Latest news with #BMWSA
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Petrolhead heaven as rare BMW quartet goes under hammer
BMW M2 CS, M4 CS and M4 GTS up for grabs at Creative Rides auction in Bryanston. The excitement is building. Alongside a limited-edition VW Citi Golf, V8 Ford Capri and Ford Fairmont GT, there will be 37 other very collectable cars up for grabs on Saturday at Creative Rides Winter Auction. Among these will be four of BMWs most iconic modern M cars. Headlining the show will be a 2025 M4 CS with just 574km on the clock. This 405kW/650Nm machine is essentially brand new and one of only 25 M4 CS cars brought into South Africa. Another extremely collectable high-performance BMW on offer is a 2021 M2 CS. This car is one of the only 20 that were auctioned off by BMW SA in 2021. What makes this M2 CS even more unique is that the 331kW of power and 550Nm of torque is driven down to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual box. ALSO READ: Very rare VW Citi Golf set to fetch big bucks at local auction BMW M4 GTS Also, up for grabs is a race spec, off the showroom floor, is a 2017 BMW M4 GTS. It was built as a road car for the track. Offering water meth injection, this car produces 368kW and 60 Nm and is decked out with a large rear wing, carbon fibre bucket seats, lightweight doors with pull tabs, and titanium rear box on the performance exhaust system. Rounding off the quartet is a 2000 BMW Z3 M Coupe. Featuring the 3.2-litre straight-six naturally aspirated engine from the E36 M3 4-Door, this car produced 236kW and 350Nm of howling torque. Creative Rides CEO Kevin Derrick says he is proud of his team in assembling such a diverse collection of vehicles that represents almost every genre of the current-classic-collector car movement. ALSO READ: BMW M4 CS returns as M4 CSL 'light' approved for South Africa Auction live on YouTube 'Saturday's auction celebrates all that is best in the petrol-head community. We are fortunate to be in a position to spread the joy around,' says Derrick. The Creative Rides Winter Auction takes place at the Creative Rides' showroom in Main Road Bryanston at 11am. The auction is also streamed on YouTube for collectors from all over the world to join in the fun.
eNCA
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- eNCA
SA's automotive sector changing fast with cheaper Chinese brands entering market
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's automotive sector is changing fast with cheaper Chinese brands entering the market. Traditional brands are struggling, and many are starting to close down. BMW has had its own challenges. eNCA Money Desk anchor, Rofhiwa Madzena, spoke with BMW SA CEO Peter van Binsbergen about the current trends and the auto manufacturer's plan of action to deal with the changes.
eNCA
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- eNCA
Tariffs threaten export sector
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's automotive sector is changing fast with cheaper Chinese brands entering the market. Traditional brands are struggling, and many are starting to close down. BMW has had its own challenges. eNCA Money Desk anchor, Rofhiwa Madzena, spoke with BMW SA CEO Peter van Binsbergen about the current trends and the auto manufacturer's plan of action to deal with the changes. "Tariffs are bad for our auto industry because the South African auto industry is export-driven, and ideally we need tariff-free access to the markets we support," he said.
The Citizen
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
BMW SA ‘not exposed' to current US tariff uncertainty
But group says bilateral trade agreements with the UK, Europe and US are essential to the future of vehicle production in SA. BMW South Africa boss Peter van Binsbergen says that the current uncertainty around US tariffs being imposed on vehicle imports from South Africa and the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) will not impact the group in the short term. 'Currently – this year and in next year's plan – there are no exports to the US in our production plan, which is fully maxed out on demand,' he said on Thursday. 'The US is a customer market for the [BMW] Rosslyn factory. In the last three years of the previous X3 we exported a lot to the US, and we had about 10 to 15% of our volume going to the US,' he explained, but said the group is not currently exporting to this market. 'Right now, we are actually not at all exposed to the current tariff uncertainty,' Van Binsbergen said. But he noted that the US has always been an important customer of BMW SA. 'Long term, South Africa, our industry, and [we] definitely want the US as a customer,' he stressed. ALSO READ: How will the 25% US import tariff affect SA's auto industry? 'Agoa must remain' 'A big market like the US needs to be a customer of the South African auto industry. We always want to count on the US as a market, which is why we believe Agoa benefits must remain,' he said. Van Binsbergen added that to secure the future of vehicle production in SA, it is absolutely essential for the automotive industry that there are bilateral trade agreements between SA and the United Kingdom, Europe and the US. He also stressed that the government' automotive industry programmes, such as the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP), Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) and APDP 2, and the policy stability these programmes provided, are why vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are in SA and have the size of production facilities they have in the country. Van Binsbergen said a stable automotive policy environment and bilateral trade agreements between SA and the industry's markets meant OEMs could invest with confidence for the long term. He noted that 74% of the automotive industry's exports go to Europe because of the bilateral trade agreement between South Africa and Europe, adding the agreement needs to be updated to take into account the new energy vehicles (NEVs) exported from SA into Europe, which wants to go fully electric. ALSO READ: Act now to absorb impact of Trump tariffs on SA vehicle manufacturing sector – BLSA 'A bit of frustration' Van Binsbergen said 96% of BMW South Africa's production is exported and confirmed 'there is a bit of frustration' with the South African government's failure to announce NEV incentives to stimulate consumer demand for these vehicles in the South African market. He said President Cyril Ramaphosa made a very clear statement at SA Auto Week last year that the focus would be on all NEVs and that there would be a customer-based incentive. This is a reference to Ramaphosa's announcement in October 2024 that consideration must be given to incentives for manufacturers as well as tax rebates or subsidies for consumers to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). However, the president did not provide a timetable for implementing these incentives or indicate how they would be funded. Van Binsbergen said these incentives 'still haven't come' and the market for NEVs is only moving organically, with only customers who really want an EV buying them. 'Those who say they are still too expensive are not buying. There's no question we definitely need help with the EV market with some incentives. Then of course the after sales industry grows, the charging infrastructure grows and you start creating a whole ecosystem, which means more jobs, so we need it,' he said. He added that to get the entire NEV value chain running properly in South Africa 'is a lot about the chicken and the egg'. ALSO READ: Automotive Business Council concerned about Trump's tariffs Charging infrastructure He said the charging infrastructure will only grow if the NEV car parc grows – and that will only grow if there is local demand. 'Anywhere in the world, you see the minute the government incentives kick in, customers start buying the vehicles because it becomes more affordable and it becomes comparable to an ICE [internal combustion engine vehicle],' he said. Mikel Mabasa, CEO of automotive business council Naamsa, said earlier this year that South African-based vehicle manufacturers are planning to accelerate the multi-million-rand project to install more than 100 additional NEV charging stations on major routes countrywide in 2025. Naamsa confirmed in August 2023 the adjudication process for the tender worth 'hundreds of millions of rand' for the installation of the additional charging stations had been finalised and a recommendation on the preferred bidder had been made 'to our principals' but the project stalled after that. Van Binsbergen said this project 'is still on the agenda' but the right partner needs to be found. 'I'm still pushing the buttons because charging infrastructure should be brand agnostic. Each brand should not be building their own charging infrastructure. It should be available to all customers from all brands, and it should fit the market's requirements and not one brand's requirements otherwise you end up with too many charging stations in one place and none in the other. 'So, you have to do it together and no question Naamsa is the right place to do that,' he said. Van Binsbergen confirmed there is a problem with the payment system because it is not simple, and it should be just a credit card. He said everyone currently needs their own charging card depending on which brand they are with, which needs to be resolved and was the task for Naamsa. 'Make it a single network of chargers where you can pay with one card wherever you go and all customers can fill up there,' he said. This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
New SA-bound BMW M2 CS continues the tradition with more power, less weight, RWD
The new BMW M2 CS will arrive in South Africa in early 2026. Image: Supplied With more power, less weight, rear wheel drive and a limited production run, the new BMW M2 CS proudly, and loudly, continues the 'Competition Sport' tradition that dates back to the late 1960s. The limited edition Coupe will be available in South Africa from the second quarter of 2026, BMW SA has confirmed, with pricing to be released nearer to the time. But expect to pay a substantial premium over the regular M2's sticker, which falls just north of the R1.5 million mark. Beneath the bonnet is an upgraded version of BMW's 3.0-litre, six-cylinder turbocharged engine, now matching the BMW M3 and M4 with outputs of 390kW at 6,250rpm and 650Nm from 2,650 to 5,730rpm. Boasting 37kW and 50Nm more than the regular M2, and being an impressive 30kg lighter, the new M2 CS is capable of sprinting from zero to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, making it 0.2 seconds quicker. The top speed is electronically limited to 302km/h. An M-specific exhaust system with electronically controlled flaps is fitted to ensure an enticing soundtrack, but for those who seek, in BMW's words, a 'racing car sound guaranteed to stir the emotions', a bespoke new M Performance silencer system is available through the M Performance Parts catalogue. Power goes straight to the back wheels via an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic gearbox and M Sport differential. A CFRP 'ducktail' rear spoiler marks out the rear end. Image: Supplied Speaking of chassis mods, the M2 CS sits 8mm lower to the ground than the regular M2 and its springs, dampers and chassis control systems have been specifically tuned for this model, as has the M Servotronic steering system. Furthermore, its Dynamic Stability Control system, and M Dynamic Mode, have been 'precisely optimised' for race track driving. An M Compound braking system with red brake callipers, is fitted as standard, while an M Carbon ceramic set-up is optionally available. The exterior of the M2 CS flaunts numerous carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components, including an M Carbon roof and boot lid with eye-catching 'ducktail' spoiler. The CS is also set apart by a unique rear diffuser, in exposed carbon fibre, and it rolls on a combination of 19-inch (front) and 20-inch (rear) wheels, fitted as standard with track tyres. Standard sport tyres, as well as 'ultra' track tyres are available as no-cost options. A view of the cabin. Image: Supplied
