RIMAC
While some mainstream car makers will launch electric vehicles in SA in 2019, one is likely to steal the show. Croatian supercar manufacturer Rimac has teamed up with Electric Life to make its electric supercars in limited numbers. The range will include a rare Mandrolli edition, authorised by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and featuring Madiba’s signature.
BMW 3 SERIES
BMW has released the seventh generation of its hugely popular 3 Series. SUVs might be all the rage, but the 3 Series still accounts for one in five of all BMWs sold. The latest generation sees a few design changes and extensive interior revisions. The 3 Series has grown slightly in size, although the interior space remains the same, and it has lost about 55kg in weight. The new 3 Series arrives in SA in March 2019.
PORSCHE 911 SPEEDSTER
Porsche has announced a number of limited-edition 911 models this year. It’s not surprising, considering the new 911 is expected to make its debut before the end of 2018, potentially at November’s Los Angeles Auto Show. Possibly the last of the current generation 911 to be launched is the Speedster, which is appropriate considering the history of this nameplate goes back to the iconic 356 Speedster.
MERCEDES GLE
Mercedes has a number of new models heading our way in the next year or so, including its first electric vehicle, the EQ C. That will probably arrive only early in 2020, but in the meantime the three-pointed star will launch a new B-Class, a new CLS, a facelifted AMG GT, and the new GLE SUV. If you are wondering about the new S-Class, that will only hit the road in 2020.