Thursday 30 June 2016

This one-off Aston Vantage GT12 Roadster will be LOUD

30 June 2016 | Kamugelo Langa

Stephen Dobie

You’ve met the Aston Martin Vantage GT12: the lairiest, scariest, loudest Aston road car you can buy. Save for the track-only Vulcan, it’s the most hardcore thing to come out of Gaydon.

So chopping the roof off – reducing its chassis stiffness – would seem an odd thing to do. It has happened, though, at the command of one customer via Aston’s ‘Q by Aston Martin’ personalisation scheme.

It’s the first time that Q has been used to bring a whole, bespoke car about, rather than just a specific colour scheme. It’s thanks to an offshoot called Aston Martin Advanced Operations, and it’s an exciting line in the sand. You too could create your own utterly unique Aston.

But back to this, the Vantage GT12 Roadster. There’s no denying it looks utterly superb, its carbon vents, slashes and racecar-like diffuser given a newly subtle edge alongside grey paint. These things all being relative, of course; it’s still a fighty looking thing.

Underneath its aggressive skin, there’s the same 444kW 6-litre V12 engine and seven-speed paddleshift gearbox as the GT12 coupe. The suspension has been tweaked to allow the Roadster’s inevitably wobblier body to handle it all, though.

There’s a titanium exhaust too. Hand in hand with the folding fabric roof, this should ensure the GT12 Roadster provides your ears with one of the finest experiences the world of cars can offer. Nay, the world full stop. We wouldn’t be surprised if other people wish to follow this customer’s lead.

No price has been announced, but we imagine the GT12 Roadster’s orchestrator paid a healthy chunk over the Coupe’s R5m. It makes its first public appearance from today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

“The Vantage GT12 Roadster is a hugely exciting project,” says Aston Martin boss Dr Andy Palmer. “By incorporating the exceptional engineering capabilities of Aston Martin Advanced Operations within the Q by Aston Martin bespoke commissioning service we have a truly formidable creative team.”

So, over to you: what fantasy Aston would you like the Advanced Operations team to put together? Vulcan Roadster? One-77 Shooting Brake? Let your imagination run wild in the comments section below.

Review: the 375kW Mercedes-AMG C63 S Edition 1

30 June, 2016 | Kamugelo Langa

Look! Stripes!

Yep. Yellow ones. The ones that denote the ‘Edition One’ launch variant of the C63 S Coupe. We’ve already driven the C63 S Coupe on a soaking wet circuit, but this is the first time on a testing, public road, and the first experience of the Edition One. Just to make sure you can do the car nerd thing properly, the standard Edition One gets graphite grey stripes, it’s the S that gets the vomity ones.

So what’s different about the Edition One?

Styling, mainly, aping Merc’s DTM car. Mango Selenite matte grey paint, yellow stripes everywhere, yellow detailing on the rather lovely interior (excellent seats here, people), yellow, standard-fit carbon ceramic brakes and a gloss black aero pack that includes a new front dam, side skirts, rear diffuser and chunkier rear spoiler.

The flared arches and other bits are as per the normal C63 Coupe, which means only the frameless doors, boot and roof are shared with the standard car. Oh, and there are also black, forged wheels (19s on the front, 20s on the back) that also get yet another yellow stripe around the rims. Bit of a bargain for an extra 5k. As long as you like yellow highlighting.

No engine changes?

Nope. You’re still looking at a wet-sumped version of the 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 from the C63 saloon and the AMG GT. That’s 350kW/650Nm for the standard car, 375kW and 700Nm for the S, somewhat incredibly making up the same kW as the AMG GT S, but with an extra 50Nm of torque.

BMW M4? The S makes 58kW and 150Nm more, though it does cost a bit more than the BM’s starting price of R1m.

Er… that sounds like it might be fast?

The stats are suitably impressive. The S gets to 100kph in under four seconds, and hits 250kph on the limiter.

You can option a higher top end if you hit the autobahn regularly or particularly like prison food that takes you to 290kph, and it feels like it’ll get there with some alacrity. And possibly some swearing. I’m going to say this once – be very wary of switching the traction control off in the wet unless you’ve had a large morning coffee. In fact, be wary of it in the dry – there’s enough torque to torch tyres up to third gear, and they aren’t cheap tyres.

A handful then?

Weirdly, no. Not at all, in fact. The engine is just one fat swell of torque, making bumbling around a doddle. Get going and it revs to 7k with ease, bringing grin-inducing power and in-gear acceleration that makes overtakes easy and safe. It is really, really quick. But it’s also not spiky, or scary, or any of the other things that make you back off. Turn in is sharp and consistent, the steering is direct - at least in Sport + mode and up – and there’s a level of grip on a constant throttle that inspires confidence.

Start to mess about with corner entry and throttle on exit, and you get a smidgen of understeer, followed by as much oversteer as you feel like, or can afford, the electronic diff (the standard car gets a mechanical locker) dividing drive precisely and well. It feels very different to either the C63 saloon or estate, sharper, neater, and generally more focussed. Weirdly, it also feels like the suspension is more expensive, and geared more towards ‘sporty’ driving – exactly as it should be for a Coupe – this isn’t just a different body style, it’s a different car. Oh, and yes, it’s a bit drifty.

What about rougher roads?

As ever, Sport+ and Race modes (there’s also Comfort, Sport and Individual on the dial) would be fine for a track, but there are some pretty hefty vertical movements from the back axle over bumps that make balancing the traction a nightmare, especially in the wet. It’s not as bad as some German cars, but it’ll wear you out eventually, because the Coupe basically hops about on wobbly backroads. Play with the Individual mode, and you’ll soon find what suits you, mind.

Program once, and it’s done.

Hit preferred settings when playing, Comfort when cruising, save Race for occasional track nonsense. And once you’ve figured it out, you’ll have a four-seat coupe that’ll keep with a serious sportscar down any road, any time. And you won’t scare yourself silly doing it. The engine is always so beautifully managed too, and that helps with pace; with so much torque on offer, you can get gears completely wrong and it’ll just haul. And the new 7-spd ‘box will shift down within 1000rpm of the redline, which helps.

Sounds good.

Yes, quite literally. The exhaust is just delicious; rumble on start-up, guttural, phlegmy and utterly brilliant on a light throttle – but never obnoxious – nice and thundery at higher revs. Ok, so the off-throttle firework popping and banging is a bit synthetic, and it’s not quite as raw as that old n/a 6.3 V8, but you won’t miss it. I’d have an AMG simply for the noise, and the fact that you can tell where it is in the rev-range without looking at the dials. It’s addictive.

Anything else?

The Edition One gets the S’s standard-fit carbon ceramic brakes and they really are phenomenal. Usually I’d only advocate CCBs for track work – steels being more than enough for typical road - but these have all the feel of the steel brakes, and they simply Do Not Fade. The stopping power is stunning, and the consistency of feel means you really do figure out how much pressure you have left before triggering the ABS. Takes a wee bit of getting used to, but everything else will feel a bit weak after this. There’s also quite a lot of high speed stability. We probably should leave that conversation there.

There must be some bad stuff?

Well.. umm… ah. It’s a bit of a horror to pull away on gravel drives without spraying pebbles everywhere, the infotainment screen still looks a bit stuck on (I always expect it to retract into the dash), the rear seats are for occasional use only and there are a lot of buttons. It’s also a little divisive on the styling front – personally, I think it looks great, especially with the Edition One front air dam, though the rear is the weakest angle.

Verdict?

Easier to drive fast than a BMW M4, more fun than any RS5 Audi, eats a Lexus RC F for breakfast. But more than that, it’s more fun, because it works with you, rather than scaring you silly. You can scare yourself witless – just turn off the traction control and try pulling smartly out of a junction on a wet Tuesday morning – but it’s your choice, rather than the standard setting of the car. It’s all about balance, and the C63 S Coupe has that in spades.

The Edition One adds a chunk of value for a relatively small price premium, although the stripes will be great fun for about a week – after that I think they’ll start to annoy.

I’d just keep it simple with the colour scheme and go for a proper subtle street sleeper vibe. Other than that, in my opinion this is the best four-seat performance coupe you can buy right now, bar none.

Price: R1.39m (standard S) (approx. R1.85m Edition One)
Engine: V8, 3982cc, twin-turbocharged, petrol
Power: 375kW at 5500-6250rpm, 700Nm at 1750-5500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 0-100kph 3.9sec, top speed 250kph (limited)
Economy: 8.9l/100km (combined); CO2/tax band; 200g/km,
Kerb weight: 1800kg

Opinion Piece Top Stories

Is GTI a panty dropper?

June 25, 2016 SAL Mag 0 Comment GTI, Panty Dropper

By Kamugelo Langa

Well as the name suggests it “Panty Dropper” or GTI (Get Them In) meaning the ladies. Ever since the predecessor of GTI until the successor it still is the Bad Ass Panty Dropper. Wherever you pull with a GTI girls drop their panties.

In clubs or parks and entertainment functions most lads prefer to go with a GTI knowing that you will not come back single. Most hotties (girls) prefer guys that have GTI’s over AMG’s because they believe that GTI is sexy and charming, and it is not for the old, but for the fun and outrageous people.

GTI targets young and fresh individuals who like going out and push the paddle to the limit. With the sound it produces from the exhaust system and the mighty DSG-gearbox system all ladies go crazy, that’s what makes it the ultimate window maker.

With its fast acceleration it is guaranteed that you’ll pull women out of their husband’s car and ride with you in your GTI, that’s why it is called The Panty Dropper.

Councillor's family still traumatised by attacks

Jenni Evans, News24

Mzuzile Mpondwana's burnt house. (Jenni Evans, News24)

Cape Town - May 28, 2015 is still etched in Philippi ANC ward councillor Mzuzile Mpondwana's mind.

It was the day he and his family lost their house and everything in it, when angry locals burnt his house down.

“It was a terrible loss. I lost everything,” he told News24.

His wife was in the house at the time. When his children returned from school, they found their home was gone.

It was destroyed during a wave of protests which targeted council vehicles and a bus.

He had insurance cover for the structure of the house through a policy the African National Congress arranged for councillors. He was still trying to argue for the replacement of its contents.

“That was our house. I bought everything while working for 13 years as a teacher.”

Before becoming a councillor he taught mathematics at a local high school. He enjoyed his work as the regional secretary of the SA National Civics Organisation. When the ANC asked him to stand for the ward, he agreed, believing he would be able to serve the community even more.

He got 73% of the vote in a by-election on February 19, 2014. He replaced previous ANC councillor Thobile Gqola, who was removed for allegedly selling government houses meant for the poor.

When Mpondwana's house was burnt down, the family lived with his in-laws until the damage was repaired. His wife, Mandisa Nosiphelo Mpondwana, was still traumatised, he said.

Unlike councillors in wealthy suburbs who have to deal with vitriolic emails and insults over social media, their counterparts in informal settlements can have their house, car, or office destroyed in minutes if the people they are meant to serve are angry enough.

“But I decided, I am a councillor. It is not the first time it has happened to a councillor. I must soldier on.”

He continued with his constituency work in his ward, which included Lower Crossroads, Luzuko, the Thabo Mbeki and Marikana informal settlements, and Klipfontein.

It’s not about the money

“To be a councillor, you have to be very willing to work with the community, to organise, to assist people. It is not about getting money and getting paid.”

He cautioned prospective councillors they would not get rich on the job.

Councillors earned around R35 000 to R36 000 a month, before deductions, which was more than his teacher job paid, he said.

Councillors had nothing to do with tenders, and he wished there could be some education around this. They did make recommendations for some budget allocations, but never handled any money.

Mzuzile Mpondwana. (Jenni Evans, News24)

Little security

For councillors like him, there was little protection. He said the ANC expected locals to knock on councillors’ doors if they had problems.

“In my area there is a high rate of crime. Councillors don't have security, and even if they had a panic button, that is not security.”

Earlier this year, Mpondwana’s ward councillor office was destroyed. He was on his way home from a meeting on April 13 to discuss the August 3 elections. He was called back urgently with the news that a group of youths carrying guns had doused the office in petrol and burnt it down.

He lost simple, but valuable, things like the letterheads he used to vouch for people without formal addresses if they needed proof of residence for things like getting into a school, or opening a bank account.

At the time, ANC provincial executive committee member John Mfusi described the attack as “pure thuggery”.

“Where are the police? Councillors don't have bodyguards, they are supposed to be protected by the community,” he said.

Mpondwana remembers that his family quietly waited for him to come home after clearing out his gutted office.

Once he got home, they poured their hearts out and told him they were afraid.

The children could not concentrate at school and it was affecting their marks. They wondered if he was being selfish by wanting to continue being a councillor.

“I did not want to lose my family,” he said.

Stepping down

He decided to step down. His term would end with the August 3 election.

Ironically, he was now friends with the people who criticised him before his house was torched.

They wanted services - toilets, water, electricity, proper roads, and clinics - particularly in Marikana.

“That's why they burnt down my house,” he said.

At the time he had wondered whether it was related to fighting to get on to party lists.

Afterwards, he helped facilitate meetings with the City of Cape Town. The mayor's office explained that because the Marikana homes were on private land, there was nothing they could do on the property.

However, a compromise was reached and taps and toilets were installed on the border of the property.

“We became friends. We were enemies,” he said.

In the meantime, he would prepare to go back to teaching mathematics.

ANC 'felt pressure on candidate selection'

~ (Iavan Pijoos, News24)

Johannesburg - The ANC felt a lot of pressure from people in various areas of the country about its selection of candidates for this year’s local government elections, a City of Johannesburg official said on Wednesday.

The ANC’s national executive spent several days on candidate names and were very unhappy with some of them, mayoral committee member for urban management Ros Greeff said.

This was the reason they chose Thoko Didiza - someone they perceived to be neutral - as mayoral candidate for Tshwane for the August 3 elections, she said.

Greeff was speaking at a discussion between four political parties on their plans for Johannesburg after the elections. The event was hosted by the Jewish Board of Deputies.

Last week, residents in various parts of Tshwane began protesting, looting and destroying property, apparently in protest against the ANC’s nomination of Didiza. Five people were killed and scores arrested.

The EFF declined to attend the event without giving a reason.

Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota said the reasons why people resorted to burning public property needed to be understood, otherwise such acts would continue indefinitely.

ACDP MP Steven Swart said the best-run municipality would be a coalition with the DA.

He was furious about the heavy security at the entrance to the Jewish community centre, in Raedene, where the event was held, saying it was like a prison.

Swart said people of faith were needed to move the country forward.

Former SA rally champion murdered

2016-06-29 13:34

Wim Pretorius, News24

Johannesburg - Former South African cyclist and rally driver Jan Hettema was murdered on his smallholding in Tweedrag near Boschkop on Wednesday morning.

Police spokesperson Captain Marissa van der Merwe confirmed the incident.

- Read more: Rally legend Hettema murdered - SA motorsport reacts

According to Van der Merwe, the attack happened around 08:00 when two armed gunmen overpowered Hettema, 83, his wife Elsa and a worker at their home.

“Jan was shot dead while his wife was tied up and the worker was shoved into a cupboard,” Van der Merwe told News24.

The suspects stole a laptop, cellphones and jewellery.

Hettema's wife survived the incident.

The suspects fled the scene and police are currently searching for them.

Hettema won the South African Rally Championship five times. He also competed in cycling at the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne in Australia, where he ended in fourth place.

Police informant fears for his life after being exposed

2016-06-30 07:24

Mpho Raborife, News24

Johannesburg - A police informant who wanted to fight crime claims he is now living on the streets and fearing for his life after his identity was revealed during a drug raid in Cape Town.

The man told News24 he regretted helping the police after they did little to keep his identity hidden during the raid on a drug den in his neighbourhood in Capricorn, Muizenberg, two months ago.

"I gave the police some information and the police found the goods, but they failed to protect me," the 22-year-old told News24, looking visibly distressed.

"The police were supposed to have put me inside a car that at least had tinted windows so that people would not see me, but they didn't. They left me inside a normal car and there was nowhere I could go."

He said the gang members in his area were baying for his blood.

"I can't be in Cape Town because the gangsters are looking for me, my life is in danger and it's because of the police that my life is now in danger."

'Now I have nothing'

He said the manner in which the police handled him during and after the incident had left him heartbroken and homeless.

"I thought I was helping the cops but at the end of the day the police ended up disappointing me, after they asked me to trust them.

"They didn't do what they said they would. My heart is breaking, I stink and I haven't bathed in days. I have no shoes. I'm just a random person.

"I had everything I wanted back at home, now I have nothing because of those police officers."

In April, the young man approached police about a drug den in Capricorn which was run by local gang members. Muizenberg police had asked locals to help them target crime.

Three senior officials, whose names are known to News24, were part of the operation.

A senior policeman told him he would do whatever it took to protect him.

Shortly after that, Wynberg police station officers accompanied the man so he could point the drug den out to them.

"After identifying the places, they then got two minibus taxis. The windows were not tinted. They refused for me to get into a car which did have tinted windows when I asked," he said.

'So it's you that's telling on us?'

The officers left him in the car, without locking it, or leaving someone to watch him.

“Then three gang members came up from behind the taxi and opened the window and said, 'So it's you that's telling on us? We are going to kill you'."

The man said he alerted officers at the scene that his identity had been exposed and asked if they could leave the area.

"They refused to listen to me. They found the dealer and they found the drugs and then they left."

Upon their return to the Wynberg police station, he was asked to give a statement and was given R20 for transport home.

"When I got to my place, I saw them at my gate and they started shooting at me.”

He ran away and spent the night at the Wynberg police station.

"That is where I met a senior police officer and explained everything. He told me that I shouldn't come and make my problems his problems," the man said.

He slept at the Muizenberg police station from April 13 until May 6, before coming to Johannesburg.

Before leaving the Western Cape, he pleaded for assistance and to be placed into some sort of witness protection programme.

"I asked a senior police officer, and he told me that there was nothing that he could do to help me."

Two police officers at the Muizenberg police station who sympathised with him. They gave him a bag of old clothes, towels, a bed sheet and R500 for a bus ticket to Johannesburg.

"I met him at the police station. He was there for two weeks, and he didn't have a place to go. I knew he was homeless," one of the officers who helped him, told News24 on condition of anonymity.

The officer said he knew the 22-year-old was telling the truth.

"I know his case. He was there and he was hungry and I just had to help him with the little that I had because it was not good seeing him in that state," the officer said.

Living on the streets of Johannesburg

The man had been living on the streets of Johannesburg for a month and three weeks. He had had no luck getting help from Gauteng police either.

He told News24 that when he arrived in Johannesburg he tried to find a place to sleep at Park Station, but security guards chased him away. After spending his first night on the streets and being robbed of his cellphone, he went to various police stations including central Johannesburg, Honeydew and Hillbrow.

They had all chased him away, told him he could not sleep there and that they could not help him as the case was out of their jurisdiction.

He needed to return to the Western Cape and open a case there, he was told.

The man, a father of a 4-year-old daughter, said he missed his girlfriend (who is currently pregnant), his mother and siblings. They were all in the Western Cape. He was contemplating returning home and facing the threats against him.

"Maybe I should just go back home. I can't live like this. This is not a good life, I'm not built for this life," he said.

Western Cape police said the matter was being investigated.

"Kindly be advised that there is an internal investigation into this matter and this office does not want to elaborate on this matter," Captain Frederick van Wyk said.

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Nyembezi Kunene (Photo by Gallo Images/Drum/Natalie Payne)

From Emzini Wezinsizwa to Generations and Scandal, Kunene will be missed.

South Africans woke up to the sad news of the passing of veteran actor Nyembezi Kunene, who last showcased his acting skills on local drama Scandal.

Who could forget his role as Macingwane on South Africa’s famous comedy show Emzini Wezinsizwa. On this show, featuring characters Mofokeng, Benson Chirwali, Magubane, James Mkhize and Sibeko, among others, Kunene played a character who was part of an apartheid-era security personnel team in charge of a male-only hostel.

He also played on South Africa’s popular soapie Generations, now Generations: The Legacy. He played the role of Malume Jabulani, a character who generally sought to bring peace whenever Sbusiso Dlomo, played by Menzi Ngubane, lost it.

Just about past Friday, he appeared on soapie drama Scandal. He played the role of Scelo’s uncle who returned after a long disappearance.

According to eNCA, Kunene died after a long illness. He had been in a hospital for a month but was transferred to Lesedi hospital in Soweto just two days before he died.

South Africans took to Twitter to mourn the fallen actor. Here’s what people had to say on Twitter: