10 APRIL

FORMERAECIGROUNDS:MIXEDDEVELOPMENT PLANNING

Interest inPaardevlei on the increaseDALEEN FOUCHÉ

Interest in Paardevlei property,formerly known as the AECIgrounds,ispickingupwithsever-al properties being recently sold.

Mark Bezençon, regional manag-erofHeartland,awholly-ownedsub-sidiary of AECI, says in the past 12months interest in property and de-velopment activity in Precinct 1 ofPaardevlei has picked up.In total 15 properties have been

sold, while negotiations on anothersix properties are ongoing.Construction on one building in

Precinct 1 is complete and severalothers are in the constructionphase, including a private hospitalthat is due for completion at the endof 2014.The De Beers precinct measures

43 hectares in addition to the reha-bilitatedwetland, also referred to asPaardevlei.The precinct will allow for the de-

velopment of 590 residential unitsand approximately 100 000 m² ofcommercial development on com-pletion.Apart from interest in Precinct 1,

says Bezençon, he has also receivedseveral inquiries about educationalfacilities and industrial capacity inthe entire Paardevlei land holding,which consists of about 730 hec-tares.According toBezençon thereason

for the growing interest by inves-tors and developers in Paardevleiproperty is because they want totake advantage of the lower con-struction costs before the economyturns. He says as the economypicksup, sowill theprices in theconstruc-tion industry.He explains that the increased

construction activity in the DeBeersprecincthasalso ignitedmore

interest in the area.He describes development in

Paardevlei as the “South Africanversion” of mixed developmentwhere people can live, work and

play.Benzeçon says in big cities across

the world mixed developments usu-ally refer to high-rise buildings thatincludelivingspace,workspaceand

entertainment space. He says, how-ever, in the South African versionof mixed development, the variousfunctionsarenot inonebuildingbutrather in one area. Benzeçon ex-

plains that the mixed developmentplanning for Paardevlei will allowfor single residential units, but willstill offer other amenities such aschool and shopping areas close by..

This aerial photo shows a big chunk ofthe Paardevlei land holding.

CORRECTION: In lastweek’s edition of the BolandSOLD, it was reported thatthe selling price for thishouse in Tredonne in SirLowry’s Pass is R2,995 mil­lion. However, this three­bedroomed house, is on themarket exclusively throughPam Golding Properties,priced at R3,95 million.

Developments continue tooffer outstanding value

p.14

EXPERTOPINION

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BOLANDSOLDHELDERBERG

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BOLANDSOLD HELDERBERG

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BOLANDSOLDHELDERBERG

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BOLANDSOLD HELDERBERG

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BOLANDSOLD HELDERBERG

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BOLANDSOLD HELDERBERG

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BOLANDSOLD PAARL/WELLINGTON

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BOLANDSOLDPAARL/WELLINGTON

Developments continue toofferoutstandingvalueIt doesn’t matter what you’re buying,buyers allwant the same thing: value foryourmoney. It’s nevermore true thoughwhenitcomestothepurchaseofaproper-ty,asarealestatepurchaseisusuallyoneof the largest purchases of your life.

For the past few years now developmentshave offered exceptional value. Gone are thedayswhendevelopersweremakingmassiveprofitsat theexpenseof thepurchaser.When

world property marketswere impactedbytheglo-bal economic crisis in2008/2009 many develop-ments came to a halt.

Sellers in the resaleresidential market hadto listen tomarket forcesand reduce their pricesto attract buyers. Thismeant that developmentproperties appeared ex-pensive at the time, withincreasing buildingcosts and high infra-structurecostsmaking ithard for developers to re-duce their pricing.

But that’s all changed.In the Helderberg areasome developers decidedto listen to market forces and providea product themarket demands, at a rea-sonable price. This trend continues.

Examples of this are Kelderhof Coun-try Village, Silver Fox, and Blue CraneEstates – all marketed by HarcourtsPlatinum.Thesedevelopers, inconjunc-tion with Harcourts, responded to mar-ket research. Turnkey properties wereoffered to themarket – completedhomeswhere purchasers have a choice of fin-ishes, but without the stress of buildingthemselves.

These properties competewith the re-salemarket – inmanycasesofferingbet-ter value than resale residential homes.Buyers are attracted to the thought ofmoving into brand-new homes in a se-cure estate with their choice of finish.Sales have proven this, with Somerset

CountryEstate byKings-Hill selling out, SilverFox and Blue Crane Es-tates nearing 60% sold,and Kelderhof CountryVillage nearing 170 salessince Harcourts Plati-num took over market-ing.

This trend is also truefor themid to upper-mar-ket. Bulties Hamlet Es-tate, with prices averag-ing R4 300 000, also soldwith relative ease. Andluxury plots in the 77 OnDummer Estate are alsonow sold out.

Whenpurchasing fromadeveloper the price alsoincludes VAT, which

means there are no additional transferduties to pay. Banks finance the totalselling price, which is an advantage apurchaser has over a resale property,where it’s not possible to finance thetransfer duty.

As a purchaser it’s great to know thatsellers are listening to the market andpricingaccordingly. So it’s important toshop around and weigh up the pros andcons before you put pen to paper. Whenshopping, be sure to include develop-ments on your list – especially if you arelooking to live in a secure estate.

Bothdevelopmentsandresidentialre-sale properties can offer the discerningbuyer great value. Do your homeworkand purchase wisely. As stock levels re-duce we should continue to see a steadyandhealthyincreaseinpropertyvalues.

Talking Property, by SteveCaradoc­Davies, principalof Harcourts Platinum

CountryEstate byKings-Hill selling out, SilverFox and Blue Crane Es-tates nearing 60% sold,and Kelderhof CountryVillage nearing 170 salessince Harcourts Plati-num took over market-

This trend is also truefor themid to upper-mar-ket. Bulties Hamlet Es-tate, with prices averag-ing R4 300 000, also soldwith relative ease. Andluxury plots in the 77 OnDummer Estate are also

Whenpurchasing fromadeveloper the price alsoincludes VAT, which

means there are no additional transferduties to pay. Banks finance the totalselling price, which is an advantage apurchaser has over a resale property,where it’s not possible to finance the

As a purchaser it’s great to know thatsellers are listening to the market andpricingaccordingly. So it’s important toshop around and weigh up the pros andcons before you put pen to paper. Whenshopping, be sure to include develop-ments on your list – especially if you are

Bothdevelopmentsandresidentialre-sale properties can offer the discerningbuyer great value. Do your homeworkand purchase wisely. As stock levels re-duce we should continue to see a steadyandhealthyincreaseinpropertyvalues.

EXPERTOPINION

ENGENVWCUP:GREAT RACINGONSHOW

MichaelGibson isDriverof theDayMOTORPRESS

The Engen Volkswagen Cupchampionship racers pulled outall the stops recently at roundtwo of the Super Series at Killar-ney. Nail-biting battles ragedthroughout the field and led tosome really great racing.

MichaelGibson(21–MADRacing/GPM) was named Driver of theDay thanks to a good performancethatsawhimfinishinninthoverall.Gibson is a newcomer to the seriesand Killarney is only his secondevent – also his first time ever atthis track.During the first race an on-track

incident between Matthew Hodges(M3 - ITR Africa/959 Panelbeaters/Dickron Motors/Phoenix Signs)

andEddie Rodrigues (M1 - SEWEu-rodrive) saw Rodrigues left at theside of the track with a rather dam-aged Volkswagen Polo Vivo.Just moments before, Juan Ger-

ber (M8 –Haupt Racing) found him-self on his roof after hitting the tyrewall, which was enough to get theSafety Car out on circuit. Up to thatpoint a battle had been raging be-tweenDewaldBrummer(MADRac-ing/GPM (Grand Prix Models) andDaniel Rowe (11 – Ferodo Racing).The Safety Car bunched the field

right up while marshals set aboutthe task of getting the two vehicles– in twodifferentparts of thecircuit– cleared so the racing could contin-ue. When the Safety Car pulled offthe track, there were just two lapsleft of the race, a two-lap sprint tothe finish line.

Brummer’s race win is made themore remarkable by starting as hedid in ninth place and working hisway up to the lead to claim the firstvictory on the day.In the Top Six draw for the fastest

qualifiers in each race, both of thewomen racing in the series quali-fied, with Tasmin Pepper (31 - PGGlass/BlueLabelTelecoms/PepperRacing/Cornright Motors) draw-ing a grid position for each race andAndrea Bate (37 - Monroe Racing)drawing from race two. Pepperdrew fourth for race one and polefor the second race,withBate draw-inga thirdplace start for the secondrace.Pepper’s pole position start is her

first for the series and shewasmak-ing no mistakes. That first placestart translated to a first place fin-

ish – her second in Engen Volkswa-gen Cup. It was not an easy win forPepper as she had Sheldon van derLinde (16 – Ferodo Racing) breath-ing down her neck during the lastfew laps of the race.Van der Linde set off in second

place, but had to defend againstJanovanderWesthuizen (15 -Kwik-fix) who was on pace and fightinghard, as well as from Rowe

In the later stages of the race hecould concentrate instead on at-tackingandandput thepressureonPepper in an effort to reel her in be-fore the final run to the chequeredflag.For the championship leader

fromroundone, theKillarneyeventstarted well with Daniel Rowe (11– Ferodo Racing) setting the paceand posting the fastest qualifying

times. The draw was, however, notsokindandhedrew fifth on thegridfor each of the races. Rowe did wellto finish both races on the podium,claiming second in race one andthird inrace twowhichsawhimfin-ish in first place overall for the day– retaining his championship lead.In the Masters category, it was

the turn of Trevor Bland (M6 - PGGlass/Suburban Panel Beaters /AlpineMotors) to claim the victoryfor the day, ahead of Hodges andShaun Holtzhausen (M9 - Firequip/Phoenix Signs).Hodges produced a goodperform-

ance at the first round to lead theMasters, but Bland can make hislife ahead very difficult with anoth-er good performance, which wouldmake the Masters championship ahighly unpredictable battle.

17Donderdag10 April, 2014

BOLANDSOLD AUTO

RenaultMéganeRSRedBull RB8 forget-upandgo!HANJO STIER

Renault Megane RS Red Bull RB8: theproper move

Based on the already-rapid Mégane RS (Re-naultSport), this RB8 model gets to call itselfa Red Bull Special Edition because just 800units will be built. Sold in 26 countries world-wide, 50of thesemonstersarebound forSouthAfrica so Renault fans can celebrate Red BullRacing’s F1 successes.

Exclusively painted in Twilight Blue withlots of Red Bull Racing badges and a meltingcheckered flag on the roof, this special editionalso includes the grippy RS Cup chassis,Brembo brakes with red calipers, black 19-inch wheels with 35-profile tyres, three-modeESP,RSmonitorandR-Linkinfotainmentsys-tem.

It also features everything you’d expectfrom a range-topping Mégane like polishedpedals, keyless entry and ignition, climatecontrol, six airbags, park beepers, Bluetooth,active Xenon lights, auto lights and wipers,electricwindowsandmirrors,adjustablemul-ti-function steering wheel and cruise control.

The controls are scattered about the racycabin in true Renault fashion but I will admitthatafter theumpteenthtestcar, I’mnowusedto them. The RB8 Red Bull also has a properhand-brake, red seatbelts, body-hugging Re-caro seats, some leather and carbon fibre-looktrim.

Should you have somehow overlooked thestickers, furthercluesaresilvermirrors, a sil-ver frontsplitterandreardiffuser framingthebig exhaust pipe. More reminders are a shinygear knob and decals on the carpets and doorsills. The only optional extra is a reversingcamera (R5 000).

ThebigcentralR-Linkmonitoriscontrolledby a twisty-pushy knob on the central tunnelwhich, in conjunction with the rock-hard sus-pension, can be difficult to operate on themove.Also, itrefusedtoaddaBluetoothphone

and got stroppy when I wanted to delete previ-ous entries.

Buried inside this uncooperative blik-breinis the RS Monitor which will keep perform-ance enthusiast entertained for a long, longtime. You can switch between multiplescreens which display everything from laptimes, various temperatures, torque, boost,wheel slip, G-forces and throttle position.

I’m nit-picking here but the slanted speed-ometer is marked in odd sets of twenty, mak-ing it jolly difficult to spot 60 or 120km/h. Itsneighbouring trip computer is completely un-readable during the day. I’d also advise cau-tioninheavywindsasthebigcoupédoorsonlyhave teeny-weeny inside handles.

Not that any of this will matter to the infatu-ated fan as the prime reason for buying thisMégane is theway it drives; unlessyou’re intocomfort and relaxation. The Red Bull Specialis very hard and reasonably loud, becomingeven harder, louder and downright snappy ifyou select Sport or ESP off modes.

Moreover, theclutchpedaliscomparativelyhardbutwithall thatpower,yousoonappreci-atewhyit isso: twolitresdividedbetweenfourcylinders, petrol and air sequentially fedthrough a turbocharger direct 195kW (265hp)or 360Nm via a crisp six-speed manual gear-box to the unfortunate front wheels.

Power delivery is so brutal that it doesn’ttakemuch for thiscar toupset its tractioncon-trol or seek a new direction of travel when fullthrottle is applied. That doesn’t mean it’s un-ruly when driven sensibly – and I’ll leave theinterpretation of that word up to your imagi-nation.

100km/h comes up in six seconds, 400m in14 flat and top speed is an alleged 255km/h,average fuel use 8,2F/100km and CO2 emis-sions 190g/km. Our best 0-100km/h sprinttook 6,1 seconds and 400m just 13,6 seconds.My most careful driving yielded 10F/100kmbut a more likely average is mid-12.

Road-holding and grip levels are excellent,thanks to that sports suspension and a clever

electronic differential. As with most über-hot hatches, I didn’t push this Mégane anyfurther than I deemed sensible (there’s thatword again) and came away wide-eyed andimpressed.

This wild, fast and limited coupé will setyou back exactly R429 900 and comes witha 5-year/150 000km warranty and 5-year/100 000km service plan. Should youfind them all sold or don’t like Formula 1stickers, the standard Mégane RS it’s basedon is just as exciting.

Galimoto

The Red Bull Special rides very hard and is reasonably loud, and gets even harder, louderand downright snappy if you select Sport or ESP­off modes. PHOTO: QUICKPIC

18 Donderdag10 April, 2014

BOLANDSOLDAUTO

AudiA8:updateswithgadgetsgaloreHANJO STIER

Do you remember GerhardSchröder? The ex-Chancellor ofGermany may be best known forhis various policies and fourwives but to me he’ll always bethe guy who swapped the obliga-tory black Merc for an Audi A8.Myfamilywasequallyimpressedand to this day we still refer toany A8 as a “Schröder Auto”.

German top brass have been dili-gently swapping cars to show sup-port of all their manufacturers, be-cause they all embody big luxury,excellent technology andunderstat-ed styling. The S-Class has tradi-tional comfort, while the Seven Se-ries is bold and sporty; I believe theA8 sits somewhere in between.

It can trace its roots back to theearly eighties and the Audi V8, In-golstadt’s first attempt at a large sa-loon, which wowed the world withbig power and Quattro all-wheel-drive. Mid-nineties it officially be-came the A8, followed by anothergeneration in 2002 and this one in2009.

So what you’re looking at now isnot a new-new A8 but simply the ex-isting model with crucial updatesmidway through its life cycle. In anutshell, these include new lightsand minor bodywork, updated inte-rior trim and technology, as well asimproved drive trains to re-shufflethe model line-up.

Those new headlights and slightbody tweaks give Audi’s A8 a moretaught and compact appearancethan its dimensions suggest. At

5.14 m long, 1.95 m wide and 1.46 mtall it easily competeswithotherbigsedans,offering exceptional interi-or space; especially when orderedwith an “L” behind its badge.

Its cabin also houses exclusivematerials and excellent build quali-ty which, Rejoice! can be ordered indifferent colours and trims with“Audi design selection” giving dis-cerning buyers even more choice.The MMI navigation and infotain-ment system now also features a

touch-pad for the more creativeamong us.

Standard kit on all models in-cludes 360° cameras and pre-sensedriver assist, a clever parking sys-tem, Bose speakers, mobile Inter-net, Google maps, keyless every-thing, auto everythingelse andelec-tric absolutely everything. Longwheelbase models also offer a rearentertainment system and pano-ramic sunroof.

Audi is quick to point out that the

bigcarfeels lightandmanoeuvrableon its tyres, and I agree, thanks inpart to its Audi Space Frame con-struction.Thebodyisalmostentire-ly made out of aluminium andweighs just 231kg, a figure whichhelps most A8 models to roll off thescales near or below 2 000kg.

Casual observations we made atthe A8’s launch is that its front endhas lost most of its bulky presencein favour of a sleeker, cleaner face.In profile, the car disguises its size

reasonably well with huge wheels.Big, flush exhaust outlets andsweeping, directional LED indica-tors accentuate its rump.

Theheadlights come in either fullXenon or full LED technology withan optional Matrix LED systemwhichkeeps lightingat its optimumwithout blinding other road users.Its 25 individually operating LED’scan produce thousands of lightbeamcombinations, use navigationdata and recognize up to nine vehi-cles.

Two diesels start the range - A83.0 (V6) TDi Quattro and A8 4.2 (V8)TDiQuattro -withtwopetrolmodelsarrivingnextmonth: the sportierS8and flagship W12 long wheelbase.All TDi A8’s can be ordered in nor-mal or long wheelbase, while VIPbuyers may take delivery of the ar-mored “Security” models later thisyear.

The V6 TDi produces 190kW and580Nm,itsV8sibling(theonlyTDV8sedan in SA) makes 283kW and a co-lossal 850Nm. Claimed consump-tion is 5.9F/100km (V6) and7.4F/100km (V8). All cars areequipped with an eight-speed auto-matic gearbox, shift paddles, airsuspension and multi-stage drivemode selector.

Prices are R1 101 500 for the 3.0TDi Quattro and R1 390 000 for a 4.2TDiQuattro, theLWBversionscost-ingR1 257 500 andR1 545 500 respec-tively. That’s pretty much what thecompetitioncharges, soyour choicewill probably come down to person-al taste...unless you’re the GermanChancellor, of course.

Galimoto Media

Those new headlights and slight body tweaks give Audi’s A8 a more taught and compact appearance than itsdimensions suggest. PHOTO: QUICKPIC

19Donderdag10 April, 2014

BOLANDSOLD AUTO

20 Donderdag10 April, 2014

BOLANDSOLDAUTO

JukeGTaddsmoreappealQUICKPIC

Following the resounding success of itsJuke in South Africa, Nissan has added anew limited-edition model to the popularcompact crossover range.

Only fifty examples of the new Nissan JukeGT will be made available, adding exclusivityto theappeal of themodel’smanyexcitingvisu-al upgrades.

Aimed squarely at hip and trendy Genera-tion-Y, the funky Nissan Juke GT is an evenmore daring and youthful iteration of the‘standard’ compact crossover thathascaptivat-ed thousands ofmotorists across theworld andincreasedNissan’sreputation forofferingbold,risk-taking vehicles and crossover innovation.

Nissan South Africa’s Crossover and Per-formanceVehicleManager,NancyReddy,said:“We are excited to announce the release of thelimitededitionNissanJukeGT,whichjoinstherestof theJukerangeinSouthAfrica.TheJukefamily has made waves since its launch withits quirkiness, sporty attitudeandbold, uniquedesign.

TheNissanJukeGTshowcases theextrovert‘stand-out’ attitude our customers seek, withenhanced trendiness, individuality and exclu-sivity.”

The Nissan Juke GT is based on the140 kW/240 Nm JUKE 1.6 DIG-T Tekna withleatherandfeaturesanumberofspecialperson-alisationupgrades to set it apart.These includesporty GT stripes in black or white, matchingcolour-codedmirror caps,GTbadges and strik-ing 17-inch ‘Hot Black’ alloy wheels, which areimported from Europe.

Existing high-level standard equipment in-cludes automatic climate control, amulti-func-tion steering wheel, cruise control, full audiointegration with USB, aux and Bluetooth com-patibility, keyless entry and starting, automat-

ic lights and wipers. These join a host of safetyequipment including ABS with EBD and BAS,six air bags and Vehicle Dynamic Control(VDC) with traction control.

Emphasising the Nissan Juke’s cool factor,the #Standout online multimedia campaign,which launched in March, seeks to encouragethe creative Generation-Y to ‘extend their GTstripes’ with the opportunity to win ‘red enve-lope’ experiences. These include a wide rangeof thrilling and exciting activities such as bun-gee jumping and river rafting - to the value ofR1 000 each.

To enter, participants can submit creative#Standout photo entries online via the NissanSouthAfricaFacebookpage–fromfunkypaint-ed nails and quirky selfies to outrageous hair-styles and daring poses to ‘earn their stripes’.

Full of fun and and larger-than-life displaysaroundkeyhigh-traffic areas in Johannesburgwill also increase awareness of Juke GT at24CentralinSandtonand,until theendofApril,at Melrose Arch and in Braamfontein.

Alreadymakingwaves in the lives of the hipand trendy, SA hip-hop artist Maggz, hasearned his stripes and stands out – the NissanJuke GT features in his new music video forNo Tweets Allowed.

“Our company ethos – ‘Innovation that Ex-cites’ – is perhaps best suited to the NissanJuke, a daringvehiclewhichdefies conventionand creates a captivatingmotoring experiencein every way.

In GT form Juke was ‘turned up to eleven’and, with such limited availability, we expectheightened interest especially from those indi-vidualswhowant their vehicles to reflect theiroutgoing personalities,” concludes Reddy.

The new, limited edition Nissan Juke GT re-tails for R298 200 including VAT and featuresthe same 3-year/100 000 km warranty and 3-year/90 000 km service plan as existing Jukemodels.

The Nissan JukeGT is based onthe 140 kW/240 Nm JUKE1.6 DIG­T Teknawith leatherand features anumber of spe­cial personalisa­tion upgradesto set it apart.PHOTO: QUICKPIC