Top Gear South Africa - October 2019

In this issue

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

Arch Nemesis

Audi’s RS6 super-wagon has returned and it’s pumped to see you.

2 mins

Rover's Return

Carrying the Defender into the modern century is intimidating but those put off by Discovery’s looks can now stay within the brand.

7 mins

Man On The Moon

How TG faked our Moon landing – not with Stanley Kubrick, but with a trip to Cancún.

6 mins

I Feel The Need...

Luckily we’re in the right place to reach brain-melting numbers – Bugatti’s Ehra-Lessien facility.

9 mins

The Need For Speed

Breaking the 480kph barrier has become an obsession for the hypercar manufacturers. Here’s the story of how Bugatti got there first

5 mins

Voltswagen The People's EV?

Ten years down the line, will the answer to every car-buying question be “Just get an ID.3”?

5 mins

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Top Gear South Africa Magazine Description:

Top Gear South Africa: Top Gear Magazine is by petrolheads, for petrolheads. Read our in-depth reviews on the latest cars, tests on some of the best vehicles ever made, in-depth columns and discussions, and learn more about the history behind your favorite car brands.