Diners in Vryburg were treated to a show of mystery and intrigue in February when a convoy of unmarked, unbranded cars appeared at the Cashbuild/Steers centre on Market Street. The cars, only marked with numbers 1 – 7 on their windscreens, and wrapped in black and white geometric vinyl, were all identical with bodies that resembled the BMW iX2 or Audi Q8 e-Tron, which are both expected to debut in South Africa in 2024.

With the cars each carrying a driver and one passenger, the only information we were able to glean was that they were returning to Pretoria and that these were prototype cars being tested. Prototyping is a lengthy process in automotive production that begins with a design that is sent to a prototype specialist for 3D modelling and finally engineered in small batches to test the car’s design efficiency, safety and the final look and feel. This is often done in real-life setups, which is likely why the mysterious convoy appeared in Vryburg, returning from a much longer trip.

A new entrant that might better match the exterior elements of the mysterious car is an improvement on the current Mazda CX-6, which is the new powerful CX-60 Takumi, also set to debut in South Africa in the first quarter of 2024, and is reported by duoporta.com to be priced at a cool R1 049 200. By comparison, the BMW x2 is likely to be priced around R878 804, while the price for the Audi Q8 e-Tron will be revealed closer to the launch.

-The VIP Team