BENTLEY POSTS IMPRESSIVE SALES

Bentley Mulsanne. Lounge away from home

Bentley’s half year results for 2012 show continued strong growth. Sales are up in every region leading to a global increase of 32% (3 929 cars delivered to customers). The US has re-emerged as Bentley’s number one market with deliveries up by 25.7% (1 140 cars delivered to customers). Sales in China also remain extremely strong with results up 55.7% (1 059 cars delivered to customers). 

However, as predicted, strong demand in both markets has created a real competition and despite China edging ahead at the end of Q1, the Americas retook the lead at the half year point.

Bentley’s flagship Mulsanne sold strongly in both markets and saw an overall increase of 30% as the Diamond Jubilee Special Edition and Mulliner Driving Specification became available to customers. 

At the same time, the new Continental GT underscored its popularity with customers around the world. Deliveries of the premium coupé, which is now available with both W12 and V8 engines, increased by 48.5%.

Bentley’s strong performance in its two largest regions was underpinned by an increase in sales in all other regions. In Europe results were up 22.9% with 607 deliveries to customers, and in the UK they increased by 4.5% with 557 deliveries to customers. 

Further afield Bentley saw deliveries increase by 47.9% in the Middle East (346 cars).  Results were also up some 52.6% in Asia Pacific and 114.3% in Japan.

Wolfgang Duerheimer, Bentley’s Chief Executive said: “Our half year results show strong growth for Bentley in every single global region.  The competition between the Americas and China continues and we are watching closely to see who will emerge as the largest region in 2012. 

“Sales are being driven up by our flagship Mulsanne which is up 30% following strong interest in the US and China.  We are also pleased to see the continued growth of the new Continental GT W12, our pinnacle performance coupé.

“I am very optimistic about the future for Bentley. We are gaining more momentum every month due to the strong performance of our global dealer network, the appeal of our existing model line to customers and the exciting future models like the Continental GT Speed we have in the pipeline.”

STORY BY BENTLEY

LOTUS TEAMS UP WITH BATMAN

Lotus F1 team is delighted to announce that it will join forces with The Dark Knight Rises, the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight motion picture trilogy, this weekend at Silverstone for the 2012 British Grand Prix (06 - 08 July). 

To celebrate the partnership both Lotus F1 Team cars - in addition to the team’s garage, driver helmets and overalls - will feature the film’s iconic logo throughout the Grand Prix weekend. The legendary Tumbler vehicle will also be performing an on-track display with the Lotus F1 Team car and drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean.

The display took place on Thursday 5th July at 12pm on track at Silverstone (start/finish line) for Formula 1 accredited media, followed by a brief Q&A and photo call with both drivers, including the legendary motorcycle from the Dark Knight films, the Bat-Pod. For the remainder of the weekend, the Tumbler will be on show at the Sky display stand in the grounds of Silverstone.

Josh Berger, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros Entertainment UK & Spain: “We are delighted to be working together with the Lotus F1 Team. We wish them every success this weekend. F1 fans are often Dark Knight fans too, so we are confident this partnership will be warmly received around the world.”

Eric Boullier, Lotus F1 Team, Team Principal: “This season we have been the dark horses in the championship fight, so this partnership with The Dark Knight Rises is a fantastic match. Our car, the E20, looks superb with the Batman branding and we are looking forward to seeing the reaction of our numerous fans when it takes to the Silverstone circuit this weekend. We are certainly hoping for an epic conclusion for The Dark Knight Rises E20 in the Grand Prix.” 

STORY BY WARNER BROS

BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 5 NOW SOLD IN MZANSI

Launched in Mzansijust recently, the new BMW ActiveHybrid 5 represents the company’s first foray into hybrids in this country. Yes there are two other BMW hybrid models running around elsewhere in the world, but never before has South Africa enjoyed the blue and white flag powered by this mix of petrol and electric technology. And it’s not the last time either.

My main point of concern as I hurried along the curving esses of the Western Cape during the media launch, was why anyone would chose the hybrid over the more complete 535d, even though it costs about R20 000more. Consider for example, that said 535d is pusher of 630 Newtons in torque, compared to the ActiveHybrid 5’s 450Nm (with 250kW total system output), yet the diesel tends to visit the petrol pumps far less by averaging 5.6 litres per 100km, as opposed to the petrol’s 7 litres per 100km. more interestingly, the 535d will scatter off from standstill into 100km/h territory in just 5.5 seconds, while hybrid does same in a more serene 5.9 seconds, notwithstanding its 3.0-litre turbo straight six petrol side.

Most modern hybrids spread their lithium-ion batteries under the floor. However, BMW saw it fit to cut off part of the boot’s front end and partition it for the battery stack. So they reside upright in a space behind the rear seat and the boot. Net effect? About 145 litres less boot space.

Such thoughts would creep into my mind now and then as I negotiated tight corners and long endless sweeps in the green glorious Cape, navigating a route we seldom see on our frequent travels down there. “Tjo, this is a true Beemer”, I said to self. Handling is from the very top shelf of things. Of course it is, because it’s exactly based on the same class-leading 5 Series that was launched here in 2010. Even the interior equipment that makes traffic more bearable is the same. Here I mean things like climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation (standard), USB ports for your music and other pleasantries.

Hybrids, I’ve always maintained, are for people who live and work in places like Melrose Arch, where one steps out of bed and straight into the office, via a quick breakfast at Europa or Primi Piatti. See, hybrids run on both petrol (some on diesel too) and electric batteries, the latter operating best during peak start/stoptraffic situations. This car is also a full hybrid, meaning it can go for up to four kilometres on Eskom power alone, saving you something in the region of a round trip to the shops in used fuel. That’s a lot actually, if you consider that you could run out of fuel trying to go fill up.

Still, for what you pay, what you get and what you can get instead, none of this leaves me convinced that ActiveHybrid 5 is a better buy than its diesel brethren, especially the stonking 535d, or even the less powerful 530d with 190kW and 560Nm. Yet there is clearly a need for such a car, for people who want real tangible power to balance off their life-long addiction to petrol. I understand most South Africans still think diesel is a contagious plague, despite its proven advantages over the unleaded.

Until we can be able to drive from Jozi to Durban in full electric power, or at least have the option of charging up as quickly as those petrol attendants fill us up, hybrids will remain on the fringes for me. I’m not an American, and therefore aren’t swept off my feet by every latest fad.

Some motoring journalists reckon the BMW X6 is a pointless car. I totally disagree. I think the ActiveHybrid 5 is a pointless car. Yet, the so-called “greenies” will buy it, if only to ease their consciousness about killingthe planet. Diesel 535d will do what this car does even better, at a marginal list premium.

BMW 5 Series Selected Pricing

530d (R671 180)

ActiveHybrid 5 (R760 977)

535d (R780 394)

ISUZU CHALLENGE GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER

Driver Antonie Swart (2nd from left), together with his wife and co-driver Heidi, was named overall winner of the 11th Isuzu 4x4 Challenge held at the Lookout in Kirkwood over the weekend.  He scored 603 points and completed his time trial in an incredible 37 seconds. With them on the far left is Mlungisi Nonkonyana, Isuzu Brand Manager and on the far right, Francois Schellingerhout of the EC 4x4 Club.

This year marked the 11th anniversary of the Isuzu 4x4 Challenge sponsored by General Motors South Africa (GMSA), and its Isuzu brand, at the Lookout in Kirkwood on Saturday, 30 June 2012.

Organised by the Eastern Cape 4x4 Club, this year’s event once again did not disappoint and saw a crowd of 3000 spectators and a total of 51 vehicles participating from all over South Africa.  “Isuzu is extremely proud to be associated with this challenge.  Every year has been bigger and it’s important that we keep growing the event. People are seeing how much fun everyone else is having and more people are starting to participate as well,” said Isuzu Brand Manager, Mlungisi Nonkonyana. Vehicles and driving skills were put to the test as drivers navigated their vehicles through ten challenging obstacle courses. The following classes were represented: Class A modified with diff lock; Class B with no diff lock (open diff modified); Class C1; Class C2 Production vehicles and Class D with two-wheel drive buggies.

The overall winner of the day, Antonie Swart, driving a 2 wheel drive buggy scored 603 points. He completed his time trial in an incredible 37 seconds. “The day was excellent and I am ecstatic that we came out as overall winners. It was a very difficult track today, but with the power we had, we pulled it off and we look forward to defending our title next year,” said Swart.

In second place was Richard Pook with 561 points, driving a 1800 Pipe Frame buggy and in third position was 11-year-old Bradley Schreiber with 521 points, driving a 1600 2 Wheel Drive buggy. This event was Schreiber’s first Isuzu 4x4 Challenge. He said, “I always wanted to compete in this event but I wasn’t allowed to enter last year because I didn’t have enough experience. This event is exciting, it’s much more than I expected and I had lots of fun.”

Five standard Isuzu KB300 4x4’s were entered into the C2 Production vehicles class. “For standard production vehicles, the Isuzu’s have been phenomenal. If you looked at all the other vehicles here, they have all been extensively modified. We wanted to show the public what we can do with a standard vehicle - people can buy these vehicles and they can have a lot of fun and be confident driving them,” said Nonkonyana.

Also present at the Lookout for the event was the Isuzu Off-Road Academy. This initiative is open to customers around South Africa who want to make the most of their 4x4 vehicles in a controlled environment, as well as enhance their off-road driving capabilities.

All proceeds raised at the Isuzu 4x4 Challenge will be donated to the Kirkwood High School and St Reginald’s Primary School. As Michelle Wilson, Public Relations Officer for GMSA, emphasized, “At General Motors we don’t just assemble and sell great products, we also care about the community in which we operate.”

STORY BY GENERAL MOTORS

MERCEDES-BENZ CLS SHOOTING BRAKE: DETAILS OUT!

Niche after nichethe three German titans keep on creating every segment possible in order to keep increasing sales. Now enter the brand new Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake, essentially a wagon-style version of the CLS four-door Coupé. CLS itself created the niche four-door segment in 2004.

Certainly it may be considered for Coupé-dom, thanks to the frameless side windows and a dynamic sloping roof that flows all the way to the rear bumper. Yet, it’s hard not to notice exactly how long it keeps flowing, thus placing the Coupé word in thick jeopardy, while simultaneously bringing the words station wagon into mind. Nevertheless, we’ll use the Shooting Brake name so selflessly provided by Mercedes-Benz.

“Any memorable machine is equal parts art and science,” according to Daimler CEO Dr Dieter Zetsche. “A car has to first deliver in function - the ticket of entry - and then in fascination: the ticket to real excitement. The CLS Shooting Brake excels on both accounts - unlike any other car in the market.”

So the car has four doors and five seats, or at least a rear middle sitting space suitable for rather small people. And it’s quite long too, scaling in at 4.96 metres, 1.88m wide and 1.4m high. One can load items of up to 1550 litres, which is quite massive. Interior appointments include hand-stitching on some of the surfaces, a designo wooden luggage compartment floor that resembles that of a luxury yacht.

The engine range is guided by a 7G-Tronic Plus automatic gearbox with ECO start/stop function as standard. At the bottom of the list is the CLS 250 CDI BlueEfficiency with 150kW, followed by two V6s – petrol and diesel – the CLS 350 CDI BlueEfficiency making 195kW and the CLS 350 BlueEfficiency (petrol) doing 225kW. Topping the normal range is the CLS 500 BlueEfficiency shifting 300kW.

But of course, this being a CLS and all, there is an AMG model for those who just absolutely have to have their horses. The CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake gives off 386kW of power and 700Nm of torque in standard garb, while 410kW and 800Nm are available to the greedy man who splashes out on the AMG Performance Package. Both are powered by the highly rated 5.5-litre Biturbo V8.

While nothing’s been confirmed, we do expect to see the CLS Shooting Brake range in South Africaduring Q2 in 2013.