Torque Marius

If you have a smartphone, an action camera and a social media profile, you can create motoring content - well, that's the notion anyway. But shooting and producing quality motoring content is actually damn difficult, so I chat with good friend and the man behind the lens on most of the motoring content I've produced, Jonathan Crawford.

Massively experienced across all genre's, motoring has been his primary focus for the last 15 years - the things I have learnt working with him have been invaluable.

Well be doing a few of these as there is so much information to cover but for starters, we look at a few key filming techniques to best capture cars as statics and in motion as well as looking at a basic starter kit to get you going. You can have all the gear but no idea...

At the end of the day, its the content that is king - and that's what we'll look into next time.

I have no doubt you can remember your first...you can probably also remember your worst. Perhaps I should clarify that I am of course talking in motoring terms.

Joining me on this podcast are show regulars - Sean Nurse, Editor at Autodealer and Ian McLaren, Senior Associate Editor at CAR Magazine - to talk about their first rides and their worst.

I also gave the guys the challenge of finding a car for R200 000-00 or less and we came up with some really interesting choices....wonder what you would have chosen?

Enjoy.

COTY or Car of the Year Awards exist in most markets and many have been around for many years. The World Car of the Year started in 2004 and sees 82 motoring media from around the world selecting a globally representative overall winner as well as the top picks in 5 categories. Here in South Africa, our awards have been going since 1986.

But the motoring landscape has changed and that was before COVID19 hit the global reset button. The traditional big motor shows are all but dead, so is there still a need for the motoring equivalent of the Academy Awards? Perhaps the future does lie with the more consumer focused, publication specific awards which seem to be popping up everywhere.

In South Africa, the COTY Awards in recent years has sparked some fierce debate around its relevance to the average consumer, as most winners are way beyond the reach of most of the buying public. And it was no different when this years winner was revealed - the Jaguar I-PACE - a car that has literally won every award there is to win!

So to weigh in on the debate and side step the landmines are 3 well respected motoring scribes:

Mark Smyth - former Editor, Business Day Motoring now UK based.

Sean Nurse - Editor, Autodealer

Ian McLaren - Senior Associate Editor, CAR Magazine

It's so easy to be overwhelmed with what we are currently facing - a global pandemic that has effected each and everyone of us! But its also at times like this that our humanity shines through and thats what we should be celebrating. At a time when I was sulking over the cancellation of my test drive of the New Defender on the Global Launch in the UK, I picked up on a news piece from Land Rover outlining their support of the Red Cross in helping mobilise the organisation and their volunteers on the frontline in the battle against COVID19. Sure, a lot of brands are doing their part right now which is great, but I appreciated the fact that this relationship with the Red Cross wasn't just a positive marketing spin now, but a partnership that goes back 65 years.

And its no different here in South Africa, where Jaguar Land Rover have also rallied behind the Red Cross and joined forces with their Jaguar brand ambassador, Minnie Dlamini, to launch their #FeedingSATogether initiative.

So a great opportunity then to chat with Minnie about this wonderful initiative and how each and everyone of us can make a difference. I am also joined by Rugby World Cup winner, Land Rover Ambassador and all round good guy, Bryan Habana, Jaguar Land Rover PR and Sponsorship Specialist, Tina Pienaar and George Mamabolo from the South African Red Cross.

Now here is a Lockdown Challenge to get behind - lets celebrate the good and make a difference doing good...we are all in this one together!

If you looking for a poster car for supercars then look no further than the Lamborghini stable because with out a doubt at some point, you had one up on your wall and parked in the garage of your dreams. My generation it was the Countach...

But dreams and reality are often two very different things - just ask any owner of a Countach who'll bitch and moan about how impossible they are to drive, yet they won't part with it!

But the brand has come along way since Ferruccio Lamborghini set up his factory in 1963 in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. I had the incredible privilege of visiting the facility last year and even though production is totally modernised and robotised, especially the line where the Urus is being built, you can feel the incredible pride and passion for the brand through the people working there. It somehow still feels intimate and hands on...its an emotive place.

And to retain this with the Germans in charge is even more impressive but its the reason why the brand has evolved and seen the unbelievable growth that they have. The Italians have been left to do what they do best - captivate through design, infusing passion and emotion into every detail of their cars but now with the German precision, reliability, practicality and efficiencies - its the perfect relationship really.

I got to run the Lamborghini EVO up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year but its now finally arrived in South Africa so I am joined by Ian McLaren, Senior Associate Editor at CAR Magazine and Sean Nurse, Editor at Autodealer, to talk about the latest Bull.

Marius Roberts chats with Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager from Suzuki South Africa on the secret to the brands massive sales success in recent times, coping with the unique challenges that 2020 are presenting and on the Live Stream launch decision of their latest model, the S-Presso.

Interesting times where fresh thinking is required and bold decisions need to be made...sounds like Suzuki have the team and strategy in place.

COVID19 has had a massive impact for car manufacturers with production facilities being shut as the world fights this global pandemic. It also meant scrapping launches of new vehicles, something which hit Land Rover pretty hard as they had their global launch of the New Defender scheduled for April. Fortunately, just before lockdown was announced here in South Africa, media got to sample the new vehicle in the extreme setting that is Namibia.

CAR Editor, Terence Steenkamp, was one of the lucky few and he joins me for a chat about the experience and of course, about the Defender.

As a side note: Jaguar Land Rover have redeployed their global press fleet to assist in the fight against COVID19. In the UK alone, they've made 57 vehicles available, including 27 New Defenders, to the British Red Cross to deliver medicine and food to vulnerable people including the elderly across the country. A further 65 vehicles are supporting the Red Cross Societies in Australia, Spain and France, while here in South Africa, 11 vehicles were made available to assist the Red Cross efforts. I can certainly defend that...top job!

Marius Roberts hangs out with Jordan Pepper and brothers Kelvin and Sheldon van der Linde - three South African racing drivers who have raced their way to the top step in international motor racing - we talking super star status!

We chat about the impact of COVID19 on motor racing and their careers and how they see their respective racing seasons unfolding as a result.

BUT of course the big talking point is Sim Racing! For sure it was gaining mainstream popularity but with all motorsport being cancelled because of the pandemic, Sim racing finds itself thrust centre stage with the biggest names in real racing clamouring to get into a rig! On any given night you can grab the popcorn, hop onto any one of the many platforms streaming a race and watch Kelvin, Sheldon and Jordan going door to door with Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Rene Rast and battling against the biggest names in Sim racing...who frankly I have never even heard of!

And I mean no disrespect here - these Sim Racers are super stars in the online community but unknowns to mainstream race fan - but that could all be changing as COVID19 blurs the racing lines...virtually!