The highly appealing and emotionally charged Cabriolet is the latest addition
to the successful Mercedes-Benz E-Class line-up. The open-top two-door model, deliveries of which start from 27 March, features a classic fabric soft top, making for a stylistically pure cabriolet feeling. Viewed from the side, the new model is an intriguing proposition – with its clear proportions and a flawless cabriolet silhouette.

In keeping with the motto “four seasons, four passengers”, all-year-round suitability was right at the top of the developers’ list of priorities. With the new E-Class Cabriolet, the cabriolet season lasts the whole year because, while many cabriolets tend to disappear from the roads of Western Europe in the autumn, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet (length/breadth/height: 4698/1786/1402 mm) provides driving pleasure and comfort whether the roof is open or closed.

New features include:

AIRCAP® automatic draught-stop: always on board and easily controllable at the push of a button, it reduces turbulence substantially for all four seat occupants

Modified AIRSCARF® neck-level heating system

Acoustic soft top fitted as standard

The soft top can be opened and closed fully automatically within 20 seconds – even when driving at speeds of up to 40 km/h. The cabriolet roof is stowed in a special compartment behind the rear panel. A retractable cover separates the soft top compartment from the boot area; this cover must be closed in order to close the soft top. If the roof is to remain closed, the cover can be slid rearwards, in which case the boot capacity is increased by 90 litres to 390 litres. A through-loading feature is included as standard for the new Cabriolet, as is EASY-ENTRY – a manually operated entry and exit aid for the rear passengers.

Source: Mercedes Benz

Maranello, 4 March – Just a couple of days before her official debut – on the Homestead circuit (Miami) on 13 and 14 March – the 599XX is already the international media’s darling. This extreme non-homologated supercar, planned for exclusive use on the track, is a proper high-tech lab car Ferrari fitted with a series of extremely innovative solutions. Journalists from all over the world agree that the 599XX is the true implementation of the Ferrari philosophy of technology transfer from F1 to cars with wheel cases, with the highest expression of sportiness on the race track. Thanks to the 599XX’s sophisticated content, the Quattroruote specialist magazine writes, it is a car “made and thought to reach just one objective: going faster.”

The German Sport Auto points out that it allows “even non-professional drivers to exploit the car’s potential for the pleasure of one’s senses,” underlining the capacity of the technicians from Maranello to build a car with extreme potential, guaranteeing extraordinary driving emotions and driving pleasure at the same time, while Autocar, the British weekly with its numerous international editions, writes in its typical British style, that the 599XX and the experience one makes with it, are absolutely priceless.

Source: Ferrari

INGOLSTADT, Germany, Mar 4, 2010 – Fascination taken to a new level of intensity: The Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro combines breathtaking performance with the experience of open- top driving. The 386 kW (525 hp) V10 engine accelerates the high- performance sports car with the lightweight cloth top to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h (194.49 mph). The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro features a fascinating package of technologies, including the Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum and carbon fiber composite, quattro permanent all-wheel drive, LED headlights and the innovative seatbelt microphone.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro captivates from the very first glance. Its lines offer a unique interpretation of the dynamics and emotion of a high-performance sports car. Two distinctive silver cowls, into which the large air intake openings are integrated, give the long back a powerful profile. Unlike the Coupé, the R8 Spyder has classic air intakes behind the doors. The rear side panels and the large cover over the storage compartment for the cloth top are made of a carbon fiber composite.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro sports a cloth soft top in classic Audi style. The soft top’s approximate weight is a mere 42 kilograms (92.59 lb); it thus keeps the vehicle’s total weight and center of gravity low. When closed it melds harmoniously into the design line – it ends in two slim fins that extend toward the rear and have a contour similar to that of the Coupé hard top.

The top is suitable without restriction for high-speed driving and is quiet. With the standard electrohydraulic motor, the top opens and closes within 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h (31.07 mph). The heated glass window is integrated separately into the bulkhead and can be raised and lowered via a switch with the soft top up or down. Audi also provides a wind deflector that can be installed in just two steps.

The bulkhead includes integrated rollover protection in the form of two pretensioned plates. The aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) body of the R8 Spyder is reinforced at important locations, yet it tips the scales at a mere 216 kilograms (476.20 lb) – just six kilograms (13.23 lb) more than the Coupé. Equipped with a manual transmission, the high-performance sports car weighs only 1,720 kilograms (3,791.95 lb).

The new top-of-the-range Audi offers incredible performance. The free-breathing V10 with the aluminum crankcase features direct gasoline injection. The 12.5:1 compression ratio that the FSI concept enables contributes to the high performance and good efficiency. Dry sump lubrication, another motorsport technology, ensures the reliable supply of oil even at the maximum lateral and longitudinal acceleration.

The 5.2-liter engine produces 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm and 368 kW (525 hp) at 8,000 rpm. Its specific power output is 100.9 hp per liter of displacement; each hp only needs to move 3.3 kilograms (7.28 lb) of weight. The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h (194.49 mph). The engine offers amazing thrust and hangs tenaciously on the throttle in every situation accompanied by that unmistakable ten-cylinder Audi sound.

Source: Audi

Rüsselsheim. The new Corsa range has been rejuvenated to provide more power and more driving fun with less fuel consumption. Opel engineers have given the Corsa a complete make-over, introducing an enhanced powertrain line-up that reduces fuel consumption by up to 13 percent, significant chassis improvements and a new steering calibration. In addition to its agile handling and greater ride comfort, drivers will appreciate engines that give more pulling power.

The Corsa comes in two distinct body styles, the coupé-like three-door and the family friendly five-door. Inside the cabin, the Corsa continues to offer one of the roomiest and most attractive interiors in its class. True to Opel’s philosophy, it also features innovative technologies at an affordable price, including halogen Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL), a heated steering wheel, active front head restraints, Hill Start Assist, a Panorama sunroof or the integrated FlexFix bicycle carrier which is unique to Opel.

More power with improved fuel economy

The powertrain line-up consists of a wide offer of gasoline engine from the 1-liter 3 cylinder (48 kW/65 hp ) entry level version to the turbo charged 1.6-liter on the Corsa OPC (141 kW/192 hp). On the diesel side, different versions of the 1.3 and 1.7 CDTI motors offer outputs ranging from 55 kW/75 hp to 96 kW/130 hp all with fuel consumption under 5 liters per 100 kilometers. The Corsa ecoFLEX 1.3 l CDTI offers exceptionally low CO2 emissions of just 98 g/km for the 3-door variant, 99 g/km for the 5-door.

Opel engineers have developed the engines to give greater torque, while at the same time reducing their appetite for fuel and lowering CO2 emissions. All gasoline engines, and the new 1.7 CDTI diesel, comply with Euro 5 emissions standards.

Upgraded chassis and steering

Opel chassis engineers have upgraded all major suspension components and the steering system. The result is improved ride comfort, more precise steering feel and greater directional stability – without compromising Corsa’s acclaimed agility.

Dampers, springs, anti-roll bars, the rear axle, the electric steering gear and its calibration software all have been optimized. All the changes apply to Essentia, Enjoy and Cosmo variants, while versions equipped with the Sport chassis, GSi and ecoFLEX models benefit from additional improvements to the rear axle and steering. The Corsa OPC took over the changes applied to the steering gear.

Source: Opel

Cars.co.za currently has a thriving private car market, with many genuine private car sellers and buyers able to conduct their trade through the site. Unfortunately scam and fraudulent private car sellers are a reality of our times and it is important that potential buyers protect themselves and are vigilant when attempting to purchase a privately sold car.

What Cars.co.za is doing to protect you, the user.

We do have a system in place at Cars.co.za where any private car sellers that attempt to advertise their cars on our site must first go through a screening process, unfortunately some of these scam cars still slip through and make it into onto the database. We are also constantly monitoring our stock and looking for suspicious cars and removing them.

What can you do to notify Cars.co.za of a potential scam car?

If you come across a privately owned car on Cars.co.za that you believe to be from a scam seller, you can notify us in 2 different ways. Firstly you complete a ‘Contact submission’ message under the ‘Contact us’ section. Simply note the car that you believe is a scam car in your message and note the email address that the scam seller is using. Secondly you can contact us via phone on 011 614 5612 and mention the specifics of the car and the details of the seller and we will investigate further.

Things to look out for to identify a scam car

• Be suspicious of cars that seem too good to be true
• Be suspicious if too many features are listed (or all features are listed), i.e. sunroof, ABS etc
• Be suspicious of any car that is substantially cheaper than other cars in the same range.
• Make sure that the telephone contact number provided is genuine; many scam sellers provide a number which does not exist and insist on communicating via email.

Precautions to take to ensure you do not get scammed

Many scam sellers note that their vehicle is in some other part of the country and the vehicle will be shipped once the buyer has paid the deposit. Never deposit any money to anyone before first seeing the car and ensuring that everything about the deal is genuine. Scam sellers rely on buyers depositing money to them under a false pretense that the car will be shipped to them etc.

Another common avenue for scam sellers to try and earn the buyers trust is by mentioning that they are selling the car through E-Bay and providing pictures and awards noting how they are a trusted E-Bay seller. This is a sure sign of a scam and should be avoided at all cost.

Make sure you see the car you are potentially going to buy in person, if the buyer refuses to let you see the car, then there is already too much suspicion and the car should be avoided. Use common sense when looking to buy a private car and be sure to protect yourself against fraud or being scammed.

Conclusion

At Cars.co.za we are constantly working to ensure that the privately sold cars on our website are legit cars and that the buyers are viewing vehicles that exist. We aim to root out all scam cars and car sellers on our website so that your experience using the website is quality, user friendly and safe. If you have any questions or have seen what you believe to be scam cars on our website, please contact us via our “Contact us” from the Cars.co.za homepage.

Ferrari at Geneva: a stand dedicated to innovation and the environment

Unveiled the Ferrari California with Stop & Start and the HY-KERS Hybrid vettura laboratorio

Geneva, 2 March – After the huge success enjoyed by the 458 Italia, a car that combines performance and sportiness with maximum efficiency to the extent that it boasts class-leading emissions and specific power output – 307 g/km of CO2 and 127hp/litre respectively – Ferrari is showcasing two major additions to its green credentials at the Geneva Motor Show. The first of these is the Stop & Start system sported by the Ferrari California, an industry first on a high-performance sports car, while the second is the HY-KERS, a “vettura laboratorio” (experimental vehicle) which reveals to the public for the first time the hybrid solutions being developed by Maranello’s engineers.

Introduced with effect from March for the Ferrari California, the Stop & Start System cuts both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 6 per cent in the ECE + EUDC combined cycle, emitting around just 280 g/km, an excellent value for a high performance naturally-aspirated sports car. The Stop & Start cuts in virtually instantaneously – just 230 milliseconds, a time so fast that the driver barely notices the engine restarting.

This solution is a further step in Ferrari’s on-going strategy to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by working 360 degrees on all aspects of the cars. For example the Ferrari California’s direct-injection V8 boasts very low levels of friction. Purge valves in the crankcase counteract the differences in pressure below the pistons which normally increase losses. Other solutions also reduce friction, such as the DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) treatment of the valve followers and the highly polished cam lobes, an innovation that has now been adopted across the range.

Source: Ferrari

Stuttgart. Presenting a high-performance mid-engined concept sports car with ultra-efficient, low-emission drive technology, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is further increasing the Company’s competence in hybrid technology.

The 918 Spyder prototype combines high-tech racing features and electro-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities: An emission level of just 70 grams CO2 per kilometre on fuel consumption of three litres/100 kilometres (equal to 94 mpg imp) truly outstanding even for an ultra-compact city car, on the one hand, combined with the performance of a super sports car and acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) plus, and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7:30 minutes, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT, on the other.


This open two-seater is powered by a high-speed V8 developing more than 500 bhp and running at maximum speed engine of 9,200 rpm as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 bhp (160 kW).

The V8 combustion engine is a further development of the highly successful 3.4-litre power unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and positioned midship in front of the rear axle, giving the car the right set-up for supreme performance on the race track through its good balance.


Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungs-getriebe also feeding the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a firm transmission ratio.

The energy reservoir is a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The big advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that the battery can be charged on the regular electrical network. A further point is that the car’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy fed into the battery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for fast and dynamic acceleration.


A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four different running modes: The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 25 km or 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful.

The 918 Spyder also comes with further innovative functions such as the Range Manager. After being activated in the Center Display, the Range Manager uses the map in the navigation system to present the remaining range the car is able to cover, naturally allowing the driver to influence that range through the appropriate choice of power and performance. In cities with environmental alert areas the Range Manager also states whether the driver is able to reach a certain destination on electric power alone.


Applying this information and using further info on the availability and location of special energy filling stations, the driver is then able to choose his personal style of driving as well as the right battery charge and filling strategy.


Offering a unique combination of extremely low fuel consumption, supreme performance and long electric range, the Porsche 918 Spyder represents an essential milestone in Porsche’s strategy on the way to genuine electro-mobility.

Source: Porsche