Bucket Seat: BMW M3 CS Touring

The first ever BMW M3 CS Touring was unveiled this week, the track focused performance wagon is an upgrade from the first ever BMW M3 Touring model which took the world by storm two years ago. It still features that 3.0L six-cylinder, in-line, twin scroll turbo engine but its been beefed up to deliver 405kW and 650Nm of torque! Those absurd figures will either put an instant smile on your face or make you need a change of pants in the same time it takes it to go from 0-100km/h which it does in just 3.5 seconds. This is also a conservative number because we all know BMW understate its figures when launching their cars. The top speed of this special edition car is electronically limited to 300km/h in the M Drivers package, whether there will be another package that offers more, is yet to be seen. 

The car’s emotionally stirring engine note is the work of the M-specific exhaust system featuring electrically controlled flaps, a titanium rear silencer with weight-minimising design and – in customary M fashion – two pairs of tailpipes painted in matt Black. The engine’s acoustic presence varies according to the engine profile the driver selects from the M Setup menu. SPORT or SPORT+ mode produces a drive sound that injects real aural drama into proceedings, particularly through gear changes and the accompanying adjustments in rev speed.

BMW SA has confirmed that the car will be coming to South Africa in 2026, but there is no confirmed dates or number of units that would be available. This is a special edition model so we can expect a limited number of production units and could be sold on an auction process like previous CS models and which is probably why no pricing has been announced yet. 

Bucket Seat: Lexus RC-F Track Edition

It seems as if the guys up at Toyota Japan finally got the wake up call they needed when it comes to performance cars in their line up. For years we've been subjected to mundane family orientated or budget type cars from them, which don't get me wrong, is great but we were craving cars with more oomf from the Japanese manufacturer and in the past few years, we've witnessed the rise in their Gazoo Racing division which has a great knock on effect to their production line. We got a taste with what they were up to with their Yaris GRMN, a car which I've personally never driven but every single motoring journalist who did, had nothing but praise for the little hot hatch. Then a few weeks back, Toyota introduced their fifth generation Supra to the country, again, a car that I haven't driven yet but heard so many good things about from people locally and abroad. 

This week, the luxury division of Toyota, Lexus brought in their rival to the German performance coupes, the RC-F. While South Africa did get the RC when it was initially launched, Lexus felt that the RC-F wasn't suited to the local market at the time, and I would tend to agree with them but I'm glad they've decided to introduce it now. Along with the RC-F that was launched in Durban this week, they brought along the RC-F Track edition which see's no performance upgrades to it, but it has shed a lot of weight compared to the normal RC-F. 

While most German rivals are going the turbo route, Lexus oddly stuck with the normally aspirated V8 engine. Lexus Sales and Marketing Vice President, Glenn Crompton says, "These highly sophisticated, proudly unique, normally aspirated V8 powered coupes have never been better represented than after such comprehensive upgrades. Offering an aggressively priced RC-F and a more aggressively dynamic RC F Track edition is an ideal twin-strategy in this performance loving South Africa market". The engine pushes out a maximum power of 351kW and 530Nm of torque, does a 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds and the track edition, 4.3 seconds. 

In terms of design, the RC still remains the best looking coupe on the market for me, with the F Design kit, it only enhances the looks of the car. The stacked tail pipes echo back to the IS-F and the multi-spoke rims are reminiscent of the LFA Nurburgring edition. The interior remains fairly the same, which is a slight disappoint to me as I liked the look on the UX cabin and the new RX models. The Sports seats are a nice touch and that digital instrument cluster is always a  show stopper. The Track Edition sheds a lot of weight, and has a carbon fibre bonnet and gets a carbon fibre rear wing for added down force. 

It's a welcomed move to have Lexus bring these two models into the SA market, and brings in much needed competition to the likes of BMW's  M4, Mercedes Benz C63 Coupe as well as Audi's RS5. Pricing for the RC-F starts at R1 318 300 for the standard and R2 098 200 for the Track Edition. 

Monster Jam - Moses Mabhida

Durban, get ready for some high octane fun this Saturday as Monster Jam touches down in our beautiful city. The setting is none other than Durban's iconic stadium and definitely one of the most beautiful venue's to host this monstrous spectacle! With the best truck line-up assembled for an international stadium performance, the show will feature eight of the world's most famous Monster Jame trucks, including Monster Kam World Finals champions Grave Digger and Max-D, providing an unforgettable experience for the entire family. Other trucks in the line-up include Monster Energy, Gas Monkey Garage, Megaladon, Zombie, El Toro Loco and Monster Mutt Dalmatian. 

Apart from the main event which will see the trucks perform stunts and obstacles around the stadium track, Monster Jame is also well known for its legendary pre-show 'Pit Party' where you get unprecedented access to the stars of the show. Fans can meet their favourite drivers, get up close to each Monster Jame truck, participate in a variety of fun activities and purchase official Monster Jam merchandise which include, flags, t-shirts and hats to show support for their favourite truck, team and driver. Tickets to the Pit Party cost R150 each and quantities are limited and available only with an event ticket. All exclusive Premium Lounge tickets already have the Pity Party ticket included. 

With fans already amped for this weekends action, its bound to be a great show for the entire family, if you are heading to the Pit Party, drivers will be there from 1pm till 3.30pm, there after gates will open to the public at 4pm with the main show starting at 6pm. Fans are not allowed to bring food or beverages and professional filming equipment is strictly not allowed. Tickets are still available via Computicket so book now to avoid disappointment!

Monster Jam is brought to South Africa by American based Feld Entertainment and leading local promoter Showtime Management together with McDonald's in association with SuperSport and regional media partners East Cost Radio, Kfm, 94.5 and Jacaranda FM. 

Bucket Seat: BMW M5 Competition - First Impressions

BMW SA launched its all new M5 in the country about a month ago, the much anticipated super saloon was everything and more than what people expected. Being the first M5 with four wheel drive, it sure did astound many journo's and one would have thought this would be the pinnacle of the super German sedan but in true German fashion, they pulled a trump out, with the new BMW M5 Competition which was relieved earlier today. So whats the deal? Well obviously its more powerful, although it shares its 4.4L M TwinPower Turbo V8 with the standard M5, it has an extra 25bhp power more taking it up to 625bhp and producing 460kW allowing for high revving in longer periods. Which catapults the car from 0-200 in just 10.8 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds quicker than the standard BMW M5. The engine also has specially designed mounts to optimise responsiveness and cornering characteristics. 

Now many might be thinking, why would BMW release the Competition so soon after the standard M5 was launched? Well I'm sure there were many deciding factors to this, with rivals showing their cards with their new models, which on paper look to perform better than the standard M5, Germans being Germans cannot have this so they must have decided to through this one out a bit earlier than anticipated, but thats just my take on it. Don't treat it as gospel, also another key factor would be pricing, while we don't know at what price the Competition will come in at when it arrives in the country in the third quarter of this year, it will be a few pennies more than the standard one. So for some, maybe the bank will only grant them finance on the standard version as apposed to the Competition. 

So, if you had the money, why would you chose the Competition over the standard version? Apart from the performances differences, their are elements to the car that sets it apart from the other. The Competition is offered in BMW Individual paint options, high gloss black kidney grille and mirror caps, exclusive 20" forged lightweight alloy wheels, a blacked out "M5 Competition" badge, sports exhaust system with black tail pipes, BMW look at the Competition product as a new category which in the future will offer the most powerful variants of its high-performance cars as standalone models, we've already seen this in the M2, M3 and M4 Competition. Overall, the BMW M5 Competition takes the standard BMW to the next level in terms of performance, while still having the aesthetics of a modern four door saloon. While figures might be close or less than its direct competitors, we will have to see how it performs to make a final judgement on the car.