The new M-Class fulfills the needs of those looking for a premium and spacious vehicle, which is just as capable and comfortable off-road. Today, the popularity of premium SUVs is possibly because Mercedes Benz introduced the first generation of the luxury SUV. Back then, they understood the need for such a car and now the new one continues that line of thinking.
The new ML350 Blue EFFICIENCY 4MATIC is bigger with a wider track, longer length and lower roof. The result is an M-Class that is more lithe and athletic than the outgoing version. This 225kW Petrol V6 has immense shove especially low down in the rev-range. Considering that this is the base version of the petrol-engine derivatives, it’s got a lot of punch and is 15% more fuel efficient, burning 8.8l/100km on the combined cycle.
Mercedes Benz has gone a long way to ensure comfort. The suspension is at home on all road surfaces; you never get the sense that it is struggling. The luxurious cabin is simple and functional yet elegant. There is more legroom in the front and rear of the cabin and with the rear seats and backrests folded down, the loading space is a cavernous 2,000 cubic decimeters. Once you have packed the load compartment, the ML features a one-touch Easy Pack tailgate button that closes the boot for you.
The driving experience is a combination of sedan-like comfort with the raised view that an SUV provides. Mercedes Benz is positioning the new M-Class as an all-rounder that is in control of all driving situations. In addition to the strong but powerful engine, the SUV also features a seven speed transmission; start-off assist for when you’re on an incline; electric steering; Active Blind Spot Assist; Lane Keeping Assist; a driver drowsiness detection system as well as active braking systems and safety features.
One of the key differences of this new generation M-Class is that the 4MATIC or 4-wheel drive version is standard across all the cars—this is where the ML350 BlueEFFICIENCY 4MATIC really makes a case for itself. It conquers rough terrain with such ease that this key quality could be easily overlooked. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is a cushy soft-roader without any off-road skills. The 4MATIC is a permanent all-wheel drive system but by pressing a few buttons on the center console you can raise the suspension; engage off-road mode; engage the Downhill Speed Regulation and be on your way over some rough terrain. The car also has a towing capacity of 3.5 tons and features a trailer assist system.
I put the ML350 through some tough off-road obstacles and a stunned audience of Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser owners watched in weary silence. The only remaining sign of the conquered obstacles was a little bit of mud on its alloy wheels and undercarriage. The 4MATIC system only distributes power to the wheels that are in contact with the ground and it primes the engine and transmission for the required terrain. I was very impressed as I coasted over several steep, muddy and rocky inclines and through deep pools of sludge. The only work I had to do was softly guide the ML350 with deft touches of the power-assisted leather steering wheel.
The Mercedes Benz M-Class makes a good case as a family, luxury, utility and off-road vehicle. It’s the whole package, with class-leading dynamics. Oh, and it carries a large three-pointed star on its grille.

The Whole Package

This is the story of businessman Ronnie Apteker, his money and his expensive passion. A man sharp enough to get in early on the internet boom in Africa’s biggest economy; a man wise enough to have sold out before the market became crowded, three years later, for $55 million. He doesn’t know how much he is worth, but does admit he never has to work again.
This is also a man who has lost nearly $7 million in 11 years, chasing the elusive dream of fathering a blockbuster movie.
“I would be far wealthier if I had done nothing for the last 11 years, but my life has been richer for the risks I have taken… I love story telling. I love magic and I love trying to inspire people,” he says.
This month will see the release of a film he thinks is a winner that will compensate for the years of pain and losses. It is a low-budget film called Material, set in the gritty inner-city district of Fordsburg in Johannesburg and starring South African stand-up comedian Riaad Moosa. He says it could be a cheap and cheerful international hit like Bend it Like Beckham or Billy Elliot.
It all started in the early 1970s in Cape Town, when Apteker’s father won a 16mm film projector in a game of backgammon. From then on, Sunday night was film night at the Aptekers.
“The whole neighbourhood in Cape Town used to come in and see them. You remember those leather cases with the handles. In our rented house we used to watch Dirty Harry, The Dirty Dozen, The Guns of Navarone, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I grew up in a movie-watching home. I watched more movies by the time I was 13 than most people watch by the time they are 30,” he says.
Apteker’s working life took a different turn. It was the internet, not movies, that became his bread and butter. In 1993, he founded Internet Solutions in the days when 99.9% of South Africans didn’t know even what it was.
“People used to phone us and say the internet is broken, or they used to ask who they can email. I used to give them my email address and they used to email me because they had no one else to email!” he laughs.
The internet made Apteker a fortune before he was 30. Then he tried a much harsher business—movies.
“If you build a cheap house, you can sell it for half price and get some money back. If you make a bad movie, you may not sell one ticket and lose everything. You can even end up owing money. It is not a normal business, it’s like a casino.”
Apteker started writing scripts in 1996 and the first film came in 2000—a 95-minute movie shot in Los Angeles called Purpose, the tale of the battle for the soul of a young entrepreneur working in California’s Silicon Valley.
“A lot of people said it reminded them of The Social Network, but sadly, it wasn’t as good,” says Apteker.
The film didn’t do well. It cost $8 million and Apteker was lucky enough to claw back $3 million by selling it to distributors Lakeshore International.
A string of homegrown movies with limited success followed, including: Jerusalema, The Flyer and Crazy Monkey: Straight Outta Benoni.
Fast forward to the latest offering, Material, starring South African comic flavor-of-the-month, Moosa. In many ways, the film mirrors his own life. In a nutshell, Material is the story of a father who wants his son to stick to his day job—that is, running the family store—instead of telling jokes on stage.
In real life, Moosa also gave his day job the slip. He trained as a doctor at the University of Cape Town and carried out his internship at Natalspruit Hospital, near Johannesburg, before settling down to practise as a GP in Cape Town for a couple of years.
The draw of the stage proved too strong and in the evenings, Moosa was cracking around the small theatres of the Western Cape. He had no illusions and already knew what it felt like to “die”—as the actors say—on stage.
“It used to happen a lot when I was younger. The most difficult time was when I was doing magic in high school. It was comedy magic. I had studied at the College of Magic in Cape Town. I was supposed to make a ball fly across the stage—there was a wire involved. There was a dude taking photos with flash and every time the flash went off, you could see the washing line across the stage. I was trying to make it dramatic and it was obvious. I heard one little girl say: ‘There is a wire there, mum!’ At that moment, I thought ‘I had another eight minutes to go of this sham.”
Material is Moosa’s first foray into film and he identifies with his character. “I am really proud of it. I think when people watch, they will laugh and cry. They will be challenged.”
So what happens if Moosa makes it to Hollywood and the big time? He pledges not to let success go to his head.
“What is this fame thing? One minute you are normal, the next minute you are shaving your head on the cover of Heat magazine. One minute you are normal, the next you are getting an 18-year-old pregnant. I prefer driving home at night and getting shouted at by my wife… I shouldn’t let it go to my head; I think through medicine you face reality head on.”
Apteker believes any success would be a good thing and refuses to give up his movie quest, whatever the cost.
“It is an obsession. I have got to get this right. It is like you either get this right or die trying. There is no middle ground in love, there is no middle ground in art. There is no middle ground when you are an entrepreneur—you either win or go home in a coffin,”  he says.
<h3>Well, Is It Any Good?</h3>
There is mistrust when it comes to homegrown cinema. Everyone has waited long for the great African movie—maybe, just maybe, Material is it. So says Rea Bantseke, who went to the preview screening in Sandton, near Johannesburg.
The story is simple. A young Muslim man wants to become a stand-up comedian, but has to do it behind his family’s back because it clashes with their culture. The movie examines clearly the struggle of a Muslim family to uphold its traditions in 21st century South Africa.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-369" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DSC01754-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="356" />
I was looking for the mistakes and the glitches, but there was nothing. The movie is shot beautifully and it makes you feel like you are part of the family. The story flows and is well told.
Everyone will have something that they can identify with in this movie. It will make you laugh, it will make you question, it will bring a tear to your eye.
This unique movie is hard to classify as a genre because it fuses drama, romance and comedy. It is likely to appeal to all ages. Material will leave you with hope that if this story can see the light of day, there must be many more.
&nbsp;

Tag: February 2012

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

The Whole Package

Who Would Spend $7 Million On A Dream?