In this week's motoring news you need to know: Renault rebrands its revered RS division to match the name of its F1 team, EVs don't sound exciting to drive, so BMW is "going cinematic", Toyota may flex its muscles (uncharacteristically) with the next-gen GR Hilux and Mzansi's latest BEV faces an uphill battle…
RenaultSport – the rebadging
So RenaultSport (RS) will soon be renamed Alpine, just as the French firm's F1 team was rebranded to match La Regié's sportscar brand at the end of last year. It’s going to be a sad day when the final RS badge is affixed to a fast Renault, but, as we’ve come to learn, a wave of change is sweeping through the motor industry. I understand that traditionalists will feel quite nostalgic because RS badges have featured on some of the best hot hatches the world has seen: Clio RS, Megane RS and let’s not forget that Renault 5 Turbo of Group B world-rally fame. Roll those Group B clips! Here's an example.
ICYMI: RenaultSport becomes Alpine
A legacy has been left, but times are changing and if the mid-engined Alpine 110 sportscar is anything to go by, I’m okay with this development. However, what does the Alpine brand mean for South Africans? Not much – many of my countrymen don't even know about Renault's storied sub-brand. We live in a country in which Porsche thrives, so why isn’t (the) Alpine here? The business case is proven, but unfortunately, French cars just don’t have a good reputation in Mzansi (unlike French food & wine). From a local point of view, this badge change is no more than a vanity project, for now.
BMW EV sound score – Hans Zimmer
Desperate times call for desperate measures and BMW was certainly thinking outside of the proverbial box when it looked to Hollywood for help. In fact, the Munich-based brand has enlisted the services of famous film-score composer Hans Zimmer to enhance the aural experience of the marque's battery-electric vehicles (Nice side hustle there, Hans).
ICYMI: Zimmer sound for new BMWs
One can’t blame BMW – internal combustion engine soundtracks have been integral to the driving experiences delivered by the Bavarian marque's most beloved models. A rich engine note (such as the howling V10 of the E60 M5 and the raspy straight-6 of the E46 M3) creates a visceral connection between man and machine and literally stirs the emotions of a driver. Indeed, a sonorous exhaust note is a happy pill and its absence from battery-electric vehicles poses a challenge for manufacturers that have, for decades, used evocative engine sounds as selling propositions. Ecological agenda aside, the EV game clearly needs to be sexier. I can’t help but think future tuners, who previously did exhaust modifications, will now find employment providing alternative remixes of these sounds. Crazy times, friends.
GR Hilux – Bringing a gun to a gunfight
"Hold my beer." That meme-inspiring statement is usually followed by some move that results in a regrettable action (in hindsight), but this time, not for the bakkie powerhouse that is Toyota. I certainly can’t blame TMC for riding the GR (Gazoo Racing) wave of modern performance variants until it reaches the point of saturation. For Toyota, GR is becoming what M is for BMW… A GR Hilux is a masterstroke in a market that is frankly (and I don't use this word lightly) obsessed with bakkies. Local Hilux fans can start licking their chops; when the next-gen GR Hilux arrives it will have more ponies than ever before.
ICYMI: Toyota GR Hilux Coming With Big V6 Power
Despite my belief that bakkies shouldn’t have this much power (a rumoured 230 kW and 687 Nm from a 3.3-litre V6 turbodiesel), I can’t help but help get excited about the prospect of a 3-way battle between the top-dog Amarok, Hilux and Ford bakkies; if you haven't been paying attention, the next iteration of the Ranger Raptor is reportedly destined to get a 3.0-litre V6 turbopetrol motor.
This "arms race" between the bakkie superpowers is going to culminate in the tense Mexican standoff scene that you’ve all been waiting for (Get Hans to write the score for this too, while he’s at it). Who knows, perhaps a stadium-truck-inspired racing series could come to fruition in the foreseeable future? Wishful thinking, but if Donald Trump could become President of the USA, anything’s possible.
Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge, more like overcharge
Today, the sad reality is that the South African new-vehicle market is still a long way from a point at which it can sell EVs at attainable prices (or at least at reasonable premiums over ICE models). The rising cost of living – and every economic announcement that hurts us in our wallets – effectively push the arrival of Mzansi's "EV age" further into the distance. It’s regrettable, but EV ownership remains largely aspirational and exclusively available to those with deep pockets. Volvo has now fallen foul of this and will sadly miss the opportunity to tap into a wider market with the XC40 P8 Recharge.
ICYMI: Volvo XC40 Recharge (2021) Price in SA
EVs are heavily taxed in the Republic; there's little Volvo SA can do about that. Nonetheless, R1.2 million for an electric crossover is a steep price to pay for guilt-free commuting (cough). Until the stars align and the government can incentivise the uptake of EVs by offering some rebates on the myriad taxes and duties it levies on these vehicles, we’re not going to see too many P8 Recharges around.
We’re not asking for cheap EVs, I'd just like to live to see the day when I can have my thought process go from “I definitely can’t afford this” to “I maybe can afford this (if I donate a kidney to science)”.
