Bucket Seat: SA Festival of Motoring 2024

Today see's the start of SA's biggest motoring festival, the South African Festival of Motoring taking place at the home of motor racing, Kyalami International Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg. Today they hosted a media day, so the journo's could get up close and personal with what is on display for festival goers, unfortunately I couldn't attend myself but if you are planning or still deliberating on attending this weekend, this post is to give you a snapshot of what you can expect. There has been a host of new car reveals and that is essentially what we will be focusing on today. 

Biggest news of the day, well morning was from Ford South Africa who lifted the covers of their all new Mustang GT. This one caught many by surprise as the car itself was only due later on in the year. Ford SA has already confirmed that we will also be getting the Dark Horse edition of the car. The Mustang boasts that iconic 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 motor which delivers 328kW and 540Nm of torque, with the Dark Horse squeezing out 372kW. The updated interior see's a lot of technology advancements with a huge curved display and a neat remote rev function which can start the car and rev it from the key. No official word on pricing has been given yet but it's definitely North of R1.2 million. 

Next up, we move over to the Germans, Volkswagen SA showcased their updated T-Cross. While the general styling remains the same with revised bumpers for the front and back, the main changes come in the lights, with the headlights getting IQ Matrix LED's and the rear featuring Matrix LED lights. On the inside, there set up has been revised giving it a more mature look and feel. The infotainment has been upgraded to an 8-inch touch screen display and the instrument cluster now being fully digital. Wireless charging and App Connect is now standard throughout the range and VW has introduced a lot more soft touches on the dash and door inserts. Pricing starts at R462,200 for the Life 1.0 TSI 85kW model with 3 lower engine derivatives still making their way to the shores. 

VW also has on display some other cool cars, like their long wheel base ID Buzz, the new Toureg and the soon to be launched new Tiguan! So lots to see from them. 

Suzuki launched their latest edition of the the much loved Swift. Featuring modern styling and an all new 1.2 liter, 3-cylinder petrol engine that promises more efficiency but still delivering decent power at 60kW and 112Nm. There will be 3-trims to choose from, GL, GL+ and the range topping GLX which features CVT automatic gearbox, folding side mirrors, keyless entry, push button start, rear PDC's, 7-inch infotainment screen and reverse camera. 

With the influx of Chinese brands to the market, it wouldn't be right not to feature at least one exciting model showcased and it had to be the Jaecoo J6. This attractive retro looking SUV stole the lime light from the rest with its out there design and robust statue, the J6 commanded attention when it was showcased today. With it being confirmed for SA shores, the J6 will be the brands fully electric offering, with the brand also planning to launched a plug-in hybrid version of the popular J7. Jaecoo seem bullish about the J6 and if pricing is decent, it could see them lead the EV race from the Chinese point of view in SA. 

Speaking of Chinese EV's, that brand everyone knows off but hardly hears much of, BYD also displayed their latest model to the country, the Seal. A fully electric sedan, yes a sedan not an SUV, it almost seems like a breath of fresh air to say that. They have that on display for show goers. There are many other offerings for you to see at this years SAFOM, big names such as Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley also have displays and Volvo having a stellar line up too, with a mixture of their PHEV's and their EV's with the CX30 leading the showcase but also a special edition "Adventure Beast" version of the XC90 is on display at the off-roading exhibit. It seems like a bumper line up is in store at this years festival, and not forgetting the fun on the track so if you're a petrol head or just someone looking to do something fun this weekend, best set your Google maps to Kyalami. Tickets are available via the website and start from R275 for adults and R75 for kids aged 4-12.

BMW M Festival 2019

After the success of BMW M Festival 2017, South Africa is getting ready for the second installment of this weekend long Beemer Fest. There's no doubt the country shares a strong love affair with the German motor manufacturer and with them investing so heavily in our country with their production plant, it only furthers the bond between the company and the country with this festival. Taking place at Kyalami from the 26th to the 27th of October, visitors to the festival and expect an action packed day, from track demo's, to viewing the latest in BMW's models to hit the shores of Mzanzi. 

Confirmed models to be showcased at the show are the much anticipated X3 and X4 M Competition, the performance range topping model of both popular SAV models is sure to be hit in the country. With the X3 being manufactured at Plant Rosslyn it holds a special place for South Africans but these specific M models come fully assembled from BMW's Spartanburg plant in the US. Other models that will surely get the pulse racing is the all-new BMW X6 which is a coupe based SUV variant of the new X5, the all-new 1 Series which many anticipate to be the range topping M135i xDrive. We hope for the crowds that it will be fully kitted out in the M Performance bits.  Another one not to be missed is the introduction to the market of the 340i xDrive. This model is another one that had locals itching, as its the first 3 Series model to feature BMW's all wheel drive system. Personally though, the star attraction of the show has to be the new 8 Series Gran Coupe. 

I'm a massive fan of these models from BMW and with the 8 Series Coupe already winning the hearts of many in the country, I cannot wait to see this longer, four door version of the already stunning car. In pictures it looks elegant and classy, in the metal I'm sure it is the same and a whole lot more. Not sure which engine variant will be on display at M Festival 2019 but I won't be surprised if its the M850i xDrive. 

Seeing that this is an event that caters for the family, BMW South Africa have a huge line up of live entertainment at the stage area. Artists such as DJ Kent, Goodluck, DJ Fresh, Nasty C, Ricky Rick and Zondering of the Netherlands just to name a few will be hitting the stage to provide you with music and sounds to get you moving on that dance floor. A full line up of the artists and times can be found below. 

Tickets for M Festival 2019 can be purchased from bmwmfestival2019.howler.co.za, follow BMW SA on their various social media channels for more info leading up to the event. 

Bucket Seat: Mini Test Pilot - SA Festival of Motoring

So as most of you know, that's if you follow me on Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat, last week I was invited to the SA Festival of Motoring held at the refurbished Kyalami Circuit by Mini South Africa. For those of you who didn't catch the action, fear not as I captured as much as I could and will recap most of the action here on the blog. It was an early start to the day last Friday but it was entirely worth it, we arrived and the brand spanking new Kyalami Grandprix Circuit for the start of proceedings. It was my first time visiting the track after it underwent a major overhaul, I've got to say Toby Venter has done a magnificent job with the track and here's hoping it hosts some major races in the motor sport calendar in the coming future. 

Edward Makwana of BMW

Back to the schedule of the day, after arriving at the Mini stand at the SA Festival of Motoring and registering for the day ahead, Edward Makwana of BMW gave us a brief run down on Mini's John Cooper Works model as well as the history behind the legendary racing name. Mini has a proud racing heritage, stemming from the Rally days with John Cooper and now with the latest generation Mini's see's them make their way onto the track, and to tell us more about that we were introduced to current Mini Challenge Champion Charlie Butler Henderson of the UK, name sounds sort of familiar? That's because his sister might be recognised on 5th Gear. Charlie was down with his Mini Challenge Race car to show exactly how fast you can get a Mini to go!

Myself and Charlie Butler Henderson

First up though was us trying our hand at taking the production version JCW out on track. I know it won't relate to everyone but almost every young boys dream is to one day be a race car driver and for me it was my first time racing on a proper race track. Having done my BMW Dynamic Driving course, I had suitable knowledge on how to handle the car but by no means would I consider myself a pro. Luckily for us we had instructors in the car giving us tips about the track and car. We were allowed one lap around the new circuit and it was extremely thrilling, having the chance to push the Mini JCW to its peak potential was exhilarating to the say the least. Also most of the driving aides were turned off to allow maximum track feel. 

I thought I did a pretty decent job of the lap, well that was until I jumped into the passenger seat and the instructor showed me how it was done. It was then I realised I got some practicing to do if I want to resurrect my dream of becoming a race driver. After that kick back into reality, it was time to for me to strap into the Mini Challenge, Charlie wanted to show me how to really drive around the track! Word's cannot describe the feeling, firstly being strapped into a race car and secondly being thrown around the track at high speeds, it was all good fun and better than any roller coaster ride you can think of! Charlie is a pro and have experienced going around a track with him is something you will remember forever. After completing all the activities, we were awarded honorary Mini Test Pilot statuses, not a bad accolade to have if you ask me. 

That was it for the day but I went to visit the boys down at BMW in their pit garage to see what all the fuss was about. Apart from all their M cars, the Germans brought down their mighty M6 GT3 along with it's driver Jens Klingmann, that car is nothing short of awesome and epitomizes everything BMW M Power stands for. It was by far the loudest and fastest car present their that weekend. Other goodies hidden in the BMW garage was the recently launched M4 GTS, of which only 23 will be sold locally. The BMW 30th Anniversary M3 Jarhe and flown in from Germany, the BMW M760Li. A true luxury limousine with a monster V12 engine in the front. 

Overall it was an amazing experience and I would like to thank BMW and Mini for making this happen as it was Bucket list stuff that was being ticked off that day. Cannot wait to see what next year's festival has in store!

Some highlights for the Festival

Riding shotgun in the BMW M3

Riding with Charlie Butler Henderson

BMW M6 GT3

BMW M3 30 Jahre

BMW M760Li