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FORMER AECI GROUNDS: MIXED DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
Interest in Paardevlei on the increase DALEEN FOUCHÉ Interest in Paardevlei property, formerly known as the AECI grounds, is picking up with several properties being recently sold. Mark Bezençon, regional manager of Heartland, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AECI, says in the past 12 months interest in property and development activity in Precinct 1 of Paardevlei has picked up. In total 15 properties have been sold, while negotiations on another six properties are ongoing. Construction on one building in Precinct 1 is complete and several others are in the construction phase, including a private hospital that is due for completion at the end of 2014. The De Beers precinct measures 43 hectares in addition to the rehabilitated wetland, also referred to as Paardevlei. The precinct will allow for the development of 590 residential units and approximately 100 000 m² of commercial development on completion. Apart from interest in Precinct 1, says Bezençon, he has also received several inquiries about educational facilities and industrial capacity in the entire Paardevlei land holding, which consists of about 730 hectares. According to Bezençon the reason for the growing interest by investors and developers in Paardevlei property is because they want to take advantage of the lower construction costs before the economy turns. He says as the economy picks up, so will the prices in the construction industry. He explains that the increased construction activity in the De Beers precinct has also ignited more
interest in the area. He describes development in Paardevlei as the “South African version” of mixed development where people can live, work and
play. Benzeçon says in big cities across the world mixed developments usually refer to high-rise buildings that include living space, work space and
entertainment space. He says, however, in the South African version of mixed development, the various functions are not in one building but rather in one area. Benzeçon ex-
plains that the mixed development planning for Paardevlei will allow for single residential units, but will still offer other amenities such a school and shopping areas close by..
This aerial photo shows a big chunk of the Paardevlei land holding.
EXPERT OPINION
Developments continue to offer outstanding value p.14
CORRECTION: In last week’s edition of the Boland SOLD, it was reported that the selling price for this house in Tredonne in Sir Lowry’s Pass is R2,995 mil lion. However, this three bedroomed house, is on the market exclusively through Pam Golding Properties, priced at R3,95 million.
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Developments continue to offer outstanding value It doesn’t matter what you’re buying, buyers all want the same thing: value for your money. It’s never more true though when it comes to the purchase of a property, as a real estate purchase is usually one of the largest purchases of your life. For the past few years now developments have offered exceptional value. Gone are the days when developers were making massive profits at the expense of the purchaser. When
world property markets Country Estate by Kingswere impacted by the gloHill selling out, Silver bal economic crisis in Fox and Blue Crane Es2008/2009 many developtates nearing 60% sold, ments came to a halt. and Kelderhof Country Sellers in the resale Village nearing 170 sales residential market had since Harcourts Platito listen to market forces num took over marketing. and reduce their prices to attract buyers. This This trend is also true meant that development for the mid to upper-marproperties appeared exket. Bulties Hamlet Espensive at the time, with tate, with prices averagincreasing building ing R4 300 000, also sold costs and high infrawith relative ease. And structure costs making it luxury plots in the 77 On hard for developers to reDummer Estate are also Talking Property, by Steve now sold out. duce their pricing. But that’s all changed. CaradocDavies, principal When purchasing from In the Helderberg area of Harcourts Platinum a developer the price also some developers decided includes VAT, which to listen to market forces and provide means there are no additional transfer a product the market demands, at a rea- duties to pay. Banks finance the total sonable price. This trend continues. selling price, which is an advantage a Examples of this are Kelderhof Coun- purchaser has over a resale property, try Village, Silver Fox, and Blue Crane where it’s not possible to finance the Estates – all marketed by Harcourts transfer duty. Platinum. These developers, in conjuncAs a purchaser it’s great to know that tion with Harcourts, responded to mar- sellers are listening to the market and ket research. Turnkey properties were pricing accordingly. So it’s important to offered to the market – completed homes shop around and weigh up the pros and where purchasers have a choice of fin- cons before you put pen to paper. When ishes, but without the stress of building shopping, be sure to include developthemselves. ments on your list – especially if you are These properties compete with the re- looking to live in a secure estate. sale market – in many cases offering betBoth developments and residential reter value than resale residential homes. sale properties can offer the discerning Buyers are attracted to the thought of buyer great value. Do your homework moving into brand-new homes in a se- and purchase wisely. As stock levels recure estate with their choice of finish. duce we should continue to see a steady Sales have proven this, with Somerset and healthy increase in property values.
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ENGEN VW CUP: GREAT RACING ON SHOW
Michael Gibson is Driver of the Day MOTORPRESS The Engen Volkswagen Cup championship racers pulled out all the stops recently at round two of the Super Series at Killarney. Nail-biting battles raged throughout the field and led to some really great racing. Michael Gibson (21 – MAD Racing /GPM) was named Driver of the Day thanks to a good performance that saw him finish in ninth overall. Gibson is a newcomer to the series and Killarney is only his second event – also his first time ever at this track. During the first race an on-track incident between Matthew Hodges (M3 - ITR Africa/959 Panelbeaters/ Dickron Motors/Phoenix Signs)
and Eddie Rodrigues (M1 - SEW Eurodrive) saw Rodrigues left at the side of the track with a rather damaged Volkswagen Polo Vivo. Just moments before, Juan Gerber (M8 – Haupt Racing) found himself on his roof after hitting the tyre wall, which was enough to get the Safety Car out on circuit. Up to that point a battle had been raging between Dewald Brummer (MAD Racing/GPM (Grand Prix Models) and Daniel Rowe (11 – Ferodo Racing). The Safety Car bunched the field right up while marshals set about the task of getting the two vehicles – in two different parts of the circuit – cleared so the racing could continue. When the Safety Car pulled off the track, there were just two laps left of the race, a two-lap sprint to the finish line.
Brummer’s race win is made the more remarkable by starting as he did in ninth place and working his way up to the lead to claim the first victory on the day. In the Top Six draw for the fastest qualifiers in each race, both of the women racing in the series qualified, with Tasmin Pepper (31 - PG Glass/Blue Label Telecoms/Pepper Racing/Cornright Motors) drawing a grid position for each race and Andrea Bate (37 - Monroe Racing) drawing from race two. Pepper drew fourth for race one and pole for the second race, with Bate drawing a third place start for the second race. Pepper’s pole position start is her first for the series and she was making no mistakes. That first place start translated to a first place fin-
ish – her second in Engen Volkswagen Cup. It was not an easy win for Pepper as she had Sheldon van der Linde (16 – Ferodo Racing) breathing down her neck during the last few laps of the race. Van der Linde set off in second place, but had to defend against Jano van der Westhuizen (15 - Kwikfix) who was on pace and fighting hard, as well as from Rowe In the later stages of the race he could concentrate instead on attacking and and put the pressure on Pepper in an effort to reel her in before the final run to the chequered flag. For the championship leader from round one, the Killarney event started well with Daniel Rowe (11 – Ferodo Racing) setting the pace and posting the fastest qualifying
times. The draw was, however, not so kind and he drew fifth on the grid for each of the races. Rowe did well to finish both races on the podium, claiming second in race one and third in race two which saw him finish in first place overall for the day – retaining his championship lead. In the Masters category, it was the turn of Trevor Bland (M6 - PG Glass/Suburban Panel Beaters / Alpine Motors) to claim the victory for the day, ahead of Hodges and Shaun Holtzhausen (M9 - Firequip /Phoenix Signs). Hodges produced a good performance at the first round to lead the Masters, but Bland can make his life ahead very difficult with another good performance, which would make the Masters championship a highly unpredictable battle.
17 Renault Mégane RS Red Bull RB8 for get-up and go! BOLAND SOLD
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HANJO STIER Renault Megane RS Red Bull RB8: the proper move Based on the already-rapid Mégane RS (RenaultSport), this RB8 model gets to call itself a Red Bull Special Edition because just 800 units will be built. Sold in 26 countries worldwide, 50 of these monsters are bound for South Africa so Renault fans can celebrate Red Bull Racing’s F1 successes. Exclusively painted in Twilight Blue with lots of Red Bull Racing badges and a melting checkered flag on the roof, this special edition also includes the grippy RS Cup chassis, Brembo brakes with red calipers, black 19inch wheels with 35-profile tyres, three-mode ESP, RS monitor and R-Link infotainment system. It also features everything you’d expect from a range-topping Mégane like polished pedals, keyless entry and ignition, climate control, six airbags, park beepers, Bluetooth, active Xenon lights, auto lights and wipers, electric windows and mirrors, adjustable multi-function steering wheel and cruise control. The controls are scattered about the racy cabin in true Renault fashion but I will admit that after the umpteenth test car, I’m now used to them. The RB8 Red Bull also has a proper hand-brake, red seatbelts, body-hugging Recaro seats, some leather and carbon fibre-look trim. Should you have somehow overlooked the stickers, further clues are silver mirrors, a silver front splitter and rear diffuser framing the big exhaust pipe. More reminders are a shiny gear knob and decals on the carpets and door sills. The only optional extra is a reversing camera (R5 000). The big central R-Link monitor is controlled by a twisty-pushy knob on the central tunnel which, in conjunction with the rock-hard suspension, can be difficult to operate on the move. Also, it refused to add a Bluetooth phone
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and got stroppy when I wanted to delete previous entries. Buried inside this uncooperative blik-brein is the RS Monitor which will keep performance enthusiast entertained for a long, long time. You can switch between multiple screens which display everything from lap times, various temperatures, torque, boost, wheel slip, G-forces and throttle position. I’m nit-picking here but the slanted speedometer is marked in odd sets of twenty, making it jolly difficult to spot 60 or 120km/h. Its neighbouring trip computer is completely unreadable during the day. I’d also advise caution in heavy winds as the big coupé doors only have teeny-weeny inside handles. Not that any of this will matter to the infatuated fan as the prime reason for buying this Mégane is the way it drives; unless you’re into comfort and relaxation. The Red Bull Special is very hard and reasonably loud, becoming even harder, louder and downright snappy if you select Sport or ESP off modes. Moreover, the clutch pedal is comparatively hard but with all that power, you soon appreciate why it is so: two litres divided between four cylinders, petrol and air sequentially fed through a turbocharger direct 195kW (265hp) or 360Nm via a crisp six-speed manual gearbox to the unfortunate front wheels. Power delivery is so brutal that it doesn’t take much for this car to upset its traction control or seek a new direction of travel when full throttle is applied. That doesn’t mean it’s unruly when driven sensibly – and I’ll leave the interpretation of that word up to your imagination. 100km/h comes up in six seconds, 400m in 14 flat and top speed is an alleged 255km/h, average fuel use 8,2F/100km and CO2 emissions 190g/km. Our best 0-100km/h sprint took 6,1 seconds and 400m just 13,6 seconds. My most careful driving yielded 10F/100km but a more likely average is mid-12. Road-holding and grip levels are excellent, thanks to that sports suspension and a clever
The Red Bull Special rides very hard and is reasonably loud, and gets even harder, louder and downright snappy if you select Sport or ESPoff modes. PHOTO: QUICKPIC electronic differential. As with most überhot hatches, I didn’t push this Mégane any further than I deemed sensible (there’s that word again) and came away wide-eyed and impressed. This wild, fast and limited coupé will set you back exactly R429 900 and comes with a 5-year/150 000km warranty and 5year/100 000km service plan. Should you find them all sold or don’t like Formula 1 stickers, the standard Mégane RS it’s based on is just as exciting. Galimoto
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Audi A8: updates with gadgets galore HANJO STIER Do you remember Gerhard Schröder? The ex-Chancellor of Germany may be best known for his various policies and four wives but to me he’ll always be the guy who swapped the obligatory black Merc for an Audi A8. My family was equally impressed and to this day we still refer to any A8 as a “Schröder Auto”. German top brass have been diligently swapping cars to show support of all their manufacturers, because they all embody big luxury, excellent technology and understated styling. The S-Class has traditional comfort, while the Seven Series is bold and sporty; I believe the A8 sits somewhere in between. It can trace its roots back to the early eighties and the Audi V8, Ingolstadt’s first attempt at a large saloon, which wowed the world with big power and Quattro all-wheeldrive. Mid-nineties it officially became the A8, followed by another generation in 2002 and this one in 2009. So what you’re looking at now is not a new-new A8 but simply the existing model with crucial updates midway through its life cycle. In a nutshell, these include new lights and minor bodywork, updated interior trim and technology, as well as improved drive trains to re-shuffle the model line-up. Those new headlights and slight body tweaks give Audi’s A8 a more taught and compact appearance than its dimensions suggest. At
Those new headlights and slight body tweaks give Audi’s A8 a more taught and compact appearance than its dimensions suggest. PHOTO: QUICKPIC 5.14 m long, 1.95 m wide and 1.46 m tall it easily competes with other big sedans,offering exceptional interior space; especially when ordered with an “L” behind its badge. Its cabin also houses exclusive materials and excellent build quality which, Rejoice! can be ordered in different colours and trims with “Audi design selection” giving discerning buyers even more choice. The MMI navigation and infotainment system now also features a
touch-pad for the more creative among us. Standard kit on all models includes 360° cameras and pre-sense driver assist, a clever parking system, Bose speakers, mobile Internet, Google maps, keyless everything, auto everything else and electric absolutely everything. Long wheelbase models also offer a rear entertainment system and panoramic sunroof. Audi is quick to point out that the
big car feels light and manoeuvrable on its tyres, and I agree, thanks in part to its Audi Space Frame construction. The body is almost entirely made out of aluminium and weighs just 231kg, a figure which helps most A8 models to roll off the scales near or below 2 000kg. Casual observations we made at the A8’s launch is that its front end has lost most of its bulky presence in favour of a sleeker, cleaner face. In profile, the car disguises its size
reasonably well with huge wheels. Big, flush exhaust outlets and sweeping, directional LED indicators accentuate its rump. The headlights come in either full Xenon or full LED technology with an optional Matrix LED system which keeps lighting at its optimum without blinding other road users. Its 25 individually operating LED’s can produce thousands of light beam combinations, use navigation data and recognize up to nine vehicles. Two diesels start the range - A8 3.0 (V6) TDi Quattro and A8 4.2 (V8) TDi Quattro - with two petrol models arriving next month: the sportier S8 and flagship W12 long wheelbase. All TDi A8’s can be ordered in normal or long wheelbase, while VIP buyers may take delivery of the armored “Security” models later this year. The V6 TDi produces 190kW and 580Nm, its V8 sibling (the only TDV8 sedan in SA) makes 283kW and a colossal 850Nm. Claimed consumption is 5.9F/100km (V6) and 7.4F/100km (V8). All cars are equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, shift paddles, air suspension and multi-stage drive mode selector. Prices are R1 101 500 for the 3.0 TDi Quattro and R1 390 000 for a 4.2 TDi Quattro, the LWB versions costing R1 257 500 and R1 545 500 respectively. That’s pretty much what the competition charges, so your choice will probably come down to personal taste...unless you’re the German Chancellor, of course. Galimoto Media
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Juke GT adds more appeal QUICKPIC
Following the resounding success of its Juke in South Africa, Nissan has added a new limited-edition model to the popular compact crossover range. Only fifty examples of the new Nissan Juke GT will be made available, adding exclusivity to the appeal of the model’s many exciting visual upgrades. Aimed squarely at hip and trendy Generation-Y, the funky Nissan Juke GT is an even more daring and youthful iteration of the ‘standard’ compact crossover that has captivated thousands of motorists across the world and increased Nissan’s reputation for offering bold, risk-taking vehicles and crossover innovation. Nissan South Africa’s Crossover and Performance Vehicle Manager, Nancy Reddy, said: “We are excited to announce the release of the limited edition Nissan Juke GT, which joins the rest of the Juke range in South Africa. The Juke family has made waves since its launch with its quirkiness, sporty attitude and bold, unique design. The Nissan Juke GT showcases the extrovert ‘stand-out’ attitude our customers seek, with enhanced trendiness, individuality and exclusivity.” The Nissan Juke GT is based on the 140 kW/240 Nm JUKE 1.6 DIG-T Tekna with leather and features a number of special personalisation upgrades to set it apart. These include sporty GT stripes in black or white, matching colour-coded mirror caps, GT badges and striking 17-inch ‘Hot Black’ alloy wheels, which are imported from Europe. Existing high-level standard equipment includes automatic climate control, a multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, full audio integration with USB, aux and Bluetooth compatibility, keyless entry and starting, automat-
ic lights and wipers. These join a host of safety equipment including ABS with EBD and BAS, six air bags and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with traction control. Emphasising the Nissan Juke’s cool factor, the #Standout online multimedia campaign, which launched in March, seeks to encourage the creative Generation-Y to ‘extend their GT stripes’ with the opportunity to win ‘red envelope’ experiences. These include a wide range of thrilling and exciting activities such as bungee jumping and river rafting - to the value of R1 000 each. To enter, participants can submit creative #Standout photo entries online via the Nissan South Africa Facebook page – from funky painted nails and quirky selfies to outrageous hairstyles and daring poses to ‘earn their stripes’. Full of fun and and larger-than-life displays around key high-traffic areas in Johannesburg will also increase awareness of Juke GT at 24Central in Sandton and, until the end of April, at Melrose Arch and in Braamfontein. Already making waves in the lives of the hip and trendy, SA hip-hop artist Maggz, has earned his stripes and stands out – the Nissan Juke GT features in his new music video for No Tweets Allowed. “Our company ethos – ‘Innovation that Excites’ – is perhaps best suited to the Nissan Juke, a daring vehicle which defies convention and creates a captivating motoring experience in every way. In GT form Juke was ‘turned up to eleven’ and, with such limited availability, we expect heightened interest especially from those individuals who want their vehicles to reflect their outgoing personalities,” concludes Reddy. The new, limited edition Nissan Juke GT retails for R298 200 including VAT and features the same 3-year/100 000 km warranty and 3year/90 000 km service plan as existing Juke models.
SOLD AUTO BOLAND The Nissan Juke GT is based on the 140 kW/ 240 Nm JUKE 1.6 DIGT Tekna with leather and features a number of spe cial personalisa tion upgrades to set it apart. PHOTO: QUICKPIC