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- We're dreaming big this Valentine's Day, so we've selected four cars that might hit a sweet spot for your petrolhead loved one.
- Premium sportscars and supercars continue to attract customers according to the latest Naamsa sales figures.
- No electric or hybrid in this list as we thought gasoline should be celebrated one last time before these cars disappear.
- For motoring news, go to Wheels24
A quick look at the December 2021 Naamsa numbers shows that it was another excellent month for sportscar and supercar brands in South Africa. Although passenger car sales overall declined year on year for the month of December, brands such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, and Bentley delivered several brand new multi-million rand vehicles to lucky customers last month.
Porsche delivered 118 brand new cars to customers in South Africa last month. Six new Ferraris found homes, too, while Lamborghini delivered three new vehicles and Bentley two new models. Other premium brands that sell sports and luxury cars also did well, Mercedes-Benz delivering 693 new cars, BMW delivering 619 vehicles, and Jaguar Land Rover delivering 186 new cars last month.
Looking at last month's stellar sportscar and supercar sales, it seems that there's no shortage of wealthy petrolhead South Africans with generous amounts of cash to spend on new cars despite the rising cost of living. After reviewing the Naamsa numbers, we thought we'd try something a little different with this list of vehicles by presenting four new models that you can buy in South Africa for your loved one for Valentine's Day next month.
If you have several millions of rands in your bank account and you want to buy a car that makes your petrolhead partner feel like a driving god (or goddess, however you identify), here are four dripping hot cars for the filthy rich that cost more than R4 million:
1. Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet - R4 102 000
Porsche's 911 Turbo S is undoubtedly one of the fastest cars you can buy in South Africa, but more than that, the latest iteration of the vehicle is so easy to drive that it's perfectly suitable as a daily driver. If your loved one is kicking into gear and heading back to the office in 2022, part-time or full-time, depending on whatever happens with the pandemic and the lockdown, we can't think of a more exciting, useable sports car to spoil them with.
It's powered by a 3.7-litre (they say it's a 3.8-litre) twin-turbocharged horizontally-opposed six-cylinder petrol engine that punches out 478kW and 800Nm. This driving force is sent to all four wheels via a heavily reinforced eight-speed PDK double-clutch automatic transmission. Place it on decent tarmac, in a safe space, point it toward the horizon, bury the accelerator, and you'll arrive at 100km/h in just 2.8 seconds before reaching a top whack of 330km/h.
The car's packed with standard electronic driving aids and comfort and convenience features, but of course, it's very rare for a standard 911 Turbo S to leave the factory. We'd suggest spending a little bit of money to personalise the colour of your loved one's new car, but other than that, the 911 Turbo S comes so well-equipped and packaged that it's a genuine bargain. No, seriously, we can't think of another sports car that can hunt supercars as well as the 911 Turbo S does. We picked the drop-top for this list because you and your partner can feel the rush of wind in your hair and hear that manic turbo engine sing more appropriately.
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2. Ferrari Roma - R4 857 600
Ferrari's Roma is arguably the best-looking Ferrari you can buy in South Africa right now. That long hood, those accentuated rear haunches, its aggressive, sexy stance all come together to make it look like a supermodel. Like the 911 Turbo S above, your partner can use the Roma every day thanks to more of a GT car setup. It won't scream and shout like a V12 Ferrari, but it has presence, it offers exceptional engineering, and it comes with a raft of standard comfort and convenience features.
The Ferrari Roma is powered by a 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine that produces 456kW and 760Nm of torque. Like the 911 Turbo S above, the driving force is sent to the wheels (only the rear wheels) via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. If you find good traction, with launch control active, it'll break the 100km/h marker in 3.4 seconds from a standstill before calling it quits at 320km/h.
A standard Roma is already appealing enough, but we know you might want to make it bespoke, so consider a few of the personalised colours for the exterior or maybe a few of the digitalised interior options. Of course, you'll have to wait for a custom build car, so it might not arrive on Valentine's Day, but Scuderia SA might be able to find you a car from its stock that could suit your needs. The Ferrari Roma comes well-equipped and is one of Ferrari's most digitalised vehicles. As car prices increase, we reckon this Roma comes in as a bargain as you get that legendary Ferrari badge, and we imagine it will provide a thrilling daily driving experience.
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3. Bentley Continental GT V8 Mulliner - R5 310 000
If your partner loves cars but is more about luxury, technology and head-turning looks, then you need to buy them a Bentley for Valentine's Day. We reckon this Continental GT V8 Mulliner does just the trick as it's built to crush continents in supreme comfort. It's still blisteringly quick, don't get us wrong, but this car is more about driving slowly so that people notice you in it. If hanging out on the sidewalk at your favourite coffee shops on a Sunday morning is what you and your partner are into, you will arrive in style in a Continental GT.
Leveraging its VW partner brand's for most of its gizzards, technologies and drivetrain components, the Bentley Continental GT V8 Mulliner is powered by a fine-tuned 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that gracefully delivers 404kW and 770Nm of driving force. Like the Porsche and Ferrari mentioned earlier, an eight-speed double-clutch automatic transmission sends power to the drive wheels (all four in this case). Bury the accelerator into the Bentley's lush carpet, and you'll reach 100km/h from a standstill in just 4.0 seconds before reaching an electronically limited 318km/h.
Although it's an entry-level model in the Bentley line-up, there's nothing entry-level about how the car is built, as most of it is still hand-assembled in the United Kingdom using the finest materials on earth. Bentley offers one of the most comprehensive bespoke vehicle programmes; after all, it was known for bespoke coach-built Mulliner models in its heyday. This vehicle can work well as a daily driver for your partner, or it can work well as a long-distance tourer that you both use to tour South Africa. It's dripping luxury and presence, and it is undoubtedly a must-have if you have lots of money.
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4. Lamborghini Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae Coupe - R9 600 000
What! No Huracan on this list? While the Lamborghini Huracan is undoubtedly appealing and the Performante models hit a sweet spot for us when we tested them a few years ago, the Aventador is the one we went for in this list. Not just any Aventador either, as we've selected the one that represents your last chance to own a fire-breathing V12 bull that isn't augmented by electricity. Unlike the other cars mentioned earlier, we won't recommend this one as a daily driver unless your partner's name is Bruce Wayne.
Powered by the 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 petrol engine that Lamborghini used in the Superveloce Jota (SVJ), meet the new Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae. It delivers 574kW and 720Nm of spine-tingling performance and makes do with an old-school seven-speed automated manual transmission that sends the driving force to all four wheels. Bury the accelerator and let it run to the redline again and again at your peril as it annihilates the 0-100km/h sprint in just 2.8 seconds before calling it a day at 355km/h.
Being the final iteration of the Aventador and available as a hard-top or drop-top, Lamborghini has spared no expense to create a unique model that leverages carbon fibre inside and outside to reduce weight and add style. At around R10 000 000 for a standard one, it's not cheap, and you'll probably spend a few million more on options as it's that customisable through Ad Personum (Lamborghini's atelier). We just know that if we were filthy rich, this is the car we'd be buying for our loved ones this Valentine's Day.
Which of these new models would you buy for your partner if you could afford it, and why? Let us know in the comments section, or please send us an email here. Happy Valentine's Day!
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