Nick Bates

The Japanese have proved that they can produce a status vehicle with the Mazda3 — a classy, sophisticated car that turns heads as quickly as the fuel price goes up. The lines of its graceful exterior extend from the five-point grille through the bonnet to convey a subtle, elegant look, while the flared front and rear fenders suggest muscularity.

It is typically Jaguar, with a sleek, aggressive look accentuated by the low front grille and elliptical quad headlights. At the back, the rear tapers inward slightly, emphasising the X-type 2,0’s muscular, feline appearance. The side-profile is sporty, thanks to the typical wedge shape that Jag’s designers tend to favour. Jaguar has unleashed a new kitten — the X-type 2,0, the first of its front-wheel drive offerings.

Volkswagen’s designers were faced with a tough challenge when they started the input of data and ideas into their CAD-CAM software in their quest to design a new Golf. Their brief couldn’t have been easy, but once summarised, it probably went something like this: "Make the Golf grow up, but don’t lose the sporty appeal our customers have so enjoyed for the past three decades, please."

Getting around our cities can be a real drag thanks to our over-congested roads, while finding parking once you’ve reached your destination can leave you frustrated. Those commuters who are casting their gaze toward owning a motorcycle instead of a car should consider Vespa’s new Granturismo 200L.

Whatever blows your hair back — well BMW’s ever-so-suave M3 convertible certainly did, and in less than 20 seconds, too. The beauty in this masterpiece from Bayrische Motorem Werke is not just swanning past your local News Café, which is bound to draw more than admiring glances. It is how the new ragtop does it without fuss.

He learned to drive in a hearse and only got his licence at 24, but loads of determination has put Phillip Kekana at the forefront of racing in SA.

Building a race car — especially a competitive one — is not simply a matter of bolting on some trick suspension, fine tuning the engine and fitting a roll cage. The <i>Mail & Guardian</i> was present at the building of Craig Nicholson’s Class B Sabat-sponsored Mini Cooper S, and witnessed the frustrations this budget team faced before the car even turned a wheel.

The invitation was enticing. We were going to the Red island — the rather primitive, yet quaint Nosy Be island, situated on the northern-most tip of Madagascar, where extensive soil erosion makes it clear why it is referred to by its colour. To celebrate 35 years of its Hilux range, Toyota held the launch of its special-edition Hilux Legend35 on the island.

It may seem as though Michael Schumacher and Ferrari will dominate formula one (F1) for the foreseeable future, but with a bit of research and crystal ball gazing it is possible to come up with a good prediction of who the team may be looking at as his successor.

Most of today’s of formula one drivers started out in karts and progressed to other highly competitive forms of racing — before getting their lucky break into the world’s best motorsport showcase. Kart racing enjoyed excellent support in South Africa in the early Nineties and boasted just less than 1 000 competitors in those days. Sadly numbers have dwindled over the years and presently there are about 430 competitors.

"When hell freezes over" took on a new meaning when BMW launched its new X3 recently. We were headed toward Die Hell: desolate, almost abandoned farmland high up in the Cape’s Swartberg mountains. But, the X3 was having little trouble dealing with mother nature. The tight, twisting curves of the stunningly beautiful Meiringspoort pass rarely slowed our pace.

One bright entrepreneur has found the solution for those wishing to indulge to their hearts content without the fear of landing up with a hefty fine, suspended sentence or even jail term. Formed just more than 18 months ago by Adrian Bradley, a BCom graduate, the company seems set to grow in leaps and bounds.

Resurrecting a city is not an easy task. But careful planning, lots of imagination and dollops of persuasion have certainly worked for Neil Fraser, the mastermind behind the rejuvenation of Johannesburg. Fraser heads up the Central Johannesburg Partnership, a company that specialises in creating sound property investments in the city for those that have an eye for the future and a flair for entrepreneurship.

July will prove to be frenetic, as manufacturers and importers scramble to launch their new models ahead of October’s Auto Africa show at Nasrec. The all-important Car Of The Year nominations are to be announced at the same event. From minivan to hot hatch, manufacturers provide something for everyone. Here’s a sample of what you can see on showroom floors soon …