This month’s TopGear takes a closer inspection behind the evolution of the omnipresent hot hatch. Specifically where it started, the ones that left their mark on history and where it’s all headed. Our main feature with the Audi SQ2 and Mercedes-AMG A 35 reaches that psychological crossroad but just because Audi repurposes the formula into something a little taller, do the gains outweigh the compromises? 
Not messing with the recipe is our main cover story on the new Porsche 911 which we drove on the international launch. Faster, techier and safer than before, the 992 lays down the gauntlet to those competitors who now need to run back to the drawing board. 
We also stage a posh supermini battle with Audi’s A1 against the MINI Cooper, drive the Lamborghini Huracan EVO around a racetrack, see if Lexus’s chic hybrid crossover is the best electrified solution to Eskom’s loadshedding and drive the upcoming RAV4 ahead of its local debut.
Join us on Nevada’s extra-terrestrial highway in a bombproof tank-car – should the visitors not come in peace, we have a deployable smoke screen – or step inside Jim Glickenhaus’s garage where he stores many of the world’s most exclusive supercars - my personal highlight in this magazine.
As always, from the team and I, thanks for being a TopGearSA reader. We hope you enjoy the magazine and that it goes some way to answering your questions about where the hot hatch is headed. 
Andrew Leopold - Editor

Ferrari's Evil Twin
Most Powerful road Ferrari Ever

Countries from around the world fighting it out for a place in the final. Tired legs, expended resources, passion and heartbreak are the name of the game. Forgive us for using the rugby world cup analogy, but TopGear’s TG 24 Hours is about to crown its own winner from a field as diverse and talented as we’ve ever seen. 
In this second-to-last edition for 2019, we have a racetrack to ourselves for 24 hours, enough high octane petrol to run fifteen around the clock, spare rubber for skids (photographers begged us) and a twisty dirt track for a WRC car and Ford Ranger Raptor lower the surrounding air quality. We won’t say anything more to avoid spilling any secrets, but it’s an eventful story that dives into delicious details on each page. 
As always the magazine opens with the latest news including Ferrari’s latest Spider splendour, a look at the way Mercedes-Benz is approaching the new S-Class and our hilarious columnists speaking their minds about the latest challenges facing the motor car, and the world it is trying to change. 
TopGear Drives connects the Velar SVAD to Rover’s first cross-country victory against the Blue Train – although today it’s less of a challenge for the 400kW+ V8 Velar. Did they say Terrain mode or Train mode? New product from Citroen is tested as the brand returns to South Africa and we see if McLaren is ready to enter the Grand Tourer space by driving the new McLaren GT on international launch.  
A big thank you to our regular readers, who will have read about each of these cover cars throughout the year, but never at the same time or on the same piece of tarmac. We’re immensely proud to be the first magazine to do so. 
Enjoy the read

490.4 kilometres per hour. It doesn’t get more Top Gear than that. We ought to know, because hours earlier we were entrusted to give the Chiron a routine warm-up run to its VMAX of 420kph – an exclusive invitation from Bugatti and resulting highlight that now hangs in our Average Joe’s Hall of Fame. While that feature sweats adrenaline right through the pages, it’s the feature that follows that steals this month’s cover headline - Bugatti’s certified 490kph run. In high speed parlance, the 300mph (480kph) mark has been the holy grail for hypercars and everyone from Bugatti to Koenigsegg and Hennessey have had a crack at it. Now for the first time you can read about the science and controversy that went into this historical achievement from the only magazine that was there to witness it unfold. 
Prefer something slower, but more rugged? The wait for Land Rover’s Defender is finally over and apart from all the fleshy details, TopGear took the new Defender to the toughest landscape of all: The Moon.  Conspiracy theorists, this one’s for you.
Porsche’s first electric car opens our familiar Trending Section which also includes details on Lamborghini’s first hybrid supercar. Is nothing sacred? The futuristic metal doesn’t end there because we test Audi’s e-tron against the Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes-Benz EQC in our monthly Drives section. 
On the eccentric side, an overnight stay at a hotel modelled fastidiously around the humble Mazda MX-5 where the perks include driving every iteration of MX-5 around Italy’s serpentine roads. You won’t want to steal the shampoo when you see how every detail is lovingly crafted around the paragon of Japan’s two-seater sportscar. 
Your October TopGear is once again filled with ambition and diversity that has kept the team on the road all over the world. We know you’ll enjoy their heady efforts and we once again thank you for the support. 
Until next month, enjoy the read.
Andrew Leopold

Classic or modern? In the new TopGearSA, under the heading Reinventing the Icons, you don’t need to pick a side – from the Porsche 935 to the C8 Corvette, we’ve covered their backstory and their future mission. The cars that inspired us all those years ago, now reimagined and dare we say, improved in a sort of Greatest Hits reunion. And at the theme’s widest chasm, we even have a go on Harley Davidson’s first electric bike.
Our regular Drives section is populated by the fastest Porsche Cayenne on sale with acid green calipers to denote its hybrid configuration, Volvo’s mildly updated XC90 throws up a few surprises as well as the front-wheel drive BMW 1 Series which tries to be both exciting and practical. Pitchforks at the ready? Read our verdict first. We also sample two V8 muscle cars that have just arrived in South Africa from opposite ends of the world and our regular columnists take hilarious aim at the Tesla Army and drivers of large SUVs. 
Other monthly highlights include the inaugural shakedown test for Aston Martin’s Valkyrie, a run of niche-filling Audis and a 310kW hyperhatch from Mercedes-AMG. 
We trust you’ll enjoy your monthly motoring read filled with the best international and local content. Thank you for being part of the TopGear family. 
Andrew Leopold
Editor


Welcome
Action from the first page to the last. A Porsche 718 GT4 shooting forward to its next target on three wheels, not so much clipping the apex as smacking it straight on spurred by the full force of a 4.0-litre straight six. Yes, the 718 range-topper, (due in SA early 2020) returns to the glorious normally aspirated flat six, treating our ears to that 8,000rpm redline with some of the latest GT3 components doing the steering. This could be the next must-have sportscar, or will that revered position fall the way of the sleeker 718 Spyder? We drive both on the international launch so that you can start your own GT4 configuration ahead of time. 
Can you believe it has been 50 years of Nissan GT-R? That’s older than everyone at TopGearSA, but we love our history all the same especially when that culminates in a joint project with the eccentric boffins at Italdesign. The Golden Godzilla takes on New York City, followed by a racetrack and peppered by several life-affirming moments along the way. It’s a perfect tribute for not one but two brilliant companies.
Exploring brilliance, we chat to Gordon Murray on his latest T50 supercar which in his own words ‘inherits the title of the F1’s successor.’ While he has no outward intention of chasing top speeds but would rather focus on lightness and purity, we meet a carmaker who absolutely does want to be the first production car to 480kph with a first drive of the SSC Tuatara. 
July was a particularly busy month for local launches including our drives of the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, Polestar 1, BMW X2 35i, Nissan Navara Stealth, and Toyota Hilux GR Sport. A thorough mix of cars looking to break new ground. 
We trust the new issue of TopGearSA whether in print or in digital provides that welcome reprieve just as school holidays begin and madness descends in the household. Thank you for reading, while engaging with our social media channels.
Regards
Andrew Leopold
Editor


The explosion of exotic metal from Maranello gallops onto cover this month. A brand, once predictable in its model updates, has of late deviated from the script with wanton breadth, innovation and creativity while still preserving, if not heightening, the exclusivity. 
This month we grab a world first drive of the one-off P80/C hypercar around Italy’s beloved circuit – Monza. This priceless Ferrari which forms part of the bespoke Special Project nomenclature pushes the envelope further than any other Ferrari before it. Ferrari is not resting on its laurels with Special Project cars; a close look at the SF90 hybrid hypercar could be your budget LaFerrari, or on the flipside perhaps neither would exist were it not for the controversial Purosangue SUV. We dive into the Urus’s new rival.
Our team returns from New York where BMW’s first ever X3 M was introduced to the media, which incidentally previews much of the drivetrain that will underpin the upcoming BMW M4. Our travels also take us to Austria to drive the Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo while closer to home we report on the Range Rover Evoque. And to spice up the variety, we turn back the clock with a Renault Clio V6. Our driver for the day is Daniel Ricciardo.
This is our second magazine under the new format and from the feedback we’ve received on our digital channels, we can tell we’re on the right track. Thank you for the support.
Andrew Leopold
Editor

Were Ken Block born in South Africa, his gymkhana wheels of choice would be Ford’s Ranger Raptor. Built for local terrain, while resonating with the country’s affection for bakkies, it’s one of 2019’s biggest launches which we just managed to squeeze onto the cover of this month’s TopGearSA ahead of any other motoring publication. Raptor shares the cover with another one of our Big Reads - the world launch of Toyota’s Supra. Based on the larger-than-first-thought partnership with BMW, Chris Harris attempts to decipher whether the new halo sportscar is Sushi, or Schnitzel?
Harris has also been busy taking Aston’s Valkyrie for a virtual drive on the official test simulator (cue much spinning) and we preview the upcoming McLaren GT which will be on sale in South Africa before the end of the year. It’s McLaren like you’ve never known.
Why are modern BMW’s so ugly? That’s this month’s question pondered by the TopGear team who spend time in the enormously-grilled X7 and 7 Series, yet fail to reconcile some of their initial differences. BMW’s chief designer is quick to defend his decision. You be the judge.
Our monthly Drives section includes the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider, Merc’s silky CLS 53 AMG, Audi’s Q8 and Porsche’s Macan, but you’ll find that each review looks a whole lot fresher and punchier than before. That’s because we’ve overhauled the entire mag, making it more fun to read on the move with sections like Future Tech and Trending, to name a few, built into the fullness of roadtrips and photography that makes TopGear, TopGear. 
We know you’ll approve of this change, so enjoy the read and if you haven’t already followed our Instagram and Twitter feed on topgearmagsa, what are you waiting for?


Arizona, Faroe Islands and a good chunk of South Africa. At TopGear, it’s always been about the majestic as well as the random corners of the world that turn on our tastebuds for escapism. This month sees two of our boldest ideas pass through scrutiny as we take the incongruous duo of a McLaren 720S Spider and Cobra 427 along Arizona’s Apache Trail to see how two milestones of the Spider genre fare side by side. With 50 years between them, comparisons are vivid, surrounded by vistas and challenges that don’t come grander than this. We also, through no understatement, turn a Bentley Continental into a 300kW submarine by exploring the underground tunnel network that will soon connect the Faroe Islands. It also comes to our attention that nobody has done a donut at this large underwater roundabout…
For those waiting for the next chapter on the race to 300mph, we visit Christian von Koenigsegg minutes before the completion of the new Jesko. This also means unprecedented images of this R25 million hypercar while we fill our notepads with the bonkers science required for driving at 500kph. 
Our other big feature puts the Range Rover Evoque up against the Porsche Macan and BMW X2, and besides the rather practical verdict on the trio of posh SUVs, it’s also the first glimpse at our updated design which you’ll see more of in next month’s magazine. Tell us what you think on social media.
All new South African cars and bakkies launched this month have been tested and rated in typical TopGear outspokenness and enjoy our regular contributions from Chris Harris and Rory Reid. 
So with new controversial driving taxes on their way, it’s a lot easier and cheaper to explore new roads with TopGearSA in hand.
Enjoy the read.

During a week of loadshedding, Jaguar launched the all-electric I-Pace. Next up, for hot-weather testing, arrived the Mercedes EQ C. Regardless of the current cancerous state of our country’s power supply the bottom line is that a bevy of electric cars, headed our way, is inevitable. Stick my neck out further and I’ll write their excitement above many turbo charged petrol sportscars. Which is essentially still adhering with the TopGear tenet of performance in a new revolutionary way. They’re the new buzz words. 
We traverse the full spectrum of EVs this month by corralling the Jaguar I-Pace into an SUV war against Audi’s e-tron and Tesla’s Model X. Should Elon Musk be worried? We visit the Geneva Motor Show to have a second look at Honda’s E Prototype, which is as funky as ever although if it’s power you’re after the Pininfarina Battista – this month’s 1400kW cover car - takes some beating. 
A seismic industry revolution brings with it new players, so you’ll be able to read about RIMAC’s and Polestar’s refreshing approach to EV mobility which could leave the bigger brands vulnerable to the rapidly changing landscape. The good news is that both brands are headed up by people who love cars and want to ensure their future.
But this month’s TopGearSA also takes a small reprieve from electric cars: our drives section includes Porsche 911 cabriolet, BMW 3 Series, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Renault Koleos and the Toyota Corolla hatch. Plus all the titbits from the fascinating world of cars in our monthly Intake section.
We trust you’ll enjoy this digital issue of TopGearSA. Remember to charge up that device before loadshedding strikes again.
Thanks for reading.
Andrew Leopold
Editor



Stare breathlessly into TopGear’s crystal ball this month. Do you see them too? The Most Wanted Cars of 2019 fanned out in these pages from a V12 Aston Martin to the fully electric VW ID sandwiching cars like the Porsche 911, Ford Ranger Raptor and BMW M8. 
Our lead story though hits a bullseye with the Toyota Supra – unveiled just in time to put all the official images and technical data into the magazine, which coincidentally also features the drive of the new BMW Z4, on which the Supra is based. We’ll leave the early comparisons up to you.
Mercedes’s Formula One for the Road project is finding out first hand how difficult that marriage is but Tobias Moers speaks to TopGear about the challenges before clearing his throat as he does his best interpretation of the turbo-hybrid’s noise as it grazes 10 000rpm. Hey, that’s our job Tobias. 
Why all the social-economic meltdown over the depletion of fossil fuels when Porsche has the Panamera Turbo S-E Hybrid? The EV revolution is upon us so we head to the first country in the Middle East to strike oil, and the first to run out. Should we worry, or does the Panamera make the whole ‘running out’ thing not just bearable but fun too? And while in Bahrain, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the largest private supercar collection that not even Instagram manages to hashtag.
Get your copy for the latest car launches, a shootout between the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk vs Range Rover SVR plus all the news of the month you’ll possibly need for the next thirty days.  
As always, your support and feedback helps us get to the very best cars of the year. You don’t want to miss them in the coming months.  


It was simply a matter of time before McLaren joined Mission 300mph (480kph). After all, the McLaren F1 burned out brightly as a merchant of high-speed efficiency long after its introduction. 
And yet this first glorious peek under the Speedtail’s sleek skin references the McLaren F1 on another definitive detail; the iconic three-seat layout with the driver (TG’s Stig in this instance) placed at the car’s centre. The Speedtail is unquestionably Woking’s most beguiling design of the last three decades, and refreshing an effortless Gran Tourer rather than a one-shot stab at the record books – which is sadly even less compared to Bloodhound’s supersonic attempt now that the project is in financial administration. 
You can read these contrasting fortunes in the new magazine as well as our team’s look at the newest retro cars designs against the vexing backdrop as to why some work…and why others fail. 
Our monthly drives section has enormous variety from the adorable Suzuki Jimny to the reincarnated BMW 850i. We travel to Bahrain with Porsche for the world debut of the Panamera GTS and witness Mercedes-AMG fill another niche with the AMG GT 4-door. Rolls-Royce try to change Chris Harris’s publicly vitriolic view on the Cullinan, so sit back and watch the fireworks.
At Volkswagen’s proving grounds TopGear was invited to slither behind the wheel of the Pikes Peak conquering I.D.R and on the other side of the globe we meet with Toyota SA amid their last-minute preparations for the Dakar Rally. 
This and more in the latest TopGearSA. 
Thank you for the support, helping us finish the year at 400km/h and to start 2019 where the McLaren Speedtail left off.

Every year TopGear dutifully raises the Speed Week stakes. More money, rarer machinery and higher output all represented by interminable diversity. How about a Ferrari 488 PISTA on a roadtrip with a Lamborghini Urus? Or a Porsche GT2 RS keeping a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG company while a BMW M2 Competition pokes a snarling kidney grille into the action?
Fourteen cars, 48 312cc and 36 driven wheels head off at sunrise from different locations across the world’s best roads with the goal to rendezvous in the pitlane of an outcast Formula One Circuit thanks to its very lenient view on modern safety.  
With the adrenaline flowing we fill the latest TopGear with long sinuous drifts, mechanical breakages, impromptu off-roading (in the name of shortcuts), giggling hooliganism (to the finality of tyres) and lots of debating which eventually whittles the competition to five of 2018’s sought-after metal. In a perfect world you’d want them all in your garage but we at TopGear have always set ourselves the tough task of choosing one winner as our Performance Car of the Year. Despite the unanimous vote in the end, nobody in the team could have predicted the outcome…
We wouldn’t blame you for paging to Speed Week first while the rest of the magazine takes a close look at Audi’s all-electric SUV due in South Africa in 2019. The antithesis to this cutting-edge technology would be our first drive in Subaru’s limited edition WRX STi – built to celebrate 30 years of Subaru Tecnica international.  Or the BMW M3 CS taking on Jaguar’s Project 8. 
Now, over to you Chris Harris. Choose a winner from this Speed Week grid.
As always thank you for reading TopGearSA. 
Andrew Leopold
Editor.

Allow TopGearSA to redefine towing. Until now, towing has been a chore. A nuisance. This month’s main feature spectacularly debunks that perception with an awesome gathering of power and exclusivity.
And as the story evolved we realised this had grown from a test between a combination of effortless heft that later uncouples as twisty road excitement, into a deeper understanding of how the performance SUV has saved the supercar. 
Later in the magazine we head to the Nurburgring to witness Porsche dismantle the outright record with the derestricted 919 EVO, then get our hands on the raw data and compare it against the Porsche GT2 RS. If you’re a fan of cornering speeds and mind-boggling stats, this one’s for you. Chris Harris even has a go in Porsche’s Le Mans winner.
We ask the question whether the all-wheel drive BMW M5 can replace the lifestyle role of the X5 M by taking it on a mountain bike adventure in the morning and a surfing jaunt in the afternoon while elsewhere BMW invited us to drive Competition versions of the M2 and the M5 ahead of local debut.  Those reviews plus road tests on Bentley Bentayga V8 petrol, Hyundai Tucson and Mercedes A-Class.
Toyota isn’t ready to disclose the Supra’s full identity to the public but we drove the nearly-complete prototype version just in time for this deadline – making TopGearSA the only magazine to have the full story this month. Fans of Fast and Furious will be holding their breath for this one.
We hope you enjoy the latest magazine and do follow us on digital and social media throughout the month.


Lights. Camera. Action. This month TopGearSA travels back in time to relive the movie moments that etched specific cars and brands in our mind, whether it was an Audi S8 driven by a hitman, a Hummer in the terminator, a Shelby GT500 racing against the clock, or this month’s double-barrel Mustang from Bullitt. 
For many, movies became the most tangible way to nurture a passion towards cars, setting our aspirations and imaginations alight to one day owning a car with a link back to movie provenance. Because here the cars were the stars, not the actors. 
We sat together with the difficult challenge of narrowing our list to 25 indelible movie cars, plus some of their secrets in the smoke and mirrors art of Hollywood. This includes a look at specially designed stunt cars and a closer understanding into the world of stunt driving.
Our regular road tests include the Volkswagen Touareg, BMW M2- and M5 Competition, the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and we nab an exclusive interview with Stefano Domenicali during the launch of the Lamborghini Urus in Cape Town.
In a motoring homage to Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday, TopGearSA manages to drive the first BMW X3 produced at Rosslyn, culminating in a epic roadtrip that takes in all the symbolic moments leading to the country’s progression towards democracy. It’s a journey you might want to re-create one day, taking in some great roads and historical sights.
So put your feet up, reach for the popcorn and enjoy this edition of TopGearSA. As always, we thank you for reading and engaging with us on social media.

When TopGear readers hear the words Mercedes-Benz, they sub-consciously associate it with the vociferous letters AMG and tyre smoke, instead of diesel and low range. But a magazine based on the unusual and extreme is very much a TopGear ethos so choosing the X350d with its 190kW V6 for cover following the international drive was an easy decision – a TopGear first. The bakkie war is heating up and Mercedes is aiming to crack open a new niche but can it really be that easy in a nation obsessed and loyal to those already established brands?
It shares this month’s cover space with an extended drive of the McLaren Senna – a car that has been reviewed before but until now has never left the controlled environment of a track. In a TopGear exclusive we drive the hypercar over 1500 kilometres, plotting a journey that puts the eponymous Senna on the victorious path - from Estoril to Monaco - of the driver whose name it bears. 
Our drives section begins at open throttle with the Aston Martin Vantage as it finds itself competing for that sportscar label against the fierce Mercedes-AMG GT-R, the all-rounder Porsche 911 GTS and McLaren’s  570GT. With such a talented group it’s a verdict you wouldn’t want to predict until the very end.
A new performance division is emerging under Gazoo Racing so we rang up Toyota South Africa to fetch the keys to the first Yaris GRMN – a supercharged 150kW, manual gearboxed lightweight produced in limited numbers with the aim to revitalise Toyota’s sporty image. Fans of the defunct TRD will no doubt be intrigued by the new hatch as our ambitious route crosses into Botswana to meet up with the Gazoo Racing Toyota Hiluxes for the annual 1000 Desert Race. 
Plus all the regular features and sections including an interview with the chairman of Bugatti. Of course we asked him what top-end speed a Chiron could possibly reach…
All this in the latest issue of TopGearSA. Enjoy the read.

70 years separates the first Porsche 356 from this month’s cover car, the GT3 RS. In this month’s TopGearSA, we’re celebrating the fastest Porsches fettled into the RS family; a story told first-hand by the man who’s helped transform every one into a new benchmark of road and track performance. A highlight for us has to be driving the last 991.2 GT2 RS in South Africa, the rear end wriggling in the first drops of rain to have fallen in Cape Town for some time. 
For the first time Volvo’s XC40 and BMW’s X2 go head to head as we learn just how differently these cars compete around the same price and we answer the question whether the Polo GTI is an equally capable substitute for the bigger Golf GTI. 
Our usual roadtrip adventure is one for the outdoorsman with the rugged Jeep Wrangler Rubicon taking on America’s legendary trails to Moab to meet up with the annual Jeep festival. A real acid test for the modernised icon. 
We interview Max Verstappen during the low point of his season when crashes and mistakes put his reputation as one of the greatest drivers in doubt and visit Lamborghini to see how it plans to adapt to Electric Vehicles while still creating those crazy supercar designs.
Plus all the regular sections and new car data to keep you entertained indoors this winter. 
We hope you enjoy the read and this milestone for Porsche with us.

Effortless Everywhere. A statement that defines the immense capability of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, but one that also applies to the June edition of TopGear. Not that putting together a magazine is ever an effortless puzzle  – there are long distances to cover, connecting flights to rush to, demanding photographers looking for that last shot and exclusive stories itching to be told. But in the end, each page is an effortless journey of our dreams and aspirations – epitomised by Rolls’ first SUV, one that promises no compromise to its architecture of luxury. In a closed-viewing ahead of the media reveal, TopGear was invited for an intimate preview of the car named after the largest rough diamond discovered in the Cullinan mine. 
On the opposite end, and sure to rattle your bones rather than massage them, is the Fiesta ST. A car TopGear voted as its Car of the Year. Does it live up to expectation and still scratch that hot hatch itch for budget money now that Ford’s built it around a smaller 3-cylinder engine? Our main feature lines up a number of high-octane challenges.
I join BMW SA in Spain for the first BMW i8 roadster, marvelling at how seamlessly its updated systems integrate with one another, bringing yet another element to the diversifying i-brand while also making time to visit three different race tracks in different tunes of performance; the Porsche 718 GTS, the Ferrari 488 Pista and the McLaren Senna.
Further South African relevance is captured by an interview with Gordon Murray. A free-thinker of design, he talks about his involvement with TVR as just the beginning of his revolutionary iStream business. If anyone can pull it off, we back Gordon Murray to pioneer a new way of manufacturing.
Of course all the regular features make up our June edition while be sure to follow us on facebook, twitter and Instagram when your favourite magazine is not easily at hand. Enjoy the read – the Rolls-Royce of motoring magazines is now on sale.

The ship arrived and promptly spat out a new Aston Martin Vantage on the rough shores of Morocco for this month’s main cover story. All that stood in the way between us and the finish line were some of the twistiest, nastiest, rally-sport roads ever encountered. It’s the must-read comprehensive test of Aston’s latest car, one that might finally qualify as a bona-fide supercar and shatter perceptions. That also gave us the impetus to delve deeper into the AMG partnership by assembling our own engine – don’t worry it was checked after TopGear had a go.  
Under the cover of night we take last minute notes from the passenger seat as McLaren’s Senna undergoes a final shakedown before it reaches production while over the page TVR’s comeback is officially on following our big track test. Still a raw beating heart in attitude, this Gordon Murray design possesses his trade secrets under its skin. 
And do you have a million rand to spend on a two-seater sportscar? Then you’re probably looking at a Jaguar F-Type 2.0-litre and Porsche’s 718. How well have these cars negotiated downsizing? Grab a copy to read our close-fought verdict.
All the usual sections remain and include a drive of BMW’s X2 on South African roads, a thorough test of Maserati’s Levante S and all the world news from the upcoming Ford Focus to the Volkswagen Touareg. 
Enjoy the May edition of TopGearSA. 
Andrew Leopold
Editor

The Geneva Motor Show; an abundance of new cars - electric and petrol - poses a real problem. One that TopGearSA solved through its unique double cover divided by petrol (Ferrari 488 Pista, BMW M8 Gran Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-dr) or electric (Jaguar I-Pace, Porsche Mission E and Rimac C_Two). Which camp are you supporting? We’d love to know so please leave a comment but whichever you choose you can read about all these game-changers inside. 
Our trip to Geneva was inspired by the imminent arrival of the X-Class 350d – the most powerful bakkie that’s headed to South Africa. We sat down with those engineers keen on building the benchmark premium bakkie with SUV comfort to bring you all the secrets. 
Other not-to-be-missed features include a spectacular drive of the Ferrari Portofino, Lexus’s new 7-seater and South Africa’s best-selling passenger car in the recently-launched Polo Vivo sandwiched between our usual Intake section and celebrity columns. 
A trip to Japan yields eye-opening car culture as we explore the idiosyncratic world of Bōsōzoku car modification with wide-arch Lamborghinis and take the Honda Civic Type R back to its heartland to better make sense of its fussy styling. TopGear’s Car of the Year does not disappoint, nor does the scenery or the mountain passes.
Now pick a side and enjoy the read.
Thanks
Andrew Leopold
Editor
  


In keeping with the recent Winter Games, TopGear staged its own competition on a frozen lake near those inhospitable latitudes. Corralling supercars, SUVs, a yet-to-be-launched Aston and a Tesla, we decamped with over 5000kW before splitting them into head-to-head groups. Here the test is not about sheer speed, it’s a test of those fiendishly complex traction systems, the early communication relayed to your fingertips and…a blowtorch. To unclench those frozen brake calipers. 
All cars except two make it back on the transporter, leaving TopGear to be the first to test the new BMW M5 against the Mercedes-AMG E63S on an epic 1500km roadtrip – our senses sharpened from the ice driving.
The local launch of the Civic Type R coincided with our first test of the Megane RS. We’ve driven them back-to-back and didn’t struggle to reach a verdict on the two hottest front-wheel drive hatches to go on sale this year. You’ll need to read the magazine to see which camp you fall into.
Intake uncovers almost-forgotten motoring nostalgia and feats of speed while TG Drives reviews Audi’s A7, the Volkswagen Polo and Porsche’s fastest hybrid car. 
It’s been fifty years since the venerable Hilux was launched – generational motoring culture that’s now simpler to understand as we trace the evolution of South Africa’s best-selling bakkie and the special editions of ‘TopGear’s indestructible.’   
Thanks for reading. 
Andrew Leopold
Editor.

While models like the Miura, Countach and Diablo coloured Lamborghini’s past with indelible wall-poster inspiration, it’s this month’s cover car, the Urus, that will remould the brand for the next decade. The car that has evolved remarkably little since those concept photos emerged nearly seven years ago is officially the world’s fastest SUV – did you expect anything less? 
The car tasked with trebling Lamborghini’s volumes possesses the right blend of exotic styling and German engineering and we can accurately say this because TopGear was invited to drive the pre-production version. Read our exclusive cover story on that while we also rekindle memories of Lamborghini’s LM002 – the genesis for the SUV and a story that will have you laughing and crying.
More Italian revival a few pages later as we drive the Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV but is it worth the extra money over a new Porsche Cayenne? We drive Stuttgart’s biggest SUV while closer to home the team plans a worthy challenge for our modified adventure bakkie in the desolate, undisturbed and hypnotic landscapes of Namibia.  
Everyone is buying a crossover nowadays so we corral two fashionable newcomers in the Volvo XC40 and Jaguar E-Pace ahead of their local debut. They couldn’t be more different, but which one gets our vote?
All this plus the usual road tests and avant-garde Intake section packed with motoring trivia and celebrities.
We trust you will enjoy this great issue.
Andrew Leopold

World Rallycross - A cauldron of angry hatches flying through the air and into one another at the final round Cape Town.

Gymkhana Grid - Ken Block has his own show and it's not on Youtube and more...

December means it’s TopGear’s Speed Week. A name so very literal but one that still fails to capture the magnitude of it all. Each year it expands to reflect the hard work the industry has put into 0-100km/h times, aerodynamics, drift systems, Grand Tourers, saloons, supercars and specialised track weapons. The statistics are mighty: 13 cars, 4660kW – that’s an average of over 300kW – with cars from R400 000 to over R4 million. Each tested on track with the best progressing into one epic roadtrip. We won’t spoil the biggest verdict of the year. Also in this issue we drive the new cars released in South Africa this month while we preview the upcoming Dakar Rally by loitering around the Hallspeed workshop where all the Hiluxes are being prepared. Enjoy the issue and a prosperous new year to all our readers. Andrew Leopold – Editor.

There is nobody you’d trust more than four-time F1 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, to introduce the November edition of TopGear Magazine South Africa. 
Lewis was the test driver behind Project One and when he says ‘it’s the closest thing to his Formula One car,’ well, we believe him. Minutes after the Frankfurt reveal we grab an exclusive interview with him and unwrap the technical highlights in gorgeous detail.
Another feature in the same vein as ‘Road Racer’ sees TopGearSA drive the first Porsche 991.2 GT3 in South Africa. Is the 4.0-litre flat six the best engine on sale? How raw is it from a 911R? We answer both the questions in one of the year’s great drives. 
When www.topgear.co.za first broke news of a 5.0-litre supercharged Ford Ranger Raptor conversion our social media channels erupted with likes and comments – read about SA’s wildest 500kW bakkie built by legendary Ford tuners. Versatility meets mayhem, in a nutshell.
But if fast coupes are more your thing, Audi’s RS5’s clinical speed is pitted against the M4 Competition Pack, AMG C63 S and Lexus RC-F in a colourful R6 million group test while the regular Intake section follows Elon Musk and Tesla’s meteoric rise as a pioneer in the EV race.  All this and every new car launched in South Africa in the last month. 
Enjoy the read. On sale now. 


In the October issue of TopGear South Africa we head off-piste where the roads turn to muddy tracks and shortcuts are the order of the day in a race against time. Out here we devise the first strenuous test for the new Velar by doing more off-roading than owners will ever dare but far less than Velar is capable of -  a proper Range Rover as it turns out and an architectural marvel.  We give Porsche’s Panamera Sport Turismo a unique accessory of our own because exploring Canada with a kayak strapped to the roof is the leisure activity of choice and the all-wheel drive Porsche allows us to compress every tourist attraction into a weekend away. A story on Audi’s iconic 5-cylinder turbo engine in the latest RS3 is the reason behind us naming it the new king of hot hatches while Adrian Newey takes TopGear on a personal tour of his new road car, the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Details on BMW’s controversial AWD M5 and we decide whether McLaren’s 570S Spider is any less sporty than the coupe.
 Enjoy the read and follow our digital channels for more. 
Andrew Leopold: Editor

This month’s cover brings together one of motoring’s greatest juxtapositions. We travel to Maranello to drive the Ferrari 812 Superfast – a car that lives up to its name with the firm’s strongest naturally aspirated V12 – while clambering inside Mercedes’s new X-Class bakkie on home soil. It’s a detailed insight into what promises to be one of the most-anticipated cars of the year.   With Porsche off to Formula E, the timing of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid reveals the brand’s future strategy (spoiler it’s fast and efficient) while we also test the Sport Turismo version ahead of local debut. Then we settle a fierce debate as to whether Honda’s front-wheel drive Civic Type R – and Nurburgring class holder – can topple the all-wheel drive Golf R and Focus RS. And who doesn’t like underdog spirit? We name the top 10 underdog achievements plus all the regular features and news done in our typical TopGear style. Enjoy the read.

Motoring thrills come in all sizes and prices as proven by the August issue of TopGear. Relative simplicity represented by the first of our shootouts between the Fiesta ST200, Clio RS Trophy and Fiat 595 Abarth countered by another three-way contest featuring high powered, Nurburgring kings – can the new Mercedes-AMG GT R outmuscle the benchmark Porsche GT3 RS and where does the M4 GTS fit in? Hollywood and TopGear star Matt LeBlanc takes us through his passionate car collection (from custom trucks to rare Porsches), we ask whether the Lexus LC500 can silhouette the iconic LFA and go places in Land Rover’s new Discovery that few will think is possible. TopGear previews an early drive of Audi’s surefooted biturbo RS 5 Coupe along with a track test in Lamborghini’s Huracan Performante. 
The world is moving away from diesel to favour electric, but for now the highest concentration of heart-thumping petrol machines is in the latest issue. Get yours now.
Thanks for reading
Andrew Leopold – Editor.

Did you miss out on the ultra-rare BMW M4 GTS? Is the Competition Package too drab? We have the answer in this month’s TopGear with the exclusive first drive of the M4 CS – a lightweight, high-powered version of the venerable M4. We also scoop the Volkswagen’s Golf GTD straight from the factory and pose the question whether it’s a better alternative to the ubiquitous Golf GTI – also reviewed as part of its latest model facelift. Volvo’s XC60 will be in the country in 2018 but we preview why this relaxing, autonomous-guided SUV will be worth the wait. Then there’s a cruise down 700 kilometres of Arizona’s finest blacktop in bright yellow Mercedes-AMG GT C roadster while closer to home our garage section welcomes a mixture of SUVs and one back-to-basics hot hatch.  Enjoy the read – Andrew Leopold. Editor.

April 2024

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Top Gear South Africa Magazine - March 2019

Top Gear South Africa Magazine - March 2019

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