Maserati Cape Town Race Week

My past trip to Cape Town saw me visit the V&A Waterfront where Maserati SA were hosting the Maserati Cape Town Race Week. It is Cape Town's premier yacht racing regatta which is built upon a foundation laid by many great summer regattas before it. With Maserati at the forefront, the organisers and Royal Cape Yacht club believe that the opportunity is now to create an even that has a lasting impact on sailing in South Africa, but also the community of Cape Town at Large. 

With some of the biggest sailing events in the world being hosted in Cape Town, it made perfect sense for Maserati to seize this opportunity. The Volvo Ocean Race, The Vendee Globe, The Clipper Race and Cape To Rio all taking place from December till March and Maserati will be there showcasing some of their vehicle range, including their recently launched SUV, the Levante. Also on offer to visitors is the Corsa Classica Museum with some classics of yesteryear from the Italian Supercar manufacturer. It was an excellent display and attracted the crowds in the area. 

Uber i8

After Uber gave rides in Cape Town and Johannesburg for a select lucky Uber users in a Mclaren 650S, the guys at Uber SA didn't want to leave Durban out on the action, hence they teamed up with the guys at BMW Supertech to bring Durbanites a once in a lifetime chance to request an i8 as your Uber car!

Yes, on Friday the 6th of November, users of Uber in Durban can request to be picked up in the future of mobility, the futuristic i8 between 10am and 4pm. Having driven one, I can say even if you are a passenger in this phenominal car, it is an experience of note. 

How does it work? If you have the Uber app and your are registered, simply open the app at, toggle over BMW Supertech logo and request the i8 like you would a normal Uber, if you're fast enough, the i8 could be on it's way to pick you up! There is only one car on the road tomorrow so demand will be high, so remember to be quick on the draw!

Don't have Uber? Not a problem, simply download thea app, register using the promo code available and you're good to go.

Lucky users who request the car mustt note that rides are limited to 5km, only one trip is allowed per person and the BMW i8 only seats one person. For more info, read their blog.

Clarkson, Hammond and May - LIVE!

Well after much speculation, many fans around the globe are glad to hear that the 3 musketeers of the motoring world are returning but not to a TV screen but rather a live performance. Following the recent happenings with Jeremy and his former place of employments, many were unsure if the live show that was bookmarked to be held at the Ticketprp Dome in Johannesburg would go ahead, but producers of the event have answered that question now, stating that they will be touring South Africa and they cannot wait to be back. 

It's been 4 years since the team last had an event in Johannesburg and whilst they enjoyed success with it in Durban, they're equally happy to be performing in the North again. The shows creative director, Rowland French had this to say: "We absolutely love the fans in South Africa and we're thrilled to be returning to Johannesburg for the first time in four years, for a limited number of shows that are sale for 2015 only. Jeremy, Richard, James and the entire production team have always had a great time in South Africa and truly believe it has the best fans in the world. We;re looking forward to putting on an incredible show, featuring all the things people know and love the presenters, as well as the spectacular action sequences the production has become famous for."

Fans of the show can expect much of the same from the trio, the action packed 90 minutes show is sure to include smoking tyres, jaw dropping supercars, loads of entertainment and laughs galore. If you are a petrol head and miss seeing these three on your TV screens, you know you have to attend this show so making sure you booking your tickets early for the best seats in the house! Pre-registration closes tonight the 14th of April at midnight. Once pre-registered, you will be legible for pre-sales which open on the 15th of April. If not, ticket sales open to the general public on the 20th of April 2015.

There will be 4 shows in total from the 12th - 14th of June, with 2 shows on the Saturday. Ticket prices range from R395 to R995. For the die hards, there are also two hospitality packages available, 

• the Supporters Village Package for R1999 excl VAT includes tented pre-show hospitality in the Amphitheatre at the The Ticketpro Dome with live cooking stations and a variety of meal options and the complimentary beer, wine and cool drinks (spirits on a cash basis), prime seating for the arena show and parking.

• The VIP Package for R2999 excl VAT includes entry into the VIP Hospitality Suite with prime bleacher seating on the mezzanine, hot and cold snacks on arrival, a VIP buffet meal, a complimentary local bar (including standard brand spirits), a corporate gift and parking. 

To book these extremely limited packages, contact Wendy via email on wendy@befestivals.co.za or call 031 303 9177.

Show dates and times:

• Friday, 12th June - Gates open at 2pm, show times: 9pm to 10.20pm
• Saturday, 13th June - Gates open at 11am, show times: 1.30pm-3pm & 6pm-7.30pm
• Sunday, 14th June - Gates open at 9am, show times: 11.30am-1pm

Visit the website for more info and to pre-register for pre-sales: www.clarksonhammondandmaylive.co.za

Top Gear Live SA 2015

As most of you would have heard, Top Gear Live SA announced on Monday that they have cancelled their Durban show. Speculation was rife and rumours flew about regarding what could have caused it? Were we going to get a show this year?  Etc, etc...

It seems though many of you don't listen as Jeremy Clarkson has been telling us this year after year that South Africa, has the best audience.... in the WORLD! Yes it has been confirmed, Top Gear Live 2015 will be coming to South Africa but with a change of venue. The action packed motoring show will be returning to the place it all started, at the Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg from the 12th- 14th of June. Not many know this but back in 2008, the show held at the Dome was the first Top Gear Live show done outside the UK and has been a hit with South African audiences ever since. 

Since its inception, the show has attracted over half a million spectators, ranging from hardcore petrol heads, to families coming to enjoy a days outing and fun. Although the venue might be smaller this year, visitors can look forward to a 90 minute action packed show with exclusive, never before seen sequences as well as some firm fan favourites from their last 10 years of international touring. There will be fire and lots of it! Along with tyre smoke, ridiculous stunts and the usual banter and competition between Jeremy, Richard and James not forgetting some of the finest cars your eyes have ever seen.

As with the change in venue, there will be a change in format as organises promise to thrill guests with. They can also look forward to be treated to fantastic new features, interactive experiences and a huge variety of brands showcasing their wares. There will also be more surprises being announced as we get closer to the event with a surprise international motoring guest whose indentity will be revealed soon, so keep an eye on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds for more!

Tickets go on sale from March 20th and will be available via the website.

For more information:

Website: www.topgearlive.com

Twitter: @TopGearFestSA

Facebook: Topgearfest

Instagram: topgearfestsa

Bucket Seat: BMW i8

Today was the opening of the Internationale Automboil Ausstellung, or for us regular folk, the Frankfurt Motorshow. Over the years IAA has been the key show for many, if not all the German motor manufacturers, it is after all their home territory and they are expected to impress!

One of the cars to début at the show was the production model of BMW's i8. The car which is the second model of the BMWi brand was one that was eagerly anticipated by many. It is the first plug in hybrid from BMW and continues from the i3 with its futuristic design. The cars ground braking aerodynamic design body is constructed from carbon fibre reinforced plastic, ensuring that while the car is strong but it is light weight as well. Add to that the aluminium chassis along with the drive train and batteries brings the total weight of the vehicle to 1490kg's.

The interior looks like something out of Star Trek and you might consider yourself a Captain Kirk in your Starship Enterprise with the LCD screens and emotion LED changing lights in the cabin, just don't call out for Spock. The  rest of the cabin is pretty standard BMW with the centre console and trimmings. The sports leather seats look rather cool and with its 2+2 configuration BMW say you can get two passengers in the back, hope they don't mean midgets though.

How it works? Simple... sort off, the car uses a combination of BMW TwinTurbo and BMW eDrive technology to power itself. BMW Efficient dynamics for the first time has introduced a 1.5 litre, 3 cylinder petrol engine with an output of 170kW and 231bhp with a maximum torque of 320Nm sent to the rear wheels via a 6 speed gearbox. Combine that with with the electrical engine, the total output will be 266kW, 362bhp and a max torque of 570Nm. Not bad for a hybrid eh?

The technology used here is the latest stage by BMW Efficient Dynamics and works similarly to the their Active Hybrid models where the two power trains are able to work in tandem thus giving the i8 the performance levels of a pure bred sports car. With the i8, its all about carbon emissions and fuel saving, so while a 0-100 sprint would just take you 4.4 seconds, the inner hippy in you would be glad to know that it used the same about of petrol as a small car, approximately 2.5ltr/100km. That is insane statistics and would make any petrol gasp and smile at the possibilities. That being said, if you can afford a car like this, should the price of petrol be a concern to you? 

Well the short answer is yes, whilst you are able to afford this vehicle you would be using less of the commodity, hence lowering its demand...as margin-able as it maybe, it might be able to put a dent in the sales figures and the main thing is you're being a good human and looking after the environment. 

I personally think that this is currently the way forward for cars, whilst we still haven't perfected the full electric car as yet, this type of plug in hybrid technology is welcomed. Offering the driver the option to drive a sports car but with the efficiency of a hybrid. I spoke about pricing earlier and while its still not known, expect this one to be at the million or over mark. There really isn't any competition to it but the closest I can say is the Audi R8 but we still await to see if they release their R8 e-tron.