and Schumacher’s poor lap time on the track around which Ben broke record after record solidified their disbelief.

At the same time Ben had been working on a draft copy of an autobiography, a tell-all tale about his life, from young adulthood through to present time, and in the process revealing himself to the reader as The Stig. His decision to go ahead with publishing was made when the very crux of his book was threatened to be exposed before it had even been released. On discovering Ben was in negotiations with publisher HarperCollins, the BBC brought an immediate injunction against Ben and the publisher for releasing the book, which they eventually lost. In September 2010, his exposé called The Man in the White Suit was released across the United Kingdom and met with accusations of betrayal and self preservation from the BBC and Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. The Stig had finally been confirmed as Ben Collins and thousands of Top Gear fans were not impressed. Neither was the BBC who ultimately fired Ben from the show, with a dismissal akin to a dishonourable military discharge. It seemed Ben’s television career had come to a screeching halt as later attempts to feature on season 18 of Top Gear’s competitor show Fifth Gear never gained momentum and came to an end after only one season.

Dealing with the fallout of revealing his identity has been part of the process, Ben tells me, however, he has never regretted writing the autobiography or coming out as Britain’s most famous anonymous character. The Man in the White Suit went to number one in several countries, opening several other opportunities, including guest speaking appearances on the back of his book’s success. Over and above this, Ben continues to be part of the racing world and his company Collins Autosport continues to be involved in television and cinema stunt driving. He lives in Bristol with his wife and three children while travelling extensively due to his international driving and presenting career.

The latest vehicle range from Citroën’s is the DS range – a sporty and premium version of the C4 which has garnered a surprising level of popularity both in South Africa and abroad.

I hit the road in the all-new THP 200 1.6 Sport petrol version, and to my surprise, I had a blast. Having not been a huge Citroën fan in the past, I found myself to be even more critically observant with the DS4 but at the end of the day, I can’t deny the sum total of the positives of this car overshadow any negatives, so much so that it is clear that French motor engineering has come leaps and bounds.

Positioned to compete with other crossover models such as the Mini Countryman and Nissan Qashqai as well as various coupés such as VW’s Scirocco and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the Citroën DS range has done well to give this feisty car appeal across the spectrum.

From the outside the car is attractive and sleek. It definitely holds a French air about it with an aggressive front grille and a daring shorter rear, fitted with impressive oversized lights. I can’t help but imagine the car cruising through the South of France with Charles Trenet’s “La Mer” playing over the sound system, visiting châteaux on a sunny day. Don’t let this fool you though – there is a lot more to this car than meets the eye.

In keeping with classic Citroën design, the vehicle is stylishly rounded but it is the small, modernised attention to detail that captured my attention. Wing-mirrors, contour detailing, inside door panels and Citroën badges all clad in glossy chrome add elegance to the body, especially against the Perla Nera Black option I was driving for the week. The design of the rear door is quite distinctive, with a modern angular shape to it and a door handle disguised in the top peripheral of the protruding extremity. On getting into the rear seat however, the first thing I noticed was the fact that the rear windows do not open – which seemed rather bizarre and was a bit annoying for me. Having said this, space in the back is adequate even for an adult of over six feet. Getting into the car I was acutely aware of its solid stature. The fact that all models of the DS4 come with a five-star Euro N-cap rating is no surprise to me. With six airbags, ABS with EBD and EBA, front seatbelt pre-tensioners, park assist, front and rear sensors, blind spot monitoring and traction control as a standard, I felt very secure and almost cocooned from the outside environment, even with the magnificent panoramic Zenith Windscreen that provides a fish-bowl effect of floor to ceiling forward facing views. The daytime-running headlamps are also directional, making your visibility while turning corners at night so much more clear.

The car has boot space is aplenty at 385ℓ, with more than enough room for the golf equipment, kit bag and briefcase to be thrown in together and super comfortable leather seats and chrome detailing on what would be an original C4 dash give the DS4 a luxury feel. I was very impressed with the overall finish of the interior and easily forgave it for not being as pristine as some of its well-known competitors. At night, the driver has the choice of illuminating the speedometer in either bright white or electric blue, further reiterating the car’s sporty flair.

The significantly raised ride height gave me the feeling of on-the-road superiority, without losing any of the Citroen DS4’s coupé audaciousness. In the front, gadgets and gizmos are abundant with a full on-board trip computer that allows you to control everything from the radio and Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, to the speedometer’s illumination and climate control. Seat heating and a special massage function in both the driver and passenger seat came as a pleasant revelation after a long day in the office.

On the road, the DS4 handles very well, with little to no body roll around even the sharpest of corners. The suspension is a lot firmer than the C4, often coming as a stark contrast to the soft and comfortable interior and what seemed an almost foreign concept in a Citroën. However, this enabled me to gather a good knowledge of the texture of the road on which I was driving and for a sporty option anything but firm suspension would be a big concern. Steering is nimble and accurate without coming across as tedious or over-protective, and overall the drive is an exciting one. A clever safety feature for blind spot protection is a small light that comes on in your wing-mirror warning you of a car sitting in either of your blind spots – something very useful for city and motorway driving.

The four cylinder 1.6 litre THP version I was driving packed out 147kW and 275Nm of torque, and for its larger size the car is impressively zesty with plenty of power in the mid-gear range. Having that extra power to overtake quickly without dropping a gear is convenient and works incredibly well with the vehicle’s user-friendly cruise control system. Citroën claims this six-speed manual reaches a top speed of 235km/h with a 0-100km/h acceleration sitting at 7.9 seconds, and the engine sounds really gutsy in the lower gear ranges.

With the THP derivative coming in at over R300 000 and with all of its features and added extras I consider this car a steal as you are certainly getting a good bang for your buck. With this said, although there is plenty of power and economy offered, in my opinion it is not as exciting a drive as its baby brother, the DS3. The pull factor in this case is the fact that this mid-range sports hatch comes fully equipped with technology and luxury you would expect to find in only the highest-end vehicles or, as the trend seems to be, if you were prepared to dip into your ‘optional extras budget’. What Citroën may be lacking slightly in engine size department, it makes up for several times over with the little additions that make a big statement, and as a result I am happy to say that the DS4 has converted me to a fan of Citroën.

The DS4 clearly marks a new age in French motoring, and as a result, I say vive le France!

The new Citroen DS4

The new Citroen DS4

The new Citroen DS4

The new Citroen DS4 interior

The new Citroen DS4 dashboard cluster

The new Citroen DS4

It’s a cold and rainy November morning in Milan. The seemingly ancient tram is running smoothly on its familiar tracks. The faces around me are from all corners of the globe yet they all share a familiar sense of excitement. They are here for Eicma and the opportunity to see many of the new and highly-anticipated thoroughbreds and work horses – polished and presented to eager journalists from around the globe.

Among the precious metals, carbon-fibre and shiny paint, familiar scribes and animated international trade visitors, there are elegantly dressed models in typically casual Milanese style. Comfortable and familiar with a battery of cameras all aimed in anticipation of capturing the combination of gorgeous natural beauty with brilliant cutting-edge technology and style. Magazines and websites are jostling to give millions of readers a glimpse of what will soon be parked at roadside cafes and racetracks. Welcome to the world of MOTO, in true LIVEOUTLOUD style.

For over 100 years, human fascination with the two-wheeled wonder has challenged and intrigued engineers and designers to explore the boundaries of a certain kind of freedom. Travel in a different sense, which for some may be as functional as getting to work or school, while for others it beckons globetrotting and the experience of a lifetime. Heroes are born, idols are created in the hearts and minds of both adults and school kids who are captivated by the likes of Valentino Rossi, and mourn the loss of a new conqueror, Marco Simoncelli. The underlying danger ever present, yet accepted as an omnipotent force of attraction.

As we begin to explore both trends and touch on history, we can only marvel at what is out there. Climb on board a 2012 DUCATI Superbike and watch as the TFT display offers you options for Traction Control, Ride by Wire and Electronic Suspension Adjustment among a host of other personalised settings to assist you with piloting what is essentially a super ballistic missile. PlayStation for grownups with a lust for adrenaline and performance way beyond the reach of the average man and far past the point of most supercars can be experienced. Quite easily it seems. Japan, Germany and Italy are at war for total domination.

Adventure is a name that can be found on a variety of today’s top selling bikes. A few years ago, two well-known blokes from England and an eager camera crew climbed on a pair of fully loaded BMWs and took the Long Way Round, from London to New York via Mongolia. This Discovery Channel series shown all over the world helped to awaken the wanderlust buried in hardworking professionals, many of whom can be seen halfway up a mountainside in Lesotho or at a roadside café near Sutherland, smiling broadly, even while panting heavily.

Sunday mornings are greeted with the impossible shine and heavy bass tones of Harley riders in their curious “colours”. Leather waistcoats over black t-shirts adorned with all kinds of “bad-ass”. Or so it seems, as when you get closer you notice that the guy in the chaps and bandana is actually your dentist. “Wild Hogs” indeed are more common nowadays than the whisky-fired, gun-toting bad boys of old, but all the same it is better to tread lightly in their presence.

Sitting in traffic, I watch as a young girl filters effortlessly through the morning rush hour on a Vespa. Far from its Italian roots, this motorcycling icon in its most modern form makes more sense now than ever before, and I can’t help but wonder why everyone isn’t on one? Taking up so little space and zooming past big powerful German saloons with single occupants, you catch a glimpse of that familiar knowing smile. Joy in the freedom of movement at a cost that not only makes financial sense, but also treads so lightly on our sensitive planet.

Back at the Eicma show, the all new “Green Zone” showcased the future of sensible travel. Both corporate giants and innovative newcomers proudly displaying what will soon become the future of personal transport. Electric and Hybrid furtively displayed along with the new wave of Ultra Efficient, continuing the fascination and glorious passion of motorcycles into the future.

I am often left with a slight feeling of angst when a ‘sports version’ of a well-known hatch is released amidst such hype as more often than not drivers are merely left with a slightly faster, aesthetically pleasing version of the standard model with a hefty price tag. With the new five-door Audi RS3 Sportback, this is certainly not the case. What Audi have managed here, is to take the legendary reliability and element of across-the-spectrum coolness of the A3 to a completely different level of performance and gusto without losing any of the traditional and likeable elements of the popular hatch. This has resulted in a cross-pollination of a car that can be driven every day with ease, transport the kids from A to B and be used to drop your granny off at OR Tambo but also doubles up, and opens up as a complete sports package, from styling and detail to uncompromising performance.

The RS3 Sportback is certainly not for the fainthearted as this little beast packs a formidable punch – especially when the ‘sport option’ is engaged at the flick of a button. I was lucky enough to be handed the keys and given the freedom to throw her around Killarney Racetrack, testing every element to its maximum ability; which is ideally what should be done with these high-performance variants. And with the RS3 Sportback, there are plenty. Surges of power are available with this 2.5 litre turbocharged FSI engine that packs out an impressive 250kw and 450Nm of torque – which astounded me when I found out the engine only weighs 183 kilograms. This helped me reach the electronically capped top speed of 250km without breaking a sweat in the relatively short amount of straight-line track Killarney has to offer.

With a super-smooth, seven-speed S-tronic gearbox as standard, gear changes occur in hundredths of seconds, allowing for that much more power and efficiency to be pummelled down to the quattro® powered all-wheel drive chassis – a standard in the entire RS range. With a low but firm suspension and an impressive 18-inch braking system, the Audi clings to the corners like velcro with a cheeky but controllable eagerness – partly due to steerability like no other in its class. Coming out of the corners understeer was literally second to none, with the nose of the vehicle knuckling down and following its line unwaveringly.

The exterior look of the car has been upgraded to incorporate all of the RS3 Sportback’s sporty irreverence. Enhanced grills, bumpers and spoilers as a standard together with twin elliptical exhaust pipes that are encased in a high-gloss black diffuser all add to the aggressive facade. The trademark Audi LED daytime running lights remain an indicative reminder that this is not your average hatch and the interior consists of ergonomically designed sports seats, a super-intelligent climate control system, Napa leather detailing and a top-class driver information system complete with a lap timer – for those days when you leave the spouse and the kids at home.

To some, the fact that the RS3 Sportback carries such a cross-over from suburban hatch to high performance could be a deterrent however, I feel that in comparison with the entire RS range that I drove on the day, the RS3 Sportback holds its own in the performance car market, and for a little over R500 000, this limited edition is not only reasonably priced, but a testament to the leaps and bounds Audi has made in the past decade, resulting in an ultimate competitor to hit the performance hatch market.

RS-3-Sportback 3/4 front view

Image courtesy of Audi South Africa

RS-3-Sportback 3/4 rear view

Image courtesy of Audi South Africa

RS-3-Sportback Front-end

Image courtesy of Audi South Africa

RS-3-Sportback at the starting line

RS-3-Sportback 19'' rims

Visit www.audi.co.za for more information

I took delivery of one of the first Minis to come off the boat in 2001. It was a real head turner and you could get away with murder in the traffic because Minis were still cute and full of novelty value. The Clubman got those heads turning again but Mini has become a popular brand in South Africa so they’re ubiquitous and quite ordinary.

Well, I drove the new Mini Countryman recently through the streets of Johannesburg and had regular Mini drivers turning their heads at a car that’s clearly a Mini, just bigger and edgier and it has four doors. There is also something called legroom at the rear and a fair amount at that. The Countryman was greeted with very mixed feelings in the looks department among the motoring press, some loathing it and some, I for one, quite liking it.

The front grille is squarer and lines are more deliberate, obviously wider, longer and higher. Over-extended wheel arches scream off-roader and if you’ve seen the VW Cross-Polo, it’s similar in the way it looks like the ultimate utility vehicle for a nice drive into the country, onto the beach to a good left break or up a fairly tame dirt track to a paragliding take-off spot, or isolated waterfall. I would stay clear of the Richtersveld.

That said, it is the framework for Mini’s return to the WRC in 2011, so it intends to be a performance off-roader and I think it would be a whole lot of fun on some of our better dirt roads, particularly in four wheel drive guise – dubbed ALL4.

We drove the regular version, two wheel drive, normally aspirated 1.6 litre, through suburban Johannesburg, to a remarkable property in the Cradle, and then back into town in the ‘S – ALL4’ with its turbocharger and meaner deportment.

All the Minis I’ve ever driven, even the Clubman, have been like weather-proof karts. They nip in and out of gaps, making traffic a pleasure and they make parking so easy – exactly what they’re designed to do.

The extra weight of the Countryman’s new doors and back seats, together with its higher centre of gravity, have come at the expense of its manoeuvrability and speed off the mark. So, it’s no longer designed to be a metrosexual’s exciting runabout, it’s designed for the active individuals who own the coolest sport vehicle that won’t have to be sold when their first kid comes along.

Mini also introduced us to what will no doubt become standard in its cars in time to come – Mini Connect. It works with your iPhone to deliver the internet, a Twitter app, all of your files and media, and your phone contacts for telephony. The giant speedometer needle makes way for the interface and you get your speed reading from a funky outer edge needle. There is talk that Mini Connect will evolve to accommodate Blackberry and the others but iPhone is the preferred partner for now and it shared the launch stage of the Countryman with Mini South Africa through the Core Group.

Here comes the part where you ask “would you buy one?”. The challenge will be justifying the price because at around R300 000 for the Cooper and R400 000 for the Cooper S, you’re beginning to punch above the car’s weight in terms of segment, so you’ll want to maximise the use you get out of the car and be very serious about your active lifestyle. So, no I wouldn’t buy it.

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The BMW fellas always put together a car launch which keeps you in the car for as long as possible. They spend time finding the bits of road that suit the character of the car to bring out the best in the vehicle and to give you the best conditions possible for formulating your driving perception.

So how do you as the marketing team, put together the perfect drive for the new X5? Some die hard off roaders might suggest a padded cell or a suburban driveway with a speed bump or two to really rattle the “soft” all roader. BMW looked further afield to the Tsitsikama passes, the forests around Knysna and the farmland of the Karoo to provide a showpiece of terrain that would represent the capabilities of the car and, heaven forbid, place it in territory that might even test it to the limit.

Guy Kilfoil, head of BMW marketing, says the route was chosen to showcase what the X5 will end up doing 90 percent of the time – thundering along the open roads. Then some soft off-roading on good quality dirt roads and then a bit more extreme off-roading through forest tracks in the realm of the elephants and forestry personnel-only access in some of the country’s most beautiful terrain.

The essence of this mid-cycle facelift is a combination of the power plants, drive trains and optimised efficiency, with a couple of superficial aesthetic changes to make sure it looks different to the previous model.

Two petrol engines are offered – the now well-known three litre straight six twin turbo motor with the XDrive35i nomenclature and the 4.4 litre V8 win turbo dubbed the XDrive50i. Then two diesel variants are on offer, both with the same three litre straight six diesel motor but the XDrive30d has a single turbo unit and the XDrive40d has the twin turbo.

All models are fitted with an eight-speed Steptronic gearbox as standard and what the manufacturer calls Efficient Dynamics, consisting of brake energy regeneration and things like demand controlled ancillary components. Basically, more output is delivered in a greener and more fuel efficient way.

Our route took us from George, up the Robinson Pass, onto some farming stock dirt roads and back down the Outeniqua Pass into George. We then took the old George/Knysna Road, exiting in the Wilderness for lunch at Views Boutique Hotel and Spa.

On the fast sweeping bends of both mountain passes the X5 is extremely at home helped by the 255/R55 rubber, XDrive, every driving aid available and a suspension system designed to keep the car level with the road. The car was equally at home on the good quality dirt surfaces and our braking test on dirt from about 70kph, saw the X5 stop without so much as a twitch.

After lunch it was into the forest proper, the cultivated pulp forests initially to get to the heart of the indigenous Knysna forest. Apart from one or two short wheel spins, there was nothing the car couldn’t handle. One or two steep sections called for hill descent control but there was no really tough off-road terrain, unlikely in the car’s lifetime anyway.

The aesthetic changes to the X5 give it a more masculine presence and first model X5s look a bit thin and malnourished alongside. True to form, it is a pleasure to drive on a good tar surface and I think the XDrive40d and the XDrive50i will make superb towing vehicles for the caravan, boat and small beach buggy holiday train.

As an off-roader it’s a more than capable vehicle but we never encountered deep sand or mud. Kilfoil is adamant that a diff lock is not a consideration but I think it would give the X5 a little more ‘go anywhere’ cred.

This is a fantastic cruiser and a great driver’s car. You can add safety features and driving aids like lane change warnings, as well as entertainment for the kids in the headrests. It will get you to the coast in luxury and it will get you around town easily and relatively efficiently – everything the luxury SAV segment was designed to do.

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I may be a fan of gorgeous cars but I am by no means a petrolhead! Point at a car and I’ll tell you if I’d like to drive it one day in my dreams, but don’t ask me to compare what is under its hood to that of another vehicle of calibre. So when Porsche approached me to write about the new Panamera 4 from a lady’s perspective and I was told no experience in car reviewing was necessary, I couldn’t refuse the temptation to hit empty, winding roads and drive freely at 200km/h without Metro vultures waiting to pounce.  I only managed to clock 186km/h… but not for a lack of trying, I blame the long-haul trucks!

When asked to drive a car worth over R700 000 and you agree to certain liability you would think this would create a bit of nerves, but it wasn’t the car I had a problem with it was the short flight from Johannesburg to Nelspruit with a mere 50 or so ‘suicide missioners’ that made me sweat and make dear friends in a hurry. After half an hour of torturous turbulence and meeting a sweet American tourist who tried his best to distract me with touristy questions that he clearly would have already got answers from the South Africa guidebook in his lap, we landed at the quaint thatch-roofed airport ready for our luxury car experience.

Our first introduction to the cars was to be chauffeured off to our overnight destination, Oliver’s Restaurant and Lodge and first impressions would definitely last. The sexy new Panamera 4 is not the kind of car you would allow your children to taint with sticky fingers but it’s definitely understandable why it is being marketed as the preferred ‘mommy car’ of the Porsche range for those who want a sportier-looking car to the Cayenne. Although I packed rather light and my four fellow female journos were also surprisingly light on luggage, we were still remarkably impressed by the space in the boot that can comfortably accommodate four suitcases.

Although the car is kitted out with a complex-looking control panel of buttons, everything makes sense. Not distracting the driver in any way there are no gimmicks when it comes to a Porsche – every aspect has functionality. The short drive to our accommodation was enough to get me fired up to be in the driver’s seat going back to Johannesburg the next morning.

Until then we would be rewarded for the traumatic flight with the most incredible meal at Oliver’s and adorable lodgings that made me think there had to be an easier way to get to the area to enjoy this again.

In the morning we paired up into navigator-driver duos and were on the road early enough for me to panic about morning dew and possible rain and did I remember where the windscreen wiper was– I was told not to worry, obviously they were on sensor and would work automatically if need be, silly me. Before I knew it I was putting foot through the Mpumalanga Highlands Meander and my navigator Kate had to point out that we seemed to have lost the rest of the convoy behind us… oops! The car drives like it’s on rails even around sharp corners and having to overtake massive trucks, at no point did I feel like the car had the control. From the outside the Panamera 4 appears on the large side, when I first saw it I addressed concern that being five foot I probably wouldn’t be able to see over the bonnet but of course the seats and steering wheel are adjustable for height and comfort and once inside the car isn’t as big as it seems.

Let’s get technical

The Panamera 4 offers Porsche Traction Management(PTM)  with active all-wheel drive; seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe(PDK), (Porsche Double-Clutch Gearbox), acceleration 0-100km/h in 6.1 sec. The smooth drive and stylish interior make the driver feel just as comfortable as any of the passengers which adds to its appeal for use on those long family drives down to the coast. And the car is a gem on fuel, only averaging 9.6l/100km with the benefit of Auto Stop Start which not only saves fuel but lowers CO₂ emissions. You also have the option of hitting the Sport or Sport Plus buttons, allowing the driver to activate (and heighten) all the relevant systems in the car from optimum fuel economy to high or maximum performance – making changes like sharper throttle, brake pads closer to discs and longer and sharper gear changes noticeable.

Those not used to the power of the Porsche Panamera will be surprised at the ease of increase in speed and the gentle hum that would make it a pleasure to drive through Melrose Arch without drawing too much attention – who am I kidding? The car is hot, everyone will be looking at you anyway.

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For more information visit www.porschejohannesburg.com

Lotus cars have picked up somewhat of a reputation for being exciting but lacking the refinement that defines supercar status. Chris Buchanan drives the new breed of Lotus The inimitable Jeremy Clarkson has an ongoing laugh with Lotus that he can actually fit into and drive their cars, which is where I thought I would start after taking delivery of the Lotus Evora 2+2. My seven foot Kiwi mate actually managed quite well getting his gargantuan frame in to the passenger seat but would have found it nigh impossible to actually drive the car with his knees round his ears. Suffice it to say that the Lotus is not exactly the perfect car for a seven foot frame but then not many cars are.

I left the Bryanston showroom lower to the ground than I’ve ever been before in a car of any kind, surrounded by an interior of stitched leather, plush carpeting and a very attractive controls layout which included air conditioning and all the extras you’ll find in a luxury vehicle.

My expectation of a kart in drag was completely unfounded, as was my bracing for an unusually hard ride on Johannesburg’s infamously badly potholed roads. The Evora is solid and every part a supercar as far as build and feel are concerned – less so as far as ride is concerned because it handles the excuse for roads with exceptional aplomb. This is no bone jarring ride where a kidney belt comes standard. The chassis, while stiff enough to induce confidence, is surprisingly forgiving.

The 3.5 litre V6 power plant is shoe horned into a miniscule cavity behind the driver and sounds fantastic as it propels you to 100kph in 4.5 seconds. Sport mode, available in the Lotus Sport Pack, heightens throttle response and adds a bit of a growl through the exhaust, as well as adds stability through the traction control.

All of the above combine to render sublime performance and kart-like handling. If you point the car in a direction, it will go there. It will then exit the corner without so much as a twitch with all the power you have the balls to muster on a quiet suburban road.

And it does all this with every person you encounter staring at you as though you were from another planet. Most of the other supercars are pretty much clichéd in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, so when something as rare as an Evora pulls up outside the school drop off zone, even teenage petrol heads, who think they’ve seen everything, leer at you.

It is definitely unusual in the looks department and deceptively large when you are in the car, problem is, be careful what you wish for if your mid-life transition is what’s fuelling your desire. When I said it was low, I meant it, so the reason it is so nimble is also the reason you have to develop a technique when getting in and out of the car.

This may not be classified as a supercar in a recognisable definition but it is most certainly a car that punches way above its weight.  For my money it certainly has attained supercar status in the way it performs, its handling prowess and its drop dead looks.

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