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ercedes-Benz has made its debut in the annual CoolBrands® list, ranked 16th out of over 10,000 independently identified brands. Now in its 11th year and co-ordinated by The Centre for Brand Analysis, the list is voted for by 3,000 British consumers and a panel of 39 key influencers including Millie Kendall MBE, Luke Peters, Plan B and David Harewood MBE. From the initial 10,000, a shortlist of 1,200 brands were ranked for innovation, originality, style, authenticity, desirability and uniqueness – each attributes classed by the organisers
that play a part in a brand being cool. The top non-British automotive brand was Mercedes-Benz. The outright winner was the technology brand, Apple. Mercedes-Benz is in the midst of launching a range of exciting new cars, including the new A-Class and the upcoming CLS Shooting Brake. Each mixes elegance with innovative technology, performance and comfort. Headed by the SLS AMG, the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range is more diverse than ever before – appealing to different needs, different budgets and preferences.
Rob Halloway, Communications Director at Mercedes-Benz commented on the results: "I think by its very nature, coolness is in the perception of others. I think that cool things have a certain style, elegance and swagger about them. Cool people possess all these qualities, and cool brands blend a timeless quality with absolute topicality. It sounds like an oxymoron, but that’s what makes cool “cool”. Like style over fashion, cool endures where trendiness tends to be transient. "The SLS AMG is a new supercar for a new generation, and the A-Class is just as cool, but
OCTOBER 2012 EDITION
a lot more attainable. Radically different from its predecessor, the new A-Class has been designed and positioned to be really desirable to customers who previously might not have considered a Mercedes-Benz. The Concept Style Coupé gives another hint of what’s coming – and we’ve got lots more “must-have” compact cars on the way. "We’re backing up everything we’re doing with great products, great people, excellent support of key events, new ways of communicating these cars to new and existing customers – and we’re going to do it in some style.”
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• South Africa gets a chance to compete in the international GT Academy • SA’s best console racers to compete head-to-head for real-world racing opportunities • Previous winners take part in Le Mans
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South Africa is proud to that the famous GT Academy is coming to local shores for the very first time. Following major success internationally, the adrenaline-filled programme makes its local debut after previous winners have made excellent progress in real-world racing series, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans spectacle. The GT Academy, which sees PlayStation® console racers test their mettle in Nissan GT-R and 370Z vehicles in Gran Turismo® 5, is designed to shape and mould new racing talent from the finest that the virtual world has to offer. A collaboration between Nissan and PlayStation®, the GT Academy is now in its fourth year and has so far seen competitors from Europe, the United States and Russia contest for top honours.
The best racing simulator in the world Created by Kazunori Yamauchi and franchised
by Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan, the Gran Turismo® franchise for Sony PlayStation® has seen over 60 million units shipped worldwide and is regarded the world over as the best racing simulator, ever. Thanks to authentic graphics, a real-world physics engine and leading design, Gran Turismo® has not only found favour with racing gamers everywhere, but with automotive manufacturers too as a cutting-edge virtual showcase for their products.
Start your virtual engines Comprising three stages which take place over several months, the GT Academy sees competitors begin with simple console-based racing challenges, progressing on to a fullyfledged race camp in England – with expert training from the likes of Johnny Herbert, Bas Leinders and René Arnoux, amongst others. Stage one is the Gran Turismo® Qualification Demo, whereby hopeful gamers (open to anyone with a PlayStation® 3 and a valid South African driver’s license) compete online and at live racing events in order to qualify for the National Finals – a total of 24 South African qualifying finalists emerging by the end of 2012. The National Finals (stage two) then see all South African qualifiers whittled down to just eight finalists (joined by eight finalists from the Middle East), who progress on to stage three –
the GT Academy Race Camp at Silverstone in the UK, where the Nissan 370Z and GT-R are on hand for real-world driving thrills. One winner will then emerge from the 16 finalists. Through intense training and competition, the overall winner who emerges from the Camp, will move on to the Driver Development Programme (DDP) where they undergo an intense threemonth driver training regime in order to qualify for an international racing license and the spectacular grand prize of competing in the Silverstone 24 Hours in 2014.
Past winners now tops in international motorsport The GT Academy has shown such great success that previous winners have gone on to compete in the upper echelons of international motorsport. Spain’s Lucas Ordoñez (2008 GT Academy winner) is contesting the European Le Mans Series and took part at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Greaves Motorsport LMP2 car (powered by Nissan), along with Frenchman Jordan Tresson (2010 winner) in the Signatech Nissan LMP2 car (who also competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship). The GT Academy’s 2011 winner, Jann Mardenborough (UK) currently competes in the British GT Championship and the Blancpain Endurance Series in a Nissan GT-R GT3 as well.
Nissan on top of innovation and excitement
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Never before has an automotive manufacturer fused the worlds of virtual racing and real-life motorsport as successfully as Nissan and, thanks to the partnership between the brand and PlayStation® and the local enthusiasm for motorsport, South Africans can now also grasp this unique opportunity. With a wealth of local racing talent, Nissan SA is confident that the South African competitors will show their international counterparts exactly what they are made of. “Nissan is thrilled about the launch of the GT Academy in South Africa,” says Gavin Rheeder, Senior Manager: Product Communications and Marketing at Nissan South Africa. “It has been hugely successful in Europe and the United States and we are sure it will be just as successful in South Africa where we have both a passionate gaming community and a proud motorsport heritage. This unique partnership with PlayStation® provides us with an exciting brand platform which epitomises Nissan’s pay-off line of ‘Innovation that Excites’”, he concludes. The GT Academy opens its virtual doors to gamers on 15 October 2012, with the selection of finalists taking place between 15 December 2012 and mid-January 2013. The top 24 – including those qualifiers who will progress on to Silverstone – will be announced at the end of January 2013.
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Volkswagen Group South Africa maintains its leadership position in the passenger car market in September • Volkswagen Group South Africa market
leader in the passenger car market for nine consecutive month. • Polo Vivo the best selling car in South Africa in September. • Audi’s sixth consecutive record month. In September 2012, Volkswagen Group South Africa maintained its leadership position in the new passenger car market in South Africa with the total sales of 8 761 units and a market share of 22.2%. In 2012, Volkswagen Group South Africa has been the market leader in the passenger car segment for nine consecutive months. For the third consecutive month, Polo Vivo was the best selling new car in the country with 3 386 units. Meanwhile, Polo was the second best selling model in the new passenger car market with 2 383 units. The Audi Brand achieved its sixth consecutive record month with the delivery of 1 510 units in September. The top selling model was the A4 Sedan/Avant which sold 673 units. In the light and medium commercial vehicles segments, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles sold 751 units and 484 of these units were Amarok single and double cab models. During September 2012, 39 496 new passenger cars were sold in South Africa. The market shrunk by 2.1% compared to August 2012. However, the market grew by 4.4% when compared to September 2011. From January to September 2012, the market was up by 11.50% compared to the same period in 2011. “While the growth momentum in the new car sales cycle appears to be moderating, overall
buoyancy in demand for new passenger cars continues. Even though the market in September was slightly down on the previous month, the selling rate of new cars per day was up 5.9%. An average of 1 659 new cars were sold per day during the month, the strongest selling rate per day since August 2006, a month after the previous boom in demand for new passenger cars peaked out,” said Mike Glendinning, Director: Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa.
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“Despite uncertain economic circumstances, the demand for new passenger cars continues at robust levels with the market, of which around 45% is comprised of lower priced entry level vehicles, being driven by powerful supporting factors. In real terms, new vehicle prices have been declining for over two years, a development that has been amplified by an intensely competitive trading environment. This has resulted in significant incentivisation that has further improved the affordability of new cars. Interest rates are at a 38-year low and debt servicing costs remain at low levels as thus promoting growth in installment sales credit, now at 16.5% on an annual basis,” added Glendinning.
At the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, this one-of-a-kind automobile finds itself in the best possible company. Every year connoisseurs and exponents of coachbuilt classics come together on California’s Pacific coastline to gorge on, mull over and be amazed by an array of automotive exotica. Indeed, you’d be hard pressed to find a more appropriate venue for the premiere of the BMW Zagato Roadster.
“Replacement demand remains a solid driving force as a foundation for new car demand and a steady stream of new model introductions with enhanced value offerings continue to entice consumers. On balance, the wealth effect is also supportive of new car demand with house prices moving sideways, but no longer declining, and the stock exchange trading at record high levels. In these circumstances the outlook for the new car market in 2012 remains for growth exceeding 10% over 2011,” concluded Glendinning.
arely three months after the sensational premiere of the BMW Zagato Coupé, BMW and Zagato are turning heads again at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with the fruits of their latest collaboration. Created in just six weeks’ worth of lavish handcraftsmanship, the BMW Zagato Roadster represents another masterful example of the traditional coachbuilder’s art and an elegant take on the sporty, masculine marker laid down by the BMW Zagato Coupé.
Next stage of a successful collaboration The decision to launch another collaboration between BMW and Italian coachbuilder Zagato was made only a short time after the BMW Zagato Coupé took its first bow. Encouraged by the positive reaction to the Coupé, Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, and Andrea Zagato soon agreed to take their partnership a step further. On the menu this time would be a Roadster model. “We set ourselves the challenge of preparing the car in time for the renowned Pebble Beach Concours,” explains van Hooydonk. The BMW Zagato Roadster was duly conjured up in record haste, with only six weeks separating the first design idea from the finished model. “It was only with the expertise of both companies in the manufacture of high-end one-off cars and another display of outstanding teamwork that we were able to finish the car on schedule”
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adds the BMW design supremo.Andrea Zagato picks up on the theme: “Our success in finishing the car in such a short space of time shows what is possible when two successful companies pool their resources,” says Zagato. “BMW is a high-achieving carmaker boasting a vast well of knowledge and technical capability in this area. When you combine that with our expertise in the creation of micro-series cars and our streamlined production processes, everything is in place to produce a beautiful model like the BMW Zagato Roadster in double -quick time”. The design – Italian finesse meets Bavarian roadster tradition. It quickly became clear that the partnership’s next jointly developed model would be a roadster. Indeed, no other concept embodies the pure fascination of motoring quite like this breed of car. With the roof down, two seats and exceptional performance, it allows the driver to experience dynamic thrills and driving pleasure with all the senses. To this heady blend the BMW Zagato Roadster adds the fineries of the Italian “dolce vita”, its designers succeeding in lending the car its own distinct character without blurring its family ties. BMW and Zagato can both look back on a long and successful tradition of building roadsters, and the BMW Zagato Roadster sees their respective design DNAs melting into one. There is, of course, more to designing a roadster than slicing the roof off a coupé. “This car is not designed only as an elegant convertible, but also as a masculine and extremely dynamic sports car which evokes a powerful driving experience” says Zagato chief designer Norihiko Harada, describing the design philosophy behind the BMW Zagato Roadster. Like the BMW Zagato Coupé, the Roadster is ready to drive – and intended to be driven at high speeds.
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The City will be bringing road shows to all regions to promote road safety and the involvement of the community, focusing on all the new transport options available JOBURG is going all out to engage with residents on road safety, public transport and infrastructure during October, the month set aside for transport-related issues. This year the City’s transport department, the Joburg Roads Agency, Metrobus and Rea Vaya will also be visiting all seven regions to engage with young and old.
Midrand Taxi Rank on 15 October and Car Free Day on 20 October. Moosajee agreed that in the main, Car Free Day is still poorly supported, with few commuters actually opting for public transport on the day, but she remains positive that the City should continue to carry on with its message for this month: moving Joburg to do more together.
The idea is to continue to spread the message and get everyone on board, said member of the mayoral committee for transport Rehana Moosajee. Announcing the city’s plans for the month at a special press conference at the Joburg Roads Agency in Sauer Street on 28 September, she added that “transport related issues impact on us all and play a significant role in the economy and the quality of life of every citizen”.
“We want to draw people out of their cars. We want to get them comfortable with the idea of public transport.” The recent 2010 FIFA World Cup™ event has proven that it can be done, with the City and province transporting most fans to and from games on Rea Vaya buses and with Metrorail, she reminded everyone. Now, it is about keeping this momentum, she added.
Core Values The basis for all engagement will be on promoting the City’s transport values Accountability, Cooperation, Honesty, Respect and Ubuntu – with road safety events to be held at primary schools, industrial theatre planned for high schools, and community leader seminars for adults, with the first engagement kicking off in Region A on 4 October. Also on the agenda is a clean-up of the
“We really want to focus on the composite transport offering in the city, encouraging the use of the Gautrain, Metrobus, Rea Vaya and Metrorail. Car free day is not an event, it is a process.” Reflecting on the road ahead, Moosajee said the City is beginning to see the signs of an integrated public transport system taking shape. Joburg’s single most important public transport project to date, the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system is now in Phase 1B and celebrated its first birthday on 30 August this Courtesy: www.joburg.org.za year.
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