Max Auto Updates - 03/09/2009

SA car sales continue to slump

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Total new vehicle sales fell to 33 867 in August compared with 44 100 in the same month last year.

When stripping out sales from Associated Motor Holdings and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors - which report separately - sales fell by 26.2% to 26 667 units.

The motor industry body said the annual decline in August was less pronounced than in July, "re-enforcing the underlying bottoming out trend evident over the past three months" but that the industry remained weak.

Naamsa said continued weakness in the medium and heavy truck segments reflected lower investment spending as well as operators' difficulties in accessing loan finance.

"The operating environment during August, 2009 had remained extremely difficult with all sectors of the South African automotive industry continuing to experience sustainability challenges," Naamsa said.

"Improvement in the automotive industry's domestic operating environment would depend on a revival in consumer spending on the back of a more favourable inflation outlook, lower interest rates and stimulatory government expenditure."

The central bank has since December cut the repo rate by 500 basis points to 7% in an effort to help boost an economy languishing in its first recession in almost two decades.

Naamsa said exports were down 66.7% in the year to August at 9 030 vehicles, with a turnaround hinging on a global economic recovery.

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BMW M3 E46 Supercharged with 338kW by Kneißler



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Kneißler Autotechnik has unveiled several performance options for the BMW M3 E46.

Under the hood, Kneißler equips the M3 with a supercharger, a charge air cooler, and revised engine electronics which allow the 3.2-liter inline-six to produce 338 kW and 498 Nm of torque. While the price tag may be steep, the performance is likely breathtaking.

To reign in the added power, Kneißler offers a high performance Stoptech braking system with six piston calipers clamping onto two-piece slotted discs that measure 380x32mm. At the rear, four piston calipers grab onto massive 355x32mm discs. The finishing touch is a set of innovative brake caliper air vent plugs by Stahlbus.

Other performance options include a Kneißler sport muffler, a KW coilover suspension kit, and KW- sport stabilizers.

In terms of styling, the exterior was thankfully left alone. However Kneißler offers an LSD wing door conversion kit and attractive 20-inch Oxigin wheels outfitted with high performance Hankook tires.

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Hamann Tycoon EVO Based on BMW X6 Revealed



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Way back in January tuner HAMANN unveiled a new TYCOON wide body kit for the BMW X6. For the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show the company will showcase the latest version of this model called the TYCOON EVO. Visual differences with its predecessor include new front wings, LED daytime running lights and side skirts that widen the body by 60mm.

The rear is dominated by the new sporty exhaust system with its centre double tailpipes. HAMANN promises that its sound is particularly throaty for exceptional aural pleasantries. In its vicinity are back wing extensions and a roof spoiler. Fitted to keep it on tar are special ultra-forged and polished 23-inch wheels wearing 315/25 R 23 size rubber.

No HAMANN car is complete without the engineers delving deep under the belly to unearth something more potent than what the factory offers. At the bottom of the petrol range is the xDrive35i which normally has a healthy 225kW and 400Nm. This has been increased to 265kW and 540Nm respectively. As such, the speed limit increases to 275km/h.

The diesel derived from the xDrive30d which usually has 173kW and 520Nm, now has 195kW and a flying 600Nm of torque. The second diesel motor from the xDrive35d has had its power and torque increased to 235kW and torque to 660Nm from an early 2,000rpm.

At the top end is the xDrive50i-based V8 which has been convinced to churn out 368kW at 5,600rpm and 700Nm of torque. It will almost hit 300km/h if left unchecked.

HAMANN will kit out the interior with such things as a three-spoke steering wheel, aluminum foot pedals and lots of carbon fibre pieces.

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Nzimande 'needs' R1.1m BMW

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The ministry of higher education insisted on Wednesday that it bought a R1.1m seven series BMW for its minister, Blade Nzimande, out of necessity.

Spokesperson Ranjeni Munusamy said Nzimande, the general secretary of the SA Communist Party, is "opposed to any form of unnecessary extravagance".

"The Minister of Higher Education and Training is a new member of Cabinet in a new department," Munusamy said.

"For the first month following his appointment, the department had hired a seven series BMW for use by the minister.

"The department was concerned by the high cost of renting a vehicle and decided that one should instead be purchased in line with the ministerial guidelines."

In line with security considerations

She said the car was not the property of the minister and was bought for use on official duties within the regulations and in line with the VIP Protection Unit security considerations.

The car was bought from a BMW showroom as a demonstration model at a cost of R1.1m.

"Minister Nzimande does not condone wasteful expenditure under any circumstances and stands firm in his condemnation of greed, corruption and selfishness in society."

DA: Wasteful expenditure

The department was reacting to a statement by the DA, criticising Nzimande for wasteful expenditure.

"It appears that only the very best will do for the leaders of the working class," said a statement from MP Wilmot James.

"In fact, when set alongside his recent comments, Minister Nzimande's purchase of this vehicle gets to the heart of what is wrong with this ANC government and its alliance partners."

The SACP said Nzimande's security had to be taken into account when a vehicle was procured.

"The last risk assessment conducted by the SA Police Service sometime before his appointment as minister necessitated measures to strengthen and increase his security.

"This included the provision of a car which is able to meet such requirements and respond to the needs of his diary."

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Gauteng warns taxi operators

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Taxi operators will be held responsible for any damage to property and injury resulting from attacks on buses, the Gauteng provincial government warned on Wednesday. "The attacks were clearly incited by public statements and threats of violence made by leaders of some taxi associations," spokesperson Thabo Masebe said after an executive council meeting chaired by Premier Nomvula Mokonyane in Johannesburg. The council called on taxi operators to stop inciting violence against the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and noted that this was happening in areas like Alexandra, on the East Rand and Atteridgeville in Pretoria, Masebe said. A police officer and a passenger were in a stable condition in hospital after a bus they were in was shot at by gunmen in a Toyota Quantum minibus in Soweto on Tuesday evening. Hostel raid In a bid to catch the attackers, police spent five hours raiding the Nancefield hostel, located next to the road where the shooting happened. Six men were arrested - one was shot in the leg after firing at police, said police spokesperson Inspector Kay Makhubela. Two of those arrested were sought for murder in Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal, two were found in possession of unlicensed firearms and two were found with dagga. Security had been beefed up along the bus routes since Tuesday's shooting, seen as an attempt to destabilise the project. Both the minibus taxi and BRT services were running normally with no disruptions reported by Wednesday evening. Taxi operators go-slow On Monday taxi operators embarked on a go-slow in protest against the BRT project, which linked Soweto and central Johannesburg and which they saw as a threat to their business. Buses and trains were roped in to help. Masebe said more than 16 000 people used the Rea Vaya system on the first day alone. "The high passenger support for the bus system vindicates government's decision to introduce the Bus Rapid Transit [system] as a part of an integrated public transport system that includes buses, taxis and trains." BRT system to stay Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said they would continue to implement the BRT system in partnership with all affected parties, especially the taxi industry, and that the interests of commuters remained paramount. City of Johannesburg's mayoral committee member for transport Rehana Moosajee said BRT passenger volumes were the same on Wednesday as Tuesday. The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) on Wednesday distanced itself from the shooting, saying it did not reflect its position of "constructive engagement" to resolve differences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GT-R service centres open http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=852 As the first batch of GT-Rs awaits delivery to their new owners, two local Nissan High Performance Centres (NHPC) have opened their doors. Ever since GT-Rs started prowling South Africa’s roads for fuel testing and homologation purposes there has been a gnawing doubt in the collective consciousness of enthusiasts... How exactly were Nissan’s bakkie and SUV-biased dealers going to get the wheel balancing and excruciatingly delicate ECU calibration right on these all-wheel drive rocket ships? Gauteng-based focus During October of last year Nissan announced it would be doing the sensible thing and vet dealers who could possibly match the strict criteria which would qualify them to sell and service GT-Rs. At the time it was imagined there would be approximately five dealers, three in Gauteng and one each in Cape Town and Durban. Currently, only two have been given the official NHPC blessing – Melrose Nissan in Johannesburg and Global GT-R in Hatfield, Pretoria. Coastal region GT-R owners will be integrated into the service experience offered by the two Gauteng NHPC centres. Considering 80% of all GT-R sales volume will be in Gauteng, this state of affairs is purely market driven. And you thought changing a 911s plugs were a mission... Although the GT-R does without direct-injection, the remainder of the car’s mechanical suite is resolutely state of the art. The individualisation of each hand assembled engine and calibrated gearbox ensures great dexterity is needed when servicing the chief drivetrain components. GT-R’s V6 engine has each bank of opposing cylinders individually checked for compression symmetry to ensure optimal performance during service intervals. In the US, the dual-clutch transmission’s launch function has been the source of ire relating to reliability rumours and warranty claim issues. South African GT-Rs are mildly updated – and negligibly more powerful – cars, which have addressed the launch control issues. Perhaps the greatest challenge for a dealership, even an NHPC accredited service centre, relating to the GT-R is its intricate wheel balancing. With the car featuring all-wheel drive and a nearly infinite range of torque distribution eventualities between the four wheels, balancing a R35’s contact patch footprint is not the work of a moment. Simply getting the GT-R off the ground to a workable inspection height is an unwitting challenge, with the front spoiler boasting a scant 127mm of clearance. The only solution is in-floor alignment lifts. Factor in the nitrogen supply mandatory for those high-performance Dunlop tyres, impeccably turned out tooling required to adjust the Brembo brake calipers and an immense amount of software necessary for diagnostic purposes and the presence of only two NHPC centres is hardly surprising. Pandering to the whims of the GT-R’s enthusiast customer profile, NHPC centres will happily oblige to tailor the R35’s wheel alignment and suspension settings for track, high-speed or city driving demands. No one ever said keeping Godzilla around was going to be low maintenance.