Colin-on-Cars - Simola Hillclimb gains new backing

Since inception, the size, status and relevance of the annual Simola Hilclimb has grown exponentially along with the speed, ferocity and technical innovation of the vehicles that clamour for inclusion – with all available slots taken up well before the event itself.

This motoring and motor sport lifestyle event has been given a further boost for this year’s 13th edition, as a record number of vehicle manufacturers are set to join the action. The 2023 Simola Hillclimb, which takes place from 4 to 7 May, will see six manufacturers supporting the event with official entries, with four of the brands also signing up as event partners.

“For the past three years we have been working exceptionally hard to expand the manufacturer support and participation in the Simola Hillclimb to broaden its appeal for spectators and competitors, and give the vehicle brands an unrivalled platform to highlight their latest products,  performance and heritage,” says Ian Shrosbree, managing director of the Knysna Speed Festival which runs the Simola Hillclimb.

“Moving away from having a manufacturer as a title sponsor from the 2021 event onwards allowed us to engage with other brands, and we have been encouraged by a steady growth in involvement each year,” Shrosbree says. “We are delighted to have six manufacturers lined up for this year, which elevates the profile and status of the Simola Hillclimb to even greater heights.”

Suzuki

Suzuki Auto South Africa is a Tier 1 partner for 2023, marking its third consecutive year of sponsoring the event.

“The Simola Hillclimb provides a platform to showcase Suzuki’s fun, exciting and passionate personality that stretches beyond our repertoire of providing affordable, fun and sporty compact cars and motorcycles,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager at Suzuki Auto SA.

“Globally, the Suzuki brand has a very strong heritage and enviable reputation of building crazy, and often record-breaking, high-powered hillclimb monsters such as Monster Tajima’s Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak and the Suzuki SX4 Pikes Peak Special,” Carpenter says. “The Simola Hillclimb gives us an opportunity to dabble in the South African motor sport scene, and has become a highlight on our annual event calendar.”

Along with its Tier 1 sponsorship, for the second year in a row Suzuki will feature two standard Swift Sport entries competing in the standard production class. The company will also display the latest addition to its SUV line-up, and fans can look forward to demonstration runs with its newest motorcycle offerings.

BMW

Following its participation as an entrant last year, BMW South Africa has stepped up its involvement to become a Tier 1 partner for the 2023 Simola Hillclimb.

“We had a very enthusiastic response from the BMW team last year, and we are delighted to welcome the company on board as a Tier 1 partner for 2023,” Shrosbree says.

While the vehicle and driver line-up is still being finalised, fans can be assured there will be lots to look forward to.

“BMW’s presence at this year’s Simola Hillclimb will be a celebration of our heritage in South Africa on Classic Car Friday, as well as a look towards our future and our expanding electromobility portfolio in the King of the Hill Shootout,” says Thilosh Moodally, General Manager: Group Communications and External Affairs, BMW Group South Africa.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen has progressively stepped up its participation in the Simola Hillclimb over the past couple of years, and has signed up as a Tier 2 partner for 2023.

“This event is the most fun one can have in Knysna! It is a showcase of both driver capability and the incredible engineering in our Volkswagen products,” says Mike Rowe, Volkswagen Driving Experience Manager. “We use it as an opportunity to entertain important guests as well as to demonstrate new Volkswagen products and motorsport drivers to the elite motoring fanatics.”

The Volkswagen line-up will include the powerful Polo SupaCup race car that featured in the 2022 event, along with two Golf R entries in the production vehicle class.

“There will be a fourth very exciting car, but we can’t reveal the details yet,” Rowe says.

Honda

Joining the fray for the first time as a Tier 2 partner is Honda Motor Southern Africa.

“This is the first time that Honda will be participating in the Simola Hillclimb, and we are delighted to be a Tier 2 partner for this prestigious event,” says Letitia Herold, Marketing and PR Manager, Honda Motor Southern Africa.

“For King of the Hill, we are entering a highly anticipated new performance car that will be launched just before the Simola Hillclimb. It will be driven by one of South Africa’s best-known racing drivers, so we expect that there will be lots of interest from the enthusiastic spectators. Fans can look forward to demo runs up Simola Hill as well, and we will be involved in the Fan Fest activities too, so there will be lots to look forward to.”

Hyundai

Hyundai South Africa returns as the media shuttle partner for the second consecutive year, supplying the Staria buses to transport the press contingent to designated photographic locations along the Simola Hill course.

More noteworthy for hot hatch fans, though, is the official entry of the Hyundai i30N, which will be driven by Joshua Lowe, Hyundai’s Regional Sales and N-sport Manager.

“Hyundai N products such as the i30N and Kona N closely align themselves to motorsport and were developed to be track stars for the road,” Lowe says.

“We have entered our i30N which we raced in the Johannesburg-based Vilaca Racing time attack series in 2022, where it finished second in the FWD modified class in stock form,” Lowe says. “For this year the vehicle has a few basic modifications for the track, but is essentially what you can expect from the factory vehicle. We look forward to showing the South African public what the i30N is capable of.”

Ford

Fresh from its South African launch, the new V6-powered Ford Ranger Raptor will provide an unusual twist on the performance vehicle theme with the backing of Ford South Africa, and will compete in the unlimited class for sports utility/activity vehicles and bakkies.

“We are excited about participating in the 2023 Simola Hillclimb for the first time with a media partner,” says Minesh Bhagaloo, General Manager, Communications at Ford South Africa. “The Simola Hillclimb is a fantastic event, and fans will get to see the exhilarating Next-Generation Ranger Raptor in action. It is powered by a 292 kW 3,0-litre V6 EcoBoost engine which makes it our most powerful Ranger yet. We are confident that the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor will be a great attraction at this year’s event, and on our media partner’s social platforms.”

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Colin-on-Cars - Enticing lineup from BMW

Although BMW M Motorsport has confirmed it will contest the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli campaign, the final driver selection has not been announced – but could include South African ace, Sheldon van der Linde.

Other racers could include Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts who have joined the extensive list of BMW M works drivers. 

The 20-strong roster also includes Brazilian, Augusto Farfus, who clinched the IGTC drivers’ crown when BMW last entered the globe-trotting GT3 series in 2020, as well as Connor De Phillippi who shared victories with the Brazilian at Indianapolis and Kyalami, respectively.

Both wins were achieved with the previous generation M6.

Successor

Now its successor, the M4 GT3, will make its Mount Panorama debut with Team WRT early next year before the likes of Rowe Racing – which is contesting Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS – nominates additional IGTC entries at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Customer teams are also eligible to score points on BMW’s behalf at all of 2023’s Intercontinental rounds.

BMW M Motorsport’s busy 2023 schedule also features the Nurburgring 24 Hours and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“After a successful 2022, including the title win in the DTM, we are shifting up another gear next year,” says Head of BMW M Motorsport, Andreas Roos. “We have improved what was already a very strong squad of works drivers with René Rast, Maxime Martin, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts. 

“On the team side, we are continuing our collaborations, which have grown over many years, including with BMW M Team RLL, BMW M Team RMG and Rowe Racing. We also welcome BMW M Team WRT as a new BMW M Motorsport team. We are facing some exciting sporting challenges in 2023 and the years to come, for which we need the best teams and drivers. After all, the goal is to add to the success story of the BMW brand in motor racing.”

Further full-season IGTC manufacturers will be confirmed in due course, while the championship’s 2022 campaign concludes this weekend at the Gulf 12 Hours.

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Colin-on-Cars - Wild and mild

Two days spent on some glorious Western Cape roads with the new BMW Series 2 coupé showed up a sort of ‘best of both worlds’ scenario with the raunchy M240i at the fun end of the scale and the petrol 220i at the ‘for-all-practical-purposes’ opposite end.

As well as gains in dynamic ability, the new BMW 2 Series Coupé also offers a premium cabin ambience and cutting-edge innovations in the areas of operation and connectivity – so much thbe benchmark ideal of modern generation car buyers.

220d

As is the case with most new iterations of BMW generations is a growth in size and the new model is 105 millimetres longer and 64 millimetres wide than the previous version. It is also 28 millimetres lower and all of this, coupled with a 12% increase in torsional rigidity works to give all the new variants improved handling and road holding.

Gasping

Fun fact: Should the engine start gasping for breath, the vertical flaps in the horizontally-designed kidney grille will open electrically to allow in more air.

Inside, sport seats and a Sport leather steering wheel is standard, while BMW-coloured door insert panels add a touch of levity.

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé comes as standard with Alcantara/Sensatec upholstery. The BMW M240i xDrive Coupé and cars in M Sport specification have Alcantara/Sensatec trim alongside other specific design features such as an M leather steering wheel and cushioned knee pads on the centre console.

Comfortable

Talking seats – my driving partner on the launch could not get fully comfortable in the M240i, yet with a bit of tweaking of the lumbar support, I found the seat to be perfectly fit for purpose. Of the three variants, the 220d offered the best seating for daily and long-haul use, slightly thicker padding being more enveloping and cosseting.

Standard specification includes acoustic glazing for the windscreen, three-zone automatic climate control, and ambient lighting, while a Harman Kardon surround sound system is one of the items on the options list.

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé’s boot offers a useful load capacity of 390 litres and the height of the loading edge has been reduced by 35 millimetres compared to the predecessor model.

Minimise

However, under the skin BMW engineers have been hard at work. The two-joint spring strut front axle and five-link rear axle were designed to minimise weight and optimise rigidity.

The standard M Sport suspension brings firmer responses for the lift-related dampers and springs and includes variable sport steering.

The flagship BMW M240i xDrive Coupé variant also comes as standard with an M Sport braking system and an M Sport differential at the rear.

240i

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé is fitted as standard in South Africa with 19-inch light alloy wheels. The new BMW M240i xDrive Coupé leaves the factory on 19-inch M light-alloy wheels fitted with mixed-size tyres.

Output

The 3,0-litre straight six engine in the M240i has a maximum output of 285 kW and develops 35 kW more than the engine in its predecessor. Peak torque is 500 Nm and the new BMW M240i xDrive Coupé accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4,3 seconds.

The BMW 220i Coupé is powered by a new four-cylinder petrol engine generating 135 kW and peak torque of 300 Nm to propel it from 0 to 100 km/h in 7,5 seconds.

Two-stage turbo-charging and 48V mild-hybrid technology give the four-cylinder diesel engine in the new BMW 220d Coupé give the 2,0-litre unit 140 kW and peak torque of 400 Nm. The new BMW 220d Coupé sprints from rest to 100 km/h in 7,0 seconds.

240i

All the engines team up as standard with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission. As well as paddles on the steering wheel, it also features Launch Control.

The eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission is part of the M Sport package Pro. This option is available for cars with M Sport specification and adds 19-inch M light-alloy wheels, M Sport brakes, a front spoiler lip and an M rear spoiler.

M240i

Very simply, this is a car for people who really love cars, power and driving dynamism. It has adrenalin inducement by the bucket load, handles (as much as public roads would permit) with precision and is rarely unsettled even by rapid directional changes. In Sport+ mode it relaxes the ‘nanny’ systems enough to allow some sliding – there being a bit of ‘push’ going into corners from the front end, neatly countered by a dab extra on the loud pedal.

Even in Comfort mode it is, perhaps, the least comfortable of all three in slow sections on bumpy roads but that is the price you pay for a sports-tuned suspension.

220d

More than enough power, torque and let’s have some fun attitude this, for me, is the pick of crop. Both massively practical in a daily use scenario, it is more than happy to elevate to much sportier levels. And, with the current price of fuel, it does have an edge.

220i

220i

There is not much to fault with the petrol derivative but, it  just did not generate the same levels of enthusiasm as the other two variants and, at times, felt mildly underpowered

However, launch drives are mere samplers and a full road test experience may alter this opinion.

Prices start at:

BMW 220i Coupé – R771,900.00

BMW 220d Coupé – R819,278.00

BMW M240i xDrive – R1,062,420.00

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Colin-on-Cars - Car of the Year contenders announced

The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists’ has announced the list of semi-finalists for the 2022 Car of the Year competition - the oldest car competition in the country, with its inaugural event taking place in 1986.

Over the years, the COTY competition has evolved based on changes in the automotive industry.

Honda Fit

“The impact of COVID-19 on the automotive industry has also seen changes in car launches and the allocation of fleet vehicles over the last year, necessitating modifications to the 2022 COTY competition,” says Graham Eagle, Chairman of the 2022 COTY committee.

This year has also seen the increased importance of online scoring by Guild members. As in 2021, this year will also not see a physical event where winners will be announced; the winners will be announced on the Guild’s digital platforms.

Categories

The 39 semi-finalists represent 10 categories launched between March 31 and December 31, 2021. Four contenders tied with identical scores in the final 35th semi-finalist position and were all included.

Subaru Outback

A total of 65 new vehicles launched in South Africa during this period were considered for this year’s COTY competition.

Energy

For the first time in the competition’s history, the decision was made that vehicles launched with both regular and new energy derivatives would be entered into both their relevant vehicle category and the New Energy Category. Vehicle ranges that only launched a new energy derivative were also included in the ever-growing New Energy Category.

The recently announced 25 juror and trainee juror teams will vote for the 2022 COTY competition finalists in 10 categories.

The categories are: Budget, Compact, Compact Family, Midsize, Premium, Luxury, Performance, New Energy, Adventure SUV and 4X4 Double Cab.

Hyundai Palisade

 Toyota dominates with seven semi-finalists competing in five categories, but there is also strong representation by Audi and Hyundai. Surprisingly, the Performance Category has nine contenders, the most in many years. This year there are no contenders in the Budget category.

Audi A3

Shortly the jurors will narrow the field of semi-finalists to worthy finalists. They are given eight weeks to assess vehicles, after which the final scoring will commence, determining the 2022 SA Car of the Year.

“The overall 2020 SA Car of the Year winner remains the most coveted of all automotive competition titles in South Africa and enjoys international recognition,” concludes Eagle.

https://bit.ly/3fKY7EF

Colin-on-Cars - Top performers at Euro NCAP

A total of 33 cars went through the stringent Euro NCAP testing process during last year – of which, 22 achieved the top 5-star rating.

Among the successes, the Mercedes-EQ EQS emerged as best in the ‘Executive Car’ and ‘Pure Electric’ categories, narrowly beating runner-up the Polestar 2. 

Performance

In the ‘Small Off-Road’ category, the winner is the Nissan Qashqai with an outstanding performance in active safety. The award in the ‘Large-Off Road’ category goes to Škoda’s first all-electric SUV, the Enyaq iV.

The Toyota Yaris Cross took the top spot in the ‘Small MPV’ category and the Škoda Fabia was the best ‘Small Family Car’.

The Euro NCAP Best-in-Class award is given to those cars which perform best overall in categories with at least three entrants that year. Winners must have achieved a five-star rating and must have no critical body region coloured red in the full-scale tests.

Timelines

Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, says: “2021 was a tough year for the car industry: a shortage of parts, semiconductors in particular, was the sting in the tail of the Covid crisis, affecting development timelines, production and sales.

“Still, we saw quite a number of new car models coming to the market, many of them electric or hybrid, and many of them achieving five-star ratings despite the demanding requirements. Well done to the winners as well as to the runners-up, some of which were very close contenders for the top slot in their respective categories.”

Results

Executive:   Mercedes-EQ EQS

Runner-up:                   Polestar 2

Large Off-road:             Škoda Enyaq iV

Runner-up:                   BMW iX

Small Family Car:          Škoda Fabia

Runner-up

Small Off-road:             Nissan Qashqai

Runner-up:                   Polestar 2

Runner-up:                   VW ID.4

Small MPV:                   Toyota Yaris Cross

Runner-up:                   VW Caddy

Pure electric:             Mercedes-EQ EQS

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 New designs for greener future from BMW

Designed by BMW but to be manufactured by an independent third party, the quest for an electric future has taken the Munich, Germany company back to the two and three-wheel drawing board. 

With the unveiling of the electrified bicycle Concept Dynamic Cargo and the e-scooter Concept Clever Commute, the BMW Group engineers are transferring know-how from the automotive sector to concepts for micromobility vehicles.

Bicycles offer great flexibility of use, produce zero emissions and are one of the fastest and most efficient means of transport in urban areas. However, rainy, cold or slippery conditions are usually all it takes for the majority of cyclists to switch to public transport or their car instead. 

The same applies when they need to carry loads that are too large for a standard luggage rack to handle, such as a larger food shop, or to transport children. A wide range of cargo bikes are now available that offer an additional alternative to using the car for urban trips. 

However, many cargo bike concepts are wider and, above all, longer than normal bicycles due to the requirements for transporting loads and/or children. In conjunction with the resulting additional weight and the possible payload, this leads to restrictions of varying degrees compared to normal bicycles, particularly with regard to driving agility and handling.

"Our goal was to develop a concept that retains the agility and driving feel of a normal bicycle while adding innovative, safe transport options," says Jochen Karg, Head of Vehicle Concepts in the BMW Group's New Technologies and China division. "The ‘Concept Dynamic Cargo’ is the first dynamic 'pick-up' cargo bike that combines driving pleasure with flexible use and increased year-round suitability."

The key component of the three-wheeled Concept Dynamic Cargo is the front main frame, which is connected to the rear section via a pivot axle and tilts in corners. The rear section remains stable through all corners without tilting towards the road.

 

This combines with the electrified powertrain – which is activated as soon as the rider starts to pedal and drives the two rear wheels – to make the cargo bike just as easy to ride as a standard bicycle. As well as producing far greater riding stability in all weather conditions compared to two-wheeler designs, the rear wheels with their rigid, non-pivoting axle mounting also provide the basis for a versatile, pick-up-style transport platform. 

This can be fitted with a selection of modular attachments for carrying luggage and/or children. The modular design principle paves the way for many more use cases, too. The non-pivoting design of the transport platform has the additional benefit that the rider is barely aware of any extra weight being carried, enabling safe, stable transportation of all loads while also ensuring a pleasurable riding experience.

The concept is rounded off by a facility for adding a modular system of weather protection. Together with the superior riding safety, which proves especially useful in adverse weather, this makes the Concept Dynamic Cargo an attractive means of transport all year round.

Although the BMW Group will not manufacture the Concept Dynamic Cargo itself, it is already in discussions with potential licensees.

E-scooters offer flexible usability, zero local emissions and the ability to get city dwellers to their destination extremely quickly over short ‘last-mile’ urban journeys. The uptake of e-scooters for private ownership has been relatively slow to date. Robust models that can be ridden safely are difficult to take onto public transport or carry by car due to their size, while small, more portable models suffer from poor riding stability.

With its Concept Clever Commute, the BMW Group is now presenting an e-scooter that folds easily for carrying on public transport and/or by car without compromising on riding stability in any way. 

In public transport mode, the footboard folds up at the sides and the rear wheel pivots into the resulting aperture from below. This mechanism shortens the wheelbase of the Clever Commute substantially so that it can even be carried on an escalator without difficulty. 

This is an important requirement if the journey includes underground transport routes. It can also be rolled along on both wheels in this mode, rather like a trolley case. And the front wheel’s integral hub motor provides an electric impulse that makes it easier to push the Clever Commute up ramps. The e-scooter’s compact dimensions when folded up means it should be possible to take it on all forms of public transport free of charge.

The Clever Commute can be folded up to a size that fits easily into small vehicle boots, with larger boots able to accommodate several of them for family outings. In the BMW Group range, this means that the Clever Commute fits into luggage compartments lengthways from the 3 Series upwards, for example, without any need to fold down the rear backrest, and it can be carried crossways in MINI boots.

With its unique product characteristics, the Clever Commute is a versatile companion in the city and allows any journey to be completed quickly, safely and easily. Its transformability makes it a truly ideal solution for multimodal travel.

Although the BMW Group will not manufacture the Concept Clever Commute itself, it is already in discussions with potential licensees.

Both micromobility concepts have been designed to offer a range of over 20 kilometres. One final very important feature for city use is the battery pack, which can be removed and charged at home.