The 50 Best Cars Coming To S.A. In 2014: Part 5

By SACarFan on 10 January, 2014 in Industry News, New Models, Off Beat

Brace yourself for the top 10 in our 50 Best Cars countdown for 2014. The majority of cars in our finale already have our throttle foot tapping, but not all of them are about sheer speed, there are some heavy-hitters for our local manufacturing industry. Here they are in reverse order…

10. Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class: Second Quarter

Mercedes-Benz had a bumper year in 2013 as far as new car launches goes, and while 2014 will be quieter, the GLA-Class Crossover is a massively important car in their growing product portfolio. The compact crossover is based on the architecture of the A-Class hatchback and simply adds beefier proportions all-round. The resultant GLA is larger, measuring 4.3 m long and 1.6 m tall. A range of petrol and diesel engines mirroring those of the A-Class are to be expected.

9. Maserati Ghibli: First Quarter

Reviving a favourite Mazza nameplate, the Ghibli is a four-door sedan with a sportier character than the larger Quattroporte above it. In terms of propulsion, the Ghibli gets either a Ferrari-built turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine with an eight-speed auto or a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel. Maserati say it’s a distinctive, elegant and luxurious rival to the usual German dross you usually find in this segment. We couldn’t concur more.

8. Porsche Macan: Second Quarter

If the success of the Cayenne is anything to go by, the Macan SUV could be the brand’s most prolific car ever. The Macan is 70mm longer, 44 mm wider and 29 mm lower than the Audi Q5 upon which it’s based but, under the bonnet, you’ll find an entry-level diesel, a V6 turbo petrol engine in the Macan S and a more powerful 3.6-litre V6 turbo petrol engine with 294 kW and 550 Nm of torque in the Macan Turbo. It sounds SUV yummy. Prices are predicted to start from R600k for the cheapest diesel up to R1-million plus for the Turbo.

7. Audi RS7 Sportback: First Quarter

You’ve no doubt seen the ‘South Africa: Land of Quattro’ advertising campaign on TV, and the star of that show is the Audi RS7 Sportback, sporting the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 originally from the Bentley Continental GT V8, but now with even more power. The RS7 is a cult classic Audi if ever we saw one, and a car that’s as fast as hell.

6. BMW i8: Fourth Quarter

Carbon-fibre and aluminium body work give the i8 a weight of 1 490 kg and the drivetrain combines an electric motor with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine for a total output of 269 kW and 570 Nm of torque. And yet, despite the impressive power and torque figures the claimed fuel economy and CO2 emissions is 2.5 L/100 km and less than 59 g/km respectively. That’s impressive eco-worthiness for a car that should cost about the same as an M6 when it arrives later this year.

5. Toyota Corolla: First Quarter

No, it’s not a supercar but it is the 11th generation Corolla, a car with cumulative worldwide sales exceeding 39.7-million since 1966. The new Corolla’s looks are shared with the recently launched Auris, Verso and Rav4; and it has an exterior design sporting clean proportions. It’s longer, wider, and lower (10 mm) than before and it tips the scales at just 1 315 kg. Expect a range of 1.3-litre, 1.8-litre petrol engines and a new 1.4-litre diesel, with two available transmissions, a six-speed manual and a CVT.

4. Volkswagen Golf R: First Quarter

The 2014 Volkswagen Golf R‘s performance capabilities will grow substantially from its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, mated to a lighter fifth-generation Haldex all-wheel-drive system. The R models power output will rival the impressive Audi S3 with between 205 kW and 221 kW. The performance figures should be just as impressive too and redress the balance for those who say the Golf 7 GTI has gone too soft.

3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Second Quarter

Having debuted internationally at the North American International Auto Show, the 2014 Mercedes C-Class looks like the handsome offspring of the Merc E-, S-, and CLA-Class around the rear. The latest C-Class will ride on a wheelbase that is 8 cm longer than its predecessor but despite this, the model will weigh 100 kg less thanks to aluminium body panels. Three different engines at launch should include a 1.6-litre with 115 kW, a 2.0-litre with 136 kW and a 2.2-litre CDI with 125 kW. It will be built in East London as well, making it proudly South African in many respects.

2. Nissan GT-R Nismo / 2014 Nissan GT-R: Second Quarter

The annual GT-R tech update will arrive in the first half of 2014, just as it has done every year since the Japanese supercar’s inception; however, what is extra tantalising this time is the arrival of the Nurburgring-blitzing GT-R Nismo addition. Nissan won’t be drawn on how many are coming to South Africa or how many are already accounted for, but we wouldn’t be surprised if GT-R punters were left cueing up for this one.

The Nissan GT-R Nismo lapped the Nurburgring in 7:08.69, and this is due in part to a power jump from 404 kW to 441 kW and torque increase from 628 to 650 Nm. These figures are thanks to larger high-flow turbochargers which optimise ignition timing. The GT-R Nismo gets new springs and Bilstein DampTronic dampers with a rear anti-roll bar, tweaked links on the front wishbone suspension and increased castor.

1. Porsche 911 (991) GT3: First Quarter

The fifth-generation Porsche 911 (991) GT3 has evolutionary styling to hide its revolutionary mechanicals. The power plant is a heavily tuned version of the standard Carrera S’ direct fuel injection 3.8-litre flat six engine. The engine weighs around 25 kg less than the previous unit with a power output of 93kW/litre of displacement. Power is up by 56 kW to an impressive 355 kW and the engine revs up to 9 000 r/min. 440 Nm of normally aspirated torque is available at 8 250 r/min.

The only transmission choice on the new 911 GT3 is a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox. Porsche do claim, however, that the PDK has been tuned specifically for the GT3, with gear changes executed in less than 100-milliseconds. The super-fast transmission combined with the new power makes the new GT3 capable of remarkable performance figures: 0 – 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, 0 – 200 km/h takes 12 seconds and the top speed is 315 km/h. In our opinion it’s the most highly anticipated car of 2014.