A part from trawling through the comments sections below classic eighties songs on YouTube, there are few more tragically nostalgic moments than scouring decade-old automotive publications for period-specific prices.
At launch in 2014, the box-fresh F80 BMW M3 barely scraped in over R1 million. Today the current-gen G80 equivalent costs double that. This means that for all but those holding C-suite job titles, the German super-saloon has become wholly dearer and entirely out of reach for the average South African consumer.
The automotive world, however, has since also become a far more evolved - if complicated place. Acolytes of speed have been blessed with continually upward-creeping kilowatt counts, while on the other hand, they'd be less pleased with the recent trend towards all-wheel drive in performance cars not sporting a quattro badge. Furthermore, the prevalence of electrification within internal combustion power trains, aimed at improved efficiencies (with, admittedly, added performance, too) has divided opinion.
And so the second-in-command BMW M340i xDrive and Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic, beneficiaries of these advances, are called to their roles as next fastest in their respective ranges, akin to Bayern Munich versus Borussia Dortmund in terms of intensity - Germany's greatest automotive rivalry is about to re-erupt.
Too much of a good thing?
MERCEDES-AMG C43 4MATIC
Price: R1 538 591
0–100 km/h: 4,64 seconds
Top speed: 250 km/h
Power: 300 kW
Torque: 500 N.m
CAR fuel index: 10,68 L/100 km
CO2: 206 g/km
この記事は CAR South Africa の CAR August 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は CAR South Africa の CAR August 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Toyota Fortuner
Considered by many as the quintessential adventure SUV, the Fortuner is about as strong a used buying proposition as you can get in this segment. We take you through the things to look out for and list two rivals for comparison.
MIND THE HURDLE
With a repaired car and a point to prove, Alex Shahini returned for Round 3 of the Toyota GR Cup at Zwartkops Raceway to achieve a career-best finish
KING OF KILLARNEY
For four decades, Denis Joubert was directly involved with the creation, development and ongoing success of Cape Town's international motorsport venue, Killarney. Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, we talk to the man whose contribution to South Africa's motor-racing heritage is priceless....
Selecting the 4WD SYSTEM for your needs
As 4WD SUVS and double cabs grow in popularity, more first-time buyers face the challenge of selecting a vehicle with a drivetrain that best meets their requirements. We explain the key differences between the all-wheel drivetrains available
Kia Picanto 1.0 LX MT
Kia's ever-popular budget hatch has recently received a range of exterior and interior updates - we test the entry-level variant to see if it remains a force to be reckoned with in this highly competitive segment
Super C
The fastest and most technologically advanced flagship C-Class to date, AMG's C63 S has evolved into an electrified uber-sedan. Has this mighty model forsaken some character in pursuing this status? We strapped our test equipment to the new shooting star.
Bentley's Brutes
A break in proceedings during an exclusive preview of the fourth-generation Bentley Continental GT afforded us an opportunity to sample the stately yet hair-raising Bentayga S
RUNNING UP THAT HILL
Now in its 14th year, the Simola Hillclimb continues to combine adrenaline-fuelled competition with showcasing some of the most appealing classics out there in a heady mix that keeps local petrolheads coming...
BAND OF BROTHERS
Complete with rugged bakkie-based underpinnings that encourage off-the-beaten-track venturing, largely proven powertrains that afford maximum range and towing capability, and brand names with enviable respective reputations for reliability, adventure SUVs remain the favourite of thousands of South Africans.
TWELVE OF THE BEST
Ferrari keeps things suitably old-school with its V12-engined 12Cilindri GT
