The highlights: Your week in motoring

.

We have not used the wrong picture, this really is the new Audi A3.

Winter might have us in its icy grip, but that hasn't stopped at least two car companies (Infiniti and BMW) from launching cabriolets in South Africa this week.

Luckily, that's just a fraction of the variety of new metal we've seen in the last week, so if you've missed your daily dose of motoring action on this site, see our weekly roundup below for the highlights on the local and international launch front and the most exciting motorsport events.

Audi A3: On Monday we eagerly published driving impressions of a hotly anticipated new premium hatch, the Audi A3. Our UK correspondent John Simister thinks it's a revelation.

Volvo V40: That aforementioned Audi's not going to enjoy any shortage of competition. Besides the new A Class and 1 Series, the A3 will have to fight off Volvo's new V40, which local correspondent Minesh Bhagaloo drove in Italy.

Mazda MX-5: Also early in the week, Mazda showed off its latest MX-5 concept, which could be the precursor to a much-needed performance model in the range.

Infiniti: On the local front, we saw something of a premium model avalanche later in the week. Nissan's luxury division Infiniti launched a full arsenal of cars in South Africa, including a sedan, coupe, cabriolet and two SUVs.

BMW 6 Series: BMW meanwhile launched its sexy 6 Series Gran Coupe, which is actually a sedan, as well as the M6 Convertible. Jesse Adams, of our sister publication Star Motoring, was on hand to experience both vehicles at the local launch.

Kia Soul: Kia's compact crossover now has more soul, with the release of a 2-litre engine for the South African Kia Soul. This move also coincides with a minor nip and tuck across the range.

Valencia Grand Prix: On the motorsport front, the week kicked off with a drama-filled Valencia F1 Grand Prix that left Vettel and Hamilton fans weeping, although many would have been pleased to see Alonso take the win and both Raikkonen and Schumacher land on the podium.

KZN race tracks: We also heard some good news for KZN enthusiasts - the motorsport-starved province is set to receive two race tracks over the next two years.