Motoring Today with Roger McCleery cover art

Motoring Today with Roger McCleery

Motoring Today with Roger McCleery

By: Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard
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Few voices have shaped South African motoring quite like Roger McCleery's. A six-time Western Province Motorcycle Champion in his youth, he went on to build the local Honda motorcycle business in the 1960s, then ran PR and marketing for Alfa Romeo and Nissan before founding Motoring Media Promotions in 1985. He has commented on motorsport on radio and at race circuits since 1969 and on television since 1976, served seventeen years on South Africa's Formula 1 Grand Prix committee, and represented the country on the FIM, bringing motorcycle and motocross Grands Prix to local soil between 1980 and 1993. On Motoring Today, Roger brings that depth (and the address book that goes with it) to a weekly conversation covering motorsport, road cars, the global and local industry, and the heritage that built it all. From Kyalami's glory years to the latest launches, from F1 to bakkies, this is motoring through the eyes of the man who has seen, driven and called most of it.Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard
Episodes
  • Suzuki's Rise to Number Two, Geely Coolray Launch, and Brad Binder's KTM Struggles

    Suzuki's Rise to Number Two, Geely Coolray Launch, and Brad Binder's KTM Struggles
    Jun 23 2026
    Roger Hutton (Veteran Motoring Journalist | Plettenberg Bay)
    Megan MacDonald (Suzuki South Africa | Head of Marketing)
    Trevor Binder (Father of Brad and Darren Binder | Motorcycle Racing Family)
    Colin Windell (Veteran Motoring Journalist | Editor, Motoring Columns)
    Johnny Shan (Motorcycle Dealer | West Strand)

    This is South Africa's weekly motoring and motorsport radio show for petrolheads who want the real story on what is happening in the local car market, on the racetrack, and in the showroom. Whether you love MotoGP, want to know if Chinese cars are worth buying, are curious about Porsche's new ownership value play, or simply enjoy hearing from the people behind the sport, this episode delivers an hour of pure motoring joy.

    Veteran journalist Roger Hutton breaks down the Chinese car boom in South Africa: the novelty factor, the balloon payment risk, the spare parts question, and what happened when Japanese and Korean cars faced the same scepticism decades ago. He also unpacks Porsche's bold new strategy: a five-year hundred-thousand-rand drive plan on new cars and a five-year hundred-and-fifty-thousand-rand service plan on pre-owned Porsches - closing the value gap without cutting sticker price.

    Suzuki South Africa's head of marketing Megan MacDonald explains how the brand climbed to second place in the national sales charts ahead of Volkswagen, posting a twenty-percent increase in their last fiscal year. She highlights the Suzuki Dzire, the Acros SUV launch, fuel economy as a key purchase driver, and why value for money - including six airbags across the range - is the real story.

    Trevor Binder, father of MotoGP star Brad Binder and Moto America racer Darren Binder, shares the remarkable family story: Red Bull Rookies at age thirteen, homeschooling on an American syllabus, flying to every European race for five years, and watching both sons reach world-class level. He also touches on Brad's current KTM front-end grip issues and Darren's thirty-four-point championship lead in the USA on a Ducati V-twin.

    Colin Windell gives a full spec breakdown of the new Geely Coolray compact SUV - a one-point-five-litre turbo, seven-speed dual-clutch, fourteen-point-six-inch infotainment screen, and pricing from R369,900 - and raises a critical safety concern: the base model ships with only two crash bars versus six on higher trims. Motorcycle dealer Johnny Shan rounds out the show with thoughts on urban commuting by bike, rising service costs, iridium spark plugs at R700 each, and the upcoming World Motocross GP returning to South Africa after fourteen years.

    Also covered: MotoGP Czech Grand Prix results and the Assen TT, Formula One Austrian Grand Prix preview, Toyota's Le Mans and World Rally Championship dominance, Lewis Hamilton's form at Ferrari, the Cape Town Formula One street circuit rumour, Geely and WesBank partnership relaunch, Lexus electric SUV entry, a motoring controversy segment on wartime car production in 1941, insurance rules when civilian traffic directors wave you through a broken robot, and listeners naming the greatest car ever made - from the McLaren F1 to the VW Beetle to the Model T Ford. Geely Auto South Africa - Coolray SUV · Suzuki South Africa - Official Site · Porsche Centre South Africa - Pre-Owned and Drive Plans
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    59 mins
  • Angela's Picnic, Turbochargers and AfCFTA: South Africa's Car Culture Unpacked

    Angela's Picnic, Turbochargers and AfCFTA: South Africa's Car Culture Unpacked
    Jun 16 2026
    Craig Anderson (SAMCA | Chairman)
    Paul Williams (Alfa Romeo Club South Africa | President)
    Bob Brown (Jaguar Club South Africa | Chairman)
    Eric Schenini (Stellantis South Africa | Brand Communications Manager)
    Chris Lambourne (Turbo Direct | CEO)
    Colin Windell (Motoring Journalist | Industry Analyst)
    Johnny Shand (Bike Man | Owner)

    Classic car clubs, turbo tech and continental trade for petrolheads

    This episode of Motoring Today is pure fuel for South African petrolheads, especially Gen Xers who grew up with Alfa GTVs, Jaguar E-Types, and the smell of race-day paddocks. Hosted by Roger McLeary on Radio Today, this episode covers classic car clubs, heritage brand marketing, turbocharger technology, motorcycle retail, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement's impact on the local auto industry.

    Craig Anderson, chairman of SAMCA (the umbrella body for over 35 South African motor clubs), joins Alfa Romeo Club president Paul Williams and Jaguar Club chairman Bob Brown to talk about the Angela's Picnic event: a 43-year-old charity gathering that this year raised over R100,000 for Hospice, making it the charity's second-biggest single annual donation. Stellantis brand communications manager Eric Schenini explains why the company sponsored the picnic and how heritage, community, and club ownership are Stellantis's competitive weapons against new market entrants who lack history and cachet. The Jaguar Club's upcoming 50th anniversary, the Alfa Romeo 116th birthday, and the iconic Alfa GTV6 3-litre all get their moment.

    Chris Lambourne, CEO of Turbo Direct, calls in from OR Tambo Airport before a 31-hour trip to Nevada, Turkey and beyond. He breaks down how turbochargers work, why BorgWarner leads the market, how his team built a 1000-horsepower BMW M140i with xDrive conversion that runs a 9-second standing quarter mile, and why turbo impeller wheels spin faster than a 9mm bullet. Lambourne distributes BorgWarner, IHI, Mitsubishi, Continental, Holset and Garrett turbos across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.

    Colin Windell's regular industry column covers the AfCFTA automotive rules of origin: the 40 percent African content requirement, the 60 percent interim ceiling on non-originating materials, and what it means for South African vehicle exports that hit a record R205.4 billion in 2024. He discusses the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux as prime beneficiaries, Isuzu's hub strategy for African truck production, and why non-tariff barriers, specifically border post delays and paper-based customs, remain the single biggest threat to the agreement's success.

    Listeners also get a motorsport results round-up covering MotoGP, Formula One Austria, and IndyCar; a listener poll on the greatest racing disciplines (MotoGP first, WRC second, IndyCar third); a World War Two motoring history segment on the Volkswagen Beetle and wartime car rationing; and practical driving tips on mirror use, tire compounds, road rage, and roundabout right-of-way rules in South Africa. Turbo Direct - South Africa's turbocharger specialists · Stellantis South Africa - brand and model range · AfCFTA - African Continental Free Trade Area official site
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    58 mins
  • Monaco, Chinese car invasion, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ

    Monaco, Chinese car invasion, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ
    Jun 10 2026
    South Africa's longest-running motoring radio show - 25 years on air.
    Roger Haden (Motoring Journalist | South Africa's Most Senior Motoring Journalist)
    Grant McLeary (Driving Dynamics | Founder and Lead Instructor)
    Johnny Shand (Bike Man West Rand | Suzuki Dealer and Motorcycle Specialist)
    Colin Windell (Veteran Motoring Journalist | Motoring Editor)
    Stefan Bellman (South African Expat | Guest Contributor)
    A weekly dose of pure petrolhead content from Motoring Today on Radio Today 1485 - South Africa's Toyota-sponsored motoring programme running for 25 years. This episode covers the Chinese car invasion of the SA market, the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, the new Toyota Land Cruiser FJ, motorcycle sales and MotoGP results, four-by-four driver training, and essential road tips. If you love cars, bikes and motorsport and want straight-talking insight from people who have lived and breathed motoring for decades - this one is for you.

    Veteran journalist Roger Haden unpacks the biggest motor industry story of the moment: South Africa recorded its best May car sales since 2013 - over 51,000 units - driven heavily by Chinese brands. With 16 Chinese marques already in the country and 26 projected by year end, Roger delivers a clear-eyed consolidation warning: BYD, Chery and GWM look set to stay, but buyers of fringe brands risk being left stranded when those brands fold - just as happened with an earlier Chery attempt. He also flags a troubling pattern of software and electronics glitches in expensive European cars rushed to market to compete with Chinese technology.

    Grant McLeary of Driving Dynamics - 40 years and close to 100,000 drivers trained - talks about the state of driver skills in South Africa, the K53 system's failures, and why professional four-by-four and on-road driver training matters more than ever. Colin Windell delivers a detailed walk-around of the new Toyota Land Cruiser FJ: a compact ladder-frame off-roader built on IMV architecture, powered by a 2.7-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, positioned as a mini Prado for lifestyle and overlanding buyers aged 30 to 45.

    Johnny Shand of Bike Man on the West Rand covers Suzuki's rise to number two in the SA car market, the growing Chinese motorcycle threat, commercial delivery bike demand, and Marc Marquez's extraordinary comeback at MotoGP - plus Brad Binder's KTM clocking 366 km/h, faster than a Formula One car. The episode also recaps Monaco Grand Prix results including Kimi Antonelli's fifth consecutive win, Rally Japan won by Elfyn Evans in a Toyota Gazoo car, and a historical look at the 1939 Volkswagen Beetle controversy and the 1994 Imola tragedies involving Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. Practical tips cover scanning 10 to 15 seconds ahead, tyre pressure checks, warning lights, four-way stop rules and smooth driving technique. Driving Dynamics - four by four and on-road driver training · Toyota South Africa - Land Cruiser FJ
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    54 mins
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