Can you believe that it’s half way through 2012 already? At SA Car Fan we definitely can. We’ve been keeping ourselves pretty busy out on South Africa’s roads, burning a whole lot of fuel and warming up a whole lot of rubber to bring you stories that matter. What’s more, we’ve been keeping track of every one of those kilometres and have the details for you, together with some of the cars that have left an impression on us in 2012 thus far.
Since the beginning of 2012, we’ve had 137 cars pass through our eager hands. We’ve also covered 43 575 km, (that’s more than once around the earth’s approximately 40 075 km long equator), and in so doing we’ve used 4 991-litres of fuel at a cost of roughly R54 901, give or take a fuel price hike here and there. We’re pretty confident this gives us great insight into what’s going on in the car industry. The following list outlines our stand-out cars of 2012:
- Most exotic…
The McLaren MP4-12C, for its ruthless efficiency and blistering performance. Until Ferrari lets us have a go in the 458 Italia, this choice probably won’t change. - Most ballistic… that’s a technical term – Ed.
Must go to the 2012 Nissan GT-R – on paper anyway. It’s even quicker than the McLaren from rest to 100 km/h (2.9 seconds claimed) and, having driven it on some of Gauteng’s backroads, it feels like it too. Read our driving impressions here… - Thirstiest…
True to form, it’s the Nissan GT-R again. It likes to consume fuel at an all mighty rate – roughly 22.5 L/100km when we ‘put foot’. Of course, the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 found in the Jaguar Land Rover portfolio does a good job of quaffing fuel too, but the GT-R just does it faster. – Ed. - Most expensive…
Without question, this goes to the R4.5 million Rolls Royce Ghost. Go big, or go home – order one wrapped in gold, we dare you. Read our driving impressions here… - Most economical…
Volkswagen Tiguan Blue Motion 2.0 TDI that consumed just 5.9 L/100km over a full test cycle. Not bad considering it has a GVM of 2 080 kg. - Most entertaining…
This title goes to the limited edition Renault Megane RS 265 Trophy, but of course we’d say that, because we placed first among the media at the 2012 Renault Simola Hillclimb in a bright yellow example. - Best newcomer…
The new BMW (F30) 3-Series. Take your pick from the 328i, 320d and the 335i, they’re all sublime. Read our 328i road test here… - Most forgettable…
What was it again? No, really, I can’t quite… Oh yes, it’s the Opel Astra GTC. The ‘sporty’ three-door Astra that’s less powerful than its predecessor and the smaller Corsa OPC. We eagerly await the arrival of the Astra GTC OPC towards the end of 2012, which should catapult the Astra from this spot on our list. – Ed. See our Astra GTC impressions and our Corsa OPC road test.
